The 2026 MLB season continues on Saturday with all 30 teams in action. Several compelling games are scheduled, including an American League East collision between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. A divisional showdown between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets will surely draw attention on the National League side. Sports bettors wanting to get in on the action without sweating through an entire nine-inning contest can turn to MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) picks for a quick result. Here's a look at two picks that stick out from the rest this weekend.
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Saturday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Athletics (+150) at Cleveland Guardians (-178)
Starting Pitchers: Jacob Lopez vs. Tanner Bibee
The Guardians will aim to bolster their lead atop the American League Central when they host the Athletics on Saturday. Cleveland will hand the ball to Tanner Bibee (6-15, 4.16 ERA), while the Athletics counter with Jacob Lopez (6-4, 5.02 ERA). Targeting the Guardians has yielded great results in this department. There has been a scoreless first inning in 86 of Cleveland’s 154 games (56%). That’s the third-highest NRFI cash rate in baseball.
Bibee has settled into a groove, tossing a clean first inning in each of his previous 12 starts. The key to the right-hander’s success is getting into favorable counts. Bibee is allowing a .180/.187/.294 slash line when ahead in the count this campaign. Trust him to keep cornering opposing batters, especially against an Athletics offense with the third-highest swing rate (26.1%) and the lowest road OPS (.654) in the Majors.
Be mindful that there are weaknesses to exploit on Cleveland’s offense as well. The Guardians rank 28th in OPS against left-handed pitchers (.661) and 26th in batting average with runners in scoring position (.240). Lopez has a clear path to mow down hitters and pitch his way out of trouble at Progressive Field. Overall, the crafty southpaw has escaped the first inning unscathed in 10 of his past 12 trips to the mound.
Pick: NRFI (-115)
New York Yankees (-132) at Arizona Diamondbacks (+112)
Starting Pitchers: Cam Schlittler vs. Brandon Pfaadt
The Diamondbacks will strive to stay alive in the National League Wild Card race as they host the Yankees at Chase Field on Saturday evening. Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt (7-3, 3.77 ERA) and New York’s Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) will toe the rubber. Slow starts at the plate have been a theme during Diamondbacks clashes lately. There’s been zeroes on the scoreboard at the end of the first inning in 10 of Arizona’s last 14 contests.
To say Pfaadt has improved his stats in the opening frame would be putting it lightly. The Kentucky native has logged a stellar 2.12 first-inning ERA over 17 starts in 2026, after posting a dismal 7.31 first-inning ERA over 33 starts in 2025. Superstar Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list (IL) on Friday. That’s a huge blow to the top of a Yankees lineup that has recorded the league’s lowest first-inning on-base percentage (.290).
First-inning dominance is part of why Schlittler is the favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award. The 25-year-old has fired an unblemished first inning in 27 of his 31 starts. Schlittler’s 0.81 first-inning WHIP is the fifth-lowest mark among qualified MLB arms. Take note that the Diamondbacks are a bottom-five offense in first-inning runs per game (0.44) and OPS versus right-handed pitching (.689). Schlittler has the edge.
Pick: NRFI (-138)
