As the MLB regular season begins to wind down, a lot of teams are coming to grips with the fact that their season is over. The Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals, to the surprise of nobody, had little chance at the playoffs this year. However, with numerous young players vying to secure roles for next season, there is still much to play for.
The Marlins enter as -137 Moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at nine runs. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction, and best bet for this Nationals vs. Marlins matchup.
Nationals vs. Marlins prediction, preview
The Marlins bring one of the most electric arms in baseball into this matchup. Eury Pérez, still only 22, is lighting up radar guns once again. His fastball has gone up a tick to 97.8 MPH on average, an impressive feat after missing the 2024 season with Tommy John surgery. While his 4.04 ERA in 71 innings isn’t leaping off the stat sheet, his expected ERA (according to Baseball Savant) is nearly a full run lower. And with stuff this nasty, is anyone surprised?
This Nationals offense has failed to pass the smell test all season long. It has worsened significantly over the past couple of weeks. Facing an electric young starter, the Nationals may struggle as the Marlins gain a significant edge.
That edge is only exacerbated by the struggles of Washington’s starter. Mitchell Parker has conceded three or more earned runs in six straight starts, with an ERA 10.21 over that span. Unfortunately for Parker, it’s nothing new; his ERA was at 4.91 before this brutal stretch. Unsurprisingly, the Nationals have lost all six of those starts.
The Marlins were already the better team on the field. With this gap on the mound only exacerbating things, it’s not hard to trust Miami on the road here.
