Last week was one of the best weeks of pitching streamers I’ve ever had. As of Saturday, our pitching recommendations only allowed two runs across 22 innings. We likely won’t duplicate that every week, but some of these atrocious offenses are easy to capitalize on. We’ll be stacking against teams like the A’s, Rockies, Marlins, and White Sox all season because those offenses struggle to score every night. With that in mind, let’s look at the favorable matchups and then dive into the streamers!
Favorable Team Matchups
7 Games
Cincinnati Reds (vs. PHI, at TEX)
Kansas City Royals (vs. TOR, at DET)
Milwaukee Brewers (*at PIT, vs. NYY)
Minnesota Twins (vs. CWS, at LAA)
New York Yankees (vs. OAK, at MIL)
Philadelphia Phillies (at CIN, at SD)
San Diego Padres (at COL, vs. PHI)
6 Games
Atlanta Braves (vs. MIA, vs. CLE)
Baltimore Orioles (at LAA, vs. OAK)
Boston Red Sox (at CLE, vs. CHC)
Colorado Rockies, (vs. SD, vs. HOU)
Tampa Bay Rays (vs. DET, at CWS)
Texas Rangers (vs. SEA, vs. CIN)
Pitching Streamers
Reynaldo Lopez, ATL (vs. MIA, vs. CLE)
We rarely recommend two-start streamers, but Lopez needs to be rostered if he’s available in your league. The veteran really found his form as a reliever over the last three years, providing a 3.14 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in that span. That made Atlanta want to shift him to their rotation, with Reynaldo registering a 0.50 ERA and 0.94 WHIP through three starts this year. That form would make him a great option in any two-start week, but these home matchups couldn’t be better. Miami ranks 24th in runs scored, 28th in OBP, and 29th in wOBA, while Cleveland was 27th in wOBA last season. The Guardians offense has improved this year, but they can be contained by a hot pitcher. Don’t be surprised to see Lopez be a -200 favorite in both of these games as well!
Streamonator Valuation: $12.9
Zack Littell, TB (vs. DET, at CWS)
Here we are with another two-start option in two magical matchups. Let’s start there because Detroit ranks 22nd in runs scored, 24th in K rate, and 26th in wOBA, while Chicago sits 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and wOBA. There’s really not a dangerous bat among these two offenses, and Littell should have his way with these lackluster lineups. The Rays righty has allowed one run or fewer in three of four starts, totaling a 2.14 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He also had a 4.10 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in a solid 2023 campaign, throwing six scoreless innings in his one matchup with the Tigers.
Streamonator Valuation: $8.3
Edward Cabrera, MIA (vs. WAS)
Cabrera is rapidly getting picked up in every league out there, and this might be your last time to hop on the hype train. The Marlins righty has entered the rotation for Max Meyer, throwing six one-run innings in his debut. More importantly, he struck out 10 batters against a stingy San Fran lineup, walking just one. Limiting the walks is the one thing that could make this guy great because he had a 10.7 K/9 rate last year despite posting a 6.0 BB/9 rate. That means he limits contact better than almost anyone in baseball, and that should be easy in a home matchup with Washington. The Nats rank 21st in wOBA and 26th in runs scored, with Cabrera compiling a 3.86 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in four starts against them.
Streamonator Valuation: $14.8
Yusei Kikuchi, TOR (at KC)
Kikuchi has been a tough pitcher to trust at times, but he looks like a different guy this season. The lefty has a 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 12.0 K/9 rate through four starts this year. That has him getting picked up in most leagues, but he’s still below 60 percent on Yahoo. This might be the last opportunity you have to get him because Kikuchi faces a KC team that ranks 18th in OBP after posting some of the worst offensive numbers in baseball last year. Yusei actually had two starts against them last season, allowing just one run in each of those.
Streamonator Valuation: $16.4
Clarke Schmidt, NYY (vs. OAK)
Schmidt is one of the Streamonator’s favorite streamers of the week and the matchup is the main reason why. Oakland was 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and wOBA last season and is right on par with all of those statistics this year. They simply have one of the worst offenses of all time, and they’ll surely struggle against a surging pitcher like Schmidt. The Yankees righty hax allowed just one run in back-to-back starts, striking out seven batters in each of those. That was against Tampa and Cleveland, but Schmidt should enter this favorable matchup as a -250 favorite. He picked up a win in both of their matchups last year, striking out 10 batters across 11.1 innings in those two great starts.
Streamonator Valuation: $24
Hitting Streamers
Ryan Jeffers/Alex Kirilloff, MIN (vs. CWS, at LAA)
The Twins have some of the best matchups of the week, so let’s include both of these guys. Let’s start with the oppositions, facing an Angels team that ranks 23rd in ERA and 21st in wOBA while the White Sox sit 26th in WHIP and 28th in xwOBA. It’s no surprise when looking at the staffs, with Minnesota being matched up with Chris Flexen, Erick Fedde, Jonathan Cannon, Garrett Crochet, Patrick Sandoval, Jose Soriano, and Reid Detmers. Only two of those guys are decent pitchers, and they both happen to be lefties!
That brings us to the first of our streamers, with Kiriloff likely getting five starts against horrible righties. This guy has rocked righties throughout his career, tallying a .368 OBP, .491 SLG, and .859 OPS against them since the start of last season. That always has him batting third or fourth, trading off that spot with Jeffers. It’s rare that we ever recommend a catcher, but Jeffers is bludgeoning the baseball right now. The Twins backstop has a .364 AVG, .400 OBP, .667 SLG, and 1.067 OPS over his last nine games. He’s also played all but one game in that 10-day span, making him one of the best catcher streamers we’ll see all season.
Charlie Blackmon, COL (vs. SD, vs. HOU)
Anytime the Rockies have a full week at home, we have to consider their bats. Blackmon has been their most reliable hitter over the five years, providing a .331 AVG, .391 OBP, .554 SLG, and .945 OPS at Coors Field throughout his career. Those are Hall-of-Fame averages, and it makes him an excellent option since he gets six games at home! He also gets to face at least five righties, with Charlie collecting a .844 OPS against right-handers as well. He’s not quite the same player as we saw in the past, but six home games could be the recipe to get him going because Colorado will be projected to score 30 runs in this Coors Field week!
SAGNOF (Saves/Steals Ain’t Got No Face)
Steals Specialists
Wilyer Abreu (BOS)
This kid was surprising when he posted a .388 OBP in limited time last season, but he’s been in the heart of Boston’s lineup this year with all of their injuries. That’s allowed him to record a steal in four of his last seven outings, posting a .930 OPS in that span.
Will Benson (CIN)
With Cincy playing seven games, Benson should be rounding the bases. He’s got four steals over his last nine outings and has some of the best matchups of the week.
Saves Specialists
Joel Payambs (MIL)
It’s tough to get a read on who will close for Milwaukee in the absence of Devin Williams, but Abner Uribe has certainly lost the job. That forced Payambs into the last two save chances, recording one and blowing the other.
Michael Kopech (CWS)
Chicago won’t get many saves, but Kopech looks like the guy. He’s got the team’s only two saves, posting a 1.93 ERA and 1.18 WHIP before blowing a save a few days ago.
Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
