2022 Marlins Season Review: Braxton Garrett

2022 Timeline

• April 1: Miami Marlins optioned LHP Braxton Garrett to Triple-A Jacksonville.
• May 2: Triple-A Jacksonville placed LHP Braxton Garrett on the 7-day injured list.
• May 20: Triple-A Jacksonville sent LHP Braxton Garrett on a rehab assignment to Low-A Jupiter.
• May 29: Triple-A Jacksonville activated LHP Braxton Garrett.
• June 5: Miami Marlins recalled LHP Braxton Garrett from Triple-A Jacksonville.
• August 20: Miami Marlins placed LHP Braxton Garrett on the 15-day injured list retroactive to August 17. Right oblique strain.
• September 6: Miami Marlins sent LHP Braxton Garrett on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Jacksonville.
• September 12: Miami Marlins activated LHP Braxton Garrett from the 15-day injured list.
• September 13: Miami Marlins optioned LHP Braxton Garrett to Triple-A Jacksonville.
• September 22: Miami Marlins recalled LHP Braxton Garrett from Triple-A Jacksonville.

When the 2022 season began, if you told me that Braxton Garrett would be a vital piece of the Miami Marlins rotation, I think I would call you crazy. His mediocre production in his 10 MLB starts during the 2020 and 2021 seasons did not suggest he’d live up to the hype of being a former first-round draft pick. Little did we all know that Braxton worked on his issues and would vastly improved in all areas.

Braxton got better statistically in every category. Changes to his pitch mix are partially responsible for his breakout.

2021: 33.4% 4-Seam Fastball, 21.7% Slider, 17.4% Curveball, 15.6% Sinker, 11.9% Changeup

2022: 32.2% Slider, 24.9% 4-Seam Fastball, 22.6% Sinker, 10.4% Curveball, 9.8% Changeup

Looking over at Braxton's month-to-month splits, he got off to a rough start in terms of ERA, but the stuff looked a lot better than 2020 and 2021. The following month (July), Garrett’s ERA went from 5.24 to 3.00, he struck out more batters and gave up fewer runs. There were only 3 starts all season in which he allowed more than 3 earned runs.

Also, a lot of credit has to go to the Marlins organization for keeping Garrett up in the big leagues for an extended period and allowing him to make 17 starts in one season. That gave him a consistent shot at the big leagues and valuable learning experience which only comes from competing at the highest level.

I had the opportunity to talk to Braxton Garrett while covering the Marlins at LoanDepot Park. In this interview, we spoke about his season, the team as a whole, and the 2023 MLB rule changes.

2023 Expectations

Braxton Garrett finds himself as a real Marlins rotation candidate entering spring training, but he will have to earn it. With one minor league option remaining, they could send him down to Jacksonville again if other young guys with better pure stuff like Edward Cabrera and Trevor Rogers are locked in during camp.

The Marlins are very deep with quality starters while being desperate for bats, so you cannot rule out the possibility of an offseason trade involving somebody like Garrett.