MLB matchup analysis

Mariners vs Athletics Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Friday, September 11, 2026 at Sutter Health Park · 9:40 PM ET

Pass

Leo decision: Pass on Mariners vs Athletics

Lab Rating
4.1/10
Model lean
Mariners 71.8%
Market probability
61.1%
Model edge
+10.7%
Best moneyline
-164
Sportsbooks checked
6
Leo model
71.8%
Market
61.1%

The case for Seattle Mariners

Starting pitcher edge: 16 points
Leo gives George Kirby a 16-point edge over Jeffrey Springs, driven mainly by HR/9 (1.13 vs 2.28) and BB/9 (2.1 vs 3.6).

The case for Athletics

The case is thin
The model finds little going Athletics's way — it trails on the pitching plan, bullpen, and recent form. The main path to a Athletics win is variance.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 4.1/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 6.2/10
The Seattle Mariners bullpen comes in tired. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 8.41/10
Leo's win probability for Seattle Mariners (71.8%) is well clear of a coin flip -- this is a real, stated lean, not a guess.
Pitching plan: 16/40
George Kirby rates 62 on Leo's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). Average or below by that measure, so it earns little or none of the available credit here -- independent of who the opponent is throwing.
Offense: 16.4/50
Seattle Mariners's recent form does not clearly outpace Athletics's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 44.7%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, Leo's team-strength model alone makes Seattle Mariners 44.7% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 16 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Seattle Mariners by 16 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: -0.03
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward Athletics. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 44.7% -> 71.8%
Team strength alone had Seattle Mariners at 44.7%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 71.8% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict Leo passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Final result

Mariners 5, Athletics 6

How the analysis held up

Athletics won. Leo's model favored the other side.

Leo's two internal reads disagreed pregame by 62.3 points — the team-strength model favored Seattle Mariners, the run-projection model favored Athletics. The run-projection model had the winner here.

George Kirby (Seattle Mariners) was Leo's favored starter by pitcher score, but Jeffrey Springs actually pitched better tonight: 5.0 IP, 2 ER (3.60 ERA) against 6.0 IP, 4 ER (6.00 ERA). The edge did not show up in this game.

The Athletics bullpen was not flagged pregame, but it had a night worth noting: 1 earned run allowed over 5.0 relief innings (1.80 ERA) — quietly better than the pregame read implied. Note: 2 of the runs charged to the Athletics pitching staff overall were unearned — not something the bullpen's stuff should be blamed for.

Seattle Mariners scored 5 in a game that went 10 innings — not compared against the 3.9 pregame projection, which assumed nine.

Athletics scored 6 in a game that went 10 innings — not compared against the 5.4 pregame projection, which assumed nine.

Likely driver: George Kirby, the pick's own starter, was rocked for a 6.00 ERA, and the Athletics bullpen quietly shut the game down (1.80 ERA over 5.0 innings), unflagged pregame.

Game information

MatchupSeattle Mariners at Athletics
DateFriday, September 11, 2026
First pitch9:40 PM ET
VenueSutter Health Park
Starting pitchersGeorge Kirby vs Jeffrey Springs
WeatherGame-time forecast: 82°F, 0% precipitation chance, 6 mph wind from S.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
George KirbyMariners · RHP
vs
Jeffrey SpringsAthletics · LHP
MetricMarinersAthletics
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings65
ThrowsRL
Leo pitcher score (higher is better)6246
ERA (lower is better)4.186.02
WHIP (lower is better)1.341.45
K/9 (higher is better)7.57.2
K-BB% (higher is better)14.4%9.1%
K% (higher is better)19.9%18.2%
BB% (lower is better)5.5%9.1%
BB/9 (lower is better)2.13.6
HR/9 (lower is better)1.12.3
Ground-ball rate47.3%40.8%
Fly-ball rate52.7%59.2%

Pitcher edge: Leo gives George Kirby a 16-point edge over Jeffrey Springs, driven mainly by HR/9 (1.13 vs 2.28) and BB/9 (2.1 vs 3.6).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

George Kirby strikeouts
4.4 Leo projected Ks
No K play · -0.1K difference is below Leo's 0.7K threshold
Market 4.5K · O -120 / U +105 · 7 books
Jeffrey Springs strikeouts
4.2 Leo projected Ks
Official pick: OVER 3.5K · +0.7K difference
Market 3.5K · O -165 / U +136 · 7 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Mariners are 5-5 in their last 10 and averaging 4.2 runs per game over the last 15 days; Athletics are 6-4 in their last 10 and averaging 4.3 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Mariners carry the better run differential per game (-0.51 against -1.26).

MetricMarinersAthletics
Last 105-56-4
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)3-7 on the road5-5 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.6670.721
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.2990.319
Runs per game, last 15 days4.24.3
K% last 15 days (lower is better)24.9%21.5%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysMarinersAthletics
OPS0.693 (+0.010 vs szn)0.754 (+0.031 vs szn)
Runs per game4.39 (+0.433 vs szn)4.54 (+0.164 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.3090.333 (+0.014 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)25.0% (+1.7% vs szn)21.0% (-1.5% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Athletics have been the better offense, 0.333 wOBA to 0.309. They are running hot against their own season line (+0.014 wOBA). Mariners are striking out at 25.0% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricMarinersAthletics
Record69-7859-88
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.51-1.26
Runs scored / game (offense, season)3.964.37
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.475.63
Season OPS0.6820.721
K% season (lower is better)23.3%22.5%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.6270.719

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Mariners and Athletics are highlighted.

Mariners
Combined risk
6.2 Tired
Fatigue
6.2 Tired
Efficiency
5.0 Average
Athletics
Combined risk
5.2 Normal
Fatigue
6.1 Normal
Efficiency
6.9 Effective

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricMarinersAthletics
Fatigue6.2/10, Tired6.1/10, Normal
Efficiency5.0/10, Average6.9/10, Effective
Combined risk6.2/10, Tired5.2/10, Normal
Relief innings, last 7 days18.024.3
Back-to-back arms45
7-day ERA4.501.48
7-day WHIP1.171.15

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
Leo projection
9.4
Market total
9.5
Projected away runs
3.9
Projected home runs
5.4
Over price
-107
Under price
-107
Seattle Mariners team total
3.9 projected
Line 5.5 · O -104 / U -122
Under research lean (-1.6)
Athletics team total
5.4 projected
Line 3.5 · O -132 / U +110
Over research lean (+1.9)

The model and market are close. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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