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Miami Marlins 2020 Opening Day: The Starting Rotation

By Kevin Kraczkowski

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Sandy Alcantara #22 of the Miami Marlins pitches during the first inning of their game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 24, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Sandy Alcantara #22 of the Miami Marlins pitches during the first inning of their game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 24, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /
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Miami Marlins
MIAMI, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 09: Jose Urena #62 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Marlins Park on September 09, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

 José Ureña

Ureña didn’t do himself any favors with his substandard return to the active roster after a stay on the injured list. Although he’s arbitration eligible, and doesn’t hit free agency until the 2022 season, he’s not even really guaranteed that the Miami Marlins will have him on the Opening Day roster, let alone in the rotation.

Although Ureña faces an uphill battle, he has, in the past, shown that he has “the stuff” to stick.

Nick Neidert

Neidert didn’t have the best showing in the Miami Marlins minor league feeder affiliate system in 2019, collecting a 1.556 WHIP across three levels of play. He has, however, been a rock star in the Arizona Fall League, compiling a 2-0 record, a 1.62 ERA, 17 K’s, and only 11 hits allowed in 16 2/3 innings for a 0.780 WHIP.

Neidert’s fall league showing may have opened some doors for him.

Miami Marlins
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 25: Robert Dugger #64 of the Miami Marlins pitches in the first inning of their game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 25, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

Robert Dugger

Dugger got his first look at major league hitting near the end of the 2019 campaign, and the results were probably not as good as he would have hoped for. Through seven starts, he was 0-4 with a 5.77 ERA, 25 K’s in 34 1/3 innings, and a 1.456 WHIP.

On the other hand, Dugger also showed glimpses of what makes him a prospect that can’t be dismissed. On August 29th, he struck out seven over seven three-hit innings in an eventual 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. It’s just the sort of thing that begs another look.

Sixto Sanchez

Sixto Sanchez, along with Will Stewart and Jorge Alfaro, came over to the Miami Marlins (and their affiliates) in the pre-season trade with the Philadelphia Phillies for J.T. Realmuto.

Sanchez owned Southern League hitters after his promotion from the high-A Jupiter Hammerheads to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp early in the season. In 18 starts, he went 8-4 with a 2.53 ERA, 97 whiffs in 103 frames, along with only 19 walks. Sanchez touches 100 on the gun on occasion, and a precision rate which allows a sub-2 BB/9 is something special when paired with such a flame thrower.

Still, it’s far more likely that Sanchez spends the better part of the season with the Shrimp or with the as-yet-unnamed Wichita triple-A club, for additional seasoning.

Edward Cabrera

Like Sanchez, Edward Cabrera will also likely spend most of his time at double- and triple-A in 2020.

Between the Sharks and the Shrimp in 2019, Cabrera posted a 9-4 record and a 2.23 ERA over 19 starts, with a 10.8 K/9 rate and a 0.993 WHIP to his credit. Hey, the Miami Marlins have put much less-deserving guys in as starter over the past few years, why not Cabrera?

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