June MLB Schedule Preview: Get Ahead of the Game

This is the third of a planned series of articles in 2022 that will take a general look ahead at the upcoming month. The goal is to look at good and bad matchups for both hitters and pitchers, schedule quirks, what to watch out for in FAAB, and any other tidbits that I can think of. If you have any suggestions for items that you’d like me to include here, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @JennyButler830.

This preview covers four fantasy weeks, from 5/30 through 6/26. Pitching matchups are mostly set for the first week of June, so individual player stats were used for the matchup notes. Team pitching and batting statistics for the month of May will be used for the remaining 3 weeks of June.

June MLB Schedule Preview

• The June schedule is very well balanced. Only the Cubs have two consecutive 7 game weeks. They play 17 straight days from 6/10 – 6/26. The also play 9 games during week 1. The Reds play 16 straight days from 5/31 – 6/15.
• Several teams have significant road trips (3+ series): BOS (6/3 – 6/12), TB (6/10 – 6/19), CLE (6/14 – 6/23), KC (6/13 – 6/22), OAK (6/7 – 6/16), SEA (5/31 – 6/8), MIA (6/10 – 6/20), NYM (6/2 – 6/12), PHI (6/16 – 6/26), WSH (5/30 – 6/9), MIL (6/10 – 6/19), ARI (6/3 – 6/12)
• Six teams have extended home stands (3+ series): BOS (6/14 – 6/22), DET (6/10 – 6/19), KC (6/3 – 6/12), SEA (6/10 – 6/19), WSH (6/10 – 6/19), SF (6/7 – 6/15)

Matchups

Week 1 (5/30 – 6/5)

• All teams play at least 6 games.
• The Twins and Tigers play a doubleheader on 5/31, giving them 5 games in the first half of the week, and 8 games for the full week.
• The Cubs play doubleheaders on 5/30 and 6/4, giving them 9 games for the week.
• The Brewers play the first doubleheader against the Cubs, and the Cardinals play the second, giving both teams 8 games for the week.
• Favorable pitching matchups:
  • Red Sox (BAL/CIN/OAK). There are strong matchups for Eovaldi and Pivetta against Oakland. Rich Hill is scheduled for two starts, but Tanner Houck may be more interesting if he pitches in the follower role.
  • Guardians (KC/BAL). Zach Plesac is scheduled for two starts.
  • Twins (DET/TOR). Dylan Bundy and Devin Smeltzer are scheduled for two starts. Toronto might seem like a matchup to avoid, but they have only a 86 WRC+ in May.
  • Astros (OAK/KC). Framber Valdez is scheduled for two starts.
  • Mariners (BAL/TEX). George Kirby is scheduled for two starts.
  • The Brewers and Cardinals both face CHC and SD. Aaron Ashby and Adam Wainwright are scheduled for two starts. The Cardinals may have a 2^nd pitcher with two starts, but it seems unclear who it might be. Packy Naughton and Jake Woodford are possibilities.
  • Zac Gallen has two starts against ATL and PIT.
  • Kevin Gausman has two starts against CHW and MIN.
• Favorable hitting situations:
  • The Diamondbacks, Reds, and Blue Jays play all 6 games vs righties, which is good for lefties like David Peralta, Pavin Smith, Tyler Naquin, Mike Moustakas, and Raimel Tapia.
  • The Cubs play 3 of their 5 games in the first half of the week vs lefties. Alfonso Rivas may lose AB during this period.
  • The Brewers play 5 of 8 games vs lefties, including 4 games in the first half of the week. This could benefit hitters such as Keston Hiura and Mike Brosseau.
  • The Marlins and Braves play at Colorado during week 1.

Week 2 (6/6 – 6/12)

• 5-game weeks: DET, CHC
• 8-game weeks: none
• Colorado and San Diego play a doubleheader on 6/11, giving both teams 4 games over the weekend.
• Difficult pitching matchups:
  • Tampa Bay pitchers will face tough matchups against the Cardinals and Twins. Both teams are in the top 7 WRC+ in May.
  • The Angels play 7 games at home against BOS and NYM.
  • The Mariners have 6 games against SEA and BOS.
• Favorable pitching matchups:
  • The Orioles will face CHC and KC.
  • The Blue Jays play 6 games on the road at KC and DET.
  • The Guardians play 7 games at home against TEX and OAK.
  • The Braves play 6 games at home against OAK and PIT.
• Favorable hitting matchups:
  • The Blue Jays play 6 games on the road at KC and DET.
  • The Guardians play 7 games at home against TEX and OAK.
  • The Royals play 7 games at home against TOR and BAL.
  • The Braves play 6 games at home against OAK and PIT.
  • The Reds play 7 games at home vs ARI and at STL. The matchup at the Cardinals may not seem like an easy one, but Cardinals pitchers have the 2^nd worst xFIP in May and have recently lost two of their starters (Matz and Hicks).

Week 3 (6/13 – 6/19)

• 5 game weeks: LAD
• 8 game weeks: SEA, WSH, PHI
• The Angels and Mariners play a doubleheader on 6/18, giving both teams 4 games over the weekend.
• The Phillies and Nationals play a doubleheader on 6/17, giving both teams 4 games over the weekend.
• Difficult matchups:
  • The Guardians and Padres pitchers will be traveling to Colorado.
  • The Mariners pitchers will play 8 games against MIN and LAA.
  • The Marlins play 6 games against PHI and NYM, which will be tough matchups for both hitters and pitchers.
  • The Mets play 6 games against MIL and MIA, which will be tough matchups for both hitters and pitchers.
  • The Pirates play 7 games against STL and SF.
• Favorable matchups:
  • The Guardians and Padres hitters will be traveling to Colorado.
  • Red Sox hitters will face OAK and STL. Red Sox pitchers will face OAK in the first series of the week.
  • The Twins hitters will face SEA and ARI.
  • The Braves pitchers will play 6 games against WSH and CHC.
  • The Giants play 6 games against KC and PIT.

Week 4 (6/20 – 6/26)

• 5 game weeks: TEX, WSH
• 8 game weeks: none
• Difficult matchups:
  • The Yankees play 7 games against TB and HOU.
  • The Guardians pitchers play 6 games against MIN and BOS.
  • The Astros play 6 games against NYY and NYM.
  • The Braves play 7 games against SF and LAD.
  • The Reds play 6 games against SF and LAD.
• Favorable matchups:
  • The Red Sox will play 6 games against DET and CLE.
  • The White Sox play 7 games against TOR and BAL. As mentioned above, the Blue Jays hitters have struggled in May.
  • The Twins play 6 games against CLE and at home against COL.
  • Both the Angels and the A’s play 6 games against KC and SEA.
  • The Nationals play 5 games, but they are good matchups against BAL and TEX.
  • The Cubs hitters play 7 games against PIT and STL.

Additional Notes

The White Sox, Twins, Orioles, and Yankees will be traveling to Toronto. Players on visiting teams must be vaccinated 14 days prior to entering Canada. The Yankees have already made the trip, and all of their players are vaccinated. We don’t know yet who from the other teams may be affected but pay attention to the news when the teams are getting ready to make the trip and when the lineups are announced. We may get some news that will allow us to make some quick roster moves.

After watching MLB offenses struggle to start the season, things are beginning to pick up. Hotter and more humid days are on the horizon. The league-wide batting average that started out just above 0.230 in April has crept up near 0.250 in the last 2 weeks of May. Fantasy managers who were successfully streaming starting pitchers early in the season may want to be a little more discerning about who they stream going forward.

We’re also learning more about the 2022 baseball and the effect of the new humidors every day. For teams that play outdoors, conditions will change as the summer weather arrives, and the effect of the humidor may change.  The humidors that were adding moisture to the baseball early in the season may dry them out in more humid summer conditions.

When looking at matchup data for hitters and pitchers, it can be helpful to look at the actual stats (especially recent stats) rather than relying on your perception of which matchups are good and which are tough. In April, a matchup against the Red Sox offense was much more palatable than we would have thought. The Red Sox have started hitting in May, while the Blue Jays offense has cooled, making them a less intimidating matchup for your starting pitchers.

Injuries

Note: Only players who have been officially placed on the IL as of 5/28 are included below. Players whose injuries are day-to-day and player on the Covid IL are not listed.

Injured Players and Potential Alternatives

Players Returning From Injury

There are a few other players who are out for reasons other than injury. Royce Lewis, Ryan Pepiot, Colin Moran, Drew Steckenrider, Zack Collins, and TJ Friedl have all been recently demoted to AAA.

As fantasy managers are moving into June, it’s time to really start digging into your league standings. There’s no reason to sell out your other categories to make up ground yet, but keep your team needs in mind when deciding on free agent pickups. In the last 4 months of the season, gains and losses are made in smaller increments. It’s very important for fantasy managers to put in the work every week setting lineups and in free agency. Those small incremental moves can add up quickly. It might also be time to start dropping players that are not performing. It can be difficult to let go of a player that was drafted in the top 150 picks, but if a player is hurting your team and his underlying stats support his struggles, it might be time to move on.

Good luck in June!