Miami Marlins may actually be cursed

Austin Perry's opinion piece for OutKick argues that the Miami Marlins are 'cursed,' citing their recent collapse from an 8-5 record atop the NL East to dropping seven of eight games, and highlighting an incident where returning All-Star Kyle Stowers was struck by a 102 mph pitch in his first plate appearance back from the injured list. The reporting lacks journalistic rigor expected for even sports commentary—no named sources, quotes from players or team officials, or verifiable context beyond the stated record and injury incident; the piece relies entirely on the author's subjective interpretation and emotional framing of events. Independent search results show the Marlins did indeed have an early-season surge and more recent struggles consistent with Perry's narrative, though other outlets frame the narrative differently (ClutchPoints focuses on individual player slumps; MarlinManiac critiques team decision-making rather than invoking curse mythology). The inflammatory 'curse' framing and hyperbolic language ('sea of sewage,' 'torture') prioritize entertainment and emotional engagement over factual analysis, which is typical of OutKick's editorial approach but undermines credibility for readers seeking substantive sports reporting.