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Prospectus Hit List for May 18



by Matt Sussman

Hit List for May 15 Hit List for May 20
Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor, a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

This Hit List goes up to 11! (what? oh? oh, ok, didn't know that.) This Hit List actually goes up to 30.

RkTmWLW1W2W3HLFAHLFWin Div%Win WC%Playoff%1-Day7-Day
1

24

13

24.6

26.6

25.6

.635

.616

86.0%

9.7%

95.7%

1.2%

-0.1%

It's time for an honest question: who's more important to the rotation, Zack Greinke or Mike Bolsinger?
2

23

15

21.2

23.5

23.9

.557

.577

53.0%

17.7%

70.7%

-2.7%

4.9%

Miguel Cabrera now holds the record for most home runs by a Venezuelan, unless you count what Hugo Chavez claimed to have hit in his diary.
3

24

14

24.8

25.3

25.4

.553

.573

27.2%

19.2%

46.5%

6.3%

2.6%

The KC Royals wore jerseys to honor the KC Monarchs, and thesaurus copyeditors everywhere are thoroughly confused.
4

25

13

21.5

22.9

22.9

.542

.562

36.8%

20.9%

57.7%

2.2%

13.3%

Having Collin McHugh start your ballgame is a smart strategy to win. After all, if you don't McHugh's it, you lose it.
5

21

18

21.5

22.2

22.0

.535

.555

29.8%

18.9%

48.7%

5.6%

-5.7%

If I told you they have a player with a .591 OPS and is on pace for 12 triples, I'd ask you when they signed Juan Pierre. Then you tell me it's actually Asdrubal Cabrera, at which point I turn into Chris Farley in that Folgers coffee Saturday Night Live skit.
6

25

12

23.8

21.6

21.0

.573

.554

63.5%

20.3%

83.8%

1.3%

-2.5%

No truth to the rumor that Jason Heyward carved his special protective batting helmet out of an old Red Power Ranger helmet.
7

22

17

21.1

22.9

23.6

.534

.554

29.4%

18.5%

47.8%

-3.4%

-7.8%

Stephen Drew is hitting just .176/.250/.255 this month, which is perhaps why nobody signed him last year until June.
8

22

17

22.0

21.6

20.8

.564

.544

68.9%

16.3%

85.2%

2.8%

9.7%

Bryce Harper is one home run away from 70 career homers. Speaking of 70, Mark McGwire, at Bryce Harper's current age, hadn't reached the majors yet.
9

19

18

19.1

17.2

17.7

.524

.544

39.9%

19.2%

59.1%

-3.9%

7.5%

Somehow batting Johnny Giavotella fifth didn't work out as planned. Or, if they were going for zero runs, worked out beautifully.
10

21

16

18.5

20.5

19.8

.538

.518

28.3%

34.6%

62.8%

-5.0%

17.4%

Jorge Soler went 0-for-4 on a cloudy day, naturally.
11

17

20

17.1

17.0

17.5

.498

.518

17.5%

16.0%

33.5%

4.2%

-1.5%

It would have been a sweep in Fenway Park were it not for the adequate Felix Hernandez start, just as that odorous old man at the library foretold.
12

13

26

19.0

21.0

21.0

.496

.516

2.6%

3.9%

6.4%

-1.1%

-7.3%

Those four-run losses really help team morale because it doesn't worsen their record in one-run games.
13

18

20

15.5

16.4

16.8

.491

.511

27.7%

18.6%

46.4%

-4.6%

5.0%

Including Boston, seven out of 30 teams were shut out yesterday. Way to blend in.
14

16

19

17.6

18.2

18.2

.491

.511

6.4%

7.0%

13.4%

1.5%

-1.8%

Mike Wright threw 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball in his MLB debut, because the Orioles are just teeming with pitchers you never heard of but wish you had.
15

22

16

22.3

19.6

19.4

.530

.510

26.4%

27.5%

53.9%

3.2%

-8.7%

Lucas Duda's last four base hits have all been doubles. #yearofthedouble
16

17

22

20.5

17.6

17.8

.486

.506

6.7%

9.6%

16.3%

-1.6%

-12.3%

Yesterday, Mark Buehrle threw his eight career complete game, or "buehrle," although Canadians prefer to call it a "halladay."
17

20

18

19.0

20.6

20.2

.523

.503

8.7%

32.0%

40.7%

3.3%

10.4%

If you didn't think the Giants comments were very strong all season, then fret not: Hunter Pence was activated from the disabled list this weekend.
18

14

22

16.0

17.6

18.1

.480

.500

5.3%

6.5%

11.8%

-2.7%

-0.4%

A killer rotation, a shaky bullpen and atrocious defense. Look, it's how the AL Central is usually won, so we can't fault them for trying.
19

16

22

16.9

17.0

17.5

.465

.485

3.3%

4.5%

7.8%

1.0%

-2.7%

Ross Ohlendorf pitched a perfect inning of relief, allowing the Rangers to once again utter the phrase about one of their players, "yes, he's still in the league."
20

18

20

20.6

18.9

18.4

.505

.485

6.5%

16.1%

22.6%

2.7%

-2.7%

Before making fun of Gregory Polanco at his expense for that misplay on Friday, bear in mind could have stepped over an active land mine and saved his life. The point is, we'll never know.
21

17

17

13.9

13.7

14.0

.461

.481

10.0%

11.6%

21.5%

2.3%

7.5%

We can score if we want to
We can put it on the board
Cause your runs don’t score
And if they don’t score
Well they’re no runs of mine
22

21

17

19.2

15.7

16.7

.458

.478

4.5%

8.0%

12.4%

-3.1%

-1.2%

Danny Santana batted ninth as the DH, the first time a Twins lineup featured that position since Mike Lamb 2008. They both got hits, so maybe that's the new style.
23

16

22

18.1

19.4

19.6

.490

.470

3.8%

7.9%

11.6%

-4.2%

-9.5%

MIke Redmond was fired not even halfway into his third season. But the fact that he *did* make it to a third season in Miami means that Jeffrey Loria simply forgot to fire him last year.
24

19

20

18.0

15.9

16.1

.484

.464

4.7%

23.3%

28.1%

-2.8%

-7.4%

Hey, other than those two games allowing 10 runs apiece, the weekend went well.
25

18

20

17.1

17.9

17.2

.461

.441

1.4%

4.4%

5.8%

-1.0%

-1.9%

Bryan Price mood status: he just bat Brayan Pena second, so it could mean anything.
26

15

21

18.4

16.9

16.5

.459

.439

0.3%

1.8%

2.0%

-0.8%

-2.6%

Nick Ahmed is on a four-game hitting streak, bringing his average all the way up to .165. If he stays hot, he could be hitting .180 by next week!
27

18

19

18.2

16.4

16.0

.446

.427

0.8%

2.4%

3.3%

0.3%

0.4%

Shelby Miller flirted with a no-hitter, asked it to prom, showed up to the no-hitter's house, withstood Mr. No-Hitter's disapproving look, only for the no-hitter to come down with a sudden sinus infection.
28

13

21

12.2

12.9

13.1

.418

.399

0.3%

1.6%

1.8%

-0.6%

-0.2%

They only amassed three hits yesterday, and two of them were the guy who hit in front of the pitcher. As I've always said, if you're going to just have three hits a game, make them all grand slams.
29

13

25

13.3

12.1

12.5

.416

.396

0.3%

1.9%

2.2%

-0.7%

-2.3%

It was rather nice of Kyle Lohse to give up 10 home runs so far this year, but no one pitcher can replace the departure of Marco Estrada.
30

16

23

13.3

14.4

14.5

.392

.373

0.1%

0.3%

0.4%

0.1%

0.1%

...And starring Jeff Francoeur as "The Beaver."