Marlins Earn Encouraging Spot in Early 2026 Projections
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Going into the 2026 season, questions surround the Miami Marlins. After a surprising 2025 season that saw them rebound from a 100-loss 2024 season, the Marlins finished just four games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the final National League wild-card spot.
Halfway through the offseason, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix decided to trade pitchers Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, leaving Sandy Alcantara as the ace of the staff. The returns may end up paying off down the line with some impressive prospects acquired between the two deals.
Down two starting pitchers in a National League East that saw most teams aside from the Washington Nationals improve, just where does Miami fit in? According to MLB.com's Mike Petriello, the Marlins will be a fun team to watch in 2026.
Marlins Placed in Surprising, Yet Promising Tier for 2026 Season
Petriello placed Miami in his "On the right track, and should be a lot of fun to watch'' tier for the upcoming season. Joining them was the Athletics. Here is what Petriello wrote.
"The Marlins are a better-rounded team, if sorely lacking a Kurtz-level bat, and given all the pitching risk of the Phillies, Braves, and Mets in the NL East ahead of them, there’s a very narrow opening for them to make some noise this year. As we wrote last weekend, Miami has been willing to push the envelope on the next wave of baseball experimentation, and there’s a lot more than you’d think that resembles the way the 2024 Blue Jays became the 2025 Blue Jays. It’s probably not going to be quite enough this year, though we’ll remind you they did just win three more games than Atlanta did,'' Petriello wrote.
He's right, the NL East is going to be tough once again in 2026, especially if the Atlanta Braves' moves end up working out and they stay healthy. The key for the Marlins this season is going to be the development of some of their players, especially the pitchers, as well as players like Kyle Stowers continuing to take the next step after a breakout 2025 campaign. Owen Caissie, acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Cabrera deal, is someone who could be this season's version of Stowers.
However things end up shaking out with their lineup, it is all going to come down to pitching this year, and does Miami have enough?
If they held onto Cabrera and Weathers, then yes, they would, but Bendix decided to cash in now while their market was high. Regardless of what happens, there is no doubt that the Marlins should be fun to watch this summer.
