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Elite Marlins Pitching Prospect Could Debut in 2026

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 4:44 PM ET

How the Miami Marlins push forward after having a surprisingly successful 2025 campaign compared to preseason expectations is anyone's guess.

They don't have the best track record of doing things that puts the franchise in the greatest possible position to succeed, but with a core of talented young players, the future looks brighter than it's been in a while.

One reason why the Marlins look set up to become contenders at some point is their pitching staff. Led by Edward Cabrera, Eury Perez and Ryan Weathers, both Braxton Garrett and Max Meyer should also come back at some point and increase the ceiling of that starting unit. And if they keep Sandy Alcantara, there's a chance they get a version that's closer to his past NL Cy Young-winning form since he'll be another year removed from getting Tommy John surgery.

However, perhaps their most interesting arm is in their pipeline. Ranked No. 1 in their farm system and No. 22 overall in baseball, Thomas White has the makings of a future ace for Miami whenever he arrives in The Show.

Thomas White Could Debut for Marlins in 2026

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And according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, that could happen as soon as next year after he made it all the way up to Triple-A this past season and started two games for the Jumbo Shrimp to close out the 2025 campaign.

The team insider discussed the rapid ascension of White and why he is a logical choice to debut because of the year he put together, however, De Nicola also highlighted why the big league promotion for the team's top prospect likely won't come early in the 2026 season.

"Before any talk of a Major League debut, however, White will need to cut down on the walks (5.12 BB/9); he issued 10 free passes in two Triple-A starts. White can get away with that in the Minors because of his pure stuff, but he won’t be able to do so against big league hitters," she stated.

#Marlins prospect Thomas White and #Dbacks prospect Ryan Waldschmidt headline August's Players of the Month.

See the full list of winners: https://t.co/eR72u5fUIu pic.twitter.com/aNYNaaOn5i
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 4, 2025

Still, there's no doubting the ceiling White has. Not only did he reach Triple-A in his second full season of professional baseball, but he owns a career 2.85 ERA across 45 appearances (44 starts) with an eye-catching 272 strikeouts in 190 innings pitched. That earned him a spot on the second team of MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Year, which suggests he's ready for the next level soon.

Whether or not that comes in 2026 like De Nicola projected will be seen, but whenever he debuts in the bigs, it's sure to be an exciting time for the franchise.