San Diego @ Miami Picks & Props

LoanDepot Park grades out as the #23 field in the league for right-handed batting average, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT). LoanDepot Park's altitude is near sea-level, one of the lowest among all major league stadiums, which often leads to lower offensive output. The LoanDepot Park roof projects to be closed today, making weather conditions in this match-up -8° colder than the average outdoor game of all games on the slate — favorable for pitching. Randy Vasquez will hold the platoon advantage against Otto Lopez in today's game. Otto Lopez has put up a .260 BABIP this year, ranking in the 15th percentile.

When estimating his overall offensive talent, Martin Maldonado ranks in the 1st percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Martin Maldonado is projected to hit 9th in the lineup in this matchup. When starting against a right-handed starter this year, Martin Maldonado has been replaced by a pinch-hitter 44% of the time. LoanDepot Park grades out as the #23 field in the league for right-handed batting average, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT). LoanDepot Park's altitude is near sea-level, one of the lowest among all major league stadiums, which often leads to lower offensive output.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Xander Bogaerts in the 95th percentile as it relates to his batting average ability. Xander Bogaerts is projected to hit 5th in the lineup in today's game. Xander Bogaerts hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (39% — 88th percentile) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting out towards MLB's 6th-shallowest CF fences in today's matchup. Xander Bogaerts's ability to hit the ball at a BABIP-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has increased from last year to this one, rising from 42% to 47.3%. In notching a .272 Expected Batting Average (an advanced metric created by the leading projection system (THE BAT X) based on Statcast data) this year , Xander Bogaerts has performed in the 79th percentile.

Gavin Sheets is penciled in 4th in the lineup in today's game. Batting from the opposite that Eury Perez throws from, Gavin Sheets will have the upper hand in today's game. When it comes to his wOBA and overall offense, Gavin Sheets has experienced some negative variance this year. His .326 rate falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .345.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Dane Myers in the 93rd percentile when it comes to his BABIP ability. Dane Myers hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (39.9% — 97th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting towards MLB's 6th-shallowest CF fences today. Extreme groundball bats like Dane Myers tend to be more successful against extreme flyball pitchers like Randy Vasquez. Home field advantage typically boosts batter stats in all categories, and Dane Myers will hold that advantage in today's matchup. By putting up a .329 BABIP this year, Dane Myers is positioned in the 87th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Xavier Edwards in the 97th percentile as it relates to his batting average talent. Xavier Edwards is penciled in 1st in the lineup in this matchup. The switch-hitting Xavier Edwards will hold the platoon advantage while batting from from his strong side (0) today against Randy Vasquez. Extreme groundball hitters like Xavier Edwards usually hit better against extreme flyball pitchers like Randy Vasquez. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter stats across the board, and Xavier Edwards will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jake Cronenworth in the 85th percentile when estimating his overall offensive skill. Jake Cronenworth will hold the platoon advantage against Eury Perez in today's game. In the past week, Jake Cronenworth's 40% rate of hitting balls at a HR-maximizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 16.1%. Jake Cronenworth has shown good plate discipline this year, placing in the 86th percentile with a 1.52 K/BB rate.

Fernando Tatis Jr. projects as the 9th-best hitter in the game, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Fernando Tatis Jr. is projected to hit 1st on the lineup card in today's game. Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a lot of his flyballs to center field (40.2% — 99th percentile) and will have a big advantage facing the game's 6th-shallowest CF fences in today's matchup. Fernando Tatis Jr. has struggled with his Barrel% in recent games; his 12% seasonal rate has fallen off to 0% in the last week. Fernando Tatis Jr. has seen a sizeable gain in his exit velocity on flyballs in recent games; just compare his 99.6-mph average in the past 14 days to his seasonal mark of 96.7-mph.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jackson Merrill in the 96th percentile when it comes to his batting average ability. Jackson Merrill will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Eury Perez today. Jackson Merrill hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (40.1% — 98th percentile) and is fortunate to face the league's 6th-shallowest CF fences in today's game. Jackson Merrill has made big improvements with his Barrel% lately, improving his 12.4% seasonal rate to 21.7% over the last two weeks. Jackson Merrill has seen a significant increase in his exit velocity on flyballs recently; just compare his 96.2-mph average over the past 14 days to his seasonal figure of 92.1-mph.

LoanDepot Park grades out as the #23 park in MLB for LHB batting average, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT). LoanDepot Park's altitude is near sea-level, one of the lowest among all major league stadiums, which often leads to lower offensive output. The LoanDepot Park roof projects to be closed today, making weather conditions in this match-up -8° colder than the average outdoor game of all games on the slate — favorable for pitching. Luis Arraez has a 98th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (40.9%) and will be challenged by the game's 10th-deepest LF fences in today's game. Playing on the road typically diminishes batter metrics across the board due to the lack of home field advantage, which ought to be the case for Luis Arraez today.

Batting from the opposite that Randy Vasquez throws from, Graham Pauley will have the upper hand in today's matchup. Home field advantage generally improves hitter metrics in all categories, and Graham Pauley will hold that advantage in today's game. The leading projection system (THE BAT X) estimates Graham Pauley's true offensive talent to be a .291, suggesting that he has suffered from bad luck this year given the .046 gap between that figure and his actual .245 wOBA.

Eric Wagaman hits many of his flyballs to center field (39.7% — 95th percentile) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting out towards baseball's 6th-shallowest CF fences in today's matchup. Home field advantage generally boosts batter metrics across the board, and Eric Wagaman will hold that advantage today. Despite posting a .275 wOBA this year, the leading projection system (THE BAT X) believes Eric Wagaman has been unlucky given the .027 gap between that mark and his estimated true talent wOBA of .302.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jose Iglesias in the 89th percentile as it relates to his batting average ability. Extreme flyball hitters like Jose Iglesias usually hit better against extreme groundball pitchers like Eury Perez. Jose Iglesias's ability to hit the ball at a BABIP-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has improved of late, going from 44.7% on the season to 60% in the last 14 days.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Manny Machado in the 95th percentile when it comes to his overall offensive ability. Manny Machado is projected to bat 3rd in the lineup in this game. Manny Machado hits many of his flyballs to center field (39.9% — 97th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting towards the league's 6th-shallowest CF fences in today's game. Manny Machado has made big improvements with his Barrel% in recent games, upping his 13.5% seasonal rate to 20.7% in the last two weeks. Manny Machado has been hot of late, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 92.6-mph to 98.3-mph in the past 14 days.

As it relates to his overall offensive talent, Jesus Sanchez ranks in the 89th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Jesus Sanchez is penciled in 2nd on the lineup card in today's game. Jesus Sanchez will have the handedness advantage over Randy Vasquez in today's matchup. Home field advantage typically boosts hitter metrics across the board, and Jesus Sanchez will hold that advantage in today's matchup. There has been a significant improvement in Jesus Sanchez's launch angle from last season's 7.7° to 11° this year.

Agustin Ramirez is penciled in 4th in the lineup in this matchup. LoanDepot Park has the 6th-shallowest centerfield fences in the majors. Home field advantage typically improves hitter stats in all categories, and Agustin Ramirez will hold that advantage in today's game. Agustin Ramirez has seen a big increase in his exit velocity on flyballs lately; just compare his 100.6-mph average in the last two weeks to his seasonal mark of 96.3-mph. Agustin Ramirez has been unlucky in regards to his batting average this year; his .244 rate is quite a bit lower than his .268 Expected Batting Average, based on the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

Home field advantage generally improves hitter metrics in all categories, and Heriberto Hernandez will hold that advantage today. Heriberto Hernandez is notably athletic, grading out in the 82nd percentile in Sprint Speed at 28.47 ft/sec this year.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Kyle Stowers in the 87th percentile when assessing his overall offensive talent. Kyle Stowers is projected to bat 5th in the lineup today. Kyle Stowers will have the handedness advantage against Randy Vasquez today. Home field advantage typically boosts hitter stats in all categories, and Kyle Stowers will hold that advantage today. Kyle Stowers has made substantial strides with his Barrel%, bettering his 11% rate last year to 20.5% this season.

Liam Hicks will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Randy Vasquez in today's game. Home field advantage generally bolsters hitter metrics in all categories, and Liam Hicks will hold that advantage in today's matchup. Liam Hicks has been hot lately, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 85.4-mph to 88.6-mph over the past two weeks. Over the last 14 days, Liam Hicks's 58.8% rate of hitting balls at a base hit-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 48.3%. As it relates to plate discipline, Liam Hicks's talent is quite impressive, posting a 1.33 K/BB rate this year while checking in at in the 92nd percentile.

Batting from the opposite that Eury Perez throws from, Trenton Brooks will have the upper hand today. Trenton Brooks has gotten much quicker this season, improving from last season's 24.85 ft/sec to 26.76 ft/sec now (according to Statcast's Sprint Speed metric).