Marlins Announce Pitching Probables for Crucial Series vs. Braves
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Off the heels of a disappointing – yet understandable – series loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Miami Marlins now set their sights on a crucial seven-game homestand that’ll pit them against two division opponents in the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets.
It’s a homestand that has a unique feel to it because of the competition. The Braves are one of the best teams in baseball while the Mets are, well, not. A winning homestand is important for the Marlins’ hopes of building some momentum for the rest of May.
The first step is taming the fierce and mighty Braves offense. Atlanta currently ranks second in MLB in OPS (.770), first in batting average (.265) and second in home runs (64). From top to bottom, the Braves can hit. The question for Miami is whether or not it’s able to stymie that lineup in any fashion or form.
Here are the four probable pitchers that the Marlins are going to trust to deliver them a series win that would most certainly give fans in South Florida belief that perhaps not all is lost.
Game 1 – Max Meyer
Max Meyer’s nine starts so far this season have been – at least on the whole – a major bright spot for the Marlins. He currently possesses a 3.21 ERA over 47.2 innings of work.
Perhaps the most notable part of Meyer’s resume is that the team seems to win when he’s on the mound. The Marlins have claimed victory in six of his nine starts, including the last three, the latest of which was a 9-5 triumph over the Minnesota Twins on May 13. He went 5 2/3 innings in that game, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out nine and walking two.
On the mound for the Braves will be JR Ritchie.
Game 2 – Braxton Garrett
Braxton Garrett has appeared in just one game so far this season, and it did not go well.
The lefty and former first-round pick out of Alabama allowed five earned runs in just 1.1 innings against the Twins on May 14. It was not the start that he wanted after coming off the injured list, to say the least. He’ll certainly be looking for a bounce-back outing against Atlanta in the second game of the series.
Game 3 – Janson Junk
The Marlins need more of the Janson Junk that pitched against the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, not the one that threw versus the Rays. It was there that Junk let up seven runs over 5.2 innings in what ended up as a 7-2 defeat for Miami.
In many ways, this season has been a renaissance for Junk, if one can call something a renaissance that hasn’t necessarily flourished in the past. If Junk is to get back to his first-half-of-the-month form, he’ll need to deliver a gem versus the Braves.
Game 4 – Sandy Alcantara
There’s every possibility in the world that the Marlins enter the series finale on the verge of getting swept. Luckily for them, Sandy Alcantara will be there to put a stop to it.
Through 10 starts so far in 2026, Alcantara has a 3.53 ERA over 63.2 innings of work. In his last appearance on May 16 against the Rays, he was absolutely phenomenal as he let up just one unearned run over six innings. He struck out six and walked none. The Marlins went on to win 10-5.
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Seth Dowdle is a 2024 graduate of TCU, where he earned a degree in sports broadcasting with a minor in journalism. He currently hosts a TCU-focused show on the Bleav Network and has been active in sports media since 2019, beginning with high school sports coverage in the DFW area. Seth is also the owner and editor of SethStack, his personal hub for in-depth takes on everything from college football and MLB to hockey. His past experience includes working in the broadcast department for the Cleburne Railroaders and at 88.7 KTCU, TCU's radio station.