MLB 2026: September 12 & 13 Schedules, Metrics & Analysis

MLB Matchday Overview

On Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, 2026, MLB will host a full day of play with 24 games. Some of the doubleheaders are listed below, and these teams will play two games against each other. Every matchup of the season holds its weight in terms of the playoff races. These include Marlins vs. Dodgers, Rays vs. Astros, Braves vs. Phillies, and Cardinals vs. White Sox. The pitching and offensive play will decide the outcome.

MLB: September 12 & 13 Full Schedule

Date & Day	Fixture (Home vs Away)	Time Zones			Venue
		ET	PT	IST
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Toronto Blue Jays vs Baltimore Orioles	3:07 PM	12:07 PM	12:37 AM (Next day)	Rogers Centre, Toronto
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Angels	4:05 PM	1:05 PM	1:35 AM (Next day)	Nationals Park, Washington
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres	4:05 PM	1:05 PM	1:35 AM (Next day)	Oracle Park, San Francisco
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Boston Red Sox vs Kansas City Royals	4:10 PM	1:10 PM	1:40 AM (Next day)	Fenway Park, Boston
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Guardians	4:10 PM	1:10 PM	1:40 AM (Next day)	Target Field, Minneapolis
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Miami Marlins vs Los Angeles Dodgers	4:10 PM	1:10 PM	1:40 AM (Next day)	LoanDepot Park, Miami
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros	6:10 PM	3:10 PM	3:40 AM (Next day)	Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds	7:10 PM	4:10 PM	4:40 AM (Next day)	American Family Field, Milwaukee
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies	7:15 PM	4:15 PM	4:45 AM (Next day)	Truist Park
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago White Sox	7:15 PM	4:15 PM	4:45 AM (Next day)	Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Arizona Diamondbacks vs Texas Rangers	8:10 PM	5:10 PM	5:40 AM (Next day)	Chase Field, Phoenix
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026	Athletics vs Seattle Mariners	9:40 PM	6:40 PM	7:10 AM (Next day)	Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento
Sunday, Sep 13, 2026	Detroit Tigers vs Colorado Rockies	12:10 PM	9:10 AM	9:40 PM	Comerica Park, Detroit
Sunday, Sep 13, 2026	New York Yankees vs New York Mets	1:35 PM	10:35 AM	11:05 PM	Yankee Stadium, New York
Sunday, Sep 13, 2026	Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates	2:20 PM	11:20 AM	11:50 PM	Wrigley Field, Chicago

MLB Key Match Previews

Event: Miami Marlins vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)

Time: 4:10 PM ET | 1:10 PM PT | 1:40 Am IST (Next day)

Venue: LoanDepot Park, Miami

Expected MLB Lineups

Miami Marlins

Position	Starter
Starting Pitcher	Sandy Alcantara
Relief Pitcher	Michael Petersen
Closer	Pete Fairbanks
Catcher	Joe Mack
First Baseman	Griffin Conine
Second Baseman	Javier Sanoja
Third Baseman	Graham Pauley
Shortstop	Otto Lopez
Left Fielder	Heriberto Hernandez
Center Fielder	Jakob Marsee
Right Fielder	Owen Caissie
Designated Hitter	Kyle Stowers

Los Angeles Dodgers

Position	Starter
Starting Pitcher	Tarik Skubal
Relief Pitcher	Jack Dreyer
Closer	Tanner Scott
Catcher	Will Smith
First Baseman	Max Muncy
Second Baseman	Alex Freeland
Third Baseman	Miguel Rojas
Shortstop	Mookie Betts
Left Fielder	Teoscar Hernandez
Center Fielder	Tommy Edman
Right Fielder	Kyle Tucker
Designated Hitter	Josue De Paula

KPI Indicators

Metrics	Miami Marlins	Los Angeles Dodgers
Batting Average Leader	Otto Lopez (.303)	Freddie Freeman (.297)
Home Runs Leader	Heriberto Hernández (24)	Shohei Ohtani (30)
Runs Batted In (RBI) Leader	Otto Lopez (66)	Andy Pages / Shohei Ohtani (80)
Pitching Wins Leader	Sandy Alcantara (13)	Yoshinobu Yamamoto (13)
Earned Run Average (ERA) Leader	Sandy Alcantara (3.78)	Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.62)
Strikeouts Leader	Eury Pérez (150)	Yoshinobu Yamamoto (171)
Team Rank: Batting Avg	7th (.249)	2nd (.257)
Team Rank: Runs	16th (654)	4th (728)
Team Rank: Home Runs Hit	25th (151)	9th (180)
Team Rank: On Base %	6th (.327)	3rd (.337)
Team Rank: Slugging %	17th (.401)	3rd (.422)
Team Rank: Team ERA	12th (4.10)	6th (3.67)
Team Rank: Home Runs Allowed	6th (149)	14th (163)
Team Rank: Team WHIP	12th (1.28)	3rd (1.16)
Team Rank: Batting Avg Against	8th (.235)	1st (.220)

Analysis

It is obvious that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a definite edge here. When considering team rankings, the LA team is in a dominant position in all categories. Their outstanding offense is ranked 2nd in terms of batting average and 4th when it comes to runs scored. This means that Los Angeles is superior to Miami’s 12th-ranked pitching.

As for the Marlins, they have strong situational hitting but do not have enough power to hit home runs. This, combined with Los Angeles’s excellent pitching, makes the latter the clear choice.

The Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers

Event: Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros

Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)

Time: 6:10 PM ET | 3:10 PM PT | 3:40 Am IST (Next day)

Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

Expected MLB Lineups

Tampa Bay Rays

Position	Starter
Starting Pitcher	Drew Rasmussen
Relief Pitcher	Tyler Wells
Closer	Bryan Baker
Catcher	Liam Hicks
First Baseman	Jonathan Aranda
Second Baseman	Richie Palacios
Third Baseman	Junior Caminero
Shortstop	Jorge Mateo
Left Fielder	Chandler Simpson
Center Fielder	Cedric Mullins
Right Fielder	Victor Mesa
Designated Hitter	Yandy Diaz

Houston Astros

Position	Starter
Starting Pitcher	Hunter Brown
Relief Pitcher	Bryan Abreu
Closer	Josh Hader
Catcher	Yainer Diaz
First Baseman	Christian Walker
Second Baseman	Jose Altuve
Third Baseman	Issac Paredes
Shortstop	Jeremy Pena
Left Fielder	Taylor Trammell
Center Fielder	Daulton Varsho
Right Fielder	Cam Smith
Designated Hitter	Yordan Alvarez

KPI Indicators

Metric	Tampa Bay Rays	Houston Astros
Batting Average Leader	Chandler Simpson (.308)	Yordan Alvarez (.310)
Home Runs Leader	Junior Caminero (39)	Yordan Alvarez (38)
Runs Batted In (RBI) Leader	Junior Caminero (93)	Yordan Alvarez (96)
Pitching Wins Leader	Nick Martinez / Drew Rasmussen (14)	Peter Lambert (8)
Earned Run Average (ERA) Leader	Drew Rasmussen (2.88)	Not Provided in Text
Strikeouts Leader	Drew Rasmussen (156)	Peter Lambert (137)
Team Rank: Batting Avg	1st (.260)	20th (.241)
Team Rank: Runs	11th (662)	13th (662)
Team Rank: Home Runs Hit	22nd (155)	5th (193)
Team Rank: On Base %	5th (.329)	17th (.315)
Team Rank: Slugging %	11th (.404)	5th (.410)
Team Rank: Team ERA	8th (3.81)	24th (4.52)
Team Rank: Home Runs Allowed	24th (182)	25th (186)
Team Rank: Team WHIP	1st (1.15)	23rd (1.35)
Team Rank: Batting Avg Against	4th (.231)	12th (.238)

Analysis

Tampa Bay Rays should be picked in this contest. Despite Houston having outstanding power with fifth-best slugging and homers due to the presence of Yordan Alvarez. Their pitching staff is a huge weakness, with a 4.55 ERA that ranks 24th in the league.

On the other hand, Tampa Bay possesses the best team batting average in the league (.261). They complement that with their excellent and very disciplined pitching, with the lowest WHIP at 1.15. The Rays have a clear advantage in neutralizing Houston’s power and winning.

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

Event: Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies

Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)

Time: 7:15 PM ET | 4:15 PM PT | 4:45 Am IST (Next day)

Venue: Truist Park

Expected MLB Lineups

Atlanta Braves

Position	Starter
Starting Pitcher	Chris Sale
Relief Pitcher	Didier Fuentes
Closer	Raisel Iglesias
Catcher	Sean Murphy
First Baseman	Matt Olson
Second Baseman	Ozzie Albies
Third Baseman	Austin Riley
Shortstop	Mauricio Dubon
Left Fielder	Mike Yastrzemski
Center Fielder	Michael Harris II
Right Fielder	Ronald Acuna Jr.
Designated Hitter	Drake Baldwin

Philadelphia Phillies

Position	Starter
Starting Pitcher	Cristopher Sanchez
Relief Pitcher	Jose Alvarado
Closer	Jhoan Duran
Catcher	J.T. Realmuto
First Baseman	Alec Bohm
Second Baseman	Luis Arraez
Third Baseman	Bryson Stott
Shortstop	Trea Turner
Left Fielder	Edmundo Sosa
Center Fielder	Justin Crawford
Right Fielder	Bryce Harper
Designated Hitter	Kyle Schwarber

KPI Indicators

Metric	Atlanta Braves	Philadelphia Phillies
Batting Average Leader	Michael Harris II (.286)	Luis Arraez (.298)
Home Runs Leader	Matt Olson (37)	Kyle Schwarber (44)
Runs Batted In (RBI) Leader	Matt Olson (81)	Kyle Schwarber (92)
Pitching Wins Leader	Chris Sale (14)	Cristopher Sánchez (17)
Earned Run Average (ERA) Leader	Chris Sale (2.10)	Cristopher Sánchez (2.79)
Strikeouts Leader	Chris Sale (184)	Jesús Luzardo (221)
Team Rank: Batting Avg	13th (.246)	18th (.242)
Team Rank: Runs	9th (671)	14th (659)
Team Rank: Home Runs Hit	7th (183)	12th (173)
Team Rank: On Base %	25th (.309)	22nd (.312)
Team Rank: Slugging %	6th (.408)	16th (.400)
Team Rank: Team ERA	3rd (3.58)	11th (3.98)
Team Rank: Home Runs Allowed	13th (163)	20th (173)
Team Rank: Team WHIP	7th (1.24)	11th (1.27)
Team Rank: Batting Avg Against	6th (.232)	18th (.245)

Analysis

The Atlanta Braves have the upper hand in this matchup of rivals. Philadelphia boasts great individual pitchers such as Cristopher Sánchez and sluggers such as Kyle Schwarber. The Atlanta Braves have an overall superior team.

The Braves outperform the Phillies in terms of offensive capability, ranking 9th for runs scored and 6th in slugging percentage. More importantly, the Braves outperform the Phillies by a wide margin in pitching, with the 3rd-lowest team ERA at 3.59. The Braves are the definitive pick when compared to Philadelphia.

The Pick: Atlanta Braves

Event: St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago White Sox

Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)

Time: 7:15 PM ET | 4:15 PM PT | 4:45 Am IST (Next day)

Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis

Expected MLB Lineups

St. Louis Cardinals

Position	Starter
Starting Pitcher	Michael McGreevy
Relief Pitcher	George Soriano
Closer	Riley O’Brien
Catcher	Leo Bernal
First Baseman	Alec Burleson
Second Baseman	Bryan Torres
Third Baseman	Nolan Gorman
Shortstop	Thomas Saggese
Left Fielder	Joshua Baez
Center Fielder	Nathan Church
Right Fielder	Jordan Walker
Designated Hitter	Ivan Herrera

Chicago White Sox

Position	Starter
Starting Pitcher	Sean Burke
Relief Pitcher	Jordan Hicks
Closer	Bryan Hudson
Catcher	Kyle Teel
First Baseman	Munetaka Murakami
Second Baseman	Chase Meidroth
Third Baseman	Miguel Vargas
Shortstop	Colson Montgomery
Left Fielder	Sam Antonacci
Center Fielder	Tristan Peters
Right Fielder	Braden Montgomery
Designated Hitter	Andrew Benintendi

KPI Indicators

Metric	St. Louis Cardinals	Chicago White Sox
Batting Average Leader	Alec Burleson (.283)	Chase Meidroth (.268)
Home Runs Leader	Jordan Walker (28)	Munetaka Murakami / Colson Montgomery (31)
Runs Batted In (RBI) Leader	Alec Burleson (104)	Colson Montgomery (83)
Pitching Wins Leader	Andre Pallante (12)	Davis Martin / Anthony Kay (9)
Earned Run Average (ERA) Leader	Michael McGreevy (3.92)	Sean Burke (3.58)
Strikeouts Leader	Matthew Liberatore (144)	Sean Burke (169)
Team Rank: Batting Avg	17th (.243)	25th (.236)
Team Rank: Runs	9th (668)	6th (685)
Team Rank: Home Runs Hit	21st (156)	6th (190)
Team Rank: On Base %	14th (.317)	11th (.319)
Team Rank: Slugging %	26th (.385)	10th (.407)
Team Rank: Team ERA	22nd (4.31)	14th (4.14)
Team Rank: Home Runs Allowed	3rd (146)	14th (163)
Team Rank: Team WHIP	22nd (1.35)	19th (1.31)
Team Rank: Batting Avg Against	26th (.254)	15th (.241)

Analysis

The favorite for the game is the Chicago White Sox. The St. Louis Cardinals have two great batters who can drive in runs, Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker. Their statistics as a team are inferior.

As a team, the Chicago White Sox have a better offense. They are 6th in runs scored and home runs, as well as slugging percentage (10th compared to 26th). Additionally, the Chicago White Sox have a better ERA and WHIP from the pitchers on their squad.

The Pick: Chicago White Sox

Conclusion

The MLB schedules and lineup include many important games with strong picks and analysis. The Dodgers, Rays, Braves, and White Sox are all ready to clash in their respective games. The respective teams have an advantage based on the metrics and stats provided. In the last part of the season, these clubs will depend on solid pitching and hitting to win.