Houston @ Washington Picks & Props

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jesse Winker in the 87th percentile when it comes to his overall offensive skill. Jesse Winker is projected to hit 3rd in the batting order in today's game. Nationals Park has the 9th-shallowest right field fences among all major league parks. Batting from the opposite that Justin Verlander throws from, Jesse Winker will have an edge in today's game. The Houston Astros have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Jesse Winker stands a good chance of never losing the platoon advantage against the 'pen all game.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jacob Young in the 80th percentile when it comes to his batting average skill. Jacob Young is projected to bat 1st in the lineup today, which would be an upgrade from his 70% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the lineup this year. Jacob Young has a 94th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (37.8%) and has the good fortune of hitting them out towards the league's 10th-shallowest RF fences in today's game. Extreme groundball hitters like Jacob Young are generally more successful against extreme flyball pitchers like Justin Verlander. Home field advantage typically bolsters batter metrics in all categories, and Jacob Young will hold that advantage in today's game.

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), Yordan Alvarez ranks as the best batter in MLB. Yordan Alvarez is projected to hit 2nd in the batting order in this matchup. Nationals Park has the 9th-shallowest right field fences among all major league parks. Yordan Alvarez may have the upper hand against every reliever for the duration of the game, since the bullpen of the Washington Nationals has just 1 same-handed RP. In terms of his wOBA and overall offense, Yordan Alvarez has had some very good luck this year. His .389 rate has been a good deal higher than the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected wOBA (xwOBA) at .351.

The weather report forecasts the 2nd-most favorable hitting weather of all games on the slate today, as it relates to temperature and humidity. Home field advantage generally bolsters batter metrics in all categories, and Nick Senzel will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

Kyle Tucker projects as the 14th-best batter in Major League Baseball, per the leading projection system (THE BAT X). Kyle Tucker is projected to hit 4th on the lineup card in this matchup. Nationals Park has the 9th-shallowest right field fences among all major league parks. The Washington Nationals have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Kyle Tucker has a strong chance of never facing a bullpen mismatch all game. In the last 14 days, Kyle Tucker has been performing exceptionally well at the plate with a wOBA of .379.

Hitting from the opposite that MacKenzie Gore throws from, Jose Abreu will have an edge in today's matchup. Jose Abreu has an 81st percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (34.5%) and has the good fortune of hitting them out towards the game's 10th-shallowest RF fences in today's matchup. When it comes to his batting average, Jose Abreu has suffered from bad luck since the start of last season. His .225 rate falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected Batting Average (xBA) at .262. Since the start of last season, the hardest ball Jose Abreu has connected with reached a maximum exit velocity of 113.3 mph (an advanced standard to measure power), ranking in the 76th percentile. Ranking in the 98th percentile of THE BAT X's Spray Score since the start of last season, Jose Abreu demonstrated exceptional skill in hitting the ball to all fields - an important skill for achieving a high batting average.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Chas McCormick in the 80th percentile when it comes to his BABIP ability. Hitting from the opposite that MacKenzie Gore throws from, Chas McCormick will have an edge in today's game. Chas McCormick has an 88th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (35.9%) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them towards MLB's 10th-shallowest RF fences today. Chas McCormick has posted a .356 Expected wOBA (xwOBA) since the start of last season, checking in at the 86th percentile for hitting ability according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data. Utilizing Statcast metrics, Chas McCormick ranks in the 76th percentile per the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected Batting Average since the start of last season at .271.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Luis Garcia in the 93rd percentile as it relates to his batting average talent. Luis Garcia has primarily hit in the back-half of the lineup this year (77% of the time), but he is projected to bat 5th in the lineup in this game. Nationals Park has the 9th-shallowest right field fences among all major league parks. Luis Garcia will have the handedness advantage against Justin Verlander in today's matchup. The Houston Astros have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Luis Garcia has a strong chance of holding the platoon advantage against every reliever all game.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jose Altuve in the 96th percentile when it comes to his overall offensive skill. Jose Altuve is penciled in 1st in the batting order in today's game. Hitting from the opposite that MacKenzie Gore throws from, Jose Altuve will have an edge today. Jose Altuve's footspeed has increased this season. His 26.68 ft/sec Statcast Sprint Speed last season sits at 27.31 ft/sec now. Jose Altuve and his 16.2° launch angle on his highest exit velocity balls rank in 87th percentile, among the highest in the majors since the start of last season.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Yainer Diaz in the 96th percentile when it comes to his batting average skill. Yainer Diaz is projected to bat 5th in the batting order today. Hitting from the opposite that MacKenzie Gore throws from, Yainer Diaz will have the upper hand today. Yainer Diaz has an 81st percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (34.5%) and has the good fortune of hitting them out towards MLB's 10th-shallowest RF fences in today's matchup. Yainer Diaz has suffered from bad luck when it comes to his batting average since the start of last season; his .284 figure is a good deal lower than his .305 Expected Batting Average, based on the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data.

CJ Abrams is penciled in 2nd on the lineup card today. Nationals Park has the 9th-shallowest right field fences among all major league parks. Batting from the opposite that Justin Verlander throws from, CJ Abrams will have an edge today. The Houston Astros have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so CJ Abrams can likely count on holding the platoon advantage against every reliever all game. Home field advantage generally boosts hitter stats in all categories, and CJ Abrams will hold that advantage in today's matchup.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Joey Meneses in the 80th percentile when estimating his batting average talent. Joey Meneses has an 87th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (35.6%) and will have a big advantage hitting them in the direction of baseball's 10th-shallowest RF fences in today's game. Joey Meneses will possess the home field advantage in today's game, which ought to bolster all of his stats. Posting a .326 BABIP since the start of last season, Joey Meneses grades out in the 83rd percentile.

Nationals Park has the 9th-shallowest right field fences among all major league parks. Eddie Rosario will hold the platoon advantage over Justin Verlander today. The Houston Astros have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Eddie Rosario can likely count on holding the advantage against every reliever all game. Eddie Rosario will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's matchup, which ought to boost all of his stats. Eddie Rosario and his 18.6° launch angle on his hardest-contacted balls rank in 96th percentile, among the highest in the majors since the start of last season.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Alex Bregman in the 96th percentile when estimating his overall offensive talent. Alex Bregman is projected to bat 3rd on the lineup card in this matchup. Hitting from the opposite that MacKenzie Gore throws from, Alex Bregman will have an advantage today. In terms of the ability to lift the ball for power, Alex Bregman ranks in the 87th percentile with a 17.6° launch angle, which is among the most flyball-inducing angles in the majors. Grading out in the 82nd percentile, Alex Bregman has notched a .352 wOBA (widely regarded as the top measure of overall offense) since the start of last season.

Lane Thomas is penciled in 4th in the lineup in this matchup. Lane Thomas will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today's game, which ought to boost all of his stats. Despite posting a .235 wOBA this year, the leading projection system (THE BAT X) believes Lane Thomas has had some very poor luck given the .078 disparity between that figure and his estimated true talent wOBA of .313. Lane Thomas's 94.8-mph exit velocity on flyballs (an advanced standard to evaluate power) grades out in the 84th percentile since the start of last season. Ranking in the 94th percentile for Sprint Speed at 28.96 ft/sec this year, Lane Thomas is quite fast.

Nationals Park has the 9th-shallowest right field fences among all major league parks. Extreme flyball bats like Ildemaro Vargas usually hit better against extreme groundball pitchers like Justin Verlander. Ildemaro Vargas will possess the home field advantage in today's matchup, which figures to bolster all of his stats. Ildemaro Vargas has shown good plate discipline since the start of last season, ranking in the 99th percentile with a 0.96 K/BB rate.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Mauricio Dubon in the 84th percentile as it relates to his batting average ability. Mauricio Dubon will hold the platoon advantage over MacKenzie Gore in today's matchup. Mauricio Dubon has a 94th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (37.7%) and sets up very well considering he'll be hitting them in the direction of baseball's 10th-shallowest RF fences today. As it relates to his batting average, Mauricio Dubon has experienced some negative variance since the start of last season. His .278 mark falls considerably below the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Statcast-based Expected Batting Average (xBA) at .293. In notching a .284 batting average since the start of last season, Mauricio Dubon finds himself in the 92nd percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Jeremy Pena in the 95th percentile when assessing his BABIP ability. Jeremy Pena will have the handedness advantage over MacKenzie Gore today. Jeremy Pena has put up a .282 Expected Batting Average since the start of last season, ranking in the 85th percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s interpretation of Statcast data. Placing in the 86th percentile, Jeremy Pena has posted a .332 BABIP since the start of last season.

Riley Adams has a 79th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (34.2%) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them out towards the game's 10th-shallowest RF fences in today's matchup. Home field advantage generally boosts hitter stats in all categories, and Riley Adams will hold that advantage in today's game. By putting up a .339 wOBA (a leading indicator of offensive ability) since the start of last season, Riley Adams finds himself in the 80th percentile. With a .271 batting average since the start of last season, Riley Adams is positioned in the 85th percentile.

The weather report forecasts the 2nd-most favorable hitting weather of all games on the slate today, as it relates to temperature and humidity. Hitting from the opposite that Justin Verlander throws from, Joey Gallo will have an edge in today's matchup. The Houston Astros have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Joey Gallo can likely count on holding the platoon advantage against every reliever all game. Joey Gallo pulls a lot of his flyballs (42% — 99th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he'll be hitting them towards baseball's 10th-shallowest RF fences today. Joey Gallo will possess the home field advantage in today's matchup, which should boost all of his stats.