Miami's Rotation Might Be One of the Best in Baseball in 2024
The Miami Marlins can roll out a young and intriguing rotation in 2024.
All under the age of 30, it's a group that can potentially be one of the better rotations in the National League.
Let's take a look at the starting five and then the options to come up and make additional starts, as needed:
SP1: Jesús Luzardo
Miami's rotation begins with the 26-year-old Luzardo, who was quietly one of the better starters in the National League last year. Going 10-10 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts on the season, Luzardo struck out 208 batters in only 178.2 innings.
Luzardo's season ERA was inflated by a rough stretch from late May to early June, where he went 2-3 and gave up nineteen runs (eighteen earned) in only 26.1 innings.
Officially named the Opening Day starter, Luzardo could potentially surge in 2024 if he can get better results with his secondary pitches. While his fastball has some of the best results in all of MLB (+15 run value, 95th percentile), both his slider and changeup came in below the 50th percentile for run value, at -4 & -2 respectively.
SP2: Eury Pérez
Our Tall King, the 6'8 Pérez did more than anyone could have expected from a pitcher that debuted less than a month after turning 20 years old.
Across 19 starts, Pérez went 5-6 with a 3.15 ERA, striking out 108 in his 91.1 innings. Another year of development, with help from franchise great Sandy Alcántara, has the youngster poised for a meteoric rise in 2024 into the top echelon of young starters in MLB.
SP3: A.J. Puk
Puk, 28, is converting back to starting after three MLB seasons as a reliever. Another height merchant, at 6'8, Puk was acquired from the Oakland A's after the 2022 season in a "challenge trade" for outfielder JJ Bleday.
While questions will abound about Puk's ability to take a starter's workload after 45 innings combined across the last three seasons, no one's questioning that his stuff can work.
SP4: Edward Cabrera
A 2015 IFA out of the Dominican, Cabrera is a physically imposing pitcher who does things with finesse, surprisingly, with one of the best changeups in baseball.
The 25-year-old started 20 games last season and put up an ERA of 4.24, striking out 118 batters in his 99.2 innings and showed flashes of dominance. Making five appearances in the month of September after returning from injury, Cabrera went 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA, blanking the Dodgers for four innings and dominating both the Mets and Brewers.
SP5: Trevor Rogers
The 26 year-old Rogers is the second-oldest pitcher in this Miami rotation, behind only A.J. Puk, but he's the one with the most growth and development possible.
Missing most of 2023 to injury, Rogers used his time away to add a sinker to his usual four-seam/slider/splitter combo.
The addition of the 4th pitch could do wonders for the lefty, who now can cover all four directions and can hit three different velocity bands. Provided he's fully healthy, 2024 could be a big year for the lefty.
Other options this season
Miami's got other options to make starts this season, and if there's one thing we know, it's that you'll need ten or so starters to make it through a season.
Braxton Garrett's going to be one of the first options for a spot start or as an injury replacement; while he's currently being dealing with shoulder soreness, he's expected to be ready sometime in April to make his debut.
Max Meyer is another option for starts in 2024; after losing all of 2023 to Tommy John surgery, he's a candidate to make starts in a depth capacity in 2024.
Other 40-man roster pitchers include Roddery Muñoz and Darren McCaughan, while Yonny Chirinos and and Patrick Monterverde are in camp as non-roster invitees.
Managing Editor for Blackerby Media, covering the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins Also: Senior Baseball Writer for Auburn Daily, member of both the National College Baseball Writers Association and Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (where he won the 2023 Prospects, Minors, & College Writer of the Year award)