# Which Hitters Have Seen and Hit the Best Pitching?

An episode of [Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1486883874), 22 May 2026, 58 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/6a10b71ea9cb297dfe649c3f/media.mp3

It’s Fantasy Friday, and with trade season heating up, fantasy managers are getting antsy to make moves. Eno and DVR break down which hitters have faced the nastiest stuff so far this season — and which ones have still managed to thrive. Plus, the guys discuss the risk-reward proposition of paying up for Colt Emerson in redraft leagues, before taking a closer look at the struggles of two key Royals bats: Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez. Rundown: 0:35 Allergy Season is Trade Season! Time to Wheel and Deal 6:40 Strength of Schedule: Which Hitters Have Hit the Best Stuff? 10:08 Opportunity to Buy? Which Hitters Have *Seen* The Best Stuff? 14:20 Salvador Perez’s Struggles: A Familiar Start After Early 2025 Slump? 22:36 Colt Emerson Outlook: Bidding Big Where Available? 27:37 A Hitter Toss-Up: Luis García Jr. vs. Nolan Gorman 32:12 Catcher Injuries: A Few Replacements to Consider 36:40 Vinnie Pasquantino’s Poor Start: What’s Happening Here? 41:46 Good Projections vs. Bad Results: When Do You Pass on Projections? 47:55 Pitchers of Interest: Troy Melton & Jared Jones, A Few Streamers Some big name hitters are struggling and the pitchers they’ve faced may explain why: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7298365 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris Editor: Jason Potere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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