Top 3 MLB Picks & Predictions: Friday (9/25)
Welcome to the Friday baseball slate. Playoff baseball is on the horizon. I'll continue to be here once a week to provide you with the best MLB picks for the day. Baseball is the best sport to get specific with your bets, and there are plenty of angles to attack any given game, with almost every day offering a loaded slate of opportunities. It's the best time of year.
We had our first losing effort in over seven weeks. The hot run had to end at some point. Be sure to check out my NRFI articles as well because those have been straight cash printers throughout 2026. Here are the best MLB picks & predictions for Friday, September 25th.
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
Friday's Best MLB Picks & Predictions
Last Time: 1-2 | This Season: 41-35
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies continue jockeying with the Cubs and Padres in the Wild Card standings. The Phillies really need this, as they haven't actually clinched a playoff spot yet, with the Diamondbacks two games back.
Philadelphia sends Cristopher Sanchez to the mound, and the southpaw has been electric at home with a 12-2 record and 2.21 ERA. He had a few shaky starts in September but is coming off a two-run, 6.1-inning effort in his last start, so I'm confident in his ability to step up here.
Freddy Peralta owns a 1.19 ERA over his last four starts this month, but when he faced the Phillies back in June, he was clobbered for 10 runs in 2.2 innings. He also has a 5.81 ERA on the road, and the Rays have already locked up their playoff seeding. It gets weird this time of year with what teams are playing for, but I'm keeping it simple and taking the Phillies to cover the spread.
Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+156 at Kalshi)
Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago White Sox
In another game with playoff implications, the Chicago White Sox host the Colorado Rockies as they try to clinch the division. Tomoyuki Sugano starts for Colorado, and he hasn't had the best go of it. The righty has a 5.36 ERA, and before you think it's just the park, it's actually worse on the road.
Sugano has taken a step back lately, posting an 8.47 ERA over his last seven starts. He hasn't faced many White Sox hitters before, but I expect them to hit well. You can pick your poison here, but the best odds offered are with Miguel Vargas.
The expected three-hole hitter has been seeing the ball well over the last few months and has a 1.079 OPS in his last 10 games. I would have expected this to be more juiced, but Vargas should get five cracks at this, giving me confidence he can hit the over.
Pick: Miguel Vargas Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-130 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Houston Astros vs. Athletics
Finally, I'm backing another team that needs to win as they are fighting for their playoff lives. The Astros will send Hayden Wesneski to the mound. He has been excellent lately, with a 2.95 ERA over his last four starts. He also faced the A's earlier this season and allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings.
Meanwhile, Jacob Lopez starts for the A's, and he's been the opposite, posting a 10.31 ERA through September and a 1.089 OPS over that span.
Pick: Astros -1.5 (-138 on Polymarket)