That includes a trio of outfielders with 2019 breakout potential, though one of them is already powering his way into our fantasy hearts.
Thanks, everyone, for reading all season, and I hope I've helped. Good luck in your chase for a championship!
Yonny Chirinos will likely serve as the primary pitcher as the Rays choose their "opener" to set the table. Chirinos has posted a solid 3.68 ERA this season and is worth a look as a "starter" next season if Tampa Bay keeps this pitching revelation intact.
GS is the projected game score for the pitcher. The "*" symbol means the pitcher lacks requisite career major league data to produce an accurate rating; these are the author's ratings.
Hitting
Catcher
Elias Diaz (R), 2.4 percent, Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs (LHP Jose Quintana): Diaz has dominated lefty pitching this season, with a 40.9 percent hard-contact rate and a 42.3 fly ball percentage, producing a whopping .934 OPS. Nineteen of Quintana's 23 homers given up this year have cleared the fences off right-handed bats.
First base
Tyler Austin (R), 2 percent, Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers (LHP Matthew Boyd): Austin recently had a five-game hit streak snapped, but the rebuilding Twins are giving him a run to see if he can be a long-term contributor. His basic value comes as a matchup play when a lefty takes the rubber, as he's crushed seven homers in just 82 at-bats against them this season. Boyd holds a 5.52 ERA away from Comerica Park and holds a 3.02 BB/9 against right-handed batters, compared to 1.41 vs. lefties.
Second base
Ian Kinsler (R), 33 percent, Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles (HP Undecided): The Red Sox and Orioles are slated for a Wednesday doubleheader, which means Kinsler could sneak an extra game into your head-to-head matchup for championship week. Baltimore left-hander John Means, who has a 3.72 ERA in the minors, looks like he'll work one of them for the O's. Kinsler has cooled lately, but his .289 second-half clip could prove useful when facing fresh meat on the mound for at least half of this twin bill.
Third base
Derek Dietrich (L), 16 percent, Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals (RHP Tanner Roark): Might as well close this one out with an old matchup-play favorite: Dietrich holds a .771 OPS against righties this year. Though he might not make the game in time due to paternity leave, Roark has yielded 13 runs in 15 September innings while again suffering for the whole season against lefties (.767 OPS). Any righty would do for Dietrich, really.
Shortstop
Amed Rosario (R), 43 percent, New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves (LHP Sean Newcomb): The 22-year-old has hit just two homers against lefties but has a higher slugging percentage (.430, to .378 vs. RHPs) and batting average (.281, to .254) in these matchups. His late-season surge merges with Newcomb's continued second-half slump/correction (5.06 ERA post-break).
Corner infield
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (R), 6.4 percent, Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels (LHP Andrew Heaney): The .762 OPS righty batters have rattled off against Heaney is 210 points higher than lefty hitters have accomplished, and the contact-inclined IKF boasts an .809 OPS against left-handers. (Plus, he's a second catcher option if Diaz is already taken.)
Middle infield
Niko Goodrum (B), 6 percent, Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins (RHP Jake Odorizzi): Goodrum is eligible at all infield spots and as many as two outfield spots, which will come in handy for those plugging roster holes during the final days. Goodrum's 15 homers in 309 at-bats against righties puts him in play.
Outfield
Franmil Reyes (R), 27 percent, San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants (LHP Madison Bumgarner): All 13 of MadBum's homers allowed have come against righties, against whom he's also struggled with command (2.17 K/BB, compared to 3.86 vs. LHBs). Reyes' prodigious power has shined with the proper platoon matchup: The batted-ball darling has clubbed six big flies in only 78 at-bats against lefties.
David Dahl (L), 14 percent, Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies (RHP Nick Pivetta): Pivetta's ERA (4.90) and BB/9 (3.18) go up when he's away from Citizens Bank Park, and Coors Field is just about the worst work trip he could take. Dahl, meanwhile, crushes righties (.288/.345/.544 with nine homers) and enjoys his Rocky Mountain high (.319/.354/.613 with eight big flies), and he has another long home stand to preview his breakout value for 2019.
Victor Robles (R), 8 percent, Washington Nationals vs. Miami Marlins (LHP Wei-Yin Chen): The Nats could rest Adam Eaton against a southpaw, giving Robles more work as the Nationals close out a disappointing season. Righties have slugged 108 points higher (.455) against Chen than lefties. Robles' 2019 value probably rests on whether Bryce Harper re-signs with the Nats, but as he picks up the pieces after a hyperextended elbow curtailed his 2018 progress, the 21-year-old has a fine chance to close out this season and convince them he deserves a starting job next year.
Hitter matchup ratings
Hitter ratings account for the opposing starting pitcher's history (three years' worth), as well as ballpark factors. "LH" and "RH" ratings account only for left- and right-handed batters, respectively.
Weighted on-base average (wOBA) is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1 to 10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. 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.
