Weekly Hitter Rankings: Astros Ready to Blast Off

The Weekly Hitter Rankings is a companion piece to the Weekly Pitcher Rankings. In many leagues, your offensive roster slots are "set 'em and forget 'em." In deeper formats though, 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. This is especially true in head-to-head formats and leagues where moves are made weekly rather than daily. The Weekly Hitter Rankings will summarize all that info in one spot, for your roster-juggling convenience.

For the week April 11-17

7 GAMES

1 - Washington
vs. ATL (4) – B. Norris (R), Chacin (R), Wisler (R), Teheran (R)
at PHI (3) – Hellickson (R), Nola (R), Morton (R)

Based on their first starts, Norris and Hellickson could be surprisingly stiff challenges, but they'll need to rack up a few more quality outings before they can be taken seriously. Seven games against right-handers could allow Clint Robinson to sneak in some playing time, but given how good Ryan Zimmerman's looked thus far, it might have to come at Jayson Werth's expense in left field.

2 - Texas
at SEA (3) – Iwakuma (R), Miley (L), T. Walker (R)
vs. BAL (4) – Tillman (R), Gausman (R), Gallardo (R), Jimenez (R)

The Rangers' left-handed power bats could have a grand old time teeing off against the O's righty-heavy rotation this week. The team doesn't do much platooning, but Ryan Rua is a must-bench with only one lefty on the slate.

3 - Houston
vs. KC (4) – C. Young (R), Medlen (R), Ventura (R), Kennedy (R)
vs. DET (3) – S. Greene (R), Verlander (R), Anibal Sanchez (R)

The other team from the Lone Star state doesn't play in Safeco but does face tougher opposition on the mound this week, which lands them just behind the Rangers. Preston Tucker figures to see plenty of action against an all-righty slate, although his .444 start to the season made that pretty likely anyway. Tyler White could also lose some playing time with Luis Valbuena and Marwin Gonzalez handling the corner infield duties, although White's been even hotter than Tucker to start the year so the 'Stros may find a way to keep squeezing him into the lineup.

4 - Pittsburgh
at DET (2) – S. Greene (R), Anibal Sanchez (R)
vs. DET (2) – Zimmermann (R), Pelfrey (R)
vs. MIL (3) – Nelson (R), Jungmann (R), Cravy (R)

Two games with a DH should get Matt Joyce some at-bats to kick off the Pirates' home-and-home intereleague set, but another all-righty slate will probably leave Michael Morse on the bench hoping to pinch hit now and then.

5 - Kansas City
at HOU (4) – McHugh (R), Fiers (R), Feldman (R), Fister (R)
at OAK (3) – Hill (L), Bassitt (R), S. Gray (R)

Reymond Fuentes has been dominating the right-field at-bats so far for the Royals, and that figures to continue this week against another righty-heavy schedule. At some point he'll need to start doing something with that playing time to keep Paulo Orlando on the bench, though.

6 - Detroit
vs. PIT (2) – Niese (L), Nicasio (R)
at PIT (2) – G. Cole (R), Locke (L)
at HOU (3) – Keuchel (L), McHugh (R), Fiers (R)

Back to the pine goes Victor Martinez, as the Tigers see a lot of interleague play early in the season. It's worth keeping that in mind if you want to make a trade pitch for him, as his current fantasy employer might see his light playing time and start worrying. Keep an eye on the situation behind the plate as well, as the even lefty-righty split should provide a good window into just how much action James McCann will lose to Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

7 - San Diego
at PHI (4) – Nola (R), Morton (R), Eickhoff (R), Velasquez (R)
vs. ARI (3) – Greinke (R), S. Miller (R), Corbin (L)

That ugly first series against the Dodgers is going to cast a black cloud over the Padres' stats for a while, but I'm still using 2015 numbers so hey, their prospects look pretty good this week. Facing the young and/or unproven Phillies' staff doesn't hurt either. The righty-heavy slate might even allow Travis Jankowski to get off the bench for a start or two.

8 - Baltimore
at BOS (3) – Price (L), Buchholz (R), J. Kelly (R)
at TEX (4) – Hamels (L), M. Perez (L), Lewis (R), D. Holland (L)

Four lefties this week is probably bad news for Pedro Alvarez, who's 0-for-12 to start the season. Look for Nolan Reimold to pick up some of those loose at-bats, and for Mark Trumbo to keep raking.

9 - Philadelphia
vs. SD (4) – Shields (R), Cashner (R), Rea (R), Pomeranz (L)
vs. WAS (3) – Scherzer (R), G. Gonzalez (L), Strasburg (R)

There are some big names lined up against them, but seven home games gives the Phillies a nice cushion when it comes to their production, and all it takes is one big game against an Andrew Cashner or Colin Rea to make things right. Cedric Hunter will likely see most of the left-field at-bats.

10 - Atlanta
at WAS (4) – G. Gonzalez (L), Strasburg (R), Roark (R), J. Ross (R)
at MIA (3) – Koehler (R), Cosart (R), Chen (L)

The Braves manage to duck both Max Scherzer and Jose Fernandez this week, so in a sense, they've already won. If Ender Inciarte's hamstring causes him to hit the DL or even just miss a few games, Drew Stubbs will fall into some playing time by default. Their second base situation also remains fluid, so while Jace Peterson should see most of the playing time at the keystone, Gordon Beckham and even Kelly Johnson could get their taste as well.

6 GAMES

11 - Boston
vs. BAL (3) – Gallardo (R), Jimenez (R), M. Wright (R)
vs. TOR (3) – Estrada (R), Dickey (R), Happ (L)

Purely by the numbers, both the Red Sox and the Blue Jays would rank ahead of the Padres, but there's too much uncertainty in the methodology, especially this early in the season, to rank a team with a six-game slate ahead of one with a seven-gamer. Then again, given how games between the two teams tend to go (for evidence, see Friday's 8-7 barn burner), Boston and Toronto could out-score some of the seven-game teams just in those three. Five righties on the slate also means a lot more Travis Shaw and Brock Holt.

12 - Toronto
vs. NYY (3) – Pineda (R), Eovaldi (R), Severino (R)
at BOS (3) – Porcello (R), Price (L), Buchholz (R)

The Jays rank below the Red Sox based solely on quality of opposition. Michael Saunders should continue being the de facto starter in left field, and with Chris Colabello struggling out of the gate and a righty-heavy slate ahead, Justin Smoak should see more action.

13 - San Francisco
at COL (3) – Chatwood (R), Lyles (R), J. De La Rosa (L)
at LAD (3) – Kershaw (L), Kazmir (L), Maeda (R)

Oooh, that Clayton Kershaw-Madison Bumgarner clash coming up Friday night -- it's like September in April! The Giants haven't been too anxious to get Kelby Tomlinson in for Joe Panik yet, or sit Brandon Belt and slide Buster Posey to first, but that could change with three tough lefties on the bump against them this week.

14 - Minnesota
vs. CHW (3) – Rodon (L), Latos (R), Danks (L)
vs. LAA (3) – Richards (R), Weaver (R), Tropeano (R)

Mat Latos and Jered Weaver on the same slate? Plus John Danks? This ranking could end up looking very low for the Twins when it's all said and done. The other three games feature young studs, though, so it all balances out.

15 - NY Yankees
at TOR (3) – Aaron Sanchez (R), Happ (L), Stroman (R)
vs. SEA (3) – Karns (R), F. Hernandez (R), Iwakuma (R)

The Yankees' left-handed sluggers could be in line for a nice week, especially if Felix Hernandez's velocity issues in his first start weren't just a product of the calendar. So far manager Joe Girardi has seemed committed to getting his old-timers plenty of rest, so Dustin Ackley and Aaron Hicks should continue seeing a couple of starts a week.

16 - Oakland
vs. LAA (3) – Tropeano (R), Santiago (L), Shoemaker (R)
vs. KC (3) – Volquez (R), C. Young (R), Medlen (R)

A righty-heavy slate should give Chris Coghlan a chance to continue his hot start, while Yonder Alonso should see the bulk of the time at first base. Coco Crisp should also continue stealing DH at-bats from Billy Butler, even if he doesn't steal bases anymore.

17 - Chicago White Sox
at MIN (3) – Gibson (R), Hughes (R), Milone (L)
at TB (3) – Odorizzi (R), E. Ramirez (R), Moore (L)

Both at the plate and on the mound, this slate is pretty much the definition of mediocrity. The two lefties on the schedule could give Dioner Navarro and even Tyler Saladino some at-bats, but Avisail Garcia has surprisingly been getting steady work at DH already.

18 - LA Angels
at OAK (3) – S. Gray (R), Graveman (R), Surkamp (L)
at MIN (3) – Nolasco (R), E. Santana (R), Gibson (R)

Sonny Gray and a quick start from Ervin Santana aside, if the Angels have trouble scoring runs against this bunch, they're in for a very, very long season. If Daniel Nava's hand is healed up, he should see most of the at-bats in left field this week, but if not, look for Ji-Man Choi to pick up the slack instead of Craig Gentry.

19 - Seattle
vs. TEX (3) – Lewis (R), D. Holland (L), A.J. Griffin (R)
at NYY (3) – Sabathia (L), Tanaka (R), Pineda (R)

There's a lot of home run potential in those six starters, so Robinson Cano's red-hot start may not be over just yet. None of the Mariners' right-handed platoon options (Franklin Gutierrez and Dae-Ho Lee) have done much so far to recommend them, though, even if they do get to face CC Sabathia.

20 - Colorado
vs. SF (3) – Samardzija (R), Peavy (R), Cain (R)
at CHC (3) – Hendricks (R), Arrieta (R), Lester (L)

At first glance, a home series against the likes of Jake Peavy and Matt Cain should push the Rockies to the top among the six-game teams. However, whatever pinball numbers they put up in that series could be replaced by lots of goose eggs against Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester closer to sea level. None of that applies to Trevor Story, of course, who'll probably just keep on homering like the fate of Fantasia depends on it.

21 - Chicago Cubs
vs. CIN (3) – Finnegan (L), Simon (R), Iglesias (R)
vs. COL (3) – Bettis (R), Undecided, Chatwood (R)

The Rockies are hoping Jon Gray will return from his abdominal injury in time to fill that vacant spot in the rotation, but if he's not ready, their other options are pretty weak. Jorge Soler will get the first crack at replacing Kyle Schwarber in left field, although if the Cubs get platoon-y they could move Ben Zobrist to left and give Tommy La Stella some at-bats at second base.

22 - St. Louis
vs. MIL (3) – Jungmann (R), Chase Anderson (R), W. Peralta (R)
vs. CIN (3) – DeSclafani (R), Finnegan (L), Moscot (R)

Neither Matt Adams nor Brandon Moss has stepped up yet in the first-base battle, so the two will likely continue splitting starts and cannibalizing each other's value for the time being. Jeremy Hazelbaker could also get in a start or two against a righty-heavy slate.

23 - NY Mets
vs. MIA (3) – Chen (L), Fernandez (R), Conley (L)
at CLE (3) – Cody Anderson (R), Tomlin (R), Kluber (R)

This is about the point in this week's rankings where things start to get dicey. The Mets have to face Jose Fernandez and Corey Kluber, and there may not be any soft spots in the schedule to make up for it. Michael Conforto might be worth benching early if your league uses mid-week transactions, but you'll want him active again on the weekend against the Indians, and Juan Lagares might also be worth using with the DH opening up extra at-bats in Cleveland.

24 - LA Dodgers
vs. ARI (3) – Corbin (L), R. De La Rosa (R), Ray (L)
vs. SF (3) – Bumgarner (L), Cueto (R), Samardzija (R)

Three lefties means it's time to wake up Scott Van Slyke and let him rake, although Patrick Corbin and Madison Bumgarner aren't exactly the softest matchups. Enrique Hernandez should also see some action, though it's more likely to come in center field than at second with Howie Kendrick due to come off the DL.

25 - Arizona
at LAD (3) – Maeda (R), A. Wood (L), Stripling (R)
at SD (3) – T. Ross (R), Shields (R), Cashner (R)

The back end of the Dodgers' rotation was looking vulnerable until Ross Stripling went and reeled off 7.1 no-hit innings in his big league debut. Even if he takes a step back, the fact remains that this is still six road games in pitcher's parks. The righty-heavy slate could give Socrates Brito a chance to lock down a starting role.

26 - Cleveland
at TB (3) – Moore (L), Archer (R), Smyly (L)
vs. NYM (3) – Colon (R), Harvey (R), Matz (L)

It only seems like Bartolo Colon is as old as the other five pitchers on this slate put together. The even lefty-righty split could get Tyler Naquin off the bench, but will you really want to use him when two of his potential starts are against Chris Archer and Matt Harvey? Marlon Byrd should also see regular work.

27 - Milwaukee
at STL (3) – Wacha (R), Leake (R), Garcia (L)
at PIT (3) – Liriano (L), Niese (L), Nicasio (R)

There's no truth to the rumor that the Pirates found pitching coach Ray Searage's two latest reclamation projects by opening to a random page in a baseball encyclopedia. The Brewers don't have many platoon options, especially with Scooter Gennett still riding the high of homering off Madison Bumgarner, so the even lefty-righty split here may not affect their lineup much.

28 - Miami
at NYM (3) – Matz (L), Syndergaard (R), deGrom (R)
vs. ATL (3) – W. Perez (R), B. Norris (R), Chacin (R)

It's a tale of two series for the Marlins, as the star-studded Mets' rotation gives way to Bud Norris and Jhoulys Chacin over the weekend. The righty-heavy slate could give Derek Dietrich a start or two in place of Martin Prado, and Justin Bour will have a chance to get on track. If Jacob deGrom ends up missing the start due to his lat strain, it only bumps Miami up one spot in the rankings, though.

29 - Tampa Bay
vs. CLE (3) – Kluber (R), Carrasco (R), Salazar (R)
vs. CHW (3) – Sale (L), Quintana (L), Rodon (L)

Now that's a nasty set of opposing pitchers. If you've got a share of the Rays' first-base platoon, their schedule is perfectly set up to use Logan Morrison to start the week and then Steve Pearce on the weekend, but otherwise there's really nothing to like about this slate unless your league somehow counts batter strikeouts as a positive.

30 - Cincinnati
at CHC (3) – Lester (L), Lackey (R), Hammel (R)
at STL (3) – C. Martinez (R), Wainwright (R), Wacha (R)

It's not as bad as Tampa's week in terms of difficulty of opposition, but at least the Rays are at home. The righty-heavy slate does make Scott Schebler the Reds left fielder to use though, if that's a position you happen to be in.