Fish Wrap Up

The Marlins. What can I even say? Disappointed? Nah, not really. Impressed? A little bit, yeah. But here’s the truth: what made Marlins baseball fun this season wasn’t the crazy comeback wins or the random nights where our pitchers looked unhittable. It was Bendix.

Peter Bendix is a gangster. His ability to take a team with a small budget, squeeze every drop of efficiency out of it, and still develop players at a high level is something special. Not new in baseball, not flawless, but damn close. And the speed of the turnaround? Nuts. Finally, we’ve got an emphasis on training, equipment, development things that always felt like afterthoughts. For years it was like we were pretending to be a real baseball team, the butt of every fat joke in MLB. But now? The Fish are actually competing. And next season? We’re coming for you.

Let’s be real  compared to 2024, this season was a massive step forward. Sure, I was salty about trading Jazz and Arraez (every Fish fan was), but Opening Day was electric. Lightning in a bottle. Fresh faces, energy we hadn’t felt in forever.

And then came Kyle Stowers, the guy from the Orioles trade. Out of nowhere, he turned into our MVP by a mile. Not that everyone else was bad, he was just that good. Clutch at-bats, clutch moments, and a spark we didn’t know we needed.

Another trade brought us Agustín Ramírez  “La Guagua,” named after Miguel Tejada’s nickname. Finally, a catcher that reminded me of the Realmuto days. Nick Fortes did his job as the bridge guy, and credit to him, but Gus? He changed the vibe. Almost won Rookie of the Year. Next season, I’ve got him circled as an All-Star hopeful.

I’d be crazy not to mention the contributions of Xavier, Otto, and López. Those guys were everyday sparks offensively, defensively, whatever was needed. And don’t sleep on the next wave either: Heriberto, Sanoja, Marsee, Johnston. These are names we’ll be writing about more and more.

Coming in, I thought the one thing we could bank on was pitching. Eury almost back, Sandy healthy, Max Meyer going full-time. On paper, it was a dream. Reality? Not so much. Eury wasn’t ready, Sandy was rough early, and Max was lights-out until, of course, injuries hit again. Add a bullpen that couldn’t hold a lead to save its life, and it looked bleak.

But then something clicked around midseason. The staff started rolling. Cabrera, Junk, Eury when those guys had it, they were unhittable. That’s the kind of stuff that makes a grown man cry (me). Sandy, after an ugly start, finally figured it out in the last couple months. And in the bullpen, Ronny Henríquez was a revelation, one of the brightest spots all year.

Looking ahead? Picture this: Sandy, Edward Cabrera, Eury Pérez, Max Meyer, and Junk in the rotation. That’s nightmare material for any lineup in baseball.

I tried to keep this simple, no boring stat dumps easier for my wife to read, and honestly, easier for all of us. But the point is this: the Marlins are building something real. Playoffs, national buzz, more eyes on Miami baseball.

The dreams are getting closer. Step by step, piece by piece.

Go Fish.