Chicago @ San Diego Picks & Props

Gage Workman is projected to hit 9th in the lineup in this matchup. The #5 stadium in the league for suppressing batting average to LHB, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT), is Petco Park. Built just 14 feet above sea level, Petco Park has one of the lowest altitudes in the majors, which often leads to worse offense. Playing on the road generally lessens batter metrics in all categories due to the lack of home field advantage, which figures to be the case for Gage Workman in today's game.

The Chicago Cubs have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Jason Heyward can likely count on holding the advantage against every reliever all game. Home field advantage typically boosts batter metrics across the board, and Jason Heyward will hold that advantage today. Jason Heyward has seen a notable improvement in his exit velocity on flyballs of late; just compare his 92.2-mph average in the last 7 days to his seasonal figure of 89.1-mph. There has been a significant improvement in Jason Heyward's launch angle from last year's 10.2° to 22.3° this year. Jason Heyward has experienced some negative variance in regards to his batting average since the start of last season; his .207 BA is a good deal lower than his .230 Expected Batting Average, based on the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Xander Bogaerts in the 94th percentile as it relates to his batting average talent. Xander Bogaerts is projected to bat 4th on the lineup card in this game. Hitting from the opposite that Matthew Boyd throws from, Xander Bogaerts will have an advantage in today's matchup. Xander Bogaerts hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (38.4% — 75th percentile) and is fortunate to face MLB's 2nd-shallowest CF fences in today's game. Xander Bogaerts will possess the home field advantage today, which ought to bolster all of his stats.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Luis Arraez as the 2nd-best batter in Major League Baseball when assessing his batting average skill. Luis Arraez is penciled in 2nd in the lineup today. In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. Luis Arraez will probably have the upper hand against every reliever throughout the game, since the bullpen of the Chicago Cubs only has 1 same-handed RP. Luis Arraez will possess the home field advantage in today's game, which figures to boost all of his stats.

Fernando Tatis Jr. projects as the 7th-best batter in MLB, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Fernando Tatis Jr. is penciled in 1st in the lineup in this matchup. Fernando Tatis Jr. will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Matthew Boyd in today's game. Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a lot of his flyballs to center field (39% — 88th percentile) and is fortunate to face baseball's 2nd-shallowest CF fences today. Fernando Tatis Jr. will hold the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to improve all of his stats.

In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. The Chicago Cubs have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Tyler Wade has a strong chance of holding the platoon advantage against every reliever all game. Extreme flyball hitters like Tyler Wade tend to perform better against extreme groundball pitchers like Matthew Boyd. Home field advantage typically boosts batter metrics across the board, and Tyler Wade will hold that advantage in today's matchup. Based on Statcast metrics, the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected wOBA (.287) may lead us to conclude that Tyler Wade has experienced some negative variance since the start of last season with his .241 actual wOBA.

In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. Yuli Gurriel will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Matthew Boyd in today's matchup. Home field advantage typically boosts batter metrics across the board, and Yuli Gurriel will hold that advantage in today's game. Yuli Gurriel has gotten much quicker this year, improving from last season's 25.2 ft/sec to 26.47 ft/sec now (according to Statcast's Sprint Speed metric). Based on Statcast metrics, the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected wOBA (.289) provides evidence that Yuli Gurriel has experienced some negative variance since the start of last season with his .254 actual wOBA.

Kyle Tucker projects as the 10th-best hitter in Major League Baseball, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Kyle Tucker is projected to hit 2nd in the batting order today. Kyle Tucker will have the handedness advantage over Nick Pivetta in today's matchup. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. Kyle Tucker has made significant strides with his Barrel%, bettering his 12.9% rate last year to 21.1% this season.

When it comes to his overall offensive talent, Dansby Swanson ranks in the 87th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Dansby Swanson is penciled in 5th in the batting order in today's game. Dansby Swanson hits many of his flyballs to center field (39.9% — 97th percentile) and is fortunate to face MLB's 2nd-shallowest CF fences in today's matchup. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. In the past week, Dansby Swanson's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 10.8% up to 18.8%.

In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. Batting from the opposite that Matthew Boyd throws from, Elias Diaz will have the upper hand in today's game. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter stats in all categories, and Elias Diaz will hold that advantage in today's game. Elias Diaz has been lifting the ball well recently, notching a 23.7° launch angle over the past two weeks.

When assessing his overall offensive ability, Manny Machado ranks in the 93rd percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Manny Machado is projected to hit 3rd in the lineup in this game. Manny Machado will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Matthew Boyd in today's game. Manny Machado hits many of his flyballs to center field (39.8% — 96th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting towards MLB's 2nd-shallowest CF fences in today's matchup. Home field advantage generally boosts batter stats in all categories, and Manny Machado will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Seiya Suzuki in the 97th percentile as it relates to his BABIP ability. Seiya Suzuki is projected to bat 3rd in the lineup in this matchup. Seiya Suzuki hits many of his flyballs to center field (42.8% — 100th percentile) and will have a big advantage facing the game's 2nd-shallowest CF fences today. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. The Barrel% of Seiya Suzuki has significantly improved, with an increase from 11.5% last year to 16.7% this season.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jose Iglesias in the 93rd percentile when it comes to his batting average ability. Jose Iglesias will have the handedness advantage against Matthew Boyd today. Extreme flyball bats like Jose Iglesias tend to be more successful against extreme groundball pitchers like Matthew Boyd. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter stats in all categories, and Jose Iglesias will hold that advantage in today's matchup. Placing in the 92nd percentile, Jose Iglesias has posted a .360 wOBA (widely regarded as the top indicator of overall offense) since the start of last season.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Ian Happ in the 89th percentile as it relates to his overall offensive ability. Ian Happ is projected to hit 1st on the lineup card today. In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. As a switch-hitter who is stronger from the 0 side of the plate, Ian Happ will have the advantage of batting from from his better side against Nick Pivetta in today's matchup. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres.

When assessing his overall offensive talent, Michael Busch ranks in the 84th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Michael Busch is projected to bat 4th in the batting order in this game. In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. Hitting from the opposite that Nick Pivetta throws from, Michael Busch will have an advantage in today's game. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres.

Pete Crow-Armstrong's BABIP talent is projected in the 76th percentile by the leading projection system (THE BAT X). In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. Pete Crow-Armstrong will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Nick Pivetta in today's matchup. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. Pete Crow-Armstrong has seen a substantial gain in his exit velocity on flyballs recently; just compare his 97.6-mph average in the past 7 days to his seasonal average of 91.5-mph.

Justin Turner is projected to hit 3rd in the batting order in this matchup. In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. Justin Turner's ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has improved from last year to this one, rising from 19.1% to 37.9%. Justin Turner's ability to hit the ball at a BABIP-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has increased recently, increasing from 44% on the season to 66.7% over the past week.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jon Berti in the 89th percentile when it comes to his BABIP skill. Extreme groundball batters like Jon Berti tend to be more successful against extreme flyball pitchers like Nick Pivetta. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. Posting a .267 Expected Batting Average (an advanced metric created by the leading projection system (THE BAT X) utilizing Statcast data) since the start of last season , Jon Berti is positioned in the 84th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Nico Hoerner in the 96th percentile when assessing his batting average ability. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. Nico Hoerner's ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has improved lately, rising from 12.7% on the season to 35.3% in the past week. Nico Hoerner's ability to hit the ball at a BABIP-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has gotten better from last season to this one, rising from 44.5% to 55.2%. Nico Hoerner has put up a .288 Expected Batting Average since the start of last season, ranking in the 93rd percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

Carson Kelly hits a lot of his flyballs to center field (39% — 88th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest CF fences in today's matchup. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. Carson Kelly has made sizeable strides with his Barrel%, bettering his 6.6% rate last year to 28.6% this year. In comparison to his 87.5-mph average last year, Carson Kelly's exit velocity has noticeably risen this season, now sitting at 95.7 mph. Carson Kelly's ability to hit the ball at a base hit-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has improved from last year to this one, increasing from 37.4% to 60.7%.

In Major League Baseball, Petco Park's CF fences are the 2nd-shallowest. Out of every team today, the 5th-weakest infield defense is that of the San Diego Padres. Miguel Amaya's launch angle this year (19.9°) is quite a bit better than his 10.9° mark last season. In the past week, Miguel Amaya's 55.6% rate of hitting balls at a base hit-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 44.1%.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Oscar Gonzalez in the 82nd percentile as it relates to his batting average talent. Oscar Gonzalez is penciled in 5th in the batting order in today's game. Oscar Gonzalez will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Matthew Boyd in today's matchup. Oscar Gonzalez hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (40% — 97th percentile) and is fortunate to face baseball's 2nd-shallowest CF fences in today's game. Bats such as Oscar Gonzalez with extreme flyball tendencies are usually more effective when facing pitchers like Matthew Boyd who skew towards the groundball end of the spectrum.