Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays

2026-08-02, 1:40 PM ET, Tropicana Field. Anthony Kay (L) against Griffin Jax (R). Every number derives from the public Statcast store and the engine's published boards. Charts are code-drawn. Probabilities, not picks. Statcast through 2026-08-01.

What decides tonight

Every number below is a probability this engine published before first pitch and grades that night, or a plain count. No scouting verdicts are ranked here — those live in the panels and carry their own sample sizes.

Griffin Jax (RHP)

1328 pitches, K% 28% vs LHB (217 BF) / 23% vs RHB (142 BF)

28 apps · median 14 BF · reaches the order 2.0× (max 3) · exits at 69 pitches (IQR 62–81, 17 starts) · fastball -1.1 mph late (3 deep starts). Fade is measured inside each start on nights that reached 85 pitches, so it is not flattered by the short outings.

League percentiles, starter pool

K%7126%
BB%538%
CSW%8330%
Whiff%8829%
Chase%8834%
xwOBA vs27.339
Hard-hit%3940%
GB%7146%
1st-pitch strike%8766%
published K forecast: E[K] 5.5
recent starts, K (n=5)
1007/06
NYY
307/11
SEA
607/17
BOS
507/22
TOR
1007/28
TEX

Arsenal, shape and results

Pitch # vL%vR% MPHIVBHB RPMWhiffCSW Chase 2K use 2K zone xwOBA RV/100
sweeper33716%41%87.8-1+13301435%34%28%25%33%.308-1.1
changeup31030%12%91.0+4-16186540%30%48%28%28%.270-0.8
sinker27514%32%95.5+11-17251510%29%31%11%55%.366+0.1
4-seam22821%12%96.1+18-8252624%23%31%23%37%.376+1.6
curveball12013%3%85.0-14+5301342%35%30%12%19%.304-0.8
cutter506%1%92.8+9+1268112%18%17%1%·.661+1.6

RV/100 is run value per 100 pitches from the pitcher's side, so negative is good (a curveball at −1.3 costs the pitcher runs even if it misses bats — a real tension worth reading, not a contradiction). Whiff, chase and xwOBA are computed on this pitcher's own pitches this season; low-usage pitches carry small samples.

Locations, catcher view

sweeper
changeup
sinker

Movement

sweeper: -1 IVB, +13 HBchangeup: +4 IVB, -16 HBsinker: +11 IVB, -17 HB4-seam: +18 IVB, -8 HBcurveball: -14 IVB, +5 HBcutter: +9 IVB, +1 HBhorizontal break (in), catcher viewinduced vertical break (in)

How to attack

  • Lay off the curveball below the zone: 42% whiffs, only 34% of them are strikes.
  • Vs righties he leans sweeper (41% of pitches to that side).
  • Hunt the sinker early: 29% of his first pitches, only 10% whiffs, 65% in-zone on 0-0.

Anthony Kay (LHP)

1894 pitches, K% 27% vs LHB (125 BF) / 15% vs RHB (343 BF)

22 apps · median 22 BF · reaches the order 3.0× (max 3) · exits at 89 pitches (IQR 86–92, 20 starts) · fastball -0.9 mph late (12 deep starts). Fade is measured inside each start on nights that reached 85 pitches, so it is not flattered by the short outings.

League percentiles, starter pool

K%2419%
BB%439%
CSW%2526%
Whiff%4122%
Chase%7833%
xwOBA vs18.348
Hard-hit%4039%
GB%5343%
1st-pitch strike%2258%
published K forecast: E[K] 4.6
recent starts, K (n=5)
207/03
CLE
407/09
BOS
507/17
TOR
407/22
TEX
707/28
NYY

Arsenal, shape and results

Pitch # vL%vR% MPHIVBHB RPMWhiffCSW Chase 2K use 2K zone xwOBA RV/100
4-seam44015%26%95.8+15+7234016%24%32%27%43%.368+0.5
sweeper42133%18%82.7-0-13243235%33%24%18%30%.325+0.7
sinker34134%12%95.1+5+16224616%27%40%14%61%.369-0.4
cutter31112%18%91.3+7-2237620%24%31%10%22%.427+0.5
changeup2710%20%86.0+0+14170725%17%37%17%18%.279+0.5
slider1106%6%86.2-4-4254432%24%42%14%20%.270+1.5

RV/100 is run value per 100 pitches from the pitcher's side, so negative is good (a curveball at −1.3 costs the pitcher runs even if it misses bats — a real tension worth reading, not a contradiction). Whiff, chase and xwOBA are computed on this pitcher's own pitches this season; low-usage pitches carry small samples.

Locations and movement (4 charts)
4-seam
sweeper
sinker

Movement

4-seam: +15 IVB, +7 HBsweeper: -0 IVB, -13 HBsinker: +5 IVB, +16 HBcutter: +7 IVB, -2 HBchangeup: +0 IVB, +14 HBslider: -4 IVB, -4 HBhorizontal break (in), catcher viewinduced vertical break (in)

Attack plan vs Tampa Bay Rays

  • Changeup: top offspeed whiffs are Fortes (36%), Williamson (27%).
  • Careful with Simpson: 90% contact, 12% K rate vs LHP; pitch to contact at the edges.

White Sox bats vs Griffin Jax

Season quality vs tonight's starter hand, percentile-colored vs league: red elite, paper average, blue poor. P columns are the engine's published board numbers for this game. Batting order as posted. 30d contact is the last-30-day contact rate minus the season rate; an arrow is drawn only when the move clears two standard errors of its own noise, and n is the recent swing count.

#BatterPAxwOBAK%Chase%Contact%HH%P(1+ hit)P(1+ HR)30d contact
1Sam Antonacci (L)288.37815%22%88%39%65%12%n169
2Munetaka Murakami (L)226.41431%22%60%62%59%20%n133
3Miguel Vargas (R)332.37518%22%81%41%66%15%▼ -5% n198
4Colson Montgomery (L)304.30733%32%65%44%60%13%n177
5Andrew Benintendi (L)297.32623%30%75%48%56%11%n139
6Tristan Peters (L)292.30818%34%80%34%59%11%n160
7Chase Meidroth (R)322.29424%26%82%34%63%12%n172
8Everson Pereira (R)54.27931%44%65%44%··n16
9Drew Romo (S)116.23726%34%68%25%46%5%n68

Tampa Bay Rays bats, where our staff attacks

Whiff by pitch group vs our starter's hand. Blue cells are the attack zones. P columns are the published board numbers. Batting order as posted. 30d contact is the last-30-day contact rate minus the season rate; an arrow is drawn only when the move clears two standard errors of its own noise, and n is the recent swing count.

#BatterPAFB whiffBRK whiffOFF whiffxwOBAChase%Contact%1st-pitch swingP(1+ hit)P(1+ HR)30d contact
1Yandy Díaz (R)13712%11%16%.34433%87%28% n13870%16%n210
2Jonathan Aranda (L)13919%21%·.33123%79%45% n13967%15%n226
3Junior Caminero (R)13515%15%25%.43025%82%21% n13568%18%n201
4Ryan Vilade (R)11318%26%15%.30328%81%29% n11360%12%n81
5Chandler Simpson (L)1334%21%·.22338%90%41% n13366%5%n148
6Jonny DeLuca (R)9223%24%24%.28836%76%·63%10%n137
7Ben Williamson (R)1168%27%27%.29533%85%16% n11657%6%n109
8Cedric Mullins (L)9325%21%·.22035%77%·64%17%n168
9Nick Fortes (R)1226%19%36%.29637%85%34% n12264%11%▼ -8% n86

Tampa Bay Rays hitters, one card each

One card per hitter: the published probabilities this engine grades tonight, his whiff shape by pitch group, and his season against this starter's hand with the sample stated. Times-through-order and leverage splits are deliberately absent — at a median 45 plate appearances the third-time-through number carries a standard error roughly three times the effect it would be claiming.

1

Yandy Díaz (R)

P(1+ hit) 70% · P(1+ HR) 16%

FB12%
BRK11%
OFF16%

vs LHP 0.344 xwOBA, K 15% (137 PA)

2

Jonathan Aranda (L)

P(1+ hit) 67% · P(1+ HR) 15%

FB19%
BRK21%
OFF·

vs LHP 0.331 xwOBA, K 27% (139 PA)

3

Junior Caminero (R)

P(1+ hit) 68% · P(1+ HR) 18%

FB15%
BRK15%
OFF25%

vs LHP 0.430 xwOBA, K 14% (135 PA)

4

Ryan Vilade (R)

P(1+ hit) 60% · P(1+ HR) 12%

FB18%
BRK26%
OFF15%

vs LHP 0.303 xwOBA, K 24% (113 PA)

5

Chandler Simpson (L)

P(1+ hit) 66% · P(1+ HR) 5%

FB4%
BRK21%
OFF·

vs LHP 0.223 xwOBA, K 12% (133 PA)

6

Jonny DeLuca (R)

P(1+ hit) 63% · P(1+ HR) 10%

FB23%
BRK24%
OFF24%

vs LHP 0.288 xwOBA, K 21% (92 PA)

7

Ben Williamson (R)

P(1+ hit) 57% · P(1+ HR) 6%

FB8%
BRK27%
OFF27%

vs LHP 0.295 xwOBA, K 20% (116 PA)

8

Cedric Mullins (L)

P(1+ hit) 64% · P(1+ HR) 17%

FB25%
BRK21%
OFF·

vs LHP 0.220 xwOBA, K 17% (93 PA)

9

Nick Fortes (R)

P(1+ hit) 64% · P(1+ HR) 11%

FB6%
BRK19%
OFF36%

vs LHP 0.296 xwOBA, K 11% (122 PA)

Matchups: CWS hitters vs Griffin Jax

Where this starter's actual usage meets each hitter's measured holes and damage, on the same map. An edge is only reported where the pitcher genuinely goes — a hole against a pitch he does not throw is not a matchup — and only where the rate is measurably worse than league for a typical hitter in that same spot. Every line carries its sample size. Batter-versus-pitcher history is shown as trivia and is not used in any of it: the samples that actually occur are far too small to support a conclusion, and most public matchup content is built on them anyway.

1. Sam Antonacci

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle and away — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.404 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.309 league average in that spot. (11 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 65% to get a hit and 12% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

2. Munetaka Murakami

Edge: pitcherHe throws the four-seam off the plate on 12% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 46% of the time there, against 31% for a typical hitter — +16 points. (25 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 5% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.696 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.397 league average in that spot. (20 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 59% to get a hit and 20% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

3. Miguel Vargas

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.513 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.397 league average in that spot. (25 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 66% to get a hit and 15% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

4. Colson Montgomery

Edge: pitcherHe throws the four-seam off the plate on 12% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 45% of the time there, against 31% for a typical hitter — +14 points. (64 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes down-middle — and he puts 8% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.552 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.357 league average in that spot. (18 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 60% to get a hit and 13% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

0 for 1 lifetime. At 1 plate appearances this is trivia, not evidence — it is shown because people ask for it, and it is not used anywhere in the analysis above.

5. Andrew Benintendi

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes up-middle — and he puts 5% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.399 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.332 league average in that spot. (16 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 56% to get a hit and 11% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

0 for 1 lifetime. At 1 plate appearances this is trivia, not evidence — it is shown because people ask for it, and it is not used anywhere in the analysis above.

6. Tristan Peters

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle and away — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.394 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.309 league average in that spot. (21 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 59% to get a hit and 11% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

0 for 1 lifetime. At 1 plate appearances this is trivia, not evidence — it is shown because people ask for it, and it is not used anywhere in the analysis above.

7. Chase Meidroth

Not enough of a track record in the spots this pitcher uses to say anything useful. No verdict rather than a guess.

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 63% to get a hit and 12% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

8. Everson Pereira

Not enough of a track record in the spots this pitcher uses to say anything useful. No verdict rather than a guess.

No published probability for this batter tonight, so the notes above are observations, not predictions.

9. Drew Romo

Not enough of a track record in the spots this pitcher uses to say anything useful. No verdict rather than a guess.

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 46% to get a hit and 5% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

Tampa Bay Rays: the running game and the defense

Sprint speed says who can run; attempt rate says who will. Rate is steals of second per time on first, shrunk toward the league’s 5.3% at 20 opportunities, with the raw count beside it. Verdict needs 15+ times on first. Sprint speed and Outs Above Average are Baseball Savant leaderboard metrics — measured from tracking data we do not have and did not compute.

Behind the plate: Drew Romo — runners went 28-for-36 against him (22% caught). That is mostly the pitcher: measured split-half reliability for a catcher’s own caught-stealing rate is +0.59, and the spread between catchers is smaller than the sampling noise. Read it as what happened, not as a rating.

#Batter Sprint Steal rate Threat OAA
1Yandy Díaz (R)26.1 ft/s1.3% (5/445)holds·
2Jonathan Aranda (L)25.5 ft/s0.3% (0/334)holds-3 1B
3Junior Caminero (R)26.3 ft/s1.8% (6/363)holds-15 3B
4Ryan Vilade (R)28.5 ft/s2.6% (1/61)holds·
5Chandler Simpson (L)29.5 ft/s20.0% (66/315)runner+6 LF
6Jonny DeLuca (R)28.9 ft/s20.6% (20/82)runner+4 RF
7Ben Williamson (R)28.2 ft/s6.7% (13/190)occasional-4 2B
8Cedric Mullins (L)27.9 ft/s15.0% (39/246)runner+7 CF
9Nick Fortes (R)27.0 ft/s1.2% (1/155)holds·

Chicago White Sox: the running game and the defense

Sprint speed says who can run; attempt rate says who will. Rate is steals of second per time on first, shrunk toward the league’s 5.3% at 20 opportunities, with the raw count beside it. Verdict needs 15+ times on first. Sprint speed and Outs Above Average are Baseball Savant leaderboard metrics — measured from tracking data we do not have and did not compute.

Behind the plate: Nick Fortes — runners went 111-for-130 against him (15% caught). That is mostly the pitcher: measured split-half reliability for a catcher’s own caught-stealing rate is +0.59, and the spread between catchers is smaller than the sampling noise. Read it as what happened, not as a rating.

#Batter Sprint Steal rate Threat OAA
1Sam Antonacci (L)28.2 ft/s9.8% (15/143)occasional-5 LF
2Munetaka Murakami (L)27.1 ft/s2.6% (3/139)holds+0 1B
3Miguel Vargas (R)28.3 ft/s4.3% (14/332)holds-2 3B
4Colson Montgomery (L)26.6 ft/s1.0% (1/195)holds+6 SS
5Andrew Benintendi (L)26.6 ft/s0.8% (1/240)holds·
6Tristan Peters (L)28.7 ft/s4.0% (4/106)holds+9 CF
7Chase Meidroth (R)27.2 ft/s3.4% (13/393)holds+4 2B
8Everson Pereira (R)27.6 ft/s4.7% (2/45)holds·
9Drew Romo (S)26.1 ft/s3.8% (1/34)holds·

Bullpens

Sorted by 30-day workload. Day cells show pitches on the three most recent league game dates; dark means heavy recent use. Season rates percentile-colored vs all pitchers with 150+ pitches.

White Sox bullpen 8 arms
Reliever07/3007/3108/01 games since 30-day K%Whiff%xwOBA Top pitches
Trevor Richards (R)·1417today B2B313p/13g26%23%.2824-seam 92 (61%) · changeup 80 (28%)
Tyler Schweitzer (L)·43·1 heavy238p/6g12%20%.3644-seam 94 (48%) · slider 88 (30%)
Sean Newcomb (L)25··2191p/9g23%22%.3154-seam 95 (50%) · slurve 83 (30%)
Chris Murphy (L)8··2178p/10g22%27%.2994-seam 97 (35%) · slider 89 (28%)
Jordan Hicks (R)···3168p/10g26%23%.283sinker 100 (41%) · sweeper 86 (30%)
Grant Taylor (R)···3163p/8g34%27%.2444-seam 98 (41%) · curveball 83 (30%)
Seranthony Domínguez (R)19·14today159p/11g28%27%.3374-seam 97 (47%) · sweeper 85 (29%)
Bryan Hudson (L)11··2139p/8g22%22%.2994-seam 93 (59%) · sweeper 80 (38%)
Tampa Bay Rays bullpen 8 arms
Reliever07/3007/3108/01 games since 30-day K%Whiff%xwOBA Top pitches
Chris Roycroft (R)·10·1192p/7g15%13%.392sinker 96 (56%) · cutter 89 (23%)
Craig Kimbrel (R)14··2181p/9g22%24%.3154-seam 93 (59%) · sinker 94 (17%)
Garrett Cleavinger (L)20·6today179p/12g34%26%.292slider 88 (41%) · sinker 95 (28%)
Bryan Baker (R)30·6today173p/11g28%26%.2564-seam 96 (56%) · changeup 85 (42%)
Cam Booser (L)11·16today159p/11g35%25%.241cutter 88 (46%) · 4-seam 96 (38%)
Cole Sulser (R)···6153p/10g24%25%.3384-seam 93 (46%) · changeup 84 (39%)
Kevin Kelly (R)··12today126p/9g22%17%.312sinker 91 (53%) · changeup 86 (34%)
Casey Legumina (R)9··2125p/8g16%19%.3414-seam 94 (46%) · sinker 93 (18%)