Fantasy Forecaster: Week 10
By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com
On tap: Hotshot prospect Michael Wacha, fresh off a brilliant seven-inning, one-run, two-hit May 30 major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals, is a two-start pitcher in his first full week as a big leaguer -- fantasy's Week 10. Added in more than 60 percent of ESPN leagues in the past week, Wacha will be under the microscope in a home start versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, then a road assignment at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park.
Will Wacha be the top rookie storyline of Week 10, however? Perhaps not, now that we've entered the month of June, traditionally believed the "safe zone" for teams attempting to prevent player eligibility for "Super Two" arbitration status. The New York Mets are widely rumored to be planning to promote Zack Wheeler from Triple-A Las Vegas soon; he might get the call should Jonathon Niese's shoulder injury be deemed serious. Meanwhile, on the hitting side, Wil Myers might not be far off from joining the Tampa Bay Rays, nor might Christian Yelich be far off from joining the Miami Marlins. Keep tabs on those transaction reports as the week's deadline approaches.
The Cleveland Indians have an opportunity to make a statement in the American League playoff race; they play three games apiece at New York's Yankee Stadium and Detroit's Comerica Park, battling fellow contenders. Among their starting-pitching opposition are CC Sabathia (Wednesday), Justin Verlander (Friday) and Anibal Sanchez (Sunday), though in their defense, the Indians have averaged 4.97 runs per game in the month of May, sixth most in baseball.
The New York Yankees get Andy Pettitte back for the opener of that Indians series on Monday, coming at a critical time after they were swept by the New York Mets in four consecutive interleague games, extending their losing streak to five games (through May 30).
ESPN leagues: Lineup deadlines
We're back to later Monday deadlines, as fantasy's Week 10 kicks off with a 7 p.m. ET first pitch, that the Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees game on ESPN's Monday Night Baseball. Tuesday also has nothing but night games: That's the only other day of the week with a 7:05 p.m. ET first-game start time.
Interleague impact
This week's interleague series:
• Oakland Athletics at Milwaukee Brewers (3 games, Monday-Wednesday)
• Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Angels (2 games, Tuesday-Wednesday)
• Toronto Blue Jays at San Francisco Giants (2 games, Tuesday-Wednesday)
• Minnesota Twins at Washington Nationals (3 games, Friday-Sunday)
The resurgent Adam Lind stands to lose the most this week, as the Blue Jays benched him for both of their interleague games in Atlanta on May 30-31 regardless of the opposing starter's handedness. Without the designated hitter, he'll be a pinch hitter for two of the Blue Jays' five games.
The Athletics and Twins, meanwhile, appear to be using straight platoons to wedge all their offensive parts into the lineup without a DH. Seth Smith and Chris Young have alternated starts for the Athletics in right field without the DH, and with the opposing Brewers scheduled to throw three right-handers, Smith might get all three starts. Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit and Chris Colabello, meanwhile, have been shuffling between catcher and right field for the Twins, and under that arrangement it appears that Mauer would sit Friday's game against lefty Gio Gonzalez, while Colabello might sit the Saturday and Sunday games against righties. Even with one fewer start, however, Mauer is well worth keeping in all fantasy lineups.
Though the Cubs have played only one interleague game at an American League park thus far, they've given indication that they'll use the addition of the DH to get four of their five outfielders into the lineup. They'll probably start Nate Schierholtz and Ryan Sweeney against the right-handed Jered Weaver, and Scott Hairston and David DeJesus against the left-handed Jason Vargas. Considering they play just five games, this won't provide much of an advantage except in deep NL-only leagues.
Projected starting pitchers
The chart below lists each of the 30 MLB teams' schedules and projected starting pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for each day's starter. Pitchers scheduled to start at least twice this week are in gold/beige boxes.
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<TBODY>
</TBODY>P: The starting pitcher's matchup rating, which accounts for past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.
Pitching scuttlebutt
• The Baltimore Orioles planned to stick with struggling rookie Kevin Gausman through at least his June 2 start, but his status as a member of their rotation might be evaluated on a start-by-start basis.
• The Boston Red Sox haven't formally announced their rotation beyond June 2, but with Clay Buchholz due back that day, spot starter Franklin Morales is probably bullpen-bound, as projected above.
• The Los Angeles Angels face a decision on either Joe Blanton or Jerome Williams as their fifth starter this week. As Blanton has the larger contract as well as back-to-back quality starts, he's the one projected to stick.
• The Seattle Mariners need a starter to assume Brandon Maurer's old spot beginning on June 2 -- therefore lining up for a Friday assignment -- and Hector Noesi and Jeremy Bonderman are the leading candidates. But could top prospect Taijuan Walker soon enter the mix?
• Assuming Alex Cobb (finger) returns to the Tampa Bay Rays' rotation on Tuesday, the Rays have options to fill the remaining five days of the week. They'll presumably need to choose between whether Chris Archer or Alex Colome sticks as their fifth starter, either likely working Friday.
• Alexi Ogando (triceps) was scheduled for a 75-pitch rehabilitation assignment for the Texas Rangers' Double-A affiliate on May 31, and if all went well, he was expected to return to the big league rotation on Friday. Martin Perez would take that turn if Ogando isn't ready.
• Josh Johnson (triceps) is tentatively scheduled to rejoin the Toronto Blue Jays' rotation on Wednesday, making it likely that R.A. Dickey will pitch Tuesday on four days' rest, then the team will use Thursday's off day to go with four starters for Week 10. There is no team's rotation as in flux this week, however.
• Ian Kennedy (finger) was expected to rejoin the Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation on June 1, setting him up for a Thursday start.
• Jonathon Niese (shoulder) is on schedule to rejoin the New York Mets' rotation on Friday, though he's no guarantee to take that turn. If he needs to go on the disabled list, Collin McHugh or Zack Wheeler could fill in.
• The San Francisco Giants recently demoted Mike Kickham to Triple-A, making it likely they'll go with only four starters this week.
Tristan's Week 10 pitcher rankings: Top 75
1. Felix Hernandez (SEA) -- Tue-CWS (Peavy), Sun-NYY (Phelps)
2. Jordan Zimmermann (WSH) -- Tue-NYM (Hefner), Sun-MIN (Deduno)
3. Mike Minor (ATL) -- Tue-PIT (Locke), Sun-@LAD (Lilly)
4. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) -- Wed-SD (Marquis)
5. Stephen Strasburg (WSH) -- Thu-NYM (Marcum)
6. Matt Harvey (NYM) -- Sat-MIA (Slowey)
7. Anibal Sanchez (DET) -- Tue-TB (Cobb), Sun-CLE (Masterson)
8. Jeff Samardzija (CHC) -- Sat-PIT (Gomez)
9. Cliff Lee (PHI) -- Fri-@MIL (Peralta)
10. A.J. Burnett (PIT) -- Mon-@ATL (Medlen), Sun-@CHC (Jackson)
11. Chris Sale (CWS) -- Fri-OAK (Parker)
12. Adam Wainwright (STL) -- Thu-ARI (Kennedy)
13. Max Scherzer (DET) -- Thu-TB (Moore)
14. Shelby Miller (STL) -- Wed-ARI (Miley)
15. Alex Cobb (TB) -- Tue-@DET (Sanchez), Sun-BAL (Tillman)
16. Yu Darvish (TEX) -- Sat-@TOR (Morrow)
17. Cole Hamels (PHI) -- Wed-MIA (Turner)
18. Lance Lynn (STL) -- Mon-ARI (Cahill), Sat-@CIN (Latos)
19. James Shields (KC) -- Fri-HOU (Lyles)
20. Gio Gonzalez (WSH) -- Fri-MIN (Correia)
21. Jake Peavy (CWS) -- Tue-@SEA (Hernandez), Sun-OAK (Griffin)
22. Justin Verlander (DET) -- Fri-CLE (Jimenez)
23. Madison Bumgarner (SF) -- Sat-@ARI (Cahill)
24. Trevor Cahill (ARI) -- Mon-@STL (Lynn), Sat-SF (Bumgarner)
25. Hiroki Kuroda (NYY) -- Fri-@SEA (TBD)
26. Patrick Corbin (ARI) -- Fri-SF (Cain)
27. Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Tue-CHC (Feldman)
28. Matt Cain (SF) -- Fri-@ARI (Corbin)
29. CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Wed-CLE (Kluber)
30. Michael Wacha (STL) -- Tue-ARI (McCarthy), Sun-@CIN (Arroyo)
31. Clay Buchholz (BOS) -- Sat-LAA (Wilson)
32. Hisashi Iwakuma (SEA) -- Wed-CWS (Axelrod)
33. Jon Lester (BOS) -- Thu-TEX (Tepesch)
34. Hyun-Jin Ryu (LAD) -- Fri-ATL (Maholm)
35. Johnny Cueto (CIN) -- Wed-COL (Garland)
36. Homer Bailey (CIN) -- Tue-COL (Nicasio)
37. Kris Medlen (ATL) -- Mon-PIT (Burnett), Sat-@LAD (Capuano)
38. Doug Fister (DET) -- Wed-TB (Hernandez)
39. Brandon McCarthy (ARI) -- Tue-@STL (Wacha), Sun-SF (Lincecum)
40. Matt Moore (TB) -- Thu-@DET (Scherzer)
41. Jason Vargas (LAA) -- Wed-CHC (Wood)
42. Justin Masterson (CLE) -- Mon-@NYY (Pettitte), Sun-@DET (Sanchez)
43. Julio Teheran (ATL) -- Wed-PIT (Rodriguez)
44. Jarrod Parker (OAK) -- Fri-@CWS (Sale)
45. David Phelps (NYY) -- Tue-CLE (Kazmir), Sun-@SEA (Hernandez)
46. Jose Fernandez (MIA) -- Fri-@NYM (Niese)
47. Mat Latos (CIN) -- Sat-STL (Lynn)
48. A.J. Griffin (OAK) -- Tue-@MIL (Lohse), Sun-@CWS (Peavy)
49. Wandy Rodriguez (PIT) -- Wed-@ATL (Teheran)
50. Andy Pettitte (NYY) -- Mon-CLE (Masterson), Sat-@SEA (Saunders)
51. Francisco Liriano (PIT) -- Fri-@CHC (Garza)
52. Kyle Kendrick (PHI) -- Mon-MIA (Koehler), Sat-@MIL (Estrada)
53. Derek Holland (TEX) -- Wed-@BOS (Lackey)
54. Marco Estrada (MIL) -- Mon-OAK (Milone), Sat-PHI (Kendrick)
55. R.A. Dickey (TOR) -- Tue-@SF (Lincecum), Sun-TEX (Grimm)
56. Dan Haren (WSH) -- Wed-NYM (Gee)
57. Chris Tillman (BAL) -- Tue-@HOU (Harrell), Sun-@TB (Cobb)
58. Andrew Cashner (SD) -- Tue-@LAD (Lilly), Sun-@COL (Nicasio)
59. Ervin Santana (KC) -- Sat-HOU (Bedard)
60. Tommy Milone (OAK) -- Mon-@MIL (Estrada), Sat-@CWS (Danks)
61. Zack Greinke (LAD) -- Thu-ATL (Hudson)
62. Jorge De La Rosa (COL) -- Fri-SD (Volquez)
63. Bronson Arroyo (CIN) -- Mon-COL (Chatwood), Sun-STL (Wacha)
64. Matt Garza (CHC) -- Fri-PIT (Liriano)
65. Ted Lilly (LAD) -- Tue-SD (Cashner), Sun-ATL (Minor)
66. C.J. Wilson (LAA) -- Sat-@BOS (Buchholz)
67. Paul Maholm (ATL) -- Fri-@LAD (Ryu)
68. Yovani Gallardo (MIL) -- Wed-OAK (Colon)
69. John Danks (CWS) -- Mon-@SEA (Saunders), Sat-OAK (Milone)
70. Ricky Nolasco (MIA) -- Tue-@PHI (Pettibone)
71. Miguel Gonzalez (BAL) -- Thu-@HOU (Norris)
72. Jeff Locke (PIT) -- Tue-@ATL (Minor)
73. Jonathon Niese (NYM) -- Fri-MIA (Fernandez)
74. Dan Straily (OAK) -- Thu-@CWS (Quintana)
75. Eric Stults (SD) -- Mon-@LAD (Capuano), Sat-@COL (Chatwood)
Two-start options for AL-/NL-only leagues:
Erik Bedard (HOU) -- Mon-@LAA (Blanton), Sat-@KC (Santana)
Chris Capuano (LAD) -- Mon-SD (Stults), Sat-ATL (Medlen)
Tyler Chatwood (COL) -- Mon-@CIN (Arroyo), Sat-SD (Stults)
Jeremy Hefner (NYM) -- Tue-@WSH (Zimmermann), Sun-MIA (Koehler)
Tom Koehler (MIA) -- Mon-@PHI (Kendrick), Sun-@NYM (Hefner)
Kyle Lohse (MIL) -- Tue-OAK (Griffin), Sun-PHI (Pettibone)
Jonathan Pettibone (PHI) -- Tue-MIA (Nolasco), Sun-@MIL (Lohse)
No-thank-yous, among two-start pitchers:
Joe Blanton (LAA) -- Mon-HOU (Bedard), Sun-@BOS (Dempster)
Samuel Deduno (MIN) -- Tue-@KC (Mendoza), Sun-@WSH (Zimmermann)
Ryan Dempster (BOS) -- Tue-TEX (Grimm), Sun-LAA (Blanton)
Justin Grimm (TEX) -- Tue-@BOS (Dempster), Sun-@TOR (Dickey)
Lucas Harrell (HOU) -- Tue-BAL (Tillman), Sun-@KC (Mendoza)
Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Tue-TOR (Dickey), Sun-@ARI (McCarthy)
Luis Mendoza (KC) -- Tue-MIN (Deduno), Sun-HOU (Harrell)
Juan Nicasio (COL) -- Tue-@CIN (Bailey), Sun-SD (Cashner)
Joe Saunders (SEA) -- Mon-CWS (Danks), Sat-NYY (Pettitte)
Pitching advantages
• Though Mat Latos' career history against the St. Louis Cardinals is poor -- he has only three quality starts and a 6.85 ERA in nine games against them -- he's 2-for-2 in quality starts allowing only four runs (one earned) in 12 innings against them this season. Latos' most recent game against the Cardinals, at St. Louis' Busch Stadium on April 29, was his best yet: Six shutout innings of five-hit baseball. His history instills hesitation in his owners, but he's the No. 30 pure starting pitcher on our Player Rater, which keeps him firmly in my top 75.
• Let's face it, if his name wasn't Tim Lincecum, or if he didn't have two Cy Youngs on his résumé, the San Francisco Giants right-hander wouldn't even be on the fantasy radar. Since the beginning of last season, Lincecum has a quality start percentage of 36.4; that's third worst among qualified starters during that time. He has been especially dreadful during interleague play, going 0-4 with one quality start, a 7.92 ERA and 1.84 WHIP in five games since the beginning of last year. Lincecum is a no-go against a Toronto Blue Jays team that had the fifth highest slugging percentage in baseball in May (.445) -- and he's even less attractive a play if he gets a second start at Arizona's Chase Field, where he has zero quality starts and an 8.30 ERA in his past three games.
• Justin Masterson's matchups are sneaky-tough, if only because of where they're scheduled. Granted, he has made substantial improvements against left-handed hitters -- they're a combined .227/.321/.330 against him this season -- but he did allow two of his three homers to lefties this year in his past two outings, and New York's Yankee Stadium isn't remotely forgiving to mistake pitches to lefties. Masterson is winless with a 4.97 ERA in his two career starts there, then he'll head to Detroit to take on a Detroit Tigers team leading the majors in batting average (.279) and well-hit baseballs (402) and ranked third in runs (268). His downside is that of a pitcher outside my top 75, so be forewarned.
• Consider John Danks a two-start sleeper for Week 10. Though his fastball velocity hasn't entirely returned -- he averaged 89.0 mph with it in his first two starts, compared to 91.2 mph from 2010 to 2012 -- his cutter and changeup, his two historically most effective pitches, have been fine, combining to limit opponents to a .182 batting average and 12 swings and misses. Why that's significant: The opposing Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics are two of the least successful teams against changeups, batting .173/.201/.270 and .219/.278/.348 respectively.
• Red-hot Jeff Samardzija -- he had a streak of three consecutive quality starts with 23 strikeouts total entering his June 1 assignment -- faces a team he has historically dominated, the Pittsburgh Pirates. In four career starts against the Pirates, each one a quality start, Samardzija has a 1.13 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 31 K's. Oddly, all four of them were pitched at Pittsburgh's PNC Park; Saturday will represent the first time he has started against them at Wrigley Field.
• Don't underrate the surprisingly reliable Trevor Cahill, a two-start pitcher working first at St. Louis' Busch Stadium, then at home versus the San Francisco Giants. Cahill is riding a streak of 28 consecutive starts allowing four or fewer runs, the game's longest active string, and six of his 11 outings this season have been quality starts. He is also 2-for-2 in quality starts in his career at Busch, and he has six quality starts and a 2.52 ERA in eight career games against the Giants.
• Here are this week's Streamer's Delight picks -- players need to be available in at least 75 percent of ESPN leagues as of our publishing time (Fridays):
1. Dan Straily (@CWS, Thursday): He has gone three straight starts without allowing an extra-base hit; the Chicago White Sox have .223/.286/.364 rates at home.
2. Jhoulys Chacin (SD, Thursday): He has already defeated the San Diego Padres twice this season, with a 2.31 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in those games.
3. Ted Lilly (SD, Tuesday): Current Padres have combined .216/.278/.319 career triple-slash rates against him; he has a 2.51 ERA all-time against the Padres.
4. Chris Tillman (@HOU, Tuesday): Expect a bounce-back from his poor May 29 outing; he's facing the game's most K-prone team, the Houston Astros.
5. Jonathan Pettibone (MIA, Tuesday): Despite lackluster stuff, he has a 3.64 ERA through eight starts, and the Miami Marlins are as good a matchup as there is.
Hitting ratings
The chart below lists each of the 30 teams' total number of scheduled games, home games and games versus right- and left-handed pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for the week's games in terms of overall offense, offense for left- and right-handed hitters and base stealing. Matchup ratings for each individual game are listed under the corresponding date.
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<TBODY>
</TBODY>Some of the data used to generate this chart is derived from Baseball Musings' Day-by-day database.
H: Hitters' matchup rating, which accounts for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. L: Hitters' matchup rating accounting only for left-handed hitters. R: Hitters' matchup rating accounting for only right-handed hitters. S: Base stealing matchup rating, which accounts for the opponent's catchers' ability to gun down opposing base stealers. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.
Hitting advantages
• Here are this week's "volume plays" -- defined as the teams that play the most home games, or games against right- or left-handed starters:
Home games: Seattle Mariners 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Milwaukee Brewers 7
Versus RH: Houston Astros 7, Philadelphia Phillies 7, Tampa Bay Rays 6, Arizona Diamondbacks 6, New York Mets 6, St. Louis Cardinals 6
Versus LH: Atlanta Braves 5, San Diego Padres 4, Los Angeles Angels 3, Oakland Athletics 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 3
• The red-hot Baltimore Orioles couldn't match up much better than by getting three games against the Houston Astros, then another three against the back end of the Tampa Bay Rays rotation (including starts against their wide-open No. 5 slot as well as Roberto Hernandez). The Orioles had registered eight or more hits in 11 consecutive games through May 30, the game's longest active streak, and they're likely to face five right-handed starters, significant in that they're a .287/.343/.475 hitting team against righties in 2013. Not that you need an endorsement to start Orioles, who largely rate highly on the Player Rater, but there's every reason to believe Nate McLouth, for example, has another week of magic in his bat.
• A lefty-heavy schedule for the Atlanta Braves could create two matchups opportunities for fantasy owners: Be aware that Chris Johnson is a .420/.463/.640 hitter against left-handers, while Evan Gattis has .371/.439/.800 numbers against them, this season. Johnson has started every one of the Braves' 17 games against a lefty, and while Gattis hasn't been platooned in that obvious fashion, his numbers suggest the Braves might want to consider him for that.
• Raul Ibanez has three home runs against his 2012 team, the New York Yankees, in three games this season. Was it a matter of revenge, or was it merely the ballpark? Either could be the case, but that his Seattle Mariners face five right-handed starters, three of them during the Yankees series, suits him well from a matchups perspective. He has slugged .543 against righties in 2013.
By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com
On tap: Hotshot prospect Michael Wacha, fresh off a brilliant seven-inning, one-run, two-hit May 30 major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals, is a two-start pitcher in his first full week as a big leaguer -- fantasy's Week 10. Added in more than 60 percent of ESPN leagues in the past week, Wacha will be under the microscope in a home start versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, then a road assignment at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park.
Will Wacha be the top rookie storyline of Week 10, however? Perhaps not, now that we've entered the month of June, traditionally believed the "safe zone" for teams attempting to prevent player eligibility for "Super Two" arbitration status. The New York Mets are widely rumored to be planning to promote Zack Wheeler from Triple-A Las Vegas soon; he might get the call should Jonathon Niese's shoulder injury be deemed serious. Meanwhile, on the hitting side, Wil Myers might not be far off from joining the Tampa Bay Rays, nor might Christian Yelich be far off from joining the Miami Marlins. Keep tabs on those transaction reports as the week's deadline approaches.
The Cleveland Indians have an opportunity to make a statement in the American League playoff race; they play three games apiece at New York's Yankee Stadium and Detroit's Comerica Park, battling fellow contenders. Among their starting-pitching opposition are CC Sabathia (Wednesday), Justin Verlander (Friday) and Anibal Sanchez (Sunday), though in their defense, the Indians have averaged 4.97 runs per game in the month of May, sixth most in baseball.
The New York Yankees get Andy Pettitte back for the opener of that Indians series on Monday, coming at a critical time after they were swept by the New York Mets in four consecutive interleague games, extending their losing streak to five games (through May 30).
ESPN leagues: Lineup deadlines
We're back to later Monday deadlines, as fantasy's Week 10 kicks off with a 7 p.m. ET first pitch, that the Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees game on ESPN's Monday Night Baseball. Tuesday also has nothing but night games: That's the only other day of the week with a 7:05 p.m. ET first-game start time.
Interleague impact
This week's interleague series:
• Oakland Athletics at Milwaukee Brewers (3 games, Monday-Wednesday)
• Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Angels (2 games, Tuesday-Wednesday)
• Toronto Blue Jays at San Francisco Giants (2 games, Tuesday-Wednesday)
• Minnesota Twins at Washington Nationals (3 games, Friday-Sunday)
The resurgent Adam Lind stands to lose the most this week, as the Blue Jays benched him for both of their interleague games in Atlanta on May 30-31 regardless of the opposing starter's handedness. Without the designated hitter, he'll be a pinch hitter for two of the Blue Jays' five games.
The Athletics and Twins, meanwhile, appear to be using straight platoons to wedge all their offensive parts into the lineup without a DH. Seth Smith and Chris Young have alternated starts for the Athletics in right field without the DH, and with the opposing Brewers scheduled to throw three right-handers, Smith might get all three starts. Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit and Chris Colabello, meanwhile, have been shuffling between catcher and right field for the Twins, and under that arrangement it appears that Mauer would sit Friday's game against lefty Gio Gonzalez, while Colabello might sit the Saturday and Sunday games against righties. Even with one fewer start, however, Mauer is well worth keeping in all fantasy lineups.
Though the Cubs have played only one interleague game at an American League park thus far, they've given indication that they'll use the addition of the DH to get four of their five outfielders into the lineup. They'll probably start Nate Schierholtz and Ryan Sweeney against the right-handed Jered Weaver, and Scott Hairston and David DeJesus against the left-handed Jason Vargas. Considering they play just five games, this won't provide much of an advantage except in deep NL-only leagues.
Projected starting pitchers
The chart below lists each of the 30 MLB teams' schedules and projected starting pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for each day's starter. Pitchers scheduled to start at least twice this week are in gold/beige boxes.
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<CENTER>Team</CENTER> | <CENTER>Mon 6/3</CENTER> | <CENTER>Tue 6/4</CENTER> | <CENTER>Wed 6/5</CENTER> | <CENTER>Thu 6/6</CENTER> | <CENTER>Fri 6/7</CENTER> | <CENTER>Sat 6/8</CENTER> | <CENTER>Sun 6/9</CENTER> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @HOU Tillman (RHP) P: 5 | @HOU Garcia (RHP) P: 7 | @HOU Gonzalez (RHP) P: 9 | @TB Hammel (RHP) P: 4 | @TB Gausman (RHP) P: 1 | @TB Tillman (RHP) P: 4 | |
| TEX Dempster (RHP) P: 3 | TEX Lackey (RHP) P: 6 | TEX Lester (LHP) P: 6 | LAA Doubront (LHP) P: 3 | LAA Buchholz (RHP) P: 8 | LAA Dempster (RHP) P: 3 | |
| @SEA Danks (LHP) P: 6 | @SEA Peavy (RHP) P: 8 | @SEA Axelrod (RHP) P: 6 | OAK Quintana (LHP) P: 6 | OAK Sale (LHP) P: 10 | OAK Danks (LHP) P: 5 | OAK Peavy (RHP) P: 7 |
| @NYY Masterson (RHP) P: 8 | @NYY Kazmir (LHP) P: 1 | @NYY Kluber (RHP) P: 3 | @DET Jimenez (RHP) P: 3 | @DET McAllister (RHP) P: 3 | @DET Masterson (RHP) P: 7 | |
| TB Sanchez (RHP) P: 7 | TB Fister (RHP) P: 8 | TB Scherzer (RHP) P: 10 | CLE Verlander (RHP) P: 6 | CLE Porcello (RHP) P: 6 | CLE Sanchez (RHP) P: 7 | |
| @LAA Bedard (LHP) P: 2 | BAL Harrell (RHP) P: 4 | BAL Keuchel (LHP) P: 1 | BAL Norris (RHP) P: 2 | @KC Lyles (RHP) P: 5 | @KC Bedard (LHP) P: 4 | @KC Harrell (RHP) P: 6 |
| MIN Mendoza (RHP) P: 6 | MIN Guthrie (RHP) P: 3 | MIN Davis (RHP) P: 3 | HOU Shields (RHP) P: 9 | HOU Santana (RHP) P: 6 | HOU Mendoza (RHP) P: 6 | |
| HOU Blanton (RHP) P: 5 | CHC Weaver (RHP) P: 10 | CHC Vargas (LHP) P: 8 | @BOS Hanson (RHP) P: 2 | @BOS Wilson (LHP) P: 5 | @BOS Blanton (RHP) P: 3 | |
| @KC Deduno (RHP) P: 6 | @KC Walters (RHP) P: 2 | @KC Pelfrey (RHP) P: 1 | @WSH Correia (RHP) P: 3 | @WSH Diamond (LHP) P: 2 | @WSH Deduno (RHP) P: 6 | |
| CLE Pettitte (LHP) P: 9 | CLE Phelps (RHP) P: 7 | CLE Sabathia (LHP) P: 6 | @SEA Hughes (RHP) P: 5 | @SEA Kuroda (RHP) P: 10 | @SEA Pettitte (LHP) P: 9 | @SEA Phelps (RHP) P: 7 |
| @MIL Milone (LHP) P: 4 | @MIL Griffin (RHP) P: 7 | @MIL Colon (RHP) P: 7 | @CWS Straily (RHP) P: 8 | @CWS Parker (RHP) P: 7 | @CWS Milone (LHP) P: 4 | @CWS Griffin (RHP) P: 7 |
| CWS Saunders (LHP) P: 4 | CWS Hernandez (RHP) P: 9 | CWS Iwakuma (RHP) P: 9 | NYY Harang (RHP) P: 5 | NYY TBD P: 1 | NYY Saunders (LHP) P: 4 | NYY Hernandez (RHP) P: 8 |
| @DET Cobb (RHP) P: 7 | @DET Hernandez (RHP) P: 3 | @DET Moore (LHP) P: 7 | BAL Archer (RHP) P: 6 | BAL Hellickson (RHP) P: 4 | BAL Cobb (RHP) P: 8 | |
| @BOS Grimm (RHP) P: 3 | @BOS Holland (LHP) P: 5 | @BOS Tepesch (RHP) P: 6 | @TOR Ogando (RHP) P: 7 | @TOR Darvish (RHP) P: 7 | @TOR Grimm (RHP) P: 3 | |
| @SF Dickey (RHP) P: 6 | @SF Johnson (RHP) P: 7 | TEX Buehrle (LHP) P: 6 | TEX Morrow (RHP) P: 1 | TEX Dickey (RHP) P: 5 | ||
| @STL Cahill (RHP) P: 7 | @STL McCarthy (RHP) P: 7 | @STL Miley (LHP) P: 5 | @STL Kennedy (RHP) P: 5 | SF Corbin (LHP) P: 8 | SF Cahill (RHP) P: 7 | SF McCarthy (RHP) P: 7 |
| PIT Medlen (RHP) P: 9 | PIT Minor (LHP) P: 10 | PIT Teheran (RHP) P: 8 | @LAD Hudson (RHP) P: 7 | @LAD Maholm (LHP) P: 7 | @LAD Medlen (RHP) P: 9 | @LAD Minor (LHP) P: 10 |
| @LAA Feldman (RHP) P: 5 | @LAA Wood (LHP) P: 7 | PIT Garza (RHP) P: 8 | PIT Samardzija (RHP) P: 10 | PIT Jackson (RHP) P: 5 | ||
| COL Arroyo (RHP) P: 6 | COL Bailey (RHP) P: 7 | COL Cueto (RHP) P: 8 | STL Leake (RHP) P: 6 | STL Latos (RHP) P: 7 | STL Arroyo (RHP) P: 6 | |
| @CIN Chatwood (RHP) P: 6 | @CIN Nicasio (RHP) P: 3 | @CIN Garland (RHP) P: 1 | SD Chacin (RHP) P: 7 | SD DeLaRosa (LHP) P: 7 | SD Chatwood (RHP) P: 7 | SD Nicasio (RHP) P: 5 |
| SD Capuano (LHP) P: 6 | SD Lilly (LHP) P: 8 | SD Kershaw (LHP) P: 10 | ATL Greinke (RHP) P: 6 | ATL Ryu (LHP) P: 10 | ATL Capuano (LHP) P: 6 | ATL Lilly (LHP) P: 8 |
| @PHI Koehler (RHP) P: 8 | @PHI Nolasco (RHP) P: 7 | @PHI Turner (RHP) P: 6 | @NYM Fernandez (RHP) P: 7 | @NYM Slowey (RHP) P: 1 | @NYM Koehler (RHP) P: 9 | |
| OAK Estrada (RHP) P: 7 | OAK Lohse (RHP) P: 6 | OAK Gallardo (RHP) P: 5 | PHI Fiers (RHP) P: 6 | PHI Peralta (RHP) P: 5 | PHI Estrada (RHP) P: 8 | PHI Lohse (RHP) P: 7 |
| @WSH Hefner (RHP) P: 5 | @WSH Gee (RHP) P: 4 | @WSH Marcum (RHP) P: 6 | MIA Niese (LHP) P: 9 | MIA Harvey (RHP) P: 10 | MIA Hefner (RHP) P: 8 | |
| MIA Kendrick (RHP) P: 8 | MIA Pettibone (RHP) P: 8 | MIA Hamels (LHP) P: 9 | @MIL Cloyd (RHP) P: 2 | @MIL Lee (LHP) P: 9 | @MIL Kendrick (RHP) P: 5 | @MIL Pettibone (RHP) P: 5 |
| @ATL Burnett (RHP) P: 9 | @ATL Locke (LHP) P: 8 | @ATL Rodriguez (LHP) P: 7 | @CHC Liriano (LHP) P: 9 | @CHC Gomez (RHP) P: 7 | @CHC Burnett (RHP) P: 9 | |
| ARI Lynn (RHP) P: 7 | ARI Wacha (RHP) P: 10 | ARI Miller (RHP) P: 10 | ARI Wainwright (RHP) P: 9 | @CIN Lyons (LHP) P: 10 | @CIN Lynn (RHP) P: 6 | @CIN Wacha (RHP) P: 10 |
| @LAD Stults (LHP) P: 10 | @LAD Cashner (RHP) P: 7 | @LAD Marquis (RHP) P: 4 | @COL Richard (LHP) P: 3 | @COL Volquez (RHP) P: 5 | @COL Stults (LHP) P: 8 | @COL Cashner (RHP) P: 5 |
| TOR Lincecum (RHP) P: 5 | TOR Zito (LHP) P: 4 | @ARI Cain (RHP) P: 7 | @ARI Bumgarner (LHP) P: 7 | @ARI Lincecum (RHP) P: 4 | ||
| NYM Zimmrmnn (RHP) P: 9 | NYM Haren (RHP) P: 6 | NYM Strasburg (RHP) P: 10 | MIN Gonzalez (LHP) P: 10 | MIN Karns (RHP) P: 3 | MIN Zimmrmnn (RHP) P: 8 |
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Pitching scuttlebutt
• The Baltimore Orioles planned to stick with struggling rookie Kevin Gausman through at least his June 2 start, but his status as a member of their rotation might be evaluated on a start-by-start basis.
• The Boston Red Sox haven't formally announced their rotation beyond June 2, but with Clay Buchholz due back that day, spot starter Franklin Morales is probably bullpen-bound, as projected above.
• The Los Angeles Angels face a decision on either Joe Blanton or Jerome Williams as their fifth starter this week. As Blanton has the larger contract as well as back-to-back quality starts, he's the one projected to stick.
• The Seattle Mariners need a starter to assume Brandon Maurer's old spot beginning on June 2 -- therefore lining up for a Friday assignment -- and Hector Noesi and Jeremy Bonderman are the leading candidates. But could top prospect Taijuan Walker soon enter the mix?
• Assuming Alex Cobb (finger) returns to the Tampa Bay Rays' rotation on Tuesday, the Rays have options to fill the remaining five days of the week. They'll presumably need to choose between whether Chris Archer or Alex Colome sticks as their fifth starter, either likely working Friday.
• Alexi Ogando (triceps) was scheduled for a 75-pitch rehabilitation assignment for the Texas Rangers' Double-A affiliate on May 31, and if all went well, he was expected to return to the big league rotation on Friday. Martin Perez would take that turn if Ogando isn't ready.
• Josh Johnson (triceps) is tentatively scheduled to rejoin the Toronto Blue Jays' rotation on Wednesday, making it likely that R.A. Dickey will pitch Tuesday on four days' rest, then the team will use Thursday's off day to go with four starters for Week 10. There is no team's rotation as in flux this week, however.
• Ian Kennedy (finger) was expected to rejoin the Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation on June 1, setting him up for a Thursday start.
• Jonathon Niese (shoulder) is on schedule to rejoin the New York Mets' rotation on Friday, though he's no guarantee to take that turn. If he needs to go on the disabled list, Collin McHugh or Zack Wheeler could fill in.
• The San Francisco Giants recently demoted Mike Kickham to Triple-A, making it likely they'll go with only four starters this week.
Tristan's Week 10 pitcher rankings: Top 75
1. Felix Hernandez (SEA) -- Tue-CWS (Peavy), Sun-NYY (Phelps)
2. Jordan Zimmermann (WSH) -- Tue-NYM (Hefner), Sun-MIN (Deduno)
3. Mike Minor (ATL) -- Tue-PIT (Locke), Sun-@LAD (Lilly)
4. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) -- Wed-SD (Marquis)
5. Stephen Strasburg (WSH) -- Thu-NYM (Marcum)
6. Matt Harvey (NYM) -- Sat-MIA (Slowey)
7. Anibal Sanchez (DET) -- Tue-TB (Cobb), Sun-CLE (Masterson)
8. Jeff Samardzija (CHC) -- Sat-PIT (Gomez)
9. Cliff Lee (PHI) -- Fri-@MIL (Peralta)
10. A.J. Burnett (PIT) -- Mon-@ATL (Medlen), Sun-@CHC (Jackson)
11. Chris Sale (CWS) -- Fri-OAK (Parker)
12. Adam Wainwright (STL) -- Thu-ARI (Kennedy)
13. Max Scherzer (DET) -- Thu-TB (Moore)
14. Shelby Miller (STL) -- Wed-ARI (Miley)
15. Alex Cobb (TB) -- Tue-@DET (Sanchez), Sun-BAL (Tillman)
16. Yu Darvish (TEX) -- Sat-@TOR (Morrow)
17. Cole Hamels (PHI) -- Wed-MIA (Turner)
18. Lance Lynn (STL) -- Mon-ARI (Cahill), Sat-@CIN (Latos)
19. James Shields (KC) -- Fri-HOU (Lyles)
20. Gio Gonzalez (WSH) -- Fri-MIN (Correia)
21. Jake Peavy (CWS) -- Tue-@SEA (Hernandez), Sun-OAK (Griffin)
22. Justin Verlander (DET) -- Fri-CLE (Jimenez)
23. Madison Bumgarner (SF) -- Sat-@ARI (Cahill)
24. Trevor Cahill (ARI) -- Mon-@STL (Lynn), Sat-SF (Bumgarner)
25. Hiroki Kuroda (NYY) -- Fri-@SEA (TBD)
26. Patrick Corbin (ARI) -- Fri-SF (Cain)
27. Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Tue-CHC (Feldman)
28. Matt Cain (SF) -- Fri-@ARI (Corbin)
29. CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Wed-CLE (Kluber)
30. Michael Wacha (STL) -- Tue-ARI (McCarthy), Sun-@CIN (Arroyo)
31. Clay Buchholz (BOS) -- Sat-LAA (Wilson)
32. Hisashi Iwakuma (SEA) -- Wed-CWS (Axelrod)
33. Jon Lester (BOS) -- Thu-TEX (Tepesch)
34. Hyun-Jin Ryu (LAD) -- Fri-ATL (Maholm)
35. Johnny Cueto (CIN) -- Wed-COL (Garland)
36. Homer Bailey (CIN) -- Tue-COL (Nicasio)
37. Kris Medlen (ATL) -- Mon-PIT (Burnett), Sat-@LAD (Capuano)
38. Doug Fister (DET) -- Wed-TB (Hernandez)
39. Brandon McCarthy (ARI) -- Tue-@STL (Wacha), Sun-SF (Lincecum)
40. Matt Moore (TB) -- Thu-@DET (Scherzer)
41. Jason Vargas (LAA) -- Wed-CHC (Wood)
42. Justin Masterson (CLE) -- Mon-@NYY (Pettitte), Sun-@DET (Sanchez)
43. Julio Teheran (ATL) -- Wed-PIT (Rodriguez)
44. Jarrod Parker (OAK) -- Fri-@CWS (Sale)
45. David Phelps (NYY) -- Tue-CLE (Kazmir), Sun-@SEA (Hernandez)
46. Jose Fernandez (MIA) -- Fri-@NYM (Niese)
47. Mat Latos (CIN) -- Sat-STL (Lynn)
48. A.J. Griffin (OAK) -- Tue-@MIL (Lohse), Sun-@CWS (Peavy)
49. Wandy Rodriguez (PIT) -- Wed-@ATL (Teheran)
50. Andy Pettitte (NYY) -- Mon-CLE (Masterson), Sat-@SEA (Saunders)
51. Francisco Liriano (PIT) -- Fri-@CHC (Garza)
52. Kyle Kendrick (PHI) -- Mon-MIA (Koehler), Sat-@MIL (Estrada)
53. Derek Holland (TEX) -- Wed-@BOS (Lackey)
54. Marco Estrada (MIL) -- Mon-OAK (Milone), Sat-PHI (Kendrick)
55. R.A. Dickey (TOR) -- Tue-@SF (Lincecum), Sun-TEX (Grimm)
56. Dan Haren (WSH) -- Wed-NYM (Gee)
57. Chris Tillman (BAL) -- Tue-@HOU (Harrell), Sun-@TB (Cobb)
58. Andrew Cashner (SD) -- Tue-@LAD (Lilly), Sun-@COL (Nicasio)
59. Ervin Santana (KC) -- Sat-HOU (Bedard)
60. Tommy Milone (OAK) -- Mon-@MIL (Estrada), Sat-@CWS (Danks)
61. Zack Greinke (LAD) -- Thu-ATL (Hudson)
62. Jorge De La Rosa (COL) -- Fri-SD (Volquez)
63. Bronson Arroyo (CIN) -- Mon-COL (Chatwood), Sun-STL (Wacha)
64. Matt Garza (CHC) -- Fri-PIT (Liriano)
65. Ted Lilly (LAD) -- Tue-SD (Cashner), Sun-ATL (Minor)
66. C.J. Wilson (LAA) -- Sat-@BOS (Buchholz)
67. Paul Maholm (ATL) -- Fri-@LAD (Ryu)
68. Yovani Gallardo (MIL) -- Wed-OAK (Colon)
69. John Danks (CWS) -- Mon-@SEA (Saunders), Sat-OAK (Milone)
70. Ricky Nolasco (MIA) -- Tue-@PHI (Pettibone)
71. Miguel Gonzalez (BAL) -- Thu-@HOU (Norris)
72. Jeff Locke (PIT) -- Tue-@ATL (Minor)
73. Jonathon Niese (NYM) -- Fri-MIA (Fernandez)
74. Dan Straily (OAK) -- Thu-@CWS (Quintana)
75. Eric Stults (SD) -- Mon-@LAD (Capuano), Sat-@COL (Chatwood)
Two-start options for AL-/NL-only leagues:
Erik Bedard (HOU) -- Mon-@LAA (Blanton), Sat-@KC (Santana)
Chris Capuano (LAD) -- Mon-SD (Stults), Sat-ATL (Medlen)
Tyler Chatwood (COL) -- Mon-@CIN (Arroyo), Sat-SD (Stults)
Jeremy Hefner (NYM) -- Tue-@WSH (Zimmermann), Sun-MIA (Koehler)
Tom Koehler (MIA) -- Mon-@PHI (Kendrick), Sun-@NYM (Hefner)
Kyle Lohse (MIL) -- Tue-OAK (Griffin), Sun-PHI (Pettibone)
Jonathan Pettibone (PHI) -- Tue-MIA (Nolasco), Sun-@MIL (Lohse)
No-thank-yous, among two-start pitchers:
Joe Blanton (LAA) -- Mon-HOU (Bedard), Sun-@BOS (Dempster)
Samuel Deduno (MIN) -- Tue-@KC (Mendoza), Sun-@WSH (Zimmermann)
Ryan Dempster (BOS) -- Tue-TEX (Grimm), Sun-LAA (Blanton)
Justin Grimm (TEX) -- Tue-@BOS (Dempster), Sun-@TOR (Dickey)
Lucas Harrell (HOU) -- Tue-BAL (Tillman), Sun-@KC (Mendoza)
Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Tue-TOR (Dickey), Sun-@ARI (McCarthy)
Luis Mendoza (KC) -- Tue-MIN (Deduno), Sun-HOU (Harrell)
Juan Nicasio (COL) -- Tue-@CIN (Bailey), Sun-SD (Cashner)
Joe Saunders (SEA) -- Mon-CWS (Danks), Sat-NYY (Pettitte)
Pitching advantages
• Though Mat Latos' career history against the St. Louis Cardinals is poor -- he has only three quality starts and a 6.85 ERA in nine games against them -- he's 2-for-2 in quality starts allowing only four runs (one earned) in 12 innings against them this season. Latos' most recent game against the Cardinals, at St. Louis' Busch Stadium on April 29, was his best yet: Six shutout innings of five-hit baseball. His history instills hesitation in his owners, but he's the No. 30 pure starting pitcher on our Player Rater, which keeps him firmly in my top 75.
• Let's face it, if his name wasn't Tim Lincecum, or if he didn't have two Cy Youngs on his résumé, the San Francisco Giants right-hander wouldn't even be on the fantasy radar. Since the beginning of last season, Lincecum has a quality start percentage of 36.4; that's third worst among qualified starters during that time. He has been especially dreadful during interleague play, going 0-4 with one quality start, a 7.92 ERA and 1.84 WHIP in five games since the beginning of last year. Lincecum is a no-go against a Toronto Blue Jays team that had the fifth highest slugging percentage in baseball in May (.445) -- and he's even less attractive a play if he gets a second start at Arizona's Chase Field, where he has zero quality starts and an 8.30 ERA in his past three games.
• Justin Masterson's matchups are sneaky-tough, if only because of where they're scheduled. Granted, he has made substantial improvements against left-handed hitters -- they're a combined .227/.321/.330 against him this season -- but he did allow two of his three homers to lefties this year in his past two outings, and New York's Yankee Stadium isn't remotely forgiving to mistake pitches to lefties. Masterson is winless with a 4.97 ERA in his two career starts there, then he'll head to Detroit to take on a Detroit Tigers team leading the majors in batting average (.279) and well-hit baseballs (402) and ranked third in runs (268). His downside is that of a pitcher outside my top 75, so be forewarned.
• Consider John Danks a two-start sleeper for Week 10. Though his fastball velocity hasn't entirely returned -- he averaged 89.0 mph with it in his first two starts, compared to 91.2 mph from 2010 to 2012 -- his cutter and changeup, his two historically most effective pitches, have been fine, combining to limit opponents to a .182 batting average and 12 swings and misses. Why that's significant: The opposing Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics are two of the least successful teams against changeups, batting .173/.201/.270 and .219/.278/.348 respectively.
• Red-hot Jeff Samardzija -- he had a streak of three consecutive quality starts with 23 strikeouts total entering his June 1 assignment -- faces a team he has historically dominated, the Pittsburgh Pirates. In four career starts against the Pirates, each one a quality start, Samardzija has a 1.13 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 31 K's. Oddly, all four of them were pitched at Pittsburgh's PNC Park; Saturday will represent the first time he has started against them at Wrigley Field.
• Don't underrate the surprisingly reliable Trevor Cahill, a two-start pitcher working first at St. Louis' Busch Stadium, then at home versus the San Francisco Giants. Cahill is riding a streak of 28 consecutive starts allowing four or fewer runs, the game's longest active string, and six of his 11 outings this season have been quality starts. He is also 2-for-2 in quality starts in his career at Busch, and he has six quality starts and a 2.52 ERA in eight career games against the Giants.
• Here are this week's Streamer's Delight picks -- players need to be available in at least 75 percent of ESPN leagues as of our publishing time (Fridays):
1. Dan Straily (@CWS, Thursday): He has gone three straight starts without allowing an extra-base hit; the Chicago White Sox have .223/.286/.364 rates at home.
2. Jhoulys Chacin (SD, Thursday): He has already defeated the San Diego Padres twice this season, with a 2.31 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in those games.
3. Ted Lilly (SD, Tuesday): Current Padres have combined .216/.278/.319 career triple-slash rates against him; he has a 2.51 ERA all-time against the Padres.
4. Chris Tillman (@HOU, Tuesday): Expect a bounce-back from his poor May 29 outing; he's facing the game's most K-prone team, the Houston Astros.
5. Jonathan Pettibone (MIA, Tuesday): Despite lackluster stuff, he has a 3.64 ERA through eight starts, and the Miami Marlins are as good a matchup as there is.
Hitting ratings
The chart below lists each of the 30 teams' total number of scheduled games, home games and games versus right- and left-handed pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for the week's games in terms of overall offense, offense for left- and right-handed hitters and base stealing. Matchup ratings for each individual game are listed under the corresponding date.
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<CENTER>Team</CENTER> | <CENTER>Games</CENTER> | <CENTER>Overall Rating</CENTER> | <CENTER>Mon 6/3</CENTER> | <CENTER>Tue 6/4</CENTER> | <CENTER>Wed 6/5</CENTER> | <CENTER>Thu 6/6</CENTER> | <CENTER>Fri 6/7</CENTER> | <CENTER>Sat 6/8</CENTER> | <CENTER>Sun 6/9</CENTER> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 6 total 0 home 1 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 6 L: 8 R: 4 S: 9 | @HOU H: 6 L: 6 R: 5 S: 8 | @HOU H: 8 L: 7 R: 8 S: 8 | @HOU H: 7 L: 9 R: 4 S: 8 | @TB H: 3 L: 7 R: 1 S: 6 | @TB H: 5 L: 4 R: 6 S: 6 | @TB H: 2 L: 3 R: 2 S: 8 | |
|
| 6 total 6 home 2 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 9 L: 7 R: 9 S: 8 | TEX H: 8 L: 6 R: 8 S: 6 | TEX H: 6 L: 3 R: 7 S: 6 | TEX H: 5 L: 7 R: 1 S: 7 | LAA H: 9 L: 8 R: 8 S: 9 | LAA H: 6 L: 4 R: 7 S: 8 | LAA H: 8 L: 6 R: 10 S: 7 | |
|
| 7 total 4 home 2 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 6 L: 5 R: 6 S: 4 | @SEA H: 7 L: 1 R: 9 S: 1 | @SEA H: 2 L: 4 R: 1 S: 2 | @SEA H: 3 L: 1 R: 6 S: 2 | OAK H: 3 L: 8 R: 1 S: 6 | OAK H: 4 L: 4 R: 6 S: 6 | OAK H: 7 L: 6 R: 8 S: 5 | OAK H: 4 L: 4 R: 4 S: 4 |
|
| 6 total 0 home 2 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 5 L: 5 R: 4 S: 6 | @NYY H: 3 L: 1 R: 6 S: 4 | @NYY H: 5 L: 6 R: 3 S: 3 | @NYY H: 6 L: 7 R: 5 S: 4 | @DET H: 5 L: 6 R: 4 S: 7 | @DET H: 5 L: 6 R: 5 S: 7 | @DET H: 4 L: 4 R: 5 S: 7 | |
|
| 6 total 6 home 1 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 5 L: 7 R: 3 S: 6 | TB H: 3 L: 4 R: 3 S: 8 | TB H: 7 L: 10 R: 2 S: 7 | TB H: 3 L: 4 R: 3 S: 7 | CLE H: 7 L: 7 R: 7 S: 4 | CLE H: 7 L: 7 R: 6 S: 4 | CLE H: 3 L: 4 R: 2 S: 3 | |
|
| 7 total 3 home 0 vs. L 7 vs. R | H: 8 L: 6 R: 10 S: 4 | @LAA H: 7 L: 5 R: 9 S: 7 | BAL H: 7 L: 5 R: 10 S: 1 | BAL H: 5 L: 5 R: 4 S: 3 | BAL H: 3 L: 3 R: 5 S: 1 | @KC H: 3 L: 2 R: 7 S: 4 | @KC H: 6 L: 6 R: 6 S: 5 | @KC H: 6 L: 7 R: 4 S: 4 |
|
| 6 total 6 home 1 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 10 L: 9 R: 10 S: 8 | MIN H: 6 L: 5 R: 6 S: 6 | MIN H: 10 L: 9 R: 9 S: 6 | MIN H: 10 L: 10 R: 10 S: 6 | HOU H: 7 L: 7 R: 6 S: 7 | HOU H: 7 L: 4 R: 8 S: 7 | HOU H: 6 L: 6 R: 5 S: 8 | |
|
| 6 total 3 home 3 vs. L 3 vs. R | H: 5 L: 3 R: 7 S: 7 | HOU H: 7 L: 4 R: 8 S: 7 | CHC H: 4 L: 4 R: 5 S: 7 | CHC H: 3 L: 1 R: 4 S: 5 | @BOS H: 7 L: 6 R: 8 S: 7 | @BOS H: 2 L: 3 R: 3 S: 6 | @BOS H: 7 L: 5 R: 9 S: 7 | |
|
| 6 total 0 home 1 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 7 L: 10 R: 4 S: 5 | @KC H: 6 L: 7 R: 4 S: 4 | @KC H: 8 L: 10 R: 5 S: 3 | @KC H: 8 L: 9 R: 6 S: 4 | @WSH H: 1 L: 2 R: 2 S: 5 | @WSH H: 9 L: 10 R: 5 S: 8 | @WSH H: 3 L: 5 R: 2 S: 5 | |
|
| 7 total 3 home 2 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 8 L: 6 R: 9 S: 2 | CLE H: 3 L: 4 R: 2 S: 3 | CLE H: 10 L: 6 R: 10 S: 3 | CLE H: 8 L: 6 R: 10 S: 4 | @SEA H: 5 L: 5 R: 5 S: 2 | @SEA H: 5 L: 5 R: 5 S: 1 | @SEA H: 7 L: 1 R: 9 S: 1 | @SEA H: 2 L: 4 R: 1 S: 2 |
|
| 7 total 0 home 3 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 5 L: 5 R: 6 S: 7 | @MIL H: 3 L: 3 R: 4 S: 6 | @MIL H: 5 L: 4 R: 5 S: 5 | @MIL H: 6 L: 5 R: 6 S: 6 | @CWS H: 5 L: 5 R: 5 S: 5 | @CWS H: 1 L: 1 R: 3 S: 5 | @CWS H: 6 L: 3 R: 8 S: 5 | @CWS H: 4 L: 6 R: 2 S: 5 |
|
| 7 total 7 home 2 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 5 L: 5 R: 6 S: 6 | CWS H: 6 L: 3 R: 8 S: 5 | CWS H: 4 L: 5 R: 2 S: 5 | CWS H: 5 L: 3 R: 8 S: 6 | NYY H: 6 L: 6 R: 7 S: 4 | NYY H: 2 L: 4 R: 1 S: 4 | NYY H: 2 L: 1 R: 6 S: 4 | NYY H: 4 L: 6 R: 2 S: 3 |
|
| 6 total 3 home 0 vs. L 6 vs. R | H: 6 L: 6 R: 6 S: 4 | @DET H: 4 L: 4 R: 5 S: 7 | @DET H: 3 L: 3 R: 4 S: 5 | @DET H: 1 L: 4 R: 1 S: 7 | BAL H: 6 L: 7 R: 4 S: 2 | BAL H: 10 L: 10 R: 10 S: 2 | BAL H: 7 L: 4 R: 10 S: 1 | |
|
| 6 total 0 home 2 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 6 L: 5 R: 8 S: 6 | @BOS H: 7 L: 5 R: 9 S: 7 | @BOS H: 4 L: 2 R: 8 S: 8 | @BOS H: 5 L: 6 R: 5 S: 7 | @TOR H: 4 L: 2 R: 6 S: 3 | @TOR H: 9 L: 8 R: 7 S: 4 | @TOR H: 4 L: 5 R: 4 S: 4 | |
|
| 5 total 3 home 1 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 4 L: 3 R: 6 S: 5 | @SF H: 5 L: 3 R: 7 S: 6 | @SF H: 7 L: 7 R: 6 S: 5 | TEX H: 3 L: 2 R: 7 S: 6 | TEX H: 3 L: 4 R: 4 S: 7 | TEX H: 7 L: 6 R: 8 S: 6 | ||
|
| 7 total 3 home 1 vs. L 6 vs. R | H: 2 L: 4 R: 3 S: 3 | @STL H: 4 L: 5 R: 2 S: 1 | @STL H: 1 L: 1 R: 1 S: 1 | @STL H: 1 L: 2 R: 1 S: 1 | @STL H: 1 L: 2 R: 2 S: 1 | SF H: 4 L: 5 R: 4 S: 6 | SF H: 3 L: 5 R: 4 S: 6 | SF H: 6 L: 5 R: 9 S: 6 |
|
| 7 total 3 home 5 vs. L 2 vs. R | H: 3 L: 3 R: 5 S: 6 | PIT H: 2 L: 4 R: 1 S: 8 | PIT H: 3 L: 3 R: 4 S: 6 | PIT H: 4 L: 3 R: 5 S: 7 | @LAD H: 5 L: 3 R: 8 S: 2 | @LAD H: 1 L: 5 R: 1 S: 2 | @LAD H: 6 L: 1 R: 8 S: 2 | @LAD H: 3 L: 3 R: 4 S: 4 |
|
| 5 total 3 home 2 vs. L 3 vs. R | H: 1 L: 1 R: 2 S: 7 | @LAA H: 2 L: 2 R: 4 S: 7 | @LAA H: 4 L: 2 R: 5 S: 7 | PIT H: 3 L: 1 R: 5 S: 7 | PIT H: 4 L: 4 R: 6 S: 7 | PIT H: 3 L: 4 R: 2 S: 8 | ||
|
| 6 total 6 home 1 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 5 L: 5 R: 5 S: 1 | COL H: 4 L: 5 R: 4 S: 4 | COL H: 7 L: 6 R: 8 S: 4 | COL H: 10 L: 10 R: 10 S: 3 | STL H: 1 L: 1 R: 1 S: 1 | STL H: 5 L: 7 R: 3 S: 1 | STL H: 1 L: 1 R: 2 S: 1 | |
|
| 7 total 4 home 2 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 7 L: 7 R: 7 S: 8 | @CIN H: 5 L: 6 R: 3 S: 3 | @CIN H: 4 L: 5 R: 3 S: 4 | @CIN H: 2 L: 2 R: 4 S: 2 | SD H: 8 L: 5 R: 10 S: 7 | SD H: 6 L: 6 R: 7 S: 8 | SD H: 3 L: 4 R: 4 S: 7 | SD H: 6 L: 7 R: 6 S: 9 |
|
| 7 total 7 home 3 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 5 L: 5 R: 5 S: 10 | SD H: 2 L: 2 R: 3 S: 7 | SD H: 5 L: 5 R: 4 S: 9 | SD H: 8 L: 8 R: 7 S: 8 | ATL H: 5 L: 5 R: 6 S: 6 | ATL H: 5 L: 3 R: 6 S: 6 | ATL H: 3 L: 4 R: 2 S: 7 | ATL H: 1 L: 1 R: 2 S: 6 |
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| 6 total 0 home 2 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 4 L: 6 R: 2 S: 4 | @PHI H: 5 L: 6 R: 4 S: 3 | @PHI H: 6 L: 8 R: 1 S: 5 | @PHI H: 5 L: 5 R: 5 S: 5 | @NYM H: 4 L: 4 R: 5 S: 4 | @NYM H: 1 L: 1 R: 2 S: 5 | @NYM H: 5 L: 8 R: 2 S: 4 | |
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| 7 total 7 home 2 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 7 L: 9 R: 4 S: 5 | OAK H: 7 L: 5 R: 7 S: 5 | OAK H: 4 L: 4 R: 4 S: 4 | OAK H: 3 L: 7 R: 1 S: 5 | PHI H: 9 L: 8 R: 8 S: 5 | PHI H: 2 L: 2 R: 2 S: 4 | PHI H: 5 L: 6 R: 4 S: 3 | PHI H: 6 L: 8 R: 1 S: 5 |
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| 6 total 3 home 0 vs. L 6 vs. R | H: 5 L: 6 R: 5 S: 5 | @WSH H: 3 L: 5 R: 2 S: 5 | @WSH H: 7 L: 5 R: 9 S: 5 | @WSH H: 1 L: 3 R: 1 S: 6 | MIA H: 5 L: 5 R: 5 S: 4 | MIA H: 10 L: 9 R: 10 S: 3 | MIA H: 3 L: 5 R: 2 S: 3 | |
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| 7 total 3 home 0 vs. L 7 vs. R | H: 6 L: 7 R: 6 S: 6 | MIA H: 3 L: 5 R: 2 S: 3 | MIA H: 5 L: 6 R: 3 S: 4 | MIA H: 5 L: 3 R: 8 S: 5 | @MIL H: 5 L: 5 R: 5 S: 6 | @MIL H: 7 L: 7 R: 5 S: 5 | @MIL H: 3 L: 3 R: 4 S: 6 | @MIL H: 5 L: 4 R: 5 S: 5 |
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| 6 total 0 home 1 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 2 L: 4 R: 1 S: 7 | @ATL H: 3 L: 4 R: 2 S: 7 | @ATL H: 1 L: 1 R: 2 S: 6 | @ATL H: 3 L: 5 R: 1 S: 8 | @CHC H: 4 L: 7 R: 2 S: 5 | @CHC H: 2 L: 3 R: 2 S: 6 | @CHC H: 7 L: 6 R: 6 S: 6 | |
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| 7 total 4 home 1 vs. L 6 vs. R | H: 6 L: 6 R: 5 S: 2 | ARI H: 3 L: 3 R: 4 S: 2 | ARI H: 3 L: 3 R: 5 S: 2 | ARI H: 5 L: 3 R: 6 S: 1 | ARI H: 5 L: 4 R: 6 S: 1 | @CIN H: 5 L: 6 R: 5 S: 3 | @CIN H: 4 L: 5 R: 3 S: 4 | @CIN H: 5 L: 6 R: 3 S: 3 |
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| 7 total 0 home 4 vs. L 3 vs. R | H: 6 L: 4 R: 8 S: 4 | @LAD H: 6 L: 1 R: 8 S: 2 | @LAD H: 3 L: 3 R: 4 S: 4 | @LAD H: 1 L: 1 R: 1 S: 2 | @COL H: 5 L: 4 R: 7 S: 3 | @COL H: 5 L: 4 R: 6 S: 4 | @COL H: 5 L: 6 R: 5 S: 4 | @COL H: 8 L: 6 R: 8 S: 4 |
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| 5 total 2 home 1 vs. L 4 vs. R | H: 2 L: 2 R: 3 S: 1 | TOR H: 4 L: 5 R: 4 S: 4 | TOR H: 4 L: 3 R: 5 S: 5 | @ARI H: 3 L: 1 R: 5 S: 1 | @ARI H: 4 L: 4 R: 5 S: 2 | @ARI H: 4 L: 4 R: 6 S: 2 | ||
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| 6 total 6 home 1 vs. L 5 vs. R | H: 8 L: 9 R: 7 S: 5 | NYM H: 6 L: 8 R: 3 S: 4 | NYM H: 7 L: 7 R: 6 S: 4 | NYM H: 5 L: 7 R: 3 S: 4 | MIN H: 8 L: 6 R: 9 S: 5 | MIN H: 9 L: 8 R: 8 S: 6 | MIN H: 6 L: 5 R: 6 S: 6 |
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H: Hitters' matchup rating, which accounts for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. L: Hitters' matchup rating accounting only for left-handed hitters. R: Hitters' matchup rating accounting for only right-handed hitters. S: Base stealing matchup rating, which accounts for the opponent's catchers' ability to gun down opposing base stealers. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.
Hitting advantages
• Here are this week's "volume plays" -- defined as the teams that play the most home games, or games against right- or left-handed starters:
Home games: Seattle Mariners 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Milwaukee Brewers 7
Versus RH: Houston Astros 7, Philadelphia Phillies 7, Tampa Bay Rays 6, Arizona Diamondbacks 6, New York Mets 6, St. Louis Cardinals 6
Versus LH: Atlanta Braves 5, San Diego Padres 4, Los Angeles Angels 3, Oakland Athletics 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 3
• The red-hot Baltimore Orioles couldn't match up much better than by getting three games against the Houston Astros, then another three against the back end of the Tampa Bay Rays rotation (including starts against their wide-open No. 5 slot as well as Roberto Hernandez). The Orioles had registered eight or more hits in 11 consecutive games through May 30, the game's longest active streak, and they're likely to face five right-handed starters, significant in that they're a .287/.343/.475 hitting team against righties in 2013. Not that you need an endorsement to start Orioles, who largely rate highly on the Player Rater, but there's every reason to believe Nate McLouth, for example, has another week of magic in his bat.
• A lefty-heavy schedule for the Atlanta Braves could create two matchups opportunities for fantasy owners: Be aware that Chris Johnson is a .420/.463/.640 hitter against left-handers, while Evan Gattis has .371/.439/.800 numbers against them, this season. Johnson has started every one of the Braves' 17 games against a lefty, and while Gattis hasn't been platooned in that obvious fashion, his numbers suggest the Braves might want to consider him for that.
• Raul Ibanez has three home runs against his 2012 team, the New York Yankees, in three games this season. Was it a matter of revenge, or was it merely the ballpark? Either could be the case, but that his Seattle Mariners face five right-handed starters, three of them during the Yankees series, suits him well from a matchups perspective. He has slugged .543 against righties in 2013.
