Lineup Analysis (8/26/22)

American League

Angels

• Players getting hurt (e.g. Walsh and Ward) and coming off the IL (e.g. Trout) make it hard to figure out if anyone new is a regular.

Astros

Christian Vázquez (.761 OPS) has started in only three of the last 10 games.

Chas McCormick (.746 OPS) was seeing regular at-bats (five straight starts) but then got hurt.

Athletics

• No one but Sean Murphy deserves and is getting full-time plate appearances.

• Since being called up, Shea Langeliers (.953 OPS) has started in eight of ten games, six at DH and two at catcher.

Blue Jays

• Over the last 10 games, Whit Merrifield has started in five of them and Santiago Espinal has started in six.

Guardians

• Steady

Mariners

• For some bizarre reason, Carlos Santana (.655 OPS with SEA) has started four straight.

Jesse Winker (.715 OPS, 13 HR) has started against the last three lefties.

Orioles

• It’s tough to figure out who is or isn’t playing in the bottom half. Second base, third base, and one outfield spot are all timeshares right now.

Rangers

Kole Calhoun (.621 OPS) and Bubba Thompson (.584 OPS) are splitting time in left field.

Rays

Harold Ramírez (.330/.373/.448, 5 HR, 3 SB) has started seven straight.

Brandon Lowe (vs RHP) and Yu Chang (vs LHP) are in a platoon.

Red Sox

Enrique Hernández has started seven of nine games since coming off the IL while hitting .207/.226/.345 in those games.

Royals

Drew Waters has started three straight while batting ninth. With Kansas City in AAA, he hit .295/.399/.541 with 7 HR and 13 SB in 143 PA.

Michael Massey (.715 OPS, 1 HR, 1 SB) has only started in four of the last six games and I don’t know why.

Tigers

Kerry Carpenter (.677 OPS, 2 HR) as sat against the last two lefties. Akil Baddoo (.486 OPS) is also only facing righties.

Victor Reyes has started in 11 straight games. Over the past two weeks, he has a .783 OPS and 2 SB.

Twins

Nick Gordon (.765 OPS vs RHP, .660 OPS vs LHP) has sat against the last three lefties.

Max Kepler (.495 OPS over the last two weeks) has started 10 straight games, four against lefties.

Gio Urshela (.741 OPS) has started in nine of the last ten games.

White Sox

• Since joining the team, Elvis Andrus (.471 OPS with CWS) has made six straight starts while batting seventh.

Josh Harrison (.674 OPS) has started 13 of 14 games.

Andrew Vaughn has sat twice in the last five games with Luis Robert back.

Yankees

Giancarlo Stanton (batting third) is back and Oswaldo Cabrera stayed in the lineup hitting seventh. Cabrera (.563 OPS) has made eight straight starts.

National League

Braves

• Steady with Eddie Rosario sitting when both catchers are in the lineup.

Brewers

Mike Brosseau starts against lefties and either Kolten Wong or Luis Urías sits.

Jonathan Davis (vs RHP) and Tyrone Taylor (vs LHP) might be in a platoon.

Cardinals

Brendan Donovan (.757 OPS vs LHP, .799 OPS vs RHP) is only starting against righties.

Tommy Edman (.695 OPS) is getting buried at the bottom of the lineup.

Cubs

• In all fairness, everyone seems to be in some kind of timeshare except Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, and Seiya Suzuki.

Diamondbacks

Emmanuel Rivera (.967 OPS with ARI) has hit second for six straight games.

• Since being called up, Stone Garrett (1.000 OPS) has started only four times in seven games.

Dodgers

• Small, nagging injuries (e.g. Lux with neck) make it tough to determine if anyone in the last few spots in a regular.

Joey Gallo (1.010 OPS with the Dodgers) has only started in five of the last 10 games.

Giants

• The only regulars are Thairo Estrada (.716 OPS, 11 HR, 16 SB), Brandon Crawford (.646 OPS), Wilmer Flores (.770 OPS, 25 HR), and Mike Yastrzemski (.687 OPS, 12 HR, 5 SB).

Marlins

• Catcher qualified Nick Fortes (.242/.315/.447, 7 HR, 5 SB) has seven starts in the last 10 games.

Jerar Encarnacion (22 HR in the minors) has started in five of the last six games.

Peyton Burdick (.517 OPS) has started in 18 of the last 19 games.

Mets

Brett Baty (.493 OPS) has started nine straight at third base.

Mark Canha (.782 OPS) and Tyler Naquin (.767 OPS) remain in a timeshare.

Nationals

Alex Call (13 HR, 9 SB in AAA) has hit first or second in four of the last five games. In 41 MLB PA, the 27-year-old has a .497 OPS.

Ildemaro Vargas (3 HR, 1 SB, .740 OPS) has started 14 straight games.

CJ Abrams has started nine straight but is only hitting .182/.206/.182 since joining the Nats.

Padres

• Steady with one too many bats when everyone is healthy.

Phillies

Matt Vierling (.614 OPS, 5 HR, 6 SB, 4 CS) has started in 14 of the last 15 games.

Bryson Stott (vs RHP) and Edmundo Sosa (vs LHP) are in a shortstop platoon.

Pirates

Rodolfo Castro (.699 OPS, 3 HR, 34 SB) has made 12 straight starts.

Tucupita Marcano (.238/.306/.393) has started in eight of the last 10 (five straight).

Oneil Cruz (.694 OPS vs RHP, .560 OPS, 54% K% vs LHP) has sat against the last three lefties.

Reds

TJ Friedl only faces righties for some bizarre reason (career .915 OPS vs LHP, .643 OPS vs RHP).

Jake Fraley sat against the last two lefties with a career .443 OPS vs LHP and .791 OPS vs RHP.

Donovan Solano (.831 OPS) is starting every day when healthy while hitting in the heart of the lineup.

Rockies

Elehuris Montero (.255/.275/.453, 4 HR) has sat in two of the last three games after 18 straight starts. He might be in a platoon (bats right) with a .653 OPS vs righties and a .842 OPS vs lefties.

Brian Serven (.664 OPS, 6 HR) has started at catcher in eight of the last 10 games.





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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ismailadiememember
1 year ago

I think there is a typo for Rodolfo Castro’s SBs?