Pittsburgh @ Tampa Bay Picks & Props

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Oneil Cruz in the 94th percentile when it comes to his overall offensive talent. Oneil Cruz is projected to hit 3rd in the lineup in this matchup. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Hitting from the opposite that Ryan Pepiot throws from, Oneil Cruz will have the upper hand in today's game. Extreme flyball bats like Oneil Cruz tend to perform better against extreme groundball pitchers like Ryan Pepiot.

A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Endy Rodriguez pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (34% — 81st percentile) and will have a big advantage hitting them towards the game's 8th-shallowest RF fences today. Endy Rodriguez has not been honed in on the ideal launch angle for home runs in recent games, striking balls between 23° and 34° just 0% of the time in the last week.

A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Home field advantage typically bolsters batter metrics in all categories, and Jonny Deluca will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

Adam Frazier is projected to hit 1st on the lineup card in today's game, which would be an upgrade from his 75% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the batting order this season. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Hitting from the opposite that Ryan Pepiot throws from, Adam Frazier will have an advantage today. Based on Statcast metrics, the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected Batting Average (.244) suggests that Adam Frazier has had bad variance on his side since the start of last season with his .202 actual batting average.

When estimating his overall offensive talent, Brandon Lowe ranks in the 92nd percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Brandon Lowe is penciled in 2nd in the batting order today. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Brandon Lowe will hold the platoon advantage over Paul Skenes in today's matchup. Home field advantage typically improves hitter stats in all categories, and Brandon Lowe will hold that advantage in today's game.

Jack Suwinski is penciled in 5th in the lineup in this game. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Jack Suwinski will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Ryan Pepiot in today's game. Jack Suwinski pulls many of his flyballs (34.5% — 84th percentile) and will have a big advantage hitting them towards the game's 8th-shallowest RF fences today. In the past week, Jack Suwinski has displayed impressive power, recording a a 25% Barrel% (a reliable standard to assess power).

A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Taylor Walls will hold the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to improve all of his stats. In terms of plate discipline, Taylor Walls's talent is quite strong, putting up a 1.95 K/BB rate since the start of last season while placing in in the 80th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Bryan Reynolds in the 92nd percentile when assessing his BABIP skill. Bryan Reynolds is projected to hit 2nd on the lineup card in this game. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. As a switch-hitter who is best from the 0 side of the plate, Bryan Reynolds will hold the platoon advantage while batting from from his strong side against Ryan Pepiot in today's matchup. Based on Statcast metrics, Bryan Reynolds ranks in the 85th percentile for offensive skills according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected wOBA (xwOBA) since the start of last season at .348.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jonathan Aranda in the 87th percentile when estimating his overall offensive skill. Jonathan Aranda is projected to hit 5th in the lineup today. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Hitting from the opposite that Paul Skenes throws from, Jonathan Aranda will have an edge today. Jonathan Aranda will possess the home field advantage today, which figures to bolster all of his stats.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jared Triolo in the 87th percentile when estimating his BABIP skill. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Jared Triolo has an 84th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (34.7%) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them out towards baseball's 8th-shallowest RF fences today. Jared Triolo has been unlucky in regards to his wOBA since the start of last season; his .271 figure is considerably lower than his .300 Expected wOBA, based on the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the 90th percentile when estimating his batting average talent. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has an 88th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (35.6%) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards MLB's 8th-shallowest RF fences today. Hitters such as Isiah Kiner-Falefa with extreme groundball tendencies are usually more effective when facing pitchers like Ryan Pepiot who skew towards the flyball end of the spectrum. Checking in at the 83rd percentile, Isiah Kiner-Falefa sits with a .273 batting average since the start of last season.

A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Jose Caballero will benefit from the home field advantage in today's game, which ought to bolster all of his stats. Jose Caballero has done a good job optimizing his launch angle on his hardest-hit balls. His 17° mark is among the highest in baseball since the start of last season (88th percentile).

As it relates to his overall offensive talent, Andrew McCutchen ranks in the 81st percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Andrew McCutchen is penciled in 5th in the batting order today. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Notching a 95.7-mph average exit velocity over the past week, Andrew McCutchen has been in great form of late. Andrew McCutchen's 12% Barrel% (a reliable metric to assess power) is in the 84th percentile since the start of last season.

Tommy Pham is penciled in 4th on the lineup card in this game. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Extreme groundball batters like Tommy Pham tend to perform better against extreme flyball pitchers like Ryan Pepiot. When it comes to his wOBA and overall offense, Tommy Pham has had some very poor luck since the start of last season. His .290 rate falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .306.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Christopher Morel in the 84th percentile when estimating his overall offensive skill. Christopher Morel is projected to bat 5th on the lineup card in today's game. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Christopher Morel will have the benefit of the home field advantage today, which should boost all of his stats. Christopher Morel's speed has increased this season. His 27.32 ft/sec Statcast Sprint Speed last year sits at 28.46 ft/sec now.

A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Ben Rortvedt will hold the platoon advantage against Paul Skenes today. Ben Rortvedt will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's matchup, which ought to bolster all of his stats. Ben Rortvedt has put up a .318 BABIP since the start of last season, ranking in the 79th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Junior Caminero in the 92nd percentile when it comes to his batting average ability. Junior Caminero is projected to bat 4th in the lineup in this game. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Junior Caminero will possess the home field advantage today, which figures to boost all of his stats. Placing in the 97th percentile, the hardest ball Junior Caminero has made contact with since the start of last season reached a maximum exit velocity of 116.3 mph -- an advanced indication of underlying power skill.

Joey Bart is projected to hit 4th on the lineup card in this game. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Over the last 7 days, Joey Bart's maximum exit velocity (a strong indicator of recent form and raw power) has been 110.5-mph, which qualifies as one of the hardest-hit balls in the league. Joey Bart has compiled a .342 wOBA (the best measure of overall offense) since the start of last season, ranking in the 82nd percentile. With a .323 BABIP since the start of last season, Joey Bart is positioned in the 82nd percentile.

A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Ke'Bryan Hayes has a 99th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (41.9%) and has the good fortune of hitting them out towards baseball's 8th-shallowest RF fences today.

Jake Mangum is projected to hit 3rd in the lineup in this matchup. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Jake Mangum will hold the home field advantage today, which figures to bolster all of his stats. Notching a 96.5-mph average exit velocity over the past week, Jake Mangum has been in great form recently. Jake Mangum has been honed in on the ideal launch angle for home runs of late, striking balls between 23° and 34° 33.3% of the time in the last 7 days.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Yandy Diaz as the 12th-best hitter in the league when it comes to his batting average skill. Yandy Diaz is penciled in 1st on the lineup card in this game. A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Yandy Diaz has a 98th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (40.4%) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them towards the league's 8th-shallowest RF fences in today's game. Yandy Diaz will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's game, which figures to boost all of his stats.

A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer strikeouts), and this game is forecasted to have the hottest temperature on the slate at 87°. Hitting from the opposite that Paul Skenes throws from, Kameron Misner will have an advantage today. Home field advantage generally improves batter metrics across the board, and Kameron Misner will hold that advantage today. Over the last week, Kameron Misner has displayed impressive power, recording a a 14.3% Barrel% (an advanced stat to study power). Posting a 96.8-mph average exit velocity in the last week's worth of games, Kameron Misner has been in great form of late.