Preview for Thursday, September 24, 2026. Schedule and player information can change.
Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics
Houston Astros are set to visit the Oakland Athletics with a 9:40 PM ET start, and the pitching matchup shows a clear gap in performance so far this season. Peter Lambert takes the mound for Houston with an ERA of 3.70 and a WP-calculated FIP of 3.89 across approximately 151.0 innings pitched, a workload that suggests he has been a steady presence in the rotation. Mason Barnett starts for Oakland with an ERA of 7.16 and a FIP of 6.85 over about 44.0 innings pitched, figures that are considerably worse than what Lambert has produced.
On the offensive side, the two teams carry an identical WP-estimated wOBA of 0.314, so neither lineup shows an advantage over the other by that measure. The separation instead comes from run prevention at the team level: Houston's staff carries a WP-estimated FIP of 4.63 and an ERA of 4.50, while Oakland's staff sits at a FIP of 4.95 and an ERA of 5.43, both marks favoring the Astros' pitching over the Athletics'.
Roster notes include Jamie Arnold of the Athletics listed with a status of 'Out,' Henry Baez of the Athletics and Leo De Vries of the Athletics each listed on the 7-Day IL, and Brandon Bielak, Jax Biggers, and Drew Brutcher of the Astros all listed on the 60-Day IL. Taken together, the pitching numbers and team run-prevention figures point toward Houston as the side with the stronger indicators in this matchup, given Lambert's markedly better ERA and FIP compared to Barnett's, along with Houston's better team ERA and FIP, while the two offenses grade out evenly on wOBA.
Statistical scope: MLB Stats API; 2026 regular season season-to-date; exact statistical through-date not supplied.
WP selection: Astros moneyline. Confidence: Strong.
The selection is supplied separately by WP. The comparisons above do not establish why the model made this selection.
WP home-run candidate for Astros: Nelson Velázquez. The selection uses roster and season-stat inputs; it does not establish a confirmed batting lineup or favourable betting odds.
WP home-run candidate for Athletics: Brian Serven. The selection uses roster and season-stat inputs; it does not establish a confirmed batting lineup or favourable betting odds.
Predictions are uncertain; no outcome is guaranteed. Check the picks page for the latest available selections.