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Today · 7:40 PM ETLineup pendingAL Central

Chicago White Sox   vs   Kansas City Royals Preview

September 22, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Kauffman Stadium.

7:40 PM ET · Kauffman StadiumStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score56
Chicago White Sox
80–76 · 2nd AL Central · T-Score 56
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First pitch 7:40 PM ET
Kansas City Royals
67–89 · 5th AL Central · T-Score 35
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T-Score35
First pitch 7:40 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherRoyalsLynch leads Kay in P-Score (44 vs 47), WHIP and FIP.
Offense vs handSoxChicago owns a .741 OPS vs LHP, 7th in MLB; Kansas ranks 21th vs LHP.
Team strengthSoxChicago leads 56–35 in T-Score, driven by stronger offense.
WeatherLow impact60°F, wind 9 mph, no precipitation expected at first pitch.

Starting pitchers

CWS
Anthony Kay LHP
Anthony Kay
Chicago White Sox
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
4.41
126th
WHIP
1.36
138th
K/9
7.31
150th
BB/9
3.20
115th
P-Score47i
FIP
4.82
HR/9
1.21
112th
OPS/R
0.862
IP
149.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.86
Road ERA5.35
Last 5 starts
KC
Daniel Lynch IV LHP
Daniel Lynch IV
Kansas City Royals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.29
40th
WHIP
1.07
20th
K/9
6.10
203rd
BB/9
2.70
65th
P-Score44i
FIP
3.87
HR/9
0.70
21st
OPS/R
0.730
IP
76.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.22
Road ERA4.00
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Lynch allows fewer baserunners, with a 1.07 WHIP compared with 1.36.
·Lynch owns the lower FIP, 3.87 to 4.82.
·Kay strikes out 1.2 more batters per nine innings.
·Lynch allows the lower home-run rate: 0.70 vs 1.21 per nine.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricKayIVNote
ERA−10982Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP4.823.87
WAR1.10.8Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Kay arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sweeper23%82.7
Four-seam22%95.8
Sinker17%95.2
Cutter17%91.7
Changeup14%86.1
Slider6%86.3
IV arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sinker32%94.1
Changeup24%85.6
Slider20%87.3
Four-seam15%94.6
Knuckle Curve9%81.7

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Sox vs LHP (Daniel Lynch IV)
7th
in MLB
0.741OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Royals vs LHP (Anthony Kay)
21st
in MLB
0.693OPS
.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

ResultsCWSCWS·KCKC
+2868th
Run differential
+12427th
80–76 Record67–89
Last 10 games
Chicago White Sox (0–0)
Kansas City Royals (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Sox?+
Anthony Kay is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Royals?+
Daniel Lynch IV is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
7:40 PM ET at Kauffman Stadium.
Where is the game being played?+
Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Anthony Kay is at 47; Daniel Lynch IV is at 44. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.