Fantasy Baseball Year in Review – Marlins

  • By Anthony Kates

    Last Updated on October 14, 2025 4:21 am by Anthony Kates | Published: October 14, 2025

    The Marlins came into the 2025 season with moderate expectations – growth from their young players, get Sandy Alcantara back from Tommy John surgery and continue to shift middling veterans to contending teams for young MLB and MiLB players. Few would have predicted them to finish third in the National League East division, three games ahead of the Braves and just four games behind a wild card playoff spot. Thanks to an All Star season out of Kyle Stowers, a very solid rookie season from Agustin Ramirez and a few breakouts (Jakob Marsee, Edward Cabrera, Ronnie Henriquez), the future is looking brighter than it has in a long time. Not to mention, they have two of the best left-handed pitchers in the minor leagues and another power hitting catcher in the wings, so Marlins fans just might have a winning team to cheer for sooner rather than later.

    Catcher

    Agustin Ramirez was called up to the big leagues on April 21 and would spend the rest of the year with the team. He came to the Marlins in the Jazz Chisholm trade in 2024 and had a decent rookie season. He hit 21 home runs, stole 16 bases, drove in 67 base runners, scored 72 runs and hit .231. Though a 20/15 season out of a catcher is pretty nice, he generated just a 91 wRC+, due to a low batting average and a not-so-great walk rate of 6.2%. He had a better first half than second half, with a 29 point difference in wRC+, hitting double the home runs in the first half compared to the second half even though he had just 17 more plate appearances. His statcast numbers were good and his swing decisions decent (30.7% chase, 76.7% contact, 11.6% swinging strike), but he struggled to elevate the ball and had a poor BABIP that held his batting average back. He finished the season as the 11th best fantasy catcher and should come into the 2026 draft season with the expectation that he is a startable catcher in all leagues of 12 teams or deeper and will probably cost a top 150 pick to get him on your squad.

    First Base

    The Marlins never really had a real fantasy producer at first base. They trotted out four different guys in 16 or more games (Troy Johnston, Liam Hicks, Matt Mervis, Eric Wagaman), but none were ever really fantasy relevant for more than a week or so. Wagaman might have the inside edge for the starting position in 2026, since he ended the year as the starter, but he does not inspire fantasy confidence. If they do not sign a viable fantasy option, their first base options can be ignored in all but the deepest 2026 drafts.

     Second Base

    Xavier Edwards followed up his excellent rookie season with a decent sophomore campaign. Over 619 plate appearances, he hit .283 with 28 extra base hits (20 doubles, five triples and three home runs), 75 runs scored, 43 RBI and 27 stolen bases. His strikeout rate dropped three points, but so did his walk rate. He raised his line drive, fly ball and contact rate, lowered his swinging strike rate and had one of the best zone-contact rates in the league. He finished the 2025 season as the 12th best fantasy second baseman and will probably settle into the 10th to 12th spot in 2026 rankings. He was drafted around pick 140 in 2025 but will probably be available another 10 to 20 picks later in 2026 drafts, after his stolen bases and batting average took a step back from 2024.

    Third Base

    The Marlins should have had a decent fantasy producer at the hot corner in Connor Norby, but he struggled to stay healthy throughout the year, hitting the injured list due to an oblique strain, a broken hamate bone in his left wrist and a quad strain. When he was healthy, he actually performed worse than he did in 2024, even though he had 143 more plate appearances. He hit just eight home runs, stole eight bases, drove in 42 base runners, scored 34 runs and hit .251 over 337 plate appearances. He struck out less, but also walked less, had worse statcast data, struggled to elevate the ball with some slightly better swing decisions. Norby just turned 25 in June but the 2026 season will be big for both his professional and fantasy career. If he can stay healthy and produce as expected, he could generate a top 12 or so fantasy third base season. But if he continues to struggle to elevate the ball and does not improve yet again in his swing decisions, then he will spend a lot of time on the fantasy waiver wire. He finished 2025 as the 42nd ranked fantasy third baseman and was drafted in the 19th round on average and will be a late pick again in 2026.

    Shortstop

    Otto Lopez was and is a deep league shortstop starter, but a 15 team middle infield starter. He finished the 2025 season as the 20th best shortstop and the 30th middle infielder, with his ceiling capped by the limitations of the Marlins offense. He was one of 20 middle infielders to hit at least 15 home runs and steal at least 15 bases, he scored the 15th most runs among middle infielders but scored the tied-for 34th most runs (with Bryson Stott and Luis Arraez). His strikeout rate, walk rate, contact rate, barrel rate, fly ball rate, chase rate and swinging strike rate all improved. He’ll be a late round grab to start in your middle infield position with some top 15 to 17 fantasy shortstop upside if he can get his runs and RBI up.


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    October 14, 2025, 4:21 am