Fantasy owners know all about which players are second-half performers and which aren't, so Splitsville is back to concentrating on the current scoring period's splits in Week 16. The All-Star break is in the books and baseball is back in full swing with its first full week of action since the mid-summer classic.
Pennant races will start heating up and we don't just mean in the majors. Fantasy owners are now in the stretch run and Splitsville should now more than ever become required reading. And now, on to the Week 16 splits.
Five Strikes (Positive Splits)
Ted Lilly, SP, Chicago Cubs/Brett Myers,
SP, Astros
Upcoming Schedule: Houston at Chicago Cubs on
July 21
They have a combined record of 10-14 on the season with a
combined ERA of around 4.00, but the splits say this July 21 game
featuring the Astros and Cubs from Wrigley Field is going to be one heck
of a pitchers' duel. Myers has gone 8-3 for his career against the Cubs
and has a 2.63 ERA over 14 appearances with 75 strikeouts through 78 2/3
innings. He's even been pretty good at Wrigley, where he's gone 3-2 over
his career with a 1.89 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 33 1/3 innings. Lilly
has likewise dominated the Astros over his career. He has a 7-1 record
against them with a 2.49 ERA with 51 Ks over 65 innings over 10
appearances. Lilly hasn't pitched against Houston this season but went
4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts last year. Lilly has been a
disappointment this season and Myers pitches for a terrible team, but it
seems the stars could align for the hurlers to dominate in Chicago on
Wednesday of Week 16.
Pablo Sandoval, 3B, Giants
Upcoming Schedule:
Three games at L.A. Dodgers, four games at Arizona
Sandoval has
struggled this season and the career .311 hitter is batting just .264.
The Giants are winning right now and would love to get Kung-Fu Panda's
bat hot. The splits say Week 16 could be the beginning of a nice little
hot streak as Sandoval has some favorable matchups. He's just a .255
hitter at Dodger Stadium but he has hit one of his six homers on the
season there. Plus, he's a .292 hitter against the Dodgers overall.
Still, his most impressive numbers come in Arizona. Sandoval hits better
at Chase Field than any other stadium in the majors. His .475 batting
average there is almost 50 points higher than his next closest average
and it is 133 points higher than his next best with at least 10 games
played. Sandoval has gone 28 for 59 in Arizona with two homers, 14 RBI
and a .712 slugging percentage. The Diamondbacks afford him his highest
batting average against any National League opponent overall at .417
over 108 at-bats. His next highest batting average against a team in
which he's seen at least 100 at-bats is .302 against San Diego over 129
at-bats.
Ryan Spilborghs, OF, Rockies
Upcoming Schedule:
Four games at Florida, three games at Philadelphia
With Brad Hawpe playing at little first base with Todd Helton out, Spilborghs could see some added at-bats in Week 16.
That is great news for his Fantasy value considering Dolphin Stadium and
Citizens Bank Park, the two venues he'll be playing in this week,
provide him with some of his best career numbers. Batting .260 on the
season with eight homers and 17 RBI over 173 at-bats, Spilborghs could
be a nice play this scoring period as he's a career .375 hitter in
Florida. He's been even better in Philadelphia and has an average of
.406 for his career there with two homers and six RBI over 32 at-bats.
Overall, Spilborghs is a career .322 hitter against the Marlins and hits
.423 against the Phillies over 52 at-bats with three homers and 12 RBI.
Matt Garza/Wade Davis, SPs,
Rays
Upcoming Schedule: July 20 start at Baltimore
(Garza); July 19 start at Baltimore, July 25 start at Cleveland
The
Rays are playing three games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Week 16
and that usually bodes well for solid performances all around. Garza is
the starter you most want active against them as he's made six career
starts in Baltimore and is 5-0 with a 3.00 ERA. Garza has made one start
against the Orioles in Baltimore this season and allowed just one run
over eight solid innings. He is 2-0 against the Orioles this season with
two runs allowed over 16 innings with 14 strikeouts and is 8-1 for his
career against the Birds with a 2.48 ERA in 10 starts. Garza dominates
few teams like he does the Orioles but Davis pitched a gem in Baltimore
last season and is 2-0 against them over two starts with a 0.56 ERA and
13 strikeouts in 16 innings. As a two-start pitcher in Week 16, Davis
also defeated Cleveland in his only turn against them this season with
two runs allowed over seven innings. On the offensive side, the hitter
you want to start for the Rays against the O's is Jason Bartlett. Bartlett is a career .367 hitter at Camden Yards over
120 at-bats with a .983 OPS. If he can get back on track against any
pitching staff, it is Baltimore's.
Drew Stubbs, OF, Reds
Upcoming Schedule: Four
games vs. Washington, three games at Houston
Stubbs is trying to get
his season going as his batting average remains under .250 at this
point. He has been a solid Rotisserie option as he's in the top 10 in
the National League in stolen bases and his 11 homers and 43 RBI are
also solid numbers. His numbers should get a little more solid in Week
16 thanks to facing two of his favorite opponents. Stubbs has a higher
batting average against the Nationals than any other team in the
National League at .364, and he's been even better against the Astros
this season. Stubbs is a career .295 hitter versus Houston but is 8 for
18 (.444) on the season with three stolen bases, a double, triple, homer
and three RBI over six games. Stubbs has gone 4 for 9 (.444) at Minute
Maid Park this year and it's the location of all three steals.
Five 7-10 Splits (Negative Splits)
Alex Gonzalez, SS, Braves
Upcoming Schedule:
Three games vs. San Diego, three games at Florida
The recently-traded
Gonzalez has gone 2 for 6 with a double thus far with his new team and
has been one of the best Fantasy shortstops all year with 17 homers and
50 RBI. Still, as he is in the middle of a transition to a new league,
he could have a tendency to struggle against pitchers he hasn't seen
very often. In Week 16 Gonzalez has the misfortune of facing the two
National League clubs that he's historically struggled against more than
any others. Over 14 at-bats against the Fish, Gonzalez is a .143 hitter
with just two base hits == one double == and two strikeouts for a .357
OPS. He's seen far more at-bats against the Padres, 199 to be exact, and
is just a .176 hitter with a .296 slugging percentage and a .233 on-base
percentage. The guy he was traded for, Yunel Escobar, faces the Tigers and Royals in Week 16 on the road.
Those two teams just happen to provide his lowest batting averages
against all other teams in the majors expect for Toronto, for which he
now plays.
Nelson Cruz, OF, Rangers
Upcoming Schedule: Three
games at Detroit, four games vs. L.A. Angels
Cruz has started the
second half of the season off with a bang as he went 5 for 9 with four
RBI in his first two games back. Week 16 brings two teams that have
always given him fits, however. Cruz has historically struggled against
the Angels and is just a career .228 hitter against them over 167
at-bats. His division rivals have held him in check this season as he's
yet to homer and has just four RBI against them over 20 plate
appearances. Cruz has also struggled over his career at Detroit's
Comerica Park. He's a .222 hitter in Detroit over 36 at-bats and that
comes with an on-base percentage of just .243 with an OPS of .688. In
fact, the Angels and Tigers are both among Cruz's four lowest OPS
against opponents.
Jeff Karstens, SP, Pirates
Upcoming Schedule:
July 19 start vs. Milwaukee, July 24 start vs. San Diego
With a 2-4
record and a 4.87 ERA on the year over 11 starts, we're here to tell you
that his two-start Week 16 is probably not the best time to give
Karstens a start in mixed Fantasy leagues. He might be pitching twice,
but he's never beaten either of the two opponents he'll face during the
scoring period. Karstens has never started against the Padres but has
faced them twice in his career. Over 2 1/3 innings, he's allowed five
earned runs and has a 19.29 ERA and an 0-1 record. Karstens has faced
the Brewers eight times and has made five starts against them. He's 0-2
and has a 4.01 ERA. Karstens has made two starts against the Brewers
this season and has allowed six earned runs on 11 hits and 10 walks over
12 1/3 innings. He's also given up three long balls against them in 2010.
Nick Markakis, OF, Orioles
Upcoming Schedule:
Three games vs. Tampa Bay, four games vs. Minnesota
Markakis has been
one of the few bright spots for the Orioles this season as he's among
the major-league leaders in doubles with 28 and a .305 batting average.
Markakis has been a .300 hitter since birth it seems but is facing two
of the teams he's struggled most against over the course of his career
and especially this season. Markakis is a career .282 and .283 hitter
against the Rays and Twins, respectively. But despite his batting
average over .300, Markakis is hitting just .238 on the year against
Tampa Bay with only two extra-base hits and zero RBI over 26 plate
appearances. The Rays have really had his number this season and the
same can be said about Minnesota. Markakis is batting just 3 for 15
(.200) against the Twins this year with zero extra-base hits and three
RBI. Markakis is hitting worse against the Twins than any other
major-league team in which he's seen at least 15 at-bats against and the
Rays are third on that list.
Jorge Cantu, 3B, Marlins
Upcoming Schedule: Four
games vs. Colorado, three games vs. Atlanta
Cantu has had a solid
season thus far but hasn't exactly been clicking at the plate of late
for the Fish. Unfortunatley for his Fantasy owners, Week 16 doesn't seem
to be a week in which he'll turn anything around. Cantu has been
horrendous this season against his two Week 16 opponents. The Rockies
and Braves have afforded Cantu next to nothing this season and are both
among his four lowest batting averages against any National League team.
Cantu has gone 2 for 12 (.167) against the Rockies with two RBI and a
.250 slugging percentage. He's gone 4 for 22 against the Braves in six
games with zero extra-base hits and a slugging percentage of .182, his
lowest against any team in whcih he's seen at least 20 at-bats.
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