Another rookie pitcher steps up as Marlins win second game in a row
The Miami Marlins pitching staff began the season in the dumpster, as 2022 Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, along with Eury Pérez, who started 20 games for the Marlins last year, were both expected to be out for the season.
Problems got worse before they got better, as starting pitcher Braxton Garrett has still been unable to make his 2024 debut due to an injury sustained before the season.
Then last week, opening day starter Jésus Luzardo was placed on the 15-day injured list.
While the loss of key starters is one of the main reasons the Marlins have struggled so much, starting out 8-24, the Marlins have also had the opportunity to see the bright future of their pitching prospects.
Roddery Muñoz, one of those prospects, was on display against the Rockies in the second game of the series. He pitched six innings, with five of them being scoreless, as the Marlins defeated the Rockies 4-1 for their second victory in a row.
It was just Muñoz’s second MLB start, after throwing five innings and allowing only two runs against the Chicago Cubs on April 20, and manager Skip Schumaker was skeptical to see how he would pitch.
“He did a good job against the Cubs, but now the league sees him, so we’ll see what happens. I think the unknown pitcher is sometimes tough to game plan against.” said Schumaker, “Now that the league has seen his sequencing and repertoire, we will find out who he is.”
Despite Schumaker’s skepticism, Muñoz thrived against the Rockies as he got his first MLB win.
“It’s just a matter of staying focused on the whole game. Work on every pitch that you have and try to repeat it every time.” said Muñoz, “Study all the hitters as much as you can, and then just give all you got out there.”
After catching for Muñoz for the first time, MLB veteran Christian Bethancourt, said his main priority was to keep Muñoz calm and hopefully build trust.
“I think my main job was to keep him calm, keep him in the game, and somehow make him trust me the first time I’m with him behind the plate.” said Bethancourt, “I think it worked out pretty well.”
Muñoz is not the only Marlins pitcher to flash his bright future due to the injuries of other starters. On April 26, the Marlins called up right-hander Anthony Maldonado due to Luzardo’s injury.
His play during his MLB debut during the weekend was enough to keep him in the majors, with Schumaker intrigued by his skill set.
“I had him going as a long man, now he’s a seventh- or eighth-inning guy with maybe a spot start.” Schumaker said. “We feel comfortable with him in really any role right now, which is credit to him.”
Maldonado then pitched against the Rockies, closing out the game in the ninth inning with the Marlins up 4-1 and earning his first save.
Muñoz and Maldonado are just two of the Marlins pitching prospects to make stellar debuts in the last couple of weeks. Along with those two, the Marlins have seen flashes from young pitchers such as Emmanuel Ramirez and Max Meyer, leaving Schumaker with a great problem to have.
“It’s a luxury if you have all these guys healthy,” Schumaker said. “You want to have tough decisions, and then you figure it out.”
Despite the abysmal start to the season, the Marlins have some hope. Whether it is Maldonado’s recent relief pitching or Muñoz pitching a stellar second game, the Marlins can take some positives from an almost completely negative first month of the season.
