Miami Marlins’ rotation is rounding into form. Plus All-Star voting update
The Miami Marlins’ starting rotation has always been viewed as one of the team’s primary strengths.
But that wasn’t the case in the early going of the 2023 season. The group, led by ace and reigning Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara and not featuring a single player older than 27, struggled to string together consistent outings over the first month and a half of the season.
“We say it out of both sides of our mouths: This is a really good young staff and then you also realize that with youth, they have to gain experience with certain things,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said recently. “That’s what we’re seeing.”
But the group has started to turn things around.
Entering Monday’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners, the Marlins starting rotation — 27-year-old Alcantara, 25-year-old Jesus Luzardo, 25-year-old Edward Cabrera and 20-year-old rookie Eury Perez — has combined to post a 2.86 ERA during the last three full turns through the rotation. The quintet has held opponents to just 27 earned runs through 85 innings while striking out 95 and walking 25 during those 15 starts.
And no one has had an outing shorter than five innings in that span, either, providing length that is helping a bullpen that has thrown the 10th-most innings in MLB this season.
“With a young staff, I think that some people made adjustments on us,” catcher Jacob Stallings said, “and I think our guys have done a really good job of adjusting to those adjustments and are throwing the ball really well. ... Guys are bouncing back. We always thought this was going to be the strength of our team and it’s nice to see those guys [produce]. They work really hard, so it’s nice to see those guys getting the results.”
Here’s a player-by-player breakdown of the rotation and how the group has fared as of late:
▪ Sandy Alcantara: Alcantrara’s results are still nowhere near where he wants them to be — a 4.75 ERA through his first 13 starts — but he has begun trending in the right direction. He has gone at least six innings in six of his past seven starts, including making it through seven in four of those outings.
▪ Jesus Luzardo: Luzardo had a 3.93 ERA through his past six starts and has held opponents to just one earned run while pitching at least five innings in four of those six starts. In those half dozen starts, Luzardo has struck out 43 while walking just six through 34 1/3 innings.
▪ Edward Cabrera: Cabrera has pitched at least five innings and held opponents to no more than three earned runs in each of his past five starts. He has a 2.93 ERA (nine earned runs through 27 2/3 innings) with 31 strikeouts against eight walks in those outings.
▪ Braxton Garrett: Garrett has been the surprise of the staff. His season ERA is bloated by a horrible outing against the Atlanta Braves on May 3, but he has pitched to a 2.25 ERA in his past six starts (eight earned runs through 32 innings) with 41 strikeouts against seven walks.
▪ Eury Perez: The Marlins’ top prospect and consensus top-10 prospect in all of baseball has a 2.17 ERA through his first five MLB starts and has given up just one earned run through 15 innings in his past three starts.
However, what the Marlins plan to do with Perez long-term this season despite the success will be interesting. He has already thrown 60 innings this season (29 in MLB, 31 with Double A Pensacola) and has never thrown more than 78 in a season since his pro ball debut in 2021.
Left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers and right-handed pitcher Johnny Cueto are both working their way back from bicep injuries and could be ready to pitch at the big-league level sooner than later.
All-Star voting update
The Marlins’ Luis Arraez is the top vote-getter among National League second basemen in MLB’s first All-Star ballot voting update, which was released Monday.
Arraez leads MLB with a .397 batting average and .447 on-base percentage as he tries to become the first player since Ted Williams in 1941 to finish a season with a .400 batting average.
Meanwhile, Jorge Soler is fourth in voting among NL designated hitters, behind the Dodgers’ J.D. Martinez, Phililes’ Bryce Harper and Braves’ Travis d’Arnaud.
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