Chicago @ Houston props

When assessing Yainer Diaz's batting average capability, THE BAT X places him in the 82nd percentile. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Yainer Diaz will hold the platoon advantage against Drew Smyly today. The Chicago Cubs infield defense grades out as the 5th-best of all teams on the slate today. Yainer Diaz will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to improve all of his stats.

When it comes to his overall offensive ability, Seiya Suzuki ranks in the 92nd percentile according to THE BAT X projects. Seiya Suzuki is projected to hit 4th in the lineup in this matchup. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Seiya Suzuki has made notable gains with his Barrel% of late, upping his 5.1% seasonal rate to 14.3% over the last week. Seiya Suzuki's ability to hit the ball at a base hit-maximizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has improved from last year to this one, rising from 42.8% to 48.7%.

When assessing his BABIP capability, Christopher Morel is projected in the 75th percentile by THE BAT X. Christopher Morel is projected to hit 1st on the lineup card in this matchup. In the majors, Minute Maid Park's LF dimensions are the 2nd-shallowest. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Christopher Morel has been hot in recent games, posting a a 31.3% Barrel% (a reliable metric to evaluate power) over the past 14 days.

When it comes to his overall offensive talent, Ian Happ ranks in the 84th percentile according to THE BAT X projects. Ian Happ is penciled in 3rd in the batting order today. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. The switch-hitting Ian Happ will have the advantage of batting from from his good side (0) today against J.P. France. Ian Happ has a 75th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (34.1%) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's game.

According to THE BAT X, Kyle Tucker is predicted to be the 18th-best hitter in the game. Kyle Tucker is projected to hit 4th in the batting order today. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. The Chicago Cubs have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Kyle Tucker stands a good chance of never losing the platoon advantage against the 'pen all game. The Chicago Cubs infield defense grades out as the 5th-best of all teams on the slate today.

Generally, having the least fair ground among all parks makes Minute Maid Park a good place for long-balls. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Matt Mervis will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against J.P. France today. The Houston Astros have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Matt Mervis has a strong chance of never losing the platoon advantage against the 'pen all game. Matt Mervis has made big gains with his Barrel% in recent games, upping his 5.9% seasonal rate to 20% in the past 7 days.

The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. David Hensley will have the handedness advantage against Drew Smyly today. The Chicago Cubs infield defense grades out as the 5th-best of all teams on the slate today. David Hensley will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's matchup, which ought to bolster all of his stats. Despite THE BAT X estimating his true talent level to be .288, David Hensley has had a stroke of misfortune this year, only compiling a .200 wOBA, resulting in a difference of .088.

THE BAT X projects Yan Gomes in the 77th percentile as it relates to his batting average ability. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Yan Gomes pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (33.8% — 82nd percentile) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them towards the league's 2nd-shallowest LF fences in today's game. Over the last week's worth of games, Yan Gomes has significantly increased his Barrel% from a seasonal rate of 13% to 22.2%, showcasing big gains in his performance. Yan Gomes has seen a notable increase in his exit velocity of late; just compare his 94.3-mph average in the past 7 days to his seasonal 87.5-mph EV.

THE BAT X projects Miles Mastrobuoni in the 81st percentile as it relates to his BABIP ability. Generally, having the least fair ground among all parks makes Minute Maid Park a good place for long-balls. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Miles Mastrobuoni will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against J.P. France in today's game. The Houston Astros have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Miles Mastrobuoni stands a good chance of holding the platoon advantage against every reliever all game.

The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Chas McCormick will have the handedness advantage against Drew Smyly today. The Chicago Cubs infield defense grades out as the 5th-best of all teams on the slate today. Chas McCormick will possess the home field advantage today, which ought to boost all of his stats. As of late, Chas McCormick has experienced a noteworthy gain in his exit velocity on flyballs, markident in his average of 106.7 mph over the past 7 days, compared to his seasonal average of 94.9 mph.

In terms of his BABIP skill, Jeremy Pena ranks in the 93rd percentile according to THE BAT X projects. For 63% of the time this season, Jeremy Pena has mainly batted in the back-half of the lineup, but for this matchup, he is listed in the 1st spot in the lineup. In the majors, Minute Maid Park's LF dimensions are the 2nd-shallowest. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Jeremy Pena will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Drew Smyly today.

THE BAT X projects Dansby Swanson in the 87th percentile when assessing his BABIP ability. Dansby Swanson is penciled in 2nd in the batting order in this matchup. In the majors, Minute Maid Park's LF dimensions are the 2nd-shallowest. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. In recent times, Dansby Swanson's exit velocity has noticeably surged; evident from his 14-day mark of 92.5 mph which is a significant jump from his seasonal 89.8 mph EV.

The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 6° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Corey Julks will have the handedness advantage against Drew Smyly in today's game. Corey Julks pulls many of his flyballs (36% — 93rd percentile) and will have a big advantage hitting them towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest LF fences today. Corey Julks will possess the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to improve all of his stats. Corey Julks has seen a sizeable improvement in his exit velocity of late; just compare his 92.3-mph average in the last 7 days to his seasonal 88.1-mph figure.

The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense.

Alex Bregman is projected to be in the 93rd percentile for his overall offensive abilities by THE BAT X. Alex Bregman is projected to hit 2nd in the lineup today. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Alex Bregman will receive the benefit of the platoon advantage against Drew Smyly today. Alex Bregman pulls many of his flyballs (38.1% — 97th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them towards baseball's 2nd-shallowest LF fences today.

When it comes to his batting average talent, Jose Abreu is ranked in the 87th percentile by THE BAT X projects. Jose Abreu is projected to bat 5th on the lineup card today. The Minute Maid Park roof projects to be closed today, making conditions in this match-up 7° hotter than the average outdoor game on the schedule today — favorable for offense. Jose Abreu will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Drew Smyly in today's game. The Chicago Cubs infield defense grades out as the 5th-best of all teams on the slate today.

Per THE BAT projection system, Minute Maid Park is ranked as the 21th venue in MLB in terms of left-handed batting average. Compared to other stadiums in the majors, Minute Maid Park has a near sea-level altitude that often results in decreased offensive production. Drew Smyly will hold the platoon advantage against Yordan Alvarez today. A decline in Yordan Alvarez's mark exit velocity has been noted this season, with his previous 93.1-mph mark reducing to 95.2-mph. Yordan Alvarez has been very fortunate when it comes to his batting average this year; his .298 figure is a good deal higher than his .257 Expected Batting Average (based on THE BAT X's interpretation of Statcast data).