The Miami Marlins are coming off a fairly successful season after posting an 80-82 mark on the campaign, but now they look to the future... and 2027.

That will include a lot of turnover on the pitching staff this offseason, as the unit was in an absolutely unnerving shambles down the stretch. The multitude of injuries - including to Max Meyer, the galactically high ERA of closer Pete Fairbanks, and the lack of depth permeated the club's performance all year. But it was in the sweltering Summer months that it was brought to light in the shining sun. And when the heat went up? It fried the Fish, who went from swimming among the Wild Card contenders to merely treading water in the National League.

That turning of the page will certainly include a 22-year-old left-hander, Robby Snelling, who must establish himself as a legitimate MLB starter and possibly a member of the Miami rotation by the time Opening Day rolls around next year. However, he will be coming off a major injury - one that wiped out the majority of his 2026 campaign.

Snelling was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres with the 39th overall selection of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft. He was acquired by the Fish in mid-2024 with three other players in exchange for Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoenig. As he's progressed through the organization, he is one of two elite southpaw prospects - the other being top prospect Thomas White.

The hurler went 3-1 in six starts at Triple-A Jacksonville, before being called up in May. With the big club, he was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in five total innings before going down with an ulnar injury that threw his debut in The Show back until next Spring.

Heading into the 2027 campaign, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough knows he can pencil in the same top three starters as he did this year. Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer, and Eury Perez will be back to lead the five-man unit, but the final slots should be open for competition. With a solid performance in the exhibition season, Snelling could slide into starting, adding a portside pitcher to a group that is dominated by righthanded arms.

"Snelling exudes a football mentality on the mound with a strong 6-foot-3 frame and an aggressive mindset," his official MLB scouting analysis reads. With his stuff and confidence restored in 2025, he resumed pounding the strike zone. He lacks an overwhelming arsenal but comes with a high floor and can become a mid-rotation starter if he continues to command his pitches well."

Once again, the X-factor will be the injury, which required Tommy John Surgery. Given the timing of the procedure, the youngster should be back on time to compete when the clock strikes high noon on a new season.

If he can answer the bell and pitch like he's shown earlier in his minor league career, fans of the Fish will likely see the youngster get to have a do-over of his initial campaign, one that hopefully leads him to being a big-league starter.