Chicago @ Houston props

Joshua Palacios has an 86th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (35.1%) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them in the direction of the game's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Compared to his seasonal average of 11.1°, Joshua Palacios has significantly improved his launch angle in recent games, posting a 23° figure over the past two weeks. In terms of his wOBA and overall offense, Joshua Palacios has been unlucky this year. His .279 figure falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .311. By putting up a 2.06 K/BB rate since the start of last season, Joshua Palacios has shown good plate discipline, ranking in the 80th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Andrew Benintendi in the 85th percentile when assessing his batting average ability. Andrew Benintendi is projected to hit 3rd in the lineup today. Home runs are generally more common at parks with shallow fences, and Minute Maid Park has the shallowest in MLB. In the last week's worth of games, Andrew Benintendi's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 15% up to 22.2%. Andrew Benintendi's launch angle this year (23.2°) is considerably better than his 15.9° angle last year.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Edgar Quero in the 77th percentile as it relates to his batting average talent. Edgar Quero is penciled in 4th on the lineup card in this matchup. The switch-hitting Edgar Quero will have the advantage of batting from from his better side (0) today against Framber Valdez.

When assessing his overall offensive ability, Miguel Vargas ranks in the 87th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Miguel Vargas is projected to bat 2nd in the batting order in today's game. Batting from the opposite that Framber Valdez throws from, Miguel Vargas will have the upper hand in today's matchup. Bats such as Miguel Vargas with extreme flyball tendencies are usually more effective when facing pitchers like Framber Valdez who skew towards the groundball end of the spectrum. Miguel Vargas has made notable improvements with his Barrel% of late, upping his 11.1% seasonal rate to 16.7% over the past 7 days.

Among all parks, Minute Maid Park's left field dimensions are the shallowest. Hitting from the opposite that Framber Valdez throws from, Vinny Capra will have the upper hand today. As it relates to his wOBA and overall offense, Vinny Capra has had some very poor luck this year. His .121 rate falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .226. Vinny Capra is notably fast, ranking in the 80th percentile in Sprint Speed at 28.38 ft/sec this year.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Brendan Rodgers in the 81st percentile when it comes to his BABIP ability. Home field advantage typically improves hitter stats in all categories, and Brendan Rodgers will hold that advantage today. Brendan Rodgers has made significant strides with his Barrel%, improving his 5.7% rate last year to 15.9% this season. Last season, Brendan Rodgers had an average launch angle of 5.8° on his highest exit velocity balls, while this season it has significantly increased to 16.9°. The standard deviation of Brendan Rodgers's launch angle since the start of last season (25.8°) is in the 91st percentile. A low figure like this tends to lead to a higher BABIP.

Built just 20 feet above sea level, Minute Maid Park has one of the lowest elevations among all stadiums, which often leads to less offense. The Minute Maid Park roof is expected to be closed today, making weather conditions in this game -5° colder than the average outdoor game on the slate today — favorable for pitching. Davis Martin will hold the platoon advantage over Jeremy Pena today. Typically, hitters like Jeremy Pena who hit a lot of groundballs generally hit worse when facing pitchers who also induce a lot of groundballs such as Davis Martin. Jeremy Pena's launch angle lately (-1.8° over the last 14 days) is significantly lower than his 7.3° seasonal mark.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jake Meyers in the 83rd percentile as it relates to his batting average ability. Jake Meyers will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to boost all of his stats. Compared to last season, Jake Meyers has improved his ability to hit the ball at a launch angle ideal for base hits, increasing his percentage of balls hit between -4° and 26° from 44.4% to 51.5% this season. Over the last 14 days, Jake Meyers's 61.3% rate of hitting balls at a base hit-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 51.5%. With a .284 Expected Batting Average (an advanced metric created by the leading projection system (THE BAT X) utilizing Statcast data) this year , Jake Meyers is ranked in the 89th percentile.

Isaac Paredes is projected to hit 2nd in the batting order in this game. Isaac Paredes pulls a lot of his flyballs (46.8% — 100th percentile) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards MLB's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Extreme groundball bats like Isaac Paredes are generally more successful against extreme flyball pitchers like Davis Martin. Isaac Paredes will hold the home field advantage in today's matchup, which should improve all of his stats. Isaac Paredes's average exit velocity has risen significantly from last season to this one, averaging 87-mph now compared to just 85-mph then.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Chase Meidroth in the 85th percentile as it relates to his batting average ability. Chase Meidroth is projected to hit 1st in the batting order in today's game. Chase Meidroth will have the handedness advantage over Framber Valdez in today's game. In the last week, Chase Meidroth's 60% rate of hitting balls at a BABIP-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 46.1%. Posting a 1.07 K/BB rate this year, Chase Meidroth has demonstrated favorable plate discipline, grading out in the 96th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Yainer Diaz in the 97th percentile when assessing his batting average skill. Yainer Diaz is projected to hit 4th in the lineup in today's game. Yainer Diaz will hold the home field advantage in today's game, which ought to improve all of his stats. Yainer Diaz has seen a sizeable improvement in his exit velocity recently; just compare his 95.9-mph average over the past two weeks to his seasonal 91.4-mph mark. Yainer Diaz has had some very poor luck with his batting average this year; his .234 figure is considerably lower than his .270 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 Jose Altuve in the 89th percentile when estimating his batting average skill. Jose Altuve is projected to hit 3rd in the batting order in this game. Jose Altuve pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (40.9% — 99th percentile) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them towards the game's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Jose Altuve will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's matchup, which should improve all of his stats.

Home field advantage typically bolsters hitter metrics in all categories, and Victor Caratini will hold that advantage in today's game. Victor Caratini has seen a significant gain in his exit velocity recently; just compare his 93-mph average over the last 7 days to his seasonal 89.5-mph mark. Victor Caratini's ability to hit the ball at a HR-maximizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has gotten better lately, going from 14.2% on the season to 50% in the past week.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Austin Slater as the 9th-best batter in the majors when estimating his BABIP ability. Austin Slater is penciled in 3rd in the batting order today. Batting from the opposite that Framber Valdez throws from, Austin Slater will have the upper hand today. Austin Slater has made notable gains with his Barrel%, upping his 3.4% rate last year to 25.9% this season. In comparison to his 88.2-mph average last year, Austin Slater's exit velocity has noticeably risen this season, now sitting at 94 mph.

Christian Walker is projected to bat 5th on the lineup card in today's game. Christian Walker pulls a lot of his flyballs (35.3% — 90th percentile) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards MLB's 2nd-shallowest LF fences today. Christian Walker will benefit from the home field advantage today, which figures to boost all of his stats. Christian Walker has been hot of late, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 90.9-mph to 96-mph in the past week. Despite posting a .274 wOBA this year, the leading projection system (THE BAT X) believes Christian Walker has had some very poor luck given the .054 discrepancy between that mark and his estimated true talent wOBA of .328.

Luis Robert Jr.'s BABIP ability is projected in the 87th percentile by the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Luis Robert Jr. is penciled in 5th on the lineup card in this matchup. Among all parks, Minute Maid Park's left field dimensions are the shallowest. Batting from the opposite that Framber Valdez throws from, Luis Robert Jr. will have the upper hand today. Luis Robert Jr.'s launch angle in recent games (30.5° in the past two weeks) is significantly better than his 20° seasonal mark.

Home runs are generally more common at parks with shallow fences, and Minute Maid Park has the shallowest in MLB. Hitting from the opposite that Davis Martin throws from, Jacob Melton will have an edge today. Jacob Melton will benefit from the home field advantage in today's matchup, which ought to boost all of his stats.