We have been cruising all season, but this week could be some rough waves. This is easily the worst group of streamers we’ve had all year, but we’re going to trust the process and gamble on some good results. A good sign for our articles is that many of our past recommendations have finally reached the ownership threshold regarding streamer-eligible players. That means we’ve stumbled into some pretty good gems, so hopefully, some of these guys are on the same boat. With that in mind, let’s get into it!
Two-Start Streamers
Mike Minor, KC (vs. PIT, vs. MIN)
Minor has actually been in this article a few times this season, and he’s been pretty good to us. While a 4.83 ERA is far from impressive, we love some of the other numbers. The most important thing we’ve been seeing is his swing-and-miss stuff. He’s struck out at least seven batters in four straight starts en route to a career-best 27 percent K rate for the year. That’s big news for a guy with a 4.02 ERA and 1.22 WHIP for his career, which is much closer to his 3.89 xERA and 1.24 WHIP this season. All of that tells us that he has some positive regression headed his way, and these two starts could definitely be the start of that.
Let’s kick things off by talking about the Pittsburgh matchup. The Pirates currently rank 29th in wOBA, 28th in xwOBA, and dead-last in xwOBACON. Their standard numbers aren’t much better, sitting 29th in both runs scored and OPS. That obviously makes them one of the worst lineups in baseball, and Minnesota isn’t the powerhouse many people might expect. The Twinkies are missing Nelson Cruz and Byron Buxton and have worked themselves into one of the worst records in the AL. We don’t mind that Minor gets to starts at Kauffman Stadium, either, with KC traditionally owning one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in baseball despite what the statistics say this year. The Streamonator agrees, projecting Minor to provide $23.8 worth of value.
Merrill Kelly, ARI (vs. NYM, at MIL)
Trusting a guy named Merrill sounds risky as hell, but here we are! The talented righty opened some eyes with a 2.59 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in limited work last season but has shown flashes of that recently. He’s actually allowed three runs or fewer in seven straight starts, generating a 3.46 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in that span. That’s really all you can ask for from one of our streamers, especially when you see his 9.6 K/9 rate over his last six starts. A 12-K gem against the Dodgers last week is the thing that dropped my caution flag, one of the most surprising performances of the year.
If he can do that against the daunting Dodgers, Merrill should have no problem mauling these opponents. The Mets might be the best matchup in baseball right now, ranked 29th in OPS and dead-last in runs scored. They actually picked up those ugly numbers with a healthy roster, and it’s scary to see this lineup with Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil currently on the IL. The Brewers are far from a bludgeoning lineup, too, with Milwaukee sitting 27th in K rate and 28th in wOBA. A hot pitcher facing two terrible lineups is a recipe for one of the best streamers of the week.
One-Start Streamers
JT Brubaker, PIT (vs. MIA)
While the film Brubaker is a bit before my time, I have to respect anytime Robert Redford is doing his thing. It’s actually about a warden at a prison who goes under disguise to see all the disgusting things that go on behind its walls, and JT Brubaker is in a similar situation here. Being on this Pirates team is similar to being in a prison, but he’s doing his best to fly under the radar and get them to a better spot! The Buccos will surely mess it up, but Brubaker is showing how special he can be.
His two most recent starts are far from pretty, but the rookie pitched to a 2.58 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 rate across his first seven starts of the season. We can’t overlook a stretch like that because he should be able to recapture that form in a matchup like this. The Marlins currently rank 26th in K rate, 27th in OBP, 27th in OPS, and dead-last in xwOBA. The Streamonator certainly agrees with this assessment, projecting JT to provide $13 worth of value. The fact that our projection system loves him so much means we can overlook those two recent duds against scary offenses like the Braves and Cardinals especially after another gem on Saturday.
Adrian Houser, MIL (vs. DET)
It actually looked like Houser had a chance at two starts against the Tigers and Diamondbacks this week, but some rotation movement has put him in as one of our premium one-start streamers. He would have been an easy pick as a two-start selection, but we absolutely love him against Detroit. The main reason is the matchup, with the Motor City Kitties ranked bottom three in wOBA, xwOBA, K rate, and OBP. That puts any pitcher in play against them, particularly one who just had his best start of the season. Houser threw five one-hit, shutout innings against a potent Padres lineup earlier this week and had a 10-K gem just two weeks ago. That’s a good indicator of the sort of potential this guy has, and a matchup with the terrible Tigers is a good way to keep him rolling.
Alex Cobb, LAA (vs. SEA)
Look at these corn on the cobbs! As an avid lover of corn on the cobb, I have to think that this Cobb isn’t too bad either. He’s been a bit inconsistent this year, but one bad two-start stretch has really overshadowed what’s been a bounce-back season. If you take out that Houston-Texas two-step, Cobb has a 2.91 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 12.0 K/9 rate over his other four starts. He also had seven scoreless innings on Saturday and that’s not even accounted in these numbers! That strikeout rate is one of the most surprising parts about this, with Cobb allowing his “thing” to do some work.
I know that sounds weird, but it’s actually the name of one of his pitches, you sicko! That split-change is the thing that made him fantasy relevant in Tampa Bay, and the fact that he’s throwing it at a 44 percent rate this year is a really promising sign. The best part of this play might be the matchup, though, with Seattle sitting 25th in K rate and dead-last in OBP, OPS, and wOBA.
Streamers to Consider
Mitch Keller/Wil Crowe, PIT (vs. MIA)
All the same things go for these guys as Brubaker. Both of these pitchers have been more inconsistent than Brubaker, though, forcing them into this section.
Griffin Canning, LAA (vs. SEA)
Canning has shown flashes throughout his career, and he should be in for a quality start against a sad Seattle lineup.
Andrew Heaney/Dylan Bundy, LAA (at SF)
Both of these guys have been dropped in a ton of my leagues, and a matchup against an NL team in a spacious ballpark could be the thing to get them going.
Feel free to comment me here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
