Marlins’ Chris Paddack Will Feel Full Circle Moment In His First Start
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It's been eleven years since the Miami Marlins drafted pitcher Chris Paddack in the eighth round out of high school.
Eleven years later, Paddack will make his Marlins debut against Chicago White Sox right handed pitcher Davis Martin. The Marlins are 3-0 to start the 2026 season. It marks the third time they have swept their first series of a season. The last time was in 2009, when the team started 4-0.
Paddack is Looking to Keep Marlins Unbeaten
Miami is the only team left in MLB to start the season undefeated. The other teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Milwaukee Brewers.
Paddack, 30, has gone through some ups and downs in the big leagues. Staying healthy and winning double-digit starts is the ultimate goal. Paddack has a career lifetime of 32-36 with a 4.64 ERA. His performance in the last few seasons hasn’t had many people too high on him entering this new season.
However, everyone deserves a chance to change their careers around. For Paddack, making his Marlins debut means a lot to him. He waited for this moment to come for a long time. He’s looking forward to competing in his first start and going to battle with his teammates.
"Obviously, in a perfect world, the team that drafts you envisioned the big league club,” Paddack said. “You put on a big league jersey with that organization, and that is the case. It went on a different route. I made some pit stops along the way, being traded early on in my career and back in a Marlins jersey, and I'm really excited for this upcoming season, but also this group of guys that we have in the clubhouse, and I'm looking forward to that full circle moment for me."
The Sheriff's on the mound tonight 🤠
— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) March 30, 2026
Chris Paddack speaks about this "full-circle moment," nearly 11 years after being drafted by the Marlins out of high school. pic.twitter.com/pSJpaO0F69
It’s certainly a full-circle day for Paddack. When he got drafted by the Marlins, he didn’t even get a chance to get on the field with the team. The Marlins traded him to the San Diego Padres for reliever Fernando Rodney in 2016.
Paddack doesn’t dwell on the past. He’s grateful to represent the Marlins organization, and you can tell that he’s enjoying it. He would enjoy the season even more if his production turns out to be a blessing and if he helps the Marlins win games.
Against the White Sox, they might not be an elite team, but Paddack must be careful to pitch to Munetaka Murakami, who has gone yard in three straight games to start his MLB career.
After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.