Best hitter matchups for this week include the Astros, Pirates and Guardians
By Scott White Apr 10, 2026 at 9:44 am ET • 1 min read 
Whether you're in need of an injury fill-in or just a hot-hand play, Scott White has you covered with 10 sleeper hitters for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. They're not must-starts by any estimation, but they're often the best you'll find off the waiver wire.
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Sleeper hitters for Week 4 (April 13-19)
TJ Rumfield 3B COL Colorado • #7 • Age: 25 Matchups @HOU3, LAD3 Rostered 43% TJ Rumfield claims a spot atop this list for a second straight week with the Rockies once again having no left-handers on the schedule. He's been an on-base machine in the early going, regardless of whether the Rockies have been at home or away, but the three games at Coors Field couldn't hurt. 
Cam Smith 3B HOU Houston • #11 • Age: 23 Matchups @SEA1, COL3, STL3 Rostered 77% Among hitters, Cam Smith has been one of the biggest early-season risers with his improved bat speed and increased willingness to run. The Astros have the most favorable hitter matchups this week, and if you look at the names in the Rockies and Cardinals rotations, you'll understand why. 
Ryan O'Hearn 1B PIT Pittsburgh • #29 • Age: 32 Matchups WAS4, TB3 Rostered 73% Ryan O'Hearn is getting a chance to play every day for the Pirates and has made the most of it so far, entering the weekend with a .350/.449/.625 slash line. The Pirates have the second-best hitter matchups this week, going against pitchers like Cade Cavalli, Miles Mikolas, Jake Irvin, Foster Griffin, and Nick Martinez. 
Willson Contreras C BOS Boston • #40 • Age: 33 Matchups @MIN3, DET3 Rostered 72% Willson Contreras, of course, has a long history of Fantasy usefulness, and he's been hot since the calendar flipped to April, batting .348 (8 for 23) with two homers and as many walks (seven) as strikeouts. The Red Sox's matchup aren't among the most favorable with Tarik Skubal on the slate, but the Contreras' week opens against Bailey Ober, Mick Abel, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Casey Mize. 
Owen Caissie OF MIA Miami • #17 • Age: 23 Matchups @ATL3, MIL3 Rostered 69% Owen Caissie has been throttling the ball so far, just as the scouting reports said he would, but the Marlins have been sitting him against left-handers with regularity. That's not a problem this week with only one such pitcher on the schedule, and the righties, apart from Brandon Woodruff (maybe), aren't anything to fear. 
Max Muncy SS ATH Athletics • #3 • Age: 23 Matchups TEX4, CHW3 Rostered 53% Though his plate discipline is still a disaster, Max Muncy has hit safely in all but two games so far this season, and his fast-swing rate is up 16 percentage points from a year ago. Those are reasons enough to roll the dice in a seven-game week with the White Sox pitching staff on the schedule. 
Spencer Torkelson 1B DET Detroit • #20 • Age: 26 Matchups KC3, @BOS3 Rostered 75% Spencer Torkelson has been dropped in enough leagues to qualify for this list, which obligates me to list him here since I think he'll be better in the long run than most of the hitters you could find on the waiver wire. His matchups aren't even favorable, but he is at least scheduled to face four left-handers, against whom he had an .884 OPS last year. 
Troy Johnston RF COL Colorado • #20 • Age: 28 Matchups @HOU3, LAD3 Rostered 13% Like TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston stands to benefit from the Rockies' full slate of right-handed pitchers, and he's actually been the hotter of the two since the calendar flipped to April, batting .323 (10 for 31) with a homer and three doubles. He doesn't have as much job security as Rumfield and likely won't be as valuable in the long run, but he's hot enough to deserve your consideration this week. 
Miguel Vargas 2B CHW Chi. White Sox • #20 • Age: 26 Matchups TB3, @ATH3 Rostered 75% Miguel Vargas has cooled off from his hot start, but his average bat speed is up a couple miles per hour from a year ago and he's showing more of a willingness to run. With the White Sox having the fourth-best hitter matchups (and they would be higher if they were scheduled for more than six games), he makes for a reasonable spot starter at either first or third base. 
Brett Baty 3B NYM N.Y. Mets • #7 • Age: 26 Matchups @LAD3, @CHC3 Rostered 44% Brett Baty has actually been playing less than Mark Vientos in the early going, which is disappointing, but he still generally starts against right-handed pitching, is impacting the ball as well as he did last year, and could be in line for more regular playing time with Jorge Polanco (Achilles tendinitis) likely headed to the IL. The Mets are scheduled to face only one lefty this week. Best hitter matchups for Week 4
1. Astros @SEA1, COL3, STL3 2. Pirates WAS4, TB3 3. Guardians @STL3, BAL4 4. White Sox TB3, @ATH3 5. Yankees LAA4, KC3
Worst hitter matchups for Week 4
1. Cubs @PHI3, NYM3 2. Brewers TOR3, @MIA3 3. Tigers KC3, @BOS3 4. Diamondbacks @BAL3, TOR3 5. Mariners HOU1, @SD3, TEX3
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