Weekly Hitter Rankings: Bronx Bombing

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 Sept 7-13

7 GAMES

1. N.Y. Yankees (vs. BAL 3, vs. TOR 4) - The Yankees head home for what could be a key week in the battle for the AL East crown. Baltimore's rotation is limping to the finish line and seems ripe for the picking, but Toronto brings its best, leading off the series with David Price on Thursday. Price, Mark Buehrle and Wei-Yin Chen make it a three-lefty week, so Chris Young should see extra work and rookie Rob Refsnyder could sneak in a start or two, if you're scrounging for at-bats in a deep league.

2. Toronto (at BOS 3, at NYY 4) - It's not like they have trouble hitting in any ballpark, but seven games in Fenway and Yankee Stadium might as well be seven home games for the Jays. The opposition won't make it easy on them, though. The Red Sox rotation is maybe in better shape than it's been all season with Rick Porcello looking like a completely different pitcher since coming off the DL and Joe Kelly being on a roll (winner of seven straight starts after Friday), while Thursday's clash against Luis Severino could set the tone for a crucial series atop the AL East. Henry Owens is the only lefty the Jays should see.

3. Cincinnati (vs. PIT 3, vs. STL 4) - The portsiders are coming at the Reds fast and furious this period, with five of lined up in a row before they face John Lackey on Saturday. That doesn't mean they're all good left-handers, of course, but J.A. Happ seems to think he's Steve Carlton now and Jaime Garcia's been delivering quality, as those posh-sounding British footie announcers like to say. Jeff Locke, Francisco Liriano and Tyler Lyons round out the quintet, while the week ends with a thud when Cinci gets Michael Wacha on Sunday. With so many lefties on the slate, Ivan De Jesus begins to look interesting in deeper formats.

4. Cleveland (at CHW 3, vs. DET 4) - The Indians also awash in southpaws, seeing four this week. Any week that starts with Chris Sale can only get better from there and indeed it does, though a Friday outing against a resurgent Justin Verlander could be tricky. Carlos Rodon, Randy Wolf and Matt Boyd round out the lefty brigade, so Ryan Raburn and Chris Johnson should both have some value.

5. Philadelphia (vs. ATL 3, vs. CHC 4) - The Phillies have cooled off after potentially ruining their spot at the top of the 2016 draft, but the Braves haven't taken their eyes off the prize as they continue to trot out an amazingly poor rotation given the prospect pedigrees of some of their young arms. The Cubs should be a sterner test, though they do leave Jon Lester at home. It's all right-handers this period for the Phils, which should at least make Ryan Howard happy.

6. Chicago Cubs (at STL 3, at PHI 4) - The set against the Cards won't be much fun, with Michael Wacha and (possibly) Lance Lynn set for Tuesday and Wednesday, but business should pick up in Philadelphia given the rotation features a cast of characters that look a bit like what you'd expect to see in a reboot of the classic Tom Berenger comedy "Major League." Tyler Lyons is the only lefty on the Cubs' slate.

7. Pittsburgh (at CIN 3, vs. MIL 4) - Both the Reds and Brewers' rotations are up in the air past next Tuesday thanks to Friday's rainout, but the Pirates should end up seeing the best both teams have to offer, which basically means Raisel Iglesias and Taylor Jungmann, but maybe not since Cinci is threatening to move Iglesias to the bullpen due to an internal innings cap they have on him, so who knows really. Pittsburgh may or may not face a lefty on Wednesday. Probably not, though. Reply hazy, try again later.

8. Detroit (vs. TB 3, at CLE 4) - Avoiding Chris Archer is always job No. 1 in a series against the Rays, so mission accomplished, Tigers! Corey Kluber's hamstring tweak also takes him out of the picture, so Detroit is almost playing with house money this week. Drew Smyly's the only lefty they'll see.

9. St. Louis (vs. CHC 3, at CIN 4) - The Cubs' rotation is basically a poor man's Dodgers rotation at this point, featuring two aces and three jokers, and the Cards only have to face one of those aces in Jon Lester this week. ("Arrieta and Lester and pray for natural disester?" Hmm, needs some work.) As noted with Pittsburgh, the Reds' rotation is in flux thanks to Friday's rainout, and Raisel Iglesias' innings cap, but the odds are good that whoever the Cardinals face, they won't be very impressive. John Lamb should join Lester at some point to make it a two-lefty week.

10. Seattle (vs. TEX 4, vs. COL 3) - Home sweet run-stifling home. The Rangers actually have a decent group of arms at the moment, with Cole Hamels looking better and Derek Holland looking healthy, but the Rockies' rotation ... yeesh. Hamels, Holland, Martin Perez and Yohan Flande make it a four-lefty week for the M's, so Mark Trumbo could make some noise, but Franklin Gutierrez just went in for his regular 100 at-bat maintenance with a groin strain, so don't count on him taking advantage of that.

11. N.Y. Mets (at WAS 3, at ATL 4) - The Mets have a big opportunity here to quash any ideas the Nats might have of making the NL East competitive, but they'll have to get through Max Scherzer and a hot Jordan Zimmermann to do it. Stephen Strasburg is also set to return Wednesday, but who knows which version of him will show up. Shelby Miller also kicks off the Braves series, but after that the weekend looks to be a lot smoother sailing. Manny Banuelos is the only lefty the Mets will get.

12. Texas (at SEA 4, vs. OAK 3) - Felix Hernandez's struggles have left Taijuan Walker as the Mariners' best starter lately, so the series in Seattle appears less scary than it might under normal circumstances. The Rangers also avoid Sonny Gray when the A's come to town, another bonus. Edgar Olmos, Felix Doubront and Sean Nolin make it a three-lefty week, but given their precarious playoff position that doesn't necessary mean they'll be willing to give Mike Napoli many extra plate appearances.

13. Milwaukee (at MIA 3, at PIT 4) - This is the part of the rankings where have to shrug your shoulders and say "Well, at least they play a full seven games." The Marlins' rotation doesn't feature anybody with overpowering raw stuff, but Justin Nicolino has been surprisingly sharp recently, while in Pittsburgh, Gerrit Cole looms on Friday, though the Brewers smacked him around pretty good back in Milwaukee last time they saw each other. They face four lefties in total this period (Nicolino, Adam Conley, Jeff Locke and Francisco Liriano), so you may want to roll the dice on Domingo Santana if you need a power boost.

14. San Diego (vs. COL 4, at SF 3) - While anyone with shares of Padres hitters would much rather they face the Rockies in Denver, a home set against that woeful rotation should still present at least some run-scoring opportunities, though Jorge De La Rosa is generally effective on the road. The series up the coast is much more problematic, as Madison Bumgarner in on the bump for the Giants on Saturday and Mike Leake's been pitching pretty well too. Chris Rusin joins the two staff aces to make it a three-lefty period, so expect to see more of Wil Myers at first base.

15. Atlanta (at PHI 3, vs. NYM 4) - As of my last stat pull, the Braves had the worst road offense in the majors, eking out less than 3.4 runs a game away from Turner Field, so don't expect much from them even against the Phillies' patchwork rotation. Back home, they get Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz along with the Mets' two old-timers, so things don't look much rosier. Adam Morgan and Matz make it a two-lefty week.

16. Colorado (at SD 4, at SEA 3) - Rockies hitters in road pitchers parks? That's about as enticing as root canal. (See, it's a clever pun, because Root Sports is the regional broadcaster that handles the M's and Rox ... aww, never mind.) The matchups don't do them many favors, either, as Colin Rea is about the only weak link here. Ian Kennedy remains dominant, not that you probably noticed because of his awful first half, while Hisashi Iwakuma has been mostly good over the last month and Taijuan Walker keeps teasing that he'll become great someday. Roenis Elias is the only lefty Colorado will face.

6 GAMES

17. Arizona (vs. SF 3, vs. LAD 3) - The Diamondbacks are at home all week, which counts for a lot, and they also avoid Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw, which counts for almost as much. They're still stuck facing Zack Greinke on Sunday, but you can't win 'em all. Alex Wood and Brett Anderson make it a two-lefty period.

18. Kansas City (vs. MIN 3, at BAL 3) - This looks like a great slate for the Royals. Tommy Milone is coming off seven shutout innings in his last start and Kyle Gibson is having one of his good stretches, but neither are reliable, while Mike Pelfrey is downright terrible. It's kind of amazing the Twins are still in the playoff picture given their rotation, really. As for the Orioles, Chris Tillman has crashed back to earth and rookie Mike Wright, who wasn't pitching very well before he got hurt, is back in the saddle to see if he has a place on the staff in 2016. Milone and Wei-Yin Chen make it a two-lefty week.

19. San Francisco (at ARI 3, vs. SD 3) - Three games in the desert makes the Giants a solid six-game play, as six-game plays go, though Patrick Corbin has looked solid lately for the D-backs. Back home against the Padres, Ian Kennedy looks to be the only San Diego starter they'll need to worry too much about, and whatever hits he steals from them Colin Rea will probably give right back. Corbin's the only lefty on the agenda.

20. Boston (vs. TOR 3, at TB 3) - Despite all their injuries and disappointments, the Red Sox still somehow have the third-best home offense in the majors, so expect some fireworks against the Jays. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Tuesday night's game devolves into one of those crazy Fenway contests that winds up 13-11 or something, given how little R.A. Dickey's knuckler has been dancing lately and the cruel things the Jays offense can do to rookie lefties like Henry Owens. Things should be more sedate in Tampa, though, especially with Chris Archer taking the bump Saturday. Matt Moore and Drew Smyly make it a two-lefty period.

21. Baltimore (at NYY 3, vs. KC 3) - The thought of a pilgrimage to Yankee Stadium's right-field short porch is probably making anyone with Chris Davis shares giddy, given how locked in he is. The Yankees will be sending out their best in Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka ... oh, and CC Sabathia too. Never mind. Back home, the O's will have to deal with a suddenly lights-out Yordano Ventura, but at least Johnny Cueto is scuffling. Sabathia and Danny Duffy make it a two-lefty week.

22. Washington (vs. NYM 3, at MIA 3) - This could be just about it for the Nationals' playoff chances, as the home set against the Mets is their last head-to-head matchup against the team they're chasing in the NL East, but it won't be easy with Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom both on the sked. Justin Nicolino on Sunday is the closest thing to trouble in the Marlins' rotation, but by then it might not matter, at least when it comes to the Nats' postseason chances. Jon Niese, Brad Hand and Nicolino make it a three-lefty period.

23. Tampa Bay (at DET 3, vs. BOS 3) - If it weren't for Rick Porcello on Sunday, the Rays would have one of those rare all-lefty weeks that makes guys on the short ends of platoons think it's Christmas (well, maybe Hanukkah, given that it lasts all week). The Tigers trot out two young lefties (Matt Boyd and Kyle Lobstein) and one really, really old one (Randy Wolf) while the Red Sox counter with Wade Miley and Eduardo Rodriguez. As a team, Tampa has a .769 OPS against southpaws, fourth in the majors, so even though they're on the road they shouldn't be a terrible play, especially if you have players like Logan Forsythe or Brandon Guyer on your roster.

24. Minnesota (at KC 3, at CHW 3) - The Twins have an up-and-down road swing this week. Yordano Ventura has been pitching like an ace, but Edinson Volquez and Kris Medlen are both inconsistent. There's no Chris Sale in the weekend set at Chicago, which is a plus, but Erik Johnson will get another crack at establishing himself as a major leaguer after a strong Triple-A campaign. John Danks and Jose Quintana make it a two-lefty period.

25. Houston (at OAK 3, at LAA 3) - No matter who the A's use to fill out their rotation behind Sonny Gray they seem to be at least passable, but it's still better to face one of them than Sonny himself. As for the Angels, both Jered Weaver and Hector Santiago have been terrible recently, but Matt Shoemaker has been terrific, so your guess is as good as mine as to which versions will show up this weekend. Felix Doubront and Santiago make it a two-lefty period for the 'Stros.

26. L.A. Dodgers (at LAA 3, at ARI 3) - Despite being away from home, the Dodgers have a reasonable slate. The younger members of the Angels' rotation have all been solid their last couple of starts, but that success seems fragile, while a weekend set in Phoenix could produce an offensive explosion or two. Andrew Heaney, Robbie Ray and Patrick Corbin make it a three-lefty week, so Scott Van Slyke should see some extra work.

27. Oakland (vs. HOU 3, at TEX 3) - The A's welcome back Scott Kazmir, but it's Collin McHugh who's probably the biggest threat to their offense in this series. Things pick up a bit in Arlington, though Cole Hamels is pitching better and Yovani Gallardo's smoke-and-mirrors routine still seems to be fooling people.

28. L.A. Angels (vs. LAD 3, vs. HOU 3) - Bad as Mat Latos has been, one game against him doesn't exactly make up for two against Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. The Angels have to face their third bona fide ace of the week in Dallas Keuchel on Friday too, and Lance McCullers is no pushover. There's just not a lot of value here.

29. Miami (vs. MIL 3, vs. WAS 3) - With six home games, the Marlins would probably rank higher if they could actually score some runs, though the probable return of Giancarlo Stanton this week will help. Prospect Zach Davies is vulnerable, though Taylor Jungmann is as good as it gets from the Brewers, while Max Scherzer caps the week off Sunday. Gio Gonzalez is likely the only lefty the Fish will face, though Wednesday's starter for Milwaukee is TBA.

30. Chicago White Sox (vs. CLE 3, vs. MIN 3) - Despite a friendly park to play in, the White Sox have had the worst home offense in the majors this season, which is mind-boggling really. Carlos Carrasco will be back for the Indians, which helps soften the blow of Corey Kluber's hamstring injury. As for the Twins, Ervin Santana is coming off one good start after four awful ones, but otherwise it's the usual mess. Tommy Milone is the only lefty on the slate.