MLB: What to watch on October 11, 2025
Here are today's MLB games, ordered by watchability, based on how interesting the teams and starting pitchers look. Higher is better. For more information, read this post.
| Score | Time (PT) | Visitors | Score | Home | Score | Starter (V) | Score | Starter (H) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.1 | 5:08p | Chicago Cubs | 10.4 | Milwaukee Brewers | 9.7 | TBD | No data | TBD | No data |
Notes:
- Pitcher 'no data': Pitchers only have a pNERD score once they've started at least one game and have at least 20 innings pitched. I also show 'no data' when I can't correctly link a starting pitcher with their stats.
- Generated by the mlb-watchability project on GitHub.
Detail
Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers, 5:08p
Summary
This is a winner-take-all Game 5 showdown between NL Central rivals, with the series tied 2-2 and everything on the line. The Cubs and Brewers face off in a decisive fifth game after splitting the first four contests, with Milwaukee winning the first two games at home and Chicago holding serve by winning Games 3 and 4 at Wrigley.
The gNERD score of 15.05 sits well above the historical median of 10.10 and ranks in the 95th percentile, making this one of the most watchable games in the dataset. Both teams bring exceptional tNERD scores—the Cubs at 10.39 and Brewers at 9.71—far exceeding the historical mean of 5.23. Chicago's strength shows in their baserunning (1.51 component) and fielding (1.46), while Milwaukee counters with a dominant bullpen (1.13) and league-leading baserunning (2.12). The Cubs also benefit from strong broadcaster ratings, adding to the viewing experience.
With starting pitchers still to be determined, Shota Imanaga may start for Chicago after lasting just 2.2 innings in Game 2, while Milwaukee used its bullpen in that game with Aaron Ashby starting. The Brewers were 52-29 at home during the regular season and are 2-0 in the postseason at American Family Field, while Chicago was 42-39 on the road and is 0-2 away in the playoffs. This elimination game features two evenly matched division rivals with the winner advancing to face the Dodgers.
(A model from Anthropic generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.)
Recommended broadcasts: TV, Chicago Cubs (3.01); radio, Chicago Cubs (3.15)
Chicago Cubs
| Batting | Barrel% | BaseR | Fielding | Bullpen | Payroll | Age | Luck | TV | Radio | C | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw stat | 71.9 | 10.0% | 10.8 | 35.1 | 28.7 | $197.7M | 30.6 | -6.0 | 3.01 | 3.15 | — | — |
| Z-score | 1.01 | 1.16 | 1.51 | 1.46 | -0.17 | 0.33 | 1.91 | -0.27 | 1.22 | 1.62 | — | — |
| tNERD | 1.01 | 1.16 | 1.51 | 1.46 | -0.17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.61 | 0.81 | 4.00 | 10.39 |
Milwaukee Brewers
| Batting | Barrel% | BaseR | Fielding | Bullpen | Payroll | Age | Luck | TV | Radio | C | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw stat | 50.4 | 6.7% | 15.0 | 21.6 | 57.2 | $112.2M | 27.6 | -26.0 | 2.66 | 2.56 | — | — |
| Z-score | 0.71 | -1.57 | 2.12 | 0.91 | 1.13 | -0.82 | -1.14 | -1.15 | 0.53 | 0.37 | — | — |
| tNERD | 0.71 | -1.57 | 2.12 | 0.91 | 1.13 | 0.82 | 1.14 | 0.00 | 0.27 | 0.18 | 4.00 | 9.71 |