This article is part of our Weekly Hitter Rankings series.
For the period July 25-31
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. Texas
vs. OAK (3) – Mengden (R), S. Gray (R), Manaea (L)
vs. KC (4) – Ventura (R), Volquez (R), Kennedy (R), Flynn (R)
2. Boston
vs. DET (3) – Verlander (R), Pelfrey (R), M. Fulmer (R)
at LAA (4) – Weaver (R), Lincecum (R), Santiago (L), Skaggs (L)
3. Chicago Cubs
at CHW (2) – M. Gonzalez (R), Shields (R) WITH DH
vs. CHW (2) – Jacob Turner (R), Sale (L)
vs. SEA (3) – Iwakuma (R), Miley (L), F. Hernandez (R)
4. Kansas City
vs. LAA (3) – Santiago (L), Skaggs (L), Shoemaker (R)
at TEX (4) – Hamels (L), Griffin (R), Lohse (R), M.
For the period July 25-31
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. Texas
vs. OAK (3) – Mengden (R), S. Gray (R), Manaea (L)
vs. KC (4) – Ventura (R), Volquez (R), Kennedy (R), Flynn (R)
2. Boston
vs. DET (3) – Verlander (R), Pelfrey (R), M. Fulmer (R)
at LAA (4) – Weaver (R), Lincecum (R), Santiago (L), Skaggs (L)
3. Chicago Cubs
at CHW (2) – M. Gonzalez (R), Shields (R) WITH DH
vs. CHW (2) – Jacob Turner (R), Sale (L)
vs. SEA (3) – Iwakuma (R), Miley (L), F. Hernandez (R)
4. Kansas City
vs. LAA (3) – Santiago (L), Skaggs (L), Shoemaker (R)
at TEX (4) – Hamels (L), Griffin (R), Lohse (R), M. Perez (L)
5. Baltimore
vs. COL (3) – J. De La Rosa (L), Bettis (R), J. Gray (R)
at MIN (1) – Gibson (R)
at TOR (3) – Dickey (R), Happ (L), Aaron Sanchez (R)
6. Arizona
at MIL (4) – Chase Anderson (R), Garza (R), Nelson (R), Davies (R)
at LAD (3) – Maeda (R), Kazmir (L), Norris (R)
7. St. Louis
at NYM (3) – Syndergaard (R), Colon (R), Verrett (R)
at MIA (4) – J. Fernandez (R), Urena (R), Chen (L), Koehler (R)
8. LA Angels
at KC (3) – Kennedy (R), Flynn (R), Duffy (L)
vs. BOS (4) – Price (L), Porcello (R), Pomeranz (L), S. Wright (R)
9. Milwaukee
vs. ARI (4) – Shipley (R), Corbin (L), A. Bradley (R), Ray (L)
vs. PIT (3) – G. Cole (R), Glasnow (R), Taillon (R)
10. San Francisco
vs. CIN (3) – DeSclafani (R), C. Reed (L), Straily (R)
vs. WAS (4) – Roark (R), Scherzer (R), J. Ross (R), G. Gonzalez (L)
11. Philadelphia
at MIA (3) – Chen (L), Koehler (R), Conley (L)
at ATL (4) – Teheran (R), Wisler (R), Jenkins (R), Harrell (R)
Teheran (lat) may not be able to take his turn here, but the Braves don't have an obvious alternative.
12. Chicago White Sox
vs. CHC (2) – Arrieta (R), Hendricks (R)
at CHC (2) – Hammel (R), Lackey (R) NO DH
at MIN (3) – Nolasco (R), Milone (L), E. Santana (R)
13. NY Mets
vs. STL (3) – C. Martinez (R), J. Garcia (L), Wainwright (R)
vs. COL (4) – T. Anderson (L), Chatwood (R), J. De La Rosa (L), Bettis (R)
14. Miami
vs. PHI (3) – Hellickson (R), Eickhoff (R), Eflin (R)
vs. STL (4) – Wacha (R), Leake (R), C. Martinez (R), J. Garcia (L)
15. Colorado
at BAL (3) – Gallardo (R), Tillman (R), Bundy (R) WITH DH
at NYM (4) – deGrom (R), Matz (L), Syndergaard (R), Colon (R)
6 GAMES
16. Toronto
vs. SD (3) – Rea (R), Cashner (R), Perdomo (R)
vs. BAL (3) – Worley (R), Gallardo (R), Tillman (R)
Purely by the formula I use and ignoring number of games played, the Blue Jays would rank ninth, ahead of the Brewers.
17. Minnesota
vs. ATL (2) – Harrell (R), Foltynewicz (R)
vs. BAL (1) – Gausman (R)
vs. CHW (3) – Quintana (L), M. Gonzalez (R), Shields (R)
18. Oakland
at TEX (3) – Lohse (R), M. Perez (L), Darvish (R)
at CLE (3) – Bauer (R), Tomlin (R), Kluber (R)
19. Detroit
at BOS (3) – Pomeranz (L), S. Wright (R), E. Rodriguez (L)
vs. HOU (3) – McHugh (R), Fiers (R), Keuchel (L)
20. Houston
vs. NYY (3) – Pineda (R), Sabathia (L), Tanaka (R)
at DET (3) – Zimmermann (R), Anibal Sanchez (R), Verlander (R)
21. San Diego
at TOR (3) – Aaron Sanchez (R), Stroman (R), Estrada (R) WITH DH
vs. CIN (3) – Finnegan (L), Bailey (R), DeSclafani (R)
Homer Bailey's return from Tommy John surgery isn't locked in yet, but if he makes it through his rehab start Monday with no issues, the Reds should make it official soon afterwards.
22. Washington
at CLE (2) – Salazar (R), Carrasco (R) WITH DH
at SF (4) – Cueto (R), Samardzija (R), Peavy (R), M. Cain (R)
23. NY Yankees
at HOU (3) – Keuchel (L), Fister (R), McCullers (R)
at TB (3) – Odorizzi (R), Smyly (L), Snell (L)
24. Cincinnati
at SF (3) – Peavy (R), M. Cain (R), Bumgarner (L)
at SD (3) – E. Jackson (R), Friedrich (L), Rea (R)
25. Atlanta
at MIN (2) – E. Santana (R), Duffey (R) WITH DH
vs. PHI (4) – Nola (R), Velasquez (R), Hellickson (R), Eickhoff (R)
5 GAMES
26. Pittsburgh
vs. SEA (2) – F. Hernandez (R), Paxton (L)
at MIL (3) – Guerra (R), Chase Anderson (R), Garza (R)
27. Cleveland
vs. WAS (2) – G. Gonzalez (L), Strasburg (R)
vs. OAK (3) – Hill (L), Graveman (R), Mengden (R)
28. LA Dodgers
vs. TB (2) – Archer (R), Moore (L)
vs. ARI (3) – Godley (R), Shipley (R), Corbin (L)
29. Seattle
at PIT (2) – Locke (L), Liriano (L) NO DH
at CHC (3) – Lester (L), Arrieta (R), Hendricks (R) NO DH
With no DH all week and all those lefties on the schedule, Adam Lind becomes a must-avoid in any format.
30. Tampa Bay
at LAD (2) – Norris (R), McCarthy (R) NO DH
vs. NYY (3) – Nova (R), Eovaldi (R), Pineda (R)