Washington @ Houston props

When it comes to his BABIP skill, James Wood is projected as the best hitter in the game by the leading projection system (THE BAT X). James Wood is penciled in 2nd in the lineup in this game. James Wood will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Ryan Gusto today. James Wood has a 97th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (38.7%) and will have a big advantage hitting them out towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest LF fences today. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT) profiles Minute Maid Park as the 10th-worst stadium in Major League Baseball for right-handed batting average. Built just 20 feet above sea level, Minute Maid Park has one of the lowest elevations among all major league stadiums, which usually leads (as a rule of thumb) to less offense. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this game -9° colder than the average outdoor game of all games on the slate today — favorable for pitching. Yainer Diaz hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (39.3% — 92nd percentile) and will be challenged by the game's 9th-deepest CF fences in today's game. Yainer Diaz has taken a step back with his Barrel% lately; his 7.7% seasonal rate has decreased to 2.3% over the past two weeks.

The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today. In the past 7 days, Riley Adams's 28.6% rate of hitting balls at a HR-maximizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 12.5%. The leading projection system (THE BAT X) estimates Riley Adams's true offensive talent to be a .287, suggesting that he has experienced some negative variance this year given the .049 deviation between that mark and his actual .238 wOBA. Checking in at the 94th percentile, the hardest ball Riley Adams has hit since the start of last season reached a maximum exit velocity of 115.4 mph -- a reliable indication of underlying power ability.

Daylen Lile's batting average skill is projected to be in the 80th percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Minute Maid Park has the shallowest fences in MLB — generally good for dingers. Daylen Lile will hold the platoon advantage over Ryan Gusto in today's matchup. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today. In the past 7 days, Daylen Lile's 78.6% rate of hitting balls at a base hit-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 52.5%.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Brady House in the 96th percentile when assessing his BABIP talent. The shallowest left field dimensions in Major League Baseball are found in Minute Maid Park. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today. Utilizing Statcast metrics, Brady House grades out in the 87th percentile per the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected Batting Average this year at .274.

The Washington Nationals infield defense projects as the 5th-worst among every team playing today. Home field advantage typically boosts batter metrics across the board, and Cooper Hummel will hold that advantage in today's game. Cooper Hummel has made big improvements with his Barrel% recently, improving his 14.3% seasonal rate to 20% in the last two weeks. In the last two weeks, Cooper Hummel's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 96.5-mph over the course of the season to 99.5-mph of late. Over the last 14 days, Cooper Hummel's 28% rate of hitting balls at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 22.2%.

As a switch-hitter who is best from the 0 side of the dish, Drew Millas will hold the platoon advantage while batting from from his better side against Ryan Gusto today. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today.

Victor Caratini is projected to hit 5th in the batting order in today's game. The Washington Nationals infield defense projects as the 5th-worst among every team playing today. Victor Caratini will have the benefit of the home field advantage today, which ought to boost all of his stats. Last year, Victor Caratini had an average launch angle of 7.5° on his hardest-contacted balls, while this year it has significantly increased to 13.8°.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects CJ Abrams in the 79th percentile as it relates to his overall offensive skill. CJ Abrams is projected to hit 1st in the batting order in this matchup. CJ Abrams will hold the platoon advantage against Ryan Gusto in today's matchup. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today. In the last 7 days, CJ Abrams's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 7% up to 15.4%.

Paul DeJong pulls a lot of his flyballs (35% — 89th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest LF fences today. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today. Paul DeJong's ability to hit the ball at a BABIP-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has increased from last year to this one, increasing from 39.8% to 48.1%.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jacob Young in the 86th percentile when assessing his BABIP talent. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today. Jacob Young's ability to hit the ball at a base hit-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has gotten better recently, rising from 43.8% on the season to 100% over the last 7 days. Based on Statcast metrics, the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected Batting Average (.264) suggests that Jacob Young has had bad variance on his side this year with his .239 actual batting average.

When estimating his overall offensive talent, Josh Bell ranks in the 81st percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Josh Bell is projected to hit 4th in the batting order in this game. The switch-hitting Josh Bell will get to bat from his better side (0) today against Ryan Gusto. Josh Bell has a 77th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (33.8%) and has the good fortune of hitting them in the direction of the game's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's game. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Mauricio Dubon in the 82nd percentile when it comes to his batting average talent. Mauricio Dubon will have the handedness advantage over MacKenzie Gore today. The Washington Nationals infield defense projects as the 5th-worst among every team playing today. Mauricio Dubon will hold the home field advantage in today's game, which figures to improve all of his stats. Mauricio Dubon's ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has gotten better from last season to this one, going from 12.1% to 20.8%.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jose Altuve in the 91st percentile when estimating his batting average skill. Jose Altuve is projected to bat 1st in the batting order in today's game. Batting from the opposite that MacKenzie Gore throws from, Jose Altuve will have an edge in today's game. Jose Altuve pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (40.8% — 99th percentile) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards MLB's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's game. The Washington Nationals infield defense projects as the 5th-worst among every team playing today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Nathaniel Lowe in the 77th percentile as it relates to his BABIP skill. Nathaniel Lowe is penciled in 5th in the lineup today. Batting from the opposite that Ryan Gusto throws from, Nathaniel Lowe will have the upper hand in today's game. Nathaniel Lowe has a 99th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (41.3%) and will have a big advantage hitting them out towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. The Houston Astros infield defense profiles as the 3rd-worst among all the teams playing today.

Zack Short will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against MacKenzie Gore in today's matchup. The Washington Nationals infield defense projects as the 5th-worst among every team playing today. Home field advantage generally improves hitter metrics across the board, and Zack Short will hold that advantage in today's matchup. Over the past two weeks, Zack Short has posted a 22.6° launch angle, lifting the ball well and indicating strong home run potential.

Christian Walker is projected to bat 3rd in the lineup in this game. Batting from the opposite that MacKenzie Gore throws from, Christian Walker will have an edge today. Christian Walker pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (33.3% — 77th percentile) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest LF fences today. The Washington Nationals infield defense projects as the 5th-worst among every team playing today. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter stats across the board, and Christian Walker will hold that advantage today.

Batting from the opposite that MacKenzie Gore throws from, Chas McCormick will have the upper hand in today's game. The Washington Nationals infield defense projects as the 5th-worst among every team playing today. Chas McCormick will benefit from the home field advantage in today's matchup, which should boost all of his stats. Over the last 14 days, Chas McCormick's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 96.4-mph over the course of the season to 102.1-mph in recent games. Last season, Chas McCormick had an average launch angle of 15.6° on his highest exit velocity balls, while this season it has significantly increased to 23.6°.

Luis Garcia has not yet played a game this season.