Player Stats for White Sox vs Royals – May 7th, 2025

Chicago White Sox

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Kansas City Royals

On May 7, 2025, the Kansas City Royals will host the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium for the third game of their series. The Royals come into this matchup fresh off a narrow 4-3 victory over the White Sox yesterday, continuing to build momentum in a season where they currently sit at 21-16. Meanwhile, the White Sox are struggling with a dismal record of 10-26, reflecting a season that has been anything but smooth.

The Royals will send Michael Wacha to the mound, who is looking to improve on his 1-4 record despite a respectable ERA of 3.52. Projections suggest he will pitch around 5.7 innings today, allowing approximately 2.3 earned runs. Wacha has shown flashes of being an above-average pitcher, as evidenced by his Power Ranking of 70th among MLB starters. In his last start on May 2, he allowed 3 earned runs over 6 innings—a performance that lacked excitement but demonstrated his capability to keep games close.

For the White Sox, Jonathan Cannon will take the hill. With a 2-3 record and an ERA of 4.26, Cannon is projected to struggle against the Royals’ lineup. His high-walk rate (10.1 BB%) could be a significant factor, particularly against a Royals offense that has the 6th least walks in MLB. Cannon’s peripherals suggest he may not be as effective as his ERA indicates, as his xFIP is higher than his actual performance.

In terms of offensive production, both teams have struggled this season, with the Royals ranking 25th and the White Sox sitting at 29th in MLB. However, Kansas City’s best hitter has been heating up, boasting a .480 batting average over the last week, which could provide the team with a much-needed boost.

With the Royals favored at -220, bettors may find value in backing them to capitalize on their current form and home-field advantage against a White Sox team that has had a tough time on the road. The game total is set at 8.0 runs, which reflects the offensive challenges both teams face.

Chicago White Sox Insights

• Chicago White Sox – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (+160)
  Jonathan Cannon is an extreme flyball pitcher (33.7% FB% according to the leading projection system, THE BAT) and should be aided by pitching in the #30 HR venue in the league in today’s game.
  Explain: This pitcher’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
• Josh Palacios – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+145/-190)
  Batters such as Joshua Palacios with extreme groundball tendencies are usually more effective when facing pitchers like Michael Wacha who skew towards the flyball end of the spectrum.
  Explain: This mostly has to do with the way the hitter’s swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create boosted performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.
• Chicago White Sox – Moneyline (+185)
  The Chicago White Sox projected lineup projects as the 2nd-weakest on the slate today in terms of overall batting ability.
  Explain: A pitcher who faces a weak opposing offense will be more likely to exceed his usual performance, particularly in terms of hits and runs, in that game.

Kansas City Royals Insights

• Michael Wacha – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-125/-105)
  Michael Wacha has used his sinker 5.7% less often this year (9.6%) than he did last season (15.3%).
  Explain: Sinkers are the easiest pitches to hit and generate the fewest strikeouts, so a pitcher who begins to use his sinker less often will likely be more effective than he used to be.
• Michael Massey – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-195/+150)
  Michael Massey has primarily hit in the top-half of the lineup this year (71% of the time), but he is projected to hit 6th in the batting order in this game.
  Explain: The lower in the order a player bats, the fewer plate appearances he will get and the fewer opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits lower in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting higher.
• Kansas City Royals – 2H Moneyline
  The Kansas City Royals bullpen profiles as the 10th-worst in the game, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game’s runs.

Betting Trends

• Over/Under 8.5 Game Total (+100/-120)
  The Kansas City Royals have hit the Game Total Under in 23 of their last 33 games (+13.05 Units / 36% ROI)
• Chicago White Sox – 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line +0.5 (+105)
  The Chicago White Sox have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 11 of their last 16 games (+7.50 Units / 42% ROI)
• Lenyn Sosa – Over/Under 0.5 Runs (+190/-255)
  Lenyn Sosa has hit the Runs Over in 5 of his last 8 away games (+6.65 Units / 83% ROI)