Can the Marlins finally win a game? They send Max Meyer against the Cardinals and Kyle Gibson. Meyer is back in the majors after missing a season due to Tommy John surgery. His three true outcomes in the minors were outstanding. He also tends to produce a low opposition BABIP, and that saved him from allowing a lot of runs in his first start. The veteran Gibson allows hitters to put the bat on the ball. That’s not a bad strategy against the Marlins this year, who own a .252 BABIP.

The Astros and Rangers square off in the Sunday night game with Ronel Blanco facing Dane Dunning. Blanco gets a chance to match the feat of Johnny Vander Meer, throwing two no-hitters in a row.* Blanco produced a high walk rate in 2023, but a low BABIP of .280. Since the pandemic, he showed reliably low opposition BABIPs in the minors. Dunning, in a high HR era, has been good at preventing long balls in his career. He did allow two dingers in his first start, however.

*My dad traveled to Boston to see if Vander Meer could throw three in a row. He still saw a pretty good pitching performance.

Enjoy!