BBC Preview: The annual interleague DH dilemma

For even more statistics and advice to help you set your Baseball Challenge lineup, check out Tristan's Week 7 Fantasy Forecaster!

Interleague play is upon us, and with it comes my declaration of American League supremacy.

I don't make that statement lightly, nor is it entirely a product of the AL's having won 149 of 252 interleague contests in 2008 (59.1 percent), 440 of 756 the past three years combined (58.2 percent) and 52.0 percent of interleague games all-time.

No, here's the other factor: It's all about the designated hitter. Games in AL parks have it, and those in National League venues do not, and two of the game's most historically strong offenses, the Red Sox and Yankees, will both play their interleague series at home this week. That means if you're picking from the rosters of Boston or New York, neither offense gets thrown off its usual rhythm by losing a hitter it might typically have counted on.

Besides, few things are more frustrating in the Baseball Challenge than picking a highly priced player, then seeing him plopped on the bench because his team wanted to wedge the DH into a field position to keep his bat in the lineup. Owners of Red Sox hitters in years past, for instance, had to deal with that Mike Lowell-David Ortiz-Kevin Youkilis triangle, and when the Yankees head to NL parks a month from now, they'll have a similar problem finding at-bats for Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher.

But the Red Sox and Yankees aren't the only AL teams I think get a huge advantage by playing at home this week. The Mariners, Tigers and White Sox all play the bulk of their games -- including their interleague contests -- at home, and the Athletics and Twins will come home from road trips to host NL teams during the weekend.

The DH dilemma

Another BBC-specific problem: With a limited pool of DHs in the first place, lost at-bats generally thins things out to the point where you're almost forced into picking a specific player. Take a look at some of the DHs facing playing-time problems:

Hank Blalock, Rangers (4.6 price tag): No chance the BBC's highest-priced DH will be in my lineup this week, and for that matter, neither will Chris Davis (1B, 4.6), who might sit a game or two so the Rangers can use Blalock in the field.
Pat Burrell, Rays (4.0): He's averaging a mediocre 2.6 BBC points per game, so the Rays have little incentive to slot his atrocious defense into their outfield.
Billy Butler, Royals (4.0): The Cardinals' rotation is entirely right-handed, so it makes more sense that Mike Jacobs plays at first base all weekend.
Juan Rivera, Angels (3.0): I like him as a deep sleeper because his Angels battle a slew of left-handed starters, and the Dodgers are slated to throw nothing but southpaws (barring their skipping Eric Milton), but with no DH, he's still a playing-time risk.
Travis Snider, Blue Jays (3.0): The bottom line is that DH Adam Lind is a more important cog in the Toronto offense, and he'd probably start at Snider's expense.

So who does that leave as safe DH options? Try one of these:

Jack Cust, Athletics (4.5): He's hitting for an uncharacteristically high batting average, and his team is set to face six right-handed starters.
Nick Johnson, Nationals (4.2): It's a seven-game week and Washington's interleague series comes against the Orioles, whose pitching staff is terrible.
Hideki Matsui, Yankees (4.2): The Yankees play seven home games, and unless you've been living in a cave, you've probably heard some rumors about how hitting-friendly their new venue has been thus far.
Colby Rasmus, Cardinals (3.1): With both Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick on the disabled list, Rasmus has a place to play every day for the short term. He's hitting .281 in his past 18 games and isn't a bad low-priced sleeper if you have cap problems.
Jim Thome, White Sox (4.3): His White Sox play six of seven games at home and face five right-handed starters, both things that play to his strengths.

Tristan's top three pitching staff values

1. Chicago White Sox (@TOR-1, MIN-3, PIT-3 -- two-start pitchers Clayton Richard and Mark Buehrle), 6.9 price tag: You can read all of the statistics backing the White Sox's pitching dominance at U.S. Cellular Field in the Forecaster, but there are two important things to take from these matchups in the BBC. One is that Buehrle was thoroughly masterful against the Twins on April 12 at home, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing only one run on two hits and no walks; and he's a perfect 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three career starts versus Pittsburgh (all since 2006). The other is how much the White Sox have owned these opponents recently; they've won 14 of their past 18 home games against Minnesota, and swept Pittsburgh in their interleague meeting in 2008. Remember, BBC pitching-staff success is so very much about wins, wins, wins!

2. Tampa Bay Rays (OAK-4, @FLA-3 -- two-start pitchers Jeff Niemann and James Shields), 5.5: There's so much to like in matchups like these, as while Oakland ranks dead last in team OPS (.660), backing up its status as one of the game's weakest offenses, Florida rates as the most strikeout-prone offense in baseball, with an MLB-most 300 whiffs and MLB-worst 75 percent team contact rate. Remember, strikeouts are worth a point apiece! Both Andy Sonnanstine and Shields won in their lone appearances at Dolphin Stadium in 2008, and they've got assignments there again this year.

3. Seattle Mariners (LAA-4, SF-3 -- two-start pitchers Jarrod Washburn and Felix Hernandez), 6.1: The only teams with a stronger pair of two-start pitchers in Week 7 might be the Yankees (Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia) or Marlins (Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson), but I don't like their matchups nearly as much as I do Seattle's. Both the Angels (.705 team road OPS, 23rd in the majors) and Giants (.628, 29th) rank in the bottom 10 offenses in road games, while the Mariners have a team ERA more than a half-run lower at home (3.83) than on the road (4.59). Considering Washburn and Hernandez are a combined 7-4 with a 3.59 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 80 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings in their 14 starts this season, this seems like a good week to pick their staff.

Smack talk!

Want to talk smack? Feel free: E-mail me. And don't be afraid to bust my chops. I can take it.

Ryan in Anaheim, Calif., writes: Don't worry, I don't talk smack. Agitation is neither healthy nor helpful. Anyway, just wanted to say I ran into the same thing you did. It wasn't a finalizing-of-a-roster deal, but the mere fact that I forgot to change it. It was Sunday night, I got caught up in an airing of "Back to the Future" or something, and at around 12:15 a.m. PT, said "Oh, bleep!! I forgot to change my roster." What happened? I had my best week so far. So sometimes the '80s (or pizza goodness) can be a blessing.

Wish I had that excuse, Ryan. Good flick. Probably seen it 50 times. (Cue lame joke about stealing a DeLorean to go back in time to change a BBC lineup.)

Daily dips

Monday, May 18 -- Andre Ethier, RF, Dodgers (versus Tim Redding), 5.1 price tag: The Dodgers' eight current starters have hit Redding extremely well in their careers; they've combined to bat .419 (13-for-31) with four home runs and a 1.406 OPS versus the right-hander. But none of them has the kind of track record against Redding that Ethier does; he's 3-for-3 against the new Mets starter, with two doubles and a home run.

Tuesday, May 19 -- Delmon Young, LF, Twins (versus Mark Buehrle), 3.9: He has historically been a terror at U.S. Cellular Field, with a higher OPS there (1.060) than at any other American League venue in his career. In fact, Young has already homered off Buehrle at "The Cell" once this season, on April 12, and he's 8-for-20 (.400 BA) with one double, two home runs and one walk in his career against the left-hander.

Wednesday, May 20 -- (Sunday update: My initial pick, Jesus Flores, landed on the disabled list) Melky Cabrera, CF, Yankees (versus Jeremy Guthrie), 3.9: There are two things Melky loves, playing at new Yankee Stadium and facing the ever-hittable Guthrie. He has hit all four of his home runs this year at his new digs, and has an OPS 300 points higher there than on the road, and is a lifetime .467 hitter (7-for-15) with three doubles and one triple against the Orioles right-hander.

Thursday, May 21 -- Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees (versus Adam Eaton), 4.7: The Yankees have already beaten up on Eaton once this season, and their usual starting nine has combined to bat .341 (15-for-44) with six home runs and a 1.285 OPS in their careers against the right-hander. Teixeira, in particular, is a standout -- he homered off Eaton on May 9 and is 6-for-10 (.600 BA) with two home runs and a 2.167 OPS against the Oriole.

Friday, May 22 -- Lance Berkman, 1B, Astros (versus Vicente Padilla), 4.7: He always seems to pick up the pace during the "Battle of Texas" interleague series, having batted .463 with four home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.361 OPS in 11 such contests the past two seasons combined. But this is the one in which you definitely want Berkman; he's 10-for-18 (.556 BA) with five doubles, two homers and a 1.803 OPS in his career against Padilla.

Saturday, May 23 -- Matt Holliday, LF, Athletics (versus Dan Haren), 4.3: This might be a good time to buy low on Holliday who, with 58 BBC points in his past 15 games, seems to finally be getting comfortable in the American League. But this weekend presents him another set of games against the National League, and old nemesis Haren, against whom he's 4-for-8 with two homers and two walks in his career.

Sunday, May 24 -- J.D. Drew, RF, Red Sox (versus Tim Redding), 4.4: OK, so I picked on Redding once already this week. Why not twice? Drew has somewhat extensive experience against the Mets right-hander, going 4-for-10 (.400 BA) with two home runs and four walks. He's also rather comfortable during interleague play, having batted .267 with nine home runs, 25 RBIs and a .943 OPS in 32 such games as a Red Sox.

Tristan's Week 7 lineup

Total points: 1,758 (through Thursday).
Percentage: 99.7. Overall rank: 147th.
Ranking in Fantasy Editorial Group: 29th.

C -- Victor Martinez, Indians (@KC-3, @CIN-3), locked at 4.8 price tag, 5.6 market: Before you point out that his Indians head to an NL venue and lose their DH, let me respond by reminding Martinez owners that he has yet to DH once all season.
1B -- Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (TEX-3, COL-3), locked at 5.0, 5.3 market: All home games and against the so-so Texas and Colorado pitching staffs? Yes, please.
2B -- Ian Kinsler, Rangers (@DET-3, @HOU-3), locked at 5.0, 5.7 market: None of the Rangers' DH candidates can play second base, so no worries about lost at-bats.
3B -- David Wright, Mets (@LAD-3, @BOS-3), locked at 4.7, 5.0 market: He has 68 BBC points in his past 15 games. Folks, the real Wright is finally here.
SS -- Hanley Ramirez, Marlins (ARI-4, TB-3), locked at 5.0, 5.3 market: Did you know he has 72 BBC points in his 13 home games this season?
LF -- Ryan Braun, Brewers (@HOU-3, @MIN-3), locked at 4.8, 5.7 market: If I had dropped him, Johnny Damon would have been a prime replacement.
CF -- Josh Hamilton, Rangers (@DET-3, @HOU-3), 4.6: Nothing more than my feeling that this will be the low point of his 2009 BBC price tag. (Sunday note: Due to Hamilton's injury, I'm shifting this pick to B.J. Upton to be safe.)
RF -- Nick Markakis, Orioles (@NYY-3, @WAS-3), locked at 5.0, 5.9 market: I'm a Yankee fan yet can't wait to see how his sweet swing translates at the new ballpark.
DH -- Nick Johnson, Nationals (PIT-4, BAL-3), 4.2
Pitching staff -- White Sox (@TOR-1, MIN-3, PIT-3), 6.9

Tristan H. Cockcroft is a fantasy baseball analyst for ESPN.com and a two-time champion of the League of Alternative Baseball Reality (LABR) experts league. You can e-mail him here.