Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction, 7/26/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros

Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

The Houston Astros (57-44) will play the Texas Rangers (59-42) at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday. The starting pitchers are Andrew Heaney and Framber Valdez.

The Rangers have tallied 223 doubles as a unit and have hit 139 balls out of the park. Texas has a slugging rate of .461 and have struck out 864 times, while taking a walk on 352 occasions. As a team, the Texas Rangers are scoring 5.8 runs per outing, which puts them at 1st in the league. They have compiled 565 runs batted in and 962 base knocks over the course of the season, while their average at the plate is at .273. They have accumulated 589 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .342.

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The Rangers are sitting with a team earned run average of 4.17 so far this season (16th in baseball), and the staff has rung up 809 hitters. Rangers pitchers have conceded 114 home runs in addition to 439 runs (13th in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 296 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 4.25 as a squad for the year. Texas has allowed 814 base hits (8.2 per 9 innings) as well as 415 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.73 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.24.

The Rangers relief pitchers have a save rate of 51.4% and stepped onto the hill in 85 save situations. The relievers have inherited 158 base runners on the year with 31.0% of those players ended up scoring. Rangers relief pitchers have come into the game with runners on base 94 times in addition to having 89 appearances in high leverage situations. The Rangers have sent 278 relief pitchers to the mound on the year. The relief pitchers are sitting with 47 holds this season (21st in MLB). They have compiled 19 saves this year and have blown 18 of 37 chances to get a save.

The Rangers have turned 70.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 8,052 innings, which has them sitting at 4th in MLB. The Texas Rangers have 2,684 putouts on the campaign, in addition to 900 assists and 43 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .988 which puts them in 6th in MLB, and have a total of 93 double plays.

Heaney has taken the mound for 803 innings and has racked up 860 K's so far in his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 4.56 (407 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.257. He has allowed 772 hits (8.6 hits per nine innings) and has had 238 walks. Heaney (42-48 career record) has a FIP of 4.47 while he has gone up against 3,411 opposing hitters in the major leagues.

The Houston Astros have accumulated a team on-base percentage of .318 and a batting average of .248 for the year. They have been called out on strikes on 795 instances (26th in baseball) and have tallied 850 base knocks. Houston has a total of 125 HRs this season as well as 458 RBIs. The Astros hold a team SLG% of .411 and they are recording 4.70 runs per game (12th in the league). They have put up 167 two-baggers, while getting a free base 325 times as well as racking up 475 runs.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.264 in addition to having a FIP of 4.12 as a squad on the year. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 9.30 (935 strikeouts vs 325 walks). They sit at 12th in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 815. They have yielded 116 HR's and they surrender 4.18 runs per 9 innings (6th in the league). The Houston pitching staff have given up 419 runs for the year while holding a team ERA of 3.74 (375 earned runs allowed).

Houston relievers have an inherited score rate of 34.0% out of their 97 inherited base runners. Their relievers have come in 108 times in high leverage situations and on 60 occasions with runners on. With 105 save situations, the Astros have recorded 57 holds and also 16 blown saves. They are ranked 10th in baseball with a save rate of 66.0%, and they have dispatched 321 bullpen pitchers to the mound this season. Houston has called on bullpen pitchers to take the mound in 47 save opportunities and they have come away with 31 saves.

In 8,124 innings on the diamond, the Astros have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.2% (17th in MLB). The Houston Astros have gotten 90 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .986 (16th in pro baseball). The Astros have recorded 856 assists, 50 errors and are sitting with 2,708 putouts on the campaign.

Valdez (49-29 career win-loss record) holds a 3.29 earned run average and has given up 7.6 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.64 and he has faced 2,665 hitters so far in his career. He has allowed a total of 233 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.222 and having a FIP of 3.5. In his pro baseball career, Valdez has allowed 539 base knocks while earning 630 K's in 636 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Houston

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