Cincinnati @ Chicago picks

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Seiya Suzuki in the 97th percentile when it comes to his overall offensive talent.. Seiya Suzuki is penciled in 3rd in the batting order today.. Wrigley Field has the 6th-shallowest left field fences among all stadiums.. Among all the teams on the slate today, the 5th-weakest outfield defense belongs to the Cincinnati Reds.. Home field advantage typically improves hitter stats across the board, and Seiya Suzuki will hold that advantage today.

Kyle Tucker projects as the 10th-best hitter in Major League Baseball, per the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Kyle Tucker is penciled in 2nd in the lineup in this game.. Wrigley Field sits at the 10th-highest altitude in the league. High elevation tends to lead to higher offensive output.. Batting from the opposite that Nick Martinez throws from, Kyle Tucker will have an advantage in today's game.. Among all the teams on the slate today, the 5th-weakest outfield defense belongs to the Cincinnati Reds.

The Chicago Cubs projected lineup ranks as the 4th-strongest of all teams today in terms of overall batting skill.. Among all the teams on the slate today, the 5th-weakest outfield defense belongs to the Cincinnati Reds.. Playing on the road generally reduces pitcher stats in all categories due to the lack of home field advantage, which should be the case for Nick Martinez today.. Chicago Cubs hitters as a group rank 8th- in baseball for power this year when using their 9.7% Barrel%.. As a team, Chicago Cubs hitters have performed well as far as hitting balls in the launch angle band that tends to optimize home runs (between 23° and 34°), ranking best in the majors.

In his previous GS, Jameson Taillon conceded a whopping 6 earned runs.. Jameson Taillon's cut-fastball percentage has dropped by 11.6% from last season to this one (25% to 13.4%) .. Jameson Taillon's 91.8-mph fastball velocity this year ranks in the 23rd percentile out of all starters.. Jameson Taillon has been lucky in regards to his ERA this year; his 3.86 mark is deflated compared to his 5.25 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching, an estimator of ERA that focuses on the things a pitcher has the most control over).. With a 5.25 FIP this year (Fielding Independent Pitching, an ERA estimator that is concerned with the things a pitcher can most influence), Jameson Taillon falls in the 12th percentile.

Wrigley Field sits at the 10th-highest altitude in the league. High elevation tends to lead to higher offensive output.. Jake Fraley will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Jameson Taillon in today's game.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Will Benson in the 88th percentile when estimating his home run talent.. Wrigley Field sits at the 10th-highest altitude in the league. High elevation tends to lead to higher offensive output.. Will Benson will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Jameson Taillon in today's game.. Will Benson's 12.6% Barrel% (a reliable stat to measure power) grades out in the 87th percentile since the start of last season.. Since the start of last season, Will Benson's flyball exit velocity (an advanced standard to assess power) is in the 75th percentile at 93.8 mph.

As it relates to his overall offensive skill, Dansby Swanson ranks in the 89th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).. Dansby Swanson is projected to bat 5th in the batting order in this matchup.. Wrigley Field has the 6th-shallowest left field fences among all stadiums.. Among all the teams on the slate today, the 5th-weakest outfield defense belongs to the Cincinnati Reds.. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter stats in all categories, and Dansby Swanson will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

Reese McGuire will hold the platoon advantage over Nick Martinez today.. Home field advantage generally improves hitter metrics across the board, and Reese McGuire will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

As it relates to his overall offensive skill, Dansby Swanson ranks in the 89th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).. Dansby Swanson is projected to bat 5th in the batting order in this matchup.. Wrigley Field has the 5th-shallowest left field fences among all stadiums.. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter stats in all categories, and Dansby Swanson will hold that advantage in today's matchup.. Dansby Swanson has seen a big increase in his exit velocity of late; just compare his 94.7-mph average in the past 14 days to his seasonal 91.3-mph EV.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Seiya Suzuki in the 97th percentile when it comes to his overall offensive talent.. Seiya Suzuki is penciled in 3rd in the batting order today.. Wrigley Field has the 6th-shallowest left field fences among all stadiums.. Among all the teams on the slate today, the 5th-weakest outfield defense belongs to the Cincinnati Reds.. Home field advantage typically improves hitter stats across the board, and Seiya Suzuki will hold that advantage today.