Inside the Marlins' Bold Pitch-Calling Experiment: Why Dugout Control Could Be a Game-Changer
**JUPITER, Fla. ** - When the Marlins rolled out their plan to call pitches directly from the dugout late last season, it raised more than a few eyebrows around the league.
Fast forward to this spring, and it’s clear: this isn’t some passing experiment. It’s a full-on organizational philosophy-and the front office isn’t backing down.
In the past week alone, Miami has added three arms with big-league experience: relievers Pete Fairbanks and John King, plus starter Chris Paddack. That trio brings 20 combined MLB seasons to the table, and all three were brought in with eyes wide open about how things work in Miami now.
“We’ve been upfront with everyone we’ve talked to,” said Peter Bendix, the Marlins’ president of baseball operations. “This is an organizational initiative.
It’s not something we’re going to compromise on. We truly believe this can help us win more games and help our pitchers get better results.”
Bendix emphasized the importance of transparency. The Marlins aren’t springing this on players after they sign.
They’re laying it all out during initial conversations-this is how we operate now. You might not agree with it, but you’ll never be caught off guard.
That’s exactly how it went for Paddack, a seven-year veteran who had his own questions when the topic first came up over Zoom.
“At first, I didn’t really know how I was going to feel about that,” Paddack admitted. “But they explained the ‘why’ behind it.”
What sold him wasn’t just the concept-it was the logic. The Marlins aren’t taking control away from pitchers entirely.
They’re trying to take some of the mental load off their shoulders. Paddack was reassured that he’d still have the ability to shake off a pitch if he didn’t like the call.
“We go through a lot of emotions out there,” he said. “Sometimes we overthink.
Sometimes we give hitters too much credit. This game is hard enough already.
I think this is going to help me just go out there and pitch. Just compete.”
Pete Fairbanks Brings Experience-and Questions
Fairbanks, one of the top bullpen arms on the free-agent market, knows a thing or two about innovation. He spent seven seasons with the Rays-five of them overlapping with Bendix-so he’s no stranger to unconventional thinking.
His biggest concern wasn’t about control or strategy. It was tempo. Fairbanks is known for working deep into the pitch clock, and with the bases empty last season, his 19.1-second average tempo tied for the third-slowest in the league.
“Somebody’s got to call the pitches, right?” Fairbanks said.
“My biggest thing is, I use a lot of the pitch clock. But they told me it hasn’t led to more violations or anything like that.
So I was good with it.”
New Voice in the Ear: Rob Marcello Jr. Steps In
Last year, assistant pitching coach Alon Leichman was the man behind the pitch calls during the Marlins' initial nine-game trial run, starting Sept. 19 in Arlington. He’s since moved on to become the Rockies’ pitching coach, and stepping into that role is Rob Marcello Jr., who spent last season calling pitches for Triple-A Jacksonville-where the Marlins’ pitch-from-the-dugout system was already in play.
Marcello’s familiarity with the system gives Miami a smooth transition as they head into a full season of dugout-directed pitch-calling.
John King Buys In: “They Do Their Homework”
Lefty reliever John King had his first pitch design session on Saturday, working on pitch shapes with live batters standing in. PitchCom, the device used to relay pitch calls, will be introduced during live batting practice in the coming days.
King’s take on the system? He’s all in.
“I’m really cool with it,” he said. “They’ve got so much data, and they do their homework-probably even more than we do.
I think it’s important for pitchers to do their own homework too, but they’re trying to put us in the best possible situations. I’m totally for that.”
That blend of trust and autonomy is key. The Marlins aren’t trying to turn pitchers into robots. They’re trying to sharpen decision-making by leaning on data and preparation-while still giving pitchers the option to shake off a call if something doesn’t feel right.
Small Sample, Promising Results
The Marlins got a brief taste of how this system could work late last season. Over the final nine games-when the dugout began calling pitches-the team allowed three or fewer runs in five of those contests. It’s a small sample, sure, but it gave the front office and coaching staff reason to believe they’re onto something.
So how will they know if it’s working over a full season?
That’s the tricky part.
“If we have a team ERA or FIP of ‘this,’ does that mean it worked?” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Or if we don’t, does that mean it didn’t?”
McCullough isn’t interested in letting short-term results dictate the long-term plan. He’s thinking bigger than one game or one rough outing.
“We’re going to give up 10 runs in a game sometimes. Guys are going to give up home runs.
That’s part of it,” he said. “Blips or difficult stretches aren’t going to deter us from something we believe, long term, is going to pay real dividends.”
What Comes Next
As spring training ramps up, the Marlins are leaning into this identity. They’ve brought in experienced arms who are open to the system, they’ve got a coach in Marcello who knows how to run it, and they’re not shying away from the scrutiny.
This is a bold move in a sport that often clings to tradition. But if Miami’s pitching staff starts producing results-and if the system proves sustainable over 162 games-the Marlins might just find themselves ahead of the curve.
For now, they’re betting that better communication, smarter preparation, and a willingness to challenge the norm can give them a real edge. And they’re not looking back.