Two months down and four to go. Spring is nearly behind us and the dog days of summer are coming. However, that does not mean Fantasy Baseball owners are in cruise control. You need to keep pressing and today we will attempt to bring clarity to team batting rankings.

Today, we are going to look at team batting stats and we will use OPS as our gauge for hitting prowess.

We will also dig into some different splits to help with streaming and start/sit questions.

We have chosen to use OPS, as it seems to be an easy-to-understand and complete way to measure performance when it comes to team batting.

Since it incorporates both on-base and slugging percentages, all facets of hitting are included. A team’s ability to take a walk in addition to their ability to hit for both average and power are all ingredients into their OPS.

The Fantasy Lookout

Team Batting; OPS Rankings and Splits

The following chart contains the team batting OPS figures over a variety of categories. The first column contains the overall OPS for each team. The remaining four columns breakdown the OPS over a few splits: home, road, vs. RHP, and vs. LHP. The chart is easily sorted by just clicking at the top of the respective columns.

Now that we have seen the data let’s see what conclusions we can make.

Overall Rankings

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox are by far the top hitting team in all of baseball. Their 61-point overall OPS gap over the second ranked Cardinals is equal to the difference between second and 17th! They also seem matchup proof as they rank within the Top 5 in all of the splits and they are the only team to be able to lay claim to that accomplishment.

The Sox are getting production throughout their lineup. The 40-year-old Big Papi is having a magical campaign. The production out of the leadoff spot courtesy of Mookie Betts has been incredible. Dustin Pedroia has turned back the clock and is playing like he was six or seven years ago. Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts continue to develop and it looks like the best is yet to come for both of them. Finally, Travis Shaw’s performance has somehow made all Red Sox fans forget about the debacle that is known as the Kung Fu Panda.

Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies

Both of these rebuilding franchises are the only teams to rank within the bottom five in all categories. The future should be brighter as there is nowhere to go but up. Both also rank within the upper tier when it comes to team prospect rankings. For now though, the other NL East pitchers must be elated knowing these two weak hitting lineups are in their own division and they get to see them on a regular basis.

The Braves lineup is basically Freddie Freeman and a bunch of scrubs. Amazingly, Freeman has nine home runs and only 16 total RBIs to show for it. That is hard to do. There is never anyone on-base to drive in, as the rest of the lineup is just putrid.

The Phillies have some interesting pieces on their roster, especially when you consider the potential of Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco. However, the greatest upside probably resides on the pitching side of things. Saying that the hitting depth is weak would be a gross understatement.

Splits: Home vs. Road

The following teams have at least a 100-point OPS spread between their performances at home when compared to the road. Park factors obviously play a large role in this.

Colorado Rockies

This should come as no surprise as the Coors effect is alive and well. The Rockies have an OPS that is nearly 200 points better at home.

Texas Rangers

Arlington always ranks near the top of the list of hitter-friendly parks and this year is no different as it ranks second to only Coors. The Rangers are the lone team to rank within the Top 5 at home and the bottom five on the road.

New York Yankees

Somewhat surprisingly, the Yanks rank near the bottom in nearly all team batting splits. The lone positive, hitting at Yankee Stadium.

New York Mets

The other team in the Big Apple is the opposite. The Mets rank near the top in terms of road OPS while their home OPS is within the bottom five.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Trop has always been known as a pitcher friendly park. The Rays rank within the Top 5 in terms of road OPS, while their home OPS is over 120 points lower.

Splits: RHP vs. LHP

The following teams have at least a 100-point OPS spread between their performances against right-handed pitchers when compared to southpaws. Lineup construction and the handedness of their batters play a role.

Baltimore Orioles

The O’s are the lone team in baseball to have an OPS that is over 100 points better when facing right-handers. This is not a huge surprise as last year they also had a similar discrepancy.

Washington Nationals

The right-handed heavy Nats are crushing lefties this year as they rank second in the league in terms of OPS against southpaws.

San Diego Padres

The Padres are one of the weakest hitting teams in all of baseball. However, they have posted an OPS that is nearly 120 points better when facing a left-hander. Of note, their top two left handed hitters, Jon Jay and Brett Wallace, both have a better OPS against lefties.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays love to play the matchup game, as they are able to constantly exploit left-handers since they have a few right-handed hitters who feast on southpaws.

Whether you are playing DFS or season long Fantasy Baseball, knowing when your pitcher has a favourable matchup is vital. Knowing the team batting OPS splits of the opponent goes a long way in determining if you should play or sit your starting pitcher. Until next week’s Fantasy Lookout, enjoy the games!

Data courtesy of www.ESPN.com.

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Fabian Taylor

Writer at SoCalledFantasyExperts.com

Fabian Taylor lives in Vancouver, BC. In his previous life, he traded natural gas for a couple firms in Calgary. He now trades stocks, bonds, and commodities out of a float home office. Family, finance and Fantasy Sports -- Is there anything else?

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