Hey everybody!
If you’re unfamiliar with this series, each week I highlight hitting matchups you should take advantage of in your fantasy baseball league and ones that you should try to avoid based on the pitching matchups those hitters are slated to face that week. I also try to highlight a catcher to two to stream (if there are catchers worth streaming) because that position can be a real pain.
If you’d like to learn more about when it becomes less risky to stream hitters (and pitchers) and when certain team stats start to stabilize during the year, check out this article.
So let’s take a look at the hitters you should start and avoid for Week 12 (6/15-6/21) of the fantasy baseball season.
Notes: All pitching matchups mentioned here are based on projections as of this post’s publication. It is entirely possible that the actual matchups could change for any number of reasons. Keep in mind, this article is geared toward middle-of-the-road players, meaning you should be starting top-of-the-line bats regardless of the matchup. Always start your studs.
START
Pittsburgh Pirates hitters – Man, what a great week it is for your Pirates hitters this week. They kick the week off with three games against the A’s, who own the fifth-worst team FIP in all of baseball, where they’ll see Jack Perkins, Aaron Civale, and Gage Jump.
Then, the Pirates get three games in Coors Field against the Rockies, who own the fourth-worst team FIP in all of baseball. There, they’ll face Kyle Freeland, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Michael Lorenzen.
So six games, three of them in Coors Field, all against bottom-five pitching staffs? Yeah, I’ll take that.
Nick Gonzales owns a fairly solid .271/.314/.438 line over the past two weeks and could have some value in deeper leagues where he’s needed, especially since he’s generally been hitting in the middle of the lineup. And while it’s been a pretty small sample size, Tyler Callihan owns a ridiculous .353/.476/.882 line over the past two weeks and, I would bet, will see more playing time going forward. Also, Jake Mangum owns a .382/.389/.471 line with six steals over the past two weeks and is definitely worth a look.
CATCHER TO STREAM: While the batting average has not been there at all, Endy Rodríguez owns a .308 ISO over the past two weeks and could have some value if you’re in desperate need of a catcher.
Los Angeles Angels hitters – The Angels get a full seven-game week this week with some pretty favorable matchups ahead.
They kick things off with three games against the Diamondbacks, who own the eighth-worst team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Ryne Nelson, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez.
After that, they’ll get four games against the A’s, who, as I mentioned earlier, own the fifth-worst team FIP in the league. There, they’ll see Jeffrey Springs, J.T. Ginn, Jack Perkins, and Aaron Civale.
The Angels are one of only two teams that get a seven-game week this week (the other being the A’s), and given none of the matchups are all that concerning, you should be good to start your Angels hitters this week.
Wade Meckler owns a .313/.421/.469 line over the past two weeks and is generally hitting at the top of the Angels’ lineup, so he could have some value this week.
CATCHER TO STREAM: Logan O’Hoppe owns a .310/.310/.621 line over the past two weeks and is likely fairly available in most leagues, so if you need some help at catcher, he’d be a decent grab.
Athletics hitters – If you’ve been paying attention, then you already know what the A’s have in store for them this week, and it’s pretty good for their hitters.
As I mentioned earlier, the A’s are the only team other than the Angels to have a full seven-game week this week. They kick off that week with three games against the Pirates, where they’ll see Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, and Braxton Ashcraft, luckily missing Paul Skenes‘ turn in the rotation.
After that, they’ll have four games against the Angels, who own the ninth-worst team FIP in the league, where they’ll see José Soriano, Grayson Rodriguez, Walbert Ureña, and Reid Detmers.
Soriano might be someone to avoid given how he’s been pitching, but otherwise you should be good to go this week with your A’s hitters.
Tyler Soderstrom owns a .297/.435/.622 line over the past two weeks so make sure you’ve got him in your lineups this week. Also Zach Gelof is hitting .295/.340/.523 over the past two weeks and is worth a look this week, as is Henry Bolte, who has a .333/.421/.495 line over the past two weeks.
AVOID
Baltimore Orioles hitters – The Orioles have six games this week with some pretty tough matchups ahead.
They start the week with three games against the Mariners, who own the fifth-best team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Bryan Woo.
After that, they’ll get three games against the Dodgers, who own the fourth-best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Emmet Sheehan.
There are maybe a couple of matchups you could be okay with this week, but on the whole, I’d be looking elsewhere than my Orioles hitters if I could.
Cincinnati Reds hitters – The Reds get six games this week, starting off with three against the Mets, who own the sixth-best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see David Peterson, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean.
After that, they’ll get three games against the Yankees, who own the third-best team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Gerrit Cole.
This is another situation where there is just too much working against your Reds hitters to warrant starting your mid-tier guys in weekly leagues this week.
Boston Red Sox hitters – The Red Sox get six games this week, starting off with three against the Blue Jays, who own the seventh-best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, and Trey Yesavage.
After that, they’ll get three games against the Mariners, who, as I said earlier, own the fifth-best team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo, and Emerson Hancock.
You’d likely be fine starting your Red Sox hitters in daily leagues against Castillo and Hancock, but overall in weekly leagues, I’d be looking elsewhere.
