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Compelling Prediction Shows Marlins' 2026 Opening Day Starting Rotation

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Scott Roche | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 1:00 PM ET

One of the burning questions entering the 2026 season is what the Miami Marlins' starting rotation will look like. Two of their top pitchers, Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, have been mentioned as potential trade candidates this offseason.

If the Marlins were to consider moving either of them, they could get a return that would be worth it. If they don't, then they are set up to have one of the better rotations not only in the division, but in baseball as a whole.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicted the starting rotations for each team for next March on Opening Day, and his prediction for Miami was a fascinating one. In fact, it is one that you could make a case for running back with the arms the Marlins have and seeing how things go early in the season.

Marlins Projected Starting 2026 Rotation Could Have Success

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Yes, Alcantara and Cabrera are the two headline names in the rotation, but Miami has some good young arms that are ready to step into the rotation with their two big guns. Reuter points out that the in-house improvements are as good as there are in baseball.

"The Marlins went 35-32 after the All-Star break and hung around on the periphery of the NL wild-card race far longer than expected, so that could be reason enough for them to hold onto oft-mentioned trade candidates Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, at least until next trade deadline,'' Reuter wrote.

"With a healthy Eury Pérez joining them at the top of the rotation and a trio of former first-round picks in Ryan Weathers, Braxton Garrett and Max Meyer also expected to be healthy after tossing a combined 103 innings in 2025, this staff has as much room for in-house improvement as any in baseball."

Here is what Reuter projects to be the starting rotation in South Florida to begin next season,

1. RHP Sandy Alcantara
2. RHP Eury Pérez
3. RHP Edward Cabrera
4. LHP Ryan Weathers
5. LHP Braxton Garrett

Unless the Marlins are completely blown away in any deal that comes their way, then running it back with the names above makes too much sense. After finishing well above expectations in 2025, Miami is in a good position to compete in the National League East next season.

Miami has sent mixed messages at times early in the offseason about whether or not they'll keep both pitchers, but the decision should be an easy one: keep them. If things don't go as planned, then there is the trade deadline where they could look to unload a pitcher or two. It just makes too much sense right now not to have Reuter's projected rotation as the one Clayton McCullough is running out on Opening Day.