Two young teams are looking to make a splash. The Cincinnati Reds have been one of the big surprises in the first two weeks of the MLB season, jumping out to an 8-4 start and turning some heads in the National League. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins are off to a strong 7-5 start and look like a sneaky bet to contend for a Wild Card spot. Who goes home happy at the end of this four-game series?
First pitch is set for 12:10 p.m. ET. The Marlins are -131 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. A Reds upset is priced at +109. The game total is set at O/U eight runs.
Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Reds-Marlins game.
Reds vs. Marlins Preview
First things first, let’s get to know these starting pitchers.
Young right-hander Rhett Lowder takes the mound for Cincinnati. The No. 7 pick in the 2023 draft, Lowder worked his way through Cincy’s minor league system quickly, debuting in one year. He was solid in limited action during the 2024 season, but lost his entire 2025 campaign thanks to a series of arm injuries. Now he’s back, and looking strong through his first two starts — recording a 1.64 ERA over 11 innings.
With Lowder on the bump, you’re going to see a lot of moving pitches. The sinker-slider is coming out 56% of the time, and both have big movement. His four-seamer isn’t electric, but he has good command with it, and it sure looks faster when his 86 MPH changeup drops out from under you. Lowder is primarily a contact pitcher who avoids barrels, but he’s posted a strong whiff rate to start this campaign.
Opposite him is another righty with a big draft pedigree. Max Meyer has been off to a shakier start in his MLB career, suffering similar injuries to Lowder that cost him the 2023 season. But the results haven’t been inspiring; in 127.2 career innings before this year, Meyer posted a 5.29 ERA. Things haven’t looked much different through two starts in 2026: a 4.66 ERA over 9.2 frames. He’s giving up hard contact, not missing a ton of bats, and struggling with command. Things will have to change soon, or Meyer could be on the outs in South Beach.
Both lineups are powered by young bats. Elly De La Cruz gets all the acclaim for his power-speed combo, but it’s Sal Stewart making big noise in the early part of the season. Cincinnati’s top prospect is flying out of the gate, hitting .366 with a 1.154 OPS. He made more noise in Wednesday’s loss to the Marlins.
If other youngsters like Matt McLain and Noelvi Marte can find some form around De La Cruz, Stewart, and veteran Eugenio Suarez, watch out for this Reds lineup.
Miami’s bats aren’t too shabby either. Liam Hicks has been the big surprise; the unheralded catcher has mashed three home runs with an OPS north of 1.000. Xavier Edwards, Agustin Ramirez, Jakob Marsee, and new arrival Owen Caissie form an electric young core that could take Miami places in the coming years. They bring a good blend of speed, as well, and the defense is rounding into form.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to take this one home?
Reds vs. Marlins Pick, Best Bet
It is quite hard to trust Meyer in this one. He’s not giving Miami much distance and will tax a bullpen that used four arms on Wednesday. Lowder is no sure thing, but his command and ground-ball style give him more upside for a longer outing. With two solid lineups coming to play, the edge in starting pitching cannot be discounted. Lowder should do enough to keep his guys in line for a high-scoring win.
