Houston Astros vs Miami Marlins Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 7/20/26, 11:50 PM  by Carlos Zabala | Modified on 7/21/26 at 12:08 AM in MLB Picks

Yordan Álvarez continues to have a phenomenal season; the Astros' designated hitter has had a fantastic year at the plate. With his recent performances, he further solidified his status as the betting favorite to capture the AL MVP. The Astros, however, still have a losing record, but took an early lead in their series against the Marlins on Monday.

After a frustrating series against the Orioles, the Astros won the first game of their series against the Marlins. The game ended 8-5 with two home runs from Yordan Álvarez, the second a 419-foot blast, marking his fifth multi-hit game of the season and his eleventh game of the year with three or more hits. The Cuban now leads the American League in home runs, RBIs, and batting average and aims to become the first player to capture the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera decades ago.

Incredibly, on Monday, Álvarez had to share the spotlight with Peña, as it was Peña who delivered the key hit, a grand slam. None of this is good news for the Marlins, who have now lost seven straight, erasing some of the spectacular progress they made in June and early July, when they were the best team in MLB for that stretch. At this point, it's their worst losing streak since 2024.