Weekly Hitter Rankings: Desert Airs

The Hitter Value Meter is a companion piece to the weekly Pitching Value Meter. While in many leagues offensive roster slots are set 'em and forget 'em, in deeper formats where every at-bat counts, knowing which teams have friendly schedules for hitters, and which platoon bats will be getting more action than usual, can be valuable information, especially in head-to-head formats and leagues with weekly moves instead of daily. The Hitter Value Meter will summarize all that info in one spot, for your roster juggling convenience.

For the week August 24-30

7 GAMES

1. Arizona (vs. STL 4, vs. OAK 3) - The D-backs enjoy a long homestand this period, shooting them up to the top of the charts. They duck Michael Wacha, though the rest of the Cards' rotation is still pretty stingy, and while they're stuck facing Sonny Gray on Friday, finishing the weekend with Kendall Graveman and Felix Doubront could more than make up for it. Doubront and Jaime Garcia make it a two-lefty week.

2. Detroit (at CIN 1, vs. LAA 3, at TOR 3) - While they're not at home all week, the Tigers do have some potentially juicy road matchups to add to their home series against the Angels. Keyvius Sampson is an easy mark in Monday's makeup game, the Halos send no one impressive to the mound and the Tigers manage to avoid David Price in Toronto, though having the series kick off with R.A. Dickey isn't going to do their timing any favors. Hector Santiago and Mark Buehrle fill the period's lefty quota.

6 GAMES

3. Toronto (at TEX 3, vs. DET 3) - Speaking of the Blue Bombers, their six-game period looks even better when you consider they'll face southpaws in half of those contests, with Derek Holland and Martin Perez scheduled for the Rangers and former Jay farmhand Matt Boyd set for the Tigers on Friday. Their numbers have dropped in recent weeks, but the Blue Jays still possess a league-leading .817 team OPS against left-handers, and the three right-handers they get (Colby Lewis, Buck Farmer and Alfredo Simon) aren't exactly aces, either.

7 GAMES

4. Pittsburgh (at MIA 4, vs. COL 3) - The Pirates don't get the benefit of playing in good hitters' parks this period, but their mound opponents are capable of making any hitter look good. Without a healthy Jose Fernandez the Marlins' rotation is made up of spare parts and prayers, and while Jorge De La Rosa has put up solid numbers on the road for the Rockies, he's the only Colorado starter who can make that claim. The Bucs get four lefties on their slate (De La Rosa, Chris Rusin, Brad Hand and Justin Nicolino), which could mean extra at-bats for Mike Morse and Josh Harrison.

5. Kansas City (vs. BAL 4, at TB 3) - Out of context this isn't a stellar sked, but given that no one really has an outstanding slate this week the Royals still manage to sneak into the top five. The Orioles send out two starters who have been pretty good lately (Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Tillman) and two who, well, haven't (Ubaldo Jimenez and Miguez Gonzalez), while the Rays counter with a bunch of guys who are intermittently impressive. As far as AL East swings go, things could be worse. Chen's the only lefty of the agenda.

6. Cincinnati (vs. DET 1, vs. LAD 3, at MIL 3) - That makeup game against the Tigers on Monday makes all the difference here. Without it, the Reds would be facing a slate with Zack Greinke, the rapidly-improving Taylor Jungmann and assorted other pitchers who have been producing some decent outings lately. (OK, and Wily Peralta too). Add in one home game against Buck Farmer, a struggling rookie with a 2.19 HR/9 rate in his handful of major league innings, and suddenly things look much more promising. Alex Wood and Brett Anderson make it a two-lefty period.

7. Philadelphia (vs. NYM 4, vs. SD 3) - The Phillies are quickly turning into this season's late-summer low-pressure darlings, as their belated youth movement leaves them fielding a bunch of cocky kids who don't know they aren't supposed to be any good. They get the back half of the Mets' rotation this week, which increases their chances of playing spoiler in the NL East, but still have to deal with Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard before the Padres come to town. Jon Niese is the only lefty the Phillies will see.

8. St. Louis (at ARI 4, at SF 3) - It's not a west coast trip through Denver, but four games in Phoenix is a pretty solid consolation prize. Rubby De La Rosa is the closest thing the D-backs have to a pitcher on a roll, though Randall Delgado as effective out of the bullpen before getting shifted to the rotation, and the Giants' rotation looks a lot less scary when you don't have to face Madison Bumgarner. Robbie Ray and Patrick Corbin make it a two-lefty week for the Cards.

9. Seattle (vs. OAK 3, at CHW 4) - Everything's coming up Millhouse ... err, Mariners, as they miss both Sonny Gray and Chris Sale this week. Chris Bassitt has still been great for the A's, but there's no telling which versions of Felix Doubront and Jesse Chavez will take the mound. As for the series on the south side of Chicago, it's the usual parade of lefties plus Jeff Samardzija, who might be coming out of his post-trade deadline funk. Doubront, Carlos Rodon, John Danks and Jose Quintana give the M's four lefties this period, so expect Mark Trumbo and Franklin Gutierrez to be busy.

10. Baltimore (at KC 4, at TEX 3) - This week, the Orioles get to face both of the big-name pitchers imported into the AL at the deadline, though neither Johnny Cueto nor Cole Hamels have quite been pitching up to their reputations so far. They also get a couple of comeback kids in Kris Medlen and Derek Holland, who have barely pitched the last couple seasons due to arm troubles, so the range of outcomes for Baltimore hitters could be more volatile than usual. Danny Duffy joins Hamels and Holland to make it a three-lefty period, so Mike Napoli could get some extra at-bats.

11. Miami (vs. PIT 4, at WAS 3) - Gerrit Cole's recent struggles make this a much more palatable slate for the Marlins, as none of the Pirates' other hurlers can match his raw stuff. For that matter the book seems to be out on Joe Ross too, and the Nationals' rookie has had his own troubles lately. A healthy and fired-up Stephen Strasburg still lurks on Sunday, however. J.A. Happ and Jeff Locke make it a two-lefty week.

12. N.Y. Mets (at PHI 4, vs. BOS 3) - The Phillies haven't been doormats recently, but you'd never know that from glancing at a pitching staff comprised of retreads and rookies. The series against the Red Sox could be a sterner challenge for the Mets' bats, as it kicks off with knuckleballer Steven Wright and concludes with a much-improved Joe Kelly. Adam Morgan and Eduardo Rodriguez make it a two-lefty period.

13. Chicago White Sox (vs. BOS 3, vs. SEA 4) - If their offense hadn't been so terrible at home this season, this might have been an easy top-five slate for the White Sox. As it is, they play host to a Red Sox rotation that's been looking better lately and don't even get a chance to take advantage of a reeling Felix Hernandez, which felt like the wrongest thing I've ever written in my life. The White Sox do face four lefties (Wade Miley, Henry Owens, Vidal Nuno and Mike Montgomery), but that's not a good thing given their league-low .629 OPS against southpaws.

14. Chicago Cubs (vs. CLE 1, at SF 3, at LAD 3) - Another period saved from the cellar by a Monday makeup game, the Cubs still get a brutal array of arms sent their way including Corey Kluber, Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw. Mat Latos and Alex Wood, both of whom have seen better days, make for a soft weekend landing though. With three lefties on the slate, Starlin Castro could get a little more run at second base.

6 GAMES

15. N.Y. Yankees (vs. HOU 3, at ATL 3) - It's a tale of two series for the Yankees, as the Astros preview a potential postseason matchup with most of their top hurlers including Dallas Keuchel and Mr. No-Hitter Mike Fiers. The rebuilding Braves, however, send out three guys trying to prove they even have a place in the 2016 rotation, though Julio Teheran has been rebounding nicely from a disappointing first half. Keuchel's the only lefty the Yanks will face.

16. Texas (vs. TOR 3, vs. BAL 3) - Six August home games is a nice set-up for some big numbers from the Rangers this week. They do have to contend with David Price, and Marco Estrada stubbornly refuses to start regressing, but the O's starters have been mostly awful lately, as Kevin Gausman's 4.12 ERA over the last month is the best any of Baltimore's three starters in this series has managed. Mark Buehrle and Price make it a two-lefty week.

17. Houston (at NYY 3, at MIN 3) - The Astros could have a decent week despite spending it away from home. Michael Pineda is expected to come off the DL and take the bump Wednesday, but otherwise the Yankees and Twins will be deploying a thoroughly uninspiring collection of arms against them. It's also a lefty-free week, so Greg Bird could still see consistent at-bats even if Mark Teixeira is healthy.

18. Cleveland (at CHC 1, vs. MIL 2, vs. LAA 3) - The Indians get saved from the basement by a Monday make-up game, and instead find themselves with one of the better six-game slates. Jon Lester is a threat, but the Brewers' duo of Wily Peralta and Jimmy Nelson haven't been sharp the last couple weeks. The Angels' starters have been mostly solid recently, but raise your hand if you expect Jered Weaver to continue getting positive results with that 83 mph "fastball" of his. Andrew Heaney joins Lester in making it a two-lefty week for the Tribe.

19. Washington (vs. SD 3, vs. MIA 3) - If the Nats intend to make the NL East race interesting, this would be a good time to start. The Padres' trio of starters have all been OK lately, but the Marlins are sending out three guys who would have a tough time winning a swing-man role on a better staff. Given how Washington's season has gone, though, expect them to get swept by Miami and make those three look like aces. Adam Conley and Brad Hand make it a two-lefty week.

20. Atlanta (vs. COL 3, vs. NYY 3) - It's a solid home slate for the Braves. Colorado's rotation aside from Jorge De La Rosa remains rocky, even on the road (see what I did there?), and while Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino are far more imposing than the boys in purple, CC Sabathia remains a multi-homer game waiting to happen. De La Rosa, Sabathia and Yohan Flande make it a three-lefty week, so if you're scrambling for a catcher Ryan Lavarnway could be worth a look.

21. Oakland (at SEA 3, at ARI 3) - Nothing negates the bump from three games in the desert like three games in Seattle. Hisashi Iwakuma is back in form, and Felix Hernandez has to snap out of his slump eventually, right? As for the D-backs, whatever dangerous starters they have won't be on display in this series. Mike Montgomery, Robbie Ray and Patrick Corbin make it a three-lefty week, so Josh Phegley makes for another possible emergency catcher play.

22. Tampa Bay (vs. MIN 3, vs. KC 3) - The Rays get the non-junkballing right-handers end of the Twins' rotation, which means Tommy Milone and ... oh, wait, that's it for non-junkballing righties on their staff. Ervin Santana has been especially junky lately, though, so that helps if you're a Tampa hitter. The Royals series features essentially an upgraded version of what the Twins will put on display, with Danny Duffy filling the lefty role and Edinson Volquez at least being able to touch the mid-90s with his fastball.

23. L.A. Angels (at DET 3, at CLE 3) - It's an indication of how desperate the Tigers are for help in the rotation that they're handing their fifth starter spot over to the grizzled Randy Wolf, who hasn't posted a major league ERA under 5.00 since 2011. Justin Verlander's turned back the clock in his last few starts, though, so why not Wolf too? The Indians have no such problems, as Danny Salazar and Corey Kluber have both been lights out lately, but Trevor Bauer seems intent on pitching himself out of a job in 2016. Wolf's the only lefty the Angels will see this period.

24. L.A. Dodgers (at CIN 3, vs. CHC 3) - The Reds' kiddie corps should give the Dodgers very little to worry about, as Anthony DeSclafani remains their most consistent starter. Things get much more interesting over the weekend, though, as the Cubs counter with their best in what could be a playoff preview. John Lamb, David Holmberg and Jon Lester make it a three-lefty week, so Scott Van Slyke could be worth plugging into your lineup in deeper formats.

25. San Diego (at WAS 3, at PHI 3) - Max Scherzer may be having a rough go of things, but starting a road trip off by facing him and Stephen Strasburg is still nobody's idea of a good time. The Padres should fare better against the tattered remnants of the Phillies' rotation, as Aaron Nola has yet to find his footing in the majors. Gio Gonzalez and Adam Morgan make it a two-lefty week.

26. Minnesota (at TB 3, vs. HOU 3) - This doesn't look like the week the Twins are going to hit their way back into the AL wild card picture. Chris Archer is back to his nasty ways, while the Astros bookend their series with their two big lefties, Scott Kazmir and Dallas Keuchel. Drew Smyly makes it a three-lefty period, and also might represent the Twinkies' best chance of putting up any kind of crooked numbers.

27. San Francisco (vs. CHC 3, vs. STL 3) - If the Giants are going to stay in the playoff race, they're going to earn it this week. The Cubs send out Jake Arrieta to start the proceedings, and the Cards have Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn and Jaime Garcia lined up to finish things off. Kyle Hendricks and Dan Haren make up the soft underbelly of the slate.

28. Boston (at CHW 3, at NYM 3) - The Red Sox get the worst possible turn of the wheel this week, facing the best arms each of their opponents have available. The Paler Hose send out Chris Sale and Jose Quintana, along with the still-in-theory-good Jeff Samardzija, while the Mets deal up their trio of young aces. If you have the option, just leave your Boston bats on the bench.

29. Colorado (at ATL 3, at PIT 3) - If you've got a roster designed to stream Rockies hitters, this is when you just bench them all and let the baseball gods sort it out. The opposition isn't particularly tough, with Shelby Miller and Francisco Liriano being the creams of their respective crops, but six games in road pitcher's parks is not what you signed them up for. Liriano and J.A. Happ make it a two-lefty week.

5 GAMES

30. Milwaukee (at CLE 2, vs. CIN 3) - This week's five-game slate falls to the Brewers, who otherwise would have had a fairly solid sked by facing the one non-scary Indians pitcher in Josh Tomlin as well as whatever the Reds dredge up. As it is, though, there's just no reason to give up the volume of at-bats you'll get from other teams' hitters unless you have to. John Lamb is the only lefty they see, for what it's worth.