Last week’s article was decent, but I feel really confident about this week’s streamers. It feels like most teams have a full allotment of games, and it’s becoming clear that MLB needs to fit in all of these games over the closing two months. It’s hard to believe we’re down to that point already, but this is the best time to be a baseball fan!
With that in mind, let’s dive into this week’s streamers!
Favorable Team Matchups
7 Games
Cincinnati Reds (at TOR, at PIT)
Los Angeles Angels (at KC, at TOR)
Pittsburgh Pirates (at TEX, vs. CIN)
San Diego Padres (vs. MIN, vs. NYM)
Tampa Bay Rays (at OAK, at LAD)
Toronto Blue Jays (vs. CIN, vs. LAA)
6 Games
Atlanta Braves (vs. PHI, vs. WAS)
Chicago Cubs (vs. DET, at MIA)
Detroit Tigers (at CHC, at CWS)
Kansas City Royals (vs. LAA, vs. PHI)
Milwaukee Brewers (at STL, at OAK)
New York Yankees (vs. CLE, vs. COL)
Texas Rangers (vs. PIT, at CLE)
Washington Nationals (vs. COL, at ATL)
Pitching Streamers
Kyle Harrison, SF (vs. CWS, at SEA)
Harrison has been hit-or-miss all season, but we can’t overlook these two matchups. The most important factor might be the ballparks because he has two starts in two of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball. That alone would make him enticing, but these matchups couldn’t be much better. The White Sox rank last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA, while the Mariners sit 27th in runs scored, 28th in wOBA, and dead-last in K rate.
That should bode well with how Harrison has looked at times this season, allowing four runs or fewer in 20 of his 21 starts. He also has a 3.86 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 9.8 K/9 rate across his last six starts, despite one of those being that aforementioned stinker! Two quality starts, 10-13 great innings of great peripherals, 10-15 Ks, and a win or two should be in play for one of the best streamers of the season!
Streamonator Valuation: $33.9
Javier Assad, CHC (vs. DET, at MIA)
Assad has developed into a five-inning pitcher for the Cubs, but we’ll take that in a two-start week from one of our streamers. This goofball with the glasses has quietly been amazing since being inserted into the rotation last season, registering a 3.12 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in that span. His floor is equally as enticing, allowing three runs or fewer in all but four starts since the start of last year. It would be hard to imagine him allowing more than that in these matchups. The Motor City Kitties rank 21st in runs scored, 20th in K rate, and 28th in OBP, while Miami sits 29th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. He’s faced these teams one time each, allowing just eight hits and three runs across 10 innings.
Streamonator Valuation: $-12.1
Colin Rea, MIL (at OAK)
The advanced statistics tell us that Rea is due for some negative regression, but it’s hard to argue about a guy who’s been mowing down batters for months. It’s even less surprising since it’s Milwaukee because this team has been churning out quality starts for a handful of years from whoever’s out there. Rea is no whoever, amassing a 10-4 record, 3.72 ERA, and 1.20 WHIP in a breakout campaign.
A seven-run dud against LA in his most recent outing raised those numbers, but he had a 1.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 11.7 K/9 rate across his previous four starts before that outlier. The best part might be a road matchup with Oakland because the A’s rank 23rd in runs scored, 24th in OBP, and 26th in K rate. They also have one of the best ballparks for pitchers, which is awesome since Rea has a 3.07 ERA on the road this season!
Streamonator Valuation: $10.2
Andrew Heaney (vs. PIT)
Heaney has always been a talented pitcher, and we love to ride him as one of our streamers when he’s throwing the ball well. That’s what we have right now, with the lefty accruing a 3.73 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 9.0 K/9 rate since May 1. He’s also allowed three runs or fewer in all but three appearances in that span, generating a 2.78 ERA and 0.97 WHIP at home. That sort of home dominance should be easy to duplicate against a putrid offense like Pittsburgh. The Pirates rank 24th in runs scored, 26th in K rate, and 27th in wOBA. They’ve also been even worse against lefties, which is bad news since Andrew McCutchen got injured on Friday!
Streamonator Valuation: $-0.7
Jeffrey Springs, TB (at OAK)
We haven’t seen what Springs did on Saturday before writing this article, but we’re excited about this lefty. Springs was one of the best pitchers in the AL before getting Tommy John surgery, sporting a 2.53 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 31 percent K rate between 2021 and 2023. An adjustment period was inevitable after such a lengthy absence but we love what Springs did in his most recent start. The southpaw allowed just one run to an elite Baltimore lineup, striking out eight batters in that gem. Getting through a lineup like that should make the A’s look like a Triple-A one, and we talked about their atrocious averages in the Rea write-up.
Streamonator Valuation: $15.5
Hitting Streamers
Kerry Carpenter, DET (at CHC, at CWS)
I drafted Carpenter in numerous leagues, but a severe back injury sent him to the waiver wire in almost every league. There really wasn’t much discussion about his rehabilitation, but the slugger was able to return last week. He’s returned with a bang, collecting three homers and five RBI through his first four games back. The power has always been there for this guy, though, totaling a .278 AVG, .471 SLG, and .811 OPS last season. Most importantly, he faces all but one righty this week, registering a .344 OBP, .544 SLG, and .888 OPS against right-handers throughout his career! It’s no scary group of pitchers either, facing Kyle Hendricks, Javier Assad, Jameson Taillon, Ky Bush, Chris Flexen, and Jonathan Cannon.
Spencer Horwitz, TOR (vs. CIN, vs. LAA)
The Blue Jays always seem to call up at least one masher every season, and it’s definitely Horowitz this year. This guy has played nearly every day over the last three months, hitting either fourth or fifth in every game recently. That’s a prime spot behind Vlad Guerrero Jr, with Horowitz totaling a .356 OBP and .766 OPS this season. That’s just a taste of what we could see for years to come because Horwitz had a .427 OBP and .914 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A. The schedule might be the best part of this, though, because he has seven home games against two subpar pitching staffs. The Angels are his four-game series, and they rank 23rd in wOBA, 24th in xwOBA, and 26th in ERA while facing a Reds rotation without Hunter Greene.
SAGNOF (Saves/Steals Ain’t Got No Face)
Steals Specialists
Jose Caballero (TB)
It’s hard to understand why Caballero is available in over 60 percent of leagues. This speedster has a steal in four of his last 10 outings, bringing his season total to 32! That looks even better since he has seven games this week and has played nearly every day since the All-Star break.
Victor Robles (SEA)
Seattle made a sneaky signing when they acquired Robles and he’s been their leadoff hitter since then. The outfielder has been running in this newfound role, recording 11 steals over his last 25 games.
Saves Specialists
Seranthony Dominguez (BAL)
Craig Kimbrel is falling apart in the second half of the season but Dominguez is plenty capable of taking over closing duties. That’s just what he’s done since being acquired by Baltimore, picking up two saves over his last two appearances. Baltimore is one of the best teams in baseball and Dominguez should get plenty of chances over the final two months.
Lucas Erceg (KC)
With James McArthur struggling and Hunter Harvey getting hurt, Erceg is the only guy left. He hasn’t allowed a run in 19 of his last 20 appearances, picking up the last two saves for KC. Don’t be surprised if he runs away with this gig!
Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
