Friday Night Baseball — Expert Picks in the MLB Today
Written by: Varun Sharma
Published: Fri Sep 04, 2026, 4:57 pm ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
mlb
Happy Friday. We made it to the weekend, the last weekend without NFL Football in 2026. We're almost there and I couldn't be more excited. However, tonight we've got a full slate of MLB games and a few matchups I've got my eyes on.
Let's bet a few more home runs before the season finishes and let's start with my two favorite tonight.
The cheat sheet makes it a lot easier when I run through the stats I'm looking at and as always, hit me up on X if you've got more questions.
Dinger Cheat Sheet
- BA — Batting Average
- oBA — Opponent Batting Average
- xBA — Expected BA
- SLG — Slugging Percentage
- ISO — Isolated Power
- wOBA — Weighted On-Base Average
- HH% — Hard Hit Rate
- BRL% — Barrel Rate
- HR/9 — Home Runs per 9 innings
- XBH — Extra Base Hit
- RBI — Runs Batted In
Dinger Counter: 19-36; +22.2 units
Today's Dingers
Teoscar Hernández Home Run (+520) | Lucky Rebel
After hitting 58 total home runs in his first two years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández has hit a bit of slump. He's hitting .256 this year, but he's only hit 12 home runs in 104 games and his SLG sits barely above .400.
Good thing about Teoscar thought, he's there when you need him. As we get closer to the postseason, Teo's just been so much better. Hernández is hitting .277 since August 1st, he's hit 3 home runs, recorded 10 RBIs and scored 9 runs.
Over his last 5 games, Hernández is hitting .400 with a .683 xSLG, 27% flyball rate, and 20% barrel rate. Teoscar's also been a lot better against lefties this year. He's batting .282 against lefties this year with a .466 SLG and 37% flyball rate.
Tonight Teoscar will face off with Jackson Kent of the Washington Nationals. Kent's got just 4 career starts in the big leagues, he's got a 5.59 ERA and he's played just 19.1 total innings.
His pitch mix is dominated by his 4-seam fastball and that's a pitch we've seen Teoscar crush all year.
Munetaka Murakami Home Run (+260) | Lucky Rebel
This one's a little more straight forward, but the guy's been struggling. Munetaka Murakami has just one hit in his last 22 plate appearances, he's got a 41% strikeout rate and it's just been ugly.
However, on the season Murakami's been fantastic. Murakami's hitting .213 on the year but he's got 29 home runs in just 105 games, he's got a .481 SLG, 56% HH and a 17% BRL. He's been phenomenal and now he's going through an incredibly rough stretch.
So why am I confident that cold streak breaks tonight? Murakami does another thing exceptionally well and that's crush 4-seam fastballs and sliders.
On the bump for the Minnesota Twins is Zebby Matthews. Matthews has a 4.59 ERA this year, he's giving up 1.6 HR/9 and he's allowing lefties to hit .271 on the year.
It's always tough to bet on someone busting of a slump, but tonight feels like the perfect night for the Southside Samurai. Winds blowing out toward right field and it's Friday night in Chicago; back home after a long road trip.
Looking for More
More MLB News
MLB Betting News
Take Advantage of T-Mobile Park: Expert Picks in the MLB Today
MLB Betting News
Cease's to Amaze: Expert Picks in the MLB for 9/2
MLB Betting News
Three Sides Worth Wagering On: MLB Expert Picks for 9/1
MLB Betting News
Thriving in the Windy City — Expert Picks in the MLB Today
Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly
Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER
Follow me on 'X' @VSaaauce for all my picks and sports takes you didn't ask for! Follow Betting News on 'X' and Twitch and catch us on stream! Betting News is also on TikTok! Follow us for more picks, and news!
Looking for a great promo for a new sportsbook? Check out our reviews of the best sportsbooks.
You may know me as ‘VSaaauce’. I’ve been a die hard hoops fan my entire life. I’ve been betting on the NBA/NCAAB/NFL/MLB for six years now, each year gaining more and more knowledge about being a profitable handicapper. I’m eager to learn, and eager to pass on everything I’ve gained over the last few years. I started my Twitter page four years ago, and this community makes me so thankful I did. Outside of sports and handicapping, I enjoy traveling, hoopin, a strong espresso and I’m currently studying to obtain my MD. I’m all about the vibes, good vibes only. If that sounds like you, follow me on 'X' @VSaaauce.
This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.