MLB matchup analysis

Padres vs Mets Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at Citi Field · 1:10 PM ET

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LyDia prediction: San Diego Padres moneyline

Lab Rating
7.4/10
Model lean
Padres 74.1%
Market probability
56.4%
Model edge
+17.8%
Best moneyline
-136
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
74.1%
Market
56.4%

The case for San Diego Padres

Starting pitcher edge: 40 points
LyDia gives Michael King a 40-point edge over Robert Stock, driven mainly by WHIP (1.19 vs 1.86) and ERA (3.41 vs 6.57).
Bats are hot: +0.034 wOBA
San Diego Padres 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: +0.039 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 7.4/10, under the 8.0/10 required for an official pick.
Opponent is swinging it
The other lineup is +0.039 wOBA above its season form over the last 15 days.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 20/20
LyDia's win probability for San Diego Padres (74.1%) is well clear of a coin flip -- this is a real, stated lean, not a guess.
Pitching plan: 20/20
Michael King rates 40 points better than Robert Stock on LyDia's pitcher score. That is a real edge, and it earns most or all of the available credit here.
Bullpen: 10.92/20
San Diego Padres's bullpen carries a real edge over New York Mets's tonight.
Offense: 23.23/40
San Diego Padres's recent offensive form clearly outpaces New York Mets's over the tracked windows.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 50.9%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes San Diego Padres 50.9% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 40 points
The pitcher-score gap favors San Diego Padres by 40 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: +0.015
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward San Diego Padres. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 50.9% -> 74.1%
Team strength alone had San Diego Padres at 50.9%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 74.1% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict Worth monitoring, nothing more. The setup has pieces but does not add up to a bet at today's price.
Read the full model output

San Diego Padres remains on the watchlist. Lab Rating 7.4/10: conviction 20, pitching plan 20, bullpen 10.92, offense 23.23. LyDia projects 74.1% against a 56.4% no-vig market number, a 17.8% model edge at -136. San Diego Padres owns the starting pitcher edge by 40 points. Bullpen read: Neutral. San Diego Padres's pen efficiency: Effective (5.8/10). Pitching plan: Robert Stock 4.1 IP + remaining bullpen 4.9 IP. Bullpen fatigue, efficiency, and combined risk grade only the innings assigned to the bullpen. Lineup check: San Diego Padres is swinging a hot bat (+0.080 OPS); New York Mets is swinging a hot bat (+0.098 OPS).

Game information

MatchupSan Diego Padres at New York Mets
DateWednesday, August 19, 2026
First pitch1:10 PM ET
VenueCiti Field
Starting pitchersMichael King vs Robert Stock
WeatherGame-time forecast: 87°F, 0% precipitation chance, 8 mph wind from SW.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Michael KingPadres · RHP
vs
Robert StockMets · RHP
MetricPadresMets
Pitching planTraditional starterLimited starter
Expected innings5⅔4
ThrowsRR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)6929
ERA (lower is better)3.416.57
WHIP (lower is better)1.191.86
K/9 (higher is better)7.89.5
K-BB% (higher is better)11.6%8.1%
K% (higher is better)21.2%21.0%
BB% (lower is better)9.6%12.9%
BB/9 (lower is better)3.55.8
HR/9 (lower is better)1.10.7
Ground-ball rate50.0%33.3%
Fly-ball rate50.0%66.7%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Michael King a 40-point edge over Robert Stock, driven mainly by WHIP (1.19 vs 1.86) and ERA (3.41 vs 6.57).

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 →

Michael King strikeouts
5.5 LyDia projected Ks
Official pick: OVER 4.5K · +1.0K difference
Market 4.5K · O -148 / U +128 · 6 books
Robert Stock strikeouts
Not available LyDia projected Ks
Market 3.5K · O -139 / U +120 · 6 books

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

Padres are 8-2 in their last 10, averaging 4.9 runs per game over the last 15 days, and swinging above their season form; Mets are 6-4 in their last 10, averaging 5.0 runs per game over the last 15 days, and swinging above their season form. On the season Padres carry the better run differential per game (+0.04 against -0.35).

MetricPadresMets
Last 108-26-4
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)6-4 on the road5-5 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7850.794
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3450.347
Runs per game, last 15 days4.95.0
K% last 15 days (lower is better)18.2%24.3%

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 daysPadresMets
OPS0.781 (+0.076 vs szn)0.731 (+0.035 vs szn)
Runs per game4.86 (+0.597 vs szn)4.37 (+0.221 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.344 (+0.032 vs szn)0.323 (+0.015 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)19.5% (-2.3% vs szn)25.5% (+2.8% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Padres have been the better offense, 0.344 wOBA to 0.323. They are running hot against their own season line (+0.032 wOBA). Mets are striking out at 25.5% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricPadresMets
Record68-5957-70
Run differential / game (team quality)+0.04-0.35
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.264.15
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.224.50
Season OPS0.7050.696
K% season (lower is better)21.7%22.7%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7110.693

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. Padres and Mets are highlighted.

Padres
Combined risk
4.9 Normal
Fatigue
5.3 Normal
Efficiency
5.8 Effective
Mets
Combined risk
5.4 Normal
Fatigue
6.2 Tired
Efficiency
6.7 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.

MetricPadresMets
Fatigue5.3/10, Normal6.2/10, Tired
Efficiency5.8/10, Effective6.7/10, Effective
Combined risk4.9/10, Normal5.4/10, Normal
Relief innings, last 7 days26.019.0
Back-to-back arms23
7-day ERA2.772.37
7-day WHIP1.350.89

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
8.9
Market total
8.5
Projected away runs
5.6
Projected home runs
3.4
Over price
-110
Under price
-104
San Diego Padres team total
5.6 projected
Line 4.5 · O -105 / U -113
Over research lean (+1.1)
New York Mets team total
3.4 projected
Line 3.5 · O -122 / U +105
No team-total lean

The model and market are close. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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