Atlanta @ Washington Picks & Props

The leading projection system (THE BAT) projects Nationals Park as the worst ballpark in the game for right-handed batting average. Built just 23 feet above sea level, Nationals Park has one of the lowest elevations in the majors, which tends to lead to less offense. Dry weather has a small yet noteworthy correlation with less offense (and more Ks), and the weather forecast projects the 5th-driest conditions of all games on the slate today at 39%. Austin Riley will be at a disadvantage playing as a visiting player in today's game. Over the past week, Austin Riley's Barrel% has experienced a negative regression, plummeting from his seasonal rate of 16.5% down to 6.7%.

When it comes to his BABIP talent, James Wood is projected as the best hitter in the game by the leading projection system (THE BAT X). James Wood is projected to bat 2nd in the lineup today. Hitting from the opposite that Spencer Strider throws from, James Wood will have the upper hand in today's game. James Wood has a 97th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (39.7%) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them in the direction of the game's 10th-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Hitters such as James Wood with extreme flyball tendencies are usually more effective when facing pitchers like Spencer Strider who skew towards the groundball end of the spectrum.

Alex Verdugo's batting average talent is projected to be in the 86th percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Alex Verdugo is projected to bat 1st in the batting order today. Alex Verdugo has a 95th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (37.8%) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them towards the game's 10th-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Out of every team playing today, the 7th-weakest infield defense is that of the Washington Nationals. Alex Verdugo has seen a sizeable increase in his exit velocity in recent games; just compare his 93.6-mph average over the last 7 days to his seasonal 90.4-mph average.

As it relates to his overall offensive ability, Matt Olson ranks in the 96th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Matt Olson is projected to hit 4th on the lineup card in this game. Nationals Park has the 9th-shallowest RF dimensions in MLB. Out of every team playing today, the 7th-weakest infield defense is that of the Washington Nationals. Matt Olson has seen a sizeable increase in his exit velocity this season; just compare his 94.7-mph average to last season's 91.3-mph mark.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Michael Harris II in the 94th percentile when it comes to his batting average ability. Michael Harris II has an 80th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (34.2%) and will have a big advantage hitting them out towards baseball's 10th-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Out of every team playing today, the 7th-weakest infield defense is that of the Washington Nationals. Michael Harris II has had some very poor luck with his batting average this year; his .222 mark is a fair amount lower than his .283 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 Dylan Crews in the 79th percentile when it comes to his BABIP skill. Dylan Crews has a 77th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (33.7%) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards the game's 10th-shallowest RF fences today. Home field advantage typically bolsters batter metrics in all categories, and Dylan Crews will hold that advantage today. Based on Statcast data, the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected Batting Average (.246) suggests that Dylan Crews has had bad variance on his side this year with his .191 actual batting average.

When estimating his overall offensive talent, Marcell Ozuna ranks in the 95th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Marcell Ozuna is projected to bat 3rd in the lineup today. Batting from the opposite that Mitchell Parker throws from, Marcell Ozuna will have an edge today. Marcell Ozuna pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (34.5% — 86th percentile) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them towards the league's 10th-shallowest LF fences in today's game. Out of every team playing today, the 7th-weakest infield defense is that of the Washington Nationals.

Stuart Fairchild will hold the platoon advantage over Mitchell Parker in today's game. Stuart Fairchild pulls a lot of his flyballs (33.4% — 76th percentile) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them towards the game's 10th-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Out of every team playing today, the 7th-weakest infield defense is that of the Washington Nationals. Stuart Fairchild's 20.6° launch angle (an advanced metric to assess a hitter's ability to lift the ball for power) is one of the highest in MLB: 93rd percentile. Ranking in the 88th percentile for Sprint Speed at 28.71 ft/sec this year, Stuart Fairchild is very quick.

Josh Bell has an 84th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (34.8%) and has the good fortune of hitting them in the direction of the game's 10th-shallowest LF fences in today's game. Extreme groundball bats like Josh Bell usually hit better against extreme flyball pitchers like Spencer Strider. Josh Bell will benefit from the home field advantage in today's game, which should boost all of his stats. This season, Josh Bell has experienced a significant improvement in his exit velocity on flyballs, now sitting at an average of 96.5 mph compared to last year's 92.8 mph mark. Josh Bell's average launch angle on his hardest-hit balls this year (17°) is considerably better than his 12° figure last season.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jose Tena in the 96th percentile when estimating his BABIP skill. Hitting from the opposite that Spencer Strider throws from, Jose Tena will have an edge today. Jose Tena has a 97th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (40.3%) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them in the direction of the game's 10th-shallowest LF fences today. Bats such as Jose Tena with extreme groundball tendencies are usually more effective when facing pitchers like Spencer Strider who skew towards the flyball end of the spectrum. Jose Tena will hold the home field advantage today, which ought to improve all of his stats.

Nick Allen will hold the platoon advantage against Mitchell Parker in today's game. Nick Allen has a 78th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (33.8%) and will have a big advantage hitting them out towards the league's 10th-shallowest RF fences in today's game. Extreme groundball bats like Nick Allen tend to perform better against extreme flyball pitchers like Mitchell Parker. Out of every team playing today, the 7th-weakest infield defense is that of the Washington Nationals. Nick Allen has been hot lately, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 85.8-mph to 89.9-mph over the last 7 days.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Nathaniel Lowe in the 80th percentile as it relates to his BABIP ability. Nathaniel Lowe is projected to hit 3rd on the lineup card in this game. Nathaniel Lowe will hold the platoon advantage against Spencer Strider in today's game. Nathaniel Lowe has a 98th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (40.5%) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them in the direction of baseball's 10th-shallowest LF fences today. Extreme flyball hitters like Nathaniel Lowe tend to be more successful against extreme groundball pitchers like Spencer Strider.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jacob Young in the 88th percentile when it comes to his BABIP skill. Jacob Young has a 100th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (43%) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards the league's 10th-shallowest RF fences today. Extreme flyball bats like Jacob Young are generally more successful against extreme groundball pitchers like Spencer Strider. Jacob Young will benefit from the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to boost all of his stats. Compared to his seasonal average of -2.7°, Jacob Young has significantly improved his launch angle recently, posting a 3.6° angle in the last two weeks' worth of games.

As a switch-hitter who is best from the 0 side of the plate, Ozzie Albies will have the advantage of batting from from his better side against Mitchell Parker in today's game. Ozzie Albies pulls many of his flyballs (39.4% — 98th percentile) and will have a big advantage hitting them towards baseball's 10th-shallowest LF fences in today's game. Out of every team playing today, the 7th-weakest infield defense is that of the Washington Nationals. Ozzie Albies's launch angle this year (21.2°) is considerably higher than his 18.2° mark last year. Ozzie Albies's ability to hit the ball at a HR-maximizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has improved in recent games, increasing from 20.3% on the season to 29.7% in the last two weeks' worth of games.

Among all stadiums, Nationals Park's LF dimensions are the 10th-shallowest. Alex Call will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's game, which should boost all of his stats. In the last 7 days, Alex Call's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 89.3-mph over the course of the season to 95.9-mph lately. Compared to his seasonal average of 12.2°, Alex Call has significantly improved his launch angle lately, posting a 26.3° mark in the past week. With a .323 Expected wOBA (or xwOBA, an advanced metric created by the leading projection system (THE BAT X) based on Statcast data) since the start of last season, Alex Call has performed in the 77th percentile for offensive skills.

When it comes to his overall offensive ability, Sean Murphy ranks in the 85th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Sean Murphy is projected to hit 5th on the lineup card in today's game. Sean Murphy will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Mitchell Parker today. Sean Murphy pulls a lot of his flyballs (36% — 91st percentile) and will have a big advantage hitting them towards the league's 10th-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Out of every team playing today, the 7th-weakest infield defense is that of the Washington Nationals.

When it comes to his overall offensive talent, CJ Abrams ranks in the 79th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). CJ Abrams is projected to bat 1st in the lineup in this matchup. CJ Abrams will have the handedness advantage against Spencer Strider in today's matchup. CJ Abrams pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (34% — 82nd percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them towards the league's 10th-shallowest RF fences today. CJ Abrams will have the benefit of the home field advantage today, which ought to bolster all of his stats.

Keibert Ruiz is penciled in 4th in the batting order in this matchup. The switch-hitting Keibert Ruiz will hold the platoon advantage while batting from from his good side (0) today against Spencer Strider. Keibert Ruiz pulls many of his flyballs (38.7% — 97th percentile) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them towards the league's 10th-shallowest RF fences in today's matchup. Keibert Ruiz will benefit from the home field advantage in today's game, which ought to bolster all of his stats.