​The Miami Marlins ended last season with a 79-83 record and out of the playoffs, so expectations were not exactly sky-high for the 2026 season. However, their blistering pace in June has put them in a good place at the All-Star break. Here are some of the major storylines for the second half of the Marlins’ season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHeading into the All-Star break, the Marlins were the hottest team in the majors. Before slipping slightly in Miami’s last series against the Cleveland Guardians, the Marlins had won 26 of 34 games and swept five series.They approach the back half of their season having rebounded from 22-29 and now sit at 52-45. Now, possibly the most important question remains: Can they keep it going?The Marlins are on track for a postseason appearance, likely to secure a wild-card spot if the standings hold up.Whether the Marlins can bounce back from getting swept before the break and continue with their June-style success will make or break the season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Certainly didn’t finish and round out this half like we had hoped getting swept here,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said on Sunday. “We just got outplayed.”Despite being able to pull off the impressive comeback, the Marlins have been plagued by a plethora of injuries.And those injuries have hit mostly in Miami’s relief pitching. The Marlins have 10 pitchers including prospects on their injured list, including right-handers Ronny Henriquez and Adam Mazur and left-hander Robby Snelling, who are expected to miss the remainder of the season.Furthermore, right-hander Josh Ekness, shortstop prospect Aiva Arquette and left-handed pitcher Andrew Nardi are pushing mid-August-September returns.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Marlins will get some strength back with right-hander Anthony Bender, who is expected back out of the break, and outfielder Owen Caissie, who is expected to return July 27. The Marlins will look to get healthy and avoid putting any more players on the IL after the break.One of the biggest reasons for the Marlins’ recent success has been their hitting. Behind Otto Lopez, who boasts an MLB-leading .334 batting average, the Marlins are one of the premier hitting units in the league.They rank No. 6 in on-base percentage in the MLB (.330) and 11th in slugging percentage (.411) and are tied for No. 6 in the league in on-base plus slugging (.741). Furthermore, Miami is No. 7 in batting average (.253) and total hits (817).AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter finding themselves in last place in the division, the recent turnaround has put the Marlins back in the NL East race.They went into the last series before the All-Star break tied for second in the division, but dropped the first two games, sending them down to third below the Phillies (54-43). The Atlanta Braves have held the top spot pretty well for the front half of the season, but with Atlanta at 55-40, the Marlins are not