Miami Marlins would put their pitching up ‘against any team.’ Let’s look at the group

While addressing the crowd at the team’s FanFest last week, new Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix made a declaration.

“The pitching that we have right now,” Bendix said, “I’d put that up against any team in baseball.”

Now, this isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon for the Marlins. Pitching, specifically starting pitching, has been the backbone of the organization for the past few years.

And even with ace Sandy Alcantara sidelined for the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October, the Marlins can still field a rotation that is ripe with potential.

Last season, Marlins pitchers had the eighth-highest wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. That was despite Alcantara having a rough season by his standards.

The Athletic’s ranking of the top 150 starting pitchers for the 2024 season has five Marlins pitchers among the top 77.

And Miami returns all of its main relievers that formed one of baseball’s deeper bullpens last season.

So, yes, pitching once again will likely drive Miami’s success even with the team being without its ace.

So let’s dive in and see what the Marlins have to offer on that front.

In the first of two stories, let’s take a closer look at Miami’s starting pitching options. We’ll tackle the bullpen in Story 2.

Jesus Luzardo

2023 stats: 32 starts, 178 2/3 innings, 3.58 ERA, 208 strikeouts, 55 walks, .239 batting average against

The main question: Can he handle the ace role?

Luzardo had a career year in just about every area possible. He made every scheduled start, had 17 quality starts (at least six innings and no more than three earned runs) and his. 3.7 wins above average according to FanGraphs was 17th among starting pitchers. He’ll need to at least maintain that production — and hopefully improve on it — as he becomes Miami’s No. 1 starter this season.

Braxton Garrett

2023 stats: 31 games (30 starts), 159 2/3 innings, 3.66 ERA, 156 strikeouts, 29 walks, .250 batting average against

The main question: Was 2023 a breakout or a fluke?

Garrett went from opening the season as Miami’s long reliever out of the bullpen to arguably its most reliable starter. The Marlins went 21-9 when Garrett started. But can Garrett, who relies more on command of his five-pitch mix than pure stuff, replicate that success or was 2023 a one-off?

How will Eury Perez handle a full season?

2023 stats: 19 starts, 91 1/3 innings, 3.15 ERA, 108 strikeouts, 31 walks, .214 batting average against

The main question: How will he handle his first full MLB season?

Perez has all the raw talent to be a future ace. His fastball hits the upper 90s and all three of his secondary pitches produce swings and misses. But a reminder: He’s going to be just 21 years old this season and is entering just his fourth season of pro ball. There will likely be some rawness and some hurdles as he maneuvers through a full MLB season. How he responds will be critical.

Edward Cabrera

2023 stats: 22 games (20 starts), 99 2/3 innings, 4.24 ERA, 118 strikeouts, 66 walks, .215 batting average against

The main question: Which Edward Cabrera will show up each start?

Cabrera, who is out of minor-league options, has arguably the best stuff of any Marlins pitcher, but his command was beyond erratic in 2023, getting to the point where he was demoted to Triple A for a month to work things out. If he’s able to be more around the strike zone, he can be lethal. If not, it could be another rocky season.

Trevor Rogers

2023 stats: Four starts, 18 innings, 4.00 ERA, 19 strikeouts, six walks, .229 batting average against

The main question: Can he stay healthy?

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker wants to see what Rogers looks like over a full season. Rogers would like that, too. The 26-year-old lefty lasted just four starts in 2023 before two injuries (first his left biceps and then his right lat) sidelined him for the season. That’s after a poor 2022 season that also saw him deal with injury. Can he return to his 2021 form when he was runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year?

Max Meyer

2023 stats: Did not pitch (Tommy John surgery)

The main question: What should be expected from Meyer after missing 2023?

The Marlins still believe that Meyer can be a starting pitcher in the big leagues. His MLB debut in 2022 was cut short after needing Tommy John surgery. Meyer should be a full participant in spring training and has a chance to crack the Opening Day roster. However, considering he hasn’t pitched in a live game in more than a year and a half, Meyer starting in the minor leagues to get back into a rhythm wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world either.

Who are the depth options?

As is the case almost every year, no team survives a 162-game season with just five or six starting pitchers. Injuries happen. Underperformance happens. Someone from the minor leagues challenges for a spot.

Who can the Marlins turn to when any of these situations surface?

Starting with those who have big-league experience, Miami has three pitchers who can be defined as swingmen, fitting the role of either long reliever or spot starter depending on the Marlins’ needs at any given time. Those three are Ryan Weathers, George Soriano and Bryan Hoeing. The Marlins will also experiment with stretching out A.J. Puk during spring training, which gives him a chance to start if needed as well.

In terms of prospects, the Marlins have three starting pitchers among their top-30 prospects according to Baseball America who haven’t made their MLB debut yet but have reached the upper minors in lefties Dax Fulton and Patrick Monteverde along with righty Ike Buxton.