Hello and welcome to the 2022 MLB Season! We finally made it despite the lockout and what felt like the longest offseason ever. Despite the messy offseason, we have a 162-game season, and I can’t wait!
The new MLB season also means fantasy baseball draft season has come to a close, and it’s time to set those lineups! Each week I will be bringing you the “quick grades” series. I am taking over for the wonderful Mike Maher, who killed it last season. I will do my best to follow the great work he did!
The Quick Grade Series
Each week, I will provide breakdowns of hitters with a grade range from 40 to 100. Think about a school grade (90-100 being an A, 80-89 equaling a B, and 70-79 = C, and so on).
Week 1 will cover the games for Thursday, April 7 through Sunday, April 10. Week two’s Quick Grades will release by Friday!
How It Works
We established that each hitter would have a grade based on four categories that will land them a total score between 40 and 90. Each of the four categories will be graded from 10 to 25, which lands us at that total score. Here is what goes into it.
- Games Played – Let’s start simple. The more games played in a week means the more stats a player can accumulate. Maximizing plate appearances for fantasy baseball is huge. If the player you roster has seven games versus a different player having five games, it is a no-brainer.
- Ballpark Factors – Is a hitter playing four games in Coors? What about three in Oakland? These things matter. We will use the FantasyPros park factors to help us out there.
- Platoon Splits – Does a hitter have strong splits against a left or right-handed pitcher? What if they face three lefties this week with a poor split against lefties. We factor that in.
- Projections – Finally, we will factor in projections. I will update using FantasyPros projections and scale them down weekly.
Week 1 Hitter Grades
Since the first week runs Thursday through Sunday, grades may look a little funky this week. Players with four games this week provide a nice value boost and that is cooked in. The Quick Grades still give you a good idea of how players could perform over the next four games. Let’s dive in!
Based on the algorithm, players that have four scheduled games this weekend have a solid advantage over those with just three.
Teams to Stream
The Braves, Dodgers, and Padres all draw favorable pitching matchups this weekend. The Braves have four games with an inexperienced Reds pitching staff. The Padres get a weak Diamondbacks staff. The Dodgers get the benefit of three games in Coors Field against the Rockies.
Team to Fade
The Cubs draw the deadly trio in Milwaukee of Corbin Burnes (SP - MIL), Brandon Woodruff (SP - MIL), and Freddy Peralta (SP - MIL). They will also face a fourth Milwaukee starter which is likely to be Eric Lauer (SP - MIL), who had a great 2021 season and has seen his fastball velo take a step forward this spring.
Early Bounce-Back Candidate
Mookie Betts (2B,RF - LAD) struggled to stay healthy in 2021, which caused his production to see a downward tick. He posted a .264/.367/.487 slash with 23 home runs and ten steals. Still a solid season, but not Betts level. He gets a chance at a strong start with three games in Coors.
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