New York Mets vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Prediction for Saturday August 8 2026
The New York Mets will visit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET, with the game available on MLB.TV. New York enters the weekend at 50-66 overall and 25-32 on the road, while Pittsburgh is 57-60 overall and 29-28 at home. This preview was completed before Friday's series opener, so Friday's result is not included in the records or recent-form analysis. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. For more MLB predictions throughout the season, check out our free MLB picks.
Starting Pitchers
New York is scheduled to start Robert Stock, who enters at 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 0.60 WHIP through 5.0 innings. Stock has allowed three hits and one home run while recording four strikeouts without issuing a walk. The sample size is extremely small, but his early numbers have been encouraging and give the Mets an interesting pitching option for Saturday.
Pittsburgh is expected to counter with Bubba Chandler, who is 4-8 with a 4.49 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over 110.1 innings. Chandler has allowed 95 hits and 10 home runs while recording 98 strikeouts against 61 walks. His walk total is the number that stands out most, as New York could create scoring opportunities if Chandler struggles to consistently work in the strike zone.
Mets Bring a Three-Game Winning Streak to Pittsburgh
New York enters the weekend at 50-66 overall with a 25-32 road record and has won three consecutive games. The Mets swept Cleveland before traveling to Pittsburgh, winning 6-2, 6-5 in 10 innings and 13-6. Before that sweep, New York had dropped consecutive home games against Miami by scores of 2-0 and 6-2. The Mets are therefore 3-2 over their last five completed games and have scored 25 runs during their three-game winning streak.
The Mets are batting .234 with a .305 on-base percentage and .387 slugging percentage. New York has scored 482 runs on 915 hits while hitting 140 home runs. The pitching staff owns a 4.09 ERA and 1.30 WHIP while recording 1,050 strikeouts against 408 walks. Opposing hitters are batting .238 against Mets pitching.
New York's recent offensive improvement is important because the season numbers have been mediocre. The Mets have scored 106 fewer runs than Pittsburgh despite having nearly the same home-run production. That makes getting runners on base and taking advantage of Chandler's 61 walks especially important. New York has shown considerably more offensive life over its last three games, and it needs that production to continue Saturday.
Pirates Look to Turn Around Their Recent Slide
Pittsburgh enters the weekend at 57-60 overall and 29-28 at PNC Park. The Pirates are just 1-4 over their last five completed games and have lost three straight. Pittsburgh dropped three consecutive games in Milwaukee by scores of 4-2, 4-2 and 5-2 after opening that series with a 4-3 victory. The Pirates also suffered a 10-2 loss at Cincinnati before traveling to Milwaukee.
The Pirates have been the substantially better offensive team over the full season. Pittsburgh is batting .256 with a .333 on-base percentage and .412 slugging percentage. The Pirates have scored 588 runs on 1,036 hits while hitting 143 home runs. Their pitching staff owns a 4.31 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 1,087 strikeouts against 426 walks. Opponents are batting .241 against Pittsburgh pitching.
Pittsburgh's offensive advantage is significant despite the recent results. The Pirates have scored 106 more runs than New York while holding advantages in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The concern is their recent lack of scoring, as Pittsburgh has managed only 12 runs over its last five games. The Pirates need their season-long offensive production to reappear against a starter with only five innings of work this season.
New York Mets vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Prediction
- Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates Moneyline
I'm taking the Pittsburgh Pirates on the moneyline. New York has played much better over its last three games, but Pittsburgh owns the stronger offensive profile over a much larger sample. The Pirates are batting .256 compared with .234 for the Mets and have a .333 on-base percentage compared with New York's .305.
Pittsburgh has also scored 588 runs compared with only 482 for New York. Stock's 1.80 ERA and 0.60 WHIP look excellent, but those numbers have come across only five innings. I'm not ready to treat that tiny sample as a meaningful pitching advantage over a Pittsburgh offense that has been significantly better throughout the season. At PNC Park, I'll back the Pirates to end their recent slide.
- Pick: Over 8.5
I'm taking the Over if the total is set around 8.5. Chandler enters with a 4.49 ERA and 1.41 WHIP and has issued 61 walks over 110.1 innings. New York has also suddenly found some offense, scoring 25 runs during its three-game winning streak.
The other side is equally important. Stock has pitched only five innings this season, leaving plenty of uncertainty about how much length New York can reasonably expect from him. Pittsburgh averages just over five runs per game based on its season totals and owns a .333 on-base percentage. With uncertainty surrounding Stock and New York facing a starter with a WHIP above 1.40, I prefer the Over at 8.5.
This preview was written prior to game play on Friday.