The All-Star break was fantastic, even though Kyle Schwarber cost me some cash in the home run derby. How the hell did he lose to Albert Pujols? In any case, these teams should be ready to roll for the second half, and it’s going to be fun watching them battle for the final three months. Our streamers have been on point recently, and I plan on keeping that momentum proceeding in the second half. With that in mind, let’s start with the best two-start streamer of the week!
Pitching Streamers
Jake Odorizzi, HOU (at OAK, vs. SEA)
One rule of thumb I use is that you can ride pretty much any Dodgers, Rays, or Astros starter as one of your streamers. Guys from these pitching staffs should never be available on the waiver wire because these teams churn out quality starts game after game. Odorizzi has been doing just that, tallying a 2.31 ERA and 0.87 WHIP across his last seven starts. That’s why the Stros can’t get him out of the rotation, making him one of the best streamers of the year in this two-start week.
Oakland is the best matchup in baseball, with the A’s ranked 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, wOBA, and xwOBA. Seattle has been streaking recently, but they still sit 23rd in runs scored, 19th in wOBACON, and 18th in K rate. Jake has faced these two teams three times in his last six starts, allowing just three runs and 15 baserunners across 16 innings in those outings.
George Kirby, SEA (vs. TEX)
If you use Kirby in Super Smash Brothers, everyone hates you. With that said, we want to ride Kirby as one of our streamers this week. This top prospect was picked up universally at the beginning of the year but was subsequently dropped when he was sent to Triple-A to limit his innings right before the All-Star break. The control beast is back, though, and we want to use him as long as he remains in the rotation.
The right-hander had a 3.12 ERA and 1.12 WHIP through his first nine starts, and we believe he’ll return to that guy here. We say that because Texas is a tremendous matchup, with the Rangers ranked 27th in OBP, 21st in xwOBA, and 22nd in K rate. That was on full display when George picked up a quality start in his one start against them, allowing just five baserunners across six two-run innings. This is The Streamonator’s favorite play of the week, projecting Kirby to provide $21.4 worth of value.
Alex Cobb, SF (vs. CHC)
Cobb has been in this article numerous times this season and continues to pitch well. The season-long numbers are finally creeping towards the advanced statistics, with Cobb compiling a 2.33 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across his last seven starts. That’s the stud we’ve been waiting to see, with Cobb collecting a 2.95 xFIP and 2.79 xERA for the year. That tells us that even more positive regression could be right around the corner, and we expect it to continue here against the Cubbies. Chicago sits 20th in xwOBA, 27th in K rate, and 19th in runs scored. The oddsmakers will love him, too, because Cobb could be a -175 favorite in a game with a 7.5-run total. The Streamonator agrees, projecting Cobb to provide $18.8 worth of value.
Hunter Greene, CIN (vs. MIA)
Greene has been doing his best pitching impression of Joey Gallo, either striking out every batter he faces or allowing a home run. His HR rate is the only thing holding him back, with Greene generating a 4.06 xFIP and 29 percent K rate. Those numbers tell us that this former top pick will get going soon because his stuff is absolutely filthy.
He’s had two duds against the two best offenses in the NL but has allowed one run or fewer in five of his last 10 starts outside of that. A matchup with Miami should keep that trend going, with the Marlins ranked 24th in runs scored, 25th in OBP, 20th in K rate, and 26th in both OPS and wOBA. That doesn’t even consider that they’re missing their best hitter, Jazz Chisholm.
Ranger Suarez, PHI (at PIT)
Suarez was one of my favorite late-round picks in season-long drafts, and I’m ready to hop back on the train. The left-hander had a historic 2021 season, totaling a 1.36 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. We’ve seen glimpses of that guy recently, with Ranger registering 3.25 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across his last six starts. That fantastic form should be easy to duplicate against this putrid Pittsburgh offense, with the Pirates ranked bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, xwOBA, and K rate. In his last start against the Buccos, Suarez threw a complete game shutout, allowing just four baserunners in the best start of his career!
Streamers to Consider
Graham Ashcraft, CIN (vs. MIA)
Ashcroft has some nasty stuff, and it should play well against this terrible Miami lineup.
Reid Detmers, LAA (vs. TEX)
Detmers has a 1.50 ERA and 0.92 WHIP since being recalled from Triple-A and shouldn’t have any trouble with this subpar Texas lineup.
Ross Stripling, TOR (vs. DET)
The Motor City Kitties rank 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and xwOBA, making them an excellent target for a pitcher with a 3.03 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.
Aaron Ashby, MIL (vs. COL)
The Rockies always have one of the worst offenses outside of Coors Field, and a top prospect like Ashby could mow them down. The Streamonator certainly believes that, projecting Ashby to provide $22.8 worth of value in this start.
Hitting Streamers
Ji-Man Choi, TB (at BAL, vs. CLE) 7 Games
I’ve always loved Choi as a player, and I believe he’s one of the most underrated first basemen in our sport. The Korean is amid a career year, collecting a .271 AVG, .378 OBP, and .817 OPS. That’s the guy we’ve seen for six years now, and we love that he’s got even better splits against right-handers. In fact, Ji-Man has a .363 OBP, .468 SLG, and .831 OPS in nearly 1,100 at-bats against righties. That’s lovely since he’s facing four guaranteed righties and three spots that tentatively have TBD penciled into their spot. Those TBDs could be righty gas cans like Austin Voth, Spenser Watkins, and some guy we’ve never heard of for Cleveland, which makes Choi one of the best streamers of the week.
Andrew McCutchen, MIL (vs. COL, vs. MIN, at BOS) 6 Games
Cutch has quietly been doing work in a Milwaukee uniform. He got off to a slow start this season, but the former All-Star has a .313 AVG, .390 OBP, .507 SLG, and .987 OPS since June 5. That’s well over a month of dominance, and it’s hard to understand why fantasy managers are sleeping on this former MVP candidate. That fantastic form has earned him the cleanup spot in this Milwaukee lineup, and he should continue to rake this week.
The matchups are the icing on the cake, facing Kyle Freeland, Chris Archer, Dylan Bundy, and three Boston pitchers that have yet to be named. If you’re unaware, the Sox have lost Chris Sale, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, James Paxton, and Josh Winckowski to injury, so it’s scary to think who they’ll throw to the wolves here. Nick Pivetta could be one of them, but he’s allowed at least six runs in three straight starts!
Wilmer Flores, NYM (at ARI, at CHC) 7 Games
I was genuinely surprised to see how good Wilmer has been this season. The third baseman has been hitting second or third every game, providing a .773 OPS. That alone is solid, but he’s also got a .273 AVG, .466 SLG, and .803 OPS dating back to 2019. That’s a large sample size of good hitting, and we love that he’s got seven games outside or ORACLE Park here. That pitcher’s park has killed these hitters for years, and they always perform better outside of that stadium.
These are some pitching staffs Wilmer can exploit, too, with Arizona ranked 22nd in WHIP and 24th in ERA while Chicago sits 25th in ERA, xwOBA, and WHIP. It also looks like Flores will face three of four lefties, which looks even better with Wilmer walloping a .498 SLG and .831 OPS against them since 2020. The positional eligibility is enticing too, with Flores being elible at 1B, 2B, and 3B in most fantasy formats.
Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
