Washington Nationals vs Kansas City Royals Pick – 8/13/2025
The Kansas City Royals have earned two straight wins over the Washington Nationals to get back to the .500 mark for the season. The Nats and Royals will face off again on Wednesday in Kansas City and the Royals have a chance to get back above .500 by securing the series sweep. Will that happen in this contest? Continue reading to get my Nationals vs Royals prediction and find out.
Our Nationals vs Royals Pick
- Pick: Kansas City Royals -1.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Washington Nationals vs Kansas City Royals
- Date & Time: Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 2:10 p.m. ET
- Starting Pitchers:
- Nationals: Jake Irvin (8-7, 4.90 ERA)
- Royals: Seth Lugo (8-6, 3.46 ERA)
- Stadium: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
- Broadcast: FDSKC and MASN2
Key Storylines
Pitching Matchup
Jake Irvin has been inconsistent for the Nationals this season. He is giving up home runs at a high rate and seeing a concerning decline in swing-and-miss metrics. He’s surrendered 26 homers and has some of the worst contact and strikeout numbers among starters. Seth Lugo is vulnerable to the long ball as well but he enters with solid full-season numbers. His last handful of outings have been rough. Lugo has a 5.12 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in his last seven starts.
Key Players
- James Wood and C.J. Abrams are a nice one-two punch for the Nationals offensively. They both drove in runs in Tuesday’s loss in the seventh inning of that game.
- Vinnie Pasquantino is a focal point for the Royals offensively. He had five RBI on Tuesday to help the Royals get back to .500.
Recent Team Streaks
- The Nationals have lost two games in a row and stand at 47-72.
- Kansas City has won two games in a row and they have wins in three of their last four games.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Vinnie Pasquantino | Over 0.5 Home Runs |
| James Wood | Over 1.5 Total Bases |
| Jake Irvin (K’s) | Under 4.5 Strikeouts |
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the final game of the regular season series between these two teams.
- Kansas City has won both matchups between the Royals and Nationals so far this year.
- Kansas City is 30-28 at home after their two wins against Washington.
- Washington has the worst bullpen ERA in baseball at 5.89.
Nationals vs Royals Model Projection
Score Projection: Royals 5 – Nationals 3
Win Probability: Royals 62%, Nationals 38%
Final Thoughts
All signs point to a Royals win in the final game of this series. The Royals have a starting pitching advantage going into the game and their bullpen is superior to that of the Nationals as well. Look for Kansas City to complete the sweep of Washington and for the Royals to continue to stay within striking distance in the AL Wild Card race.
