The Smash and Grab: 5 Teams With Elite Hitting Opportunities in Week 9
One thing I have learned in my journey in fantasy baseball is that volume is key -- especially in hitting.
In standard rotisserie leagues, only one category is ratio based (batting average), which allows us to maximize at-bats and plate appearances to rack up those counting statistics in runs, home runs, runs batted in, and stolen bases. And as simplistic as the approach seems, the best fantasy players find ways to garner as many shots as possible -- via volume.
Each week, this report will analyze the matchups for the upcoming week to see if any teams in particular stand out from a volume perspective as we gear up for those Free Agent Budget (FAB) bids.
The seven-game teams? Those are obvious. But what about the other matchups? Let's dig in and find out.
Seven-Game Teams (15)
There are a bunch of seven-game teams this week: Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, and Toronto Blue Jays.
With so much volume, who sticks out? In alphabetical order:
Chicago White Sox: Seven games in a park that has played very hitter-friendly so far is certainly enticing, and even crazier is that the Sox remain undefeated in their last 20 contests against southpaws. I guess that will do. With Andrew Vaughn slugging home runs, the team is off to one heck of a start in the 2021 season.
Milwaukee Brewers: Is the real Keston Hiura about to show up? Who knows, but the Brewers certainly do. After a three-week panacea in Nashville, the club is hoping he can get to his bashing ways. And it sure doesn't hurt to have Christian Yelich back from the injured list, too. An opportunity to smack around the poor Nationals rotation at the end of the week could be the magic elixir.
Oakland Athletics: There is no one terrifying in the Seattle Mariners' rotation, and that's who the A's get to begin the week. While the games are all at home, and that's not a hitting-friendly environment, smacking poor pitchers should be what the team needs. At the end of the week, Jose Quintana and Dylan Bundy don't exactly scare hitters.
Six-Game Teams (14)
All of the remaining teams but three -- who we'll mention in a second -- hit the field for six games. Of these squads, here are some interesting notes:
Chicago Cubs: The week is certainly tantalizing -- they start with the Pirates and then finish with the Reds. Luis Castillo is still struggling and pitches against the Cubs on Saturday, and Tony Santillan is expected to take the hill for the Reds in the opener.
Minnesota Twins: While Byron Buxton is out, the offense is still cookin'. Rookie Alex Kirilloff has been crushing the ball, Josh Donaldson has remained healthy, and Nelson Cruz apparently doesn't believe in aging. The series starts with three against Baltimore and ends with three against Kansas City.
