MLB Analyst Reveals the Key to the Marlins’ Success in 2026
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The Miami Marlins feel to be a few pieces away from being legit threats to make a playoff push. This season could be a massive step in the right direction for the franchise after finishing just shy of a .500 record in 2025.
The offense, primarily their contact, is where the upside resides in this Miami franchise. Last season, several players came into their own and helped get the retool on the right track. But according to one MLB analyst, there is a key to the Marlins' success
Miami's Pitching Staff, Primarily Eury Pérez
ESPN's Jeff Passan knows the ins and outs of the league's happenings, and in his mind, the Marlins will need to rely on Eury Pérez this season to put themselves in the best position possible for success.
Naming Perez his "why the season hinges on" candidate, Passan dove into the success that Perez had down the stretch of the season, and how he could thrive alongside Sandy Alcantara, leading the way.
"This is the year evaluators believe he puts it all together. And if he does, Pérez will finish the year as a top-10 pitcher in baseball. That's his level of talent, the kind that makes the Marlins excited that their rebuild is going somewhere good and fast," Passan wrote.
But since Pérez can't do it all himself, the Marlins will need a ton of improvement from other pitching areas in 2026, primarily the bullpen. Last season, Miami held a 4.28 ERA out of the bullpen, which wasn't ideal and surely hurt them more times than not.
Passan believes that the bullpen will help the entire team's ERA dip considerably compared to 2025. With the main addition of Pete Fairbanks to close out games, the Miami bullpen has the chance to restructure how the league views it, so long as they stay healthy.
"As good as Miami's pitching staff can be -- a whole lot better than an offense with too many holes -- the Marlins are not yet a top-five pitching staff. Give it another year or two," Passan wrote.
The bullpen stands out as the primary sore thumb for the Marlins, but if Pérez and complement Alcantara as the one-two punch, Miami might come away with more wins than analysts project them for.
Pérez has the tools to be the future ace of this franchise, but it's now or never for him to live up to his potential amid potential scrutiny from fans, coaches, and social media.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.