The Marlins bullpen has played a major role in Miami’s 2-0 start, with Pete Fairbanks, Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender, and Calvin Faucher all making strong early impacts.
The Miami Marlins have played only two games, but their bullpen already looks like one of the biggest reasons this team is 2-0.
According to Statcast data, Miami’s relief group has not just protected leads. It has done it with a mix of swing-and-miss stuff, late-inning poise, and the kind of role clarity this club badly needed. Through the first two games, the Marlins have leaned on Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher, and Pete Fairbanks, and all four have given them something useful.
Fairbanks has understandably taken the spotlight. The veteran right-hander recorded a save in each of his first two appearances with the Marlins, becoming just the second pitcher in franchise history to do that, joining Armando Benítez. That is the kind of start Miami hoped for when it brought him in.
More importantly, Fairbanks has looked like a legitimate finisher. His fastball sat as high as 98.5 mph on Friday and 98.1 on Saturday, while his cutter kept generating uncomfortable contact. Even when the velocity dipped slightly on Saturday, hitters still did not square him up consistently. That is what good closers do. They do not need every outing to look dominant. They just need to get outs, and Fairbanks has done exactly that.
Nardi’s outing on Friday may have been just as encouraging. He punched out two and generated four whiffs in only 11 pitches, showing how dangerous his slider can be when he is around the zone. His chase numbers jumped out immediately, and that matters for a Marlins bullpen that needs left-handed weapons capable of missing bats in leverage spots.
Bender also did his part Friday, and his outing may say a lot about how Miami plans to use him. He leaned heavily on the sweeper, throwing it two-thirds of the time, and kept hitters from doing damage. He allowed only one ball in play, and it was hit at just 81 mph. That is a strong sign for a pitcher whose success often depends on weak contact and uncomfortable at-bats.
Then there is Faucher, who may be shaping up as one of the more important bridge arms on the roster. On Saturday, he mixed four pitches, got a strikeout, and filled the zone with an 83-percent strike rate. His cutter remained the featured pitch, but the sweeper and curveball gave him enough variation to keep hitters off balance.
It is early, and two games do not prove a bullpen is elite. But the Marlins have already shown a formula that can work. Nardi can miss bats, Bender can disrupt timing, Faucher can attack the middle innings, and Fairbanks can close the door. For a team that will need to win plenty of tight games, that is a very good start.
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