Fantasy daily notes for July 25
Click through for information on specific matchups and injuries for the day's games.
Starting pitcher rankings for July 25
| Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Jered Weaver | R | KC | 9 | 12-1 | 2.20 | 0.95 | 3-0 | 2.45 | 1.00 |
| 2 |  | Stephen Strasburg | R | @NYM | 9 | 10-4 | 2.85 | 1.15 | 1-1 | 3.12 | 1.56 |
| 3 |  | David Price | L | @BAL | 8 | 13-4 | 2.64 | 1.17 | 2-0 | 1.27 | 0.94 |
| 4 |  | Ryan Dempster | R | @PIT | 7 | 5-4 | 2.11 | 1.05 | 2-1 | 2.12 | 1.18 |
| 5 |  | Jake Peavy | R | MIN | 9 | 7-7 | 3.22 | 1.04 | 1-2 | 4.64 | 1.31 |
| 6 |  | Tim Lincecum | R | SD | 9 | 4-10 | 5.72 | 1.49 | 1-2 | 6.23 | 1.48 |
| 7 |  | Kyle Lohse | R | LAD | 6 | 10-2 | 2.71 | 1.10 | 2-0 | 2.25 | 1.00 |
| 8 |  | Homer Bailey | R | @HOU | 6 | 9-6 | 3.74 | 1.27 | 3-0 | 1.59 | 1.06 |
| 9 |  | Max Scherzer | R | @CLE | 4 | 9-5 | 4.61 | 1.40 | 2-0 | 2.84 | 1.26 |
| 10 |  | Ricky Romero | L | OAK | 6 | 8-6 | 5.22 | 1.50 | 0-3 | 4.50 | 1.61 |
| 11 |  | A.J. Griffin | R | @TOR | 8 | 2-0 | 2.70 | 1.00 | 2-0 | 3.50 | 1.22 |
| 12 |  | Tommy Hanson | R | @MIA | 7 | 10-5 | 4.50 | 1.41 | 1-0 | 9.37 | 1.84 |
| 13 |  | Aaron Harang | R | @STL | 3 | 7-5 | 3.46 | 1.38 | 2-0 | 2.37 | 0.84 |
| 14 |  | Ricky Nolasco | R | ATL | 5 | 8-8 | 4.55 | 1.36 | 1-2 | 4.15 | 1.56 |
| 15 |  | Kevin Correia | R | CHC | 4 | 7-6 | 4.31 | 1.29 | 3-0 | 4.24 | 1.24 |
| 16 |  | Vance Worley | R | MIL | 5 | 5-6 | 3.82 | 1.39 | 1-2 | 6.75 | 1.81 |
| 17 |  | Ivan Nova | R | @SEA | 5 | 10-4 | 4.10 | 1.41 | 1-2 | 4.38 | 1.54 |
| 18 |  | Josh Beckett | R | @TEX | 3 | 5-8 | 4.53 | 1.25 | 1-1 | 6.88 | 1.76 |
| 19 |  | Marco Estrada | R | @PHI | 5 | 0-4 | 4.10 | 1.04 | 0-1 | 3.32 | 0.88 |
| 20 |  | Derek Holland | L | BOS | 2 | 6-5 | 4.84 | 1.29 | 1-1 | 3.98 | 1.18 |
| 21 |  | Trevor Cahill | R | COL | 5 | 8-8 | 3.77 | 1.32 | 2-1 | 4.58 | 1.42 |
| 22 |  | Miguel Gonzalez | R | TB | 4 | 2-1 | 2.61 | 1.29 | 2-1 | 2.79 | 1.29 |
| 23 |  | Derek Lowe | R | DET | 2 | 8-8 | 5.04 | 1.63 | 1-2 | 9.00 | 2.00 |
| 24 |  | Luke Hochevar | R | @LAA | 3 | 6-8 | 4.91 | 1.35 | 1-0 | 3.18 | 1.06 |
| 25 |  | Jeff Francis | L | @ARI | 2 | 2-2 | 5.24 | 1.43 | 1-1 | 4.95 | 1.35 |
| 26 |  | Hisashi Iwakuma | R | NYY | 1 | 1-2 | 4.86 | 1.42 | 0-1 | 4.91 | 1.55 |
| 27 |  | Bud Norris | R | CIN | 4 | 5-8 | 5.33 | 1.47 | 0-3 | 7.27 | 1.73 |
| 28 |  | Jason Marquis | R | @SF | 2 | 5-9 | 5.58 | 1.62 | 2-1 | 4.84 | 1.52 |
| 29 |  | Nick Blackburn | R | @CHW | 1 | 4-5 | 7.46 | 1.70 | 0-0 | 5.91 | 1.50 |
| 30 |  | Jeremy Hefner | R | WAS | 2 | 1-3 | 5.85 | 1.36 | 0-0 | 13.50 | 2.70 |
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 provides another night of big names, with 10 pitchers taking the mound that are owned in at least 94 percent of ESPN.com fantasy leagues (Jered Weaver, Stephen Strasburg, David Price, Ryan Dempster, Jake Peavy, Tim Lincecum, Kyle Lohse, Max Scherzer, Tommy Hanson and Ivan Nova). However, there are also seven much less accomplished pitchers owned in 0-to-1 percent of ESPN.com leagues that are certainly not worth the risk. As always, these Daily Notes will focus on the lesser-owned pitchers that you actually want on your team. These four hurlers are all owned in less than one-third of ESPN.com leagues, so they are likely still available on your waiver wire:
Homer Bailey (32 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) must feel confident about earning his 10th win of the season when he takes the mound at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday. In his previous two starts in Houston, both last season, Bailey allowed just one run in 15 innings, striking out nine and posting an 0.87 WHIP. In five career starts against the Houston Astros, he is 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 3.3 K-to-BB ratio in these 33 2/3 innings. And in case you haven't looked at the standings lately, the 'Stros are three games worse than any other team in the majors after a 2-20 stretch, scoring three runs or fewer in 17 of these 22 contests. With Bailey posting a perfect 4-0 record with a 1.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 27 K's and 3 BBs so far in July, he's a no-brainer start in any fantasy format on Wednesday.
A.J. Griffin (3 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) doesn't have an overly favorable matchup facing the Toronto Blue Jays (third in majors in runs) on the road, but he has thrown five quality starts in five tries this season. This includes facing the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, three of the top five scoring teams in the majors. Griffin held these three high-powered offenses to a mere four runs and 13 hits in 18 innings. With a 2.25 ERA in two road starts, he should not be fazed by the sparse crowd at Rogers Centre on Wednesday. Start Griffin in the majority of fantasy formats on Wednesday.
Aaron Harang (3 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) has been a road warrior since June 1, going 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 6.8 K/9 in five starts, which includes appearances in Colorado, Philadelphia and Los Angeles versus the Angels. On Wednesday, he faces a St. Louis Cardinals team that has lost eight straight meetings with the Dodgers and has scored three runs or less in seven of 10 games since the All-Star break. His mound opponent, Kyle Lohse, has been tough this season, but Lohse carries a 5.36 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 42 career innings against the Dodgers. Considering the four-game road win streak that the Dodgers are currently enjoying (7.0 runs per game, .343 OBP, .426 SLG), Harang should get enough run support to make him worthy of a start in deeper formats on Wednesday.
Kevin Correia (2 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) is a great win candidate on Wednesday when his Pittsburgh Pirates, with the best home record in baseball (32-15, .681), face the Chicago Cubs, whose 15-35 road mark is the second-worst in the majors. His mound opponent, Ryan Dempster (unless he gets traded to the Atlanta Braves), presents a tough matchup, but he has never enjoyed facing the Pirates in his career, carrying a 5.39 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 172 innings against them. Pittsburgh is absolutely raking at PNC Park this month. Even with Monday's shutout loss, the Bucs are 9-2 in July home games, producing a slash of .288 BA/.339 OBP/.500 SLG. Correia's numbers aren't eye-popping, but his 4.15 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in his past 10 starts have been good enough to give him a 6-1 record and his team an 8-2 mark. For NL-only leagues, he's worth a play on Wednesday.
Hitter matchup ratings for July 25
| Overall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 10 | 4 | 10 | 2 | | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | |
| | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
| | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | | 1 | 5 | 1 | 9 | |
| | 7 | 1 | 8 | 4 | | 9 | 5 | 10 | 4 | |
| | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | | 6 | 10 | 3 | 4 | |
| | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | | 6 | 9 | 3 | 8 | |
| | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | |
| | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | |
| | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| | 8 | 9 | 6 | 4 | | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | |
| | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | | 7 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | | 7 | 9 | 3 | 3 | |
| | 8 | 10 | 4 | 7 | | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | |
| | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | |
| | 5 | 6 | 2 | 7 | | 10 | 4 | 10 | 6 | |
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.
• Jason Marquis has a 3.56 ERA in his career at AT&T Park, his fourth-lowest ERA in any park (minimum five starts).
• Bryan LaHair is hitting .353 with a .664 slugging percentage against righties on the road (.292 against righties at home).
• Stephen Strasburg has been solid on the road this season, going 6-2 with a 2.64 ERA and holding opponents to a .218 batting average.
• Chipper Jones is a great start against Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins. He has a career average of .341 with five doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs in 44 at-bats.
• Entering Tuesday, Mike Napoli is 16-for-40 (.400 BA) with nine home runs versus the Red Sox since 2011.
• Since returning from the DL on July 13, Nick Markakis is 17-for-47 (.362 BA) with four doubles. Markakis will face David Price on Wednesday, against whom he has eight hits in 26 career at-bats (.308 BA).
• A.J. Pierzynski is 16-for-45 (.356 BA) with three doubles in his career against Twins starter Nick Blackburn.
• In his past five starts, Ricky Romero is 0-5 with an 8.33 ERA, surrendering 40 hits and walking 16 while only striking out 15. Opponents are batting .354 with a slugging percentage of .566 in that timeframe.
• Kyle Lohse has struggled in his career against the Dodgers. In nine career games (seven starts), the Cardinals right-hander is 2-3 with 5.36 ERA, his second-worst mark against any National League team.
Ichiro Suzuki, OF, Yankees: Acquired from Seattle. He was traded to the Yankees on Monday for pitchers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar. Ichiro started in right field for New York, batting eighth in the lineup. Carlos Peguero started in right field for the Mariners.
Nick Swisher, OF, Yankees: Day-to-day, strained left hip flexor. He has not played since Friday and will probably not be healthy enough to appear in the series with Seattle, which concludes Wednesday.
Colby Lewis, SP, Rangers: Out for season, torn flexor tendon in elbow. He will undergo surgery later this week and will miss the remainder of the season. Martin Perez took his place in the rotation on Tuesday.
Erick Aybar, SS, Angels: Day-to-day, hairline fracture in foot. He hurt himself on Saturday fouling a ball of his foot, and could wind up on the DL. Maicer Izturis is replacing Aybar at shortstop.
Shane Victorino, Phillies: Day-to-day, bruised right elbow. He was hit by a pitch on Monday and left the game early. He was replaced by Juan Pierre in left field, while John Mayberry Jr. shifted over to Victorino's position in center field. Victorino could miss a couple more games.
Josh Johnson, SP, Marlins: Day-to-day, blister on pitching hand. He left Monday's game after six innings due to the irritation, but still expects to make his next start.
Cameron Maybin, OF, Padres: Day-to-day, sore wrist. He hasn't started since July 17, but the team isn't planning on giving him a DL stint. Maybin has been used as a pinch hitter and pinch runner during his absence from the starting lineup.
Placido Polanco, 3B, Phillies: Day-to-day, back stiffness. He did not play on Monday and was replaced by Ty Wigginton. Polanco could miss a couple more games.
Alexi Amarista, 2B, Padres: Day-to-day, jammed left thumb. He injured himself on a head-first slide Monday and was replaced in the outfield by Jesus Guzman.
Justin Smoak, 1B, Mariners: Demoted to Triple-A. Mike Carp will be activated from the DL on Tuesday and will be Seattle's regular first baseman.
Roy Oswalt, SP, Rangers: Day-to-day, back tightness. He did not pitch in his regularly scheduled start on Monday, but will likely take the mound on Sunday versus Chicago.
Hanley Ramirez, 3B, Marlins: Day-to-day, infection in right hand. He has not started since last Thursday because he can't grip a bat. He hurt himself by punching a dugout cooling fan and then failing to take his medication. Ramirez will likely miss at least a few more games until the infection subsides.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Twins: Day-to-day, bruised right thumb. He injured himself on Friday and hasn't played since. Plouffe expects to return to the lineup soon, and is being replaced by Jamey Carroll at the hot corner.
Jose Valverde, RP, Tigers: Day-to-day, stiff back. He was not available to close Sunday's game, and will likely not pitch for at least a couple more days.
Drew Pomeranz, SP, Rockies: Day-to-day, sore right arm. After feeling discomfort in his pitching arm after Friday's start, Colorado is skipping his next scheduled start. However, Pomeranz expects to make his next start on July 30.
Jesus Flores, C, Nationals: Day-to-day, sore back. He was unable to play on Monday, and will likely miss another game or two. Sandy Leon is his backup.
