Todays Matchup Details

Player match stat positives for Chicago at Kansas City Matchup Today

The leading projection system (THE BAT) projects Michael Wacha in the 79th percentile when it comes to his overall pitching talent level.

The Chicago White Sox projected lineup profiles as the 4th-worst on the slate today in terms of overall hitting ability.

The deepest RF dimensions among all stadiums are found in Kauffman Stadium.

The wind projects to be blowing in from RF at 8.5-mph in this match-up, the 3rd-most-favorable of the day for mound aces.

Home field advantage generally boosts pitcher metrics in all categories, and Michael Wacha will hold that advantage in today’s matchup.

Eloy Jimenez’s batting average talent is projected to be in the 90th percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X).

Eloy Jimenez is penciled in 4th in the batting order in this game.

The leading projection system (THE BAT) ranks Kauffman Stadium as the 2nd-best venue in Major League Baseball for RHB batting average.

Built 886 feet above sea level, Kauffman Stadium has the 4th-highest elevation in Major League Baseball, which usually leads (as a rule of thumb) to better offense.

The #2 ballpark in MLB for boosting offensive stats, via the leading projection system (THE BAT), is Kauffman Stadium.

Batting from the opposite that Michael Wacha throws from, Nicky Lopez will have an edge today.

When assessing his overall offensive ability, Vinnie Pasquantino ranks in the 89th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).

Vinnie Pasquantino is projected to hit 3rd in the lineup today.

Kauffman Stadium ranks as the #2 stadium in the league for lefty batting average, per the leading projection system (THE BAT).

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), Bobby Witt Jr. ranks as the 14th-best batter in the majors.

Bobby Witt Jr. is projected to bat 2nd in the batting order in today’s game.

When estimating his overall offensive ability, Tommy Pham ranks in the 80th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).

Tommy Pham is projected to hit 1st in the lineup in this game.

When estimating his batting average skill, Bobby Witt Jr. is projected as the 7th-best batter in baseball by the leading projection system (THE BAT X).

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Salvador Perez in the 91st percentile when assessing his home run skill.

Salvador Perez is projected to bat 4th on the lineup card in this matchup.

Adam Frazier is penciled in 1st in the batting order in today’s game, which would be an upgrade from his 74% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the batting order this year.

Hitting from the opposite that Chris Flexen throws from, Adam Frazier will have an edge today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Maikel Garcia in the 89th percentile when estimating his BABIP ability.

Nicky Lopez’s launch angle this year (7.2°) is significantly better than his 0.2° figure last year.

Batting from the opposite that Chris Flexen throws from, Kyle Isbel will have an advantage in today’s matchup.

Out of every team playing today, the 4th-worst outfield defense is that of the Chicago White Sox.

Home field advantage generally improves batter stats across the board, and Maikel Garcia will hold that advantage today.

Maikel Garcia’s ability to hit the ball at a HR-optimizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has gotten better from last year to this one, going from 11.5% to 15.8%.

Nick Senzel’s ability to hit the ball at a HR-maximizing launch angle (between 23° and 34°) has increased from last season to this one, going from 11.4% to 21.1%.

Based on Statcast metrics, the leading projection system (THE BAT X)’s version of Expected Batting Average (.238) suggests that Nick Senzel has experienced some negative variance this year with his .209 actual batting average.

Kyle Isbel will have the benefit of the home field advantage in today’s matchup, which ought to improve all of his stats.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Luis Robert in the 94th percentile as it relates to his BABIP talent.

Luis Robert is projected to bat 3rd in the batting order in this game.

The leading projection system (THE BAT) projects Michael Wacha in the 78th percentile as it relates to his strikeout skill.

The Chicago White Sox have 3 batters in their projected offense today with a high (i.e. over 27%) underlying K% (according to the leading projection system, THE BAT X) (Luis Robert, Paul DeJong, Korey Lee).

Michael Wacha’s 92.9-mph velocity on his fastball this year is a notable 1.5-mph rise from last season’s 91.4-mph mark.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Eloy Jimenez in the 85th percentile when it comes to his overall offensive talent.

Chris Flexen was rolling in his previous game started and gave up 2 ER.

Contrary to popular belief, fastballs are generally a pitcher’s least effective pitch. Chris Flexen has used his non-fastballs 6.9% more often this year (61.4%) than he did last season (54.5%).

Collectively, Kansas City Royals bats have struggled when assessing hitting balls in the launch angle range that tends to optimize base hits (between -4° and 26°), rating worst in the league.

Michael Massey is projected to hit 5th in the lineup in today’s game.

Andrew Benintendi is projected to hit 2nd in the lineup in today’s game.

Batting from the opposite that Michael Wacha throws from, Andrew Benintendi will have an advantage today.

When it comes to his overall offensive talent, Andrew Vaughn ranks in the 87th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).

Andrew Vaughn is projected to bat 5th in the lineup in today’s game.

Nick Senzel has displayed good plate discipline this year, grading out in the 80th percentile with a 1.88 K/BB rate.

Michael Massey will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Chris Flexen today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Andrew Benintendi in the 88th percentile as it relates to his batting average skill.

As it relates to his home run ability, Paul DeJong ranks in the 86th percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X).

Paul DeJong has seen a substantial increase in his exit velocity on flyballs this year; just compare his 93.4-mph average to last year’s 90.4-mph average.

When assessing his home run talent, Luis Robert ranks in the 93rd percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X).

When assessing his overall offensive talent, Salvador Perez ranks in the 82nd percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Hunter Renfroe in the 79th percentile as it relates to his home run ability.

Hunter Renfroe will benefit from the home field advantage in today’s matchup, which figures to improve all of his stats.

Home field advantage typically boosts batter stats in all categories, and Adam Frazier will hold that advantage today.

Last year, Paul DeJong had an average launch angle of 15.5° on his hardest-contacted balls, while this season it has significantly increased to 21.1°.

Friday player match stat slumps with White Sox vs Royals Matchup

It may be wise to expect better results for the Chicago White Sox offense in future games, considering that the leading projection system (THE BAT X) views them as the 3rd-unluckiest offense in MLB this year.

Projected catcher Salvador Perez profiles as a weak pitch framer, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).

Kauffman Stadium ranks as the #1 field in the game for walks, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).

On average, the fence height at Kauffman Stadium is the 10th-shortest among all major league baseball stadiums.

A correlation exists between high heat and more offense (and fewer whiffs), and this game is expected to have the 4th-highest temperatures of all games today at 81°.

Hitting from the same side that Michael Wacha throws from, Eloy Jimenez meets a tough challenge in today’s game.

Eloy Jimenez hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (39.1% — 93rd percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them towards baseball’s 4th-deepest CF fences in today’s game.

Eloy Jimenez will be at a disadvantage playing away from home in today’s game.

There has been a significant decline in Eloy Jimenez’s launch angle from last year’s 5.8° to 2.4° this season.

When assessing his home run talent, Nicky Lopez ranks in the 1st percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X).

Nicky Lopez is projected to hit 7th in the lineup today.

This year, Nicky Lopez has been pinch hit for in 10% of his appearances when starting against right-handed pitcher.

Nicky Lopez has a 100th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (43.9%) and will have to hit them out towards MLB’s 4th-deepest LF fences today.

Today, Vinnie Pasquantino is at a disadvantage facing the league’s deepest RF fences given that he hits his flyballs to the pull field at a 36.3% rate (93rd percentile).

Over the past 7 days, Vinnie Pasquantino’s Barrel% has experienced a negative regression, plummeting from his seasonal rate of 7.4% down to 0%.

Vinnie Pasquantino’s average exit velocity has decreased recently; his 91.2-mph seasonal figure has dropped off to 84.6-mph over the last week.

Vinnie Pasquantino has notched a .244 BABIP this year, grading out in the 10th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT) profiles Kauffman Stadium as the 6th-worst stadium in MLB for RHB home runs.

Chris Flexen will have the handedness advantage against Bobby Witt Jr. in today’s game.

Bobby Witt Jr. has a 90th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (36.7%) and has the misfortune of hitting them towards the game’s deepest RF fences in today’s game.

Batting from the same side that Michael Wacha throws from, Tommy Pham encounters a tough challenge today.

Tommy Pham hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (39.1% — 93rd percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them towards baseball’s 4th-deepest CF fences today.

Tommy Pham will be at a disadvantage playing on the road in today’s matchup.

Tommy Pham has averaged 11.4 Expected Home Runs per 600 plate appearances this year, ranking in the 21st percentile for power according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)’s interpretation of Statcast data.

Hitting from the same side that Chris Flexen throws from, Salvador Perez will be at a disadvantage in today’s matchup.

Salvador Perez pulls many of his flyballs (36.7% — 94th percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them in the direction of the game’s 4th-deepest LF fences today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Adam Frazier in the 23rd percentile when assessing his BABIP talent.

This year, Adam Frazier has been pinch hit for in 30% of his appearances when starting against right-handed starter.

Adam Frazier has posted a .265 wOBA (the best measure of overall offense) this year, checking in at the 10th percentile.

Maikel Garcia is projected to hit 8th in the batting order in today’s game, which would be a downgrade from his 95% rate of hitting in the top-half of the lineup this season.

Chris Flexen will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Maikel Garcia in today’s matchup.

Maikel Garcia has a 94th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (38.4%) and has the misfortune of hitting them in the direction of the league’s deepest RF fences in today’s game.

Maikel Garcia’s exit velocity on flyballs has decreased this season; his 92.7-mph EV last year has lowered to 90-mph.

Kauffman Stadium grades out as the #25 park in the majors for LHB home runs, via the leading projection system (THE BAT).

Kyle Isbel’s BABIP talent is projected in the 25th percentile by the leading projection system (THE BAT X).

Kyle Isbel is penciled in 9th in the lineup today.

16% of the time that Kyle Isbel has started against a northpaw this year, he has been pinch hit for.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Hunter Renfroe in the 3rd percentile when estimating his BABIP talent.

Hunter Renfroe is projected to bat 6th in the batting order in this matchup.

Chris Flexen will have the handedness advantage over Hunter Renfroe in today’s game.

Hunter Renfroe pulls many of his flyballs (40% — 98th percentile) and will have to hit them out towards baseball’s 4th-deepest LF fences today.

When it comes to his overall offensive skill, Korey Lee ranks in the 5th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).

Korey Lee is projected to hit 9th on the lineup card in today’s game.

Michael Wacha will hold the platoon advantage against Korey Lee in today’s game.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Maikel Garcia in the 15th percentile when estimating his home run ability.

Nick Senzel is penciled in 8th in the lineup in this game.

Kauffman Stadium has the 2nd-most fair ground in Major League Baseball — generally bad for homers.

Hitting from the same side that Michael Wacha throws from, Nick Senzel meets a tough challenge in today’s matchup.

Playing on the road generally lowers batter stats in all categories due to the lack of home field advantage, which figures to be the case for Nick Senzel in today’s matchup.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) estimates Bobby Witt Jr.’s true offensive ability to be a .367, indicating that he has been lucky this year given the .020 discrepancy between that figure and his actual .387 wOBA.

Michael Wacha will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Luis Robert in today’s game.

Luis Robert pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (33.8% — 80th percentile) but may find it hard to clear the game’s 4th-deepest LF fences today.

Playing on the road typically reduces hitter stats in all categories due to the lack of home field advantage, which should be the case for Luis Robert in today’s matchup.

In the last 7 days, Luis Robert’s Barrel% has experienced a negative regression, plummeting from his seasonal rate of 14.4% down to 0%.

Kauffman Stadium projects as the #29 field in the majors for strikeouts, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).

Given his large reverse platoon split, Michael Wacha will have a disadvantage squaring off against 7 bats in the projected lineup who share his hand in today’s game.

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT)’s appraisal, Chris Flexen’s overall pitching talent grades out in the 16th percentile among all starting pitchers in MLB right now.

Chris Flexen has recorded 15.1 outs per GS this year, grading out in the 25th percentile.

Korey Lee, the White Sox’s expected catcher in today’s matchup, projects as a weak pitch framer according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).

Korey Lee pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (34.1% — 81st percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them towards baseball’s 4th-deepest LF fences today.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Michael Massey in the 20th percentile when it comes to his BABIP ability.

In today’s game, Michael Massey is at a disadvantage facing the league’s deepest RF fences given that he hits his flyballs to the pull field at a 38.2% rate (96th percentile).

As it relates to his home runs, Michael Massey has had positive variance on his side this year. His 30.8 HR per 600 plate appearances mark has been significantly inflated relative to the leading projection system (THE BAT X)’s version of Statcast-based Expected HR/600 at 21.1.

Michael Massey has really struggled to hit the ball hard. If you were to take the top 5% of his batted balls by exit velocity, their average (104.8 mph) put him among the game’s worst: in the 11th percentile this year.

When estimating his home run talent, Andrew Benintendi ranks in the 21st percentile according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X).

Today, Andrew Benintendi is at a disadvantage facing the league’s 4th-deepest CF center field fences given that he hits his flyballs towards center field at a 38.9% rate (91st percentile).

Playing on the road typically lowers batter stats across the board due to the lack of home field advantage, which ought to be the case for Andrew Benintendi today.

Michael Wacha will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Andrew Vaughn today.

In today’s game, Andrew Vaughn is at a disadvantage facing the league’s 4th-deepest CF center field fences given that he hits his flyballs towards center field at a 38.9% rate (91st percentile).

Andrew Vaughn will be at a disadvantage playing as a visiting player in today’s game.

When it comes to plate discipline, Andrew Vaughn’s skill is quite poor, putting up a 3.59 K/BB rate this year while placing in in the 24th percentile.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Adam Frazier in the 4th percentile when assessing his home run talent.

Sporting a 11.500 Expected Home Runs per 600 plate appearances (an advanced metric created by the leading projection system (THE BAT X) using Statcast data) this year , Adam Frazier is positioned in the 21st percentile for power.

Based on Statcast metrics, the leading projection system (THE BAT X)’s version of Expected wOBA (.285) implies that Michael Massey has experienced some positive variance this year with his .320 actual wOBA.

Andrew Benintendi’s average exit velocity has dropped off of late; his 87.7-mph seasonal EV has decreased to 84.7-mph in the last 14 days.

Compared to his seasonal angle of 14.6°, Andrew Benintendi has produced a noticeably lower launch angle (7.7°) over the past 14 days.

Paul DeJong is projected to hit 6th on the lineup card in this game.

Michael Wacha will have the handedness advantage over Paul DeJong in today’s matchup.

Paul DeJong pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (35.2% — 88th percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them towards the league’s 4th-deepest LF fences in today’s game.

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects Paul DeJong in the 6th percentile as it relates to his batting average ability.

In terms of his batting average, Salvador Perez has had some very good luck this year. His .282 BA has been considerably higher than the leading projection system (THE BAT X)’s version of Statcast-based Expected Batting Average (xBA) at .260.

When assessing his strikeout talent, the leading projection system (THE BAT) forecasts Chris Flexen in the 17th percentile among all starting pitchers in the majors.

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), the team with the 5th-least strikeout-prone lineup in today’s games is the Kansas City Royals with a 19.7% underlying K%.

When it comes to his overall offensive talent, Nicky Lopez ranks in the 9th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).

Michael Massey’s launch angle this year (13°) is a significant dropoff from his 19.6° figure last year.