Hitter Schedules To Know – Week of Sep 16, 2024

We’re heading into the final two weeks of the regular season! If you’re reading this, you’re probably still in the hunt for a prize finish in your fantasy league(s), so congratulations! With every remaining day important and every plate appearance meaningful, this week’s schedule must be considered. That means potentially starting middling hitters facing a weak pitching staff or playing in hitter friendly venues. So let’s review the teams in these situations and some key players who might be worthy of your starting lineup for a change.

Every team this week is scheduled to play six or seven games. That means you don’t have to worry about whether to start or bench your mediocre hitter playing only five games. However, don’t forget to check the expected opposing pitcher if you own any strong side platoon bats (left-handed hitters whose teams are set to face left-handed starters), as a six or seven game week could easily turn into a four game week if a bunch of southpaws are on the docket.

3 Games @ Coors Field, the hitter friendliest park in baseball
COL
ARI

The Rockies are home for three against the Diamondbacks and then head out on the road for a three game set against the Dodgers. It’s therefore not a great week for Rockies hitters, but even half of it coming at Coors Field could elevate some names into starter status, depending on your alternatives. Let’s talk hitters from each time that might be available in your league:

• Hunter Goodman – Heading into the season, there figured to be a competition for the starting right field job between Goodman and Sean Bouchard. I wanted to roster whoever ultimately won that competition. Of course, in typical Rockies fashion, neither ended up winning the job, and instead, Elehuris Montero won an every day role, rotating between first base and DH, triggering a right field shuffle.

  Goodman eventually got his chance in late April, but unsurprisingly earned sporadic playing time and ended up back at Triple-A in mid-August, before being recalled again when rosters expanded at the beginning of the month. Since, he’s rotated between right field and catcher, but his recent two-homer, seven RBI game should hopefully solidify an every day role. His plate discipline has been atrocious, but he’s got lots of power and has posted a 28.1% HR/FB rate at Coors Field, versus just a 7.4% mark on the road. He’s a daily transaction league dream once you confirm he’s in the lineup.

• Pavin Smith – Just over a week ago, Smith became one of the unlikelier hitters of three home runs in one game. But it happened, and he’s become the Diamondbacks’ starting left fielder, even starting yesterday against a lefty (though he sat against the previous one the team faced). His Barrel% and HR/FB rate are nearly double his career mark, so this is either just a little hot streak, or he’s in the midst of a power breakout. With strong plate discipline, this is actually a fairly respectable offensive profile.

  Unfortunately, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is expected to return from the IL sometime this week, which will likely crush Smith’s playing time. But for as long as he has the starting job, he’s worth playing, especially for his three game series at Coors (they figure to face one lefty, but it’s possible he starts anyway).

• Geraldo Perdomo – The team’s starting shortstop, he’s both cut his strikeout rate and upped his BABIP, boosting his batting average to positive value territory. That’s pretty meaningless though over a small sample, but the good contact rate means more balls in play in a park that does wonders to balls in play. He owns limited power and hasn’t swiped bases at last year’s rate, but makes for a nice stopgap for the week if you’re desperate to find a decent option at middle infield.
• Jordan Beck – I really wanted to include him here, but the Rockies constantly pinch hit for him and remain obsessed with Jake Cave, both of which have killed his playing time. Not to mention that he hasn’t hit when actually given the chance.

3 Games Each Against CHW & MIA, the league’s worst pitching staffs by ERA (behind COL, which is Coors-inflated)
LAA (3 vs CHW)
SD (3 vs CHW)
LAD (3 vs MIA)
ATL (3 vs MIA)

Four teams face these weak pitching staffs for three game series. What better chance to produce this week than by facing poor quality pitching?! So let’s see which hitters from these offenses might be worth a pickup:

• Nolan Schanuel – He was one of the hitters I was most curious to see perform this year given his unique skill set. As a high contact and walk guy with limited power as a first baseman, was he the next Joe Mauer or Sean Casey? The power has improved, but remains well below average, while he has offset that lack of power with a surprising eight steals. He’ll get to face a weak White Sox pitching staff, and despite his lack of power, has taken over the third spot in the lineup since mid-August.
• Mickey Moniak – He’s been in and out of the starting lineup all year, but is currently the Angels’ starting center fielder. He even started against the last lefty the team faced, so he might not even be in a platoon. Moniak obviously hasn’t been able to maintain last year’s surprise production, but no one should have expected him to since it was propelled by a .397 BABIP. That’s fallen alllllll the way down to just .275, so even though he’s cut down on his whiffs and strikeout rate, his batting average is down to .224.

  That said, I don’t care much about batting average potential over a one week sample, and he has still shown some power and a touch of speed. A full season would have him flirting with a 20/10 season, which is always worthy of your attention.

• Jordyn Adams – After Bryce Teodosio missed several games due to a finger injury and ultimately landing on the IL, Adams has now earned a bit more job security in right field. Back in 2021, he was ranked as the 90th best overall prospect and second best Angels prospect. He’s fallen out of favor since as the tools have failed to translate to performance. Still, he owns a touch of power and lots of speed. He swiped 28 bases in the minors this year, after 44 last year. So if you need steals, he’s worthy of your consideration.
• Padres hitters – Their lineup is pretty locked and most of their regulars are highly owned, so there’s little opportunity to benefit from their schedule this week if they aren’t already on your team.
• Gavin Lux – After posting wOBA marks of .398 and .379 in July and August, respectively, Lux has turned back into a pumpkin. He hasn’t posted a wOBA of even .300 in any other month. Whatever led to his 60/70 Game Power and 65/65 Raw Power scouting grades has yet to manifest at the MLB level, for whatever reason. That said, the contact ability is pretty good and he serves on the strong side of a platoon in an excellent lineup. Note that the Dodgers figure to oppose two lefties this week so Lux might only start five games.
• Miguel Rojas – The 35-year-old is as boring as it gets, but you could do worse than the starting shortstop for the team ranked second in wOBA. He has posted the lowest strikeout rate of his career, while showing a touch of power and speed, with home runs and steals on pace for double digits over a full season. A perfect deep league solution if you need a middle infielder.
• Orlando Arcia – He hasn’t exactly matched last year’s respectable fantasy season, though has shown similar home run power thanks to a rebound in FB%. The steals from his early career are long gone, so you’re left with the occasional home run and the hope that last year’s historic lineup gets hot for a week to give him more PAs, RBI opportunities, and runs scored.
• Gio Urshela – The Braves finally found their Austin Riley replacement and he’s posted his lowest strikeout rate over a reasonable sample size. He still doesn’t walk or hit enough fly balls, so the fantasy profile isn’t exactly appealing. He’s in a similar boat as Arcia in that you might start him solely for the playing time, as the Braves have a pretty soft seven game schedule this week.
• Whit Merrifield – The Braves have suffered from injuries to a number of their stars, one of which is Ozzie Albies, who might actually return before the end of the season. That would cost Merrifield his job, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Merrifield’s BABIP sits at a career low, so you didn’t even realize his strikeout rate is its lowest since the short 2020 season. He has also posted his first ever double digit walk rate, so his OBP has been perfectly fine, but would be even better if the BABIP sat anywhere near his career mark. He steals owns excellent speed, with a 30+ steal pace over a full season. So if you need steals, he’s an ideal pickup, at least if and until Albies returns.