Chicago @ Detroit Picks & Props

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), Kyle Tucker ranks as the 7th-best hitter in the game. Kyle Tucker is projected to bat 2nd in the lineup in this matchup. Extreme flyball batters like Kyle Tucker usually hit better against extreme groundball pitchers like Tarik Skubal. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers. Kyle Tucker has seen a significant improvement in his exit velocity on flyballs in recent games; just compare his 95.9-mph average in the past week to his seasonal mark of 93.5-mph.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Dansby Swanson in the 88th percentile as it relates to his overall offensive talent. Batting from the opposite that Tarik Skubal throws from, Dansby Swanson will have an advantage today. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers. Dansby Swanson has seen a significant improvement in his exit velocity in recent games; just compare his 92.3-mph average over the last week to his seasonal 90.3-mph figure. Dansby Swanson has been unlucky this year, posting a .309 wOBA despite the leading projection system (THE BAT X) estimating his true talent level to be .333 — a .024 discrepancy.

When estimating his overall offensive ability, Pete Crow-Armstrong ranks in the 80th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Pete Crow-Armstrong is projected to hit 5th in the lineup today. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers. Over the past 14 days, Pete Crow-Armstrong's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 94.9-mph over the course of the season to 100.9-mph in recent games. Pete Crow-Armstrong's launch angle this year (23°) is significantly better than his 16.7° angle last season.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Matt Shaw in the 78th percentile as it relates to his batting average ability. Hitting from the opposite that Tarik Skubal throws from, Matt Shaw will have an edge in today's matchup. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers.

Hitting from the opposite that Tarik Skubal throws from, Justin Turner will have an advantage in today's game. Extreme groundball hitters like Justin Turner generally hit better against extreme flyball pitchers like Tarik Skubal. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers. Justin Turner's ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has increased from last year to this one, increasing from 19.1% to 28.2%. As it relates to his wOBA and overall offense, Justin Turner has had bad variance on his side this year. His .260 mark falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .319.

Carson Kelly is penciled in 4th in the lineup in this matchup. Hitting from the opposite that Tarik Skubal throws from, Carson Kelly will have an advantage today. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers. Carson Kelly has seen a sizeable increase in his exit velocity on flyballs recently; just compare his 99.4-mph average over the last two weeks to his seasonal average of 96.2-mph. Checking in at the 81st percentile, Carson Kelly has notched a .336 wOBA (widely regarded as the top measure of overall offense) since the start of last season.

Seiya Suzuki projects as the 17th-best batter in baseball, per the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Seiya Suzuki is projected to bat 3rd in the lineup in this matchup. Seiya Suzuki will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Tarik Skubal today. Extreme groundball hitters like Seiya Suzuki usually hit better against extreme flyball pitchers like Tarik Skubal. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Ian Happ in the 88th percentile when estimating his overall offensive ability. Ian Happ is penciled in 1st in the batting order in this matchup. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers. Ian Happ has suffered from bad luck when it comes to his wOBA this year; his .312 mark is considerably lower than his .332 Expected wOBA, based on the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data. By putting up a 1.77 K/BB rate this year, Ian Happ has shown strong plate discipline, placing in the 77th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Nico Hoerner as the 20th-best hitter in the league when estimating his batting average ability. Nico Hoerner will have the handedness advantage over Tarik Skubal in today's matchup. Among all the teams playing today, the worst infield defense is that of the Detroit Tigers. In the past 7 days, Nico Hoerner's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 1.9% up to 9.1%. Over the past week, Nico Hoerner's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 86.9-mph over the course of the season to 89.3-mph lately.

Hitters such as Javier Baez with extreme flyball tendencies are usually more effective when facing pitchers like Ben Brown who skew towards the groundball end of the spectrum. Javier Baez will have the benefit of the home field advantage today, which should bolster all of his stats. Javier Baez's ability to hit the ball at a BABIP-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has improved from last year to this one, rising from 35% to 40%. Placing in the 78th percentile, Javier Baez has put up a .329 BABIP this year.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Dillon Dingler in the 79th percentile when assessing his BABIP ability. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter stats across the board, and Dillon Dingler will hold that advantage today. In the last week, Dillon Dingler's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 9.2% up to 20%. In the last 7 days, Dillon Dingler's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 93.3-mph over the course of the season to 105.3-mph recently. Dillon Dingler's launch angle lately (23° over the last week) is a significant increase over his 15.6° seasonal angle.

When estimating his overall offensive talent, Gleyber Torres ranks in the 89th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Gleyber Torres is projected to hit 2nd in the lineup in today's game. Home field advantage typically bolsters hitter stats across the board, and Gleyber Torres will hold that advantage in today's game. Gleyber Torres has made significant gains with his Barrel% recently, upping his 11.9% seasonal rate to 20% in the past two weeks' worth of games. Gleyber Torres's ability to hit the ball at a HR-maximizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has improved from last season to this one, going from 16.6% to 21.7%.

Hitting from the opposite that Ben Brown throws from, Zach McKinstry will have an edge in today's matchup. Zach McKinstry will possess the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to bolster all of his stats. Zach McKinstry'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 44.5% to 52.3%. Zach McKinstry has posted a .276 Expected Batting Average this year, ranking in the 82nd percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data. In notching a .355 BABIP this year, Zach McKinstry is ranked in the 93rd percentile.

Parker Meadows is projected to bat 1st in the lineup in today's game. Parker Meadows will have the handedness advantage against Ben Brown in today's matchup. Home field advantage generally improves hitter stats across the board, and Parker Meadows will hold that advantage in today's game. Parker Meadows ranks in the 95th percentile when it comes to hitting balls between 23° and 34°, the launch angle range that tends to best-produce home runs (20% rate since the start of last season). Ranking in the 93rd percentile for Sprint Speed at 29.16 ft/sec since the start of last season, Parker Meadows is remarkably athletic.

Spencer Torkelson is penciled in 5th in the batting order in this matchup. Spencer Torkelson will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's game, which should improve all of his stats. Spencer Torkelson has made significant gains with his Barrel%, upping his 6.8% rate last year to 14.1% this year. Spencer Torkelson's average launch angle on his hardest-hit balls of late (31.9° over the past 14 days) is quite a bit higher than his 22.1° seasonal mark. Spencer Torkelson's ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has improved from last year to this one, increasing from 17.6% to 26.2%.

Trey Sweeney will hold the platoon advantage over Ben Brown in today's matchup. Trey Sweeney will possess the home field advantage in today's matchup, which ought to bolster all of his stats.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Kerry Carpenter in the 93rd percentile when it comes to his overall offensive skill. Kerry Carpenter is projected to hit 3rd on the lineup card in this game. Kerry Carpenter will hold the platoon advantage against Ben Brown in today's game. Kerry Carpenter will benefit from the home field advantage today, which ought to improve all of his stats. Over the past 7 days, Kerry Carpenter's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 96.6-mph over the course of the season to 100-mph lately.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Riley Greene as the 3rd-best batter in the game when assessing his BABIP ability. Riley Greene is projected to bat 4th in the batting order in this game. Hitting from the opposite that Ben Brown throws from, Riley Greene will have an advantage in today's game. Home field advantage typically improves hitter metrics in all categories, and Riley Greene will hold that advantage today. Riley Greene's 17.5% Barrel% (an advanced standard to assess power) ranks in the 95th percentile this year.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Colt Keith in the 85th percentile when it comes to his batting average skill. Hitting from the opposite that Ben Brown throws from, Colt Keith will have the upper hand in today's matchup. Home field advantage typically improves hitter stats in all categories, and Colt Keith will hold that advantage in today's game. Colt Keith's ability to hit the ball at a base hit-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has improved recently, going from 40% on the season to 63.6% in the past week.