This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola¡¯s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
You all delivered when I sent out a request for questions to answer in a Marlins Inbox.
Without further ado¡
Any insight on when we may see the next wave of position player callups and who is particularly close/what does the org want to see before calling those guys up? -- @j7142128h
Two names come to mind: catcher Agust¨ªn Ram¨ªrez (Marlins No. 4 prospect) and corner infielder Deyvison De Los Santos (No. 12). When they make their Major League debuts is dependent on their development.
Before being optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville from big league camp, both received feedback from the organization in regards to what they need to work on -- and it's no secret what their target areas are. Ram¨ªrez's bat is Major League-ready, but what about his defense? By all accounts, he made great strides on that front during Spring Training. While De Los Santos' power is enticing, it's a moot point if he doesn't show better plate discipline. The gap between Triple-A and MLB pitching is large.
The way the ballclub is set up right now, Nick Fortes and Liam Hicks are doing a solid job splitting catching duties. I asked president of baseball operations Peter Bendix at the beginning of spring whether Miami would consider calling up the 23-year-old Ram¨ªrez for his bat and putting him at first base or designated hitter and the answer was: "He believes in himself as a catcher. We believe in him as a catcher." De Los Santos plays first and third base, which are occupied by Matt Mervis, Graham Pauley, Jonah Bride, Eric Wagaman and the injured Connor Norby.
Will the Marlins implement torpedo bats? -- @jroberto245
When "Torpedo" bat inventor Aaron Leanhardt, who serves as the Marlins' field coordinator, spoke to the media during the first homestand, he had this to say: "You'll see them on the field here in a couple weeks or a month or so, but definitely something you'll see here."
Over the weekend in Atlanta, Derek Hill revealed that he and Kyle Stowers have some in their possession. Hill first tried out a "Torpedo" bat while facing the Trajekt machine. Off the top of his head, he recalled using it once in a game and lining out to second base.
Why don¡¯t the Marlins utilize a six-man rotation? It¡¯s evident [Valente] Bellozo deserves to be at the MLB level full-time. -- @sethkutun14
It honestly wouldn't surprise me if the Marlins do this later in the season, assuming there are enough healthy starting-pitching options, as innings add up for an inexperienced starting staff.
Entering 2025, ace Sandy Alcantara and veteran Cal Quantrill were the only pitchers on the 40-man roster to have thrown at least 100 frames in an MLB season. That's not to say the reason pitchers have been taken out relatively early in games so far this season is because of workload -- that has more to do with analytics concerning the third time a lineup turns over -- but it also does a good job of monitoring an innings increase.
Right-handers Max Meyer and Connor Gillispie are certainly on pace to exceed their career highs. Righty Edward Cabrera is slated to return this weekend, and lefty Ryan Weathers sometime in May. We should see Marlins No. 13 prospect Adam Mazur at some point, and maybe even southpaw Robby Snelling (No. 8).
And you're not wrong about Bellozo. Though he lacks velocity compared to his counterparts, he knows how to pitch and miss barrels. You know what you're going to get from the consistent Bellozo -- usually five to six innings and few enough runs to keep the game close.
When do they stop playing the matchups with the position players and go with who¡¯s hot at the moment? -- @D0ubleZ
Funny you should ask, because I posed a similar-ish question to manager Clayton McCullough on Saturday in Atlanta: When guys are struggling, how much is there an itch to tinker with the order and not just let them work out of it? I was alluding to cleanup hitter Mervis in this instance, and he would go on to record his first career multihomer game hours later.
Going into a series, McCullough and the coaching staff are trying to gameplan the most opportunistic way to set up against a starter and then the bullpen with pinch-hit opportunities.
¡°Trying not to get too reactionary, especially this time of the year, where we're so early on,¡± McCullough said. ¡°¡ Everything's magnified early in the season, so trying to just continue to impress upon some of those that are struggling a little bit to just hang with it. It's not ideal, probably, maybe not what you were hoping for out of camp, but again, it was going to happen at some point during the season. It happens to everyone. You just stay diligent to your process and your work.¡±