Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 4/16/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Washington (+132) Pittsburgh (-160)

The Washington Nationals (8-9) are traveling to PNC Park on Thursday where they will attempt to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates (10-7). The moneyline on this contest has the Nationals at +132 and the Pirates open at -160. The over/under is set at 8.5. The starting pitchers will be Foster Griffin and Braxton Ashcraft.

Washington has a slugging percentage of .429 and have struck out 134 times, while taking a walk on 59 occasions. They have 93 RBI's as well as 162 hits so far this year, and their average at the plate sits at .271. The Nationals have hit 30 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 20 balls out of the park. They have 99 runs scored and have an on-base percentage of .343. As a squad, the Washington Nationals are recording 5.8 runs per game, which ranks them 1st in MLB.

Get all of our Free MLB Picks

Their strikeout to walk ratio is 1.51 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.59. Nationals pitchers have allowed 34 home runs and 108 runs in total (29th in the league). Washington has yielded 156 base knocks (9.3 per 9 innings) and also 102 earned runs. The Nationals have a team ERA of 6.08 for the year (29th in the league), and the staff has rung up 127 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 84 hitters and their FIP comes in at 6.25 as a team on the year.

The Nationals bullpen have recorded a save percentage of 37.5% and have come into the game in 19 save situations. They have tallied 3 saves this year and have missed out on 5 out of their 8 chances to get a save. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 23 runners for the year and 43.5% of those runners ended up scoring. Nationals pitchers have come into the game with players on base 14 times in addition to having 12 appearances in high leverage situations. The Nationals have dispatched 53 relief pitchers to the hill so far this season. The relief pitchers have tallied 8 holds over the course of the season (20th in the league).

The Washington Nationals have notched a total of 453 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 157 assists and 16 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .974 which puts them in 29th in pro baseball, and they have turned 13 double plays. The Nationals have transformed 69.9% of balls in play into outs out of their 1,359 innings on the diamond, ranking them 18th in MLB.

Griffin has taken the hill for 23 frames and has earned 17 K's during his career. His earned run average is 3.51 (9 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.255. He has allowed 18 hits (7.0 hits per 9 innings) with 11 free passes. Griffin (3-0 career win-loss record) has earned a FIP of 3.45 while he has gone up against 101 batters in the majors.

Pittsburgh has accumulated 20 home runs on the campaign as well as 83 RBIs. They have put up 24 doubles, while walking 74 times as well as racking up 86 runs. The Pittsburgh Pirates have tallied an OBP of .339 and a team batting average of .247 for the season. The Pirates hold a team SLG% of .395 and they tally 5.06 runs per contest (7th in baseball). They have struck out on 155 occasions (9th in baseball) and have tallied 144 base knocks.

The Pittsburgh pitching staff have yielded 68 runs on the year while holding an ERA of 3.45 (59 earned runs surrendered). They have given up 14 homers and they relinquish 3.97 runs per 9 innings (9th in the league). The Pirates hold a team WHIP of 1.356 in addition to having a FIP of 3.86 as a staff on the year. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 9.60 (164 strikeouts vs 79 walks). They are sitting at 9th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits surrendered with 130.

They are currently ranked 24th in MLB with a save percentage of 50.0%, and they have sent 56 relief pitchers to the hill for the season. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 27 times in high leverage situations and on 14 occasions with runners on base. Sitting with 22 save situations, the Pirates have accumulated 16 holds and 3 blown saves. Pittsburgh has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 6 save chances and they have tallied 3 saves. Pittsburgh relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 11.1% out of their 18 inherited runners.

In 1,389 innings on the field, the Pirates have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.9% (19th in professional baseball). The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten 12 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .987 (14th in pro baseball). The Pirates have accrued 131 assists, 8 errors and have earned a total of 463 putouts on the campaign.

So far in his pro baseball career, Ashcraft has conceded 75 base knocks while tallying 91 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched. Ashcraft (5-5 win-loss record in his career) has a 2.61 earned run average while conceding 7.8 hits per 9 innings. He has given up a total of 25 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.206 and a FIP of 2.6. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.14 and he has gone up against 358 batters in his career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Washington (+132)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get MLB picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.