Three quick thoughts on the Miami Marlins 2026 MLB schedule drop

At long last, the Miami Marlins 2026 schedule has been dropped.

As a stadium hunter that's moved out of Florida, it's my favorite time of year. There have probably been two seasons in the last eighteen years I've seen more games in Miami than out of it. So in the case of myself, and I'm sure many other fans, 2026 summer vacation wheels are already churning. Likewise, South Florida based baseball fans can now lock down the next chance to see Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani. When hated division rivals come to town. Or in the unfortunate case of transplanted New Yorkers and visiting snowbirds, when the Mets visit.

But what about the schedule drop itself? Is there anything Marlins fans should be taking away from that, other than travel ideas?

The team dropped the schedule on Twitter early Tuesday afternoon, with a pretty fun, and interesting, hype video. As for the full schedule, you can start scrolling through that here. The video though? A nostalgia filled romp down memory lane that was everything a Marlins fan over thirty (also known as the bulk of season ticket buyers) could want. Yet it also contained a few key breadcrumbs that Marlins fans of all ages should be thinking about between now and Opening Day 2026.

Marlins "Legend"ary Preview?

For starters, one if not both of Charles Johnson or Juan Pierre are suddenly looking like locks for the next round of Miami Marlins Legends Hall of Fame inductees, right? If that doesn't happen, you could knock me over with a schedule magnet. Both players won a championship here, both are at the top of at least one plaque worthy stat category in franchise history. Considering they did the lion's share of the talking in the video, and the only other people that did speak were Marlins Legend Hall of Fame members (Jeff Conine and Luis Castillo), it seems more than fair to assume some heavy foreshadowing is going on here.

Oh, and for those of you suggesting this means that teal is returning? I believe there's a Michael Jordan meme that covers this nicely. Get some help.

Why Just Marlins Legends?

Don't get me wrong- seeing those Miami Marlins front and center after years of the franchise trying to distance itself is awesome. The feels are still very real for that generation of players, and it's also just heartening to see Marlins ownership starting to go to greater lengths to give the people what they want. At least the loudest people anyway.

However, I'd be remiss if I didn't raise one teensy alarm bell about this approach.

Why just Marlins legends? Why didn't this end with face of the franchise Sandy Alcantara telling you to be there Opening Day? Kyle Stowers telling you something about power? Agustin Ramirez following Charles Johnson everywhere, hoping to learn to catch by osmosis?

Okay, that last bit was equal parts mean and projection. Yet the lack of current players, and Sandy especially, is telling. For when the final graphic that very much has the look of a schedule magnet appears, Sandy isn't even on that. That could mean dealing him this offseason is still very much in the cards, which should give pause to anyone expecting Miami to try to win more games on that new schedule than they lose. If nothing else, it's a reminder that the whole roster is still very much in flux.

But The Marlins Could Still Start Hot

Lastly, a bit of good news for the Miami Marlins. This has already been pointed out everywhere, but is worth repeating. The Marlins open at home...and do so against the only two MLB franchises universally agreed to be in worse shape than themselves. Miami kicks things off with seven straight games against the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox. Now, to be fair, the Marlins have gone 1-5 so far in 2025 against those teams. So perhaps this is putting the cart ahead of the horse. Still, there is ample 2025 evidence to suggest that the Marlins are ahead of schedule on rebuilding whereas the Rockies and White Sox will continue causing there fans to pull their hair out.

That's a welcome bit of cushion before things get ugly fast. April features the Braves, Brewers, Dodgers, Tigers, and Yankees, so pouncing on the Rockies and White Sox will be critical.

At any rate, there's plenty left of the 2025 schedule to work through before determining how competitive fans can expect Miami to be when that 2026 schedule gets rolling. Never too early to start making those vacation plans though.