MLB matchup analysis

Mets vs Yankees Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Saturday, September 12, 2026 at Yankee Stadium · 1:35 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Mets vs Yankees

Lab Rating
6.2/10
Model lean
Yankees 66.1%
Market probability
59.7%
Model edge
+6.4%
Best moneyline
-157
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
66.1%
Market
59.7%

The case for New York Yankees

Bats are hot: +0.018 wOBA
New York Yankees is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days. Recent form is context, not a model input, but it points the same way here.

The case for New York Mets

Their bats are hot: +0.028 wOBA
New York Mets is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 6.2/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 6.5/10
The New York Yankees bullpen comes in tired. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.
Opponent is swinging it
The other lineup is +0.028 wOBA above its season form over the last 15 days.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 5.55/10
LyDia's win probability for New York Yankees (66.1%) is well clear of a coin flip -- this is a real, stated lean, not a guess.
Pitching plan: 33.33/40
Gerrit Cole rates 72 on LyDia's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). That is a strong start on its own, and it earns most or all of the available credit here.
Offense: 22.83/50
New York Yankees's recent form does not clearly outpace New York Mets's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 61.3%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes New York Yankees 61.3% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 7 points
The pitcher-score gap favors New York Yankees by 7 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: +0.021
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward New York Yankees. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 61.3% -> 66.1%
Team strength alone had New York Yankees at 61.3%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 66.1% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict LyDia passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Final result

Mets 12, Yankees 2

How the analysis held up

New York Mets won. LyDia's model favored the other side.

Zac Thornton (No clear pitching-plan edge), the starter LyDia's pitcher score favored, actually outpitched Gerrit Cole: 7.0 IP, 2 ER (2.57 ERA) against 4.1 IP, 5 ER (10.38 ERA). The edge held up.

The New York Mets bullpen was flagged as elevated risk pregame (Tired). In relief it actually allowed 0 earned runs over 2.0 innings (0.00 ERA) — the risk read did not show up on the scoreboard tonight.

The New York Yankees bullpen was not flagged pregame, but it had a night worth noting: 7 earned runs allowed over 4.2 relief innings (13.50 ERA) — quietly worse than the pregame read implied.

New York Mets scored 12, 8.5 more than the 3.5 pregame projection.

New York Yankees scored 2, 3.7 fewer than the 5.7 pregame projection.

Likely driver: Gerrit Cole, the pick's own starter, was rocked for a 10.38 ERA, and the New York Yankees bullpen allowed 7 earned runs over 4.2 relief innings (13.50 ERA), which was not flagged pregame but showed up anyway.

Game information

MatchupNew York Mets at New York Yankees
DateSaturday, September 12, 2026
First pitch1:35 PM ET
VenueYankee Stadium
Starting pitchersZac Thornton vs Gerrit Cole
WeatherGame-time forecast: 72°F, 1% precipitation chance, 7 mph wind from SE.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Zac ThorntonMets · LHP
vs
Gerrit ColeYankees · RHP
MetricMetsYankees
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings5⅔5⅔
ThrowsLR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)6972
ERA (lower is better)3.443.67
WHIP (lower is better)1.161.13
K/9 (higher is better)6.89.1
K-BB% (higher is better)13.3%20.0%
K% (higher is better)18.8%24.6%
BB% (lower is better)5.5%4.6%
BB/9 (lower is better)2.01.7
HR/9 (lower is better)1.51.6
Ground-ball rate45.0%37.1%
Fly-ball rate55.0%62.9%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Gerrit Cole a 3-point edge over Zac Thornton, driven mainly by K/9 (9.1 vs 6.8) and K-BB% (20.0% vs 13.3%).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Zac Thornton strikeouts
5.6 LyDia projected Ks
No strikeout line posted when this page was generated
Gerrit Cole strikeouts
4.2 LyDia projected Ks
Official pick: UNDER 5.5K · -1.2K difference
Market 5.5K · O -105 / U -110 · 6 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Both sides arrive in similar form. Mets are 7-3 in their last 10 and averaging 6.1 runs per game over the last 15 days; Yankees are 7-3 in their last 10 and averaging 5.5 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Yankees carry the better run differential per game (+0.83 against -0.22).

MetricMetsYankees
Last 107-37-3
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)7-3 on the road7-3 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7710.764
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3390.337
Runs per game, last 15 days6.15.5
K% last 15 days (lower is better)20.5%22.8%

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 daysMetsYankees
OPS0.763 (+0.057 vs szn)0.712 (-0.009 vs szn)
Runs per game5.12 (+0.771 vs szn)4.64 (+0.082 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.334 (+0.022 vs szn)0.316
K% (lower is better)21.5% (-0.9% vs szn)24.7%

Over the last 30 days the Mets have been the better offense, 0.334 wOBA to 0.316. They are running hot against their own season line (+0.022 wOBA). Yankees are striking out at 24.7% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricMetsYankees
Record68-7985-62
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.22+0.83
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.344.56
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.563.73
Season OPS0.7030.723
K% season (lower is better)22.4%24.6%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7100.736

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.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Mets and Yankees are highlighted.

Mets
Combined risk
7.2 Tired
Fatigue
6.6 Tired
Efficiency
3.9 Below average
Yankees
Combined risk
6.5 Tired
Fatigue
6.9 Tired
Efficiency
5.8 Effective

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.

MetricMetsYankees
Fatigue6.6/10, Tired6.9/10, Tired
Efficiency3.9/10, Below average5.8/10, Effective
Combined risk7.2/10, Tired6.5/10, Tired
Relief innings, last 7 days24.318.3
Back-to-back arms65
7-day ERA5.922.45
7-day WHIP1.361.47

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
LyDia projection
9.9
Market total
Not available
Projected away runs
3.9
Projected home runs
5.6
Over price
Not available
Under price
Not available
New York Mets team total
3.9 projected
Line Not available · O Not available / U Not available
Market line pending
New York Yankees team total
5.6 projected
Line Not available · O Not available / U Not available
Market line pending

The current model and market total cannot be compared yet. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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