Reds vs Marlins Preview: The Battle of Two Young Talented Teams

Home is where the heart is. The Miami Marlins return home to take on the Cincinnati Reds in a 4-game series, their first four-game series of the 2026 campaign.

After losing the first two games against the New York Yankees, the Marlins avoided a sweep and rallied to win 7-6.

Reds vs Marlins Preview

Miami Marlins pitcher Anthony Bender | John Jones-Imagn Images

Cincinnati and Miami are both 6-3 this season. The Reds are in second place in the NL Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers. The Marlins have a half-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

Both teams are young and talented. The Reds are entering the series on a 3-game winning streak after sweeping the Texas Rangers on the road.

Last season, the Reds and the Marlins faced each other seven times. The Marlins won four of those meetings. In all those games, the Marlins scored 10 or more runs once, on July 8, 2025.

Although the Marlins won last year’s head-to-head meetings, over the last 20 games, they are 9-11. We are tuned in for an intriguing four-game series.

We have a veteran manager, Terry Francona, on one side for the Reds, and we have a young manager on the other side, Clayton McCullough, for the Marlins

What Time is the Game, and Where Is It?

• Date: Monday, April 6

• Time: 6:40 pm EST

• Location: LoanDepot Park

Pitching Matchup:

Reds: Brandon Williamson (0-1, 11.57 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, three strikeouts)

Marlins: Janson Junk (0-0, 4.15 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, five strikeouts)

Television:

• Marlins. TV

Players to Watch:

Reds:

Shortstop Elly De La Cruz leads the team with three home runs and five RBIs
Sal Stewart and Eugenio Duarez each have two home runs.
Stewart is slashing .367/.500/.667/1.167 OPS

Marlins:

Liam Hicks: leads the team with three home runs and 12 RBIs, slashing .333/.414/.750/1.164 OPS.
Xavier Edwards: leads the team with three doubles, slashing .471/.500/.647/1.147 OPS

Leo Jimenez, Otto Lopez, and Javier Sanoja continue to provide quality at-bats and find ways to get on base.

Liam Hicks gestures to the bullpen. — Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (34) celebrates hitting a two-run home run. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Injury Report:

Marlins:

Christopher Morel: 10-Day IL (oblique)
Esteury Ruiz: 10-Day IL (oblique)
Kyle Stowers: 10-Day IL (hamstring)
Adam Mazur: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Max Acosta: 10-Day IL (oblique)
Ronny Henriquez: out for the season (elbow)

Reds:

Nick Lodolo: 15-Day IL (blister)
Caleb Ferguson: 15-Day IL (oblique)
Hunter Greene: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Alex Young: out for season (elbow)
Carson Spiers: out (elbow)

Pete Fairbanks won’t be available, as he's leaving the team due to the birth of his child.