The Miami Marlin s have been one of the most surprising teams in MLB this season. Most of the attention the Fish have been getting is their offense, which deserves all the praise it’s getting. Kyle Stowers, Xavier Edwards, Agustin Ramirez, and others have given the organization plenty of hope for the future.
However, there are a few other members of this team, who may not appear every day, that are just as responsible for the Marlins taking a massive step forward this season.
One of those players is RHP Ronny Henriquez, who is becoming one of the best relievers on the team and has the potential to be one of the top bullpen arms in MLB.
Henriquez has pitched in 54 games this season, and in those appearances, he’s recorded a 2.72 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. While he hasn’t been appointed the team’s closer, the right-hander has still six saves under his belt.
Henriquez has been even better over the last few weeks, posting a 2.20 ERA, 2.07 FIP, and a 0.86 WHIP.
The 25-year-old possesses a skill that simply can’t be taught by a manager or pitching coaches: velocity. Henriquez’s fastball currently has a velocity of 101.0 mph, which would easily rank in the top percentile in the league once he’s thrown enough innings to be a qualified pitcher.
Because of the elite velocity, Henriquez has also become one of baseball’s best swing-and-miss pitchers. He leads Miami’s bullpen and is ranked third among MLB bullpen arms with 79 strikeouts.
Henriquez also ranks fourth among National League relievers with a whiff-rate of 36.2 percent, only trailing Edwin Diaz, Justin Martinez, and Kirby Yates, per Marlins Communications.
It will be interesting to see what Henriquez’s role evolves into with the Marlins.
Miami quietly has a solid bullpen, but its relievers aren’t necessarily on the younger side. Calvin Faucher, Lake Bachar, and Anthony Bender are all having great seasons, but may not be in the team’s long-term plans due to their age.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Marlins trade one or two of them this offseason. They probably should have capitalized on their value at the trade deadline and dealt one of their relievers to a contender.
With the way Henriquez is pitching and where the Marlins are headed as a team, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the up-and-coming pitcher be the team’s closer at the start of the 2026 season or this time next year.
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