Preview for Monday, October 5, 2026. Schedule and player information can change.
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians is set for a 5:00 PM ET start, and the starting pitchers lean toward the home side. The schedule feed lists Gavin Williams for Cleveland, with approximately 184.3 innings pitched, an ERA of 3.76 and a WP-calculated FIP of 3.54. Anthony Kay is listed for Chicago with approximately 158.0 innings, an ERA of 4.44 and a FIP of 4.82. Lower is better for both marks, so Williams holds the better figure on each, and his FIP sits below his ERA while Kay's runs the other way. These are listed starters rather than independent confirmation.
The team numbers point the same direction on the pitching side. Cleveland's staff carries a WP-estimated FIP of 3.88 and an ERA of 3.77, against Chicago's FIP of 4.32 and ERA of 4.12, so the Guardians have the lower, and therefore better, run-prevention marks. The offensive comparison is the one place Chicago looks stronger, with a WP-estimated wOBA of 0.316 compared with 0.305 for Cleveland. A higher wOBA is the better mark, so the White Sox have the slight edge at the plate.
On the injury front, Rotowire lists Jonah Advincula of the Guardians as 7-Day IL, Robert Arias as 60-Day IL and Emmanuel Clase with the status Out. For the White Sox, Brooks Baldwin and Aldrin Batista are listed on the 60-Day IL and Joey Bart on the 10-Day IL. These are source reports rather than statements about this game's availability. Weighing it all, the available numbers favour Cleveland, chiefly because of the stronger starting pitcher and better team run prevention, with Chicago's modest wOBA advantage the main counterpoint.
Statistical scope: MLB Stats API; 2026 regular season season-to-date; exact statistical through-date not supplied.
WP selection: White Sox +1.5. Confidence: Slight Lean.
The selection is supplied separately by WP. The comparisons above do not establish why the model made this selection.
WP home-run candidate for Guardians: Angel Martínez. 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 White Sox: Randal Grichuk. The selection uses roster and season-stat inputs; it does not establish a confirmed batting lineup or favourable betting odds.
New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays
This matchup has the New York Yankees visiting the Tampa Bay Rays. The listed start is 8:00 PM ET.
Cam Schlittler, the listed starter for the New York Yankees, has an ERA of 1.95 and a WP-calculated FIP of 2.63 in the available pitching data, covering approximately 193.7 innings. Freddy Peralta, the listed starter for the Tampa Bay Rays, has an ERA of 4.42 and a WP-calculated FIP of 4.35 in the available pitching data, covering approximately 169.0 innings. These are schedule listings, not independent confirmation of the final starters.
Team statistics for the New York Yankees show a WP-estimated wOBA of 0.312, a WP-estimated FIP of 3.78 and an ERA of 3.23. Team statistics for the Tampa Bay Rays show a WP-estimated wOBA of 0.317, a WP-estimated FIP of 4.11 and an ERA of 3.70.
Statistical scope: MLB Stats API; 2026 regular season season-to-date; exact statistical through-date not supplied.
WP selection: Rays +1.5. Confidence: Slight Lean.
The selection is supplied separately by WP. The comparisons above do not establish why the model made this selection.
WP home-run candidate for Rays: Victor Mesa Jr.. 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 Yankees: Luis García Jr.. 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.