What happened: The comparison pairs Yordan Alvarez against Albert Pujols and Jeremy Pena against David Eckstein. It also grades overall lineup strength, rotation and bullpen. Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros has not started yet.

Why it matters: The framework measures Houston against a prior World Series champion profile rather than one matchup. Separating star bats from lineup depth and pitching isolates where the current roster tracks or diverges.

What to watch: Watch for first pitch of the scheduled White Sox-Astros game.