Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Picks and Prediction for Saturday, September 26, 2026

By: David Anicetti Published 09/26/2026, 06:05 AM ET

The Cleveland Guardians visit the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, with the opening pitch scheduled for 7:10 PM ET and televised on MLB.TV. This is the next-to-last regular-season game for both clubs. Cleveland is 83-76, first in the AL Central, and has clinched a playoff berth while holding a one-game division lead over Chicago. The Guardians beat Boston 1-0 Thursday and have won four of five. Kansas City is 68-91, fifth in the AL Central, and eliminated from playoff contention after Thursday’s 9-1 loss to the White Sox. Build your bankroll with our free MLB picks.

Cleveland Guardians Closing the Season With a Division Lead

Cleveland has won four of its last five, with three victories coming by either 1-0 or 3-2 scores. Chase DeLauter leads the Guardians with a .287 average, adding 15 home runs, 65 RBI and a .361 on-base percentage. Steven Kwan is batting .280 with 149 hits, 78 runs and a .378 on-base percentage. Angel Martinez leads Cleveland with 18 home runs while batting .258, and Brayan Rocchio has driven in a team-high 70 runs with 13 homers and 20 stolen bases.

The Guardians are batting .237 with 653 runs, 153 home runs, a .314 on-base percentage and .375 slugging percentage. Cleveland ranks 24th in MLB batting but eighth in pitching, with the staff recording a 3.73 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and .236 opponent average. Guardians pitchers have totaled 1,510 strikeouts, and Cleveland owns a 42-36 road record. Defensively, the Guardians rank tied for 16th with 82 errors and a .985 fielding percentage.

Injuries: Rhys Hoskins (out), Colin Holderman (out).

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Kansas City Royals Trying to Finish Strong at Home

Kansas City has lost four of its last five games and was beaten 9-1 by Chicago on Thursday. Bobby Witt Jr. is batting .282 with a .360 on-base percentage, 154 hits, 90 runs and 43 stolen bases. Jac Caglianone owns a .283 average, .485 slugging percentage, 23 home runs and 71 RBI. Carter Jensen leads Kansas City with 25 homers and 76 RBI, while Salvador Perez has added 20 home runs and 75 RBI across 149 games.

The Royals are batting .246 with 673 runs, 165 home runs, a .315 on-base percentage and .399 slugging percentage. Kansas City ranks 11th in MLB batting, but the pitching staff ranks 27th with a 4.73 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and .260 opponent average. Royals pitchers have recorded 1,161 strikeouts and allowed 200 home runs. Kansas City is 40-38 at home. The Royals rank tied for seventh in fielding with 71 errors and a .987 fielding percentage.

Injuries: Connor Seabold (out), James McArthur (out), Beck Way (out).

Pitching Matchup

Cleveland Guardians - Tanner Bibee

Tanner Bibee is 6-15 with a 4.35 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 182 innings. He has allowed 168 hits and 29 home runs while recording 142 strikeouts and 54 walks.

Kansas City Royals - Michael Wacha

Michael Wacha is 9-9 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.11 WHIP across 194.1 innings. He has allowed 162 hits and 28 home runs while recording 154 strikeouts and 53 walks.

Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Game Pick

  • Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland is the pick with the Guardians holding first place in the AL Central and carrying an 8-2 record over their last 10 games. Cleveland’s pitching staff has a 3.75 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and .237 opponent average, while Kansas City has a 4.72 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and .260 opponent average. Michael Wacha has a 3.33 ERA for the Royals, but Cleveland has allowed only nine runs across its last five games. The Guardians are also 42-36 away from home.

Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Over/Under Pick

  • under

The play is under after Cleveland’s recent games have repeatedly stayed low-scoring. Four of the Guardians’ last five contests have finished with five combined runs or fewer, including two 1-0 results. Bibee owns a 1.22 WHIP across 182 innings, while Wacha has a 3.33 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 194.1 innings. Cleveland is batting only .237 with a .375 slugging percentage, and Kansas City has scored three runs or fewer in two of its last five games.

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