Chris Paddack’s Full-Circle Return to Miami Comes With a New Arsenal and a Veteran’s Edge
Chris Paddack is back where it all started - not just in the Marlins organization, but in Jupiter, Florida, where his professional baseball journey began over a decade ago as a wide-eyed 18-year-old straight out of central Texas. Now 30, with seven big-league seasons under his belt, Paddack returns to Miami not as a prospect, but as a seasoned pitcher with a deepened arsenal, sharpened mindset, and a clear mission: to prove why the Marlins drafted him in the first place.
“They were the first ones to call,” Paddack said Friday morning, walking into the newly renovated Jupiter Academy. And for him, that first call meant something. It wasn’t just about a roster spot - it was about coming full circle with the franchise that gave him his first shot.
“When you’re a young kid out of high school, you think you’re going to ride with that team your whole career,” Paddack reflected. “Very few times does that happen nowadays.
So for me, this is a cool opportunity to be back with the team that gave me that first chance. Putting on a Marlins jersey again - it’s surreal.”
But this isn’t the same Chris Paddack the Marlins drafted back in 2015. Back then, he was a two-pitch guy - a fastball and a changeup that dominated prep hitters. Today, he’s a six-pitch veteran who’s learned the hard way that big-league success requires constant evolution.
“You realize real quick you’re not in high school anymore,” Paddack said. “You need pitches that move in different directions - north-south, east-west.
You look at elite pitchers, they’re always tweaking, always adding. I’ve picked up grips from guys, learned new techniques.
At the end of the day, it’s about finding what works for you.”
Paddack now mixes in a curveball, slider, two-seamer, and most recently, a cutter. He’s still a north-south guy at heart - working up in the zone with the fastball and diving down with the changeup - but his ability to keep hitters guessing has grown. He doesn’t stick to a rigid game plan; instead, he reads the hitter, the moment, and the at-bat.
“That’s the beauty of it - there’s more than one way to get a guy out,” he said. “Hitters are so good now, and they’ve got so much data on us. You’ve got to be able to adjust, especially the second or third time through the order.”
One thing that’s always defined Paddack’s game? Command.
He lives in and around the strike zone and isn’t afraid to challenge hitters. That aggression has helped him eat innings and post solid FIP numbers in the past, but he admits it’s also burned him at times.
“Sometimes I overly compete in the zone,” Paddack said. “I’ll be in a jam with two strikes and try to get out of it by forcing a pitch in the zone - and next thing I know, I’ve given up a crooked number.
The game can speed up on you fast. Over the last couple of years, I’ve learned when to step out of the zone, when to expand.
I throw strikes - that’s who I am - but I’ve also got to know when not to.”
That balance - between attacking and adapting - is something Paddack believes he’s starting to master. And with the Marlins embracing a more advanced analytical approach and the implementation of the new ABS (automated ball-strike) system, he sees even more room to thrive.
“I think the ABS is going to help me,” he said. “My pitch design plays well at the top of the zone, and my changeup drops off underneath.
If I can command both and get some borderline calls, it might force hitters to expand. That’s when I can really go to work.”
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough sees the potential too. While the team has younger arms vying for rotation spots this spring, McCullough made it clear that Paddack is expected to be a rotation mainstay.
“We think we can really help Chris,” McCullough said. “He’s a premium strike-thrower.
He’s started a lot of games in the majors, and we believe he can be a stable presence in our rotation. There’s still upside here - and we think he can tap into it.”
Paddack isn’t here to blow hitters away with velocity or chase strikeout crowns. That’s never been his game.
What he brings is a veteran’s poise, a refined pitch mix, and a deep understanding of how to navigate a lineup. He’s not chasing past potential - he’s building on what he’s learned, using every tool he’s picked up over the years to stay ahead in a game that never stops evolving.
With a $4 million investment from the front office and a clear path to a starting role, Paddack has a real opportunity to re-establish himself in Miami just as the Marlins look to open their competitive window. It’s a reunion that makes sense - for the player, for the team, and for a fanbase ready to see what this next chapter holds.
Paddack is expected to ramp up his throwing program and begin bullpen sessions early next week. And from the sound of it, he’s ready to hit the ground running.