Athletics vs Kansas City Royals Picks and Prediction for Thursday, August 20, 2026
The Athletics visit the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 PM ET. The Athletics are 49-77, fifth in the AL West, and 26-37 on the road after losing 4-3 to Kansas City in their most recent completed game. The Athletics have lost three of their last five. Kansas City is 53-74, fifth in the AL Central, and 31-30 at home after winning 4-3 Tuesday. The Royals have won four of their last five, including three straight. Find an edge with our free MLB picks.
Athletics Look to End Their Slide
The Athletics are batting .244 with a .318 on-base percentage and .402 slugging percentage, producing 548 runs and 152 home runs. Shea Langeliers leads the club with 23 homers while batting .263 with a .332 OBP and .497 slugging percentage. Nick Kurtz has added 21 home runs and a team-high 69 RBIs while posting a .396 OBP. Tyler Soderstrom has 19 homers and 56 RBIs. The Athletics have scored 24 runs over their last five games, reaching at least five runs three times.
Pitching remains the larger problem for the Athletics, who own a 5.47 team ERA and 1.50 WHIP while opponents are batting .270. Those numbers rank near the bottom of MLB. J.T. Ginn gives the Athletics a stronger starting option Thursday, entering 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through 127.1 innings. Ginn has allowed 102 hits and 53 walks while striking out 114, surrendering 14 home runs.
Injuries: Jacob Wilson (Day-To-Day), Jeffrey Springs (15-Day IL), Jose Suarez (15-Day IL), Brooks Kriske (60-Day IL), Denzel Clarke (60-Day IL).
Kansas City Royals Try to Continue Winning Run
Kansas City is also batting .244, but the Royals have a .312 on-base percentage and .394 slugging percentage with 526 runs and 127 home runs. Bobby Witt Jr. leads Kansas City with a .287 average, .361 OBP, and 121 hits while contributing 15 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases. Jac Caglianone supplies the biggest power threat with 22 homers and 60 RBIs while batting .278. Michael Massey is another productive bat, hitting .272 with 11 home runs.
The Royals have won four of five and scored 23 runs during that stretch. Kansas City has also held opponents to 14 total runs, including a 3-0 shutout against the Angels. The season-long pitching numbers remain poor, with a 4.77 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and .259 opponent batting average. Randy Dobnak provides a more encouraging matchup Thursday. Dobnak is 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA across 41.2 innings, allowing 38 hits, 16 walks, and only two home runs, although he has struck out just 25 hitters.
Injuries: Beck Way (15-Day IL), Tony Gonsolin (15-Day IL), Connor Seabold (60-Day IL), Carlos Estevez (60-Day IL), Nick Mears (60-Day IL).
Pitching Matchup
Athletics – J.T. Ginn
Ginn has been considerably better than the Athletics’ overall pitching numbers. The right-hander owns a 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 127.1 innings, with 114 strikeouts and 14 home runs allowed. Kansas City ranks 16th in MLB in batting average and has only 127 home runs, but the Royals have several difficult matchups near the top and middle of the order..
Kansas City Royals – Randy Dobnak
Dobnak enters with a 2-1 record, 1.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 41.2 innings. His low strikeout total stands out, with only 25 strikeouts against 16 walks, but limiting home runs has helped him avoid major damage. He has surrendered just two homers. That will be important against an Athletics lineup with 152 home runs and a .402 slugging percentage.
Athletics vs Kansas City Royals Game Pick
- Kansas City Royals
Kansas City is the game pick based on recent form, home-field results, and Dobnak’s strong numbers. The Royals have won four of their last five and the first two completed games of this series, while the Athletics have dropped three of five. Dobnak owns a 1.73 ERA and has allowed only two home runs through 41.2 innings. Ginn gives Oakland a chance to stay close, but Kansas City has scored 23 runs over five games and enters Thursday playing the more consistent baseball.
Athletics vs Kansas City Royals Over/Under Pick
- Under
The under is the total pick with Ginn and Dobnak both carrying numbers well below their teams’ season ERAs. Ginn owns a 3.53 ERA and has surrendered 14 home runs through 127.1 innings, while Dobnak has a 1.73 ERA with only two homers allowed. Tuesday’s matchup finished with seven total runs, and Kansas City held the Angels scoreless two games earlier. Both bullpens create some late-game risk, but the starting matchup has solid ERA’s to favor a lower-scoring series finale.