Weekly Hitter Rankings: Kicking Off the Second Half

The Weekly Hitter Rankings is a companion piece to the Weekly Pitcher Rankings. While in many leagues your 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 where you make moves weekly instead of daily. The Weekly Hitter Rankings will summarize all that info in one spot, for your roster-juggling convenience.

For the period July 15-24

NOTE: I've begun to incorporate 2016 offensive performance into the home/road splits for each team and will gradually increase the weight the more recent numbers carry as the season progresses. 2016 park factors are also now included, replacing 2013 park factors in the rolling three-year average.

10 GAMES

1. Colorado

at ATL (3) – Harrell (R), Foltynewicz (R), Teheran (R)
vs. TB (3) – Smyly (L), Snell (L), Archer (R)
vs. ATL (4) – Foltynewicz (R), Teheran (R), Wisler (R), Undecided

Williams Perez or John Gant could both be off the DL in time to take that undecided slot, or the Braves might be forced to dip even further into the minors for a starter.

2. Detroit

vs. KC (3) – Kennedy (R), Duffy (L), Ventura (R)
vs. MIN (3) – Nolasco (R), Milone (L), E. Santana (R)
at CHW (4) – Rodon (L), Shields (R), Sale (L), Quintana (L)

3. Tampa Bay

vs. BAL (3) – Gallardo (R), Tillman (R), Gausman (R)
at COL (3) – T. Anderson (L), Chatwood (R), J. De La Rosa (L) NO DH
at OAK (4) – S. Gray (R), Mengden (R), Graveman (R), Manaea (L)

4. Baltimore

at TB (3) – Archer (R), Moore (L), Odorizzi (R)
at NYY (4) – Nova (R), Undecided, Pineda (R), Sabathia (L)
vs. CLE (3) – Bauer (R), Tomlin (R), Kluber (R)

The Yankees' undecided slot could go to Chad Green, or Nathan Eovaldi could return to the rotation, but my gut says Luis Severino will get the call.

5. Oakland

vs. TOR (3) – Stroman (R), Happ (L), Dickey (R)
vs. HOU (3) – Keuchel (L), Fiers (R), Fister (R)
vs. TB (4) – Moore (L), Odorizzi (R), Smyly (L), Snell (L)

6. Minnesota

vs. CLE (3) – Carrasco (R), Bauer (R), Tomlin (R)
at DET (3) – Boyd (L), Anibal Sanchez (R), Verlander (R)
at BOS (4) – S. Wright (R), Price (L), Buchholz (R), Porcello (R)

7. Atlanta

vs. COL (3) – J. De La Rosa (L), Bettis (R), J. Gray (R)
at CIN (3) – Finnegan (L), Reed (L), DeSclafani (R)
at COL (4) – Bettis (R), J. Gray (R), T. Anderson (L), Chatwood (R)

8. New York Yankees

vs. BOS (3) – E. Rodriguez (L), S. Wright (R), Price (L)
vs. BAL (4) – Jimenez (R), Undecided, Gallardo (R), Tillman (R)
vs. SF (3) – Bumgarner (L), Cueto (R), Samardzija (R)

What the Orioles do with their fifth starter spot is a mystery. Mike Wright? Vance Worley? Finally taking Dylan Bundy out of long relief? Your guess is as good as mine.

9. Chicago White Sox

at LAA (3) – Santiago (L), Shoemaker (R), Weaver (R)
at SEA (3) – Miley (L), Undecided, F. Hernandez (R)
vs. DET (4) – Pelfrey (R), Fulmer (R), Boyd (L), Anibal Sanchez (R)

Taijuan Walker likely won't be back in time to fill that undecided slot for the Mariners, but there aren't any other obvious candidates. Either Jordan Zimmermann and Daniel Norris, or both, could also be off the DL for the Tigers and bumping Sanchez and Boyd out of the rotation.

10. St. Louis

vs. MIA (3) – Chen (L), Koehler (R), Conley (L)
vs. SD (4) – Friedrich (L), Rea (R), Cashner (R), Perdomo (R)
vs. LAD (3) – McCarthy (R), Maeda (R), Kazmir (L)

11. San Diego

vs. SF (3) – Bumgarner (L), Cueto (R), Samardzija (R)
at STL (4) – Leake (R), C. Martinez (R), J. Garcia (L), Wainwright (R)
at WAS (3) – Scherzer (R), G. Gonzalez (L), Undecided

The undecided spot for the Nats should go to either Joe Ross or Lucas Giolito, but it's hard to say which the Padres would prefer to face.

12. Miami

at STL (3) – J. Garcia (L), Wainwright (R), Wacha (R)
at PHI (4) – Nola (R), Velasquez (R), Hellickson (R), Eickhoff (R)
vs. NYM (3) – Verrett (R), deGrom (R), Matz (L)

13. Philadelphia

vs. NYM (3) – Colon (R), Verrett (R), deGrom (R)
vs. MIA (4) – J. Fernandez (R), Undecided, Chen (L), Koehler (R)
at PIT (3) – G. Cole (R), Kuhl (R), Niese (L)

Justin Nicolino should get called back up to be the Marlins' fifth starter if they don't have any better ideas. Niese could also be in another uniform by the time the Phillies would face him, making room for Tyler Glasnow.

9 GAMES

14. Boston

at NYY (3) – Pineda (R), Sabathia (L), Tanaka (R)
vs. SF (2) – Peavy (R), M. Cain (R)
vs. MIN (4) – Duffey (R), Gibson (R), Nolasco (R), Milone (L)

Ignoring numbers of games played in the rankings would move the Red Sox up to 10th this period, just ahead of the Cardinals.

15. Cincinnati

vs. MIL (3) – Garza (R), J. Nelson (R), Davies (R)
vs. ATL (3) – Wisler (R), Undecided, Harrell (R)
vs. ARI (3) – Corbin (L), Ray (L), A. Bradley (R)

Williams Perez or John Gant could both be off the DL in time to take that undecided slot, or the Braves might be forced to dip even further into the minors for a starter.

16. Seattle

vs. HOU (3) – Fister (R), McCullers (R), McHugh (R)
vs. CHW (3) – Quintana (L), Undecided, M. Gonzalez (R)
at TOR (3) – Stroman (R), Happ (L), Dickey (R)

Carlos Rodon won't be back in time to take that undecided spot for the White Sox, which puts them in a tough spot as they don't have any other obvious choices.

17. Washington

vs. PIT (3) – Liriano (L), G. Cole (R), Kuhl (R)
vs. LAD (3) – Kazmir (L), Ryu (L), B. Norris (R)
vs. SD (3) – Pomeranz (L), Friedrich (L), Rea (R)

18. Chicago Cubs

vs. TEX (3) – M. Perez (L), Darvish (R), Hamels (L)
vs. NYM (3) – Matz (L), Syndergaard (R), Colon (R)
at MIL (3) – J. Nelson (R), Davies (R), Guerra (R)

19. Pittsburgh

at WAS (3) – Strasburg (R), Roark (R), Scherzer (R)
vs. MIL (3) – Guerra (R), Chase Anderson (R), Garza (R)
vs. PHI (3) – Eflin (R), Nola (R), Velasquez (R)

20. Los Angeles Dodgers

at ARI (3) – S. Miller (R), Corbin (L), Ray (L)
at WAS (3) – G. Gonzalez (L), Strasburg (R), Roark (R)
at STL (3) – Wacha (R), Leake (R), C. Martinez (R)

21. Cleveland

at MIN (3) – E. Santana (R), Duffey (R), Gibson (R)
at KC (3) – Volquez (R), C. Young (R), Kennedy (R)
at BAL (3) – Gausman (R), Jimenez (R), Undecided

What the Orioles do with their fifth starter spot is a mystery. Mike Wright? Vance Worley? Finally taking Dylan Bundy out of long relief? Your guess is as good as mine.

22. Texas

at CHC (3) – Hendricks (R), Hammel (R), Lackey (R) NO DH
at LAA (3) – Tropeano (R), Lincecum (R), Santiago (L)
at KC (3) – Duffy (L), Ventura (R), Volquez (R)

23. Los Angeles Angels

vs. CHW (3) – M. Gonzalez (R), Shields (R), Sale (L)
vs. TEX (3) – Griffin (R), Undecided, M. Perez (L)
at HOU (3) – McCullers (R), McHugh (R), Keuchel (L)

Derek Holland won't be healthy in time to take this start for the Rangers, so they might be forced to rely on the likes of Chi Chi Gonzalez once again.

24. Houston

at SEA (3) – Paxton (L), Iwakuma (R), LeBlanc (L)
at OAK (3) – Graveman (R), Manaea (L), Hill (L)
vs. LAA (3) – Shoemaker (R), Weaver (R), Tropeano (R)

25. Milwaukee

at CIN (3) – DeSclafani (R), John Lamb (L), Straily (R)
at PIT (3) – Niese (L), Locke (L), Liriano (L)
vs. CHC (3) – Hammel (R), Lackey (R), Arrieta (R)

Either Niese or Locke could be in another uniform by the time the Brewers would face them, making room for Tyler Glasnow.

26. Kansas City

at DET (3) – Verlander (R), Pelfrey (R), M. Fulmer (R)
vs. CLE (3) – Kluber (R), Salazar (R), Carrasco (R)
vs. TEX (3) – Darvish (R), Hamels (L), Griffin (R)

27. New York Mets

at PHI (3) – Hellickson (R), Eickhoff (R), Eflin (R)
at CHC (3) – Arrieta (R), Lester (L), Hendricks (R)
at MIA (3) – Conley (L), J. Fernandez (R), Undecided

Justin Nicolino should get called back up to be the Marlins' fifth starter if they don't have any better ideas.

8 GAMES

28. Toronto

at OAK (3) – Hill (L), S. Gray (R), Mengden (R)
at ARI (2) – A. Bradley (R), S. Miller (R) NO DH
vs. SEA (3) – Paxton (L), Iwakuma (R), LeBlanc (L)

29. Arizona

vs. LAD (3) – Norris (R). McCarthy (R), Maeda (R)
vs. TOR (2) – Aaron Sanchez (R), Hutchison (R)
at CIN (3) – John Lamb (L), Straily (R), Finnegan (L)

Marco Estrada could be ready in time to replace Hutchison in the Jays' rotation, but they'd be better off not rushing him back.

30. San Francisco

at SD (3) – Cashner (R), Perdomo (R), Pomeranz (L)
at BOS (2) – Porcello (R), E. Rodriguez (L) WITH DH
at NYY (3) – Tanaka (R), Nova (R), Undecided WITH DH

The Yankees' undecided slot could go to Chad Green, or Nathan Eovaldi could return to the rotation, but my gut says Luis Severino will get the call.