Charlie Cummings previews Sunday’s MLB matchup between the Colorado Rockies and the Miami Marlins and provides his best pick.

The past few seasons have been forgettable for both the Colorado Rockies and the Miami Marlins. There are few believers that either of these clubs can turn it around in 2026. Can they put some juice into their seasons with a big Sunday win?

First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m. ET. The Marlins are -194 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. A Rockies upset is priced at +159. The game total is set at O/U eight runs.

Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Rockies-Marlins game.

Rockies vs. Marlins Preview

Let’s start with a breakdown of the pitching matchup.

Jose Quintana steps to the mound for his Colorado Rockies debut on Sunday. He remained serviceable for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, producing his fourth straight season with a sub-4.00 ERA. The sinker baller doesn’t bring much velocity to the table, but the 37-year-old can still keep the ball on the ground. That matters immensely when half your games come at Coors Field.

However, the underlying numbers don’t favor a good season for Quintana. He posted a 5.20 expected ERA as he failed to consistently miss bats. If you let major leaguers put the ball in play 84% of the time, they’re going to make you pay often. My money isn’t on Quintana having a big year for the Rockies.

Max Meyer is a different case entirely. The 27-year-old may be on his last legs in Miami. Since being drafted with the third overall pick, Meyer has thrown only 127.2 major league innings due to injuries and ineffectiveness. In 12 starts last season, Meyer had a fourth percentile hard-hit rate, surrendering serious contact on 48.2% of his balls in play. Meyer’s average exit velocity allowed was 91.9 miles per hour; that was the worst mark in baseball. He still generates swings and misses with his big breaking pitches and lively fastball, but he’s got issues to work out. With big pitching prospects like Robby Snelling and Thomas White close to breaking into the majors, it’s do or die time for Meyer.

Colorado’s lineup is largely the same compared to last season. Hunter Goodman, their breakout star, will anchor the middle of the lineup alongside Ezequiel Tovar. Willi Castro and Edouard Julien were brought in as veteran bats to bring some stability. Once they get Zac Veen and Mickey Moniak healthy, this lineup may not be half bad.

Miami is also working with a similar group. Their success starts from the outfield; Kyle Stowers will look to build on his All-Star campaign once he comes off the IL, and Jakob Marsee looked like a stud in limited action last year. Owen Caissie, the headliner of the Edward Cabrera trade, is swinging the bat well in his first couple of major league games. That trio, plus Agustín Ramírez, could be a solid enough middle of the order.

The bullpens aren’t exactly inspiring, but Miami made a big addition by adding Pete Fairbanks as the closer. Alongside live arms like Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher and Andrew Nardi, they could find themselves with a solid pen. Colorado’s group is measurably less inspiring; Victor Vodnik and Jimmy Herget are the only arms that intrigue me. But that’s not nearly enough to shoulder the load; they’ll hope for other breakout candidates toward the end of the roster.

Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to pull out the win on Sunday?

Rockies vs. Marlins Pick, Best Bet

The value here is in fading these pitchers. Quintana’s pitch-to-contact style won’t mesh well against a Marlins team with lots of speed and power, and Meyer always has a disaster downside. These offenses are going to get busy in this matinee.

Best Bet: Over 8 Total Runs (-108)