Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros

2026-09-02, 8:10 PM ET, Daikin Park. Davis Martin (R) against Hayden Wesneski (R). Every number derives from the public Statcast store and the engine's published boards. Charts are code-drawn. Probabilities, not picks. Statcast through 2026-09-01.

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.

Hayden Wesneski (RHP)

504 pitches, K% 21% overall (133 BF; split withheld, short side only 59 BF)

6 apps · median 22 BF · reaches the order 3.0× (max 3) · exits at 82 pitches (IQR 80–89, 6 starts) · fastball -0.4 mph late (2 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%4121%
BB%439%
CSW%3026%
Whiff%6325%
Chase%9536%
xwOBA vs59.309
Hard-hit%3440%
GB%4040%
1st-pitch strike%7164%
published K forecast: E[K] 5.0
recent starts, K (n=5)
408/04
TOR
408/10
SF
608/15
SEA
408/21
ATH
608/27
NYY

Arsenal, shape and results

Pitch # vL%vR% MPHIVBHB RPMWhiffCSW Chase 2K use 2K zone xwOBA RV/100
sweeper15229%31%80.9-4+20279243%36%38%39%20%.236-1.6
4-seam12430%18%93.7+14-5222511%19%29%30%43%.361+0.3
sinker959%32%92.8+9-15201211%15%41%5%·.294-0.0
cutter6812%16%89.2+5+4243625%25%32%8%·.397+2.1
changeup6219%4%86.7+5-14165444%34%38%18%25%.178-3.4

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
4-seam
sinker

Movement

sweeper: -4 IVB, +20 HB4-seam: +14 IVB, -5 HBsinker: +9 IVB, -15 HBcutter: +5 IVB, +4 HBchangeup: +5 IVB, -14 HBhorizontal break (in), catcher viewinduced vertical break (in)

How to attack

  • Hunt the 4-seam early: 22% of his first pitches, only 11% whiffs, 55% in-zone on 0-0.
  • Two strikes: expect the sweeper (39% of 2-strike pitches vs 30% overall).
  • Lay off the changeup below the zone: 44% whiffs, only 37% of them are strikes.

Davis Martin (RHP)

2035 pitches, K% 20% vs LHB (309 BF) / 23% vs RHB (221 BF)

24 apps · median 23 BF · reaches the order 3.0× (max 3) · exits at 88 pitches (IQR 84–93, 24 starts) · fastball -0.2 mph late (16 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%4021%
BB%677%
CSW%3426%
Whiff%3922%
Chase%6932%
xwOBA vs29.334
Hard-hit%1344%
GB%5042%
1st-pitch strike%1758%
published K forecast: E[K] 3.5
recent starts, K (n=5) last start 08/13, 20 days ago
307/24
HOU
607/29
NYY
108/04
BOS
108/09
CLE
308/13
CIN

Arsenal, shape and results

Pitch # vL%vR% MPHIVBHB RPMWhiffCSW Chase 2K use 2K zone xwOBA RV/100
4-seam54230%23%93.9+14-5241120%25%27%30%41%.314+0.2
sinker37114%25%92.8+8-1423987%22%24%12%61%.355-1.1
curveball28517%10%81.7-8+14287739%31%29%15%34%.279+0.4
changeup27818%8%90.2+1-13212213%20%37%15%40%.343-1.5
slider2715%26%87.1+1+5260435%30%48%19%27%.298+1.7
cutter25615%9%89.7+7+2257524%31%28%9%57%.414-0.1

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
sinker
curveball

Movement

4-seam: +14 IVB, -5 HBsinker: +8 IVB, -14 HBcurveball: -8 IVB, +14 HBchangeup: +1 IVB, -13 HBslider: +1 IVB, +5 HBcutter: +7 IVB, +2 HBhorizontal break (in), catcher viewinduced vertical break (in)

Attack plan vs Houston Astros

  • Curveball/slider: top breaking whiffs are Trammell (50%), Peña (44%).
  • Changeup: top offspeed whiffs are Smith (44%), Peña (40%).
  • Careful with Paredes: 85% contact, 12% K rate vs RHP; pitch to contact at the edges.

White Sox bats vs Hayden Wesneski

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)377.35815%21%87%35%65%4%n180
2Munetaka Murakami (L)312.37633%23%60%56%60%16%n217
3Miguel Vargas (R)420.37418%21%81%41%66%14%n207
4Andrew Benintendi (L)368.32022%33%75%46%61%10%n150
5Braden Montgomery (S)207.34317%26%76%41%62%8%n216
6Colson Montgomery (L)383.29537%33%64%45%61%13%n240
7Chase Meidroth (R)398.28823%27%82%33%65%9%n188
8Tristan Peters (L)365.32318%33%79%34%61%12%n145
9Drew Romo (S)162.26223%36%69%28%56%6%n103

Houston Astros 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
1Jeremy Peña (R)30113%44%40%.32638%72%46% n30263%11%▼ -6% n216
2Yordan Alvarez (L)44314%24%16%.48327%84%30% n44366%13%n185
3Isaac Paredes (R)4319%23%21%.31926%85%16% n43167%8%n216
4Jose Altuve (R)36518%24%33%.27336%78%41% n36564%9%n176
5Daulton Varsho (L)34917%21%25%.29236%80%35% n34963%11%n203
6Taylor Trammell (L)19829%50%38%.31828%64%34% n19855%10%n123
7Cam Smith (R)36117%43%44%.32130%73%35% n36259%11%n177
8LaMonte Wade Jr. (L)10617%18%33%.28622%81%16% n10756%8%n75
9Christian Vázquez (R)19113%31%11%.23935%82%26% n19155%8%n72

Houston Astros 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

Jeremy Peña (R)

P(1+ hit) 63% · P(1+ HR) 11%

FB13%
BRK44%
OFF40%

vs RHP 0.326 xwOBA, K 21% (301 PA)

2

Yordan Alvarez (L)

P(1+ hit) 66% · P(1+ HR) 13%

FB14%
BRK24%
OFF16%

vs RHP 0.483 xwOBA, K 18% (443 PA)

3

Isaac Paredes (R)

P(1+ hit) 67% · P(1+ HR) 8%

FB9%
BRK23%
OFF21%

vs RHP 0.319 xwOBA, K 12% (431 PA)

4

Jose Altuve (R)

P(1+ hit) 64% · P(1+ HR) 9%

FB18%
BRK24%
OFF33%

vs RHP 0.273 xwOBA, K 20% (365 PA)

5

Daulton Varsho (L)

P(1+ hit) 63% · P(1+ HR) 11%

FB17%
BRK21%
OFF25%

vs RHP 0.292 xwOBA, K 20% (349 PA)

6

Taylor Trammell (L)

P(1+ hit) 55% · P(1+ HR) 10%

FB29%
BRK50%
OFF38%

vs RHP 0.318 xwOBA, K 32% (198 PA)

7

Cam Smith (R)

P(1+ hit) 59% · P(1+ HR) 11%

FB17%
BRK43%
OFF44%

vs RHP 0.321 xwOBA, K 25% (361 PA)

8

LaMonte Wade Jr. (L)

P(1+ hit) 56% · P(1+ HR) 8%

FB17%
BRK18%
OFF33%

vs RHP 0.286 xwOBA, K 25% (106 PA)

9

Christian Vázquez (R)

P(1+ hit) 55% · P(1+ HR) 8%

FB13%
BRK31%
OFF11%

vs RHP 0.239 xwOBA, K 20% (191 PA)

Matchups: CWS hitters vs Hayden Wesneski

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 in — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.461 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.332 league average in that spot. (26 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 65% to get a hit and 4% 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 16% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 46% of the time there, against 31% for a typical hitter — +16 points. (31 swings.)

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 10% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.556 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.393 league average in that spot. (31 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 60% to get a hit and 16% 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 5% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.490 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.393 league average in that spot. (31 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 66% to get a hit and 14% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

4. Andrew Benintendi

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 10% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.443 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.393 league average in that spot. (31 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.

5. Braden Montgomery

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle-middle — and he puts 10% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.465 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.393 league average in that spot. (26 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 62% to get a hit and 8% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

6. Colson Montgomery

Edge: pitcherHe throws the four-seam off the plate on 16% of his pitches to this side. The batter swings and misses 48% of the time there, against 31% for a typical hitter — +17 points. (87 swings.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 61% to get a hit and 13% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

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: 65% to get a hit and 9% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

8. Tristan Peters

Edge: batterWhen the ball goes middle and away — and he puts 6% of his pitches there — the batter does real damage: 0.420 expected value per ball in play, against a 0.309 league average in that spot. (29 balls in play.)

Tonight's published, gradeable numbers for this batter: 61% to get a hit and 12% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

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: 56% to get a hit and 6% to homer. Those are what the record grades — the notes above only explain why.

Houston Astros: 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: Drew Romo — runners went 36-for-49 against him (27% 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
1Jeremy Peña (R)29.2 ft/s4.8% (16/337)holds-3 SS
2Yordan Alvarez (L)24.9 ft/s1.1% (3/346)holds·
3Isaac Paredes (R)25.0 ft/s0.5% (1/386)holds+0 3B
4Jose Altuve (R)27.5 ft/s3.4% (13/393)holds-5 2B
5Daulton Varsho (L)27.3 ft/s6.0% (12/199)holds+4 CF
6Taylor Trammell (L)27.0 ft/s7.0% (8/109)occasional·
7Cam Smith (R)29.2 ft/s6.3% (18/282)holds+5 RF
8LaMonte Wade Jr. (L)25.6 ft/s1.5% (1/122)holds·
9Christian Vázquez (R)23.3 ft/s1.9% (2/146)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.

Behind the plate: Christian Vázquez — runners went 78-for-99 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
1Sam Antonacci (L)28.2 ft/s8.3% (17/198)occasional-5 LF
2Munetaka Murakami (L)27.1 ft/s2.1% (3/181)holds+0 1B
3Miguel Vargas (R)28.3 ft/s3.9% (15/389)holds-2 3B
4Andrew Benintendi (L)26.6 ft/s0.8% (1/266)holds·
5Braden Montgomery (S)28.5 ft/s1.8% (1/101)holds·
6Colson Montgomery (L)26.6 ft/s0.9% (1/226)holds+6 SS
7Chase Meidroth (R)27.2 ft/s3.1% (13/428)holds+4 2B
8Tristan Peters (L)28.7 ft/s3.7% (5/144)holds+9 CF
9Drew Romo (S)26.1 ft/s2.9% (1/54)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
Reliever08/3008/3109/01 games since 30-day K%Whiff%xwOBA Top pitches
Trevor Richards (R)·38·1 heavy305p/10g22%21%.3084-seam 91 (66%) · changeup 80 (21%)
Erick Fedde (R)···8 heavy260p/6g16%18%.334sweeper 82 (37%) · sinker 94 (33%)
Grant Taylor (R)··14today260p/13g33%26%.2504-seam 98 (38%) · curveball 83 (25%)
Hagen Smith (L)···4209p/8g35%35%.2804-seam 94 (50%) · slider 83 (30%)
Sean Newcomb (L)···3 heavy177p/7g23%21%.3054-seam 95 (38%) · slurve 83 (29%)
Jordan Hicks (R)··25today175p/9g27%25%.282sinker 100 (39%) · 4-seam 99 (29%)
Huascar Brazobán (R)···7166p/10g21%24%.295sinker 96 (54%) · changeup 91 (34%)
Bryan Hudson (L)··17today143p/11g22%22%.2804-seam 92 (72%) · sweeper 79 (28%)
Houston Astros bullpen 8 arms
Reliever08/3008/3109/01 games since 30-day K%Whiff%xwOBA Top pitches
Bryan Abreu (R)1916·1241p/13g30%32%.3194-seam 96 (47%) · slider 87 (39%)
AJ Blubaugh (R)31··2230p/11g25%26%.3024-seam 96 (50%) · sweeper 85 (27%)
Enyel De Los Santos (R)·27·1227p/11g22%25%.2904-seam 95 (40%) · changeup 85 (30%)
Steven Okert (L)618·1206p/14g26%29%.276slider 80 (64%) · 4-seam 90 (29%)
Bennett Sousa (L)·23·1191p/12g22%30%.317slider 86 (72%) · 4-seam 94 (19%)
Josh Hader (L)13··2177p/12g36%33%.217sinker 95 (64%) · slider 84 (36%)
Bryan King (L)···11 heavy129p/6g18%16%.3234-seam 92 (47%) · sinker 92 (29%)
Kai-Wei Teng (R)··35today heavy87p/4g22%25%.339sweeper 84 (39%) · sinker 93 (29%)