Miami Marlins v Texas Rangers | Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/GettyImages
Turning that last question around, which 2025 Marlins breakout are you most concerned about regressing and turning into a pumpkin in 2026?
Mike Ferguson: Thanks largely to Stowers’ late-season injury, Otto Lopez wound up leading the Marlins with 77 RBIs last season. To go with 15 home runs, Lopez turned in a nice year, but he just doesn’t feel like someone who is the Marlins’ shortstop (or second baseman) of the future. It seems like Xavier Edwards is poised to man one of those two middle infield positions going forward, but I don’t think Lopez will consistently provide enough power or post a high enough on-base percentage to justify planning to keep him there long-term.
Ryan Schlesinger: In all honesty, I don’t see any players who broke out in 2025 regressing vastly. If I had to nitpick one player, it would be Jakob Marsee, who I could see regressing to a slightly above-average hitter while sustaining adequate defensive and baserunning metrics. In contrast to the norm, Marsee’s strikeout rate improved against MLB-level pitching, going from 23.5% in AAA to 22.9% in the majors. His expected offensive numbers also suggest some overperformance.
Marlin Maniac: It breaks my heart, but I have to pick Jakob Marsee as well. It’s not that players can’t come out of nowhere- it happens every year in MLB. Yet that is the exception, not the rule, and that is what Marsee did in 2025. Plus, you can argue it already happened. Marsee spent August looking like a generational player, only to spend September looking like a serviceable utility piece. Average it out, which is essentially what you’re supposed to do in baseball, and it still comes out to a star player. But I can’t deny my guard isn’t up, and until he proves he’s closer to Christian Yelich than Chris Coghlan, it’s going to stay that way. That being said, once he proves it, he’ll be too expensive to extend. Miami should keep that in mind this winter.
Speaking of Miami spending some money…