What the Marlins Opening Day Win Told Us — And What It Didn’t
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After an offseason that saw some turnover with the starting pitching, the Miami Marlins began the 2026 season at home on Friday night against the Colorado Rockies.
Gone were pitchers Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers in trades that acquired a handful of prospects. That left Sandy Alcantara to lead a young pitching staff.
Alcantara had a strong second half of the 2025 season and the right-hander picked up where he left off with an impressive performance on Opening Day. He went seven innings and made two fourth-inning runs stand up in a 2-1 win. Here is what the season-opening win told us and what it didn't.
What it Told Us
Sandy Alcantara Is Back
As the 2025 season went along, Alcantara got better and better. He looked like he was returning nicely from surgery that cost him the 2024 season. It was just one start, but he looked very good and was very efficient in his seven innings of work. In six of those innings, he needed 10 or fewer pitches to get out of the inning. Alcantara threw 73 pitches, 49 for strikes.
Only two batters saw more than four pitches during an at-bat in his outing and he allowed just four hits and one run with seven strikeouts and two walks. The only inning he ran into trouble was the fourth, but instead of letting up a crooked number, he was able to bear down and escape a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout. McCullough is hoping this is a sign of things to come this year.
Owen Caissie Looks Like He Belongs
Acquired from the Chicago Cubs as part of the Cabrera deal in January, Owen Caissie was one of the prospects acquired that could make an impact early and often in 2026. It didn't take him long to make a big impact early in the game.
He gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead with an RBI double off a tough left-hander, Kyle Freeland, in the second inning. One batter later, he motored around from second base to score on a Javier Sanoja single. Sanoja went 3-for-3 in the game.
As far as Caissie is concerned, he looked comfortable at the plate coming off a good World Baseball Classic for Team Canada. He could be a nice foundation piece for a long time.
What it Didn't Tell Us
Did the Marlins Get One Offseason Gamble Right?
One signing the Marlins made over the winter that was surprising was Christopher Morel. He was signed to play first base, a position he had never played. Things went well in spring training and he was all set to make his debut there on Friday night.
Before the game, it was announced that he was scratched from the lineup with a left oblique strain. That forced McCullough to move things around with Caissie inserted into the lineup as the DH and Connor Norby was moved to first base. Morel will undergo further evaluation, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com.
Will the Marlins Offense Be Improved From Last Season?
Most of the production Miami got was from the bottom of the lineup. That is all well and good, but McCullough was missing some key players. Kyle Stowers is out with an injury suffered last week and Morel was scratched late due to his injury.
Miami is hoping Morel can find his swing from 2023 with the Cubs, where he had 26 home runs. Stowers is looking to have another season as he had in 2025 to prove it wasn't a fluke. We won't know if the offense will be improved until Morel and Stowers return and get some at-bats under their belts. It doesn't look like either will be back anytime soon. Can Miami score enough until they get healthy? That will be something to watch going forward.
