Houston @ Pittsburgh picks

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) ranks Oneil Cruz as the game's 6th-best home run hitter.. Oneil Cruz is projected to hit 1st in the lineup in this game.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Oneil Cruz will possess the home field advantage in today's game, which ought to improve all of his stats.. Oneil Cruz has made big improvements with his Barrel%, bettering his 15.7% rate last year to 24.6% this year.

When it comes to his overall offensive skill, Andrew McCutchen ranks in the 87th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).. Andrew McCutchen is projected to bat 2nd in the lineup today.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Batting from the opposite that Framber Valdez throws from, Andrew McCutchen will have an edge in today's game.. Andrew McCutchen will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to improve all of his stats.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Bryan Reynolds in the 94th percentile as it relates to his BABIP skill.. Bryan Reynolds is projected to hit 3rd on the lineup card today.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Bryan Reynolds will possess the home field advantage in today's game, which figures to bolster all of his stats.. Bryan Reynolds has seen a sizeable increase in his exit velocity of late; just compare his 94.6-mph average in the last 14 days to his seasonal 91-mph figure.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jake Meyers in the 79th percentile when it comes to his BABIP skill.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Jake Meyers's ability to hit the ball at a HR-maximizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has gotten better recently, rising from 14.4% on the season to 33.3% in the last week's worth of games.. Jake Meyers's ability to hit the ball at a BABIP-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has increased from last season to this one, increasing from 44.4% to 51.4%.. Jake Meyers has compiled a .278 Expected Batting Average this year, placing in the 83rd percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

Jose Altuve's batting average talent is projected to be in the 88th percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Jose Altuve is penciled in 3rd in the batting order in today's game.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Over the last 14 days, Jose Altuve has improved his Barrel% substantially, increasing it from his seasonal rate of 6% to 12.5%.. Jose Altuve has been hot lately, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 85.4-mph to 87.5-mph in the last two weeks.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Christian Walker in the 93rd percentile when estimating his home run talent.. Christian Walker is penciled in 4th on the lineup card today.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Compared to his seasonal average of 15.1°, Christian Walker has significantly improved his launch angle lately, posting a 40° angle in the last week's worth of games.. The leading projection system (THE BAT X) estimates Christian Walker's true offensive talent to be a .329, providing some evidence that he has been unlucky this year given the .046 gap between that figure and his actual .283 wOBA.

The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. With a .275 batting average since the start of last season, Victor Caratini has performed in the 85th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jeremy Pena in the 96th percentile when estimating his batting average skill.. Jeremy Pena is penciled in 1st on the lineup card in this matchup.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Jeremy Pena has seen a big increase in his exit velocity on flyballs in recent games; just compare his 99.4-mph average in the past 7 days to his seasonal EV of 89.6-mph.. Jeremy Pena has recorded a .351 Expected wOBA (xwOBA) this year, grading out in the 85th percentile for hitting ability according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

Yainer Diaz's batting average talent is projected to be in the 96th percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Yainer Diaz is projected to hit 5th on the lineup card in today's game.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Yainer Diaz has seen a substantial increase in his exit velocity in recent games; just compare his 97-mph average over the last 14 days to his seasonal 91.1-mph figure.. Yainer Diaz's ability to hit the ball at a HR-maximizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has increased from last year to this one, increasing from 11.7% to 16.1%.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) ranks Oneil Cruz as the game's 6th-best home run hitter.. Oneil Cruz is projected to hit 1st in the lineup in this game.. The weather forecast predicts the 5th-most suitable hitting weather of the day, as it relates to temperature and humidity.. Oneil Cruz will possess the home field advantage in today's game, which ought to improve all of his stats.. Oneil Cruz has made big improvements with his Barrel%, bettering his 15.7% rate last year to 24.6% this year.