Miami Marlins third baseman Javier Sanoja (8), center fielder Jakob Marsee (87) and left fielder Griffin Conine (18) celebrate after they defeated the Colorado Rockies in their MLB game at loanDepot park on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Miami, Fla.
Photo by Matias J. Ocner
mocner@miamiherald.com
The end of the Miami Marlins’ 2025 season showed the promise that lies in the organization’s future. It’s the sprouting seed close Peter Bendix planted two-and-a-half years ago when he took over as the club’s president of baseball operations. He came in with the intention of rebuilding the organization’s infrastructure, investing at the ground level and having that work show over time at the big-league level.
The results showed in an aggressive finish to the season, one in which they missed the playoffs but were in contention to reach the postseason until the dying days of the campaign.
His hope is that was merely just the start of the story, the germination of what’s to come for this club in the present and beyond.
“We’re not even close to being finished,” Bendix said Friday. “We know that there’s a lot of room for improvement individually and as a team. We have to keep that scrappy underdog mentality, the idea that we never give up and the idea that we still have a long way to go.”
That mentality was on display in Miami’s 2-1 Opening Day win over the Colorado Rockies, a gritty win that featured a stellar start from ace Sandy Alcantara, timely hitting and strong defense — the backbone of any successful team.
“We did enough,” infielder Connor Norby said.
Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough (86) greets his teammates during the opening ceremonies of their MLB game against the Colorado Rockies at loanDepot park on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Miami, Fla. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com
And it was enough to continue early optimism for what the Marlins hope will be a breakthrough season, their second under manager Clayton McCullough.
Expectations externally are low for Miami, an annual theme for this team. Fangraphs had the Marlins projected to win 76.1 games, the seventh-lowest in MLB. Their playoff odds? 9.5%, sixth-lowest among 30 teams.
Internally, however, the Marlins believe they have something that can be special.
But for it to happen, it’s going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to turn that belief into results.
“We have a chance to really pitch at a high level and play good defense and offensively be opportunistic,” McCullough said. “That’s what it’s going to take. I’m looking every night for 26 guys to find a way to best maximize our entire roster, whether that’s pinch-hitting, defense, certainly the guys out of the bullpen who are available that night. It takes a lot to win a major-league game. Our guys appreciate that and understand that.
“Our guys are always up for the challenge.”
Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the third inning of their MLB game at loanDepot park on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Miami, Fla. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com
Friday was a prime example of that all-in approach that will be needed.
Alcantara threw seven strong innings, giving up just one unearned run while striking out five on just 73 pitches.
The bottom of the lineup produced both of Miami’s runs in the second inning, with an Owen Caissie double to left-center field driving in Xavier Edwards and a Javier Sanoja single down the left-field line scoring Caissie.
The defense made its share of plays — a throw from right fielder Austin Slater to gun down a runner at home in the fourth, a diving grab from shortstop Otto Lopez to stop a ball from going into the outfield with the bases loaded to hold the Rockies to just one run, catcher Agustin Ramirez throwing out a runner attempting to steal in the seventh.
It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be highlight-reel worthy. It doesn’t have to be monstrous moments.
If the final score of the game is in their favor, the Marlins will take it.
“It’s a long season,” Alcantara said, “and it’s better when you start winning.”
Miami showed last year that it can win with the roster it currently has, regardless of its payroll (the Marlins are last in the league with a $73 million payroll). They are pushing infrastructure, player development and innovation.
After taking time to get that work started, results began to show.
Miami finished the 2025 season winning 54 of its final 96 games — a .563 win percentage over the final 60% of its schedule — to end the season with a 79-83 record and be in the race for a playoff spot going into the final week of the season.
It set the foundation for what’s to come.
But Bendix knows it has to be just that — the foundation.
The planted seed needs to continue to be sowed if they want to reap the hopeful benefits when this is all said and done.
“We have an opportunity,” Bendix said. “Everybody here has an opportunity. They’re going to get a chance to show us what they can do. We’re going to do everything we possibly can to put them in position to succeed, and then it’s on them to take advantage of that opportunity, just like a lot of guys did last year.”
Friday was the first step in continuing that process into 2026.
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Miami Herald
Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.