MLB matchup analysis

Yankees vs Padres Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Sunday, September 6, 2026 at Petco Park · 4:10 PM ET

Watchlist

LyDia prediction: New York Yankees moneyline

Lab Rating
6.8/10
Model lean
Yankees 57.6%
Market probability
50.7%
Model edge
+7.0%
Best moneyline
-106
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
57.6%
Market
50.7%

The case for New York Yankees

Late-inning bullpen advantage
San Diego Padres relievers have a 2.73 ERA over the last 7 days; New York Yankees relievers have a 3.20. San Diego Padres also have 5 arms pitching on back-to-back days, against 3 for New York Yankees. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors New York Yankees.
Bats are hot: +0.014 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 San Diego Padres

The case is thin
The model finds little going San Diego Padres's way — it trails on the pitching plan, bullpen, and recent form. The main path to a San Diego Padres win is variance.

Why it is not official

Below the 61.0% official gate
Win probability is 57.6%. LyDia does not make a game official below 61.0%, no matter how good the price is. This is a value spot, not a high-confidence winner.
Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 6.8/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 1.33/10
LyDia leans toward New York Yankees, but not strongly enough to earn full conviction credit.
Pitching plan: 33.33/40
Gerrit Cole rates 75 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: 33.77/50
New York Yankees's recent offensive form clearly outpaces San Diego Padres's over the tracked windows.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 61.0%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes New York Yankees 61.0% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 3 points
The pitcher-score gap favors New York Yankees by 3 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: +0.057
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: 61.0% -> 57.6%
Team strength alone had New York Yankees at 61.0%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 57.6% -- 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

New York Yankees remains on the watchlist. Lab Rating 6.8/10: conviction 1.33, pitching plan 33.33, offense 33.77. LyDia projects 57.7% against a 50.7% no-vig market number, a 7.0% model edge at -106. The starting pitcher matchup does not create a meaningful separation. Bullpen read: Supports LyDia side. New York Yankees's pen efficiency: Effective (6.0/10). Lineup check: New York Yankees is a touch above its season form (+0.030 OPS); San Diego Padres is in a cold stretch (-0.058 OPS). Recent form supports this side and is included in the unified run projection.

Game information

MatchupNew York Yankees at San Diego Padres
DateSunday, September 6, 2026
First pitch4:10 PM ET
VenuePetco Park
Starting pitchersGerrit Cole vs Michael King
WeatherGame-time forecast: 93°F, 1% precipitation chance, 10 mph wind from N.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Gerrit ColeYankees · RHP
vs
Michael KingPadres · RHP
MetricYankeesPadres
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings5⅔5⅔
ThrowsRR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)7572
ERA (lower is better)3.293.11
WHIP (lower is better)1.111.17
K/9 (higher is better)9.57.8
K-BB% (higher is better)20.7%11.8%
K% (higher is better)25.8%21.3%
BB% (lower is better)5.2%9.5%
BB/9 (lower is better)1.93.5
HR/9 (lower is better)1.11.0
Ground-ball rate38.1%50.2%
Fly-ball rate61.9%49.8%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Gerrit Cole a 3-point edge over Michael King, driven mainly by K-BB% (20.7% vs 11.8%) and BB/9 (1.9 vs 3.5).

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

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Gerrit Cole strikeouts
6.0 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · +0.5K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 5.5K · O +110 / U -122 · 5 books
Michael King strikeouts
6.0 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · +0.5K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 5.5K · O -114 / U -104 · 5 books

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

Yankees are 6-4 in their last 10 and averaging 5.4 runs per game over the last 15 days; Padres are 3-7 in their last 10 and averaging 3.8 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Yankees carry the better run differential per game (+0.83 against +0.05).

MetricYankeesPadres
Last 106-43-7
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)7-3 on the road7-3 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7480.641
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3310.286
Runs per game, last 15 days5.43.8
K% last 15 days (lower is better)24.4%22.2%

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 daysYankeesPadres
OPS0.706 (-0.012 vs szn)0.713 (+0.014 vs szn)
Runs per game4.48 (-0.047 vs szn)4.12 (-0.096 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.3130.316 (+0.006 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)26.4% (+1.7% vs szn)21.3% (-0.6% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Padres have been the better offense, 0.316 wOBA to 0.313. Yankees are striking out at 26.4% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricYankeesPadres
Record81-6174-68
Run differential / game (team quality)+0.83+0.05
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.534.21
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)3.704.16
Season OPS0.7180.699
K% season (lower is better)24.7%21.9%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7130.704

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. Yankees and Padres are highlighted.

Yankees
Combined risk
5.0 Normal
Fatigue
5.5 Normal
Efficiency
6.0 Effective
Padres
Combined risk
6.9 Tired
Fatigue
7.5 Tired
Efficiency
6.2 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.

MetricYankeesPadres
Fatigue5.5/10, Normal7.5/10, Tired
Efficiency6.0/10, Effective6.2/10, Effective
Combined risk5.0/10, Normal6.9/10, Tired
Relief innings, last 7 days19.726.3
Back-to-back arms35
7-day ERA3.202.73
7-day WHIP1.021.10

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
6.9
Market total
7.0
Projected away runs
3.6
Projected home runs
2.7
Over price
-107
Under price
-105
New York Yankees team total
3.6 projected
Line 3.5 · O -105 / U -113
No team-total lean
San Diego Padres team total
2.7 projected
Line 3.5 · O +108 / U -135
Under research lean (-0.8)

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

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