Lineup Analysis (5/20/22)

American League

Angels

• Steady.

Luis Rengifo (.304/.385/.348) is getting regular playing time at second base while batting mainly sixth.

Astros

• Same guys all the time.

• One of Michael Brantley or Yordan Alvarez is normally the DH with the other in the outfield.

• Over the last ten days, Jose Siri (.675 OPS) has started six times and Chas McCormick (.700 OPS) seven times.

Athletics

Luis Barrera (.886 OPS, 1 HR, 1 SB) is starting against righties.

Elvis Andrus is hitting .333/.385/.389 over the past two weeks and moved up a couple of lineup spots.

Blue Jays

• When healthy, it’s the same players every day.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (.606 OPS, 2 HR, 2 SB, .346 OPS over the last two weeks) is moving down the lineup from the fifth to the seventh spot.

Guardians

• Nice and steady with one outfield spot changing hands between Oscar Mercado (.667 OPS) and Richie Palacios (.605 OPS) when Josh Naylor was on the COVID-IL.

Mariners

Steven Souza Jr. (.316 OPS) has started in six of the last seven games.

Abraham Toro (.574 OPS, 5 HR) has only started in six of the last 10 games.

Orioles

Tyler Nevin (.222/.306/.278, 1 HR) has started 12 straight games and has seven games at third base (OF eligible).

Rougned Odor (.566 OPS) rarely faces lefties.

Rangers

Eli White (.218/.328/.309, 8 SB) has started six straight, leading off in five of them.

Kole Calhoun (.732 OPS, 5 HR, a 1.328 OPS over the past two weeks) has started eight straight in right field against both righties and lefties.

Rays

• Even more of a mess to figure out with Manuel Margot and Brandon Lowe on the IL.

Harold Ramirez (.321/.372/.372) has started five of the last six.

Vidal Bruján (.111/.200/.185, 1 SB, 2 CS) has started in seven of the last eight games.

Red Sox

• Consistent except for a rightfield-first base timeshare between Jackie Bradley Jr. (.536 OPS), Bobby Dalbec (.502 OPS), and Franchy Cordero (.616 OPS).

Royals

Whit Merrifield is back to batting leadoff after hitting .271/.286/.407 with 2 HR and 3 SB over the past two weeks.

Bobby Witt Jr. (.693 OPS, 4 HR, 5 SB) has hit third over the past three games.

Kyle Isbel (.250/.261/.295, 1 HR) has started five straight.

MJ Melendez (.263/.333/.447 with 2 HR) has started in six of the last seven games.

Tigers

Willi Castro (.322/.359/.424, 1 HR, 1 SB) has hit second over the last three games.

Twins

• What a mess. It’s basically the same players but mixed up.

Jose Miranda (.094/.143/.189) has only started in three of the last six games.

Nick Gordon (.587 OPS) has started seven straight.

White Sox

AJ Pollock (.572 OPS) has started in 10 of the last 11 games.

Leury García (.504 OPS) has started in five of the last six games.

Gavin Sheets (.614 OPS) only starts against righties.

Yankees

• The batting rotation continues with each regular starting in eight or nine of the last ten games.

National League

Braves

William Contreras (.200/.294/.600 with 4 HR) has started in five of the last ten games with two of them being at DH when Ronald Acuña Jr. was out.

Travis Demeritte (.250/.304/.403 with 3 HR) has started ten straight games.

Brewers

Tyrone Taylor (.600 OPS, 1 HR, 1 SB) has started five straight,

• An injury to Willy Adames has Luis Urías moving to short and Mike Brosseau (vs LHP) and Jace Peterson (vs RHP) are in a third base platoon.

Cardinals

Brendan Donovan (.316/.490/.500, 1 HR, 1 SB) has hit first or second over the last two games.

• With Tyler O’Neill out, Juan Yepez (.333/.390/.556 with 3 HR) has started two straight in the outfield while batting cleanup.

Cubs

Rafael Ortega (.207/.305/.317, 1 HR, 2 SB, 4 CS) is leading off against righties.

Jonathan Villar has started 11 of 13 games with a .533 OPS and 2 SB over the past two weeks.

Frank Schwindel (.580 OPS with 2 HR) has started eight in a row while Alfonso Rivas (.714 OPS, 2 HR) started just five times.

• Track Christopher Morel’s playing time over the weekend. He has started in two straight and hit .306/.380/.565 with 7 HR and 3 SB in AAA.

Diamondbacks

Pavin Smith (.640 OPS, .386 OPS over the past two weeks) has started nine straight while hitting in the top third of the lineup.

Jordan Luplow (.179/.246/.464 with 5 HR), who is a left smasher, has started against the last two righties.

Alek Thomas (.886 OPS, 2 HR) has started 11 of 12 while hitting in the bottom third of the lineup. He’s got to be moving up soon.

Dodgers

• It’s the same guys all the time with Edwin Ríos and Hanser Alberto being the subs.

Giants

• The regulars are all back and healthy and what a mess. And it has only been one game in the last eight against a lefty starter. It’ll need at least a week to settle out.

Tommy La Stella hasn’t played at second in three games back with Thairo Estrada (.689 OPS, 2 HR, 6 SB) starting all three at second.

Marlins

Jesús Sánchez (.221/.280/.377 with 4 HR) has only started in one of the last three games. I had high hopes for him this season, but he might just be a streaming option in 12-team or shallower leagues.

Bryan De La Cruz (.325/.417/.475, 1 HR) had started three in a row but hurt his finger.

Erik Gonzalez (.504 OPS) has taken over Joey Wendle’s infield utility role while Wendle is on the IL.

Mets

Mark Canha (.294/.376/.392, 3 HR) was sitting against most righties until Starling Marte went on the Bereavement List.

• Only one of J.D. Davis (.588 OPS) or Dominic Smith (.552 OPS) starts every day.

Nationals

• Steady.

Alcides Escobar (.523 OPS) and Dee Strange-Gordon (.333 OPS) are splitting time at short.

Lane Thomas (.525 OPS) and Victor Robles (.595 OPS) are splitting time in center.

Padres

• There is a ton of what looks to be random lineup changes that stick for five days and then another lineup gets used.

Robinson Canó (.491 OPS) has started three of the four games since signing.

• With the addition of Cano, there are nine non-catchers who get cycled in and out.

Phillies

Rhys Hoskins (.239/.316/.457) has leadoff for five straight games.

Jean Segura (.294/.349/.471, 6 HR, 5 SB) has moved up to hitting fifth. Most of that damage he has done came over the last two weeks with a 1.182 OPS with 4 HR and 4 SB.

Johan Camargo (vs LHP) and Bryson Stott (vs RHP) are in a shortstop platoon.

Odúbel Herrera (vs RHP) and Roman Quinn (vs LHP) are in a pseudo platoon.

Pirates

Rodolfo Castro (.190/.261/.190) has started five straight games at short.

Jack Suwinski (.188/.246/.359, 3 HR) has started 12 of the last 14 games.

Ben Gamel (.270/.344/.417, 3 HR, 2 SB) is leading off against righties.

Reds

TJ Friedl (.164/.229/.230, 4 SB) has leadoff off for nine of the last 10 games.

Matt Reynolds (.644 OPS) and Kyle Farmer (.595 OPS) are splitting time at short.

Rockies

Yonathan Daza (.375.425/.431 with 0 HR, 0 SB, and 2 CS) has started 10 straight games, the last four batting second.

Randal Grichuk has moved to the bottom half of the lineup probably because he’s hitting .156/.206/.250 over the past two weeks.





Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

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