MIAMI -- The Marlins recently passed the quarter-way point of the season, so let’s dish out some superlatives. Stats are entering Saturday. MVP: OF Kyle Stowers
Stowers isn’t just the club’s MVP … he’s one of the Majors’ breakout stars. If the 27-year-old keeps this up, he could earn his first trip to the All-Star Game.
Who could’ve imagined this after his rough start post-Deadline (.556 OPS) or following his Spring Training (.540 OPS)? Since Opening Day, when Stowers recorded the walk-off hit, he has been one of the game’s top hitters. During a career-best 14-game on-base streak, he ranks second in homers (eight) behind reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani (nine). Stowers’ .939 season OPS is ninth among qualifying batters, putting him in elite company that includes Ohtani and Aaron Judge. On May 5, Stowers garnered NL Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet honors in large part because of his first two career multihomer games. |
Cy Young: RHP Ronny Henriquez
Ace Sandy Alcantara, who won the 2022 NL Cy Young, hasn’t looked like himself since returning from Tommy John surgery. His performance, plus right-hander Max Meyer’s recent string of starts, opened this up for an outside-of-the-box pick.
Claimed from the Twins on Feb. 11, the 24-year-old Henriquez has mainly pitched in the middle innings, with five holds and seven appearances of at least four outs recorded. Though those outings might be considered lower leverage, he possesses elite stuff. Henriquez ranks in the 95th percentile for breaking run value (five), 94th percentile for whiff percentage (35.6%) and 91st percentile for average exit velocity against (86.5 mph). His 28 strikeouts are most in Miami’s bullpen and tied for fifth among NL relievers. |
Best rookie: C Agustín Ramírez
If Ramírez continues producing at this rate, he could become the franchise’s fifth NL Rookie of the Year.
The 23-year-old Ramírez paces MLB rookies with 15 extra-base hits and 10 doubles. Fifteen of his 21 hits (71%) since his promotion on April 21 have gone for extra bases, the highest percentage in the Majors for any ballplayer -- regardless of experience. Ramírez might’ve received his first callup due to injuries (Nick Fortes and Rob Brantly), but his game-changing bat and defensive improvement forced the Marlins’ hand into keeping him up here. Ramírez is getting the majority of the starts behind the dish, ahead of Fortes and fellow rookie Liam Hicks. |
Best newcomer: C Liam Hicks
The Marlins took a gamble during the Rule 5 Draft by selecting a catcher with no experience above the Double-A level, but they believed in the bat -- and it has come as advertised.
The 25-year-old Hicks walked more than he struck out last season in the Minors, and that plate discipline has carried over to the Majors with 10 strikeouts and seven walks. It has been nearly a month (April 18) since he last took a K. Known for his hit rather than power tool, Hicks has seen results since working with the strength crew to improve his quality of contact and speed up his swing. He leads NL rookies (fourth among MLB rookies) with 18 RBIs and ranks in the 98th percentile in blocks above average (five) among MLB backstops. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Mark DeRosa breaks down Stowers' swing mechanics and his ability to hit for power. |
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The Marlins joined the other 29 Major League ballclubs in commemorating Armed Forces Day this weekend at loanDepot park. Through the MLB Together platform, baseball celebrated service members, veterans and military families in ballparks through charitable giving and continuing several partnership activations. Clubs wore service-inspired caps specially designed by New Era, a matching pair of camouflage Stance socks and commemorative base jewels and lineup cards featuring a special Armed Forces Day logo. One hundred percent of the licensed MLB royalties from the sale of Armed Forces Day On-Field Authentic Collection apparel will be donated to MLB Charities to support military programs. League donations in 2025 will benefit Blue Star Families, Code of Support Foundation, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), The Mission Continues, USA Patriots Amputee Softball Team and Wounded Warrior Project, in addition to other local organizations within club markets. |
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- SS Xavier Edwards (upper back tightness): Day to day
- 2B Otto Lopez (right ankle sprain): Rejoined ballclub Saturday after one game on rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville
- RHP Eury Pérez (Tommy John surgery): On rehab assignment with Single-A Jupiter
Imaging came back OK on Edwards, who entered Sunday having missed the last two games with upper back tightness. According to manager Clayton McCullough, Edwards wasn’t as sore on Saturday, but he remains day to day. Until this weekend, Edwards had been out of the lineup just once this season. “He'll go through some baseball activity to kind of gauge availability and what we think as far as amount of time till he's back in there,” McCullough said. Pérez, meanwhile, threw 48 pitches across four innings in his fifth start for the Hammerheads on Friday. He allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts. McCullough said Pérez continues to “check all the boxes necessary” to build up his stamina and increase his workload, but he wouldn’t commit to a return date. Barring a setback, Pérez could rejoin Miami sometime in June. Before then, his assignment will transfer to Triple-A. “We're going to keep that fluid, and just how he continues to respond after his outings, how the workload continues to get built up,” McCullough said. “Certainly, he's too important for us to try to put an artificial date on when he comes up here. I think we'll just continue to see how he bounces back and how he's responding to things, and how he's throwing, and we'll make a determination at some point, when we feel like, and he feels like it's time to go.” |
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