Texas @ Houston Picks & Props

Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. The leading projection system (THE BAT X) estimates Jonah Heim's true offensive skill to be a .286, providing some evidence that he has experienced some negative variance this year given the .019 difference between that mark and his actual .267 wOBA.

Josh Smith is projected to hit 1st in the lineup today. Minute Maid Park has the smallest outfield among all major league parks — generally good for home runs. Josh Smith will hold the platoon advantage over Jason Alexander in today's game. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. With a 1.68 K/BB rate this year, Josh Smith has shown favorable plate discipline, ranking in the 81st percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jesus Sanchez in the 87th percentile when estimating his overall offensive talent. Jesus Sanchez is projected to bat 5th in the lineup in this game. Batting from the opposite that Jack Leiter throws from, Jesus Sanchez will have an edge in today's matchup. Jesus Sanchez has an 88th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (35.7%) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them towards the league's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's game. The Texas Rangers infield defense projects as the 15th-worst among every team in action today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Wyatt Langford in the 97th percentile as it relates to his overall offensive talent. Wyatt Langford is projected to hit 2nd on the lineup card in this matchup. Wyatt Langford pulls a lot of his flyballs (35.4% — 89th percentile) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them towards the game's 2nd-shallowest LF fences today. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. Wyatt Langford has made substantial strides with his Barrel% recently, bettering his 13.7% seasonal rate to 25% over the last 14 days.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Carlos Correa in the 93rd percentile when it comes to his batting average talent. Carlos Correa is projected to bat 3rd in the lineup in today's game. Minute Maid Park has the 2nd-shallowest left field dimensions among all major league parks. The Texas Rangers infield defense projects as the 15th-worst among every team in action today. Carlos Correa will have the benefit of the home field advantage today, which ought to bolster all of his stats.

Hitting from the opposite that Jason Alexander throws from, Alejandro Osuna will have an advantage today. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. As it relates to his wOBA and overall offense, Alejandro Osuna has had some very poor luck this year. His .260 mark falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .337.

Michael Helman pulls a lot of his flyballs (37.1% — 95th percentile) and will have a big advantage hitting them towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. In the past 7 days, Michael Helman's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 12.7% up to 21.4%. Compared to his seasonal average of 20.5°, Michael Helman has significantly improved his launch angle lately, posting a 24° angle in the last 7 days.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jeremy Pena in the 97th percentile when estimating his batting average talent. Jeremy Pena is projected to bat 1st in the lineup in this matchup. Jeremy Pena pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (33.6% — 79th percentile) and will have a big advantage hitting them towards the game's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. The Texas Rangers infield defense projects as the 15th-worst among every team in action today. Home field advantage typically improves batter metrics in all categories, and Jeremy Pena will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jake Meyers in the 87th percentile when assessing his BABIP talent. The Texas Rangers infield defense projects as the 15th-worst among every team in action today. Jake Meyers will possess the home field advantage today, which figures to improve all of his stats. In the last two weeks, Jake Meyers's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 92.6-mph over the course of the season to 99-mph recently. Jake Meyers's ability to hit the ball at a base hit-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has improved from last season to this one, rising from 44.4% to 50.4%.

Yordan Alvarez projects as the 4th-best hitter in MLB, via the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Yordan Alvarez is projected to bat 2nd in the batting order in this matchup. Yordan Alvarez will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Jack Leiter today. The Texas Rangers infield defense projects as the 15th-worst among every team in action today. Yordan Alvarez will hold the home field advantage in today's game, which figures to boost all of his stats.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Yainer Diaz as the 19th-best batter in baseball as it relates to his batting average talent. The Texas Rangers infield defense projects as the 15th-worst among every team in action today. Home field advantage typically boosts batter metrics in all categories, and Yainer Diaz will hold that advantage in today's matchup. In the last week's worth of games, Yainer Diaz's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 8.7% up to 21.4%. Over the last 7 days, Yainer Diaz's exit velocity on flyballs has seen a big rise, from 93.7-mph over the course of the season to 102.5-mph recently.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Adolis Garcia in the 82nd percentile as it relates to his overall offensive skill. Adolis Garcia is penciled in 4th in the lineup in today's game. Minute Maid Park has the 2nd-shallowest left field dimensions among all major league parks. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. Compared to last season, Adolis Garcia has improved his ability to hit the ball at a launch angle ideal for home runs, increasing his percentage of balls hit between 23° and 34° from 13.9% to 17.8% this season.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Josh Jung in the 88th percentile when estimating his BABIP skill. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. Despite posting a .296 wOBA this year, the leading projection system (THE BAT X) believes Josh Jung has suffered from bad luck given the .018 gap between that figure and his estimated true talent wOBA of .314. Josh Jung has posted a .323 BABIP this year, ranking in the 82nd percentile.

Minute Maid Park has the 2nd-shallowest left field dimensions among all major league parks. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. Cody Freeman has seen a sizeable gain in his exit velocity on flyballs of late; just compare his 95.4-mph average over the past 7 days to his seasonal EV of 89.7-mph. As it relates to his wOBA and overall offense, Cody Freeman has had some very poor luck this year. His .260 mark falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .290.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jose Altuve in the 90th percentile when it comes to his batting average skill. Jose Altuve is projected to hit 4th on the lineup card in today's game. Jose Altuve pulls a lot of his flyballs (41.8% — 99th percentile) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards MLB's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's matchup. The Texas Rangers infield defense projects as the 15th-worst among every team in action today. Home field advantage typically improves hitter metrics across the board, and Jose Altuve will hold that advantage in today's game.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Christian Walker in the 87th percentile when assessing his overall offensive ability. Christian Walker pulls a lot of his flyballs (33.1% — 76th percentile) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards the game's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's game. The Texas Rangers infield defense projects as the 15th-worst among every team in action today. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter stats across the board, and Christian Walker will hold that advantage today. In the last 7 days, Christian Walker's Barrel% has experienced a surge, jumping from his seasonal rate of 12.3% up to 21.4%.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jake Burger in the 94th percentile when assessing his overall offensive skill. Jake Burger is projected to bat 5th in the lineup today. Minute Maid Park has the 2nd-shallowest left field dimensions among all major league parks. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. Over the last 14 days, Jake Burger has improved his Barrel% substantially, increasing it from his seasonal rate of 13.2% to 20.7%.

When assessing his overall offensive talent, Joc Pederson ranks in the 92nd percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X). Joc Pederson is projected to hit 3rd in the lineup today. Joc Pederson will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Jason Alexander today. Among every team playing today, the 3rd-worst infield defense is that of the Houston Astros. Joc Pederson has experienced some negative variance in regards to his batting average this year; his .177 rate is deflated compared to his .214 Expected Batting Average, based on the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

Ramon Urias has gone over 0.5 in 3 of his last 10 games.