Preview for Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Schedule and player information can change.
Minnesota Twins at San Francisco Giants
The Twins head to San Francisco with Taj Bradley on the mound, and his 3.81 ERA and 3.94 FIP across approximately 172.3 innings pitched give Minnesota a reliable and experienced arm at the top of this matchup. The Giants counter with Anthony Molina, who carries a 4.18 ERA but a lower 3.42 FIP over a much smaller sample of approximately 28.0 innings pitched, suggesting his peripheral numbers have outpaced his run prevention so far. Between the two, Molina's FIP is the better mark, while Bradley's ERA is the better mark, making this a fairly even pitching matchup on paper.
Offensively, the two clubs are closely matched, with the Twins posting a WP-estimated wOBA of 0.312 against the Giants' 0.309, a slight edge for Minnesota's offense. On the run-prevention side, the Twins' team ERA of 4.60 is higher than the Giants' 4.37, giving San Francisco the better mark there, while the two clubs' WP-estimated FIP figures are nearly identical at 4.31 for Minnesota and 4.32 for San Francisco.
Both teams are dealing with notable absences on their injury report. Mick Abel is listed on the 60-Day IL and Anthony Banda is listed on the 15-Day IL for the Twins, while Eduardo Beltre is also listed on the 60-Day IL for Minnesota. For the Giants, Willy Adames is listed on the 10-Day IL, and both Harrison Bader and Hayden Birdsong are listed on the 60-Day IL. With team-level offensive and run-prevention numbers so close, the individual starting pitcher figures stand out as the most meaningful separator, with Bradley's lower ERA giving Minnesota a modest advantage on the numbers available.
Statistical scope: MLB Stats API; 2026 regular season season-to-date; exact statistical through-date not supplied.
WP selection: Giants +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 Giants: Victor Bericoto. 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 Twins: Emmanuel Rodriguez. 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.