This Weakness Could Be Trouble for the Miami Marlins in 2026
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When the Miami Marlins broke spring training last year for Opening Day, little did many people envision what was about to happen. Coming off a 100-loss 2024 season that saw manager Skip Schumaker move, the Marlins hired Clayton McCullough as their next manager.
With a roster that had a lot of questions surrounding it, Miami went 79-83 and missed the final National League Wild Card spot by four games behind the Cincinnati Reds. It was a season that saw some young players break out and have big seasons. One of those players was outfielder Kyle Stowers, who was a finalist for the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards.
This offseason, the president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix made a pair of trades that sent two starting pitchers, Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, to new teams and got a haul of prospects back. Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated listed an Achilles heel for each team and Miami's could be the difference between competing for a playoff spot and missing out again.
Marlins Achilles Heel Could Hold Them Back in 2026
After the two trades by Bendix in January of Cabrera and Weathers, it leaves two spots open in the rotation for this year. As far as the offense goes, there are questions surrounding that in terms of how Miami will go about getting production. Rasmussen believes that could be what holds the Marlins back this season.
"The Marlins don’t have much talent in the lineup outside of 2025 breakout star Kyle Stowers. The team lacks power, as Stowers’s 25 home runs led the team last year. Only one other player, Agustín Ramirez, clubbed more than 15 homers. Miami ranked 27th in long balls last season, and could once again be at the bottom of the league in that regard in ‘26,'' Rasmussen wrote.
The Marlins signed Christopher Morel from the Tampa Bay Rays in free agency and they hope he can return to the offensive production he had a couple of years ago with the Cubs in 2023. Behind Stowers and Ramirez, the next player who could have a breakout season and provide some production is Owen Caissie, who was acquired by the Cubs in the Cabrera deal.
Caissie is playing for Canada in the World Baseball Classic and hit a home run in his first game on Saturday. He is someone who could easily lock down a spot in the lineup and outfield on Opening Day. He has shown to have the power that could fill the gap Miami has in a lack of production.
Miami was a surprise team in 2025 and if they are going to take the next step under McCullough and get into the postseason, then they'll have to find production from some unexpected players. If not, then it can be their Achilles heel and might leave them on the outside looking in for the playoffs in the fall.
