MLBengine v14
← PIT at DET, Sep 26, 2026
12:10 PM CT · Comerica Park · lineup confirmed
Hitter · PIT · batting 9Billy Cook
Bats rightTalent grade DBalancedNormal
.303wOBA vs RHP.289xwOBA vs his mix3.3expected PA
Starter · DETJustin Verlander
Throws rightStable
4.1projected K–K%1.0trips vs this hitter
Justin Verlander's pitches, by how they moveHitter's edgeEvenPitcher's edge
-20-100+10+20-20-100+10+20Arm side →← Glove side↑ Rise (in)Fastball: 49% usage, 94.3 mph, +8.9″ arm side, +19.0″ rise. Billy Cook: wOBA .326 vs league .340 (about even).Fastball 49%Slider: 25% usage, 87.2 mph, -4.3″ arm side, +4.8″ rise. Billy Cook: wOBA .287 vs league .302 (pitcher's edge).Slider 25%Curveball: 19% usage, 78.4 mph, -7.0″ arm side, -12.7″ rise. Billy Cook: wOBA .294 vs league .309 (pitcher's edge).Curveball 19%Changeup: 6% usage, 84.8 mph, +14.0″ arm side, +9.5″ rise. Billy Cook: wOBA .331 vs league .345 (about even).Changeup 6%

Bubble size is how often he throws it. Color is Billy Cook's wOBA against pitches shaped like it, compared with league. Hover a pitch for the numbers; the table below has all of them.

Billy Cook's last 16 balls in playHit (5)Out (11)Barrel zone
sweet spot 8–32°-40°-20°0°20°40°60°80°6070809010011012095 mph hard hitExit velocity (mph)Out: 97.5 mph at 29°Out: 86.6 mph at 69°Out: 92.4 mph at 1°Out: 69.5 mph at 45°Out: 62.9 mph at 15°Out: 91.9 mph at 2°Out: 79.4 mph at 57°Triple: 97.4 mph at 32°Single: 92.4 mph at -18°Single: 100.2 mph at 7°Out: 87.2 mph at 39°Single: 69.0 mph at 10°Out: 96.8 mph at 50°Double: 104.4 mph at 14°Out: 68.9 mph at 68°Out: 45.0 mph at 60°
31% hit 95+ mph31% in the sweet spot31% fell for hits
MarketBTBWithout the matchupMatchup
1+ hit50.9%50.3%+0.6
2+ total bases29.8%29.0%+0.8
Home run9.2%8.3%+0.9
Matchup: points this starter, his pitch mix, the bullpen and the park add or take away, against the same hitter over the same trips facing league-average opposition. "Without the matchup" takes them back out.
What moves the number
1+ hit
Starter
+0.6
Pitch mix
0.0
Bullpen
-0.1
Park
+0.0
2+ total bases
Starter
+0.8
Pitch mix
0.0
Bullpen
-0.0
Park
+0.0
Home run
Starter
+0.9
Pitch mix
0.0
Bullpen
-0.0
Park
+0.1

Points each piece adds or takes away. The pitch-mix piece is folded into the fitted model when it scores the pair, so it often reads zero.

Zone battle

where he pitches, where Billy Cook hits
Billy Cook · hot and cold vs RHP
xwOBA .298 shrunk (raw .591 on 1 PA) · league .274 · 3 pitches seen.298xwOBA .307 shrunk (raw – on 0 PA) · league .307 · 0 pitches seenxwOBA .243 shrunk (raw .000 on 1 PA) · league .263 · 1 pitches seen.243xwOBA .342 shrunk (raw – on 0 PA) · league .342 · 5 pitches seenxwOBA .390 shrunk (raw .434 on 1 PA) · league .386 · 4 pitches seen.390xwOBA .296 shrunk (raw .000 on 1 PA) · league .321 · 2 pitches seen.296xwOBA .308 shrunk (raw – on 0 PA) · league .308 · 1 pitches seenxwOBA .351 shrunk (raw – on 0 PA) · league .351 · 0 pitches seenxwOBA .292 shrunk (raw – on 0 PA) · league .292 · 0 pitches seenxwOBA .404 shrunk (raw .729 on 1 PA) · league .377 · 4 pitches seen.404xwOBA .274 shrunk (raw – on 0 PA) · league .274 · 3 pitches seenxwOBA .231 shrunk (raw .136 on 4 PA) · league .263 · 4 pitches seen.231xwOBA .253 shrunk (raw .000 on 1 PA) · league .274 · 7 pitches seen.253
vs RHP · 34 pitches · catcher's view
Whiff 33% of 3 swings · league 22%33%Whiff – of 0 swings · league 20%Whiff 100% of 1 swings · league 19%100%Whiff 67% of 3 swings · league 10%67%Whiff 33% of 3 swings · league 9%33%Whiff 0% of 1 swings · league 11%0%Whiff 100% of 1 swings · league 14%100%Whiff – of 0 swings · league 13%Whiff – of 0 swings · league 17%Whiff 50% of 2 swings · league 28%50%Whiff 0% of 1 swings · league 24%0%Whiff 0% of 3 swings · league 32%0%Whiff 100% of 2 swings · league 49%100%
vs RHP · 34 pitches · catcher's view
Swings at 100% of 3 pitches · league 62%100%Swings at – of 0 pitches · league 72%Swings at 100% of 1 pitches · league 66%100%Swings at 60% of 5 pitches · league 70%60%Swings at 75% of 4 pitches · league 76%75%Swings at 50% of 2 pitches · league 70%50%Swings at 100% of 1 pitches · league 65%100%Swings at – of 0 pitches · league 68%Swings at – of 0 pitches · league 60%Swings at 50% of 4 pitches · league 24%50%Swings at 33% of 3 pitches · league 34%33%Swings at 75% of 4 pitches · league 40%75%Swings at 29% of 7 pitches · league 32%29%
vs RHP · 34 pitches · catcher's view

better for him than the league in that spot worse. Faded cells have little sample. Last 90 days; zone drawn at a fixed 1.5–3.5 ft.

Pitch by pitch

Billy Cook against each of Justin Verlander's pitches
His pitchUsageVeloMovementHis wOBALeagueHis whiff%LeagueSampleRead
Fastball49%94.3+9″ / +19″.326.34034.0%20.4%11About league average vs these; misses them more than most
Slider25%87.2-4″ / +5″.287.30238.5%30.3%14About league average vs these; misses them more than most
Curveball19%78.4-7″ / -13″.294.30933.5%25.6%3Little history vs this shape
Changeup6%84.8+14″ / +10″.331.34531.1%23.2%8About league average vs these
Matched by shape: every pitch in our history that moved like each of the starter's pitches, not just ones with the same name. Movement is horizontal / induced vertical break in inches. Display only; the fitted model reads the matchup its own way.

Statcast

opens on right-handers, the hand he faces tonight
Billy Cook · by window and pitcher handthrough Sep 25, 2026 · windows are his last games
WindowGPAAVGOBPSLGwOBAxwOBAK%BB%Whiff%Avg EVMax EVBarrel%Hard-hit%Sweet-spot%
Last 5 G33.000.333.000.233.38833.3%0.0%33.3%97.597.50.0%100.0%100.0%
Last 15 G1010.222.300.222.250.23040.0%0.0%45.0%74.9100.20.0%40.0%60.0%
Last 30 G1010.222.300.222.250.23040.0%0.0%45.0%74.9100.20.0%40.0%60.0%
90 days1010.222.300.222.250.23040.0%0.0%45.0%74.9100.20.0%40.0%60.0%
Batted-ball mix, 90 days · 5 balls in play
Ground 20%Line drive 40%Fly ball 20%Pop-up 20%
WindowGPAAVGOBPSLGwOBAxwOBAK%BB%Whiff%Avg EVMax EVBarrel%Hard-hit%Sweet-spot%
Last 5 G26.000.167.000.117.23733.3%16.7%20.0%82.892.40.0%0.0%0.0%
Last 15 G717.188.235.375.315.19529.4%5.9%25.7%87.9104.40.0%27.3%18.2%
Last 30 G717.188.235.375.315.19529.4%5.9%25.7%87.9104.40.0%27.3%18.2%
90 days717.188.235.375.315.19529.4%5.9%25.7%87.9104.40.0%27.3%18.2%
Batted-ball mix, 90 days · 11 balls in play
Ground 27%Line drive 9%Fly ball 36%Pop-up 27%
WindowGPAAVGOBPSLGwOBAxwOBAK%BB%Whiff%Avg EVMax EVBarrel%Hard-hit%Sweet-spot%
Last 5 G59.000.222.000.156.28733.3%11.1%23.8%86.597.50.0%25.0%25.0%
Last 15 G1327.200.259.320.291.20833.3%3.7%32.7%83.8104.40.0%31.2%31.2%
Last 30 G1327.200.259.320.291.20833.3%3.7%32.7%83.8104.40.0%31.2%31.2%
90 days1327.200.259.320.291.20833.3%3.7%32.7%83.8104.40.0%31.2%31.2%
Batted-ball mix, 90 days · 16 balls in play
Ground 25%Line drive 19%Fly ball 31%Pop-up 25%
FormNormal
Contact rating–percentile of xwOBA
Last 100 pitches–
wOBA / xwOBA.260 / .212running 48 points ahead of his contact
Last 12 games, oldest to newest
Hit2/12
2+ total bases1/12
Home run0/12

Context only. Streaks and hot or cold labels don't move a projection: in our tests recent results didn't predict the next two weeks better than the season.

Recent contact

Last 12 balls in play. Hard hit is 95+ mph; the sweet spot is a launch angle of 8 to 32 degrees.
DatePitcherPitchVeloEVLAxwOBAResult
Sep 11RHPFastball99.297.529.434Out
Aug 23LHPChangeup85.486.669.005Out
Aug 16LHPCutter85.192.41.412Out
Aug 16LHPCutter86.369.545.304Out
Jul 25RHPSinker94.062.915.201Force out
Jul 20LHPFastball95.691.92.461Fielder's choice
Jul 20LHPFastball97.679.457.047Out
Jul 19LHPFastball92.497.432.513Triple
Jul 19LHPCurveball81.792.4-18.134Single
Jul 19RHPFastball97.3100.27.591Single
Jul 11LHPCurveball79.587.239.020Out
Jul 11RHPSinker94.569.010.277Single
Last 10 games.
DatePAHTBHRBBK
Sep 11100000
Sep 9100000
Aug 23200001
Aug 16400011
Jul 26100001
Jul 25100000
Jul 22200002
Jul 20200000
Jul 19435001
Jul 12100001

The hitter

season-level talent read
Talent gradeDBalanced type
wOBA.312
K%23.9%
BB%6.8%
Whiff%11.4%
Barrel%4.1%
Hard-hit%25.6%
Avg EV87.4

Against right-handers, last 90 days

10 PA
wOBA.303
xwOBA vs this mix.289against pitches like his
RV/100-0.40
Hard-hit%24.2%
K%26.7%
BB%6.5%

Talent blends this season with last season, shrunk toward league average where the sample is thin. Recent hot or cold streaks are not weighted: in our tests they didn't predict the next two weeks better than the season does.

The starter he faces
Justin VerlanderRHP · DET vs PIT
4.1projected strikeouts · likely 2 to 7 · 19.4 batters over 4.6 innings
≤3 strikeouts: 42.4%42%≤34 strikeouts: 19.4%19%45 strikeouts: 15.8%16%56 strikeouts: 10.6%11%67 strikeouts: 6.2%6%78 strikeouts: 3.2%3%89+ strikeouts: 2.4%2%9+book 4.5
Over 4.5: 38% (red bars) · under: 62%. Chance of each exact strikeout total, from the served distribution.
K%–
BB%–
Whiff%–
Velo–
BTB Stuff–
Location–

Season numbers from the last 90 days of Statcast. BTB Stuff and Location read on a scale where 100 is league average. Recent starts are context; the projection doesn't weight them.

Justin Verlander DET · RHPvsPIT lineupstrikeout rate vs his hand

5 of 12 strike out more than the average hitter tonight

Strikeout rate against right-handers over the last 90 days (season rate where the split is missing). Line: tonight's average hitter, 21.7%. Red strikes out more, blue less.

The rest of the gamePIT @ DET →Both lineups, bullpens, the pitch-mix battles and park air.Billy Cook: every projection we've made →