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Marlins Young Pitcher Predicted for Breakout 2026 Season

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Scott Roche | Last updated Feb 27, 2026 7:00 PM ET

Going into spring training, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered when it comes to the Miami Marlins. Maybe the biggest question marks surround their starting pitching and just what the rotation will look like on Opening Day.

In January, the president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix, traded away Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs and Ryan Weathers to the New York Yankees. The combined returns were a handful of prospects, including outfielder Owen Caissie, who is expected to make the Opening Day roster in the outfield. Who knows, maybe he could be this year's Kyle Stowers with a breakout season.

As far as the pitching goes, second-year manager Clayton McCullough knows what he has in ace Sandy Alcantara, but after that, it feels like jobs are there for the taking.

The Marlins did sign veteran Chris Paddack before spring training, but he's more of a bottom-of-the-rotation arm than anything near the top. One young arm that Miami needs to solidify a spot in the rotation is Eury Pérez. One MLB writer believes that he can do it and then some in 2026.

Marlins Eury Pérez Predicted to Breakout in 2026

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Going back to the beginning of the offseason, there were questions as to whether or not the Marlins could survive trading one or two of their starting pitchers. One reason as to why some thought they could is Pérez. Eno Sarris of The Athletic (subscription required) listed Pérez as a breakout candidate for the upcoming season.

"He throws everything super hard and has decent shapes on his pitches, so it’s not too surprising. What is weird, is that he had an ERA over five and gave up over a homer and a half per nine innings away from home last year. If he was drafted that high and was only an at-home start, that wouldn’t be a great return on investment,'' wrote Sannis.

Last season, Pérez didn't make his season debut until June, and in 20 starts, the 22-year-old went 7-6 with a 4.25 ERA in 95.1 innings with 105 strikeouts and a 1.2 WAR. Some of these numbers are not where Pérez or the Marlins would like them to be, but he has electric stuff that can translate into a top-of-the-rotation arm. He surrendered 12 home runs and 45 earned runs.

Health is going to be key for Miami in spring training, like it is for every other club, but Pérez can be a difference-maker at the top of the rotation with Alcantara. If the Marlins end up trading Alcantara at some point, Pérez could be considered a future staff ace. If he breaks out in 2026 as Sannis predicts, that could be the case in the not-too-distant future.

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