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 or two to stream (if there are catchers worth streaming) because that position can be a real pain.
If you’re reading this and it’s actually useful to you, congrats! That means you’re in your final week of the season in your fantasy championship. If you’re reading this and your season is already over, well…that’s odd, but I appreciate it regardless!
This is the last column of the year and will conclude my 10th fantasy baseball season at Pitcher List (which is crazy). Thanks to everyone who reads this column each week; I hope it’s been useful.
Anyways, let’s take a look at the hitters you should start and avoid for Week 26 (9/21-9/27) 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
Arizona Diamondbacks hitters – The D’Backs get six games this week with some pretty favorable matchups ahead.
They start things off with three games against the Rockies, who own the second-worst team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Kyle Freeland, Mason Adams, and Tanner Gordon. And even better? All three of those games will be in Coors Field.
After that, the D’Backs get three games against the Padres, who own the 12th-worst team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Casey Mize, Joe Musgrove, and Walker Buehler.
None of those matchups really worry me, so I think you’re good to go with your D’Backs hitters this week.
Gabriel Moreno has been slashing .341/.408/.591 over the past two weeks, so make sure you’ve got him in your lineups. Same with Nolan Arenado, who’s hitting .395/.489/.842 over the past two weeks. In deeper leagues, Pavin Smith is worth a look as he owns a .286/.286/.571 line over the past two weeks and is likely available.
Chicago White Sox hitters – The White Sox also have six games this week, kicking off with three games against the Royals, who own the sixth-worst team FIP in all of baseball. There, they’ll see Daniel Lynch IV, Seth Lugo, and Randy Dobnak.
After that, they’ll get three games against the Rockies, who, as I mentioned earlier, have the second-worst team FIP in the league. There, they’ll see Ryan Feltner, Gabriel Hughes, and Tomoyuki Sugano. Unfortunately, those games aren’t going to be in Coors Field, but they should still be good for your White Sox hitters since the Rockies’ rotation is pretty rough.
Sam Antonacci is worth a look this week, as he’s been hitting a solid .343/.378/.486 over the past two weeks and comes with some great positional flexibility. Andrew Benintendi is also worth a look in deeper leagues, as he’s hitting .318/.348/.455 over the past two weeks and generally hits in the middle of the White Sox lineup.
Colorado Rockies hitters – You’ve probably already figured out what schedule the Rockies have this week, but regardless, it’s worth mentioning as it’s a pretty solid one for their hitters.
They kick off the week with the three-game series against the Diamondbacks that I mentioned earlier (which, as a reminder, will all be in Coors Field). Worth noting, the D’Backs own the eighth-worst team FIP in baseball right now. In that series, the Rockies will see Michael Soroka, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez.
After that, the Rockies will travel to Chicago for the three-game series against the White Sox I mentioned earlier, a team that owns the 10th-worst team FIP in the league. There, they’ll see Sean Burke, Davis Martin, and Anthony Kay.
All in all, some pretty good matchups for your Rockies hitters, even if only half the week is in Coors Field.
Make sure you’ve got Jake McCarthy in your lineups, as he’s been slashing .380/.415/.620 over the past two weeks. Connor Norby is also worth a look, as he’s hitting .382/.447/.618 over the past two weeks, as is Cole Carrigg, who’s hitting .286/.300/.510 over the same timespan.
AVOID
Baltimore Orioles hitters – The Orioles get six games this week with some pretty tough matchups ahead for their hitters.
They kick things off with three games against the Blue Jays, who own the eighth-best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Max Scherzer, Spencer Arrighetti, and Dylan Cease.
After that, they’ll get three games against the Yankees, who own the second-best team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Max Fried.
Scherzer and Arrighetti don’t worry me all that much, so in daily leagues you’re probably fine to start your Orioles hitters there, but I’m out on the rest of the week, which makes it not worth it to start my mid-level Orioles hitters in weekly leagues.
Tampa Bay Rays hitters – Normally I’d be excited by a seven-game week for the Rays, but this week it’s a tough one for their hitters.
They start things off with a four-game series against the Yankees who, as I mentioned earlier, own the second-best team FIP in the league (that series will include a doubleheader on Tuesday, so keep an eye out for that). In that series, the Rays will see Max Fried, Elmer Rodríguez, Carlos Rodón, and Gerrit Cole.
After that, the Rays will have three games against the Phillies, who own the fifth-best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sánchez, and Zack Wheeler.
There might be a game or two you’d be fine with in daily leagues, but on the whole, I’m avoiding my Rays hitters this week.
St. Louis Cardinals hitters – The Cards get six games this week, starting off with three games against the Pirates, who own the seventh-best team FIP in the league, where they’ll see Jared Jones, Khristian Curtis, and Paul Skenes.
After that, the Cardinals will have three games against the Brewers, who own the third-best team FIP in baseball, where they’ll see Robert Gasser, Jacob Misiorowski, and Logan Henderson.
That’s a lot of pitchers I am not excited for my hitters to go up against, so in weekly leagues, I’d be looking elsewhere than my mid-tier Cardinals hitters this week.
