The Marlins and Nationals meet with both clubs carrying some clear statistical wrinkles into the series, and the pitching matchups are already mapped out for the first four games.
Miami is set to open with right-hander Eury Pérez against Washington lefty Jackson Kent on Friday. Saturday brings a righty-on-righty pairing, with Sandy Alcantara facing Cade Cavalli. The final two games are still listed as TBA for Miami, while the Nationals are scheduled to start Andrew Alvarez on Sunday and have Monday as TBA as well.
The numbers tell a mixed story for Miami. The Marlins come in ranked 14th in MLB with a 100 wRC+ and 11th with a 4.00 FIP. They’ve gone 5-5 over their last 10 games, and their road record sits at 26-39 this season.
Washington has been a stronger lineup on paper, checking in third in MLB with a 106 wRC+, but the run prevention hasn’t matched that production. The Nationals are 28th in MLB with a 4.76 FIP, and they’ve dropped seven of their last 10. At home, they’re 29-38 this season.
Both teams are also dealing with a lengthy injury list. Miami has Anthony Bender, Pete Fairbanks, Ronny Henriquez, William Kempner, Adam Mazur, Andrew Nardi, Robby Snelling and Kyle Stowers on the injured list. Washington’s list includes Connelly Early, Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Richard Lovelady, Drew Millas, Mitchell Parker, PJ Poulin, Ken Waldichuk and James Wood.
For the Marlins prediction contest, a perfect series is worth three points: one for picking the series winner, one for nailing the exact wins total for both teams, and one for correctly identifying the Series MVP by FanGraphs WPA. FOF SuperSub David Fernandez is leading the 2026 season leaderboard for now, and submissions made before first pitch of the opener will count.
In Other News...
Tommy Hutton Opens Up As A Marlins Era Nears Its End
Tommy Hutton is heading into the final month of a broadcasting run that has become part of the fabric of Marlins baseball. After 28 seasons as the clubs television analyst and a presence on Marlins broadcasts since 1996, Hutton has seen nearly every chapter of the franchise unfold from the booth, bringing the perspective of a former major leaguer who spent 12 seasons in the game himself.
Recently honored on Thank You Tommy Day at loanDepot park, Hutton took time to reflect on the career thats now winding down and on what he knows he will miss most about it. For Marlins fans, the moment carried a little extra weight because it marked not just a salute to a familiar voice, but the start of a final stretch that will close a long and steady era in the broadcast booth. [Read more 🡒]
Javier Sanoja Just Gave Marlins Fans A Real Reason To Believe
Javier Sanoja keeps giving the Marlins something tangible to point to during a season that has often asked for patience. The young infielder turned in a standout game against the Red Sox, piling up three hits and three stolen bases while helping Miami to a 4-0 victory. It was the kind of all-around impact that does not just show up in a box score, but reminds a team searching for momentum that some of its core pieces are starting to look more and more dependable.
Sanojas rise has been steady enough to matter, too. He has pushed his batting average to .280 with six home runs and 51 RBIs, production that suggests this is more than a hot stretch or a one-night spike. The bigger question for the Marlins is how far that growth can carry them, and whether performances like this are the start of a larger breakthrough or just another promising step along the way. [Read more 🡒]
Eury Prez Is Giving The Marlins Rotation Real Hope Again
Eury Prez is starting to look like the kind of arm the Marlins have been waiting to build around again. His pitch mix has shifted noticeably from one season to the next, with a sinker emerging as a real part of the equation while his four-seam fastball has become more effective, giving Miami a more complete look from a pitcher still early in his career.
The encouraging part for the Marlins is that the stuff is playing in more ways than one. His sweeper has been harder to square up, with a lower slugging percentage against it, and the in-zone whiff rate is sitting near 25 percent, which points to bats missing even when he comes into the strike zone. The walks are still a concern, even if they are trending better, but with Prez now lined up as the No. 2 starter behind Sandy Alcantara, the rotation suddenly has a little more hope baked into it. [Read more 🡒]