See the Updated Player Rankings for Guardians vs Giants – 6/18/25

Cleveland Guardians

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San Francisco Giants

On June 18, 2025, the San Francisco Giants will host the Cleveland Guardians at Oracle Park for the second game of their series. The Giants, currently sitting at 41-32, are having a solid season, while the Guardians are hovering around .500 with a record of 36-35. In their last matchup, the Guardians edged out the Giants 3-2, leaving San Francisco looking to rebound in front of their home crowd.

The Giants are projected to start Justin Verlander, who has struggled this season with a 0-3 record despite an average ERA of 4.33. Verlander’s underlying statistics suggest he may be due for a downturn, as his 5.07 xERA indicates he has benefitted from some good fortune. While he projects to allow just 2.0 earned runs today, his average of 4.8 innings pitched isn’t encouraging for a team trying to build momentum. On the other side, the Guardians will counter with Logan Allen, who has an equally mediocre ERA of 4.28 but has a Win/Loss record of 4-4.

Offensively, the Giants rank 22nd in MLB, struggling to generate consistent run support. Their best hitter has been effective lately, boasting a .500 batting average over the last week, but the overall lineup has been underwhelming. Meanwhile, the Guardians also find themselves in the lower tier offensively, ranking 25th in MLB. Given that both teams struggle at the plate, the matchup could hinge on which pitcher can limit walks and capitalize on the opposition’s weaknesses.

With the Giants boasting the 2nd best bullpen in MLB and a favorable matchup against a high-walk pitcher in Allen, they hold a solid edge in this game. San Francisco’s chances are further bolstered by their strong implied team total of 4.66 runs, suggesting the oddsmakers expect them to find some success at the plate today.

Cleveland Guardians Insights

• Logan Allen – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+125/-160)
  Logan Allen’s 90.1-mph velocity on his fastball this season is a substantial 1.1-mph drop off from last year’s 91.2-mph figure.
  Explain: Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs, so a pitcher whose velocity decreases will likely see worse results.
• Daniel Schneemann – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-155/+120)
  Daniel Schneemann’s average exit velocity has declined in recent games; his 87.3-mph seasonal figure has fallen off to 84.2-mph in the past 14 days.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• Jose Ramirez – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+120/-150)
  Jose Ramirez pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (41.2% — 99th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he’ll be hitting them towards the game’s 2nd-shallowest RF fences in today’s game.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

San Francisco Giants Insights

• Justin Verlander – Over/Under Pitching Outs
  The leading projection system (THE BAT X) expects Justin Verlander to be limited today, projecting a maximum of 80 pitches.
  Explain: A pitcher who is on a pitch count is likely to be pulled from the game earlier, record fewer outs, and generate fewer strikeouts.
• Wilmer Flores – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+145/-190)
  Extreme groundball bats like Wilmer Flores are generally less successful against extreme groundball pitchers like Logan Allen.
  Explain: This mostly has to do with the way the hitter’s swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create diminished performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.
• Justin Verlander – Over/Under 3.5 Strikeouts (-130/+100)
  Patrick Bailey, the Giants’s expected catcher today, grades out as an elite pitch framer according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).
  Explain: Pitch framing is a catcher’s ability to make a ball look like a strike to the umpire, “stealing” strikes for his pitcher. This leads to more positive outcomes (like strikeouts) and fewer negative ones (like walks or earned runs).

Betting Trends

• Over/Under 8.5 Game Total (-110/-110)
  The San Francisco Giants have hit the Game Total Under in 31 of their last 53 games (+9.50 Units / 16% ROI)
• Over/Under 8.5 Game Total (-110/-110)
  The Cleveland Guardians have hit the Game Total Under in 12 of their last 16 away games (+8.60 Units / 47% ROI)
• Mike Yastrzemski – Over/Under 1.5 Hits Runs and RBIs (+125/-160)
  Mike Yastrzemski has hit the Hits Runs and RBIs Over in his last 6 games (+6.25 Units / 76% ROI)