This article is part of our Weekly Hitter Rankings series.
The Hitter Value Meter is a companion piece to the weekly Pitching Value Meter. While in many leagues offensive roster slots are set 'em and forget 'em, in deeper formats where every at-bat counts, knowing which teams have friendly schedules for hitters, and which platoon bats will be getting more action than usual, can be valuable information, especially in head-to-head formats and leagues with weekly moves instead of daily. The Hitter Value Meter will summarize all that info in one spot, for your roster juggling convenience.
For the week Sept 21-27
8 GAMES
1. Chicago White Sox (at DET 4, at NYY 4) - A Monday doubleheader pushes the White Sox to the top, even though they spend the whole week on the road. They also face four lefties in those eight games, so Mike Olt might be worth rolling the dice on.
7 GAMES
2. Colorado (vs. PIT 4, vs. LAD 3) - Not only are the Rockies at home all period, they somehow manage to avoid Gerrit Cole, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, so any investment you made in Colorado hitters should pay one final big dividend before the end of the year. It's a four-lefty week (Kyle Lobstein, Randy Wolf, Daniel Norris and CC Sabathia), so Wilin Rosario is worth a look.
3. Pittsburgh (at COL 4, at CHC 3) - The four-game set at altitude against that Rockies pitching staff looks ripe for plundering, and Jon Lester is the only
The Hitter Value Meter is a companion piece to the weekly Pitching Value Meter. While in many leagues offensive roster slots are set 'em and forget 'em, in deeper formats where every at-bat counts, knowing which teams have friendly schedules for hitters, and which platoon bats will be getting more action than usual, can be valuable information, especially in head-to-head formats and leagues with weekly moves instead of daily. The Hitter Value Meter will summarize all that info in one spot, for your roster juggling convenience.
For the week Sept 21-27
8 GAMES
1. Chicago White Sox (at DET 4, at NYY 4) - A Monday doubleheader pushes the White Sox to the top, even though they spend the whole week on the road. They also face four lefties in those eight games, so Mike Olt might be worth rolling the dice on.
7 GAMES
2. Colorado (vs. PIT 4, vs. LAD 3) - Not only are the Rockies at home all period, they somehow manage to avoid Gerrit Cole, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, so any investment you made in Colorado hitters should pay one final big dividend before the end of the year. It's a four-lefty week (Kyle Lobstein, Randy Wolf, Daniel Norris and CC Sabathia), so Wilin Rosario is worth a look.
3. Pittsburgh (at COL 4, at CHC 3) - The four-game set at altitude against that Rockies pitching staff looks ripe for plundering, and Jon Lester is the only tough matchup the Pirates get in Chicago. Chris Rusin and Jorge De La Rosa join Lester to make it a three-lefty week.
4. Boston (vs. TB 4, vs. BAL 3) - Only the Blue Jays have scored more runs per game at home than the Red Sox, and even Chris Archer has been running out of steam. It's a three-lefty week with Matt Moore, Drew Smyly and Wei-Yin Chen, so if you're desperate for at-bats Allen Craig might get some extra playing time.
5. N.Y. Yankees (at TOR 3, vs. CHW 4) - The series in Toronto is their last, best hope to make the AL East a race again, so expect the Yankees to come out guns blazing. It's a three-lefty week, even if one of those lefties is David Price, so Chris Young has some value.
6. L.A. Dodgers (vs. ARI 4, at COL 3) - Patrick Corbin's the only D-backs starter doing much these days, and then the Dodgers get a set in Denver to cap things off. Robbie Ray and Yohan Flande join Corbin for a three-lefty period, so the red-hot Justin Ruggiano is just about a must-start.
6 GAMES
7. Toronto (vs. NYY 3, vs. TB 3) - The Blue Jays get a six-game homestand to put a stake through the heart of the Evil Empire and possibly even dethrone the Royals atop the AL standings. Masahiro Tanaka's been sharp lately, but otherwise the matchups look good for Toronto as well. Matt Moore's the only lefty they'll see.
7 GAMES
8. Detroit (vs. CHW 4, vs. MIN 3) - Jose Quintana's been as great as Jeff Samardzija's been terrible recently, but even Chris Sale seems to be fading, so this lines up as a very favorable homestand for the Tigers. Quintana and Sale are the only lefties.
9. St. Louis (vs. CIN 3, vs. MIL 4) - It's fair to ask if the Reds rotation have even started shaving yet (25-year-old John Lamb, with all of seven big league starts under his belt, is the grizzled veteran of the trio the Cardinals will face) while Taylor Jungmann has looked like a freud, err, a fraud recently. The Brewers haven't decided on a Sunday starter, but at the moment Lamb and Brandon Finnegan make it a two-lefty week.
10. Tampa Bay (at BOS 4, at TOR 3) - The Rays' bats travel fairly well, and their sixth-best team OPS versus lefties should make them a stronger play than you'd expect this week as they face five of them (Eduardo Rodriguez, Henry Owens, Wade Miley, Mark Buehrle and David Price).
11. N.Y. Mets (vs. ATL 3, at CIN 4) - Seven games against two young and reeling rotations should keep the Mets flying high this week, as Anthony DeSclafani is the only starter they get who's on any kind of a roll. John Lamb is the only lefty they'll see.
12. Cincinnati (at STL 3, vs. NYM 4) - Well, at least the Reds get four home games. They also face Lance Lynn, who seems to be running on fumes at this point, but even Bartolo Colon is pitching well right now for the Mets. Jaime Garcia is the only lefty they'll see.
13. Arizona (at LAD 4, at SD 3) - Well, at least the Diamondbacks play seven games. Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw close out the Dodgers series, which isn't fun, but the Padres are throwing a couple of kids into the deep end alongside James Shields. Alex Wood and Robbie Erlin join Kershaw to make it a three-lefty period, so Brandon Drury could be worth a second look in deep formats.
14. Milwaukee (at CHC 3, at STL 4) - Well, at least the Brewers... Nah, I got nothing. Jake Arrieta's the headliner in the Cubs series, but the younger arms in the Cards rotation have looked a bit vulnerable lately. Jaime Garcia's the only lefty they'll see.
6 GAMES
15. Kansas City (vs. SEA 3, vs. CLE 3) - Not only are the Royals at home all week, they avoid Felix Hernandez and Corey Kluber, so they might just be able to stay ahead of the surging Jays for top spot in the AL. Roenis Elias and James Paxton make it a two-lefty week.
16. Houston (vs. LAA 3, vs. TEX 3) - Talk about a crucial period. The Astros take on the team they're now chasing in the AL West as well as one of the teams breathing down their necks for the second wild card spot. Fortunately for them, none of the pitchers they face are doing much right now. After Jered Weaver on Monday they'll get five straight lefties (Hector Santiago, Andrew Heaney, Cole Hamels, Derek Holland and Martin Perez) so look for big things from George Springer.
17. Minnesota (vs. CLE 3, at DET 3) - You know you're catching the Indians at the right time when Cody Anderson has been their best starter over the last couple of weeks. Corey Kluber is still dangerous though, as is Justin Verlander to kick off the set against the Tigers. Matt Boyd and Kyle Lobstein make it a two-lefty period for the Twins.
18. Washington (vs. BAL 3, vs. PHI 3) - The not-quite-dead-yet Nationals get a homestand against a couple of rag-tag rotations, so their hitting at least should be OK. Adam Morgan's the only lefty they'll see.
19. Oakland (vs. TEX 3, vs. SF 3) - The A's cleverly avoid both Cole Hamels and Madison Bumgarner this week, although only the latter is really pitching like an ace right now. Martin Perez is the only lefty they'll see.
20. San Diego (vs. SF 3, vs. ARI 3) - Homestands in Petco Park aren't exactly nirvana for hitters, but hey, at least they're at home. They are stuck facing Madison Bumgarner, but the D-backs rotation can be very generous. Bumgarner and Robbie Ray make it a two-lefty week.
21. Texas (at OAK 3, at HOU 3) - Even the Rangers aren't entirely sure how they wound up on top of the AL West, but there they are. They duck Sonny Gray in Oakland, but the Astros will welcome them with their best (Scott Kazmir, Collin McHugh and Dallas Keuchel), so Houston isn't out of the title picture just yet. Sean Nolin and Felix Doubront join the two 'Stros southpaws to make it a four-lefty week, so forget how he burned you earlier in the year and give serious consideration to using Mike Napoli.
22. Miami (vs. PHI 3, vs. ATL 3) - Given who the Phillies and Braves are trotting out to the mound these days, the Marlins could actually be a more interesting play than this ranking would indicate, but I'd feel a lot better about bumping them up if Giancarlo Stanton had ever made it back into the lineup. Julio Teheran is pitching well again too, so they aren't facing complete scrubs. Miami sees no lefties this period, so Christian Yelich and Justin Bour should continue swinging hot bats.
23. L.A. Angels (at HOU 3, vs. SEA 3) - The Angels still have a shot at the second AL wild card spot, but the path isn't an easy one, as Dallas Keuchel and Felix Hernandez kick off each of their series this week. Keuchel's the only lefty they'll face.
24. Chicago Cubs (vs. MIL 3, vs. PIT 3) - The Brewers are turning to unreliable veteran Unde Cided on Tuesday, which sums up the state of their rotation, but the Pirates have Gerrit Cole lined up to begin the weekend set that could well determine who hosts the NL wild-card game. Francisco Liriano is likely the only lefty the Cubs will see.
25. Seattle (at KC 3, at LAA 3) - This slate would have looked better before Johnny Cueto showed signs of snapping out of his funk. Jeremy Guthrie is rejoining the Royals rotation though, so it's not all bad news. The M's are lefty-free this week, so Brad Miller should have a decent week and even Logan Morrison might be worth pulling out of mothballs.
26. San Francisco (at SD 3, at OAK 3) - Well, it's not the worst six-game road swing this week. It's Tyson Ross' turn to be the one good pitcher in the Padres rotation, and while Sonny Gray kicks off the weekend set, Aaron Brooks and Cody Martin (seriously, Oakland?) have been dreadful lately. It's yet another period devoid of portsiders though, so Brandon Belt gets a boost in shallower formats and Alejandro De Aza is worth a look in deeper ones.
27. Baltimore (at WAS 3, at BOS 3) - The Nats rotation, as it has for most of the year, looks better on paper than on the mound, but Max Scherzer is still dangerous. The set in Fenway could produce some runs, though. Gio Gonzalez joins a trio of Red Sox (Rich Hill, Eduardo Rodriguez and Henry Owens) to make it a four-lefty week, so Steve Pearce could be a consideration if you need a power boost.
28. Cleveland (at MIN 3, at KC 3) - The Indians' season-long offensive struggles on the road are the reason they're ranked so low this week, as other than a red-hot Ervin Santana their matchups are actually solid. Tommy Milone is the only lefty they'll face.
29. Philadelphia (at MIA 3, at WAS 3) - The Phillies need to be careful, or they'll creep ahead of the Braves and only wind up with the second-worst record in the majors. They do avoid Jose Fernandez, but Stephen Strasburg has been absolutely filthy lately. Adam Conley and Gio Gonzalez make it a two-lefty week.
30. Atlanta (at NYM 3, at MIA 3) - Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Jose Fernandez... This slate is just one big pile of no-thank-you, especially given the Braves pitiful offensive efforts away from home. Matz, Brad Hand and Justin Nicolino do make it a three-lefty week, if you feel like you absolutely have to use Daniel Castro.
