Marlins Were on a Roll…What Happened?

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MIAMI, FL – The Marlins were climbing up the ropes in the standings, putting the MLB on notice. The Fish were slowly but surely increasing their stock in the National League Wild Card race. On August 3rd, the Miami Marlins did the unbelievable, completing their homestand sweep against the New York Yankees. Sitting at 55-55 in 3rd place of the NL East, they seemed competitive enough to handle any team that was left to play in the schedule. However, it all went crashing down from there. The Marlins were on a roll but then ran off course.

Inconsistent Starts

Inconsistent starts have played a role in this rocky stretch for the Marlins.

Sandy Alcantara lost two consecutive starts against the Houston Astros and the Cleveland Guardians. He gave up 16 hits and 11 runs in 12 innings of work. The walks were a bit high too at five.

Cal Quantrill had brutal starts on August 5th against Houston and August 16th in Boston. He gave up seven earned runs in both starts. Against the Astros, he pitched just 4.1 innings and allowed nine hits. Quantrill allowed eight hits in 3.2 innings against the Red Sox. On August 19, the Marlins placed him on outright waivers.

Edward Cabrera has lost his past two starts against the Guardians and Cardinals. The 27-year-old allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings in Cleveland and gave up six runs on 11 hits in 4.1 innings against St. Louis.

Lastly, Eury Perez had a tough start in Atlanta on August 7. He allowed five runs on seven hits and three home runs in an 8-6 loss. Perez got the no decision, but he still played a role in the team losing that game.

Kyle Stowers Slump

Kyle Stowers has been the most consistent player for the Marlins. There’s no doubt he’s made the most impact on this squad all season long. It’s felt as if once he got into a slump, so did the entire team.

From August 4 until August 15, he was held to just two runs driven in. It was quite clear he was in a slump when he went four straight games from August 9th to the 12th without a hit. Stowers struck out 10 times in 55 plate appearances.

During the series against the Boston Red Sox, it was revealed he had a Grade 1 left side strain. He’s due to miss around three or four weeks of playing time but it’s a tricky injury to estimate a return date. Honestly, if the Marlins are well out of playoff contention by then, it’s probably best for them to shut him down for the remainder of the season.

Kyle Stowers will be placed on the injured list with a Grade 1 left side strain and is expected to miss multiple weeks, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough announced. pic.twitter.com/CIQNOm2Wyj

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 16, 2025

Defensive Disasters

The defensive disasters witnessed throughout the season are concerning and have played a significant role in the team’s sudden decline.

In their 8-3 loss against the Cardinals on August 18th, the Marlins had two errors, four wild pitches, and one passed ball. Several runs could have been prevented.

2 errors
4 wild pitches
1 passed ball

It was a defensive disaster for the Marlins

📺: https://t.co/cTQEPRurya pic.twitter.com/JGwEr6rg3t

— Jeremiah Geiger (@JeremiahGeiger2) August 19, 2025

Agustin Ramirez is partly to blame for that. It’s no secret that, although being a skillful hitter, he has liabilities behind the plate. The catcher has three throwing errors, four fielding errors, and 13 passed balls.

Overall, the catching position has been the most troubled for the Marlins. They have allowed 157 stolen bases, by far the most in the MLB. The Marlins are tied with the Rangers in having caught just 19 runners, which is the lowest. The 48 wild pitches allowed are tied for fifth in the MLB. They also lead the majors with 19 passed balls, and it’s not even close.

Mismanagement of the Bullpen

The club has faced considerable controversy regarding its decisions on when to insert Josh Simpson and Valente Bellozo into the game.

For Josh Simpson, the biggest question mark was the August 15 game against the Red Sox. In a tied 1-1 game in the 9th inning, Clayton McCullough opted to put the left-handed reliever into the game. It did not go as planned. He allowed three batters to get on base with no outs before getting removed. Ultimately, he got credited with the loss after the Red Sox walked it off.

Was it justifiable to place a reliever with a 6+ ERA over Ronny Henriquez, who has a sub-3 ERA, in a high-leverage situation where you need to win?

It was definitely a questionable move when you could’ve gone with the more reliable 9th inning option. In that road trip, Henriquez only pitched in 1.2 innings over two appearances.

The usage of Valente Bellozo in particular situations has been just as questionable. He has been placed in games with the team down one run and allowed the deficit to worsen.

On August 9, Bellozo was placed in the 6th inning of a 5-4 game, with the Marlins trailing the Braves. He struggled to get by, allowing three runs that inning.

Fast forward to August 14, when Valente Bellozo comes into the 7th inning of a 5-4 deficit against the Guardians. This outing was more of the same, with Bellozo allowing four runs.

With this change, @Marlins Valente Bellozo had his ERA rise from 3.93 to 4.21#MarlinsBeisbol #GuardsBall https://t.co/Hxe1E4sgdm

— MLB Scoring Changes (@ScoringChanges) August 17, 2025

In both appearances, he had to face lineups with strong lefty hitters, which has been a struggle for him this season.

Is There Any Hope?

Never say die, but it’s more than likely the downward trend has affected the Marlins. It would be nice for them to use these last six weeks of baseball as a stepping stone for the 2026 season. That doesn’t mean they should just call it quits and tank their way through the remaining games.

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are 75-48 as of the publication of this writing. There are several prospects I would love to see the Marlins call up.

Robby Snelling is the next man up from AAA Jacksonville. He is big league ready and has a 6-7 record in 21 starts with a 2.73 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 136 strikeouts. Snelling has issued his lowest total amount of walks in the minors with 32, and opponents have been held to just a .226 average against him.

Full season leaders at Triple-A in @DigsPitcher Defense Independent Game Score!

1. Robby Snelling 🎦
2. Jack Perkins
3. Jacob Lopez
4. J.T Ginn
5. Didier Fuentes
6. Troy Melton
7. Cade Horton
8. Joe Boyle
9. Mick Abel
10. Christian Mena
pic.twitter.com/mqSvR2O7gS

— Scout the Statline (@StatlineScout) August 18, 2025

Joe Mack will be a pivotal player in the Marlins lineup for the next few years to come. The catcher is slashing .249/.419/.750. He has hit 18 doubles and 13 home runs, along with 39 runs driven in and 52 runs scored. Mack has some speed too, with seven stolen bases.

#Marlins No. 3 prospect Joe Mack matched a career high with four hits and fell a triple shy of the cycle in Friday's victory.@USAFRecruiting #AimHigh pic.twitter.com/THgELDjQTo

— Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (@JaxShrimp) August 5, 2025

Adam Mazur has already made a start for Miami earlier this season, but I believe his call-up this September will be permanent. Ideally, he fits in more as a long relief pitcher. The left-hander is 6-7 with a 4.36 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 100 punchouts. Mazur has come in relief three times for the Jumbo Shrimp this season.

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