MLB matchup analysis
Tigers vs White Sox Prediction, Odds and Model Pick
Friday, September 18, 2026 at Rate Field · 7:40 PM ET
Leo decision: Pass on Tigers vs White Sox
The case for Chicago White Sox
The case for Detroit Tigers
Why it is not official
Why the setup score is what it is
Why the price is what it is
Read the full model output
The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Game information
| Matchup | Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday, September 18, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:40 PM ET |
| Venue | Rate Field |
| Starting pitchers | Andrew Sears vs David Sandlin |
| Weather | Game-time forecast: 66°F, 2% precipitation chance, 7 mph wind from E. |
Starting pitcher matchup
Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →| Metric | Tigers | White Sox |
|---|---|---|
| Pitching plan | Limited starter | Traditional starter |
| Expected innings | 3⅔ | 5 |
| Throws | L | R |
| Leo pitcher score (higher is better) | 44 | 52 |
| ERA (lower is better) | 5.19 | 5.67 |
| WHIP (lower is better) | 1.56 | 1.17 |
| K/9 (higher is better) | 6.8 | 8.4 |
| K-BB% (higher is better) | 7.3% | 13.9% |
| K% (higher is better) | 15.9% | 22.6% |
| BB% (lower is better) | 8.5% | 8.8% |
| BB/9 (lower is better) | 3.6 | 3.2 |
| HR/9 (lower is better) | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Ground-ball rate | 28.2% | 60.6% |
| Fly-ball rate | 71.8% | 39.4% |
Pitching plan edge: Leo gives the Detroit Tigers pitching plan the edge over David Sandlin (34 points on Leo's pitcher score). Andrew Sears is projected for only 3⅔ innings, with the Detroit Tigers bullpen covering the rest -- this compares the Detroit Tigers blended starting-pitcher-and-bullpen quality against David Sandlin's own line, not two starters directly.
Blended read: For the Detroit Tigers, the bullpen is projected to throw more of the game than Andrew Sears (about 3⅔ innings for the starter), so Leo grades that side on a whole-game effective ERA of 2.89 rather than Andrew Sears's own 5.19. Whole-game, that is 2.89 for the Detroit Tigers against 4.13 on the other side, so the blended read leans Detroit Tigers.
How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.
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 →Tigers are 7-3 in their last 10 and averaging 5.3 runs per game over the last 15 days; White Sox are 3-7 in their last 10 and averaging 3.9 runs per game over the last 15 days. Season run differential separates them by almost nothing (+0.48 against +0.24).
| Metric | Tigers | White Sox |
|---|---|---|
| Last 10 | 7-3 | 3-7 |
| Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home) | 4-6 on the road | 5-5 at home |
| OPS, last 15 days | 0.753 | 0.680 |
| wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read) | 0.334 | 0.305 |
| Runs per game, last 15 days | 5.3 | 3.9 |
| K% last 15 days (lower is better) | 23.7% | 28.4% |
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 | Tigers | White Sox |
|---|---|---|
| OPS | 0.664 (-0.051 vs szn) | 0.690 (-0.032 vs szn) |
| Runs per game | 4.00 (-0.455 vs szn) | 4.07 (-0.606 vs szn) |
| wOBA (model offense input) | 0.296 (-0.020 vs szn) | 0.311 (-0.009 vs szn) |
| K% (lower is better) | 24.3% (+1.5% vs szn) | 25.4% (+1.2% vs szn) |
Over the last 30 days the White Sox have been the better offense, 0.311 wOBA to 0.296. They are cooling off against their own season line (-0.009 wOBA). White Sox are striking out at 25.4% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.
Season profile
Full Stats page →| Metric | Tigers | White Sox |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 72-81 | 78-75 |
| Run differential / game (team quality) | +0.48 | +0.24 |
| Runs scored / game (offense, season) | 4.47 | 4.67 |
| Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better) | 3.99 | 4.43 |
| Season OPS | 0.715 | 0.721 |
| K% season (lower is better) | 22.8% | 24.2% |
| OPS vs opposing hand (season) | 0.725 | 0.742 |
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. Tigers and White Sox 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 | Tigers | White Sox |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | 6.3/10, Tired | 9.4/10, High risk |
| Efficiency | 6.2/10, Effective | 4.8/10, Average |
| Combined risk | 5.7/10, Normal | 9.5/10, High risk |
| Relief innings, last 7 days | 27.7 | 41.3 |
| Back-to-back arms | 6 | 3 |
| 7-day ERA | 2.93 | 4.14 |
| 7-day WHIP | 0.98 | 1.43 |
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 projects 1.7 runs below 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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