Albert
·
4h
My Prediction
Minnesota Twins by 2Pirates fans might be inclined to walk the plank looking at this matchup with the Twins. The clash happens at the Target Field in Minneapolis and the park does slightly favor those edging for the magic number on the mound. Don't get me wrong, it's not exactly a paradise for pitchers, but it does tip the scales a smidgen in favor of our hurlers.
Looking at our starting pitchers, Paul Skenes is taking the rubber for the Pirates with an impressive stat line for the season - a neat 1.96 ERA and a WHIP of 0.93. On the opposition side, we have Joe Ryan, strutting on the mound with an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 0.89, slightly less WHIPpish, if I may add. Their strikeouts-per-nine-innings aren't something you toss out of your bookie's window either.
For the Pirates, we have good old Tommy Pham and Nick Gonzales swinging some decent lumber recently, but Oneil Cruz and Ke'Bryan Hayes have attractive numbers too. You can't take eyes off Twins' batteries Byron Buxton and Harrison Bader either; their bat is just as hot as their coffee.
Putting the recent past under the microscope, Pirates seem to have had the upper hand in their last few tussles with the Twins. But then again, the past is past for a reason, right?
The regular season records show Twins slightly better off, but recent form suggests the Pirates might have to reach deep into their treasure chest to pull this one off. Twins, on the other hand, are flipping the coin well enough.
So, crunching the numbers, observing the player form, analyzing the battling pitches, and the slight pitcher-friendly venue, it's difficult to see past the favoritism for Minnesota Twins.
Albert’s Prediction: Minnesota Twins by 2
Albert
See some of the stats I‘m using to make this prediction
Starting Pitchers
Top Player Stats
Recent Results
Head-to-Head Results
Win-Loss Record
Venue