Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs Starting Lineup — Saturday, Jul 18, 2026

Minnesota Twins at Chicago Cubs (2026-07-18). Taj Bradley vs Matthew Boyd at Wrigley Field.

Starters — Bradley enters with a 3.59 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 102.2 innings, backed by a strong 10.34 K/9. His 3.51 BB/9 is a bit elevated, and his 1.31 HR/9 shows some long-ball risk, but his last three starts have been excellent: 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 K, 2 BB; 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 10 K, 0 BB; and 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 11 K, 3 BB. The recent trend is down, pointing to improving run prevention. Boyd has a 4.50 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 46.0 innings with a 9.20 K/9 and solid 2.54 BB/9. He has allowed 0.98 HR/9, which is a steadier home-run profile than Bradley’s. His last three starts were mixed: 6.1 IP, 4 ER, 3 K, 1 BB; 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 K, 2 BB; and 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 K, 0 BB. His trend is up, suggesting recent results have moved in the wrong direction.

Teams — Minnesota brings a .736 OPS, .248 average, and 476 runs scored, with a 7-3 mark over its last 10 games. The Twins’ offense is productive enough to support Bradley, but the team pitching staff has been shakier overall with a 4.60 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Chicago has a slightly better .745 OPS and 486 runs, though with a lower .243 average, which suggests a bit more damage coming from extra-base impact than pure contact. The Cubs are 5-5 in their last 10 and have the better overall run-prevention profile, posting a 4.33 team ERA and 1.28 WHIP. That gives Chicago a cleaner full-roster pitching baseline, while Minnesota may hold the edge at the top of this specific matchup because of Bradley’s strikeout form.