Marlins Finish Off 2026 in Style With a Win Over Atlanta

The Miami Marlins entered the final game of the year at home against the National League East Division Champions, the Atlanta Braves, looking to finish the 2026 season with 80 wins.

The Fish pulled off a 5-3 win, holding off an Atlanta rally late. And while the team didn't;t quite make it to the .500 mark this season, they gave a valiant effort in achieving their 80-82 mark. 

Atlanta opened the scoring with a run in the third inning, but Heriberto Hernandez answered with a solo shot in the fourth. Griffin Conine would add another solo shot, and Jared Serna drove in a pair of runs with a double to lead the Marlins to the win against their division rivals. Mauricio Dubon drove home a pair of runs for ATL in a losing cause.

Starter Janson Junk had a decent, albeit brief, start on Sunday, allowing three hits and one earned run, with five strikeouts and one walk in 4.2 innings of work. The 30-year-old hurler left with the score tied and did not figure in the decision at all. He finishes his 2026 campaign with a 6-9 record, 4.22 ERA, and 89 strikeouts.

Michael Petersen (4-4) was credited with the win for Miami, throwing 1⅓ scoreless innings after Janson Junk left with a no-decision. But perhaps the highlight of the day came when beloved starter and team leader Sandy Alcantara came out to close things out in the ninth.

 Alcantara recorded the save, allowing no hits and striking out one. It was 31-year-old pitcher's third save of the season and third career save; He converted ed all three of his save opportunities successfully.

The Marlins finishing below 81 wins has been somewhat of a common theme for the franchise. The Fish have now played 34 seasons since swimming into Major League Baseball in 1993, through 2026. They have finished below .500 in 26 of those 34 seasons — about 76.5% of their history. They have had only eight winning seasons: 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2020, and 2023.

There’s an almost bizarre anomaly in Marlins history: two World Series championships stand alongside remarkably few winning seasons. Miami has found a way to reach baseball’s mountaintop on those two occasions with some well-constructed teams, yet sustained success has been elusive. It’s an unusual legacy — championship glory separated by long stretches of losing baseball. Often, they will assemble a powerful roster, only to see players depart via free agency or a 'fire sale' by the organization.

That doesn't appear to be the case in 2026, as the team is being built around a youth movement, with one of the best farms systems in baseball. So today's victory over Atlanta shouldn't be viewed as a closing of the season, but rather, a peek into the future.