The Marlins are going through the growing pains of having a young roster. That said, playing meaningful baseball in September is extremely beneficial to the core of the Marlins in 2027 and beyond.

It's like having a football team struggle for years; you wake up on a December Sunday morning and see the "In the hunt" graphic featuring them. We know their postseason odds (for the Marlins, 2.2% according to Fangraphs) are extremely low and improbable, yet it gives fans a sense of hope for the future when we read that graphic.

The Benefits

The Marlins last made the postseason in 2023 and did not win a game against the Phillies in the Wild Card round. The core of the Marlins has turned over, with the likes of Edward Cabrera and Jazz Chisholm Jr., among others, departing in trades or free agency, and a lot of the current core comes up from the minors. In short, the Marlins lack experience.

One of the most important things on any team is the closer, and Marlins fans know through their team history that it's a skill to know how to close games. It's the same thing when it comes to closing out a season. The Marlins having the experience of going through the motions right now, with a team hovering around .500 in September, is beneficial. It's good for the core to have experienced the late season with some competitive juices as opposed to seasons like last where the finish line could not come any faster.

The longer the Marlins stayed in contention also meant the longer the Marlins got to see the team as close to full strength as possible, barring injuries. Obviously, Kyle Stowers has had a very affected season when it comes to injuries, something you can't predict, but the Marlins got to see a team that they did not fully sell off at the deadline. That gives Peter Bendex and his front office a clearer picture of what they need to add in the offseason to give them a better chance at competing in 2027.

It also gives the front office a chance to look at their pitching. Another factor in playing meaningful games in September is that all the team's healthy starters are still active in the rotation and pitching. If the Marlins are going to October next season, it could be a full month more for the starters in the rotation to pitch, not to mention managing the bullpen. This will help the Marlins see how their core starters will react physically to the longer season of pitching they are having in 2026.