Atlanta Braves vs Miami Marlins Picks and Prediction for Monday May 18 2026

By: Eddie Kline Published 05/18/2026, 01:15 AM ET

Braves Preview

The Monday MLB schedule will get started with a matchup between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins from LoanDepot Park. Be ready for the baseball season with all of our MLB predictions. The Braves (32-15) have won 16 of their first 23 road games and their eight-game division cushion is the biggest in baseball. On Sunday, 3B Austin Riley’s three-run blast in the opening frame propelled Atlanta to an 8-1 home victory versus Boston.

Rookie right-hander J.R. Ritchie (1-0 3.32 ERA) will make his fifth career major league start for the Braves. Control has been an issue for Ritchie, who has walked 15 batters and surrendered four long balls across 21 plus frames.

Marlins Preview

The Miami Marlins have split their previous ten games and are 11 games out of first place in the NL East Division standings. On Sunday, 2B Xavier Edwards and SS Otto Lopez swiped two bags each during a 6-3 road loss against Tampa Bay. SP Eury Perez (2-6) gave up five runs in five innings and took the loss for the Marlins (21-26), who fell to 7-14 on the road.

Twenty-seven year old southpaw Max Meyer (3-0 3.21 ERA) will make his tenth start of the year for the Marlins. Through 47 plus innings, Meyer ranks 23rd in the majors with 54 strikeouts and owns a solid 1.15 WHIP.

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Braves vs Marlins Pick

Atlanta OF Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) will not be activated from the 10-day injured list until he is healthy enough to play the outfield. Through 47 games, Atlanta ranks 2nd in OPS and 2nd in runs scored. For the season, Miami ranks 18th in OPS and 16th in runs scored. Take the Marlins to win at home. Final Score Prediction, Miami Marlins win 5-3.