Sports Today Sunday, September 6
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 6, 2026
Detroit Tigers
65-77 · 4th in AL Central, 9 GB
Offense cooling lately
RHP Jackson Jobe · Pitches to contact
@
Cleveland Guardians
72-71 · 2nd in AL Central, 2.5 GB
Steady at the plate
RHP Gavin Williams · Elite strikeout stuff
MLB · Progressive Field · 10:40 AM PT

Team Identity

Detroit Tigers
Season-to-date, 142 games, 5,543 PA.
A balanced offense without a standout strength or glaring weakness. The offense has cooled off recently.
Power
Average49
Contact
Below Avg35
Plate Discipline
Average65
Speed
Well Below8
RISP
Well Below23
Recent Form
Trending Down
Walk rate is down 29% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.
Cleveland Guardians
Season-to-date, 143 games, 5,599 PA.
An aggressive, patient offense that runs and pressures defenses on the bases, though it can be inconsistent with runners in scoring position.
Power
Well Below6
Contact
Below Avg34
Plate Discipline
Above Avg68
Speed
Above Avg83
RISP
Well Below6
Recent Form
Holding Steady
Recent underlying offense is roughly in line with its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

Guardians' offense is defined by being aggressive, and this game tests whether Tigers can match it.

Swing Factor

Gavin Williams strikes hitters out at a 31.9% clip (98th percentile); Tigers carry a 22.2% strikeout rate.

Momentum

Tigers are trending down and Guardians are holding steady over their last 10 games.

Key Matchups

Can Gavin Williams miss enough bats?
Gavin Williams strikes hitters out at a 31.9% clip (98th percentile); Tigers carry a 22.2% strikeout rate.
Edge · Gavin WilliamsGavin Williams: 31.9% K rateTigers: 22.2% K rateHigh confidence
Can Jackson Jobe miss enough bats?
Jackson Jobe strikes hitters out at a 17.9% clip (24th percentile); Guardians carry a 20.4% strikeout rate.
Edge · GuardiansJackson Jobe: 17.9% K rateGuardians: 20.4% K rateLow confidence
Can Jackson Jobe command the strike zone?
Guardians walk in 9.1% of trips; Jackson Jobe allows walks at a fairly typical rate (9.4%).
Edge · GuardiansGuardians: 9.1% walk rateJackson Jobe: 9.4% walks allowedLow confidence
Can Gavin Williams command the strike zone?
Tigers walk in 8.9% of trips; Gavin Williams allows walks sparingly (7.2%).
Edge · Gavin WilliamsTigers: 8.9% walk rateGavin Williams: 7.2% walks allowedHigh confidence
Can Jackson Jobe limit Guardians' power?
Guardians rank in the 6th percentile in extra-base production, while Jackson Jobe sits in the 18th percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · Jackson JobeGuardians: 0.315 TB/PAJackson Jobe: 0.396 TB/PA allowed (106 PA)Low confidence

Pitcher Trends

Jackson Jobe
Jackson Jobe
Detroit Tigers · 5 starts
SP
Strikeouts3.8/start
Hits allowed4.8/start
4 or fewer Strikeouts — 5 of last 54 or fewer Hits Allowed — 3 of last 5
18% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Gavin Williams
Gavin Williams
Cleveland Guardians · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts9.0/start
Hits allowed3.5/start
7+ Strikeouts — 4 of last 64 or fewer Hits Allowed — 4 of last 6
32% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Max Clark
Max Clark
Detroit Tigers · 0.257 hit rate · 0.429 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L106 / 10L2514 / 25
On-base rate is up 27% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 9 games.
Riley Greene
Riley Greene
Detroit Tigers · 0.263 hit rate · 0.684 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2512 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 83% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 4 games.
Chase DeLauter
Chase DeLauter
Cleveland Guardians · 0.364 hit rate · 0.545 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L106 / 10L2517 / 25
Hit rate is up 49% over his prior baseline, with hits in 6 of his last 9 games.
Austin Hedges
Austin Hedges
Cleveland Guardians · 0.053 hit rate · 0.053 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L51 / 5L104 / 10L2511 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 84% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 6 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 37%.
Zach McKinstry
Zach McKinstry
Detroit Tigers · 0.080 hit rate · 0.080 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L103 / 10L2510 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 71% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 24%.
Colt Keith
Colt Keith
Detroit Tigers · 0.105 hit rate · 0.105 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L102 / 10L259 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 72% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 8 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 32%.

Players Positioned to Succeed

74
Steven Kwan
Steven Kwan
1+ Hit
Cleveland Guardians
Why it stands out
Batting 1st, confirmed lineup
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled
68
Kevin McGonigle
Kevin McGonigle
1+ Hit
Detroit Tigers
Why it stands out
Batting 1st, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
66
Riley Greene
Riley Greene
1+ Hit
Detroit Tigers
Why it stands out
Batting 4th, confirmed lineup
Main risk
Elevated recent strikeout rate
62
Jo Adell
Jo Adell
1+ Hit
Cleveland Guardians
Why it stands out
Batting 3rd, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
62
Nathaniel Lowe
Nathaniel Lowe
1+ Hit
Cleveland Guardians
Why it stands out
Batting 4th, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
61
Travis Bazzana
Travis Bazzana
1+ Hit
Cleveland Guardians
Why it stands out
Batting 2nd, confirmed lineup
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled

Expected Game Shape

BalancedLow confidence

Competitive profile without a clear stylistic tilt. Tigers bring more power.

Early edge Guardians Driver No single dominant factor Volatility Moderate
  • Both probable starters grade around the 49th percentile in combined suppression.
  • Tigers are trending down; Guardians are trending steady.

Storylines to Watch

Does Tigers' power tilt the game?
Tigers bring a clearly stronger extra-base profile into this matchup.
Tigers power pct 49 vs Guardians 6
Can Tigers handle Gavin Williams's strikeout stuff?
Tigers have been a below-average contact team while Gavin Williams misses bats at an above-average rate — a swing factor early.
Tigers contact percentile: 35
Can Austin Hedges snap out of it?
Austin Hedges has cooled off. Total bases per PA is down 84% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 6 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 37%.
0.053 hit rate · 0.053 TB/PA · 0.224 hit rate · 0.332 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-06, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.