The Marlins’ draft haul didn’t just add talent to the system - it sent a message to a few players already on the roster. Miami clearly came away looking to strengthen pitching and add more athleticism up the middle, and that puts some current names under the microscope.
Start with Phillips, who has been in the big leagues for years and still has enough in his arsenal to matter. His curveball works, but the problem is consistency.
In 2026, he’s been all over the map. One outing he’ll get hit for five or more earned runs, and the next he’ll settle in and look sharp.
That kind of up-and-down stretch has defined his first half. Phillips is 2-4 with a 3.48 ERA in 25 games and 75.0 innings pitched.
Miami’s second-round pick, Ethan Kleinschmit out of Oregon State, only adds to the pressure. The left-hander brings real upside, and his arrival could eventually force the Marlins to shuffle the staff and open a spot for him. That’s where Phillips and another pitcher could feel the squeeze.
Junk is in a similar spot. He can still give Miami a quality start, but not nearly often enough to feel safe.
One of his best outings came on April 28 against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, when he threw six scoreless innings and struck out four. Still, he’s been too inconsistent to lock anything down, and the Marlins used the draft to bring in another arm who could make him expendable.
That arm is Ryan Peterson, the 71st overall pick. The 22-year-old from Sam Houston had one of the best curveballs in college baseball, and his fastball is solid, though it only reaches 95 mph.
If he had been a true high-velocity guy, his draft stock might have climbed even higher.
The biggest surprise on the list is Marsee. Miami likes what he can do in center field, and he can handle the position defensively.
But his bat has been a problem in the first half, and the Marlins need more from him after the break. The draft brought in another center fielder with real upside in Wessley Robertson, an 18-year-old from Glynn Academy High School.
Robertson has an arm and elite athleticism, and the team sees him as even more athletic than Marsee. He’ll head to LSU before ever getting to Loandepot Park, but he’s the kind of player who could eventually push his way into the picture.
That LSU connection matters, too. The source points to Paul Skenes as the latest example of an LSU product who made it to the majors, and Robertson could follow a similar path if he keeps developing.
For now, Marsee still has time to hold onto the job. But with his current line sitting at .197 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 64 hits, the warning light is already flashing.
In Other News...
Rintaro Sasaki Reportedly Made The Decision Marlins Fans Feared
The Marlins took a swing on Rintaro Sasaki in the 2026 MLB Draft, and the appeal was obvious from the start. Selected 235th overall, Japans all-time high school home run leader brought a profile that already had plenty of intrigue after two seasons at Stanford, where he continued to show the kind of power that made him one of the more fascinating names in the class.
Now there is another layer to the story for Miami, because Sasakis next move reportedly comes with a real financial tradeoff. The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks can put a much larger bonus on the table than the Marlins expected slot value, which is why the decision has carried so much weight for both sides and why Marlins fans were bracing for this exact kind of outcome. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins May Have Drafted A Shortstop With A Massive Ceiling
The Marlins used the 14th overall pick in the recent MLB Draft on Jacob Lombard, a 6-foot-3 shortstop whose profile already has scouts thinking in terms of upside. The power is the obvious draw, and that alone makes him an intriguing add for a Miami organization that can afford to dream a little bigger with a premium pick.
The question is how much hit tool comes with it, because the evaluations on Lombard are not nearly as tidy as the body type and raw pop. Some analysts see a path to a useful big leaguer if the bat settles in, while others believe the ceiling is far higher if everything clicks, which is exactly the kind of debate that tends to follow a young shortstop with this sort of frame and talent. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins May Soon Face A Shortstop Decision Fans Wont Ignore
The Marlins have found real stability at shortstop this season, with Otto Lopez turning in the kind of year that has made him one of the clubs most important everyday players and earned him his first All-Star nod. For a team that has spent plenty of time searching for answers in the middle infield, Lopez has given Miami both production and reliability while helping keep the season on track.
Jacob Lombard is the reason the position still feels like a long-term question. The recently selected shortstop prospect is being developed with an eye toward the future, giving the Marlins a potential successor to plan around even as Lopez keeps handling the job now. That creates a familiar front-office balancing act: ride the present value at a premium position, or start thinking about how to make room for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]