Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers

2026-08-15, 1:10 PM ET, Comerica Park. Anthony Kay (L) against Troy Melton (R). Every number derives from the public Statcast store and the engine's published boards. Charts are code-drawn. Probabilities, not picks. Statcast through 2026-08-14.

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.

Troy Melton (RHP)

1162 pitches, K% 19% vs LHB (182 BF) / 27% vs RHB (125 BF)

13 apps · median 23 BF · reaches the order 3.0× (max 4) · exits at 90 pitches (IQR 88–92, 13 starts) · fastball -0.8 mph late (9 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%4922%
BB%598%
CSW%4727%
Whiff%5924%
Chase%8033%
xwOBA vs90.272
Hard-hit%7934%
GB%4642%
1st-pitch strike%3660%
published K forecast: E[K] 6.3
recent starts, K (n=5)
907/17
LAA
507/23
KC
507/28
BAL
408/04
SEA
508/09
SF

Arsenal, shape and results

Pitch # vL%vR% MPHIVBHB RPMWhiffCSW Chase 2K use 2K zone xwOBA RV/100
4-seam41940%31%96.3+15-6225820%25%28%33%51%.310-1.0
cutter25321%22%92.1+7+4232020%31%35%19%43%.240-4.4
slider19215%19%86.8-1+7241732%28%41%24%28%.251-0.1
splitter13115%5%89.0+2-10130433%20%31%15%20%.205-1.2
sinker951%20%95.7+10-14213821%25%43%3%·.328-0.4
curveball728%3%78.7-9+16244632%35%26%6%·.306-1.7

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

4-seam
cutter
slider

Movement

4-seam: +15 IVB, -6 HBcutter: +7 IVB, +4 HBslider: -1 IVB, +7 HBsplitter: +2 IVB, -10 HBsinker: +10 IVB, -14 HBcurveball: -9 IVB, +16 HBhorizontal break (in), catcher viewinduced vertical break (in)

How to attack

  • Hunt the 4-seam early: 39% of his first pitches, only 20% whiffs, 55% in-zone on 0-0.
  • Lay off the splitter below the zone: 33% whiffs, only 29% of them are strikes.
  • K rate splits 19% vs LHB / 27% vs RHB: the left-handed side of the platoon wears him better.

Anthony Kay (LHP)

2066 pitches, K% 27% vs LHB (143 BF) / 15% vs RHB (378 BF)

24 apps · median 22 BF · reaches the order 3.0× (max 3) · exits at 89 pitches (IQR 84–92, 22 starts) · fastball -0.8 mph late (13 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%2018%
BB%538%
CSW%2525%
Whiff%4122%
Chase%7833%
xwOBA vs18.347
Hard-hit%3840%
GB%6445%
1st-pitch strike%2659%
published K forecast: E[K] 4.7
recent starts, K (n=5) last start 08/08, 7 days ago
507/17
TOR
407/22
TEX
707/28
NYY
308/02
TB
408/08
CLE

Arsenal, shape and results

Pitch # vL%vR% MPHIVBHB RPMWhiffCSW Chase 2K use 2K zone xwOBA RV/100
4-seam47117%25%95.8+15+7234117%25%32%26%44%.371+0.4
sweeper46532%19%82.7+0-13243436%34%24%18%29%.331+0.7
sinker36733%12%95.2+5+16225015%26%39%14%58%.373+0.1
cutter34712%19%91.5+7-1238218%23%31%10%25%.429-0.1
changeup2900%19%86.1+0+14171525%17%39%17%18%.261+0.4
slider1266%6%86.2-4-4255431%23%45%15%21%.251+0.8

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, -1 HBchangeup: +0 IVB, +14 HBslider: -4 IVB, -4 HBhorizontal break (in), catcher viewinduced vertical break (in)

Attack plan vs Detroit Tigers

  • Sweeper/slider: top breaking whiffs are Torres (35%), Dingler (35%).
  • Changeup: top offspeed whiffs are Torkelson (46%), Valencia (38%).
  • Careful with McKinstry: 90% contact, 17% K rate vs LHP; pitch to contact at the edges.

White Sox bats vs Troy Melton

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
1Brenton Doyle (R)94.23934%31%76%32%··n58
2Munetaka Murakami (L)253.40331%23%60%59%60%17%n189
3Miguel Vargas (R)359.36818%22%81%42%67%14%▼ -6% n209
4Andrew Benintendi (L)320.32222%31%74%47%58%11%n137
5Braden Montgomery (S)157.33019%28%75%42%61%10%n204
6Colson Montgomery (L)333.30435%33%65%46%57%13%n204
7Chase Meidroth (R)348.29024%27%83%32%66%11%n161
8Tristan Peters (L)316.31119%33%80%33%61%10%n153
9Jake Rogers (R)100.26828%23%76%35%52%8%n37

Detroit Tigers 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
1Gleyber Torres (R)8112%35%19%.40113%83%·68%12%n172
2Colt Keith (L)250%··.23623%78%···n135
3Dillon Dingler (R)1499%35%29%.31836%80%28% n14968%13%n208
4Kevin McGonigle (L)15310%29%36%.28520%82%31% n15370%8%n207
5Eduardo Valencia (R)2227%·38%.35636%70%·63%14%n83
6Spencer Torkelson (R)13113%31%46%.32621%74%25% n13164%13%n196
7Max Clark (L)1814%··.34624%80%····
8Javier Báez (R)3318%·30%.31652%77%·69%8%n76
9Zach McKinstry (L)668%15%·.31621%90%···n138

Detroit Tigers 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

Gleyber Torres (R)

P(1+ hit) 68% · P(1+ HR) 12%

FB12%
BRK35%
OFF19%

vs LHP 0.401 xwOBA, K 19% (81 PA)

2

Colt Keith (L)

FB0%
BRK·
OFF·

only 25 PA vs LHP — too few to split

3

Dillon Dingler (R)

P(1+ hit) 68% · P(1+ HR) 13%

FB9%
BRK35%
OFF29%

vs LHP 0.318 xwOBA, K 25% (149 PA)

4

Kevin McGonigle (L)

P(1+ hit) 70% · P(1+ HR) 8%

FB10%
BRK29%
OFF36%

vs LHP 0.285 xwOBA, K 20% (153 PA)

5

Eduardo Valencia (R)

P(1+ hit) 63% · P(1+ HR) 14%

FB27%
BRK·
OFF38%

only 22 PA vs LHP — too few to split

6

Spencer Torkelson (R)

P(1+ hit) 64% · P(1+ HR) 13%

FB13%
BRK31%
OFF46%

vs LHP 0.326 xwOBA, K 27% (131 PA)

7

Max Clark (L)

FB14%
BRK·
OFF·

only 18 PA vs LHP — too few to split

8

Javier Báez (R)

P(1+ hit) 69% · P(1+ HR) 8%

FB18%
BRK·
OFF30%

only 33 PA vs LHP — too few to split

9

Zach McKinstry (L)

FB8%
BRK15%
OFF·

vs LHP 0.316 xwOBA, K 17% (66 PA)

Matchups: CWS hitters vs Troy Melton

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. Brenton Doyle

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.

2. Munetaka Murakami

Edge: pitcherHe throws the four-seam off the plate on 20% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 46% of the time there, against 31% for a typical hitter — +15 points. (26 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.670 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.394 league average in that spot. (26 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 60% to get a hit and 17% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

0 for 2 lifetime. At 2 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.

3. Miguel Vargas

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 5% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.502 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.394 league average in that spot. (28 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 67% to get a hit and 14% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

1 for 6 lifetime. At 6 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.

4. Andrew Benintendi

Edge: pitcherHe throws the four-seam up-middle on 4% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 24% of the time there, against 18% for a typical hitter — +6 points. (27 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes up-middle — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.407 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.333 league average in that spot. (18 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 58% to get a hit and 11% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

0 for 6 lifetime. At 6 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. Braden Montgomery

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.532 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.394 league average in that spot. (18 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 61% to get a hit and 10% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

0 for 2 lifetime. At 2 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. Colson Montgomery

Edge: pitcherHe throws the four-seam off the plate on 20% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 45% of the time there, against 31% for a typical hitter — +15 points. (72 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes down-middle — and he puts 8% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.530 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.355 league average in that spot. (18 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 57% to get a hit and 13% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

0 for 6 lifetime. At 6 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: 66% to get a hit and 11% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

1 for 3 lifetime. At 3 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.

8. Tristan Peters

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.441 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.394 league average in that spot. (25 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 61% to get a hit and 10% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

1 for 5 lifetime. At 5 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.

9. Jake Rogers

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: 52% to get a hit and 8% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

Detroit Tigers: 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 21 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: Jake Rogers — runners went 37-for-47 against him (21% 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
1Gleyber Torres (R)25.1 ft/s0.7% (2/398)holds+1 2B
2Colt Keith (L)28.2 ft/s2.5% (7/298)holds+2 3B
3Dillon Dingler (R)27.5 ft/s0.3% (0/329)holds·
4Kevin McGonigle (L)28.2 ft/s4.8% (11/234)holds+0 3B
5Eduardo Valencia (R)·3.1% (0/15)holds·
6Spencer Torkelson (R)26.4 ft/s1.0% (3/383)holds-11 1B
7Max Clark (L)·2.7% (0/21)holds·
8Javier Báez (R)27.2 ft/s3.2% (5/168)holds·
9Zach McKinstry (L)27.9 ft/s8.5% (24/274)occasional+6 2B

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 21 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.

#Batter Sprint Steal rate Threat OAA
1Brenton Doyle (R)28.7 ft/s12.8% (29/215)occasional·
2Munetaka Murakami (L)27.1 ft/s2.4% (3/150)holds+0 1B
3Miguel Vargas (R)28.3 ft/s4.1% (14/344)holds-2 3B
4Andrew Benintendi (L)26.6 ft/s0.8% (1/247)holds·
5Braden Montgomery (S)28.5 ft/s2.3% (1/73)holds·
6Colson Montgomery (L)26.6 ft/s0.9% (1/209)holds+6 SS
7Chase Meidroth (R)27.2 ft/s3.3% (13/408)holds+4 2B
8Tristan Peters (L)28.7 ft/s4.3% (5/120)holds+9 CF
9Jake Rogers (R)26.3 ft/s2.1% (1/78)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
Reliever08/1208/1308/14 games since 30-day K%Whiff%xwOBA Top pitches
Trevor Richards (R)·28·1309p/13g23%22%.3014-seam 92 (63%) · changeup 80 (27%)
Grant Taylor (R)··18today213p/9g32%25%.2454-seam 98 (40%) · curveball 83 (28%)
Tyler Schweitzer (L)···12 heavy211p/5g12%20%.3644-seam 94 (48%) · slider 88 (31%)
Sean Newcomb (L)···3173p/9g23%22%.3114-seam 94 (45%) · slurve 83 (32%)
Bryan Hudson (L)··10today162p/11g23%22%.2904-seam 93 (65%) · sweeper 80 (33%)
Jordan Hicks (R)·13·1160p/10g26%23%.278sinker 100 (41%) · 4-seam 100 (29%)
Chris Murphy (L)···7142p/8g22%27%.2944-seam 96 (37%) · slider 90 (31%)
Erick Fedde (R)·51·1 heavy126p/4g16%18%.336sweeper 82 (35%) · sinker 93 (33%)
Detroit Tigers bullpen 8 arms
Reliever08/1208/1308/14 games since 30-day K%Whiff%xwOBA Top pitches
Ty Madden (R)17·28today260p/7g25%23%.2664-seam 93 (35%) · slider 84 (27%)
Jacob Waguespack (R)··16today177p/10g15%23%.2614-seam 93 (46%) · cutter 87 (32%)
Tyler Holton (L)·19·1173p/11g19%22%.288cutter 88 (31%) · sinker 91 (22%)
Kenley Jansen (R)·10·1170p/9g27%26%.297cutter 93 (89%) · sinker 94 (4%)
Drew Sommers (L)···3162p/10g34%29%.254sinker 95 (41%) · 4-seam 95 (37%)
Enmanuel De Jesus (L)20·44today heavy145p/6g23%23%.3284-seam 94 (40%) · changeup 87 (26%)
Kyle Finnegan (R)···3142p/10g17%24%.3504-seam 96 (51%) · splitter 87 (32%)
Drew Anderson (R)···10140p/6g27%27%.2984-seam 96 (40%) · changeup 91 (30%)