The Astros take their talents (and 3-game losing streak and injuries) to South Beach to visit the Marlins
The trip to Boston outright sucked. Next stop on the 9-game road trip: a visit to the Marlins.
Marlins Record:
- 55-55 (3rd in the AL East) 8.0 GB, 6.0 GB of the last NL Wild Card
- Home Record: 27-29 (Astros Road Record: 27-26)
- Record vs. AL West: 4-5 (Astros vs NL East: 7-2)
- Last 10: 8-2 [WWWLLWWWW] (HOU: 2-8 [LLLLLWWLLL])
- 2025 Record vs. Houston: First meeting
- All-Time Record vs. Houston: 81-88
- Playoff Record: N/A
Marlins Season to Date: Perhaps the biggest date on the Marlins’ seasonal calendar was the trade deadline that came and went. Sure, the Marlins made a few moves, to include sending Sanchez to the Astros for a few players, like pitcher Ryan Gusto. However, their biggest supposed trade chip, former Cy-Young winning pitcher Sandy Alcantara did not leave Miami. Granted, he is coming off of UCL surgery, and is still trying to get back to his previous form. As for the rest of the season, well, again, what does it say that the trade deadline was the biggest part of the year? Surprisingly, the Marlins are not in last place in the NL East. Now that they are hanging around .500, they aren’t completely out of the Wild Card race, surprising as that might seem. There are some talented pieces on the roster, but 2025 was never meant to be a playoff season. Could this be another surprise playoff run ala 2023?
Marlins Leaders
Offense:
- HR: LF Kyle Stowers (24)
- RBI: LF Kyle Stowers (67)
- BA: LF Kyle Stowers (.295)
- OPS: LF Kyle Stowers (.942)
Pitching:
- ERA: Sandy Alcantara (6.36) [Based on eligibility for ERA title and who is left on the Marlins roster after trades/etc]
- Wins: Sandy Alcantara (6)
- Saves: Calvin Faucher (11)
- WHIP: Anthony Bender (1.01)
Projected Pitching Matchups (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
- Mon, Aug 4 @ 5:40 p.m. CDT: Jason Alexander (1-1, 7.36 ERA) vs. Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 6.36 ERA)
- Tue, Aug 5 @ 5:40 p.m. CDT: TBD vs. Chad Quantrill (4-8, 4.79 ERA)
- Wed, Aug 6 @ 3:40 p.m. CDT: Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.62 ERA) vs. Jason Junk (5-2, 3.86 ERA)
Marlins Field Position Starters (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) (BA/OBP/SLG)
- C: Augstin Ramirez (.243/.288/.469)
- 1B: Eric Wagaman (.233/.277/.340)
- 2B: Xavier Edwards (.293/.359/.362)
- 3B: Graham Pauley (.211/.272/.298)
- SS: Otto Lopez (.249/.320/.383)
- LF: Kyle Stowers (.295/.374/.568)
- CF: Jakob Marsee (.400/.667/.800)
- RF: Dane Myers (.251/.304/.346)
- DH: Liam Hicks (.263/.358/.379)
Marlins Offense: Astros fans could recognize some of the issues with the Marlins offense. They get hits (10th in MLB in BA), but they don’t translate as many of those hits into runs (20th in Runs Scored). Several other stats (25th in HRs, 18th in OBP, 19th in SLG), are in the bottom half of the league. That is with Kyle Stowers raking as he is. Still, there are some promising players that can hit on the roster. Once they get players on base, the Marlins rank 13th in stolen bases with 83, so they can move guys once they are on the bags. Still, the offense is not what is carrying the Marlins at this time.
Marlins Pitching/Defense: This is what is keeping Miami alive in the NL playoff picture (and why many covet Marlins players). This might seem an odd thing to say, given that the season-long stats for the Marlins pitching (24th in ERA, 19th in WHIP, 22nd in BAA) and given the struggles of pitchers such as Alcantara. However, recent activity indicates that either the pitching staff is on a major heater, or that they just got off to the most horrid of starts and they are coming around. They finished July with a collective 2.60 ERA, the best month in franchise history. While Alcantara has struggled this season, he has shown signs of recapturing his previous form. Additionally, fellow trade prospect Edward Cabrera is also dealing as of late. Given that neither will go anywhere before this offseason, Miami will look to ride their arms to either a surprise playoff run or pump up their trade value significantly. The Marlins possess the 17th ranked bullpen, sporting a 3.95 ERA. Their primarily relivers are Faucher at closer, with Ronny Henriquez and Anthony Bender in the setup roles. As for backing up the arms, the Marlins rate 20th in fielding and errors, so they don’t offer a lot of help to the rotation.
Photo by Jared Lennon/Getty Images
Most Dangerous Player: LF Kyle Stowers. You could consider one-time Astros trade target Alcantara, but may as well go with the most consistent player on the Marlins roster right now. Since coming over in a trade deadline deal in 2024, Stowers initially struggled for the Marlins, but definitely settled into South Beach this season. His overall strong performance led to his 1st All-Star selection. Stowers is 5 of 14 against Houston, with 2 runs scored. However, he hasn’t faced the Astros since 2022. Given the way things have gone for Houston, Stowers might add to those stats.
Injuries: Like everyone else, the Marlins have their share of injured players. Their medical notables:
- OF Derek Hill (finger); 10-Day IL; Projected Return: August 2025
- P Ryan Weathers (Lat); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: September 2025
- P Jesus Tinoco (forearm); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: September 2025
- P Andrew Nardi (back); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: August 2025
- OF Griffin Conine (shoulder); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026
- 3B Conner Norby (hand); 10-Day IL; Projected Return: August 2025
- P Max Meyer (hip); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026
- P Braxton Garrett (forearm); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026
Intangibles: Coming into this season, Miami figured to be another also-ran, likely to generate headlines via if/when they traded stars like Alcantara. At the trade deadline, they did more selling than buying. Yet, things are looking more akin to 2023, when they overachieved, vs. 2024, when they fell apart. The Marlins have won six straight series and are not completely out of the playoff picture. While playoffs are not likely, the Marlins are far more dangerous than most other teams playing out the string. The combination of high-end starters and young guns seeking to improve and finish the year strong offer some hope for the future of the Marlins. One might argue that between the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins, the Marlins have the best aura of the three at this time.
Series Outlook: Supposedly, the Astros “won” at the trade deadline, bringing in Sanchez from the Marlins, along with Correa and Urias. Yet, that has been the only winning the Astros have done since the calendar turned to August. They got swept in Boston, and their division lead is now down to under 4 games. Sure, players like Pena are coming back into the fold, but Houston is 7-15 in their last 22, not what you want to see from a playoff contending team who is also now over the CBT. Contrast with the Miami Marlins, who come in with major momentum (see the six series wins), the last of which came at the expense of another playoff contender: the New York Yankees (more on them in an upcoming preview). Also, Miami can be a tough place for the Astros, and for a team stumbling and bumbling through a rough patch, a hot Marlins team with nothing to lose is far from an ideal cure for their on-field ills.
How to Watch/Listen:
HOUSTON:
- Watch: Space City Home Network
- Listen: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3 FM
MIAMI:
- Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Florida
- Listen: FOX Sports 940AM (WINZ), WAQI 710