Cincinnati @ Los Angeles Picks & Props

Miguel Andujar will be at a disadvantage playing on the road in today's game. Miguel Andujar has taken a step back with his Barrel% of late; his 5.5% seasonal rate has dropped off to 0% in the past week's worth of games. In the past two weeks, Miguel Andujar's average launch angle on his hardest-hit balls (2.7°) has significantly dropped compared to his seasonal mark of 8°. As it relates to his batting average, Miguel Andujar has experienced some positive variance this year. His .314 rate has been significantly inflated relative to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected Batting Average (xBA) at .259.

As it relates to his overall offensive ability, Taylor Ward ranks in the 93rd percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Taylor Ward is projected to hit 4th in the batting order in today's game. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Home field advantage typically boosts batter stats in all categories, and Taylor Ward will hold that advantage in today's matchup. Over the last 7 days, Taylor Ward's 60.9% rate of hitting balls at a BABIP-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) shows big improvement over his seasonal rate of 45.2%.

The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Santiago Espinal will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Yusei Kikuchi in today's game. Out of every team today, the 2nd-weakest infield defense belongs to the Los Angeles Angels. Despite posting a .266 wOBA this year, the leading projection system (THE BAT X) believes Santiago Espinal has experienced some negative variance given the .018 disparity between that mark and his estimated true talent wOBA of .284. When it comes to plate discipline, Santiago Espinal's skill is quite impressive, posting a 1.81 K/BB rate this year while ranking in in the 76th percentile.

The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Home field advantage typically boosts hitter stats in all categories, and Travis d'Arnaud will hold that advantage today. Travis d'Arnaud's ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has increased from last season to this one, rising from 12.2% to 21.8%. This year, Travis d'Arnaud's 13.7% Barrel%, a reliable metric for measuring power, places him in the 88th percentile among his peers. Travis d'Arnaud's 96.9-mph exit velocity on flyballs (an advanced standard to evaluate power) ranks in the 93rd percentile this year.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Ke'Bryan Hayes in the 76th percentile when it comes to his batting average skill. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Batting from the opposite that Yusei Kikuchi throws from, Ke'Bryan Hayes will have an advantage today. Out of every team today, the 2nd-weakest infield defense belongs to the Los Angeles Angels. In the past week, Ke'Bryan Hayes's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 4.9% up to 25%.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Noelvi Marte in the 81st percentile when assessing his batting average ability. Noelvi Marte is projected to bat 2nd in the lineup in this matchup, which would be an upgrade from his 79% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the batting order this year. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Batting from the opposite that Yusei Kikuchi throws from, Noelvi Marte will have an edge in today's matchup. Out of every team today, the 2nd-weakest infield defense belongs to the Los Angeles Angels.

When it comes to his BABIP ability, Elly De La Cruz is projected as the 2nd-best hitter in the game by the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Elly De La Cruz is projected to hit 3rd in the batting order in this matchup. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Out of every team today, the 2nd-weakest infield defense belongs to the Los Angeles Angels. Elly De La Cruz has seen a notable gain in his exit velocity on flyballs in recent games; just compare his 99.3-mph average over the last two weeks to his seasonal average of 94.1-mph.

The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Hitting from the opposite that Yusei Kikuchi throws from, Spencer Steer will have an advantage in today's game. Out of every team today, the 2nd-weakest infield defense belongs to the Los Angeles Angels. Spencer Steer has made sizeable gains with his Barrel% in recent games, upping his 6.3% seasonal rate to 12.5% in the past 14 days. Spencer Steer's average launch angle on his hardest-hit balls this year (16.1°) is significantly higher than his 11.5° figure last season.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Nolan Schanuel in the 92nd percentile when assessing his batting average ability. Nolan Schanuel is projected to hit 2nd in the batting order in this game. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Hitting from the opposite that Nick Martinez throws from, Nolan Schanuel will have an advantage in today's matchup. Home field advantage generally bolsters hitter stats across the board, and Nolan Schanuel will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

Austin Hays is penciled in 5th on the lineup card today. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Austin Hays will have the handedness advantage over Yusei Kikuchi today. Out of every team today, the 2nd-weakest infield defense belongs to the Los Angeles Angels. Austin Hays has seen a significant gain in his exit velocity on flyballs this season; just compare his 94.9-mph average to last year's 91.6-mph figure.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Luis Rengifo in the 82nd percentile when it comes to his batting average skill. Luis Rengifo is projected to hit 2nd in the lineup in this game, which would be an upgrade from his 81% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the batting order this year. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Home field advantage typically improves batter metrics in all categories, and Luis Rengifo will hold that advantage in today's matchup. Luis Rengifo's ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has improved recently, rising from 15.5% on the season to 37.9% over the last 14 days.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Zach Neto in the 89th percentile as it relates to his overall offensive ability. Zach Neto is projected to hit 1st in the lineup today. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Home field advantage typically bolsters batter metrics in all categories, and Zach Neto will hold that advantage in today's game. Zach Neto has made significant improvements with his Barrel%, upping his 8.5% rate last year to 15.2% this year.

When assessing his overall offensive talent, Logan O'Hoppe ranks in the 79th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Home field advantage typically improves batter metrics across the board, and Logan O'Hoppe will hold that advantage in today's matchup. Logan O'Hoppe's ability to hit the ball at a base hit-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has increased recently, going from 49.8% on the season to 65.2% over the last 14 days. Logan O'Hoppe has had bad variance on his side thus far when it comes to his wOBA this year; his .292 figure is significantly deflated relative to his .324 Expected wOBA, based on the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

TJ Friedl is projected to bat 1st in the lineup today. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Out of every team today, the 2nd-weakest infield defense belongs to the Los Angeles Angels. TJ Friedl has displayed strong plate discipline this year, ranking in the 90th percentile with a 1.46 K/BB rate.

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), Mike Trout ranks as the 16th-best hitter in Major League Baseball. Mike Trout is projected to hit 3rd in the lineup in today's game. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Mike Trout will possess the home field advantage today, which ought to bolster all of his stats. Mike Trout has been unlucky this year, posting a .348 wOBA despite the leading projection system (THE BAT X) estimating his true talent level to be .366 — a .018 discrepancy.

The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Jose Trevino will have the handedness advantage over Yusei Kikuchi in today's game. Out of every team today, the 2nd-weakest infield defense belongs to the Los Angeles Angels.

Christian Moore's BABIP talent is projected in the 91st percentile by the leading projection system (THE BAT X). The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Home field advantage typically improves batter metrics across the board, and Christian Moore will hold that advantage today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Yoan Moncada in the 82nd percentile when it comes to his BABIP talent. Yoan Moncada is projected to hit 5th on the lineup card in this matchup. The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). The switch-hitting Yoan Moncada will have the advantage of batting from from his good side (0) today against Nick Martinez. Yoan Moncada will hold the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to improve all of his stats.

When assessing his overall offensive talent, Jo Adell ranks in the 85th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Home field advantage typically improves hitter stats across the board, and Jo Adell will hold that advantage today. Jo Adell has made substantial strides with his Barrel% in recent games, upping his 17.1% seasonal rate to 24.3% over the past two weeks. Jo Adell has seen a big gain in his exit velocity on flyballs this season; just compare his 97.4-mph average to last season's 94.1-mph mark.

The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Batting from the opposite that Nick Martinez throws from, Niko Kavadas will have an edge in today's game. Niko Kavadas will benefit from the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to improve all of his stats. Niko Kavadas's 94-mph exit velocity on flyballs (a reliable metric to study power) ranks in the 76th percentile since the start of last season. Niko Kavadas and his 25° launch angle on his highest exit velocity balls rank in 98th percentile, among the highest in the majors since the start of last season.

The weather forecast forecasts temperatures in this contest to reach the 4th-highest level on the schedule today at 86°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts). Home field advantage typically improves batter stats in all categories, and Bryce Teodosio will hold that advantage in today's matchup.