The Miami Marlins have had a lack of consistency with their lineup construction this season. In 132 games played, they’ve used 124 unique batting orders. Updating my preseason thought exercise in response to call-ups, breakouts, trades and injuries, let’s analytically find the best way to construct the Marlins lineup.

All of the players included below are either on the 26-man active roster or projected to be reinstated from the injured list before the end of the 2025 season.

 

1. Xavier Edwards, 2B 

Edwards is the stereotypical leadoff man in baseball and has fittingly started all of his games there in 2025. “X” brings a great contact/speed combo. With a .291/.349/.368 slash line so far this season, Edwards sets the tone for the rest of the lineup and his legs put pressure on the opposing team. 

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2. Jakob Marsee, CF

Marsee has had a meteoric rise since his call-up to the big leagues at the beginning of this month. Through 24 games, Marsee has posted a .329/.398/.671 slash line, .443 wOBA and 188 wRC+ with 1.7 fWAR. He slots into the two-hole perfectly. You want your best hitter batting second—that has become the norm in the sabermetric era of baseball. The Central Michigan product has flashed power with four home runs and an average exit velocity of 92.5 mph to complement an elite eye at the plate and above-average speed.

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3. Agustín Ramírez, DH 

Agustín Ramírez’s stats may not be eye-popping, but looking deeper, he’s just scratching the surface. Better production is inevitable moving forward as he gains experience and spends a greater percentage of his time as Miami’s designated hitter. Ramírez’s base stats at the big league level are .230/.288/.428 with a .308 wOBA, although his xwOBA is .353. When playing DH this season, he has been a .304/.304/.514 hitter with a .346 wOBA, and 121 wRC+. With men in scoring position, Ramírez has a .814 OPS and 122 wRC+. The “Gus Bus” can reliably bring in the high on-base players ahead of him. 

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4. Kyle Stowers, LF 

The breakout of Kyle Stowers is one of the top headlines for the Marlins this season. Stowers leads the Marlins in home runs (25) and batting run value (26 RV), and he has posted elite batted-ball data, including a hard-hit rate of 52% and barrel rate of 19%. His overall slash line is .288/.368/.544 with a .387 wOBA, and 149 wRC+. Stowers also performs well with RISP (.863 OPS and 125 wRC+).

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5. Griffin Conine/Heriberto Hernández, RF

Ironically, both Conine and Hernández have performed better in 2025 versus same-handed opposition, but historically in their careers, this hasn’t been the case. Projecting some regression to the mean, this would set up a perfect platoon option for the Marlins in right field and bring pop to the middle of the order. Debuting shortly after Conine underwent shoulder surgery, Hernández has been a pleasant surprise for the Fish this season with his bat, and he has even shown the ability to be a good fielder. The son of Mr. Marlin is projected back in the big leagues around the final week of the regular season. He’d get the majority of starts at this position, facing right-handers.

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6. Otto Lopez, SS

Otto Lopez may be one of MLB’s unluckiest hitters in 2025. He has posted a .240/.311/.359 slash line, but there’s been a 53-point difference between his wOBA and xwOBA and a low BAIP of .261. Lopez’s expected metrics are promising with an xBA of .284 and xSLG of .455. He’s been miscast in the heart of the Marlins order for much of this season, but the club should continue starting him regularly in the sixth spot, anticipating a higher average moving forward. 

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7. Connor Norby/Graham Pauley, 3B 

There were big expectations for Connor Norby entering 2025. However, he has fallen way short of the performance he gave last season post-trade deadline. Once he returns from left hamate bone surgery in the next few days, batting this low in the lineup may take pressure off of him to come through in high-leverage moments and allow him to find his swing again at the big league level. Norby is at his best when he is pulling the ball in the air for power and going the other way for doubles and singles.

Graham Pauley may eventually overtake Norby at third base and deserves occasional starts even when both are healthy. In July and August before his oblique injury, Pauley posted a .254/.371/.492 slash line, with a 141 wRC+, and walking as many times as he struck out. This was easily the best stretch for Pauley as an MLB player. His defensive ability at third is an important factor when deciding how to balance the playing time between them. 

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8. Eric Wagaman, 1B

The relatively unknown Eric Wagaman got much praise from the coaching staff and front office alike entering 2025. There have been deep slumps that raised questions about whether Wagaman belonged on the Marlins roster, though his expected stats paint a slightly different picture. A good August (138 wRC+ and .370 wOBA) may have ensured a spot for him in the majors for the rest of the year. After that, the Marlins have a complicated decision to make regarding their future at first base. 

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9. Liam Hicks, C

I believe Hicks’ elite eye and ability to get on base would set up opportunities for the top of the Marlins lineup to drive him in. One of the most unique catchers in baseball, he has a .350 on-base percentage and a 99th percentile chase rate. This unorthodox usage of the Rule 5 Draft pick may lead to good results for the Marlins. 

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