MLB: What to watch on May 27, 2026

• 27 May 2026
• mlbw

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.

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

Washington Nationals @ Cleveland Guardians, 10:10a

Summary

This is the rare NERD darling with an actual plot: Washington has already taken the first two games of the series, so Gavin Williams arrives as Cleveland’s cleanup crew. If you want a game that can pivot from Nationals ambush to proper pitchers’-duel respectability, this is the one. A 15.06 gNERD is the best mark on today’s board and comfortably above the historical 95th percentile, with both teams posting strong tNERD numbers and Williams carrying a hefty 10.92 pNERD. Cleveland lists Williams at 7-3 with 84 strikeouts, and he’s not coasting on reputation: his last turn was eight scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts against Philadelphia. Washington has become more than a rebuilding side quest, entering at 29-27, and James Wood has spent this series doing his usual top-of-the-lineup damage while the Nationals’ offense keeps annoying respectable teams. Mikolas is the softer half of the pitching matchup, though his big luck component suggests the mess may be a bit louder than the skill. Cleveland’s bullpen also just lost Erik Sabrowski to the IL, which adds a little late-inning instability to an otherwise sturdy setup.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Cleveland Guardians (2.16); radio, Cleveland Guardians (3.14)

Washington Nationals

Cleveland Guardians

Miles Mikolas, Washington Nationals

Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians

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Philadelphia Phillies @ San Diego Padres, 1:10p

Summary

This is one of the better watches on the board: a 14.26 gNERD, a live series after Philadelphia took the first two in San Diego, and Cristopher Sánchez arriving with a 37 2/3-inning scoreless streak. The lineups are less thunder than bookkeeping, so the appeal is crisp run prevention rather than a nightly reenactment of Home Run Derby. Sánchez’s 9.89 pNERD fits the moment: the xFIP-, whiffs and strike-throwing all say ace, and his streak is already the second-longest by a Phillies pitcher since 1893, with Grover Alexander’s club mark in range. Walker Buehler’s 4.44 pNERD is a more modest invitation, but his underlying markers are sturdier than the surface line, and the longtime Dodger now wearing Padres brown remains a mildly surreal subplot. The Padres’ hefty team NERD is mostly defense and bullpen, which helps compensate for a light underlying offense; the Phillies bring similar relief support, plus some baserunning juice. Both clubs are a bit nicked up, with Brandon Marsh day to day for Philadelphia and Luis Campusano and Germán Márquez still out for San Diego.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, San Diego Padres (3.47); radio, San Diego Padres (3.37)

Philadelphia Phillies

San Diego Padres

Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia Phillies

Walker Buehler, San Diego Padres

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Atlanta Braves @ Boston Red Sox, 3:45p

Summary

This is a solid watch: Atlanta brings a first-place club, a deep lineup, and a starter who has quietly become a nuisance for hitters, while Boston answers with a credible rookie-lefty subplot. A 12.97 gNERD sits well above today’s average, and the web search gives it some texture: Michael Harris II is coming off a four-hit game, the Braves lead the season series 3-1, and Boston is juggling a crowded injury list. Atlanta’s tNERD looks earned by loud contact, batting value, and enough defense and bullpen support to keep things moving. Elder’s 5.75 pNERD fits too; his 92 xFIP- comes with a quick pace, and he entered with 60 strikeouts after working eight innings against these Red Sox earlier in May. Boston is more watchable than its record because Connelly Early, a 24-year-old lefty and top prospect, already held Atlanta to two runs over five innings in the first meeting. The catch is Trevor Story’s absence after sports-hernia surgery, which leaves the Red Sox feeling a little more improvised than designed.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Boston Red Sox (2.47); radio, Boston Red Sox (2.64)

Atlanta Braves

Boston Red Sox

Bryce Elder, Atlanta Braves

Connelly Early, Boston Red Sox

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New York Yankees @ Kansas City Royals, 4:40p

Summary

This is a pretty watchable game in the sly way: the Yankees bring one of the best offenses around, Gerrit Cole is still baseball’s most compelling post-op plotline, and Kansas City answers with a lefty coming off his sharpest start of the season. It is not a clean ace duel—Cole’s 0.00 pNERD is a data shortage, not an insult, and the Royals’ bullpen and injury sheet still creak—but there’s enough talent and uncertainty here to earn your attention.

A 12.67 gNERD sits comfortably above the historical median and above today’s average, mostly because New York’s 9.60 tNERD is doing the heavy lifting: the Yankees mash, with elite batting-run and barrel-rate marks, and they just thumped Kansas City 15-1 for a 12th straight win over the Royals. Cole’s return from Tommy John surgery brought six scoreless innings against Tampa Bay, which makes every pitch feel a little more consequential. Kansas City is thinner than planned with Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic and Carlos Estévez sidelined, but Noah Cameron just fired six scoreless with eight strikeouts against Seattle, so the Royals have a credible way to keep this from becoming a Yankee infomercial. Judge, Witt and a bit of leftover ALDS spice help.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Kansas City Royals (2.11); radio, New York Yankees (2.22)

New York Yankees

Kansas City Royals

Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

No detailed stats available

Noah Cameron, Kansas City Royals

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Minnesota Twins @ Chicago White Sox, 4:40p

Summary

This is a sneaky good watch: Chicago has improbably clawed back to .500, Davis Martin has become a very real reason to tune in, and this series already produced an 11-inning game plus a Munetaka Murakami game-tying homer. Minnesota’s side is more rookie intrigue than lineup thunder, with Connor Prielipp still on a carefully managed workload after years of injuries and enough raw stuff to keep his outings a little volatile. A 12.18 gNERD puts this comfortably above the historical median and a bit above today’s average, which feels right. Martin’s 8.63 pNERD is the headline, driven by a superb 69 xFIP- and the kind of strike-throwing profile that suggests he’s doing more than renting a hot streak. Prielipp’s 4.22 pNERD makes him more subplot than co-star, but he did just set a career high with eight strikeouts, and the Twins are still trying not to treat his arm like a rental car. Chicago’s 7.59 team NERD also tracks: the Sox bring real barrel-rate thump, while Minnesota’s lower mark fits a thinner roster with Ryan Jeffers out and some of the usual baserunning and defensive clank.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Minnesota Twins (2.30); radio, Chicago White Sox (2.57)

Minnesota Twins

Chicago White Sox

Connor Prielipp, Minnesota Twins

Davis Martin, Chicago White Sox

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Miami Marlins @ Toronto Blue Jays, 10:07a

Summary

This is a quietly solid watch: a better-than-average gNERD game built on two starters who can miss bats, plus a Blue Jays roster trying to score while half the medical chart is still warm. If you like velocity, splitters, and the possibility that Eury Pérez is rediscovering the version of himself prospect hounds were promised, this one belongs above the day’s middle tier. Pérez’s pNERD gets a boost from youth and absurd fastball life, and the real-world version just spun 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball with no walks against the Mets after a distinctly messier stretch. Gausman is the steadier adult in the room; he’s chasing a sixth quality start in eight outings, and current Marlins hitters have managed just a .167 average and .245 wOBA against him in Statcast’s matchup sample. Toronto’s tNERD is dragged down by a flat offense, but the Jays did just post an 8-1 win behind Jesús Sánchez’s first career grand slam, even while Dylan Cease is on the IL and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been day-to-day with an elbow contusion. Miami’s appeal is less thunder than nuisance: elite baserunning and a sneaky competent bullpen.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Toronto Blue Jays (3.10); radio, Toronto Blue Jays (2.39)

Miami Marlins

Toronto Blue Jays

Eury Pérez, Miami Marlins

Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays

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Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Francisco Giants, 12:45p

Summary

This is watchable mostly because the mound has better manners than the lineups. Soroka has been quietly excellent, and McDonald is the kind of fill-in starter who can make a game interesting in either the encouraging or small-fire sense.

An 11.37 gNERD puts this roughly in today’s middle class, but the pitching carries it. Soroka’s 6.40 pNERD fits an 83 xFIP- and decent strike-throwing, and he’s coming off six one-run innings with no walks; a couple starts earlier he also spun 6 1/3 scoreless, so this isn’t purely decorative. McDonald is the fresher curiosity: his 8.98 pNERD lines up with a strong 72 xFIP-, and he’s effectively getting one more audition while Logan Webb finishes his rehab, even after giving up seven runs to the White Sox last time. Arizona helps by being the more competent all-around outfit, with the better tNERD, a top-four NL slugging mark, a four-game winning streak, and a 5-0 edge in this season series. San Francisco’s weak contact quality and thin lineup, with Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos out, keep this from feeling plush.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, San Francisco Giants (3.20); radio, San Francisco Giants (3.49)

Arizona Diamondbacks

San Francisco Giants

Michael Soroka, Arizona Diamondbacks

Trevor McDonald, San Francisco Giants

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Houston Astros @ Texas Rangers, 5:05p

Summary

This is a Jacob deGrom game wearing rivalry clothes: you’re here for the ace and the irritation. The Astros no-hit Texas two games ago, then the Rangers answered with an eight-run first inning, so the Lone Star Series has already gotten weird.

The 11.32 gNERD sits basically at today’s average and a shade above the historical median, which feels right: the team appeal is ordinary, the pitching appeal is not. DeGrom’s 10.17 pNERD is the draw, and it comes with a mild rebound plot after Houston took him deep four times on May 17 and the Angels got six earned runs off him in three innings in his last start; the counterargument is the seven scoreless, 10-strikeout outing he hung on the Cubs earlier this month. Burrows is more capable foil than equal billing, but his decent pNERD and big positive-luck signal suggest more than the 5.75 ERA, and Houston could use it with Jose Altuve still rehabbing and Josh Hader still out. Texas is also missing Corey Seager, though Josh Jung at least avoided the worst after a shoulder scare.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Houston Astros (2.17); radio, Texas Rangers (2.08)

Houston Astros

Texas Rangers

Mike Burrows, Houston Astros

Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers

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St. Louis Cardinals @ Milwaukee Brewers, 10:40a

Summary

This is a respectable divisional watch, made better by Milwaukee's recent hobby of turning the Cardinals into decorative outs. The Brewers have taken the first two games 5-1 and 6-0, lead the NL Central at 32-20, and still haven't named a starter, so there is at least some opener-game mischief here.

gNERD 11.06 is solid if not elite. Both teams bring tNERDs around 6.5: St. Louis gets points for fielding, Milwaukee for baserunning and a much sturdier bullpen. May's 4.07 pNERD reads like "premium raw stuff, mixed finishing": 96.9 mph and a large positive luck component suggest better days ahead, but a 106 xFIP-, weak whiff rate, and slow pace keep him from true feature status. MLB's preview notes he's gone at least six innings and allowed three or fewer runs in five of his last seven starts. The Brewers' TBD starter trims the glamour, though the uncertainty is understandable with Brandon Woodruff, Logan Henderson, and Quinn Priester sidelined, while the Cardinals are still waiting on Lars Nootbaar and Ramón Urías.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Milwaukee Brewers (2.66); radio, Milwaukee Brewers (2.56)

St. Louis Cardinals

Milwaukee Brewers

Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals

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Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh Pirates, 3:40p

Summary

This is an NL Central rubber-necker: not a pristine pitching duel, but the standings and mess make it matter. The Cubs and Pirates are both 29-26; Pittsburgh has won three straight, including a 12-1 walloping of Chicago, while the Cubs have dropped 10 in a row. That fits a 10.93 gNERD: near the historical middle and a touch below today’s average, with more appeal from solid team scores than star-pitcher cachet. Chicago’s tNERD rides offense and excellent fielding, while Pittsburgh adds speed. Jameson Taillon’s pNERD is middling for good reason: the former Pirate has been pressed into a thinned-out Cubs rotation, and his homer issue barked again, though his luck number hints at rebound room. Bubba Chandler is the hook: the 23-year-old power arm still fights command, but he brings upper-90s velocity, and five days ago he struck out 11 Blue Jays with 22 whiffs after MLB.com had already dubbed him the league’s hardest-throwing starter. This is watchable for volatility and division arithmetic, not surgical precision.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Chicago Cubs (3.01); radio, Chicago Cubs (3.15)

Chicago Cubs

Pittsburgh Pirates

Jameson Taillon, Chicago Cubs

Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates

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Seattle Mariners @ Athletics, 12:05p

Summary

This is a solid, mildly sneaky watch: the overall gNERD is near the historical middle of the pack, but Logan Gilbert gives it real shape. Seattle has already won the first two games of this set, so the Athletics’ young roster gets a useful little rebuttal spot rather than a sleepy series finale.

Gilbert’s 6.87 pNERD is the main selling point; his underlying numbers are comfortably above average, and in his last outing he threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over Kansas City. Springs, at 2.81 pNERD, is more serviceable than magnetic: MLB noted he allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his first 10 starts, though his most recent turn ended with San Diego tagging him for three homers.

The team case is decent without being glamorous. Seattle brings some thump and a good bullpen, but its fielding score is a wet blanket; the A’s better tNERD is helped by big positive luck and a youth movement still worth peeking at, even with Jacob Wilson and Max Muncy unavailable. Nick Kurtz is still the house subplot after his 48-game on-base streak finally ended.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Seattle Mariners (2.35); radio, Seattle Mariners (2.52)

Seattle Mariners

Athletics

Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners

Jeffrey Springs, Athletics

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Colorado Rockies @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 7:10p

Summary

This is basically an Ohtani showcase with a baseball game attached. The gNERD is only 10.55, a bit below today’s average, but Ohtani’s 9.18 pNERD and 54 strikeouts in 49 innings give this one an obvious center of gravity. The novelty helps: MLB’s preview notes that Sugano vs. Ohtani is the 21st matchup of Japanese-born starting pitchers in major-league history, and Ohtani was still lined up to start after taking a pitch off his right hand the night before. Sugano is the one reason this isn’t pure background noise; his pNERD is ugly, but he just worked 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball, and he recently logged his combined 150th win across NPB and MLB. Still, the broader shape is lopsided. The Dodgers own today’s best team NERD, and that tracks with a lineup, defense and bullpen that just hung 15 runs on Colorado. The Rockies’ weak-contact, weak-offense profile makes this feel less like a duel than a stage for whatever variety of Ohtani nonsense arrives.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Los Angeles Dodgers (2.45); radio, Los Angeles Dodgers (2.51)

Colorado Rockies

Los Angeles Dodgers

Tomoyuki Sugano, Colorado Rockies

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

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Los Angeles Angels @ Detroit Tigers, 3:40p

Summary

This is a pitcher-first game wearing two offenses like ankle weights. José Soriano gives it real watch value; the rest mostly asks whether you enjoy neat, brisk suffering. An 8.94 gNERD puts it near the low end of today’s board, and the culprit is obvious: both teams are dragged down by ugly baserunning, fielding and bullpen marks, which feels fitting for two 21-34 clubs. Soriano is the reason to tune in anyway. His 8.71 pNERD is backed by a 78 xFIP-, premium velocity, and enough bat-missing to fit with the 6-3, 2.44 ERA, 74-strikeout line MLB lists for him after an AL Pitcher of the Month opening act. Mize is a respectable co-star rather than dead weight: his 5.77 pNERD, quick pace and 92 xFIP- pair nicely with his return from a right adductor strain and six scoreless innings in his first start back. Detroit still lacks Kerry Carpenter, so if you’re shopping for lineup thunder, browse elsewhere.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Detroit Tigers (2.74); radio, Detroit Tigers (2.64)

Los Angeles Angels

Detroit Tigers

José Soriano, Los Angeles Angels

Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers

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Cincinnati Reds @ New York Mets, 4:10p

Summary

This is more mild diversion than must-see TV: an 8.06 gNERD puts Reds-Mets at the bottom of today’s slate, and the suspense is less “epic duel” than “can Cincinnati keep picking at a patched-together Mets roster?” The best reason to watch is Huascar Brazobán, whose 5.67 pNERD fits the matchup better than the overall score does. Cincinnati’s case is the lineup: the Reds pair a strong barrel rate with youth and have won three straight, including the first two games of this series. New York, meanwhile, is trying to score through injuries, with Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez and Luis Robert Jr. all sidelined, leaving Juan Soto to supply much of the offense after his two-run homer in the previous game. Abbott has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five straight starts, but his 1.22 pNERD and ugly xFIP- component say buyer beware. Brazobán offers the tidier watch: better pNERD, 96-mph heat, a brisk pace, and a Mets bullpen that’s one of the few clearly above-water parts here.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, New York Mets (3.32); radio, New York Mets (3.05)

Cincinnati Reds

New York Mets

Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds

Huascar Brazobán, New York Mets

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Tampa Bay Rays @ Baltimore Orioles, 3:35p

Summary

This is today’s lowest-gNERD game, and the reasons are not exactly hiding. Still, Baltimore has turned the first two games of this series into enough chaos to keep this one from total banishment. The Orioles already won once on Colton Cowser’s 13th-inning walk-off and again when Shane Baz struck out nine over seven innings in a 6-1 win. Steven Matz is the one clean selling point: his pNERD is merely average, but he works absurdly fast, returned from elbow inflammation on May 20, and punched out five Orioles in four strong innings in that return. Baltimore still had no listed starter, which tracks for a staff missing Zach Eflin and Cade Povich, while the Rays are also shuffling around Jonny DeLuca’s IL stint, Taylor Walls’ hamstring tightness, and a brand-new Craig Kimbrel bullpen cameo. Tampa Bay’s weak barrel-rate profile and both clubs’ low team NERD numbers keep the ceiling modest, but recent series weirdness gives this otherwise plain game a pulse.

(A model from OpenAI generated the above text using instructions, the NERD scores, and these sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.)

Recommended broadcasts: TV, Baltimore Orioles (2.82); radio, Tampa Bay Rays (2.10)

Tampa Bay Rays

Baltimore Orioles

Steven Matz, Tampa Bay Rays

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  MLB: What to watch on May 26, 2026