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You probably don't need a sleeper hitter for Week 1.
That's also true for sleeper pitchers, which you'll find in a separate article, but it's especially true for hitters, who aren't as susceptible to matchups and are harder to predict in one-week increments.
But maybe you've already been hit with the injury bug. Maybe you play in a league with deeper lineups and don't have a trustworthy starter for every spot. I can see why you might need a sleeper hitter for Week 1, just ... probably not.
Regardless, I have sleeper recommendations for you and will every week of the season. Note that I'll be limiting my selection to those rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
This first week actually requires two lists. With the season beginning on a Thursday, some leagues will choose to treat opening weekend as its own four-day scoring period (which is the CBS standard), but others will combine it with the first full week for an extra long 11-day scoring period. Rest assured that no matter how your league has opted to handle it, I have you covered.
Not only are the Diamondbacks one of the teams scheduled for four games opening weekend, but three of the four pitchers they're facing are left-handed. Lourdes Gurriel is a fine enough starter regardless, but he destroyed lefties last year to the tune of a .331 batting average and .885 OPS.
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Jorge Soler can be frustratingly streaky and injury-prone, but he's still in the upper quartile of how hard he hits the ball and put on a power display with five home runs in spring training. He'll also be facing the White Sox staff to open the year.
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The Rockies aren't beginning the year at Coors Field, which means the Coors Field hangover isn't in play yet, which means their hitters won't need time to adjust to normal-elevation pitch movement. And Michael Toglia, as a slugger who generally hits from the left side, could fare particularly well at what I'm calling Swampbrenner Field, which has the same dimensions as Yankee Stadium but with Florida humidity.
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The Twins' projected leadoff hitter against right-handers has three on the schedule for opening weekend, and they're particularly squishy ones in Sonny Gray (check out his spring home run total), Erick Fedde, and Andre Pallante. Multiple homers are within the realm of possibility for Matt Wallner.
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Taylor Ward's consistently middling production might lead you to believe that he's unlikely to deliver the sort of one-week stat line that could win you a Head-to-Head matchup, but he has historically been at his best in April. Doesn't hurt that, like Soler, he'll be facing the White Sox pitching staff.
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The Red Sox seemed determined to put Kristian Campbell on the Opening Day roster no matter how he performed this spring, and while I'm concerned he's not ready to take on major leaguers, the good news is that he'll be facing a couple of minor-league pitchers this week in Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker (if you'll forgive the sideways shade). Hopefully, Campbell starts all four games.
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Performance has been less the concern for Trevor Story than health since he joined the Red Sox in 2022, though it's true we don't know exactly who we're dealing with given his limited appearances during that time. You should probably take advantage of him while he's healthy, though, particularly since he's on one of the teams scheduled for four games.
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Start all your Red Sox? Well, they do have the top hitter matchups for this week, mostly because they're avoiding Jacob deGrom in their four-game slate. Ceddanne Rafaela should play all four games and genuinely did show improved plate discipline this spring, which is his biggest flaw. We'll see.
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The Cubs also have four games this week, but I'm guessing Michael Busch will sit out the one against a lefty. Still, the righty trio of Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt is more inviting than what most teams are putting out to begin the year.
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Max Kepler straight-up murdered the ball this spring after making some swing adjustments with hitting coach Kevin Long and comes into 2025 much healthier than a year ago. It's unclear if he'll start against left-hander MacKenzie Gore on opening day, so a lot is riding on his performance against Trevor Williams and Jake Irvin on Saturday and Sunday.
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Best hitter matchups for short Week 1
1. Red Sox @TEX4
2. Pirates @MIA4
3. Marlins PIT4
4. Rays COL3
5. Angels @CHW3
Worst hitter matchups for short Week 1
1. Reds SF3
2. Phillies @WAS3
3. Tigers @LAD3
4. Cardinals MIN3
5. Guardians @KC3
Not only are the Diamondbacks facing the most left-handers in the four-game slate (three) but they also are in the 11-game slate (five). Again, Gurriel was a lefty masher last year and generally has been throughout his career.
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The Angels are facing the White Sox on opening weekend, and somehow their matchups get even better from there, with pitchers like Miles Mikolas, Matthew Liberatore, Luis Ortiz and Ben Lively on the schedule in the days that follow. A home run binge could be forthcoming for Jorge Soler, and frankly, Taylor Ward deserves a mention here as well.
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As I've said, road games aren't quite as debilitating for Rockies hitters before the Coors Field hangover has taken effect, and in the case of Michael Toglia, he hit 17 of last year's 25 homers on the road anyway. Notably, Taijuan Walker is one of the probable starters in that Phillies series.
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There are no left-handers on the schedule for the Twins' first three games, and there's only one on the schedule for their first nine, which includes a three-game series at the White Sox. Even if Matt Wallner's power stroke doesn't come through, he should draw plenty of walks and score plenty of runs batting atop that lineup.
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Jonathan Aranda is likely to sit against left-handers to begin the year, but there's only one on the schedule for the 11-day scoring period in which the Rays have the fourth-best hitter matchups. He's long overdue for an extended MLB look, given his minor-league production.
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Best hitter matchups for long Week 1
1. Blue Jays BAL4, WAS3, @NYM3
2. Angels @CHW3, @STL3, CLE3
3. Red Sox @TEX4, @BAL3, STL3
4. Pirates @MIA4, @TB3, NYY3
5. Rays COL3, PIT3, @TEX3
Worst hitter matchups for long Week 1
1. Dodgers DET3, ATL3, @PHI3
2. Giants @CIN3, @HOU3, SEA3
3. Padres ATL4, CLE3, @CHC3
4. Nationals PHI3, @TOR3, ARI3
5. Orioles @TOR4, BOS3, @KC3
