Miami Marlins Slugger Powers Sweep of San Francisco Giants

The Miami Marlins get a happy flight to Arizona, thanks in large part to a familiar face. Sweeping the San Francisco Giants in what many consider to be an upset, former Stanford Cardinal star Kyle Stowers played a major role in the Marlins' triumphant victory, going 4-for-11 during the three-game set.

The Marlins made quick work out of an otherwise stellar San Francisco pitching staff, scoring 24 runs in total and doing particularly well against the top half of the Giants' rotation. Starting with a 4-2 win on June 24, Stowers went 1-for-4 with a strikeout, but nonetheless did his job in the No. 5 spot of the batting order.

In an 8-5 win in game two on Wednesday, Stowers could have very well been the player of the game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk, hitting two doubles and walking once. Collecting four total bases, he also scored a run and was instrumental in the team's extra-inning victory that resulted in the Marlins scoring four runs in the tenth inning to secure the win.

In the final game of the series on Thursday, Stowers went 1-for-3 but hit a home run that contributed to the Marlins taking home the 12-5 win. In the very first inning with two men on base, Stowers hit a towering three-run home run that put the Marlins ahead and gave them major momentum the rest of the way. He also walked twice, collecting four total bases, and scored a run in the victory.

So far this season, the former Cardinal is batting .275 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI along with an .833 OPS, all career highs. Originally called up by the Marlins last season to provide depth, Stowers has evolved into a cornerstone piece and has been an everyday starter for the team for a majority of this season.

After batting .303 with nine home runs and 39 RBI as a junior with Stanford, Stowers was drafted in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

Spending a few seasons going through the minor league system, Stowers eventually made his MLB debut on June 13, 2022 and was with the team for parts of the next three seasons. He was then traded to the Marlins near the 2024 trade deadline, along with Connor Norby, in exchange for left-handed pitcher, Trevor Rogers.

With Stowers having a breakout season thanks to regular playing time, there are some that believe that Stowers could be on the move come the Trade Deadline next month. It also doesn't hurt that Stowers knocked a grand slam against one of the better closers in baseball, Mason Miller, back in May. He could be a big under-the-radar addition for a club--if the Marlins look to move him.