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Today · 7:40 PM ETLineup pendingNL East / NL Central

Atlanta Braves   vs   Chicago Cubs Preview

September 16, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Wrigley Field.

7:40 PM ET · Wrigley FieldStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score56
Atlanta Braves
88–63 · 1st NL East · T-Score 56
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First pitch 7:40 PM ET
Chicago Cubs
84–67 · 2nd NL Central · T-Score 65
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T-Score65
First pitch 7:40 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherCubsChicago has the stronger starting-pitcher profile: Imanaga leads in P-Score, WHIP and FIP.
Offense vs handCubsChicago has produced the stronger offense against right-handed pitching.
WeatherModerate impactA 3 mph wind could modestly increase carry on fly balls.

Starting pitchers

ATL
JR Ritchie RHP
JR Ritchie
Atlanta Braves
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
4.50
126th
WHIP
1.43
159th
K/9
8.22
102nd
BB/9
5.59
211th
P-Score41i
FIP
5.41
HR/9
1.40
144th
OPS/R
0.607
IP
58.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.44
Road ERA4.55
Last 5 starts
CHC
Shota Imanaga LHP
Shota Imanaga
Chicago Cubs
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.88
89th
WHIP
1.12
37th
K/9
8.65
81st
BB/9
2.05
19th
P-Score57i
FIP
4.70
HR/9
1.89
200th
OPS/R
0.707
IP
162.1
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.15
Road ERA3.45
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Imanaga allows fewer baserunners, with a 1.12 WHIP compared with 1.43.
·Ritchie allows the lower home-run rate: 1.40 vs 1.89 per nine.
·Imanaga owns the lower FIP, 4.70 to 5.41.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricRitchieImanagaNote
ERA−10794Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP5.414.70
WAR-0.21.3Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Ritchie arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Curveball27%82.9
Sinker21%94.2
Four-seam18%94.5
Changeup17%88.1
Cutter10%89.2
Slider7%85.0
Imanaga arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam41%91.6
Splitter34%82.8
Sweeper15%80.9
Sinker6%90.1
Curveball3%74.4
Slider2%86.4

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Braves vs LHP (Shota Imanaga)
17th
in MLB
0.698OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Cubs vs RHP (JR Ritchie)
4th
in MLB
0.758OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsATLATL·CHCCHC
+2578th
Run differential
+3412nd
88–63 Record84–67
Last 10 games
Atlanta Braves (0–0)
Chicago Cubs (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Braves?+
JR Ritchie is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Cubs?+
Shota Imanaga is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
7:40 PM ET at Wrigley Field.
Where is the game being played?+
Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
JR Ritchie is at 41; Shota Imanaga is at 57. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.