Miami Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Friday June 26 2026

The Miami Marlins visit the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. First pitch is scheduled for 8:15 PM ET, and the game will be televised on MLB.TV. Miami enters with a 42-39 overall record and a 14-22 mark on the road, while St. Louis comes into the matchup at 42-36 overall and 22-19 at home. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free MLB picks.

Starting Pitchers Match Up in St. Louis

Max Meyer is scheduled to start for Miami after compiling an outstanding 8-0 record with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 90.0 innings. He has allowed 70 hits, struck out 102 batters, walked 34, and surrendered eight home runs. St. Louis is expected to counter with Dustin May, who enters with a 5-6 record, a 4.30 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, 83.2 innings pitched, 78 hits allowed, 77 strikeouts, 22 walks, and seven home runs allowed. Based on the numbers provided, Miami holds the edge in wins, ERA, WHIP, innings pitched, and strikeouts.

Miami Brings Momentum Into Busch Stadium

The Marlins head into Friday night's contest with a 42-39 overall record and a 14-22 mark away from home. Miami has recently won over Texas by scores of 4-2 and 6-4 after dropping a 4-3 decision in that series. Before facing the Rangers, the Marlins recently defeated San Francisco by scores of 2-1 and 6-3. Miami has won four of its last five games and enters this matchup carrying plenty of momentum.

The Marlins are batting .246 with 349 runs, 655 hits, 73 home runs, a .323 on-base percentage, and a .390 slugging percentage. Their pitching staff owns a 4.04 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, 280 walks, 691 strikeouts, and a .229 opponent batting average. Miami is also 19-25 in night games.

Miami's biggest strength is its pitching staff. The Marlins own the lower ERA, lower WHIP, higher strikeout total, and significantly lower opponent batting average compared with St. Louis. Those numbers have helped Miami put together a strong recent stretch despite its below-.500 road record.

St. Louis Looks to Defend Home Field

The Cardinals come into this matchup with a 42-36 overall record and a 22-19 home record. St. Louis has recently lost to Arizona by scores of 9-4 and 4-3 after earning a 3-2 victory in that series. Prior to that, the Cardinals recently defeated Kansas City 12-10 after falling 6-5. St. Louis has won two of its last five games and is looking to bounce back after consecutive losses.

The Cardinals are batting .249 with 359 runs, 654 hits, 88 home runs, a .327 on-base percentage, and a .399 slugging percentage. On the mound, St. Louis owns a 4.30 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, 259 walks, 587 strikeouts, and a .256 opponent batting average. The Cardinals are also 28-18 in night games.

St. Louis has been slightly more productive offensively than Miami. The Cardinals have scored more runs, hit more home runs, and posted a higher batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. However, the pitching numbers favor Miami in nearly every category, creating an interesting contrast between the two clubs.

Miami Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction

Miami Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Pick

• Pick: Miami Marlins Moneyline

Miami is my pick because the Marlins have won four of their last five games and own the stronger starting pitching matchup based on the provided statistics. While St. Louis has a slightly better overall record and home record, Miami has the better ERA, WHIP, strikeout total, opponent batting average, and the matchup predictor gives the Marlins a slight 50.7 percent edge. Those factors give Miami a narrow advantage entering Friday night's game.

Miami Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Total Pick

• Pick: Take the under if the total is set at 8.0.

I would lean toward the under if the total is set at 8.0 because Miami enters with a 4.04 team ERA and a .229 opponent batting average, while the listed starting pitcher owns a 2.80 ERA. St. Louis has also dropped consecutive games while scoring just three and four runs. Based strictly on the numbers provided, this projects as a competitive game that stays below the total.

Final Score Prediction: Miami Marlins 4 – St. Louis Cardinals 3

This prediction was written before the completion of game play on Thursday.