Miami Marlins 2025: Five Early Takeaways From Spring Training

Opening Day draws ever closer in Miami, as the Marlins are now about half-way through their spring slate, and there are plenty of notable performances to talk about (both good and bad) through eleven games for the Fish. From stand out prospects, to disappointing breakout candidates, these are five of the biggest takeaways thus far as the Marlins roster begins to take shape here in mid-March. 

Sandy is still Sandy

Now, this may seem to be the most “water is wet” take about the Marlins that one can have, but coming into the Spring, there were legitimate questions about the status of the Marlins’ ace pitcher. This season marks the return of the franchise icon, after missing all of 2024 recovering from tommy john surgery he had gotten in late 2023. Many had wondered about a potential innings restriction for Alcantara, and/or if he would return to his 2022 Cy Young form, as even prior to the surgery that cost him his 2024, he had appeared to take a step back. If early returns are to be read into, though, Sandy looks to be in mid-season form already as through three starts to this point, the Marlins’ ace has been electric. The fireballer has thrown five and two thirds shutout innings, while holding opposing batters to a paltry .158 batting average against, while consistently sitting in the upper 90s on his fastball, regularly touching triple digits. Even better, all indications from Sandy and new Marlins manager Clayton McCollough are that Alcantara will be all systems go to start the season with no innings limit in sight. 

The Bullpen Could Once Again Star

In recent years, there haven’t been many bright spots for the Miami Marlins, but one bright spot has found a tendency to shine through, the bullpen. On paper, the marlins stable of relievers may appear to be the island of misfit arms, filled with players returning from injury, struggles in 2024, and cast-offs from other organizations. However, when one takes a deeper look, there seems to be quite a bit of reason for optimism, especially given the early returns this spring. Declan Cronin and Calvin Foucher highlight the returning arms, as both look to capitalize off strong seasons in 2024. Cronin had a pretty rough start to the spring, allowing two earned runs in his first appearance, however, he has settled in with back to back clean outings in his subsequent two appearances. Faucher himself has had a strong start to the spring, allowing just one run in four appearances, and holding batters to a .154 batting average to this point. Coming into Sunday’s game vs the Astros, righty Anthony Bender had also looked as he had returned to his former form, with four scoreless appearances, striking out five, and holding opposing batters to an .077 average. Righty George Soriano has also impressed thus far in the spring, having tossed four scoreless innings for the Marlins as he looks to bounce back from a rough 2024, these four can represent a solid core of relief options for the Marlins in 2025. When one considers the likes of Jesus Tinoco, who had come on strong at the end of 2024, Andrew Nardi who had burst onto the scene in ‘23 prior to taking a step back last year, and Anthony Veneziano, another fireballing lefty who pitched well down the stretch in 2024, the Marlins may be primed to have a formidable outfit of relievers once again heading into 2025. 

Edward Cabrera’s grasp on a rotation spot is as tenuous as ever

Once upon a time, Edward Cabrera was one of the most promising young arms in baseball, as he had posted a 3.01 ERA in 14 starts over the 2022 season. The years since have been less than kind to the Marlins hurler as he has since struggled with injury and control issues 2023 and 2024. Now in the spring of this year, he is off to a rather dreadful start. The 26-year-old right hander has allowed a staggering ten (!) earned runs across three appearances to this point, with batters hitting a red hot .435 versus the former top prospect, and control issues once again rearing their head. Cabrera was thought to have a relatively safe spot in the rotation following a December trade that had sent rotation-mate Jesus Luzardo to the division rival Phillies, and while  he still looks to be on track to break camp with the team, this performance thus far in the Spring, combined with shaky performances over the last two seasons, has Cabrera squarely on the roster bubble as the Marlins get closer to opening day 2025. 

Max Meyer Looks Primed to Break Out in 2025

A player who looks to be much in the opposite camp of Edward Cabrera, albeit in a small sample size, is one Max Meyer. Meyer has had a rather tumultuous major league journey to this point, having his 2022 cut short by tommy-john surgery, and struggling last season in his first year back with the Marlins to the tune of a 5.68 ERA across eleven starts in 2024. Meyer has looked like a different pitcher for the Marlins in camp, as the third overall pick in the 2020 draft for Miami has seen a sizeable jump in velocity, now sitting about 96 on the fastball, up a couple miles per hour from last season. Additionally, Meyer has added a sweeper to his arsenal, giving himself another weapon on top of his fastball, changeup and slider. The results, so far, have been relatively positive. The 25-year-old has allowed two earned runs through six spring innings, both of which coming in his most recent outing versus the Metropolitans of New York, but the starter has been drawing rave reviews since the start of camp, and he has backed it up to start the Spring. Meyer has shown enough flashes to merit the idea that may still yet live up to that prospect pedigree that got him drafted at number three overall back in 2020. 

The Offense Will Struggle Again in 2025

Admittedly, I have been higher on the Miami Marlins in 2025 than the general consensus, though, that is hardly a high bar to clear, but I like to call things as I see them. And, if Spring results are to be believed, the Miami Marlins look to have one of baseball’s most anemic offenses in 2025 once again. Xavier Edwards and Connor Norby will likely be the two centerpieces in the lineup 2025, but beyond that, it’s a series of what-ifs, maybe’s, and perhaps’. Players like Jonah Bride and Otto Lopez who had been pleasant surprises in 2024, have disappointed to this point in spring. Perpetual breakout candidate Jesus Sanchez has slumped mightily through the first eleven games of spring, and players such as Dane Myers, Kyle Stowers and Griffin Conine have not taken the step so far that many had hoped coming into camp. To be fair, there have been some bright spots, left handed power bat Matt Mervis comes to mind at first base, as well as young utility man Javier Sanoja, but those two can only help so much given the Marlins drastic need for production in the lineup. Heralded prospects Deyvison De Los Santos and Agustin Ramirez have slumped to this point as well, dashing hopes that they may break camp with the team, and catcher Nick Fortes, while he calls a nice game behind the plate, has never really been known as a formidable bat behind the dish. This is not a guarantee of things to come, but it goes without saying that the Marlins will need much more out of their lineup than what they have gotten in the first half of this spring if they are to avoid being at the bottom of the league offensively for a second year in a row in 2025. 

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