The Cleveland Guardians (32-25) host the Washington Nationals (29-27) on May 27, 2026. First pitch from Progressive Field is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on CLEG.
The Guardians are favored by -184 on the moneyline and by -1.5 (+112) on the run line. The Nationals are +154 on the moneyline and +1.5 (-137) on the run line. The total is set at 8 runs (-102 / -120).
Find my MLB picks and Nationals vs Guardians prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Nationals vs Guardians Prediction, MLB Picks
- Nationals vs Guardians Pick: Guardians ML | Jose Ramirez 2+ Stolen Bases
Nationals vs Guardians Odds, Spread, and Over/Under
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -137 | 8 -102o / -120u | +154 |
| Guardians Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +112 | 8 -102o / -120u | -184 |
- Nationals vs Guardians moneyline: Nationals +154, Guardians -184
- Nationals vs Guardians over/under: 8 (-102 / -120)
- Nationals vs Guardians spread: Guardians -1.5 (+112), Nationals +1.5 (-137)
Nationals vs Guardians Probable Pitchers
| Miles Mikolas (RHP, WSN) | Stat | Gavin Williams (RHP, CLE) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | W-L | 7-3 |
| -0.5 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.4 |
| 6.17 / 5.29 | ERA / xERA | 3.25 / 4.23 |
| 5.71 / 4.27 | FIP / xFIP | 3.34 / 2.86 |
| 8.4% | K-BB% | 22.4% |
| 48.4% | GB% | 46.7% |
| .272 | BABIP | .292 |
| 90 | Stuff+ | 106 |
| 111 | Location+ | 105 |
Nationals vs Guardians MLB Pick, Prop Bets
The Nationals and Guardians will square off on Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field in an interleague clash that will surely deliver fireworks featuring two lineups that are red-hot at the plate entering this contest in Cleveland.
Washington veteran right-hander Miles Mikolas will take the mound for the visiting Nationals, while the Guardians will trot out 26-year-old righty Gavin Williams, who is off to a phenomenal start in 2026.
Williams has recorded an impressive 3.25 ERA thus far in 2026, which ranks inside the top-25 in the Major Leagues.
Cleveland’s 6 '6 stud also ranks third in baseball with a whopping 84 strikeouts this season and inside the top-30 amongst all starting pitchers with a 1.11 WHIP across his first 11 outings in 2026.
Williams has allowed just two earned runs over his last two starts, with 14 innings pitched on the bump and an exceptional 18 punch-outs.
While the Guardians’ Wednesday starter is posting career-best numbers across the board in 2026, Mikolas is trending in the other direction.
The Nationals' 37-year-old has recorded a dreadful 6.17 ERA in 2026 throughout nearly 47 frames on the mound. Mikolas has really struggled with command and has had vast difficulty retiring opposing hitters on both sides of the plate.
While the first-year National’s struggles on the mound this season may surprise some, a deeper look at his pitching metrics across an extensive stint in the Cardinals' rotation tells a very similar story, with Mikolas finishing the season with a sub-4 ERA just twice in his seven years pitching for Saint Louis.
In a matchup, the Guardians have a massive pitching edge. I will be looking to target Cleveland on the moneyline to conclude its three-game interleague homestand with a massive victory over a Nationals’ team that has some impressive star power in CJ Abrams and James Wood, amongst several others.
Given the extensive duration of Mikolas pitching in the Big Leagues, there is quite a sample size of his previous encounters with several hitters in this Guardians’ lineup.
While others have had more success facing the Nats’ veteran, I will still be looking to target Cleveland’s premier slugger in superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez.
Ramirez is off to another phenomenal start in 2026 and has consistently been one of the best all-around players in the entire MLB for several seasons.
The Guardians’ switch-hitting slugger is one of just five players in MLB history to have recorded three or more ‘30/30’ seasons – having smashed 30 homers and swiped 30 bags.
While the Guardians’ 33-year-old power metrics have actually taken a slight step back across Cleveland’s first 45 games of the season, Ramirez has been unbelievably dominant on the base paths, ranking second in all of baseball with 20 steals, trailing just the Nationals’ Nassim Nuñez.
In a game that I expect the Nats’ Mikolas to really struggle, the Guardians should consistently have runners on the basepaths, considering how poorly his command over his pitching arsenal has been in 2026.
Given how elite a base-runner Ramirez has been this season, I will be looking to target Cleveland’s superstar to exceed an alternate 1.5 stolen base mark on Wednesday afternoon.
Pick: Guardians ML | Jose Ramirez 2+ Stolen Bases
