Weekly Hitter Rankings: American League Domination

The Weekly Hitter Rankings is a companion piece to the Weekly Pitcher Rankings. While in many leagues your 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 where you make moves weekly instead of daily. The Weekly Hitter Rankings will summarize all that info in one spot, for your roster-juggling convenience.

For the period August 1-7

NOTE: I've begun to incorporate 2016 offensive performance into the home/road splits for each team and will gradually increase the weight the more recent numbers carry as the season progresses. 2016 park factors are also now included, replacing 2013 park factors in the rolling three-year average.

7 GAMES

1. Toronto

at HOU (4) – Fister (R), McCullers (R), McHugh (R), Fiers (R)
at KC (3) – Gee (R), Duffy (L), Ventura (R)

It's weird for a team to top the rankings while on a road trip that doesn't go through Coors, but the Jays have the third-best road offense in the league this year (4.92 runs/game, nearly identical to their 4.91 runs/game at home).

2. Cleveland

vs. MIN (4) – Duffey (R), Gibson (R), Nolasco (R), Milone (L)
at NYY (3) – Pineda (R), Sabathia (L), Tanaka (R)

3. Minnesota

at CLE (4) – Salazar (R), Carrasco (R), Bauer (R), Tomlin (R)
at TB (3) – Snell (L), Archer (R), M. Moore (L)

4. Houston

vs. TOR (4) – Stroman (R), Dickey (R), Estrada (R), Happ (L)
vs. TEX (3) – M. Perez (L), Harrell (R), Darvish (R)

5. Boston

at SEA (4) – Paxton (L), LeBlanc (L), Iwakuma (R), Miley (L)
at LAD (3) – Undecided, B. Norris (R), McCarthy (R) NO DH

The Dodgers could call up a prospect like Jose De Leon to fill that undecided spot, but it's just as likely they'll try to trade for a veteran.

6. Kansas City

at TB (4) – Archer (R), M. Moore (L), Odorizzi (R), Smyly (L)
vs. TOR (3) – Aaron Sanchez (R), Stroman (R), Dickey (R)

7. Seattle

vs. BOS (4) – E. Rodriguez (L), Price (L), Porcello (R), Pomeranz (L)
vs. LAA (3) – Santiago (L), Skaggs (L), Shoemaker (R)

Note the lefty-heavy slate. This would not be a good time for the M's to promote Dan Vogelbach.

8. Tampa Bay

vs. KC (4) – Duffy (L), Ventura (R), Volquez (R), Kennedy (R)
vs. MIN (3) – E. Santana (R), Duffey (R), Gibson (R)

9. NY Mets

vs. NYY (2) – Sabathia (L), Tanaka (R)
at NYY (2) – Nova (R), Eovaldi (R) WITH DH
at DET (3) – Verlander (R), Pelfrey (R), M. Fulmer (R) WITH DH

The Mets are the only NL team with a seven-game schedule this week.

10. NY Yankees

at NYM (2) – Verrett (R), deGrom (R) NO DH
vs. NYM (2) – Matz (L), Colon (R)
vs. CLE (3) – Kluber (R), Salazar (R), Carrasco (R)

6 GAMES

11. Colorado

vs. LAD (3) – McCarthy (R), Maeda (R), Kazmir (L)
vs. MIA (3) – Rea (R), Cashner (R), Koehler (R)

The Rockies would be fifth (ahead of Boston) if they were ranked without considering games played. Coors Field homestands have that effect.

12. St. Louis

at CIN (3) – Reed (L), Straily (R), Finnegan (L)
vs. ATL (3) – Teheran (R), De La Cruz (R), Foltynewicz (R)

13. LA Dodgers
at COL (3) – J. Gray (R), T. Anderson (L), Chatwood (R)
vs. BOS (3) – S. Wright (R), E. Rodriguez (L), Price (L)

14. Miami

at CHC (3) – Hammel (R), Lackey (R), Lester (L)
at COL (3) – J. De La Rosa (L), Bettis (R), J. Gray (R)

15. Washington

at ARI (3) – Bradley (R), Ray (L), Godley (R)
vs. SF (3) – Peavy (R), M. Cain (R), Bumgarner (L)

16. Baltimore

vs. TEX (3) – Darvish (R), Hamels (L), Griffin (R)
at CHW (3) – M. Gonzalez (R), Rodon (L), Shields (R)

17. Arizona

vs. WAS (3) – Strasburg (R), Roark (R), Scherzer (R)
vs. MIL (3) – Chase Anderson (R), Garza (R), Nelson (R)

18. Pittsburgh

at ATL (3) – Foltynewicz (R), Blair (R), Jenkins (R)
vs. CIN (3) – DeSclafani (R), H. Bailey (R), Reed (L)

19. Texas

at BAL (3) – Bundy (R), Jimenez (R), Gausman (R)
at HOU (3) – Keuchel (L), Fister (R), McCullers (R)

20. Milwaukee

at SD (3) – Clemens (R), Perdomo (R), E. Jackson (R)
at ARI (3) – Shipley (R), Corbin (L), Bradley (R)

There are rotations in Low-A with more talent than the Padres' current group.

21. LA Angels

vs. OAK (3) – Manaea (L), Graveman (R), Overton (L)
at SEA (3) – F. Hernandez (R), Paxton (L), T. Walker (R)

Taijuan Walker's return on the weekend is far from certain, as he'll be making his first rehab start at Triple-A on Monday and could need an additional tuneup after that. Wade LeBlanc would be the alternative.

22. Cincinnati

vs. STL (3) – Wainwright (R), Wacha (R), Leake (R)
at PIT (3) – Taillon (R), Liriano (L), Vogelsong (R)

Ryan Vogelsong is the default option for the Pirates if they can't acquire anyone better at the trade deadline.

23. Chicago Cubs

vs. MIA (3) – Koehler (R), Conley (L), J. Fernandez (R)
at OAK (3) – Hill (L), S. Gray (R), Manaea (L) WITH DH

24. Detroit

vs. CHW (3) – Shields (R), Sale (L), Quintana (L)
vs. NYM (3) – Syndergaard (R), Verrett (R), deGrom (R)

25. San Diego

vs. MIL (3) – Nelson (R), Davies (R), Guerra (R)
vs. PHI (3) – Hellickson (R), Eickhoff (R), Eflin (R)

If Jeremy Hellickson is no longer a Phillie by the weekend, Jake Thompson could be the next man up.

26. Oakland

at LAA (3) – Shoemaker (R), Weaver (R), Lincecum (R)
vs. CHC (3) – Arrieta (R), Hendricks (R), Hammel (R)

27. San Francisco

at PHI (3) – Eflin (R), Nola (R), Velasquez (R)
at WAS (3) – J. Ross (R), G. Gonzalez (L), Strasburg (R)

28. Chicago White Sox

at DET (3) – M. Fulmer (R), Zimmermann (R), Boyd (L)
vs. BAL (3) – Gallardo (R), Tillman (R), Bundy (R)

29. Philadelphia

vs. SF (3) – Bumgarner (L), Cueto (R), Samardzija (R)
at SD (3) – Friedrich (L), Cosart (R), Clemens (R)

I repeat: there are rotations in Low-A with more talent than the Padres' current group. Christian Friedrich would have to be considered their current "ace".

30. Atlanta

vs. PIT (3) – Vogelsong (R), G. Cole (R), Locke (L)
at STL (3) – J. Garcia (L), C. Martinez (R), Wainwright (R)