Cincinnati Reds vs Toronto Blue Jays Picks and Prediction for Saturday, September 26, 2026

The Cincinnati Reds visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday at Rogers Centre, with the opening pitch scheduled for 3:07 PM ET and the game televised on MLB.TV. This is the next-to-last regular-season game for both teams. Cincinnati is 74-85, fifth in the NL Central, and has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Reds beat Atlanta 7-6 on Thursday and have won two of their last three. Toronto is 77-82, fifth in the AL East, and has also been eliminated from playoff contention. The Blue Jays lost 4-2 at Baltimore in their most recent result and have lost three straight. Let’s break down the matchup with our free MLB picks.

Cincinnati Reds Showing Some Fight Down the Stretch

Cincinnati has won two of its last three, beating Atlanta 4-0 and 7-6 around a 3-2 extra-inning loss. Elly De La Cruz is batting .285 with a .367 on-base percentage and .521 slugging percentage, along with 30 home runs, 77 RBI and 29 stolen bases. Sal Stewart has supplied much of the power with 32 home runs and 110 RBI while batting .266. Eugenio Suarez has added 25 homers and 72 RBI.

The Reds have struggled collectively at the plate, batting .228 with 655 runs, 211 home runs, a .305 on-base percentage and .395 slugging percentage. Cincinnati ranks 30th in MLB batting. The pitching staff has a 4.85 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and .255 opponent average, ranking 28th. Cincinnati is 36-42 on the road and has committed 88 errors with a .984 fielding percentage.

Injuries: Tony Santillan (out), Spencer Steer (out), Chase Burns (out), Julian Garcia (out), Michael Toglia (out).

Toronto Blue Jays Trying to End a Three-Game Slide

Toronto has lost three straight, with each defeat coming against Baltimore. The Blue Jays scored seven runs across those three losses after beating Texas 7-2. Ernie Clement leads Toronto with a .264 average and has 153 hits. Kazuma Okamoto has hit 33 home runs with 89 RBI, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is batting .263 with a .335 on-base percentage. George Springer has 15 homers, 54 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

The Blue Jays are batting .248 with 636 runs, 150 home runs, a .310 on-base percentage and .382 slugging percentage. Toronto ranks eighth in MLB batting and ninth in pitching with a 3.92 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and .235 opponent average. The Blue Jays are 40-38 at Rogers Centre. Toronto has committed 97 errors with a .983 fielding percentage.

Injuries: Brett Bateman (questionable), Anthony Santander (out), Shane Bieber (out), Rudy Martin Jr. (out), Jonatan Clase (out).

Pitching Matchup

Cincinnati Reds - Rhett Lowder

Rhett Lowder is 6-12 with a 6.01 ERA and 1.55 WHIP across 127.1 innings. He has allowed 144 hits and 18 home runs while recording 101 strikeouts and 54 walks.

Toronto Blue Jays - Spencer Miles

Spencer Miles is 6-2 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 94.2 innings. He has allowed 78 hits and five home runs while recording 91 strikeouts and 24 walks.

Cincinnati Reds vs Toronto Blue Jays Game Pick

• Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto is the pick with a clear starting-pitching advantage. Miles has a 2.57 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 94.2 innings, compared with Lowder’s 6.01 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. Cincinnati also ranks last in MLB batting with a .228 average, while Toronto is hitting .248 and ranks eighth. The Blue Jays have struggled recently, but their pitching staff owns a 3.92 ERA compared with Cincinnati’s 4.85 mark, and Toronto has played above .500 at home.

Cincinnati Reds vs Toronto Blue Jays Over/Under Pick

• under

The play is under with Miles allowing only 78 hits and five home runs across 94.2 innings. Cincinnati has scored three runs or fewer in three of its last five games, and its .228 team average ranks last in MLB. Toronto has also scored only seven runs during its three-game losing streak. Lowder’s 6.01 ERA adds risk, but Toronto has scored 636 runs this season, while its pitching staff has held opponents to a .235 average. A lower-scoring game is expected in this matchup.