Power surge keeping Marlins in playoff conversation as season nears midpoint
The Miami Marlins were never going to rely solely on brute power this season. This is a lineup structured to thrive with a small-ball approach — high batting average, chaos and aggressiveness on the basepaths, and manufacturing runs.
But Miami this month has shown that there is some pop that could creep through when things are clicking.
That was on full displace Wednesday when the Marlins mashed a season-high five home runs in their 12-4 road win over the Philadelphia Phillies, a victory that allowed them to avoid being swept at Citizens Bank Park and go 3-3 overall during their road trip through Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Kyle Stowers homered twice — his second multihomer game of the season and seventh of his career — while Owen Caissie, Joe Mack and Jakob Marsee each added a home run.
Miami is now 11-4 overall in June, which has brought the team back to hovering around .500 nearing the halfway mark of the season — the Marlins are 37-38 entering a six-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers that starts Friday at loanDepot park. They enter Thursday two games back of a wild card spot in the National League after being a season-worst eight games under .500 entering the month.
Wednesday’s game marked the ninth time in franchise history the Marlins have hit at least a handful of homers in a game and first since Aug. 18, 2023. The franchise record is six, done on April 11, 2008, at Houston.
It was also just the fifth time through 75 games this season that the Marlins have at least three home runs this season. They are 4-1 in those games, including 3-0 in this month (also June 1 and 2 at Washington).
In fact, the Marlins have hit 20 of their 66 total home runs for the season over 15 games so far in June, tied for the 11th most in MLB this month through games played Wednesday. The home runs have been split fairly evenly across the lineup, with nine players hitting at least one long ball. Stowers and Heriberto Hernandez each have four this month, followed by three from Mack, two apiece by Caissie, Liam Hicks and Esteury Ruiz, and one each from Otto Lopez, Javier Sanoja and Marsee.
And the power surge has correlated with an uptick in offensive performance overall by the team.
Miami is averaging 4.93 runs per game in June (74 runs over 15 games), an increase from the team’s average of 4.17 entering the month. The Marlins also have a collective slash line of a .256 batting average, .336 on-base percentage and .437 slugging percentage so far in June; their respective marks in those categories over the entire season are a .245 batting average, .322 on-base percentage and .386 slugging.
Stowers getting regular first base work
Stowers is beginning to produce after his season got off to an uneven start following to a pair of hamstring injuries in spring training. After his four-hit, two-homer performance on Wednesday, Stowers is hitting .241 with an .870 on-base-plus-slugging mark and 16 RBI in June. Seven of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases (four home runs, two doubles, one triple).
But what might be more noticeable is where Stowers is playing in the field.
A Gold Glove finalist in left field during his breakout 2025 campaign, Stowers is getting steady playing time at first base as of late, starting six of Miami’s past 12 games at first base.
Stowers playing in the infield opens things up for manager Clayton McCullough with his lineup construction. Miami has a handful of outfielders capable of starting in Stowers, Hernandez, Caissie, Marsee and Ruiz. Meanwhile, offensive production at first base has been lacking on days when Liam Hicks isn’t starting there. Connor Norby has just a .207 average and .656 OPS this season, while Christopher Morel is hitting .162 with a .425 OPS.
Reinforcements close to returning
Outfielder Griffin Conine (left hamstring tear) and right-handed pitcher Eury Perez (right gracilis strain) have joined Triple A Jacksonville for rehab assignments, signaling they are close to returning to the Marlins from lengthy injuries.
Conine went 1 for 2 with an RBI and a hit by pitch while playing seven innings in right field on Tuesday for the Jumbo Shrimp. Perez is slated to make his first rehab start on Thursday.
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