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Marlins’ Season May Hinge on This Emerging Pitcher

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Scott Roche | Last updated Mar 13, 2026 4:00 PM ET

If there is one area that a lot of eyes are going to be on this season, it's the Miami Marlins starting rotation. President of baseball operations, Peter Bendix, decided in January to trade a pair of starting pitchers, Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers.

The returns made it worthwhile for Bendix to make the move. Some prospects who were part of the deals from the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees could be key pieces to Clayton McCullough's lineup this season.

Just how the starting rotation looks without Cabrera remains to be seen, but there are certainly going to be some young pitchers looking to make an impact. One of them, Eury Pérez, might have more weight on his shoulders than others.

Marlins Season Hinges on Eury Pérez According to MLB Insider

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Veteran Sandy Alcantara, who will get the ball on Opening Day, is expected to be McCullough's ace this season. After that, Pérez is someone who Miami needs to solidify as the No. 2. Jeff Passan of ESPN believes the young right-hander has the stuff to do it.

"The Marlins need frontline, foundational talent, and nobody on the roster represents that quite like Pérez, the 22-year-old whose combination of size and stuff is unmatched in baseball. At 6-foot-8, with a fastball that sits above 98 mph and touches 100, a slider/curveball complement that is best compared to Skenes' breaking balls, plus a changeup, Pérez oozes with talent and potential,'' wrote Passan.

Pérez certainly has the stuff to be a No. 2 and future No. 1 in a rotation. He is one of the reasons why Bendix was able to trade both Cabrera and Weathers.

Sure, if the Marlins held onto the two pitchers whom they traded, then they would be a team that could contend in the National League East. That still might happen if Pérez and others take the next step in 2026 on the mound.

"This is the year evaluators believe he puts it all together. And if he does, Pérez will finish the year as a top 10 pitcher in baseball. That's his level of talent, the kind that makes the Marlins excited that their rebuild is going somewhere good and fast,'' Passan added.

The 22-year-old went 7-6 in 20 starts last season for the Marlins with a 4.25 ERA in 95.1 innings pitched with 106 strikeouts. After recovering from Tommy John surgery, he didn't make his first start until June, but showed he had recovered from surgery and was ready to take the next step in the majors.

Miami has to have a lot of things go right this season to be in the mix for a playoff spot, but Pérez turning into a top 10 pitcher in baseball would go a long way toward the Marlins having success.

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