Miami Marlins Clean House, Fire Entire Coaching Staff

The Miami Marlins have initiated a full-scale overhaul of their coaching staff, firing all 11 members in the wake of manager Skip Schumaker’s decision not to return for the 2025 season. 

Schumaker, who led the team to a surprise playoff appearance in 2023 and earned NL Manager of the Year honors, had his 2025 option voided earlier this year, signaling his frustrations with the organization’s direction under new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. 

Just days after Schumaker's exit, the Marlins informed the entire coaching staff that they would not be retained, marking a clean slate for the team heading into the offseason.

The Marlins have fired pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr, per @CraigMish.

Stottlemyre had one year left on his deal and is widely regarded as one of the best pitching coaches in the league, having been key in the development of Sandy Alcantara, Pablo López, Eury Pérez and more. pic.twitter.com/0TItbLuIij

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 2, 2024

Key figures let go include long-serving pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., who had been with the Marlins since 2019 and played a pivotal role in developing the team's young pitchers, including 2022 Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara. 

Injuries decimated the pitching staff in 2024, forcing the Marlins to use 45 different pitchers, but Stottlemyre's leadership was still widely respected across the league. 

Other prominent dismissals include hitting coach John Mabry, bullpen coach Wellington Cepeda, and assistant hitting coaches Bill Mueller and Jason Hart. 

Bench coach Luis Urueta and first base/outfield coach Jon Jay were told they could potentially be retained depending on the new manager, but both are free to explore other opportunities in the meantime.

Under Mel Stottlemyre Jr., Marlins pitchers had:

- 4 NL All-Star appearances
- an NL Cy Young award
- 85.4 rWAR, 16.7 WAA (11th of 30 teams)
- 7 seasons of at least 100 IP, >120 ERA+ (5 exceeding 130) pic.twitter.com/bs4t79IkB0

— Louis Addeo-Weiss (@addeo_louis00) October 2, 2024

This mass firing follows a disappointing 62-100 season for the Marlins, the third-worst record in MLB. 

Injuries, budget constraints, and midseason trades of key players like Luis Arráez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Bryan De La Cruz contributed to the team's decline. 

Bendix, who took over as the Marlins' top executive in 2024, stated the decision was less about blame and more about providing the incoming manager with a "clean slate" to build a new coaching staff that aligns with the team’s future direction.

Photo Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images