Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox Picks and Prediction for Sunday, September 20, 2026

On Sunday, the Detroit Tigers visit the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field, with the opening pitch scheduled for 2:10 PM ET and televised on MLB.TV. Detroit is 73-81, third in the AL Central and six games behind Cleveland, with eight games remaining. The Tigers are five games behind the final AL Wild Card position. Chicago is 78-76, second in the division and one game behind Cleveland, while holding the final Wild Card spot. Detroit won the latest meeting 11-8 on Friday, leaving the series tied 1-1. Here is a closer look at our free MLB picks.

Detroit Tigers Trying to Build on an Offensive Breakthrough

Detroit ended a two-game slide with Friday’s 11-8 victory and has won three of its last five games. Riley Greene has led the regular lineup with a .283 average, .370 on-base percentage and .483 slugging percentage while recording 21 home runs and 75 RBI. Kevin McGonigle is batting .277 with a .378 on-base percentage, 17 homers, 69 RBI and 159 hits. Dillon Dingler has been Detroit’s leading power hitter with 27 home runs and 89 RBI. Spencer Torkelson has added 24 homers and 72 RBI, while Colt Keith is batting .260 with 10 home runs.

The Tigers are batting .241 with 695 runs, 1,251 hits and 173 home runs, ranking 22nd in MLB batting. Detroit owns a .318 on-base percentage and .400 slugging percentage. Pitching remains the club’s best statistical area, with the Tigers ranking fifth in MLB with a 3.63 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Opponents are batting .232 against Detroit pitching, which has recorded 15 shutouts. Detroit ranks ninth in fielding with 73 errors and a .987 fielding percentage. The Tigers are 34-45 away from home.

Injuries: Burch Smith (out), Parker Meadows (out), Kerry Carpenter (out), Jack Flaherty (out), Justin Verlander (out).

Chicago White Sox Trying to Recover After a High-Scoring Loss

Chicago has dropped three of its last four games after Friday’s 11-8 loss to Detroit. Miguel Vargas has been the main power threat, batting .249 with 32 home runs, 87 RBI, 99 runs and a .357 on-base percentage. Chase Meidroth leads Chicago with 147 hits while batting .269 with 14 homers and 56 RBI. Sam Antonacci is also batting .269 with a .365 on-base percentage, eight home runs and 18 stolen bases. Colson Montgomery has 31 homers and 87 RBI, while Munetaka Murakami has matched Vargas with 32 home runs.

The White Sox are batting .234 with 722 runs, 1,208 hits and 197 home runs. Chicago ranks 27th in MLB batting, although its home-run total is 24 higher than Detroit’s. The White Sox have a .319 on-base percentage and .402 slugging percentage. Chicago pitching owns a 4.15 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while opponents are batting .242. The staff ranks 14th in MLB pitching. Chicago ranks 16th defensively with 80 errors and a .985 fielding percentage. The White Sox are 44-32 at Rate Field, compared with Detroit’s losing road record.

Injuries: Tristan Peters (questionable), Huascar Brazoban (out), Joey Bart (out), Tanner Murray (out), Prelander Berroa (out).

Pitching Matchup

Detroit Tigers - Troy Melton

Troy Melton is 8-4 with a 2.52 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 110.2 innings. The right-hander has allowed 88 hits and 13 home runs while recording 90 strikeouts against 34 walks.

Chicago White Sox - Davis Martin

Davis Martin is 9-7 with a 3.96 ERA and 1.30 WHIP through 141 innings. Martin has allowed 140 hits and 14 home runs with 115 strikeouts and 43 walks.

Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox Game Pick

• Detroit Tigers

Detroit is the pick with Melton holding the clearest starting-pitching advantage. His 2.52 ERA and 1.10 WHIP are well below Martin’s 3.96 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, while the Tigers also own the better team pitching numbers. Detroit has a 3.63 ERA compared with Chicago’s 4.15 mark and has limited opponents to a .232 batting average. The White Sox have more home-run power and a 44-32 home record, but Detroit’s pitching and Friday’s 11-run performance make the Tigers the play.

Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox Over/Under Pick

• Under

The play is under despite Friday’s 19-run game. Melton has allowed only 88 hits in 110.2 innings while posting a 2.52 ERA, and Detroit’s staff has a 3.63 ERA with a .232 opponent batting average. Chicago ranks 27th in MLB batting with a .234 average, while Detroit ranks 22nd at .241. Martin’s 3.96 ERA is higher than Melton’s mark, but he has surrendered only 14 home runs across 141 innings. Those starting numbers create the conditions for a lower-scoring game.