The Miami Marlins keep running into the same problem, and it’s a big reason their season has felt so uneven.
At 64-64, they’ve put together enough talent to look better than that record suggests, but there’s still a clear hole in the way they handle certain matchups. The issue shows up in two places: the lineup against left-handed pitching, and the pitching staff’s tendency to lean too heavily on fastballs.
Against lefties this season, Miami is hitting .239 and has 31 home runs. Against righties, the production has been much stronger, with the team piling up 100 home runs and 411 RBIs.
A lot of the damage against left-handed pitching has come from the lower half of the order, where the Nos. 5 through 9 hitters are batting under .245. Some of the better offense in those situations has come from the infielders.
The Marlins’ pitchers, meanwhile, could use a similar adjustment in the other direction. There’s a case to be made for mixing in more changeups and splitters, especially if they want better results against hitters who are sitting on fastballs.
Eury Perez has been better in starts when he leans more on his changeup than on his fastball. Tyler Phillips is also a different pitcher when he goes to the splitter often, and the more he throws it, the more it seems to help Miami win.
Sandy Alcantara is another example of why variety matters. The former 2022 Cy Young winner has long shown he can do more than simply power the heater past hitters, and this season he has continued to lean on changeups without hesitation.
For Miami, the path forward is pretty clear: cut back on the fastball-heavy approach and find a way to hit lefties more consistently. They’ll get a chance to show progress this weekend in a three-game series against the Washington Nationals, including a Sunday matchup with lefty Jackson Kent.
In Other News...
Marlins Offense Has A Growing Problem At The Worst Possible Time
The Marlins lineup has lost some of the spark that helped carry it through the first half, and the timing could hardly be worse. Following the All-Star break, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has not been producing at the same level, with his batting average, slugging percentage and barrel rate all slipping from where they stood before the break. For a club that needs its most dynamic players setting the tone, that kind of dip changes the entire shape of an inning.
Xavier Edwards has also cooled off, and his struggles have added another layer to Miamis offensive issues. The lack of power and a reduced walk rate have made it harder for the Marlins to build the sustained pressure they need, leaving the lineup thinner and less threatening in the second half. If Miami is going to stabilize its offense, it will need those two to start looking more like the players who helped fuel the better version of this team earlier in the year. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Face A Defining Series As Their Playoff Push Wobbles
The Marlins have spent most of the summer trying to keep their playoff chase within reach, but the margin for error has narrowed in a hurry. After a rough stretch that included a 12-game losing streak in July, Miami heads into a home series against the Nationals trying to steady itself before the calendar gets any tighter and the pressure around the Wild Card race keeps building.
It is the kind of series that can sharpen a teams focus or expose how much ground still needs to be made up, and Miami has little room to waste any more winnable nights. The rotation matchup for the opener features Ryan Gusto for the Marlins and Brad Lord for Washington, a first step in a series that carries more weight than a mid-August set usually should. [Read more 🡒]