It's as simple as this: the Marlins, at one point, had a shot of crashing the postseason. Then they kept losing games and literally every other marginal competitor passed them. The Pirates and Cardinals probably aren't making the playoffs either, but they passed them. So now the Marlins are 8-5 in September, back below .500, nothing else to do this season really but be thankful they weren't a last place team.
I can say with certainty that we know more about this team than we did before the season began. There were a lot of beginnings of threads last season that we weren't sure were gonna lead to anything in 2026, but Max Meyer, Javier Sanoja, Heriberto Hernandez, Tyler Phillips, Janson Junk and Jakob Marsee all have crucial roles on this team as it evolves. Sanoja was once just a decent enough super-ute who hit well only against the Phils. Now he's the everyday 3rd baseman, is a .300 hitter and has 63 RBIs, which isn't bad at all. Last year, Heriberto Hernandez was an okay hitter and a defensive liability, but now he's a much better power hitter, looking at the team's sole 25-homer year, and is better in left. Max Meyer, despite finishing with only half a season's worth of innings, proved he could carry the big games, and Sandy Alcantara proved he wasn't washed up. The biggest development was directing Tyler Phillips back towards a starting role, where he actually did a pretty decent job, with a 4.26 ERA, 5 wins and 63 Ks in 82 innings. I think he might be a good starting option going forward, as will Janson Junk, who had a 4.50 ERA in 111 innings.
Now...will Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards continue to be the anchors? There I'm not sure. Lopez had an incredible season this year, with a 5.8 ERA, a league-leading 180 hits, a .300 average and 69 RBIs, plus 30 steals to boot. He excelled at nearly every facet of the game, and at 27 it could either be his apex season or the start of a strong run. I don't know if he's going to be THE guy for this team, but he's definitely helped exponentially, and some more seasons of this caliber would be the next step. Edwards is still a good piece but the fact that the Rays knew to give him up tells you he may never be THE guy. Maybe Marsee will do more heavy lifting next year, even if his second half was way better than his first. I think the real issue is whether or not Kyle Stowers is ever gonna touch his 2025 season [itself injury-shortened]. That's kind of why the Orioles gave up, they saw the floor and not the ceiling. I think if the Marlins are at all concerned they'll make a move this offseason but I think he's a bounce-back candidate, just like I think Owen Caissie just needs to grow into things.
The thing that will make me feel a lot better about the long term success of this team is proof of a working rotation model. Because ideally, if given the year, the combination of Eury Perez, Max Meyer, Ryan Gusto, Janson Junk and Tyler Phillips may not be enough to get things going. Alcantara's probably leaving in free agency, that's fine I guess. I'd love if there was another young starting option. It was supposed to be Robby Snelling, that did not pan out. There's gotta be somebody immediately next. Is it Karson Milbrandt after he figures out triple-A? Or Thomas White once he can stay healthy? One of those guys, or both, could swap in and help things greatly. Maybe a cheap free agent, someone who can eat innings? There's gotta be somebody.
The Marlins are closer to competing than you might expect. They just need to build on this season and not run from what worked.
Coming Tonight: This was his first season for a team that didn't have a probable shot at the postseason. It wasn't that great.
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