Today · 7:15 PM ETLineup pendingAL Central / AL West

Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros Preview

September 17, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Daikin Park.

7:15 PM ET · Daikin ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed

T-Score38

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First pitch 7:15 PM ET

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T-Score50

First pitch 7:15 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation

CategoryComparisonWhy

Starting pitcherPendingHouston Astros has not announced a starter, so a full pitching comparison is not available.

Team strengthAstrosHouston leads 50–38 in T-Score.

WeatherLow impact85°F, wind 6 mph, no precipitation expected at first pitch.

Starting pitchers

Seth Lugo RHP

Kansas City Royals

2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)

ERA

4.99

156th

WHIP

1.45

168th

K/9

6.91

169th

BB/9

2.91

87th

P-Score48i

FIP

4.17

HR/9

1.04

81st

OPS/R

0.745

164.0

2026 ERA splits

Home ERA4.07

Road ERA6.03

Last 5 starts

TBD TBD

Starter not announced

Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent

Metric	Lugo	Starter	Note
ERA−	118	–	Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP	4.17	–
WAR	2.0	–	Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Lugo arsenal

Pitch	Usage	Velo
Sinker	19%	91.4
Four-seam	16%	91.6
Cutter	16%	89.8
Curveball	15%	77.2
Sweeper	11%	79.1
Slider	9%	84.2
Changeup	9%	85.1
Slow Curve	2%	69.2
Slurve	1%	77.3

Offense vs pitcher hand

Astros vs RHPSeth Lugo throws right-handed

.726

OPS vs hand

12th

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

Results

KC·

HOU

+11727th

Run differential

+21816th

66–85 Record76–75

Last 10 games

Kansas City Royals (0–0)

Houston Astros (0–0)

2026 head-to-head

Season Series

0—0

0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Royals?+

Seth Lugo is listed as the starter.

Who is starting for the Astros?+

Houston Astros has not announced a starter for this game.

What time does the game start?+

7:15 PM ET at Daikin Park.

Where is the game being played?+

Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.

Are the lineups confirmed?+

Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.

How do the starters compare on P-Score?+

P-Score is available for one starter only.