
Fantasy notes for April 14-15
Click through for information on specific matchups and injuries for the day's games.
Starting pitcher rankings for April 14
| Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Shaun Marcum | R | @ATL | 8 | 0-0 | 0.00 | 0.67 | 13-7 | 3.54 | 1.16 |
| 2 | | Yu Darvish | R | @MIN | 8 | 1-0 | 3.60 | 1.33 | -- | -- | -- |
| 3 | | C.J. Wilson | L | @NYY | 7 | 3-0 | 1.33 | 0.79 | 16-7 | 2.94 | 1.19 |
| 4 | | Vance Worley | R | NYM | 8 | 1-3 | 4.50 | 1.45 | 11-3 | 3.01 | 1.23 |
| 5 | | Ted Lilly | L | SD | 8 | 2-1 | 5.00 | 1.11 | 12-14 | 3.97 | 1.16 |
| 6 | | Jhoulys Chacin | R | ARI | 6 | 1-2 | 4.84 | 1.57 | 11-14 | 3.62 | 1.31 |
| 7 | | Tommy Milone | L | @SEA | 6 | 1-1 | 4.97 | 0.95 | 1-0 | 3.81 | 1.23 |
| 8 | | Gavin Floyd | R | DET | 5 | 1-1 | 6.64 | 1.62 | 12-13 | 4.37 | 1.16 |
| 9 | | Jeremy Hellickson | R | @BOS | 6 | 0-2 | 9.00 | 1.90 | 13-10 | 2.95 | 1.15 |
| 10 | | Clay Buchholz | R | TB | 7 | 2-2 | 5.23 | 1.02 | 6-3 | 3.48 | 1.29 |
| 11 | | Edwin Jackson | R | CIN | 4 | 2-3 | 6.51 | 1.59 | 12-9 | 3.79 | 1.44 |
| 12 | | Lance Lynn | R | CHC | 9 | 1-0 | 2.61 | 0.97 | 1-1 | 3.12 | 1.04 |
| 13 | | Homer Bailey | R | @WAS | 5 | 1-2 | 7.98 | 1.84 | 9-7 | 4.43 | 1.28 |
| 14 | | Carlos Zambrano | R | HOU | 6 | 0-3 | 6.23 | 2.03 | 9-7 | 4.82 | 1.44 |
| 15 | | Barry Zito | L | PIT | 6 | 2-1 | 7.91 | 2.28 | 3-4 | 5.87 | 1.40 |
| 16 | | Joe Wieland | R | @LAD | 6 | 0-2 | 5.89 | 1.36 | -- | -- | -- |
| 17 | | Jonathan Sanchez | L | CLE | 7 | 0-2 | 8.74 | 2.03 | 4-7 | 4.26 | 1.44 |
| 18 | | Josh Collmenter | R | @COL | 7 | 0-4 | 9.95 | 1.74 | 10-10 | 3.38 | 1.07 |
| 19 | | Jonathon Niese | L | @PHI | 4 | 1-1 | 5.73 | 1.36 | 11-11 | 4.40 | 1.41 |
| 20 | | Henderson Alvarez | R | BAL | 5 | 3-0 | 3.00 | 1.13 | 1-3 | 3.53 | 1.13 |
| 21 | | Bud Norris | R | @MIA | 4 | 3-2 | 4.00 | 1.17 | 6-11 | 3.77 | 1.33 |
| 22 | | Phil Hughes | R | LAA | 6 | 0-1 | 1.56 | 1.10 | 5-5 | 5.79 | 1.49 |
| 23 | | Jason Hammel | R | @TOR | 3 | 0-0 | 3.18 | 1.18 | 7-13 | 4.76 | 1.43 |
| 24 | | Adam Wilk | L | @CHW | 3 | 0-0 | 7.50 | 1.75 | 0-0 | 5.40 | 1.28 |
| 25 | | Charlie Morton | R | @SF | 4 | 0-2 | 7.07 | 1.57 | 10-10 | 3.83 | 1.53 |
| 26 | | Mike Minor | L | MIL | 1 | 0-1 | 2.25 | 1.17 | 5-3 | 4.14 | 1.49 |
| 27 | | Chris Volstad | R | @STL | 2 | 1-0 | 4.30 | 1.16 | 5-13 | 4.89 | 1.42 |
| 28 | | Nick Blackburn | R | TEX | 1 | 0-1 | 2.12 | 0.88 | 7-10 | 4.49 | 1.60 |
| 29 | | Hector Noesi | R | OAK | 4 | 0-0 | 1.80 | 1.20 | 2-2 | 4.47 | 1.51 |
| 30 | | Jeanmar Gomez | R | @KC | 1 | 1-1 | 1.37 | 1.07 | 5-3 | 4.47 | 1.51 |
Rk.: The author's ranking of that pitcher for that day only. T: Pitcher throws left-handed or right-handed. Opp: The pitcher's opponent for the day. QR: "Quality Rating," or the starting pitcher's matchup rating -- separate from the author's ranking -- which accounts for past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. OPS is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent. W-L: Pitcher's win-loss record. ERA: Pitcher's earned run average. WHIP: Pitcher's average number of walks plus hits surrendered per inning.
Mass' Rankings Notes: Saturday
Shaun Marcum has an 8.3 K/9 rate against the Atlanta Braves, who are hitting just .212 so far this season. He'll take top honors for Saturday.
Yu Darvish struggled in his major league debut, but once those first-inning jitters went away, he settled down and actually earned the win. With no butterflies, the second time out should go far more smoothly.
Although C.J. Wilson has never beaten the New York Yankees (0-3), he had a strong first start against the Minnesota Twins, allowing just one run and three hits in seven innings of work.
Vance Worley gets a date with a New York Mets team that doesn't look quite the same without David Wright in the lineup. The third baseman may return to action, but if he's not at full strength, the Mets' potency is clearly diminished.
Ted Lilly is coming off the DL to make his first start of the season, but is 10-4 with a 2.68 ERA lifetime versus the San Diego Padres.
Jeremy Hellickson escaped serious injury after getting struck in the head by a wayward ball in batting practice earlier this week. He should be good to go against Boston.
Lance Lynn pitched into the seventh inning, allowing only two hits in his 2012 debut. The converted reliever will likely be held to a 100-pitch count, but if he's just as effective in start No. 2, he could well give you another quality outing.
With Dustin Moseley on the shelf, 22-year-old Joe Wieland will make his debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. With a good history of control and a fastball in the mid-90s, he should be able to hit the ground running.
Adam Wilk will also make his debut on Saturday, replacing Doug Fister in the Detroit Tigers' rotation. He outpitched fellow minor leaguers Andy Oliver and Casey Crosby to get the call, but was far from the "obvious choice," so temper expectations.
Picks with upside: Gavin Floyd is 6-2 with a 3.68 ERA against the Tigers. Carlos Zambrano is 16-8 with a 2.72 ERA when facing the Houston Astros. Barry Zito threw a shutout versus Colorado on April 9, a far more impressive lineup than that of Saturday's opponent, Pittsburgh.
Negatives to consider: Phil Hughes has a career ERA of 6.20 versus the Los Angeles Angels. Henderson Alvarez has a career K/9 rate of only 5.4 and while he doesn't allow too many baserunners, this will be the third time he's faced Baltimore in 12 career starts. Hector Noesi allowed seven runs in three innings in his first 2012 start. That's more than enough to steer us clear of the right-hander this weekend.
Starting pitcher rankings for April 15
| Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Clayton Kershaw | L | SD | 10 | 2-2 | 2.45 | 1.23 | 21-5 | 2.28 | 0.98 |
| 2 | | Cole Hamels | L | NYM | 7 | 1-1 | 2.93 | 1.19 | 14-9 | 2.79 | 0.99 |
| 3 | | Neftali Feliz | R | @MIN | 10 | 1-1 | 4.85 | 1.46 | 2-3 | 2.74 | 1.16 |
| 4 | | Matt Moore | L | @BOS | 6 | 0-1 | 4.50 | 1.00 | 1-0 | 2.89 | 1.29 |
| 5 | | Ubaldo Jimenez | R | @KC | 7 | 1-4 | 7.43 | 1.96 | 10-13 | 4.68 | 1.40 |
| 6 | | Anibal Sanchez | R | HOU | 7 | 0-1 | 6.52 | 1.24 | 8-9 | 3.67 | 1.28 |
| 7 | | Chris Sale | L | DET | 9 | 2-1 | 4.18 | 1.11 | 2-2 | 2.79 | 1.11 |
| 8 | | Ivan Nova | R | LAA | 6 | 1-2 | 8.06 | 1.52 | 16-4 | 3.70 | 1.33 |
| 9 | | Ryan Vogelsong | R | PIT | 9 | 0-0 | 3.38 | 0.75 | 13-7 | 2.71 | 1.25 |
| 10 | | Mike Leake | R | @WAS | 5 | 0-0 | 5.14 | 1.64 | 12-9 | 3.86 | 1.17 |
| 11 | | Brandon Beachy | R | MIL | 7 | 1-2 | 5.54 | 1.46 | 7-3 | 3.68 | 1.21 |
| 12 | | Chris Narveson | L | @ATL | 5 | 1-1 | 4.01 | 1.34 | 11-8 | 4.45 | 1.39 |
| 13 | | Kevin Correia | R | @SF | 5 | 1-1 | 7.71 | 1.65 | 12-11 | 4.79 | 1.39 |
| 14 | | Trevor Cahill | R | @COL | 4 | 0-3 | 6.39 | 1.58 | 12-14 | 4.16 | 1.43 |
| 15 | | Rick Porcello | R | @CHW | 4 | 2-0 | 1.59 | 1.12 | 14-9 | 4.75 | 1.41 |
| 16 | | Ross Detwiler | L | CIN | 4 | 1-1 | 3.06 | 1.08 | 4-5 | 3.00 | 1.26 |
| 17 | | Jake Westbrook | R | CHC | 4 | 2-1 | 1.50 | 0.79 | 12-9 | 4.66 | 1.53 |
| 18 | | J.A. Happ | L | @MIA | 5 | 1-1 | 6.59 | 2.27 | 6-15 | 5.35 | 1.54 |
| 19 | | Blake Beavan | R | OAK | 5 | 1-1 | 3.48 | 1.06 | 5-6 | 4.27 | 1.25 |
| 20 | | Drew Pomeranz | L | ARI | 5 | 3-0 | 0.53 | 0.88 | 2-1 | 5.40 | 1.31 |
| 21 | | Paul Maholm | L | @STL | 3 | 1-1 | 1.84 | 1.09 | 6-14 | 3.66 | 1.29 |
| 22 | | Mike Pelfrey | R | @PHI | 4 | 1-2 | 7.62 | 1.50 | 7-13 | 4.74 | 1.47 |
| 23 | | Edinson Volquez | R | @LAD | 4 | 2-0 | 3.48 | 1.11 | 5-7 | 5.71 | 1.57 |
| 24 | | Felix Doubront | L | TB | 1 | 1-0 | 2.70 | 1.44 | 0-0 | 6.10 | 1.94 |
| 25 | | Graham Godfrey | R | @SEA | 4 | 1-2 | 5.09 | 1.42 | 1-2 | 3.96 | 1.48 |
| 26 | | Jerome Williams | R | @NYY | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 4-0 | 3.68 | 1.36 |
| 27 | | Kyle Drabek | R | BAL | 1 | 2-0 | 3.72 | 1.40 | 4-5 | 6.06 | 1.81 |
| 28 | | Luis Mendoza | R | CLE | 1 | 4-0 | 0.54 | 0.84 | 2-0 | 1.23 | 1.09 |
| 29 | | Brian Matusz | L | @TOR | 1 | 1-1 | 3.65 | 1.30 | 1-9 | 10.69 | 2.11 |
| 30 | | Liam Hendriks | R | TEX | 1 | 3-1 | 2.84 | 1.14 | 0-2 | 6.17 | 1.50 |
Rk.: The author's ranking of that pitcher for that day only. T: Pitcher throws left-handed or right-handed. Opp: The pitcher's opponent for the day. QR: "Quality Rating," or the starting pitcher's matchup rating -- separate from the author's ranking -- which accounts for past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. OPS is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent. W-L: Pitcher's win-loss record. ERA: Pitcher's earned run average. WHIP: Pitcher's average number of walks plus hits surrendered per inning.
Mass' Rankings Notes: Sunday
One shouldn't have to justify putting Clayton Kershaw at the top of the list, but if we did, we'd offer up his 7-3 record and 2.24 ERA versus the San Diego Padres as part of the evidentiary package.
Cole Hamels has never truly shined when facing the New York Mets (3-10 lifetime record) but this year's Mets are hitting just .233 versus southpaws. He'll get the nod just ahead of Neftali Feliz who looked great against the Seattle Mariners last time out, but he's always owned that team. Minnesota, as least, has scored against Feliz in the past, albeit only twice in eight prior outings in relief.
Matt Moore was a bit shaky in his 2012 debut, walking five and allowing a run on a wild pitch. We're hopeful he's a bit more in command in Boston.
Start one for Ubaldo Jimenez found the pitcher taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He's now served his suspension, without having to miss a start, and could find the hitless innings adding up against a Kansas City team hitting just .227 in 2012.
Chris Sale took a one-hit shutout into the sixth in his first career start. We're not sure that he'll be quite as successful against the league's best lineup, but he does have a 2.45 ERA against them in ten relief outings. Don't write him off either.
Rounding out the top 10: Although he allowed ten hits, Ivan Nova struck out seven hitters with no walks in his first 2012 start. Ryan Vogelsong looked sharp in a pair of rehab starts with Triple-A Fresno and appears set to battle the Pirates. Mike Leake is 3-1 lifetime against the Washington Nationals.
Streaming possibilities: Although he's never defeated the Cincinnati Reds (0-3, 3.50 ERA) Ross Detwiler had nothing but goose eggs on the scoreboard in his first start of the season against the then-unbeaten New York Mets. Run support might be hard to come by, but Kevin Correia certainly did his best to keep the Pirates in the game when he held the Dodgers to just one run in his first start, a no-decision.
Drew Pomeranz cruised through four scoreless innings in a Double-A tune up on Tuesday. He should be a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year honors, but early on will likely be held to strict innings count in the majors.
Jerome Williams returns from a rehab stint in Class-A right into a nationally televised affair in Yankee Stadium. He'll also be wearing No. 42 for the night, in tribute to Jackie Robinson. No pressure.
AL risks: Rick Porcello is 2-4 with a 6.91 ERA when facing the Chicago White Sox. Blake Beavan is 1-2 with a 7.56 ERA in games with the Oakland Athletics wielding the bats. Brian Matusz not only struggled in his first start of the year, but is 0-2 with an 18.56 ERA against the Toronto Blue Jays for his career.
Hitter matchup ratings for April 14
| Overall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7 | 2 | 5 | | 10 | 9 | 9 | 5 | |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | |
| 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |
| 4 | 7 | 1 | 4 | | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
| 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | |
| 9 | 8 | 8 | 4 | | 8 | 6 | 7 | 4 | |
| 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | |
| 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | | 8 | 10 | 5 | 6 | |
| 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | |
| 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | | 9 | 10 | 2 | 6 | |
| 5 | 7 | 3 | 6 | | 6 | 10 | 3 | 7 | |
| 10 | 9 | 10 | 6 | | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | |
| 5 | 7 | 2 | 5 | | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | |
| 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | |
Hitter ratings account for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. "LHB" and "RHB" ratings account only for left- and right-handed batters, respectively. OPS is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent.
Hitter matchup ratings for April 15
| Overall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | 6 | 5 | | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | |
| 7 | 2 | 7 | 6 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
| 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | | 8 | 1 | 10 | 6 | |
| 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | | 7 | 10 | 1 | 7 | |
| 8 | 9 | 4 | 5 | | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | |
| 7 | 4 | 7 | 4 | | 3 | 5 | 1 | 5 | |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 3 | | 7 | 1 | 8 | 5 | |
| 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | |
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | | 9 | 1 | 10 | 7 | |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | |
| 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | |
| 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | | 10 | 5 | 10 | 5 | |
| 7 | 2 | 7 | 4 | | 7 | 8 | 5 | 3 | |
Hitter ratings account for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. "LHB" and "RHB" ratings account only for left- and right-handed batters, respectively. OPS is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent.
• Ichiro Suzuki has a 69.3 percent stolen base success rate against the Oakland Athletics, his lowest percentage against a single team (min. 10 attempts).
• Joe Mauer is hitting .248 in 214 career at-bats against the Texas Rangers, his lowest batting average against any team (min. 50 AB).
• Rays OF Matt Joyce is 29-for-149 (.195) with 56 strikeouts lifetime against left-handed pitchers.
• Alex Gonzalez has hit 16 career HR at Turner Field, most of any active ballpark
• Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz has a 1.81 ERA in eight career starts against the Rays, striking out 48 batters in 49.2 innings pitched.
• Jemile Weeks hit .176 in 51 at-bats last season against Mariners' pitching. He scored only three runs and failed to drive in a run over his 51 at-bats.
• Rays 1B Carlos Pena is 2-for-15 (.133) with four strikeouts lifetime against Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz.
• Aramis Ramirez is 6-for-9 career (1 HR) vs. Mike Minor and he has hit .357 with a .992 OPS in his career at Turner Field.
• Alex Rodriguez is just 1-for-13 (.077) with three strikeouts in his career against Angels lefty C.J. Wilson
• Alex Gordon is 3-for-13 (.231) with three strikeouts career vs. Jeanmar Gomez. Billy Butler, however, is 4-for-9 (.444) with three walks and one strikeout against Gomez in his career.
• Scott Rolen is 3-for-7 (.429) with a home run in his career against Nationals right-hander Edwin Jackson.
• Baltimore third baseman Mark Reynolds is 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his career against Toronto starter Henderson Alvarez.
• St. Louis' Matt Holliday is 6-for-11 with two doubles in career vs. Chicago's Chris Volstad.
• Tigers OF Brennan Boesch and C Alex Avila are a combined 1-for-22 (.045) with nine strikeouts lifetime against White Sox starter Gavin Floyd.
• Neftali Feliz has a 1.36 career road ERA with a 10.5 K/9 ratio, compared to a 3.25 home ERA with a 7.7 K/9 ratio. He pitches on the road against Minnesota on Sunday.
• Jeff Francoeur is 3-for-19 (.158) lifetime against Ubaldo Jimenez with three strikeouts, but two of his three career hits were home runs.
• Jay Bruce is 0-for-7 with three strikeouts and two walks in his career against Ross Detwiler.
• White Sox 1B Paul Konerko is 7-for-17 (.412) with one home run and two doubles lifetime against Tigers starter Rick Porcello.
• Blue Jays' starter Kyle Drabek has struggled at home in his career with Toronto. He is 2-5 with a 6.27 ERA in 13 games at the Rogers Centre.
• Peter Bourjos is 4-for-5 with a home run against Yankees' starter Ivan Nova.
• Carlos Beltran is 8-for-20 (.400) with two homers and two doubles off Paul Maholm.
• Alfonso Soriano 3-for-25 career vs. Jake Westbrook, with no extra-base hits. The .120 slugging percentage is his lowest against any pitcher he's faced 25-plus times.
Jeff Keppinger, 2B, Rays: Has now hit cleanup both times the Rays have faced southpaws this season.
Tim Hudson, P, Braves: Allowed five runs and nine hits in four innings of rehab work in Class A. He is still on track for a May return.
Johnny Damon, DH, Indians: Has reportedly signed a deal with the team and should be added to the 40-man roster once he is deemed to be in game shape.
Brian Wilson, P, Giants: Day-to-day after hurting his ankle while picking up a save on Thursday; Sergio Romo might be used as the closer while Wilson can't go.
Jose Lobaton, P, Rays: Left Thursday's game with a sore shoulder; will be examined by team doctors.
Scott Downs, P, Angels: Left Thursday's game with a right ankle contusion; will undergo MRI.
Jed Lowrie, SS, Astros: Will be activated from the DL on Friday with Brian Bixler sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Kyle Seager, 3B, Mariners: Started at second base on Thursday, indicating that the team is looking for ways to keep his bat in the lineup as players start to come off DL.
Octavio Dotel, P, Tigers: Day-to-day with a stiff back.
David Wright, 3B, Mets: Could return to action Friday, as doctors have cleared him to resume baseball activities. However, Mets may opt to put him on DL if Friday workouts go poorly.
Lorenzo Cain, OF, Royals: Placed on 15-day DL with a strained left groin. Jarrod Dyson was recalled from Triple-A Omaha, but Jason Bourgeois should be the one to take his at-bats.
Carlos Peguero, OF, Mariners: Underwent knee surgery and should be out a minimum of four to six weeks.
Lance Berkman, 1B, Cardinals: MRI results revealed a minor muscle tear in his left calf. A DL stint appears unlikely, but he will probably sit out all weekend.
Ryan Madson, P, Reds: Had his Tommy John surgery and initial reports deemed the procedure a "success." He is out for the entire 2012 season.
- AJ Mass is a fantasy football, baseball and college basketball analyst for ESPN.com.
- Author; How Fantasy Sports Explains the World.

