Fantasy notes for June 27
Click through for information on specific matchups, injuries and weather for the day's games.
Starting pitcher rankings for June 27
| Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Jered Weaver | R | @BAL | 8 | 7-1 | 2.40 | 0.91 | 1-0 | 0.00 | 0.67 |
| 2 |  | Chris Sale | L | @MIN | 10 | 8-2 | 2.24 | 0.96 | 1-0 | 2.08 | 0.92 |
| 3 |  | Zack Greinke | R | @CIN | 7 | 8-2 | 2.81 | 1.18 | 2-0 | 1.45 | 0.87 |
| 4 |  | Tommy Hanson | R | ARI | 7 | 8-4 | 3.54 | 1.36 | 2-0 | 2.95 | 1.25 |
| 5 |  | Jarrod Parker | R | @SEA | 10 | 3-3 | 2.70 | 1.23 | 1-1 | 3.50 | 1.28 |
| 6 |  | Jon Lester | L | TOR | 7 | 4-5 | 4.48 | 1.37 | 1-1 | 3.71 | 1.35 |
| 7 |  | Andy Pettitte | L | CLE | 8 | 3-3 | 3.29 | 1.10 | 1-1 | 3.08 | 1.06 |
| 8 |  | Jonathon Niese | L | @CHC | 4 | 5-3 | 3.75 | 1.27 | 1-1 | 2.66 | 1.18 |
| 9 |  | Matt Moore | L | @KC | 7 | 4-5 | 4.13 | 1.38 | 2-0 | 3.00 | 1.00 |
| 10 |  | Tim Lincecum | R | LAD | 9 | 2-8 | 6.07 | 1.54 | 0-2 | 6.75 | 1.46 |
| 11 |  | Jason Hammel | R | LAA | 5 | 8-2 | 2.61 | 1.12 | 2-0 | 1.61 | 0.96 |
| 12 |  | Roy Oswalt | R | DET | 6 | 1-0 | 1.35 | 1.50 | 1-0 | 1.35 | 1.50 |
| 13 |  | Clayton Richard | L | @HOU | 6 | 5-7 | 3.95 | 1.29 | 3-1 | 2.67 | 1.30 |
| 14 |  | Jordan Zimmermann | R | @COL | 5 | 3-6 | 2.89 | 1.12 | 0-1 | 3.12 | 1.19 |
| 15 |  | James McDonald | R | @PHI | 6 | 6-3 | 2.19 | 0.95 | 1-1 | 2.37 | 0.95 |
| 16 |  | Lucas Harrell | R | SD | 6 | 6-6 | 4.77 | 1.35 | 2-2 | 4.91 | 1.05 |
| 17 |  | Doug Fister | R | @TEX | 5 | 1-4 | 2.72 | 1.25 | 1-1 | 1.50 | 1.08 |
| 18 |  | Trevor Cahill | R | @ATL | 7 | 6-5 | 3.47 | 1.26 | 3-0 | 3.54 | 1.18 |
| 19 |  | Chad Billingsley | R | @SF | 7 | 4-6 | 4.15 | 1.40 | 2-2 | 4.32 | 1.28 |
| 20 |  | Ubaldo Jimenez | R | @NYY | 6 | 7-5 | 4.59 | 1.55 | 2-1 | 2.05 | 1.06 |
| 21 |  | Ricky Romero | L | @BOS | 4 | 8-1 | 4.34 | 1.34 | 2-0 | 5.25 | 1.50 |
| 22 |  | Anibal Sanchez | R | STL | 5 | 3-6 | 3.94 | 1.21 | 0-3 | 8.06 | 1.66 |
| 23 |  | Homer Bailey | R | MIL | 4 | 5-5 | 4.20 | 1.34 | 1-2 | 5.48 | 1.57 |
| 24 |  | Kevin Millwood | R | OAK | 4 | 3-6 | 4.02 | 1.39 | 0-1 | 4.50 | 1.38 |
| 25 |  | Joe Kelly | R | @MIA | 1 | 1-0 | 3.52 | 1.63 | 1-0 | 3.52 | 1.63 |
| 26 |  | Jeff Samardzija | R | NYM | 4 | 5-6 | 4.34 | 1.37 | 0-3 | 10.29 | 1.86 |
| 27 |  | Raul Valdes | L | PIT | 7 | 2-0 | 1.84 | 0.61 | 0-0 | 0.00 | 0.50 |
| 28 |  | Everett Teaford | L | TB | 4 | 0-1 | 5.73 | 1.64 | -- | -- | -- |
| 29 |  | Nick Blackburn | R | CHW | 1 | 4-4 | 7.45 | 1.73 | 3-0 | 6.00 | 1.67 |
| 30 |  | Josh Outman | L | WAS | 2 | 0-3 | 8.64 | 1.68 | 0-2 | 10.06 | 1.88 |
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.
Rankings notes
Wednesday's docket is loaded with ace arms. Eleven of the 30 pitchers are owned in every single ESPN.com fantasy league (Zack Greinke, Chris Sale, Ricky Romero, Jon Lester, Matt Moore, Tim Lincecum, Jered Weaver, Jason Hammel, James McDonald, Tommy Hanson and Jordan Zimmermann). Three others are owned in more than 80 percent of ESPN.com fantasy leagues (Anibal Sanchez, Andy Pettitte and Doug Fister), and Roy Oswalt (72 percent) will likely surpass 80 percent soon. That leaves half the starters who are still likely to be available on your waiver wire, but only four of them are worth playing on Wednesday in standard-sized leagues:
Jarrod Parker is a regular in my Daily Notes, and he will remain that way until he's owned in well more than the paltry 34 percent of ESPN.com leagues that currently have him on a roster. In 11 starts this year, only twice has Parker allowed more than two runs. His 6.6 K/9 rate this season isn't mind-blowing, but he's fanned at least four batters in six consecutive starts, tallying 32 K's in 39 innings (7.4 K/9). He has a 1.85 ERA and .191 opponents' BA during these six starts, which is not too shabby for a 23-year-old on a bad team. Parker also has a favorable matchup Wednesday at Safeco Field against a Seattle Mariners team that has a major league-worst slash of .203/.282/.302 in its home park. The M's are slugging .279 during a current 3-11 stretch at Safeco.
Jonathon Niese (26 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) is curiously available in nearly three-fourths of ESPN.com leagues. In four June starts, he's 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and an incredible 7.0 K/BB (28 K's, 4 BB's). These four starts came against the New York Yankees (twice), Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, who are all among the top eight teams in the majors in slugging. On Wednesday, Niese will face the worst team in the majors, the Chicago Cubs, who will send struggling Jeff Samardzija (8.53 ERA, 2.00 WHIP in June) to the mound. All this adds up to an optimal win opportunity for the surging southpaw Niese.
Unlike Niese, who is shutting down good offenses, Clayton Richard (5 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) is on a roll due to a weak crop of hitters in the opposing batter's box (Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics). In these past three starts, two against the M's, Richard is 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Fortunately, Richard will face another underwhelming offense on Wednesday, the Houston Astros. The 'Stros have been on a power surge in their past three games, with 22 runs and eight homers, but they scored just one run in their previous three contests at Minute Maid Park. Richard may not walk off the field with a win, but he should throw a quality start.
Richard's mound opponent, Lucas Harrell (1 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership), has been money in Houston this season. In six starts at Minute Maid Park, Harrell is 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and .228 opponents' BA. In his latest start against the Cleveland Indians, Harrell threw seven masterful innings, allowing just one run on two hits, three walks and nine strikeouts. With the San Diego Padres coming to town with their league-worst .351 slugging percentage, Harrell is in good position to produce another gem at the Juice Box.
Hitter matchup ratings for June 27
| Overall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 3 | 5 | 1 | 8 | | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |
| | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | | 7 | 10 | 4 | 10 | |
| | 6 | 10 | 3 | 6 | | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | |
| | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | |
| | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | |
| | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | | 5 | 10 | 1 | 4 | |
| | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
| | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | | 7 | 8 | 4 | 7 | |
| | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | |
| | 6 | 1 | 7 | 6 | | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |
| | 3 | 10 | 1 | 5 | | 7 | 4 | 7 | 5 | |
| | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | |
| | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| | 10 | 10 | 6 | 1 | | 10 | 1 | 10 | 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.
• Rickie Weeks is 10-for-19 (.526) with a home run and four walks in his career against Homer Bailey. His 10 hits against Bailey are two more than any other hitter has.
• Anibal Sanchez is 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA in eight home starts this season, allowing 19 extra-base hits. In six road starts, Sanchez is 2-1 with a 2.21 ERA and has allowed just six extra-base hits.
• Jeff Samardzija has a 2.36 ERA in six home starts and a 6.37 ERA in eight road starts this season.
• Ricky Romero has a 6.45 ERA in 14 career starts against the Red Sox, his highest against any team (minimum two starts).
• Entering Tuesday, David Murphy has a career .288 batting average and .482 slugging percentage against right-handed pitching. Against Doug Fister, Murphy is 6-for-16 (.375) with two home runs.
• Entering Tuesday, Kendrys Morales is hitting .192 with two home runs on the road this season. At home, he's hitting .317 with six home runs.
• Entering Tuesday, the Indians are hitting .215 against left-handed pitching, worst among American League teams.
• Lucas Harrell is 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA at home this season and 2-5 with a 6.36 ERA on the road.
• Entering Tuesday, Dexter Fowler is hitting .406 (28-for-69) with seven home runs and four triples at home this season against right-handed pitchers.
Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies: May return to the field later this week. Utley has been out all season with a knee injury.
Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros: Day-to-day, strained right hamstring. He left Sunday's game after running to first base and was replaced by Brian Bixler. Altuve is expected to miss one or two more games.
Jose Valverde, RP, Tigers: Day-to-day, sprained wrist. He has not pitched since June 15, but is expected to be available for Tuesday's game.
Alex Avila, C, Tigers: Day-to-day, knee soreness. He was diagnosed with patellar tendinitis and should be able to play on Tuesday.
Marco Scutaro, SS, Rockies: Day-to-day, head. He was hit by a pitch in the helmet on Monday, but did not suffer a concussion. He is not expected to miss more than one or two games.
Rod Barajas, C, Pirates: Day-to-day, bone bruise on left knee. He left Monday's game early and will likely miss at least the next couple of days.
Henderson Alvarez, SP, Blue Jays: Day-to-day, sore right elbow. He was pulled from Monday's start and will undergo an MRI Tuesday to determine the severity of his injury.
Yonder Alonso, 1B, Padres: Day-to-day, strained knee. He was scratched for Sunday's game, but is expected to miss only a couple more games.
Craig Gentry, OF, Rangers: Day-to-day, sprained right ankle. He left Saturday's game after three innings after aggravating the injury he sustained on Friday night. He'll likely return to action in the early part of this week.
Russell Martin, C, Yankees: Day-to-day, tightness in back. He left Saturday's game with his injury, but will probably return to action early this week.
