I’ve been crushing it recently, but last week was not my best showing. In fact, it was probably the worst week of streamers we’ve had all season. That’s going to happen, and I’m going to chalk it up to a wacky trade deadline. That has me motivated to bounce back and have a big week, so let’s go ahead and dive into this week’s streamers!
Favorable Team Matchups
7 Games
Cincinnati Reds (at MIA, at MIL)
New York Mets (at COL, at SEA)
San Francisco Giants (at WAS, vs. DET)
Washington Nationals (vs. SF, vs. LAA)
6 Games
Atlanta Braves (vs. MIL, at COL)
Colorado Rockies (vs. NYM, vs. ATL)
New York Yankees (vs. LAA, vs. TEX)
Oakland A’s (vs. CWS, at TOR)
San Diego Padres (at PIT, at MIA)
Toronto Blue Jays (vs. BAL vs. CWS)
Pitching Streamers
Matt Waldron, SD (at MIA)
The knuckleballer just had one of his worst starts in his most recent outing, but struggling against LA is nothing to worry about. Waldron allowed three runs or fewer in 13 of his previous 14 starts before that rare dud, registering a 2.76 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 7.9 K/9 rate in that span. Those are not numbers you expect to find from one of your streamers, but people stupidly dropped this guy after that dud against the Dodgers. Facing a team like Miami doesn’t compare to LA. The Marlins sit 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. It’s also one of the best pitcher parks in baseball, and it’d be hard to imagine another poor start against such a team that traded every decent hitter they had.
Streamonator Valuation: $-4.3
Hayden Birdsong, SF (vs. DET)
Birdsong has been sent up and down all season, but he should be staying in San Fran with Alex Cobb being traded and Jordan Hicks getting demoted to the bullpen. This kid has earned the right to pitch at this level, allowing three runs or fewer in all six starts. He’s also allowed just three total runs across his last three starts, tallying a 1.69 ERA< 0.94 WHIP and 12.9 K/9 rate in that span. Not many pitchers in the league have been better than that, but it’s no surprise since Birdsong had a 2.97 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 47 percent K rate in the minors! That’s huge since Detroit has a minor league lineup, ranked 21st in runs scored, 27th in wOBA, and 28th in OBP.
Streamonator Valuation: $NA
River Ryan, LAD (vs. PIT)
How often is it that one of your streamers might be a -250 favorite? That’s what we’re likely looking at here because Pittsburgh has one of the worst offenses in baseball. The Pirates rank 24th in runs scored, 27th in OBP, 28th in wOBA, and 23rd in K rate. That will make them massive underdogs in a road matchup against the Dodgers, especially with how Ryan has looked this season. The rookie righty has only allowed one run through his two starts, registering a 0.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 8.2 K/9 rate. He also had a 2.22 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in the minors this season, recording 32 Ks across 24.1 innings! As long as this kid keeps doing this, LA will likely keep Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler below him.
Streamonator Valuation: $-17.2
Kyle Harrison, SF (at WAS)
The Giants are quietly trying to get back into the playoff race and this revival from the rotation is a major reason why. Blake Snell looks like a Cy Young pitcher, while Birdsong and Harrison are great young starters in the making. This lefty has a 3.69 ERA and 1.28 WHIP for the year, allowing four runs or fewer in all 18 starts! His recent form is even more ridiculous, allowing one run or fewer in four of his last five fixtures! The lefty has a 2.36 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 8.4 K/9 rate in that span, striking out eight batters in a quality start in his last matchup with the Nats. That’s no surprise since Washington ranks 19th in runs scored, 24th in wOBA, and 26th in xwOBA.
Streamonator Valuation: $4.1
Hitting Streamers
Jeimer Candelario, CIN (at MIA, at MIL)
It shocked me to see Candelario sitting at just 52 percent ownership on Yahoo. I went ahead and picked him up in numerous leagues because Candelario is in line to have a monster week. This guy has been hitting between third and sixth all season, and we love that since he gets seven games against subpar pitching. Let’s start there, facing a Miami staff that ranks 26th in ERA and WHIP while matching up with the backend of the Milwaukee rotation. The most important factor is that he gets to face seven righties in all seven games. Candelario has collected a .317 OBP, .484 SLG, and .801 OPS against right-handers since the start of last season! The OBP isn’t great, but Candy should be one of the best streamers out there when looking for runs, RBI, and homers!
Luis Garcia, WAS (vs. SF, vs. LAA)
The Nats have been one of the biggest surprises in the league and Garcia has developed into one of the most underrated players around. The second baseman has collected 11 homers and 16 steals as the everyday five-hole hitter for his sneaky offense, providing a .282 AVG and .752 OPS. That’s really all you can hope for from one of your streamers, especially since he has a .386 OBP and .944 OPS across his last 27 outings. The best part about all of this is that he gets seven games at home against weak pitching staffs. Not only does Garcia have a .360 OBP and .887 OPS at home, but he faces an LA team that ranks 27th in ERA and xwOBA while San Fran sits 22nd in ERA and 23rd in WOBA.
SAGNOF (Saves/Steals Ain’t Got No Face)
Steals Specialists
Victor Robles (SEA)
This Seattle offense has been atrocious, but it’s forced Robles into a leadoff role. That’s the best spot for some speed, and he’s recorded eight steals over his last 13 fixtures!
David Hamilton (BOS)
Hamilton has been dropped in many leagues, but he’s still a sneaky source of speed. He’s got 26 steals for the season, 24 of which have come over the last two months. He’s also been playing nearly every day recently and should have plenty of chances to run!
Saves Specialists
Victor Vodnik (COL)
It’s hard to believe that we’ve finally found a Rockies closer because Vodnik is the fifth guy to have this job. It looks like VV will keep it, recording five saves over his last 11 appearances. He’s also got a 1.96 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 9.8 K/9 rate since June 20!
Hunter Strickland/Ben Joyce (LAA)
With Carlos Estevez and Luis Garcia getting traded, these two are in line for saves. Joyce is the better pitcher due to his 105 MPH fastball, but Strickland has gotten the first two chances for saves since those trades. Strickland did blow the most recent one and Joyce got a save on Saturday, so don’t be surprised to see Joyce get the next chance!
Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
