In a year where the usual NL spoiler, the New York Mets, were too depressed to actually catch would-be competitors, the surprise spoiler may have been the Miami Marlins. They were never gonna make the playoffs, especially not with such a disappointing year from Sandy Alcantara, but they were good enough to make it interesting, and may have provided crucial losses that kept the Cardinals, Rangers, Royals and, yes, the Mets from making the playoffs, plus a few losses that kept the Tigers from taking the Central. They set themselves up for an even bigger year in 2026, with so many young pieces primed to take major roles. If Kyle Stowers is back in full force, there's definitely a chance for some damage.
Another cool factor would be a full season from Griffin Conine. Conine, son of the beloved '03 Marlins outfielder, had a brief come up in 2024 with some great contact work, then got an Opening Day spot this year. However, not too far into April he was stopped by an injury that held him out until September, robbing him of what could have been a breakout season. In 24 games, Conine hit .253 with 2 homers and 8 RBIs.
2026 Prediction: 150 games, 100+ hits, and people mad he didn't make the ASG.
Ryan Weathers had a similar predicament in 2025, and honestly in 2024 as well. He was guaranteed a rotation spot this year, but couldn't stay healthy enough to really take advantage of it. At the very least the material the Marlins got from Weathers this year was still good, as he had a 3.99 ERA with 37 Ks in 8 starts. But again, having him missing 23 starts meant that the Marlins needed to get replacement guys for a lot of the season.
2026 Prediction: 20 starts, a 3 ERA, and some trade chatter.
The addition of a utility gold glove has allowed for some unsung heroes to get their due, and this year it meant that rookie utility man Javier Sanoja got a trophy immediately. Sanoja was mostly an extra outfielder that backed up Connor Norby, and his defense was excellent wherever they played him. Offensively he wasn't always as reliable, with a .243 average, 6 homers and 38 RBIs, but I want to make it clear that his best offensive moments of the season were almost all against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 11 Phils games, Sanoja hit .385 with 8 RBIs and one homer, far and away his best average against any divisional opponent.
2026 Prediction: Starts a bit more, hits a bit more, still kills the Phils.
The Marlins were without usual catcher Nick Fortes for a lot of the season, so presumed backup, and rookie, Liam Hicks, a Toronto native netted in the previous year's rule 5 draft, ended up as the defacto starter for a lot of the season. It proved to be a good move, as Hicks was a slight upgrade at the plate, hitting .247 with 82 hits in 119 games. In 13 May games, Hicks was hitting .313 with 7 RBIs and 3 homers, giving him the gig until Agustin Ramirez would give him a little competition.
2026 Prediction: So Hicks is a better defender than Ramirez, but Ramirez' bat is gonna need to be in that lineup everyday. I think they platoon things so Hicks still starts more often than not, and he has a similarly fine year. Though if any Marlins catcher is gonna get dealt, it will be Hicks.
Speaking of competition, Connor Norby, in an injury-plagued year, struggled to cement himself as well as fellow Baltimore farmhand Kyle Stowers in a full year in Miami. He only played in 88 games, and shared time with Graham Pauley and Javier Sanoja upon his return. He hit .251 with 8 homers and 34 RBIs in that time, which is still decent production, to the degree that he was at in 2024.
2026 Prediction: The Marlins give him third from the jump, he keeps it all year and had a 30+ homer season.
The Marlins' most effective bullpen piece this year was Anthony Bender, after settling in last year. Bender's season was shortened with 2 months left to go, but in 51 games he had a 2.16 ERA and a 1.060 WHIP.
2026 Prediction: Ronny Henriquez has ensured he won't need to close, but he'll still be the go-to setup guy and come close to his 2025 heights.
In his stead, the Marlins gave a ton more reps to Tyler Phillips, who broke out last year with a terrific couple of starts for the Phillies, followed by a depressing drop-off. Being rejected by the Phils' fans made Phillips pretty angry, cause he's from the Philly area, and upon becoming a relief specialist in Miami he channeled that to great success, smacking himself before appearances, and preserving a deadpan, realist guise in postgame interviews. It may not be healthy behavior, but it paid off on the ballfield, with a 2.78 ERA, a 1.146 WHIP and a 1.9 WAR in 54 games and 77 innings. He can do long work, he can get saves, and he made the Bender loss a ton less crucial.
2026 Prediction: Well I sincerely hope he lightens up. Maybe has to fill-in as closer and does alright. Maybe they need him to start at some point and does alright there too.
With all the great rookies on this Marlins team, many of which I've spoken about here, it's easy to overlook Heriberto Hernandez, but judging by the fact that he got a small bit of ROY votes, there could be something here as well. In 87 games, Hernandez hit .266 with 10 homers and 45 RBIs, as an OF bat but also as a DH. The Marlins have Stowers and Ramirez as power bats, but Hernandez could be right there with him.
2026 Prediction: Gets more OF starts, has a 25 homer year.
Coming Tomorrow- So many New York Mets.
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