MLB Sunday Showdowns: Predictions for May 31, 2026
Major League Baseball is back on May 31, 2026, with a fantastic lineup of games. Teams are still battling for more wins and the formation of their ‘winning’ fronts. Several teams are entering their games after impressive wins in their last games, thus creating excitement for another matchday.
At their highest confidence level, the fans should brace for possibly many more thrilling MLB encounters. Here is a preview of the expected lineups and predictions for today’s notable matches.
Time: 02:35 PM ET | 11:35 AM PT | 12:05 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Globe Life Field, Arlington
2. Colorado Rockies vs San Francisco Giants
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 03:10 PM ET | 12:10 PM PT | 12:40 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Coors Field, Denver
3. Athletics vs New York Yankees
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 04:05 PM ET | 01:05 PM PT | 01:35 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Raley Field, West Sacramento
4. Los Angeles Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 04:10 PM ET | 01:10 PM PT | 01:40 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
5. Seattle Mariners vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 04:10 PM ET | 01:10 PM PT | 01:40 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: T-Mobile Park, Seattle
6. St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 07:20 PM ET | 04:20 PM PT | 04:50 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Expected Lineups and Prediction:
Athletics vs New York Yankees
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 04:05 PM ET | 01:05 PM PT | 01:35 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Raley Field, West Sacramento
Athletics Expected Lineups
Position
Players
Pitcher
Luis Severino
Relief Pitcher
Jack Perkins
Closer
Mark Leiter Jr.
Catcher
Shea Langeliers
Basemen
Nick Kurtz – Jeff McNeil – Zack Gelof
Shortstop
Darell Hernaiz
Left Fielder
Tyler Soderstrom
Center Fielder
Henry Bolte
Right Fielder
Carlos Cortes
Designated Hitter
Brent Rooker
New York Yankees Expected Lineups
Position
Players
Pitcher
Gerrit Cole
Relief Pitcher
Camilo Doval
Closer
David Bednar
Catcher
Austin Wells
Basemen
Ben Rice – Jazz Chisholm Jr. – Ryan McMahon
Shortstop
Jose Caballero
Left Fielder
Cody Bellinger
Center Fielder
Trent Grisham
Right Fielder
Aaron Judge
Designated Hitter
Amed Rosario
Prediction:
The Athletics are preparing for a tough challenge from the New York Yankees on May 31, held at Raley Field. It looks like a difficult MLB game for the home team. The Yankees, on the other hand, have a better overall form, a more powerful batting lineup, and more consistency. Their pitching rotation has also been effective in crucial moments, giving them an edge before this MLB game.
The Yankees’ veteran hitters would put pressure on the Athletics at the beginning of the MLB game. So, the Athletics will have to rely on good pitching and hitting at the right time to stay in the league. Home ground might boost the Athletics’ spirit, but the Yankees’ depth and recent success make them favorites in this matchup.
The pick:New York Yankees
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 04:10 PM ET | 01:10 PM PT | 01:40 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Los Angeles Dodgers Expected Lineups
Position
Players
Pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Relief Pitcher
Blake Treinen
Closer
Tanner Scott
Catcher
Will Smith
Basemen
Freddie Freeman- Alex Freeland- Max Muncy
Shortstop
Mookie Betts
Left Fielder
Alex Call
Center Fielder
Andy Pages
Right Fielder
Kyle Tucker
Designated Hitter
Shohei Ohtani
Philadelphia Phillies Expected Lineups
Position
Players
Pitcher
Cristopher Sanchez
Relief Pitcher
Brad Keller
Closer
Jhoan Duran
Catcher
J.T. Realmuto
Basemen
Bryce Harper- Bryson Stott- Alec Bohm
Shortstop
Trea Turner
Left Fielder
Edmundo Sosa
Center Fielder
Justin Crawford
Right Fielder
Adolis Garcia
Designated Hitter
Kyle Schwarber
Prediction:
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to face the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium in a thrilling MLB matchup. The Dodgers have been unstoppable and hold a comfortable position near the top of the MLB National League standings. Their consistent batting lineup has been stepping up in crucial moments.
The Phillies are still a formidable team capable of taking on any side if they get their form together. They have good batting performances lately, but their inconsistency in the last few innings pulls them down in many tight games. Playing away against the Dodgers is going to make this battle even more challenging.
With the advantage of a home game, better form, and overall balance, the Dodgers seem to have an edge.
The pick:Los Angeles Dodgers
Seattle Mariners vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 04:10 PM ET | 01:10 PM PT | 01:40 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: T-Mobile Park, Seattle
Seattle Mariners Expected Lineups
Position
Players
Pitcher
George Kirby
Relief Pitcher
Matt Brash
Closer
Andres Munoz
Catcher
Mitch Garver
Basemen
Josh Naylor- Cole Young- Colt Emerson
Shortstop
J.P. Crawford
Left Fielder
Randy Arozarena
Center Fielder
Julio Rodriguez
Right Fielder
Luke Raley
Designated Hitter
Dominic Canzone
Arizona Diamondbacks Expected Lineups
Position
Players
Pitcher
Zac Gallen
Relief Pitcher
Ryan Thompson
Closer
Paul Sewald
Catcher
Gabriel Moreno
Basemen
Ildemaro Vargas- Ketel Marte- José Fernández
Shortstop
Geraldo Perdomo
Left Fielder
Tommy Troy
Center Fielder
Ryan Waldschmidt
Right Fielder
Corbin Carroll
Designated Hitter
Adrian Del Castillo
Prediction:
The two teams are coming to T-Mobile Park on May 31 to give an exciting MLB game. The Mariners are ahead of the Diamondbacks in the MLB American League West standings, but Arizona’s recent performance has been fantastic. The Diamondbacks have been on fire, winning 9 out of their last 10 games, which shows that they are very consistent.
Their lineup has been quite effective at scoring runs, and they have played under pressure very well during their hot streak.
Seattle has not been bad at home this MLB season, but it just hasn’t kept up with Arizona’s winning streak. The Diamondbacks are also very close to the top of the standings in the MLB National League West. The Diamondbacks have a much bigger record overall compared to the Mariners.
If they keep up the same tempo, they will probably take control of this MLB game very early on. In this case, the game might be controlled by the diamondback that is currently in the best shape.
The pick:Arizona Diamondbacks
St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs
Date: 31 May 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 07:20 PM ET | 04:20 PM PT | 04:50 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis
St. Louis Cardinals Expected Lineups
Position
Players
Pitcher
Matthew Liberatore
Relief Pitcher
JoJo Romero
Closer
Riley O’Brien
Catcher
Pedro Pages
Basemen
Alec Burleson- JJ Wetherholt- Nolan Gorman
Shortstop
Masyn Winn
Left Fielder
Bryan Torres
Center Fielder
Victor Scott II
Right Fielder
Jordan Walker
Designated Hitter
Ivan Herrera
Chicago Cubs Expected Lineups
Position
Players
Pitcher
Shota Imanaga
Relief Pitcher
Phil Maton
Closer
Daniel Palencia
Catcher
Carson Kelly
Basemen
Michael Busch- Nico Hoerner- Alex Bregman
Shortstop
Dansby Swanson
Left Fielder
Ian Happ
Center Fielder
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Right Fielder
Seiya Suzuki
Designated Hitter
Moises Ballesteros
Prediction:
The Cardinals are gearing up to face the Cubs at Busch Stadium, and it promises to be a close National League contest. It seems like just a while ago that the Cubs were playing poorly and going through a rough patch. But now, they are finally starting to click. They won their last two MLB games against the Pirates, which gave them confidence heading into this match. They gave a comeback and hit well, which is a great thing to do after a streak of bad performances.
On the other hand, the Cardinals haven’t quite found their momentum yet. They are still looking for their best form and consistency with it. They haven’t performed as a balanced team in the past few matches, where they really need to be at their best. Also, the fact that their pitchers struggled to stop the visiting team’s batters from scoring or getting hits. This issue may become more prominent when they face a Cubs team that is getting back to its best.
Chicago carries on with the good work from the last games and uses that to gain an advantage in this game.
The pick:Chicago Cubs
Conclusion:
Major League Baseball is back with a fresh dose of games on May 31, 2026. Teams are still battling for that extra edge, and the top wins will keep their momentum going. Several MLB teams are coming off impressive performances and are ready to take on new challenges.
As the MLB season continues, these matchups give teams another chance to improve their standings for the coming weeks. Although it looks like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs will have a slight advantage, baseball is full of unpredictable events. Every game is an opportunity for surprises. With strong lineups and crucial pitching duels, fans can expect a series of exciting games from around the league.