What is going on in the American League?
There’s a glut of seven teams currently fighting it out for the final Wild Card spot in the junior circuit, and despite being three games below .500, the Orioles currently find themselves at the top of the pack. How did they accomplish that? Coming into Tropicana Field this past weekend and taking three contests against the AL-leading Rays certainly helps.
I ask again: What is going on in the American League?
Can Baltimore finish off the four-game sweep on Monday? Let’s preview this divisional clash and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Orioles vs. Rays prediction, preview
Want to hear a weird stat? The Rays are 74-49 so far this season. That makes them the lone AL squad with a winning percentage above .600. And yet, Tampa has lost its last six games to Baltimore. Make it make sense.
Shane McClanahan will be the one tasked with stopping the bleeding on Monday. Under normal circumstances, it might be wise to trust the man with a career 3.04 ERA, but these are not normal circumstances. First and foremost, McClanahan is coming off the IL after suffering a back issue in his most recent MLB outing on July 30. Secondly, the flame-throwing left-hander wasn’t really looking like himself in the six weeks prior to the ailment. While McClanahan does own a 2.83 ERA across his last seven appearances, a 17.7% strikeout rate and a 4.42 FIP are far more telling. Remember, McClanahan has only once exceeded 150 innings in a season. He didn’t even throw a pitch in the big leagues in 2024 or 2025. You have to wonder if fatigue is playing a factor.
The Orioles have also hit left-handed pitching quite well in 2026, ranking top 10 within the split in ISO (.166), wOBA (.315) and wRC+ (103). Yes, some of that is due to the now departed Taylor Ward, who was traded to Seattle at the trade deadline, but don’t sleep on the likes of Coby Mayo and Tyler O’Neill. Mayo’s 11 home runs off southpaws are tied for the most of any player in the American League, while O’Neill’s rebounded from a nightmarish first half of the season to post a .373 wOBA and a 143 wRC+ since the All-Star break. Heck, even Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been decent for Baltimore in a small sample, after the formerly heralded prospect was designated for assignment back in April by the Reds.
Finally, let’s talk Brandon Young — one of the bright spots of the season for the Orioles. Developing pitching has been a real problem for Baltimore over the past decade, yet it seems like the former undrafted free agent is set to become a rare success story for the organization. Across 113.2 innings, Young is in possession of a 3.33 ERA and a 3.95 FIP. The velocity or strikeout rate won’t wow anyone, but Young’s simply been a model of consistency, never allowing more than four earned runs in a single outing in 2026. To be blunt, he keeps his team in the game. That’s all you can ask from a back-end rotation piece.
Orioles vs. Rays pick, best bet
Best Bet: Over 7.5 (-117)
Shane McClanahan is coming off the IL to make this start, and he looked worn down prior to going on the IL. Meanwhile, though Brandon Young’s had a nice campaign, the Rays lead the AL in batting average (.281) and wRC+ (118) in the month of August. I feel confident that runs will be scored in this tilt.
Strong Lean: Coby Mayo 2+ Total Bases (+189)
These are crazy odds for this Mayo prop with a lefty on the mound for Tampa. Mayo leads all American League players with 11 home runs off southpaws. Overall, he’s slashing .277/.342/.663 with a 178 wRC+ within the split. 17 of his 28 hits off LHPs have gone for extra bases.
