Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 9/26/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: MLB.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Cleveland (-182) Kansas City (+150)

The Kansas City Royals (68-91) will try to defeat the Cleveland Guardians (83-76) at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday. The odds on this game have the Guardians at -182 while the Royals open at +150. The betting total comes in at 8.5. The expected starting pitchers are Tanner Bibee and Michael Wacha.

The Guardians have accounted for 243 doubles as a squad and have hit 153 baseballs out of the park. Cleveland has a slugging % of .375 and have struck out 1,259 times, while being walked on 556 occasions. As a team, the Cleveland Guardians are scoring 4.1 runs per game, which has them sitting at 27th in the league. They have earned 625 RBI's as well as 1,259 base knocks this year, while their batting average is at .237. They have notched a total of 653 runs and have an OBP of .314.

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The Guardians are sitting with a team ERA of 3.73 for the year (7th in the league), and their staff has struck out 1,510 hitters. Guardians pitchers have surrendered 170 home runs and also 650 total runs (8th in the league). They have walked 521 opposing hitters and their FIP is 3.78 as a team on the year. Cleveland has surrendered 1,254 base knocks (8.0 per 9 innings) as well as 585 earned runs. They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 2.90 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.26.

The Guardians relief pitchers have recorded a save percentage of 73.0% and have come into the game in 178 save situations. They have tallied 46 saves so far this year and have blown 17 out of their 63 save chances. The relievers have inherited 259 base runners this year with 28.2% of them crossing the plate. Guardians relief pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 164 times in addition to having 174 appearances in high leverage situations. The Guardians have dispatched 544 relievers to the mound for the season. The relief pitchers have a total of 113 holds on the year (1st in the league).

The Cleveland Guardians have accumulated 4,235 putouts thus far, in addition to 1,233 assists and 83 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .985 which puts them in 17th in MLB, and they have turned 104 double plays. The Guardians have turned 69.2% of balls hit into play into outs in their 12,705 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 23rd in pro baseball.

Bibee has thrown 680 frames and has totaled 632 strikeouts in his MLB career. Bibee (40-38 win-loss mark in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 3.75 and he has faced 2,812 hitters during his time in the major leagues. His ERA is 3.81 (288 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.187. He has surrendered 610 hits (8.1 hits per 9 innings) and has 197 free passes.

The Kansas City Royals have an OBP of .315 as well as a team batting average of .246 so far this year. They have been rung up on 1,252 occasions (26th in MLB) and have earned a total of 1,313 base knocks. Kansas City has 165 home runs over the course of the season as well as 640 runs batted in. The Royals hold a team SLG% of .399 and they average 4.23 runs per contest (23rd in MLB). They have 285 doubles, while getting a free base 503 times as well as notching 673 runs.

The Royals are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.400 in addition to having a FIP of 4.67 as a staff over the course of the season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 7.50 (1,161 strikeouts against 564 walks). They come in at 28th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 1,392. They have relinquished 201 home runs and they allow 5.06 runs per 9 innings (26th in the league). The Kansas City pitching staff have surrendered 785 runs so far this season while holding a team ERA of 4.73 (735 earned runs relinquished).

Kansas City relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 38.3% out of their 167 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 160 times in high leverage situations and on 115 occasions with runners on base. With 149 save situations, the Royals have compiled 83 holds and 26 blown saves. They are ranked 21st in the league holding a save rate of 58.7%, and they have dispatched 521 bullpen pitchers onto the diamond so far this season.

The Kansas City Royals have gotten 139 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .987 (9th in baseball). The Royals have racked up 1,435 assists, 73 errors and have accounted for 4,192 putouts this year. In 12,576 innings played, the Royals have a defensive efficiency of 69.5% (18th in the majors).

In his career, Wacha has allowed 1,733 hits while he has accumulated 1,570 K's in 1,821 innings pitched. Wacha (120-84 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 3.83 earned run average and has surrendered 8.6 hits per 9 innings. He has given up a total of 775 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.257 and a FIP of 3.8. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.82 and he has gone up against 7,632 opposing hitters so far in his career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Cleveland (-182)

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