Sleeper hitters for Week 3 (April 6-12)
The Rockies are scheduled to face their first left-hander over the weekend, at which point we'll discover if they intend to platoon TJ Rumfield, but it's a moot point in Week 3 as, once again, not a single left-hander is on the schedule. The Yankees castoff has piled up hits in the early going and will benefit from having the most favorable hitter matchups.
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Speaking of piling up hits, Daylen Lile carries a .407 batting average into the weekend, once again thriving on high contact and line drive rates. The Nationals fell just short of placing among the five best hitter matchups, scheduled to face pitchers like Andre Pallante, Matthew LIberatore, Michael McGreevy and Brandon Sproat.
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The Phillies' reclamation of Adolis Garcia is going well so far, with him already hitting a home run and impacting the ball at an average of 94.3 mph. That pop should play well against fly-ball and/or homer-prone pitchers like Robbie Ray, Tyler Mahle,Michael Soroka and Brandon Pfaadt.
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Carter Jensen slept through his alarm Thursday and was excluded from the lineup as a result, but otherwise, he's started every game for the Royals. It's why you could justify using him even in a utility spot with matchups as favorable as the Royals have this week.
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Despite his slow start, TJ Friedl continues to lead off every game for the Reds and has the sort of matchups this week that could help him find his footing finally. Not only is he facing hittable pitchers like Janson Junk, Max Meyer, Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson, but everyone on the schedule throws right-handed, which, at least in recent years, has made a difference for him.
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Even all the lefties the Phillies have faced early on haven't prevented the left-handed-hitting Justin Crawford from piling up hits the way he did in the minors. Five of the six pitchers on the schedule this week are righties, and between Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle, Brandon Pfaadt and Zac Gallen, they're not the most bat-missing bunch.
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Otto Lopez has been an early standout for the Marlins, collecting multiple extra-base hits and showing a willingness to run, which makes him the likeliest choice (among those widely available, anyway) to take advantage of the team's fourth-best hitter matchups. You could make a case instead for Owen Caissie or Liam Hicks if not for the fact that three of the seven pitchers on tap throw left-handed.
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Colt Keith has been one of the biggest gainers in bat speed so far, and though it hasn't translated to more home runs yet, the expected stats paint a promising picture. The Tigers face nothing but righties in their seven games this week, which matters for a guy who hit .163 with a .403 OPS against lefties last year.
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Jordan Walker's early exit velocity readings are off the charts, verging on a 98 mph average, and he's doing a better job of elevating the ball than in years past as well. Those could be early indicators that the 23-year-old is finally on the verge of maxing out his potential, small though the sample is, and the Cardinals' matchups this week are favorable enough for you to put that idea to the test.
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Jake McCarthy has settled into the leadoff spot for the Rockies, and while he has yet to do much at the plate, he hasn't gotten a turn at Coors Field yet. That changes this weekend and continues into Week 3 with a series against the Astros. The seven righties on the schedule for the Rockies should ensure that the left-handed-hitting McCarthy remains in the lineup.
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