MLB matchup analysis
Mets vs Guardians Prediction, Odds and Model Pick
Thursday, August 6, 2026 at Progressive Field · 1:10 PM ET
LyDia decision: Pass on Mets vs Guardians
The case for New York Mets
The case for Cleveland Guardians
Why it is not official
Why the setup score is what it is
Read the full model output
The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Final result
Mets 13, Guardians 6
How the analysis held up
New York Mets won, the side LyDia's model favored.
LyDia's two internal reads disagreed pregame by 22.8 points — the team-strength model favored New York Mets, the run-projection model favored Cleveland Guardians. The team-strength model had the winner here.
Foster Griffin (No clear pitching-plan edge) was LyDia's favored starter by pitcher score, but Nolan McLean actually pitched better tonight: 5.0 IP, 5 ER (9.00 ERA) against 4.0 IP, 5 ER (11.25 ERA). The edge did not show up in this game.
The Cleveland Guardians bullpen was flagged as elevated risk pregame (Tired). In relief it actually allowed 8 earned runs over 5.0 innings (14.40 ERA) — the risk read showed up.
New York Mets scored 13, 10.2 more than the 2.8 pregame projection.
Cleveland Guardians scored 6, 2.1 more than the 3.9 pregame projection.
This checks LyDia's pregame reasoning against what actually happened on the field — independent of whether this game was an official pick. It never changes the pick, the rating, or the probability shown above.
Game information
| Matchup | New York Mets at Cleveland Guardians |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, August 6, 2026 |
| First pitch | 1:10 PM ET |
| Venue | Progressive Field |
| Starting pitchers | Nolan McLean vs Foster Griffin |
| Weather | Game-time forecast: 81°F, 10% precipitation chance, 4 mph wind from NE. |
Starting pitcher matchup
Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →| Metric | Mets | Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| Pitching plan | Traditional starter | Traditional starter |
| Expected innings | 5⅔ | 5⅔ |
| Throws | R | L |
| LyDia pitcher score (higher is better) | 73 | 75 |
| ERA (lower is better) | 3.51 | 3.31 |
| WHIP (lower is better) | 1.16 | 1.11 |
| K/9 (higher is better) | 10.7 | 8.2 |
| K-BB% (higher is better) | 19.7% | 16.5% |
| K% (higher is better) | 28.5% | 22.4% |
| BB% (lower is better) | 8.8% | 5.9% |
| BB/9 (lower is better) | 3.3 | 2.2 |
| HR/9 (lower is better) | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Ground-ball rate | 56.4% | 51.7% |
| Fly-ball rate | 43.6% | 48.3% |
Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Foster Griffin a 2-point edge over Nolan McLean, driven mainly by BB/9 (2.2 vs 3.3) and WHIP (1.11 vs 1.16).
How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table. Highlighted cells mark a gap big enough to matter. K% and BB% are strikeout and walk rate as a share of batters faced -- K-BB% is the two combined into one skill number. HR/9 is home runs allowed per nine innings. Ground-ball and fly-ball rate are neither good nor bad on their own: high ground-ball pitchers trade strikeouts for double plays and fewer home runs, and on this data source the two rates are complementary (they add to 100%), not independent reads.
Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →
Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.
Recent form
Full Stats page →Mets are 6-4 in their last 10 and averaging 4.1 runs per game over the last 15 days; Guardians are 3-7 in their last 10, averaging 3.3 runs per game over the last 15 days, and hitting below their season form. Season run differential separates them by almost nothing (-0.40 against -0.24).
| Metric | Mets | Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| Last 10 | 6-4 | 3-7 |
| Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home) | 7-3 on the road | 3-7 at home |
| OPS, last 15 days | 0.678 | 0.612 |
| Runs per game, last 15 days | 4.1 | 3.3 |
| K% last 15 days (lower is better) | 26.9% | 20.9% |
Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.
30-day offense
Full offense tool →| Last 30 days | Mets | Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| OPS | 0.736 (+0.044 vs szn) | 0.684 |
| Runs per game | 4.52 (+0.365 vs szn) | 3.88 (-0.077 vs szn) |
| wOBA (model offense input) | 0.324 (+0.017 vs szn) | 0.305 |
| K% (lower is better) | 24.4% (+1.8% vs szn) | 23.0% (+0.8% vs szn) |
Over the last 30 days the Mets have been the better offense, 0.324 wOBA to 0.305. They are running hot against their own season line (+0.017 wOBA). Mets are striking out at 24.4% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.
Season profile
Full Stats page →| Metric | Mets | Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 49-66 | 57-58 |
| Run differential / game (team quality) | -0.40 | -0.24 |
| Runs scored / game (offense, season) | 4.16 | 3.96 |
| Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better) | 4.55 | 4.20 |
| Season OPS | 0.686 | 0.681 |
| K% season (lower is better) | 22.7% | 22.3% |
| OPS vs opposing hand (season) | 0.705 | 0.690 |
Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.
The Map
Full interactive map →Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Mets and Guardians are highlighted.
Bullpen matchup
Full Bullpen Fatigue Index →Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.
| Metric | Mets | Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | 6.7/10, Tired | 6.3/10, Tired |
| Efficiency | 6.6/10, Effective | 3.4/10, Below average |
| Combined risk | 5.9/10, Normal | 7.1/10, Tired |
| Relief innings, last 7 days | 24.0 | 18.0 |
| Back-to-back arms | 2 | 7 |
| 7-day ERA | 1.88 | 6.00 |
| 7-day WHIP | 1.17 | 1.67 |
Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.
Run total projection
Full Totals Projections →The model and market are close. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.
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