Seattle @ Texas picks

One of the most effective hurlers in baseball’s history retakes the mound this afternoon in Arlington as the Texas Rangers hope to end the Seattle Mariners’ six-game winning streak. The ball could not be in better hands. It’s easy to forget since he’s rarely pitched (nine total starts in the last two years), but deGrom is a dominant force in the game of baseball. The 36-year-old isn't showing many signs of slowing down, ranking in the 82nd percentile or above in xERA, average exit velocity, and whiff rate. 

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Julio Rodriguez as the 2nd-best batter in Major League Baseball when estimating his BABIP ability.. Julio Rodriguez is penciled in 3rd on the lineup card in this matchup.. On average, the fence height at Globe Life Field is the 6th-shortest among all major league baseball stadiums.. Julio Rodriguez has seen a substantial improvement in his exit velocity on flyballs this season; just compare his 98.2-mph average to last year's 94-mph EV.. Julio Rodriguez has seen a substantial increase in his exit velocity on flyballs of late; just compare his 101.5-mph average over the last 14 days to his seasonal mark of 98.2-mph.