MLB matchup analysis

Phillies vs Mariners Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at T-Mobile Park · 9:40 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Phillies vs Mariners

Lab Rating
3.0/10
Model lean
Mariners 61.0%
Market probability
50.3%
Model edge
+10.7%
Best moneyline
-102
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
61.0%
Market
50.3%

The case for Seattle Mariners

Bats are hot: +0.017 wOBA
Seattle Mariners 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 Philadelphia Phillies

Late-inning bullpen advantage
Seattle Mariners relievers have a 10.16 ERA over the last 7 days; Philadelphia Phillies relievers have a 1.45. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors Philadelphia Phillies.
Their bats are hot: +0.029 wOBA
Philadelphia Phillies is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days.
Team strength favors Philadelphia Phillies
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's own team-strength model has Philadelphia Phillies ahead (61.8% to 50.4%). The pick still comes from Seattle Mariners once the pitcher and bullpen terms are applied.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 3.0/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 8.9/10
The Seattle Mariners bullpen comes in high risk. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.
Opponent is swinging it
The other lineup is +0.029 wOBA above its season form over the last 15 days.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 3.01/10
LyDia leans toward Seattle Mariners, but not strongly enough to earn full conviction credit.
Pitching plan: 10.5/30
George Kirby rates 7 points better than Aaron Nola on LyDia's pitcher score. A real edge, but well short of the gap that earns full credit here.
Bullpen: 1.48/10
LyDia does not see a meaningful bullpen edge for Seattle Mariners here.
Offense: 14.54/50
Seattle Mariners's recent form does not clearly outpace Philadelphia Phillies's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 50.4%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes Seattle Mariners 50.4% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 7 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Seattle Mariners 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: -0.12
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward Philadelphia Phillies. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 50.4% -> 61.0%
Team strength alone had Seattle Mariners at 50.4%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 61.0% -- 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.

Game information

MatchupPhiladelphia Phillies at Seattle Mariners
DateTuesday, August 25, 2026
First pitch9:40 PM ET
VenueT-Mobile Park
Starting pitchersAaron Nola vs George Kirby
WeatherGame-time forecast: 76°F, 1% precipitation chance, 9 mph wind from W. This venue has a roof, but the roof status is not confirmed.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Aaron NolaPhillies · RHP
vs
George KirbyMariners · RHP
MetricPhilliesMariners
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings5⅓5⅔
ThrowsRR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)5562
ERA (lower is better)5.124.18
WHIP (lower is better)1.421.36
K/9 (higher is better)9.67.5
K-BB% (higher is better)16.9%14.3%
K% (higher is better)24.6%19.9%
BB% (lower is better)7.8%5.6%
BB/9 (lower is better)3.02.1
HR/9 (lower is better)2.01.1
Ground-ball rate45.6%47.3%
Fly-ball rate54.4%52.7%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives George Kirby a 7-point edge over Aaron Nola, driven mainly by HR/9 (1.09 vs 2.04) and BB/9 (2.1 vs 3.0).

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 →

Aaron Nola strikeouts
6.6 LyDia projected Ks
Qualifying projection: OVER 5.5K · +1.1K difference
Market 5.5K · O -127 / U +106 · 6 books
George Kirby strikeouts
2.8 LyDia projected Ks
Qualifying projection: UNDER 4.5K · -1.8K difference
Market 4.5K · O -125 / U +110 · 6 books

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

Phillies are 9-1 in their last 10 and averaging 5.6 runs per game over the last 15 days; Mariners are 6-4 in their last 10 and averaging 4.6 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Phillies carry the better run differential per game (+0.15 against -0.41).

MetricPhilliesMariners
Last 109-16-4
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)6-4 on the road4-6 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7840.728
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3440.324
Runs per game, last 15 days5.64.6
K% last 15 days (lower is better)15.8%24.7%

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 daysPhilliesMariners
OPS0.778 (+0.062 vs szn)0.703 (+0.015 vs szn)
Runs per game5.63 (+1.077 vs szn)3.78 (-0.177 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.341 (+0.026 vs szn)0.311
K% (lower is better)16.2% (-6.0% vs szn)23.5%

Over the last 30 days the Phillies have been the better offense, 0.341 wOBA to 0.311. They are running hot against their own season line (+0.026 wOBA).

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricPhilliesMariners
Record73-5963-69
Run differential / game (team quality)+0.15-0.41
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.553.95
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.404.36
Season OPS0.7160.688
K% season (lower is better)22.2%23.1%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7240.708

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. Phillies and Mariners are highlighted.

Phillies
Combined risk
4.9 Normal
Fatigue
5.9 Normal
Efficiency
7.1 Effective
Mariners
Combined risk
8.9 High risk
Fatigue
7.2 Tired
Efficiency
1.7 Struggling

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.

MetricPhilliesMariners
Fatigue5.9/10, Normal7.2/10, Tired
Efficiency7.1/10, Effective1.7/10, Struggling
Combined risk4.9/10, Normal8.9/10, High risk
Relief innings, last 7 days18.728.3
Back-to-back arms55
7-day ERA1.4510.16
7-day WHIP1.021.84

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
10.4
Market total
7.5
Projected away runs
7.1
Projected home runs
2.8
Over price
-107
Under price
-107
Philadelphia Phillies team total
7.1 projected
Line 3.5 · O -118 / U +100
Over research lean (+3.6)
Seattle Mariners team total
2.8 projected
Line 3.5 · O -115 / U +100
Under research lean (-0.7)

The model projects 2.9 runs above the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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