Kansas City Royals Picks
5th in American League Central
(28 - 41)
Next Game
Fri, Jun 12
20:10 ET
HOU @ KC Picks
MLB Picks
Moneyline
KC (+101)
Jon Metler
Betting Analyst
The Kansas City Royals should be the favorites in this matchup against the Houston Astros, which is why I'm hitting the button on the +101 price. I make the Royals closer to a -115 favorite in this spot. Tatsuya Imai's 6.03 BB/9 is a major concern, and those free passes provide a huge boost for a Royals offense that can sometimes struggle to score runs and generate power. Walks allow Kansas City to create offense through its speed, aggressive baserunning, and contact-oriented approach. The Royals' speed on the bases, led by Bobby Witt Jr., should also put pressure on Imai and potentially force him to lean more heavily on his fastball rather than his secondary pitches. If that happens, it could create opportunities for Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino to sit on fastballs and drive the ball with authority.
Total Bases
Vinnie Pasquantino o1.5 Total Bases (+135)
Projection 1.76
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Vinnie Pasquantino is penciled in 4th in the batting order in today's game.. Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Considering Tatsuya Imai's large platoon split, Vinnie Pasquantino will have a massive advantage hitting from the opposite side of the plate in this game.. Home field advantage typically boosts hitter stats across the board, and Vinnie Pasquantino will hold that advantage in today's game.
Total Bases
Bobby Witt Jr. o1.5 Total Bases (+100)
Projection 2.23
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
When assessing his batting average talent, Bobby Witt Jr. is projected as the 3rd-best batter in the league by the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Bobby Witt Jr. is penciled in 2nd on the lineup card in this matchup.. Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Home field advantage generally boosts batter metrics across the board, and Bobby Witt Jr. will hold that advantage today.
Total Bases
Kameron Misner o1.5 Total Bases (+258)
Projection 1.19
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Given Tatsuya Imai's large platoon split, Kameron Misner will have a huge advantage hitting from the opposite side of the dish today.. Kameron Misner will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's matchup, which ought to boost all of his stats.
Total Bases
Yordan Alvarez o1.5 Total Bases (-102)
Projection 2.16
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
According to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), Yordan Alvarez ranks as the 2nd-best batter in Major League Baseball.. Yordan Alvarez is projected to hit 2nd in the batting order today.. Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Batting from the opposite that Luinder Avila throws from, Yordan Alvarez will have an advantage in today's game.
Total Bases
Jac Caglianone o1.5 Total Bases (+140)
Projection 1.63
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 4 out of 5
When it comes to his home run talent, Jac Caglianone ranks in the 88th percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Considering Tatsuya Imai's large platoon split, Jac Caglianone will have a big advantage batting from the opposite side of the dish in today's matchup.. Jac Caglianone will hold the home field advantage in today's game, which ought to bolster all of his stats.
Total Bases
Salvador Perez o1.5 Total Bases (+160)
Projection 1.71
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Home field advantage typically bolsters hitter stats in all categories, and Salvador Perez will hold that advantage today.. Salvador Perez and his 17.1° launch angle on his hardest-hit balls rank in 89th percentile, among the highest in baseball since the start of last season.
Total Bases
Joey Loperfido o1.5 Total Bases (+200)
Projection 1.44
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Joey Loperfido's BABIP skill is projected in the 92nd percentile by the leading projection system (THE BAT X).. Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Hitting from the opposite that Luinder Avila throws from, Joey Loperfido will have the upper hand today.. Joey Loperfido and his 16.5° launch angle on his highest exit velocity balls rank in 79th percentile, among the highest in baseball since the start of last season.
Total Bases
Michael Massey u1.5 Total Bases (-225)
Projection 0.79
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Michael Massey in the 7th percentile as it relates to his BABIP skill.. Michael Massey is projected to hit 7th on the lineup card today.. The #6 ballpark in MLB for suppressing home runs to left-handed hitters, via the leading projection system (THE BAT), is Kauffman Stadium.. Michael Massey pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (37.5% — 93rd percentile) but may find it hard to clear MLB's deepest RF fences in today's matchup.. There has been a significant decline in Michael Massey's launch angle from last season's 21.8° to 18.5° this year.
Total Bases
Christian Walker o1.5 Total Bases (+118)
Projection 1.75
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Christian Walker in the 95th percentile when it comes to his home run talent.. Christian Walker is penciled in 3rd in the batting order in today's game.. Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Christian Walker's 12.4% Barrel% (an advanced stat to assess power) grades out in the 80th percentile this year.
Total Bases
Jake Meyers o1.5 Total Bases (+185)
Projection 1.42
EV Model Rating
Star rating: 3 out of 5
The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jake Meyers in the 79th percentile when it comes to his batting average skill.. Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 5th-highest elevation among all parks, which generally leads to better offense.. The weather report forecasts temperatures in this game to reach the 3rd-highest level of all games today at 85°, which is highly linked to an increase in offense (and a reduction in strikeouts).. Jake Meyers's launch angle this season (14.4°) is a significant increase over his 10.4° angle last year.. By putting up a .331 BABIP since the start of last season, Jake Meyers has performed in the 93rd percentile.
