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Mount Rushmore Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Envisioning Miami Marlins' Pitching Mount Rushmore

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Ben Fisher | Last updated Nov 20, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Miami Marlins are heading into what will be their 34th season in franchise history, hoping to continue to build on the momentum that saw them improve their win total by 17 games in 2025.

Now, the Marlins are looking to take the next step - and could lean on the organization's pitching depth in order to do so. Early offseason rumors have Miami potentially willing to trade from an area of strength and dangle starting pitching in order to add impact bats and/or outfield help.

Throughout their history, pitching has driven much of the success of the Marlins organization, which, while not a perennial contender, has produced two World Series titles and four playoff appearances. Their pitchers have earned a Cy Young Award, multiple Rookie of the Year awards and even a World Series MVP.

Narrowing Miami's pitchers down to an all-time Mount Rushmore required some tough omissions, such as A.J. Burnett, Kevin Brown and Brad Penny. The toughest snub, however, was 2013 Rookie of the Year Jose Fernandez, who certainly would have earned a spot were it not for his tragic passing at the young age of 24.

With that being said, here are the four pitchers who comprise the Marlins' all-time pitching Mount Rushmore:

Josh Johnson

David Banks-Imagn Images

Injuries limited the career of big right-hander Josh Johnson to a mere nine seasons and 160 career starts, but he made most of those - including eight years spent in South Florida - count.

After finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2006, Johnson would go on to earn All-Star invites across the 2009 and 2010 seasons, including a league-best 2.30 ERA and 2.41 FIP during a dominant 2010 campaign that would see him finish fifth in NL Cy Young voting.

The rare true staff ace in Marllins' history, Johnson sits third in franchise history with 832 strikeouts and owns a career ERA of 3.15 with the club. Without injuries robbing him of much of his prime, those numbers could be even more impressive.

Dontrelle Willis

Scott Rovak-Imagn Images

Known as the "D-Train", Dontrelle Willis ultimately served up a short but pretty wild ride in Miami.

The flamethrower with the stylishly tilted cap burst onto the scene in 2003, going 14-6 with a 3.30 ERA over 27 starts to win Rookie of the Year honors as a 21-year-old. Though he struggled in the postseason (0-1 with an 8.53 ERA), he nevertheless played a major role in the Marlins' World Series victory that year.

Although Willis' first act proved hard to follow, he managed to produce a stellar 2005 campaign that yielded a 22-10 record with a 2.63 ERA, 170 strikeouts and seven complete games, narrowly losing out to Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Cy Young Award.

Willis' fall was just as quick as his rise, as he would pitch only two more full seasons after 2005. He still, however, owns the franchise record for single-season wins (22) and shares the record for most complete game shutouts in a season (five).

Sandy Alcantara

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Marlins' legacy of Sandy Alcantara continues to grow and evolve, as the right-hander remains an active member of the club. Yet, even if the 30-year-old fails to return to his pre-Tommy John surgery form or sees his tenure in South Florida come to an end this offseason, he will maintain his status as one of the franchise's all-time great pitchers.

Alcantara has spent the better part of the past decade as Miami's best player. He served as one of the very few highlights of a 57-win Marlins team in 2019, sporting a 3.88 ERA and notching two complete game shutouts and making his first All-Star Game despite getting tagged for a league-worst 14 losses.

While some of Alcantara's momentum was halted by the pandemic, he more than made up for it. Following a solid 2021 campaign, he was arguably the best pitcher in baseball in 2022, winning the NL Cy Young thanks to a 2.28 ERA and league-bests in WAR (8.0), complete games (six) and innings (228.2).

Alcantara is quickly climbing up the franchise leader board in innings pitched (No. 2, behind Ricky Nolasco), strikeouts (same) and wins (No. 4).

Josh Beckett

Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

As Toronto Blue Jays rookie hurler Trey Yesavage was bursting onto the scene during the club's recent World Series run, it brought to mind other young pitchers who came out of nowhere to thrive in October. Like Josh Beckett.

Unlike Yesavage, Beckett was already in his third MLB season as a member of the Marlins when, as a 23-year-old, he followed up a solid 2003 regular season campaign by becoming nearly un-hittable in the playoffs.

In five postseason starts and six appearances, Beckett went 2-2 with a 2.11 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. With Miami on the cusp of a championship in Game 6 of the World Series, he notched a complete game shutout to out-pitch Andy Pettitte and earn MVP honors.

Even apart from his iconic 2003 postseason, Beckett produced a solid five seasons with the Marlins, going 41-34 with a 3.46 ERA. He was also the key centerpiece in the 2005 mega-deal with the Boston Red Sox that brought in Hanley Ramirez.

No, Miami doesn't have the decorated history of other MLB franchises. However, they do have two World Series on their mantle and a strong track record of developing talented homegrown pitchers. Longevity might be lacking among this group, but each of Johnson, Willis, Alcantara and Beckett has left an indelible mark on the franchise.