3 Miami Marlins players who badly need to turn things around

At the risk of beating a dead horse, this is not a good season for the Miami Marlins. Injuries are piling up and we're seemingly playing the waiting game until the Trade Deadline. Some off-season mistakes have clearly led up to this point. As we hope for at least a better win-loss record, there are a couple of players who seem to be playing their way out of The Fish's plans.

Two Miami Marlins players are likely playing their way out of The Fish's plans.

3. SP A.J. PUK

Who else but A.J. Puk? The relief pitcher turned starting pitcher has mostly been a bust in his new role. It certainly looks as if he's just better off in the bullpen. He has a career 3.72 ERA/3.59 FIP as a relief pitcher, pitching for the Oakland Athletics from 2019 to 2022, and then the Miami Marlins last season. He also had a strong 11.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 during that time. This is a sample size of 142 games and 147.2 innings pitched by the way.

A.J. Puk has been pretty terrible as a starting pitcher so far this season. He has an abysmal 5.91 ERA/6.90 FIP, with 6.8 K/9 and 11.8 BB/9, in 3 games and 10.2 innings pitched. The sample size here is pretty small, but regardless it just does not look very good. It's hard to see any plans for him to stick in the rotation long-term, and if he's not demoted to the bullpen yet due to injuries, he will amost certainly be in there next season.

NEXT: A FORMER TOP PROSPECT

2. RP SIXTO SANCHEZ

Sixto Sanchez is basically the reverse of A.J. Puk. A starting pitcher who turned into a relief pitcher. Sixto was a former top starting pitching prospect with the Philadelphia Phillies, who was the centerpiece of a trade that lives in infamy. It's definitely not looking any better years later and especially now.

Sixto just couldn't stay healthy since 2020, when he debuted on the Major League roster with a 3.46 ERA/3.50 FIP, with 7.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 7 games and 39.0 innings pitched. At the time, it looked as if the Miami Marlins were about to have a new top of the rotation arm. Regrettably, that of course did not happen.

How did Sixto do in his return to the Major Leagues? Well... he's in the bullpen now and not doing particularly good. He currently has an 7.11 ERA/6.20 FIP, with 4.3 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 5 games and 5.1 innings pitched. It's a very small sample size, but it looks as far from promising as it can possible be.

It's clear that Sixto Sanchez is no longer a starting pitcher, and I don't see the Miami Marlins ever giving him that shot again. If he can't even become a decent reliever, he's certainly on his way out after the season.

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