Sports Today Saturday, September 5
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 5, 2026
San Francisco Giants
58-84 · 4th in NL West, 26.5 GB
Steady at the plate
Anthony Molina
@
New York Mets
64-77 · 5th in NL East, 20 GB
Steady at the plate
LHP Zac Thornton · Pitches to contact
MLB · Citi Field · 1:10 PM PT

Team Identity

San Francisco Giants
Season-to-date, 142 games, 5,455 PA.
An opportunistic, power-hitting offense that cashes in scoring chances, though it can be free-swinging.
Power
Above Avg73
Contact
Above Avg69
Plate Discipline
Well Below19
Speed
Below Avg40
RISP
Above Avg83
Recent Form
Holding Steady
Recent underlying offense is roughly in line with its season baseline.
New York Mets
Season-to-date, 141 games, 5,440 PA.
A below-league-average offense across most categories this season.
Power
Average46
Contact
Below Avg27
Plate Discipline
Below Avg42
Speed
Below Avg28
RISP
Below Avg31
Recent Form
Holding Steady
Recent underlying offense is roughly in line with its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

Giants' offense is defined by being opportunistic, and this game tests whether Mets can match it.

Swing Factor

Zac Thornton strikes hitters out at a 17.9% clip (23rd percentile); Giants carry a 20.8% strikeout rate.

Key Matchups

Can Zac Thornton miss enough bats?
Zac Thornton strikes hitters out at a 17.9% clip (23rd percentile); Giants carry a 20.8% strikeout rate.
Edge · GiantsZac Thornton: 17.9% K rateGiants: 20.8% K rateModerate confidence
Can Zac Thornton command the strike zone?
Giants walk in 7.2% of trips; Zac Thornton allows walks sparingly (5.6%).
Edge · Zac ThorntonGiants: 7.2% walk rateZac Thornton: 5.6% walks allowedModerate confidence
How do Giants handle left-handers?
Giants have produced worse against left-handers this season (0.331 vs. 0.358 TB/PA overall).
Edge · Zac Thorntonvs left-handers: 0.331 TB/PA (1552 PA)overall: 0.358 TB/PAModerate confidence
Can Zac Thornton limit Giants' power?
Giants rank in the 73rd percentile in extra-base production, while Zac Thornton sits in the 52nd percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · GiantsGiants: 0.358 TB/PAZac Thornton: 0.333 TB/PA allowed (252 PA)Moderate confidence

Pitcher Trends

Zac Thornton
Zac Thornton
New York Mets · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts3.8/start
Hits allowed5.6/start
6+ Hits Allowed — 5 of last 64 or fewer Strikeouts — 4 of last 6
18% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Jonah Cox
Jonah Cox
San Francisco Giants · 0.323 hit rate · 0.548 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L106 / 10L2511 / 25
On-base rate is up 106% over his prior baseline, with hits in 6 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 23%.
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers
San Francisco Giants · 0.320 hit rate · 0.680 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L109 / 10L2518 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 65% over his prior baseline, with hits in 9 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 20%.
Brett Baty
Brett Baty
New York Mets · 0.300 hit rate · 0.450 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2511 / 25
Hit rate is up 60% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 8 games.
Jung Hoo Lee
Jung Hoo Lee
San Francisco Giants · 0.135 hit rate · 0.162 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L51 / 5L105 / 10L2513 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 59% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 9 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 14%.
A.J. Ewing
A.J. Ewing
New York Mets · 0.154 hit rate · 0.179 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L106 / 10L2512 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 43% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 9 games.
Jared Young
Jared Young
New York Mets · 0.184 hit rate · 0.289 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2517 / 25
On-base rate is down 28% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 10 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 24%.

Players Positioned to Succeed

89
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers
1+ Hit
San Francisco Giants
Why it stands out
Batting 2nd, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
79
Bryce Eldridge
Bryce Eldridge
1+ Hit
San Francisco Giants
Why it stands out
Batting 3rd, confirmed lineup
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled
75
Francisco Lindor
Francisco Lindor
1+ Hit
New York Mets
Why it stands out
Batting 1st, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
73
Carson Benge
Carson Benge
1+ Hit
New York Mets
Why it stands out
Batting 4th, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
68
Bo Bichette
Bo Bichette
1+ Hit
New York Mets
Why it stands out
Batting 3rd, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
65
Turner Hill
Turner Hill
1+ Hit
San Francisco Giants
Why it stands out
Batting 5th, confirmed lineup
No notable risk

Expected Game Shape

UncertainLow confidence

Probable-starter data is incomplete, so the shape is hard to call. Giants bring more power.

Early edge Giants Driver Unclear without matched starters Volatility Moderate
  • At least one probable starter could not be matched to stored data.
  • Giants are trending steady; Mets are trending steady.

Storylines to Watch

Is Jonah Cox the one to watch?
Jonah Cox enters as Giants' hottest bat. On-base rate is up 106% over his prior baseline, with hits in 6 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 23%.
0.323 hit rate · 0.548 TB/PA · 0.235 hit rate · 0.451 TB/PA
Can Jung Hoo Lee snap out of it?
Jung Hoo Lee has cooled off. Total bases per PA is down 59% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 9 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 14%.
0.135 hit rate · 0.162 TB/PA · 0.268 hit rate · 0.392 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-05, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.