Weekly Hitter Rankings: 30 Playing Seven

The Hitter Value Meter is a companion piece to the weekly Pitching Value Meter. 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 Hitter Value Meter will summarize all that info in one spot for your roster juggling convenience.

For the week June 15-21

7 GAMES

1. through 30. Everybody!

Two weeks into the new feature and there's already an irregularity, as thanks to league-wide home-and-home interleague sets, no teams have any days off during this period. In some ways that makes decision-making easier, as you can just use all your stars knowing that they won't be at a volume disadvantage, but in deeper leagues you're still going to be faced with some tough choices between lesser options. So, in addition to platoon advantages and NL DH possibilities, I'll also highlight any particularly sinister-looking weather forecasts, since ducking rainouts could prove to be the difference in a tight head-to-head matchup. Advance forecasts aren't exactly reliable, but right now it looks like it could be a wet week for the midwest, so if you have a particularly tough decision to make, going with the guy who plays on the west coast or in a stadium with a roof might be the safest play.

1. Colorado (at HOU 2, vs. HOU 2, vs. MIL 3) – The Rockies figure to be at or near the top of these rankings any time they play a majority of their games at home, but this period is particularly juicy. Minute Maid Park is one of the better hitting environments closer to sea level, and Colorado's home matchups include Brett Oberholtzer and his 2.08 WHIP, Kyle Lohse and his 6.27 ERA and likely Taylor Jungmann in his third major league start. Oberholtzer and Dallas Keuchel are the only two lefties they'll see. The only dark cloud here is a literal one, as there's a chance of thunderstorms in Denver on the weekend.

2. N.Y. Yankees (at MIA 2, vs. MIA 2, vs. DET 3) – The Yankees' hitters are already salivating, and they don't even know why. Two road games against homer-prone righties in Tom Koehler and David Phelps form a nice appetizer for a five-game home stand that sees them welcome in four more righties, three of whom have ERAs above 4.40, with a rookie lefty in Kyle Ryan for dessert. The short porch in right field could be getting a lot of souvenir action this period.

3. Arizona (at LAA 2, vs. LAA 2, vs. SD 3) – Five home games at friendly Chase Field gives them a leg up, plus one of their two road matchups is against the remains of Jered Weaver, and none of the pitchers they see this week are particularly stingy. Hector Santiago and C.J. Wilson are the only two lefties on their docket.

4. Cincinnati (at DET 2, vs. DET 2, vs. MIA 3) – This is where things potentially start to get soggy. The Reds could see thunderstorms in Detroit to start the week, and more storms back home from Wednesday on. The two-game home set against the Tigers could be tough even if the weather holds up, with David Price and the returning Justin Verlander set to pitch, but the rest of their matchups are soft. Price and Kyle Ryan are the only two lefties they're set to face.

5. Chicago White Sox (at PIT 2, vs. PIT 2, vs. TEX 3) – Like the Reds, the White Sox could be dodging storms pretty much all week, but the matchups aren't quite as friendly. Jeff Locke is the only Pirates starter they'll face who isn't dealing right now, and Yovani Gallardo has settled into a groove for the Rangers. The final starter for Texas on Sunday is still undecided, but if it turns out to be the returning Matt Harrison, that would give the ChiSox a three-lefty week (Locke and Francisco Liriano being the other two), which could make Gordon Beckham a sneaky desperation play.

6. L.A. Dodgers (at TEX 2, vs. TEX 2, vs. SF 3) – The Dodgers have a solid week, with five home games and two in Arlington, but their biggest win of the period might be that they duck Madison Bumgarner. They also seem like the kind of club that can make Chi Chi Gonzalez's sub-1.00 ERA and sub-1.00 K/BB ratio regress to the mean in the space of a couple of innings. Wandy Rodriguez is the only lefty they're set to face, so even if Scott Van Slyke officially comes off the DL on Monday, you may want to wait to activate him.

7. Philadelphia (at BAL 2, vs. BAL 2, vs. STL 3) – This isn't a team that has a lot going for it right now, but at least for this week they get to play in some nice hitters' parks for the whole period. The Orioles' starters are a mixed bag, but when Ubaldo Jimenez is probably the best of the quartet, there isn't a whole lot to worry about. The matchups against the Cards figure to be much tougher, with John Lackey joining young flamethrowers Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez, but at least they get them at home. Wei-Yin Chen's the only lefty on the slate and they get him in one of the games where they need a DH anyway, so Darin Ruf and Jeff Francoeur can probably be safely ignored this period.

8. Toronto (at NYM 2, vs. NYM 2, vs. BAL 3) – The Jays have been scoring runs everywhere they play, but five home games in the cozy Rogers Centre certainly won't hurt their output, and if the weather does prove to be ugly later in the week, having a roof over their heads will come in very handy. It's the two games in New York though, against Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey, that will put their offensive momentum to the test. They get two lefties in Jon Niese and Wei-Yin Chen.

9. Milwaukee (vs. KC 2, at KC 2, at COL 3) – Two home games and then three in Denver could make for a very nice week for Brewers hitters, but the platoon advantage looks especially strong here. Both the lefties they face (Jorge De La Rosa and Chris Rusin) come in the three games against the Rockies. That means Martin Maldonado could get two starts at altitude, with Jonathan Lucroy sliding over to first, and make Adam Lind a much less enticing play.

10. Houston (vs. COL 2, at COL 2, at SEA 3) – A home-and-home with the Rockies would normally send a team shooting up these rankings, but a couple of things temper expectations. The Astros face Chad Bettis, the only dangerous Colorado starter, in Houston, then after those four games they travel to offense-crushing Safeco Field to close out the week. They do avoid Felix Hernandez though, which counts for something. Houston gets a three-lefty period, with Chris Rusin joining Roenis Elias and J.A. Happ on the docket, but they face Rusin at home rather than in Coors Field, and with no DH in Colorado, Evan Gattis may not get off the bench for those juicy at-bats at altitude.

11. Atlanta (at BOS 2, vs. BOS 2, vs. NYM 3) – It says something about the state of the Red Sox rotation when the pitcher the Braves are happy to miss is rookie Eduardo Rodriguez. They also avoid Matt Harvey in the Mets series, which is even better news. Wade Miley's the only lefty in their immediate future, so even with a couple of DH games, Jonny Gomes might be better left on your bench.

12. Washington (at TB 2, vs. TB 2, vs. PIT 3) – Golden boy Bryce Harper aside, this is an offense that's struggling right now, but four games against the gutted Rays rotation (well, three games against the gutted part, plus Chris Archer) could be just the pick-me-up they need. They also avoid Gerrit Cole in the set against the Pirates, another bonus, though A.J. Burnett, Francisco Liriano and Charlie Morton is still pretty stiff competition. Tyler Moore could be a good play in deep leagues, as he should get starts at DH or first base for the two games against Tampa, plus the one at home against Liriano. Things could be wet in D.C. toward the end of the week though, so be warned.

13. Cleveland (at CHC 2, vs. CHC 2, vs. TB 3) – If next week's weather is a mess, this is the point in the rankings where it will really start to wreck havoc, as Tuesday's tilt in Wrigley is the only game the Indians have this period that doesn't have the chance of thunderstorms looming over it. Assuming the skies cooperate, the Tribe will dodge both Jon Lester and Chris Archer, and have a chance to do some damage against the back end of the patchwork Rays rotation. Tsuyoshi Wada is the only lefty on their slate.

14. Kansas City (at MIL 2, vs. MIL 2, vs. BOS 3) – The skies could be dark for all five of the Royals' home games, but at least the two in Miller Park will be safe. Eduardo Rodriguez on Friday could be a tough matchup for the lefty-heavy KC lineup, but none of the Brewers starters are scary, and the Red Sox offer up Rick Porcello and Wade Miley to compensate, which could make for a very productive period.

15. Minnesota (at STL 2, vs. STL 2, vs. CHC 3) – Yep, this could be another water-logged schedule, as the Twins stay in the midwest all week and no longer have a roof to hide under when they get home. Assuming they get their games in though, they'll see an amazing four left-handed pitchers (Jaime Garcia and Tyler Lyons for the Cards, and Jon Lester and Tsuyoshi Wada for the Cubs). Both those games against the St. Louis lefties are at home as well, so this looks like a very good period to bench Kennys Vargas, who despite being a switch-hitter, hits much better from the left side.

16. Baltimore (vs. PHI 2, at PHI 2, at TOR 3) – The O's are on the road for most of this week, but spend the whole period in good hitter's parks and manage to avoid seeing Cole Hamels, making them a solid play. Mark Buehrle's the only lefty they see though, so Travis Snider may not get much of a chance to enjoy it.

17. Detroit (vs. CIN 2, at CIN 2, at NYY 3) – If you have to go on the road as a hitter, you could do worse than heading to the Great American Ball Park and Yankee Stadium, though most of the Tigers' power comes from the right side and won't be able to take full advantage of New York's short porch. The four games against the Reds could be wet ones, but while they will have to face Johnny Cueto and Masahiro Tanaka, Detroit also gets much more vulnerable pitchers like Mike Lorenzon, CC Sabathia (the only lefty on their slate) and Nathan Eovaldi.

18. St. Louis (vs. MIN 2, at MIN 2, at PHI 3) – The Cardinals may be on the road, but they have some generous hosts. The Twins kindly let them duck their nominal ace, Phil Hughes, and while the Phillies put their true ace, Cole Hamels, on the mound Friday, they follow him up with the rapidly regressing Aaron Harang and consistently mediocre Jerome Williams. Hamels and Tommy Milone are the only lefties they're likely to face, though technically the Twins haven't confirmed that Milone will remain in the rotation. And yes, the games against Minnesota have the threats of storms hanging over them like some kind of dark clouds.

19. San Diego (vs. OAK 2, at OAK 2, at ARI 3) – The three games in Phoenix will be a nice tonic after the home-and-home against the A's, as they tour each other's cavernous parks. The Padres miss Sonny Gray (well, they probably won't miss him but you know what I mean) but Jesse Hahn's the only real weak link in Oakland's rotation right now, as Kendall Graveman's been solid since being called back up. The Diamondbacks' rotation is another story, however, as Rubby De La Rosa has been brutal lately, and Jeremy Hellickson hasn't been much better. San Diego gets two lefties this week in Scott Kazmir and Robbie Ray.

20. Oakland (at SD 2, vs. SD 2, vs. LAA 3) – Is five home games, then two in Petco Park, actually a good thing for Oakland's hitters? The better news is that they avoid James Shields in the four games against the Padres and then get Matt Shoemaker and Jered Weaver among the Angels' hurlers, though Shoemaker has been stingier with the home runs recently. At least the weather will be nice.

21. Seattle (at SF 2, vs. SF 2, vs. HOU 3) – See Oakland, but worse, as not only do they get two games in AT&T Park before coming home to Safeco for five, they have to face Madison Bumgarner before driving into the teeth of the Astros rotation with Lance McCullers and Dallas Keuchel being joined by young gun Vincent Velasquez. Still, they are at home, and weather won't be a factor.

22. Miami (vs. NYY 2, at NYY 2, at CIN 3) – The Marlins get mostly the same opponents as the Tigers, but have a weaker home park and slightly tougher matchups in their Yankees sets, as they get Michael Pineda as well as Masahiro Tanaka. They do duck Johnny Cueto, however. It's also a lefty-less period for Miami, which is good news for Justin Bour, and possibly Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Dietrich as well.

23. L.A. Angels (vs. ARI 2, at ARI 2, at OAK 3) – Pound for pound, the Diamondbacks may have the worst rotation in the majors right now, and the Angels will get to feast on it. Chase Anderson's having a good, if somewhat lucky, season so far, but Jeremy Hellickson's been mostly bad, while the other two spots will be filled by rookies Robbie Ray and Allen Webster, neither of whom are likely to pitch deep into their starts. The Angels should make hay while they can though, because the series in Oakland figures to be a lot stingier, with Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir bookending the inconsistent Jesse Hahn.

24. San Francisco (vs. SEA 2, at SEA 2, at LAD 3) – A home-and-home against the Mariners could mean some low-scoring affairs, especially when Felix Hernandez is involved, but Seattle also throws talented, if inconsistent, youngsters Taijuan Walker and Mike Montgomery at the Giants. They manage to avoid both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke though, making the set in Chavez Ravine a lot less foreboding than it could have been. San Francisco gets three lefties in Montgomery, J.A. Happ and Brett Anderson, plus the interleague road game against King Felix, but Gregor Blanco may return from the 7-day DL in time to reap whatever benefits that entails. If not, look for Casey McGehee to possibly pick up some extra playing time.

25. N.Y. Mets (vs. TOR 2, at TOR 2, at ATL 3) – The Mets will get the full Jays rotation experience, which means both expensive old guys (Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey) and both inconsistent but potentially dangerous kids (Aaron Sanchez and Drew Hutchison), so pretty much any and every result is possible in those four games. They do duck Shelby Miller to close the week, but the rest of Atlanta's rotation is just as much of a mixed bag as Toronto's. If the Mets were hitting better as a team right now, I'd probably rank them higher, but they seem just as likely to make their opposition look good as take advantage of that inconsistency. Buehrle's the only lefty they'll see, so you can probably leave John Mayberry on your bench.

26. Pittsburgh (vs. CHW 2, at CHW 2, at WAS 3) – I'm running out of synonyms for rainy... the early part of the Pirates' week could be very, uhh, moist though, and not in the good way. They duck Chris Sale, but that just means they get Carlos Rodon and Jeff Samardzija, and Max Scherzer greets them when they get to D.C. Pittsburgh joins Minnesota in seeing four lefties this week (Rodon, Jose Quintana, John Danks and Gio Gonzalez), so Jose Tabata and even Corey Hart might sneak in some extra at-bats.

27. Boston (vs. ATL 2, at ATL 2, at KC 3) – When you're in the kind of funk the Red Sox are in, it almost doesn't matter who the opposing pitcher is, but this week should really put that theory to the test. Shelby Miller will be a handful, but on paper he's the only one Boston will see. Julio Teheran is struggling to find the plate right, the Royals helpfully serve up Joe Blanton to kick off their three-game set, and none of the other matchups seem like trouble. The only question is, can the Red Sox take advantage (or at least manage to lose more high-scoring games?) Alex Wood is the only lefty on their docket.

28. Chicago Cubs (vs. CLE 2, at CLE 2, at MIN 3) – Now this is interesting. Due to playing back-to-back interleague road series, the Cubs will get to use the DH for five straight games. They don't have an obvious bench bat to plug in though, so that probably means lots of at-bats for all their outfielders rather than having to mix and match in the corner spots. They get probably the best possible mix of Indians hurlers, but that just swaps out Corey Kluber for Shaun Marcum and leaves the rest of their flamethrowers in place. It's also a lefty-free week, but again, the Cubs don't have anybody on the bench for whom that would matter.

29. Tampa Bay (vs. WAS 2, at WAS 2, at CLE 3) – The battered Nationals rotation isn't as scary right now as it looked in March, and the Rays manage to duck Max Scherzer, but it's still not an easy slate, especially if Washington gets Doug Fister back for Thursday's start. Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer await them in Cleveland too, so there's really nowhere to hide. Gio Gonzalez is probably the only lefty the Rays will see.

30. Texas (vs. LAD 2, at LAD 2, at CHW 3) – Any week in which you face Clayton Kershaw, Zack Grienke and Chris Sale back-to-back-to-back is probably going to be a bad one for your hitters, and getting Carlos Frias at home on Monday is really the only matchup that could be considered a good one for the Rangers. If you like southpaws though, you've come to the right place, as Texas sees five of them in seven games: Kershaw and Sale are joined by Brett Anderson, Carlos Rodon and Jose Quintana, so Jake Smolinski could be a semi-regular this period, and even Kyle Blanks might have some value.