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Marlins Question Mark Entering 2026 Season Quietly Easing Concerns

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Scott Roche | Last updated Apr 2, 2026 1:12 PM ET

One area that Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix looked to address this past offseason was the bullpen. Manager Clayton McCullough needed a lockdown closer at the backend with some setup guys to get the ball to him.

After the Marlins traded away pitchers Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers in January, that took arms away from the starting rotation. Miami got some prospects back in the deals and they are seeing those moves pay off early in the 2026 season. Owen Caissie, acquired from the Chicago Cubs, has been off to a blistering start to the season through five games.

As for the bullpen, the Marlins made a big splash with former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, which gives McCullough someone who can shut the door in the ninth inning. He has already done that twice this season and through the first six games, Miami's bullpen is legit, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com.

Marlins Bullpen Shaping Up to Surprise in 2026

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Through their first six games, all at home, the Marlins bullpen has the lowest ERA at 0.51 and Miami is off to a 5-1 start. Yes, the schedule has been the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox, but you can only play who the schedule says you have on it.

"Pete Fairbanks, who signed a franchise-record deal for a reliever, has gone 2-for-2 in save situations. The surrounding cast has been just as strong. Miami's bullpen owns the lowest ERA (0.51) and the second-fewest walks in the Majors, and has yet to surrender a long ball,'' noted De Nicola.

The case could be made that the biggest addition aside from Fairbanks this offseason was the return of left-hander Andrew Nardi. In two appearances after missing the 2025 season with a lower-back injury, he had struck out four batters and allowed just one hit. Four of the five outs he has recorded have been strikeouts.

As for the other arms out of the bullpen, Calvin Faucer has three strikeouts in two appearances and he was the winning pitcher on Sunday when Caissie's two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth led to a 4-3 walk-off win. Anthony Bender was the winning pitcher in relief on Tuesday night against the White Sox and has allowed two hits in two innings with a pair of strikeouts.

The schedule is going to get tougher for the Marlins, beginning this weekend with a trip to the Bronx to play the 5-1 New York Yankees. Their first two series were a warm-up for a lineup that some consider one of the best in MLB. There should be a better read on the bullpen after this weekend.

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