Preview for Thursday, September 24, 2026. Schedule and player information can change.
Chicago White Sox at Kansas City Royals
Chicago White Sox head to Kansas City for a 2:10 PM ET start with David Sandlin on the mound against Randy Dobnak. Sandlin has worked approximately 34.3 innings this season with an ERA of 6.29 and a WP-calculated FIP of 4.74, numbers that stand well behind what Dobnak has produced. Dobnak has logged approximately 73.0 innings with an ERA of 3.08 and a FIP of 4.25, giving him both a lower ERA and a lower FIP than his counterpart, even though his FIP still sits a bit above his own ERA.
On the offensive side, the two teams are close, with the White Sox carrying a WP-estimated wOBA of 0.315 against the Royals' 0.311. Run prevention marks favor Chicago as a team, with a WP-estimated FIP of 4.33 and ERA of 4.15, both lower than Kansas City's team FIP of 4.74 and ERA of 4.72. That creates a split picture, where Chicago's overall pitching numbers look stronger on paper while Dobnak individually has outperformed Sandlin by a wide margin in ERA and FIP alike.
Both rosters carry injury complications that are worth noting without projecting their in-game effect. Luinder Avila and Ryan Bergert and Christian Chamberlain are each listed by Rotowire on the 60-Day IL for Kansas City, while Brooks Baldwin and Aldrin Batista are listed on the 60-Day IL and Joey Bart is listed on the 10-Day IL for Chicago. Weighing the pitching matchup against the team-level figures, Dobnak's substantially better ERA and FIP compared to Sandlin stand out as the most notable individual gap in this game, even as Chicago's team-wide pitching stats look better than Kansas City's.
Statistical scope: MLB Stats API; 2026 regular season season-to-date; exact statistical through-date not supplied.
WP selection: Royals +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 Royals: Jac Caglianone. 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.
Predictions are uncertain; no outcome is guaranteed. Check the picks page for the latest available selections.