Jeff Passan says the Marlins’ 2026 success hinges on Eury Pérez. The 22-year-old ace could emerge as one of MLB’s best pitchers.
The Miami Marlins are entering the 2026 season with cautious optimism, and one of baseball's most respected insiders believes the franchise's success may depend on one of its rising stars.
In a recent analysis of Major League Baseball teams, ESPN insider Jeff Passan identified a single player who could decide whether Miami makes a significant step forward this season: Eury Pérez.
Passan believes the Marlins already have a foundational piece in Pérez, a 22-year-old pitcher whose talent and physical profile stand out among MLB's best arms.
Few pitchers in baseball have Pérez's size, velocity, and pitch mix, as Passan sees it. The 6-foot-8 right-hander regularly throws a fastball that exceeds 98 mph and can reach triple digits, while also displaying devastating breaking pitches and a developing changeup.
With that arsenal, many analysts believe Pérez has the potential to emerge as one of the best pitchers in the game.
"This is the year evaluators believe he puts it all together," Passan wrote. "And if he does, Pérez will finish the year as a top-10 pitcher in baseball."
That kind of leap could accelerate the timeline for a Marlins team that is still working toward long-term contention. If Pérez reaches that level, Miami will have one of the most intimidating one-two rotations in baseball, joining former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.
Passan also stated that pitching remains Miami's clear path to competing in 2026. Though the lineup has some questions, the Marlins believe that improving on the mound could significantly lower their team's ERA.
Miami finished last season with a 4.60 team ERA, but Passan predicted that number would fall this year. Late in the 2025 season, the Marlins experimented with calling pitches directly from the dugout, resulting in a 3.11 ERA over the final 10 days of the season.
While Passan acknowledged the sample size was small, the organization believes the change will help the pitching staff achieve more consistency.
Nonetheless, he cautioned that Miami's pitching staff is likely a year or two away from being regarded as one of the top five in baseball.
If Pérez truly breaks out, the Marlins may be able to speed up that timeline and become one of the most surprising teams in the National League in 2026.
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