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How awesome is it that baseball is back? I can’t tell you how excited I am to be back and providing some streamers again this year after that whack-a-doodle 2020 season. The first few days of baseball were absolutely fantastic, and I’m ready to hook you guys up  for the rest of the season. The first week tends to be light in terms of streamers, but this one is different. I love some of the options out there, so let’s go ahead and get into it!

Two-Start Streamers

Carlos Rodon, CWS (at SEA, vs. KC)

I’ve always been higher on Rodon than I rightfully should be, and this could be the start of a special season. I say that because this youngster has flashed moments of brilliance throughout his career, owning a 23 percent career rate and a 4.26 FIP. His ERA is actually even better than that FIP, and we’re talking about a guy who was one of the highest-touted prospects before his call-up. The thing that really has me back on him is that he added a curveball to his arsenal and has seen his spin rates skyrocket! That makes him even more dangerous after a brilliant spring training, striking out 16 batters across 13.1 innings while allowing just 10 total baserunners.

The best part about using Rodon this week is his two matchups, though! Seattle’s .309 OBP and .678 OPS were some of the worst marks in baseball last season, and it doesn’t even consider that they ranked 23rd in K rate as well. It’s crazy to say, but that might be the harder of the two matchups. Kansas City ranked 24th in runs scored and 27th in OBP last season. That’s really scary considering they’re missing Adalberto Mondesi as well, giving Rodon two fantastic opportunities. The Streamonator has given us the green light as one of the best streamers of the week, with Rodon projected for 13 Ks and some sparkling peripherals.

Matt Shoemaker, MIN (at DET, vs. SEA)

The man who makes shoes! The one problem with this guy is that he can never stay on the field, but Shoemaker makes magic when he does. In fact, Shoemaker has made 18 starts over the last three seasons, providing a 2.77 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 83:28 K:BB ratio in that span. That’s something you never see on the waiver wire, and it’s a wonder why people are sleeping on Stanley Yelnats. He flashed a lot of that form in spring training, posting a 0.97 WHIP to earn himself the final spot in this rotation.

We already discussed how tasty the Seattle matchup is, but facing Detroit is simply delightful. The Motor City Kitties have the worst K rate in baseball since 2019 and honestly might have the worst lineup in the Majors. That was on full display when they ranked 28th in OBP and 25th in wOBA last season, providing a lineup that consists of guys like Willi Castro and Miguel Cabrera in the heart of it. If you want one of the safest streamers of the season, Shoemaker is your guy!

Anthony DeSclafani, SF (vs. COL, at SD)

Streamers

DeSclafani was actually in my article a ton two seasons ago, and here we are again! This guy continues to be undervalued in the fantasy community, posting a 4.00 ERA and 1.23 WHIP between 2016-19. He definitely had his fair share of struggles in the shortened 2020 season, but a move to a pitcher-friendly ballpark like Oracle Park could be just what the doctor ordered. In 2019, this dude allowed one run or fewer in 15 of his 31 starts! That sounds like Jacob deGrom-like numbers, and it’s a good indicator of how good he can be when he’s rolling.

While the San Diego start does concern us, the Colorado one is an absolute beauty. We say that because they lost their best hitter in the offseason and rank dead-last in road OPS since the start of the 2019 season. That’s why the Streamonator has DeSclafani as one of the best streamers of the season, projected to provide $27.6 worth of value, the highest one-game total of any streamer out there.

One-Start Streamers

Jameson Taillon, NYY (vs. BAL)

Streamers

It seems crazy that Tallion is even considered part of the streamers, but the ownership percentages speak for themselves. He remains around 50 percent owned, according to the Streamonator, and it’s hard to understand what the fantasy baseball community is thinking here. In his last two seasons with the Pirates, Jameson Whiskey is pitching to a 3.35 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while striking out 209 batters across 228 innings. Those numbers are far less surprising when you see that this was one of the best pitchers in the minors before that, and this feels like an absolute steal by the Bronx Bombers. The matchup with the Orioles only adds to Taillon’s intrigue, with Baltimore ranked 29th in hard-hit rate and dead-last in exit velocity. We also anticipate Jameson being a monster favorite in this game, and that’s earned him $17 worth of value, according to the Streamonator.

Michael Pineda, MIN (vs. SEA)

Streamers

I try to make fun pictures every week, and this is by far my favorite one that I made in the past. Pine tar Pineda has been a regular in my streamers piece for years, and it’s hard to understand why people are always sleeping on him. I mean, this guy has a 4.02 ERA and 1.18 WHIP for his career and generated a 23 percent K rate last season. That strikeout stuff was something different in the spring, though, picking up 10 Ks in just 4.2 innings of action. The low inning total is mainly due to a rainout, but that’s still crazy nonetheless.

If he’s got that control rolling like he has in the past and combined it with this sort of K stuff, Pineda might have the breakout season we’ve all been waiting for. We’ve already expressed how good a matchup Seattle is, and we truly believe it’s the start of a great run for Pine Tar Pineda.

David Peterson, NYM (vs. MIA)

I’d be lying to you if I told you I knew a ton about this guy, but Peterson is in a heck of a spot here. He’s found his way into the Mets rotation, and that’s a godsend getting to pitch in Citi Field. That’s been the best pitcher’s park in baseball for a few years now, and it has allowed some bad pitchers to have some amazing stretches. We actually believe Peterson can be one of the good ones when looking at the numbers, pitching to a 3.44 ERA and 1.21 WHIP last year. What we really love here is the matchup, though, with the Marlins ranked 27th in hard-hit rate and 22nd in K rate last year. The Streamonator loves him too, projecting him for a 3.44 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in this start en route to $12.9 worth of value.

Feel free to comment me here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!