New York Mets at Chicago White Sox

2026-08-23, 2:10 PM ET, Rate Field. Sean Newcomb (L) against Nolan McLean (R). Every number derives from the public Statcast store and the engine's published boards. Charts are code-drawn. Probabilities, not picks. Statcast through 2026-08-22.

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.

Nolan McLean (RHP)

2360 pitches, K% 26% vs LHB (360 BF) / 29% vs RHB (235 BF)

25 apps · median 25 BF · reaches the order 3.0× (max 4) · exits at 95 pitches (IQR 93–100, 25 starts) · fastball -0.6 mph late (22 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%8327%
BB%429%
CSW%7529%
Whiff%4522%
Chase%2728%
xwOBA vs69.299
Hard-hit%6736%
GB%7046%
1st-pitch strike%3159%
published K forecast: E[K] 6.0
recent starts, K (n=5)
707/25
LAD
607/30
MIA
808/06
CLE
308/11
ATL
308/17
SD

Arsenal, shape and results

Pitch # vL%vR% MPHIVBHB RPMWhiffCSW Chase 2K use 2K zone xwOBA RV/100
sinker77027%40%95.1+5-18221012%30%28%28%63%.274-2.8
4-seam48222%18%96.1+14-12233027%32%24%14%47%.390-0.3
curveball34517%11%81.9-13+17336236%26%34%34%29%.156-0.9
sweeper32512%17%84.9-1+18300523%29%16%10%34%.390+2.8
cutter24611%9%92.1+7+1254221%26%36%5%47%.391+2.5
changeup1428%2%88.1-3-12122424%18%33%8%40%.333+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

sinker
4-seam
curveball

Movement

sinker: +5 IVB, -18 HB4-seam: +14 IVB, -12 HBcurveball: -13 IVB, +17 HBsweeper: -1 IVB, +18 HBcutter: +7 IVB, +1 HBchangeup: -3 IVB, -12 HBhorizontal break (in), catcher viewinduced vertical break (in)

How to attack

  • Hunt the sinker early: 36% of his first pitches, only 12% whiffs, 57% in-zone on 0-0.
  • Two strikes: expect the curveball (34% of 2-strike pitches vs 15% overall).
  • Lay off the curveball below the zone: 36% whiffs, only 32% of them are strikes.

Sean Newcomb (LHP)

1108 pitches, K% 22% vs LHB (120 BF) / 23% vs RHB (163 BF)

Opener usage: in a typical outing he does not get through the order once (47 appearances, median 6 batters, deepest 2×). Prep the second and third look against the bullpen, not this arsenal — see Bullpens.

47 apps · median 6 BF · reaches the order 1.0× (max 2) · exits at 34 pitches (IQR 30–38, 3 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%5123%
BB%498%
CSW%8530%
Whiff%4222%
Chase%1527%
xwOBA vs57.310
Hard-hit%5837%
GB%8249%
1st-pitch strike%4261%
recent starts, K (n=3)
406/20
DET
208/14
DET
008/19
CHC

Arsenal, shape and results

Pitch # vL%vR% MPHIVBHB RPMWhiffCSW Chase 2K use 2K zone xwOBA RV/100
4-seam41033%40%94.6+14+10226728%32%30%43%52%.255-2.2
slurve36832%35%82.7-5-18284829%35%25%33%39%.264-1.4
sinker24935%15%93.4+4+1722617%24%24%14%49%.417-0.1

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
slurve
sinker

Movement

4-seam: +14 IVB, +10 HBslurve: -5 IVB, -18 HBsinker: +4 IVB, +17 HBhorizontal break (in), catcher viewinduced vertical break (in)

Attack plan vs New York Mets

  • Slurve: top breaking whiffs are Ewing (51%), Robert Jr. (39%).
  • Careful with Bichette: 84% contact, 16% K rate vs LHP; pitch to contact at the edges.

White Sox bats vs Nolan McLean

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)95.23934%31%76%32%··n74
2Munetaka Murakami (L)281.39132%22%60%58%61%21%n212
3Miguel Vargas (R)388.37118%22%81%42%67%17%n208
4Luisangel Acuña (R)111.27822%33%75%32%··n74
5Braden Montgomery (S)180.33419%27%75%43%61%9%▼ -5% n215
6Colson Montgomery (L)352.29836%33%64%45%58%13%n227
7Chase Meidroth (R)370.28924%27%82%34%63%11%n193
8Tristan Peters (L)337.31518%33%79%33%59%9%n152
9Jake Rogers (R)107.27028%23%77%35%53%10%n58

New York Mets 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
1Francisco Lindor (S)9512%29%18%.32130%83%·62%13%n235
2Bo Bichette (R)14710%20%21%.35440%84%32% n14768%11%n257
3Carson Benge (L)13117%28%·.34625%79%24% n13164%12%n205
4Luis Robert Jr. (R)5413%39%44%.39134%73%·59%13%n177
5Jared Young (L)4233%30%·.28028%69%···n155
6Francisco Alvarez (R)9433%28%46%.31933%66%···▼ -6% n165
7Marcus Semien (R)11411%24%33%.34524%81%32% n11459%11%n169
8A.J. Ewing (L)9813%51%·.31623%71%·64%9%n208
9Luis Torrens (R)7211%39%5%.33335%82%·57%13%n75

New York Mets 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

Francisco Lindor (S)

P(1+ hit) 62% · P(1+ HR) 13%

FB12%
BRK29%
OFF18%

vs LHP 0.321 xwOBA, K 13% (95 PA)

2

Bo Bichette (R)

P(1+ hit) 68% · P(1+ HR) 11%

FB10%
BRK20%
OFF21%

vs LHP 0.354 xwOBA, K 16% (147 PA)

3

Carson Benge (L)

P(1+ hit) 64% · P(1+ HR) 12%

FB17%
BRK28%
OFF·

vs LHP 0.346 xwOBA, K 26% (131 PA)

4

Luis Robert Jr. (R)

P(1+ hit) 59% · P(1+ HR) 13%

FB13%
BRK39%
OFF44%

vs LHP 0.391 xwOBA, K 22% (54 PA)

5

Jared Young (L)

FB33%
BRK30%
OFF·

vs LHP 0.280 xwOBA, K 24% (42 PA)

6

Francisco Alvarez (R)

FB33%
BRK28%
OFF46%

vs LHP 0.319 xwOBA, K 34% (94 PA)

7

Marcus Semien (R)

P(1+ hit) 59% · P(1+ HR) 11%

FB11%
BRK24%
OFF33%

vs LHP 0.345 xwOBA, K 21% (114 PA)

8

A.J. Ewing (L)

P(1+ hit) 64% · P(1+ HR) 9%

FB13%
BRK51%
OFF·

vs LHP 0.316 xwOBA, K 29% (98 PA)

9

Luis Torrens (R)

P(1+ hit) 57% · P(1+ HR) 13%

FB11%
BRK39%
OFF5%

vs LHP 0.333 xwOBA, K 18% (72 PA)

Matchups: CWS hitters vs Nolan McLean

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 10% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 46% of the time there, against 31% for a typical hitter — +16 points. (27 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.618 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: 61% to get a hit and 21% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

3. Miguel Vargas

Edge: pitcherHe throws the sinker middle and in on 3% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 15% of the time there, against 4% for a typical hitter — +11 points. (27 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle and in — and he puts 5% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.496 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.333 league average in that spot. (27 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 67% to get a hit and 17% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

4. Luisangel Acuña

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes up and in — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.367 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.266 league average in that spot. (11 balls in play.)

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

5. Braden Montgomery

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.522 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.394 league average in that spot. (21 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 61% to get a hit and 9% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

6. Colson Montgomery

Edge: pitcherHe throws the sinker off the plate on 11% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 39% of the time there, against 22% for a typical hitter — +16 points. (16 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes down-middle — and he puts 5% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.530 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.356 league average in that spot. (18 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 58% to get a hit and 13% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

7. Chase Meidroth

Edge: pitcherHe throws the sinker middle and in on 3% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 15% of the time there, against 4% for a typical hitter — +11 points. (16 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle and in — and he puts 5% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.395 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.333 league average in that spot. (21 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 63% to get a hit and 11% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

8. Tristan Peters

Edge: pitcherHe throws the four-seam middle and away on 3% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 19% of the time there, against 16% for a typical hitter — +3 points. (19 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle and away — and he puts 7% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.386 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.309 league average in that spot. (24 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 59% to get a hit and 9% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

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: 53% to get a hit and 10% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

0 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.

New York Mets: 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 22 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 38-for-48 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
1Francisco Lindor (S)26.6 ft/s8.2% (29/344)occasional+2 SS
2Bo Bichette (R)26.0 ft/s1.9% (7/409)holds+1 3B
3Carson Benge (L)28.5 ft/s8.8% (18/196)occasional+0 RF
4Luis Robert Jr. (R)29.0 ft/s19.3% (43/207)runner·
5Jared Young (L)27.7 ft/s3.2% (3/110)holds·
6Francisco Alvarez (R)25.5 ft/s0.5% (0/214)holds·
7Marcus Semien (R)28.1 ft/s7.1% (21/290)occasional-5 2B
8A.J. Ewing (L)29.5 ft/s14.1% (21/135)runner+3 CF
9Luis Torrens (R)26.6 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 22 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/s13.1% (30/216)occasional·
2Munetaka Murakami (L)27.1 ft/s2.2% (3/163)holds+0 1B
3Miguel Vargas (R)28.3 ft/s3.9% (14/364)holds-2 3B
4Luisangel Acuña (R)29.8 ft/s15.9% (29/168)runner-3 SS
5Braden Montgomery (S)28.5 ft/s2.0% (1/85)holds·
6Colson Montgomery (L)26.6 ft/s0.9% (1/214)holds+6 SS
7Chase Meidroth (R)27.2 ft/s3.2% (13/415)holds+4 2B
8Tristan Peters (L)28.7 ft/s4.1% (5/130)holds+9 CF
9Jake Rogers (R)26.3 ft/s2.1% (1/82)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
Reliever08/2008/2108/22 games since 30-day K%Whiff%xwOBA Top pitches
Trevor Richards (R)20·26today333p/14g22%22%.3104-seam 92 (62%) · changeup 80 (28%)
Grant Taylor (R)·15·1231p/11g33%26%.2454-seam 98 (40%) · curveball 83 (27%)
Erick Fedde (R)···4 heavy204p/5g16%18%.332sweeper 82 (36%) · sinker 94 (32%)
Jordan Hicks (R)·15·1184p/10g27%24%.273sinker 100 (40%) · 4-seam 100 (30%)
Tyler Schweitzer (L)··51today heavy175p/5g12%20%.361slider 88 (39%) · 4-seam 94 (38%)
Bryan Hudson (L)·11·1159p/11g23%21%.2904-seam 92 (68%) · sweeper 79 (30%)
Huascar Brazobán (R)6·26today145p/9g22%24%.290sinker 96 (52%) · changeup 91 (34%)
Chris Murphy (L)···15127p/7g22%27%.2944-seam 96 (35%) · slider 90 (30%)
New York Mets bullpen 8 arms
Reliever08/1908/2108/22 games since 30-day K%Whiff%xwOBA Top pitches
Daniel Duarte (R)108·1240p/13g25%20%.236cutter 89 (34%) · sweeper 81 (28%)
Jonathan Pintaro (R)13·20today133p/6g23%24%.334cutter 91 (59%) · sinker 95 (20%)
Kodai Senga (R)21·23today119p/7g26%27%.3394-seam 97 (63%) · forkball 84 (26%)
Jefry Yan (L)·11·1110p/7g23%33%.365sinker 98 (48%) · slider 87 (27%)
Devin Williams (R)···1389p/5g28%32%.2914-seam 94 (62%) · changeup 82 (34%)
Nate Lavender (L)914·187p/8g40%31%.1954-seam 93 (60%) · slider 86 (21%)
Dedniel Núñez (R)··10today83p/6g20%25%.3694-seam 96 (58%) · slider 89 (42%)
Jack Weisenburger (R)···3 heavy79p/3g22%21%.257sweeper 82 (32%) · 4-seam 95 (25%)