Miami Marlins first baseman Eric Wagaman blasted a 2-run home run against Philadelphia Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo in his Miami return. Luzardo spent three years with the franchise before being traded to its NL East rival for a couple of prospects. The lefty is off to a 6-2 start with his new team with an ERA of 4.23.

The Phillies are one of the hottest teams in the league, currently riding a five-game winning streak and just two games behind the New York Mets. However, Philadelphia got off to a rocky start against Miami, thanks to Wagaman's second-inning blast with a runner on.

Miami was 28-42 heading into tonight's clash, sitting in last place in the division. The NL East is stacked with a couple of teams at the top with World Series or bust aspirations. After an encouraging Wild Card appearance in 2023, the Marlins took a step back in 2024, going 62-100 overall and missing the postseason, which has unfortunately been a trend for the franchise since its World Series title in 2003.

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The Marlins are once again in the rebuilding phase and have built up their farm system over the offseason with trades like the one for Luzardo. Sandy Alcantara is another player who has seen himself involved in various trade rumors. Unfortunately for Miami and the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, he is off to a dismal start in 2025. Alcantara currently has a record of 3-8 with a 6.88 ERA, which significantly hurts what the Marlins can get for him in a potential trade.

There are, however, a few players on this roster who should be rounding into their prime. That includes Wagaman, who was signed in free agency after playing for the Los Angeles Angels. The 27-year-old had to work his way up gradually from the minors to reach this stage and seems to be finding some comfort at this level. Wagaman's home run was his fifth of the season.

Overall, the Marlins' journey back into playoff contention will be a process. But every little move this franchise makes going forward is critical to building a larger, stable infrastructure. The improvement of the farm system is a very positive sign that Miami will work its way out of the bottom of the NL East over the next few years and back towards relevancy.