Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough has been a revelation in South Florida since being hired away from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, and he's quickly earning a reputation as a steady leader for a young school of Fish.

McCullough was previously the first base coach in LA and part of the franchise's 2024 World Series Championship winner before taking his first ever Major League skipper's job. So far, so good with the Marlins, as the team has new life, winning 79 games in the head man's first season and then posting an 80-82 record this season.

Generally considered to be lined up for postseason contention in 2027, McCullough and the Marlins are, by no means, being coronated as a contender. They still have a lot of work to do and plenty to prove. Built on the blueprint of a youth movement, the franchise's current direction will fail if top young players aren't properly developed. That's why it's so important that the manager doesn't let them slip through the cracks.

Right now, McCullough has been viewed favorably by the fans (at least for the most part). But at the same time, followers of the Fish are going to get impatient if he can;t start delivering on some of the promise of this team. There are definitely a set of parameters that the manager must meet in the upcoming season, in order to stay the course in Miami.

Making the playoffs is obviously top on the wish list among the team and its fans. McCullough has shown all the signs that he's the guy who can deliver the Fish to a fantastic finish in 2027. If he fails to do so, the goodwill he's had thus far among the base will dissipate rather quickly. Still, with a pedigree that includes his time with the Dodgers, MLB's most successful team this decade, he's learned how to win at the highest level. There's no reason he can't replicate that in Miami.

Settling the pitching staff must be a priority. While McCullough shouldn't be penalized for all the injuries last season or the lack of big-league depth in the group, he's still the man in charge of it all. It will be tough waters to navigate, as at times, he used starters as relievers at the end of the year. On the flip side of that, he also employed the trendy new position of 'opener' with a few members of the bullpen at times this year. McCullough has to define the hurlers' roles more clearly if he wants his array of arms to stay strong down the stretch.

Avoiding the hangover of falling short in 2026 means that the 46-year-old will have to work as a bit of a psychologist on a young squad that experienced a lot of ups and downs. At one time, the club won 20 game in June (the most in one month in franchise history), they were sitting in a Wild Card slot, and the club was riding high. What followed next was a tire-flattening 12-game losing streak in July and mediocre play over in August and September. McCullough will have to make sure his team puts that behind them as they attempt at a run for glory in 2027.