Marlins’ New Acquisition Set to Compete for Rotation Spot in 2026
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The Miami Marlins acquire right-handed pitcher Garrett Acton to their 40-man roster from the Colorado Rockies. To make room on the roster, the Marlins then designated outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. for assignment.
Welcome to South Florida, Garrett 🌴 pic.twitter.com/XfN5pRotuG
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) February 3, 2026
Acton is looking to resurrect his career with the Marlins. His career in the pros has been an arduous journey so far.
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Acton Seeks to Revive His Career in Miami
The 27-year-old doesn’t have much of a track record in the majors. The Chicago White Sox drafted Acton in the 35th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He spent four seasons in the minors. Acton’s total minor league record was 16-12 with a 4.39 ERA in 151 games, 283 strikeouts in 211 innings pitched.
At 25, he made his MLB debut with the Oakland Athletics. It quickly turned out to be for the worse. In six appearances, he gave up eight earned runs, nine hits, and a 12.71 ERA. Acton got sent back to the minors.
The right-hander missed the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. Then, the Tampa Bay Rays signed Acton in 2025, where he only made one start for the team. Acton has only struck out five batters in his major league career with a 10.80 ERA.
The Rays designated Acton for assignment in November of 2025. The Colorado Rockies decided to take a chance on him, but then chose to move on in January when they found a way to add Willi Castro. Then the Marlins picked him up.
The Marlins are not sure what kind of pitcher they are getting. He’s coming back from a serious Tommy John surgery, and now is the time for him to prove what he can do on the mound. Acton will turn 28 in June. It’s going to be perhaps the most crucial season of his professional baseball career. He must show something to the Marlins, and quite frankly the MLB in general.
This is where spring training comes into play. Acton will get a chance to see what kind of command he can bring to the mound. He can throw a four-seam fastball, a changeup, and a slider. His fastball can reach up to 95-96, so that’s a plus. Acton will need to develop a strong changeup to have success.
New Marlins RHP Garrett Acton missed the 2024 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) February 3, 2026
His velocity hasn't fully bounced back yet, but still dominated righty batters last season (.150 BAA and 35.2 K%). pic.twitter.com/8qKdEiHZIl
Everyone deserves a chance in this game. Acton has been through a lot in these last several seasons. The Marlins bullpen is one of their main weaknesses. Aside from Pete Fairbanks, the Marlins don’t have an elite bullpen that can put fear in opponents.
It’s probably one of the reasons why Miami went out to get Acton. Calvin Faucher, Anthony Bender, Tyler Phillips, Josh White, and many more pitchers will be competing in spring training to fill in those spots in the bullpen. Acton has a lot of work to do because the competition will be there right in front of him.
Marlins coaches will have plenty of options to pick from, and they want to pay close attention to who is ready to help the team win in the regular season.
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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.