Marlins Top Prospect to Start Spring Training Opening Game Against Mets
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The Miami Marlins will open up their spring training schedule this weekend on Saturday afternoon to kick off their Grapefruit League slate against the division rival New York Mets.
Fans who will be in attendance or finding a way to tune in now know who is going to be on the mound to start the game.
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According to a report from Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, No. 4 prospect Robby Snelling is going to take the hill first for Miami as they prepare to take on their hated rival and try to get spring off on the right foot.
Snelling, who was a top-100 prospect across baseball and is coming off an extremely impressive 2025 season across Double-A and Triple-A, expected to make his MLB debut at some point during this upcoming season.
Snelling Starting Marlins Spring Opener Could Be Telling
The 22-year-old left-hander is one of the names next in line to join a young group of Miami starting pitchers which hope to be the focal point of the next era of team success for the Marlins.
Snelling along with Thomas White are two of the top names in the organization, and the team giving Snelling the ball right out of the gate shows their belief that he could be up with the big league club sooner than later.
Last year, he made just two spring appearances and pitched to a 10.80 ERA over 1.2 innings, but now Miami sees him as such a key piece that they are throwing him out there to start the first game of spring.
Snelling Coming Off Huge Season in Marlins Organization
In Double-A, Snelling had an impressive 3.61 ERA and 1.217 WHIP over 14 starts, but the numbers got even more impressive once he made the leap to Triple-A. Carving opposing hitters up one notch below the big leagues, the southpaw posted a 1.55 ERA and 0.990 WHIP with 81 strikeouts to just 17 walks in 63.2 innings pitched and a record of 6-2.
Clearly, Snelling is knocking on the door of a promotion to the big leagues, and while a spot on the Opening Day roster may not be all that likely, it's not going to be long. Being handed the ball to open up spring training is just the latest sign that the youngster is close.
All eyes will be on Snelling this Saturday when he attempts to take on New York's lineup in his first ever spring training start.
