What a great All-Star break we just had! The Home Run Derby was an absolute spectacle, and it was nice to take a little break from baseball. With that said, it felt like a year, and I’m ready to get back into it and ride some streamers in the second half. This is one of the strangest weeks to talk about, though. We have every team playing this weekend, so we’re going to focus on those games and give you the normal Ride the Wave article come Sunday.
That means this article will be a bit abbreviated but starting this first week off with a bang is a great way to kick off the second half. There’s also a ton of question marks with these rotations, so all of these guys aren’t necessarily guaranteed the starts we have them projected for. With that in mind, let’s talk about the streamers we like for this weekend!
Weekend Streamers
Vince Velasquez, PHI (vs. MIA)
I probably need to get over my love for Velasquez, but I’m prepared to get hurt once again! This guy has mixed gems and duds throughout his bizarre career, and that’s more evident than ever when you look at the last two weeks. The volatile righty actually allowed eight runs to the Boston Red Sox in his most recent start and five runs to the San Diego Padres before that but looked amazing before that blip on the radar.
In fact, VV threw seven scoreless innings against these Marlins in the start prior and had a 3.66 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 9.2 K/9 rate through his previous 11 outings. That’s the stud I’ve fallen in love with, and we certainly believe he can duplicate that seven-inning, two-hit gem he had against Miami just two weeks ago. We say that because Miami ranks 27th in OBP, 28th in both wOBA and runs scored, 26th in K rate, and dead-last in xwOBA.
Alex Cobb/Patrick Sandoval, LAA (vs. SEA)
These two have been regular streamers in this article all season long, and it’s easy to see why. We’ll start things off with Cobb, who’s been brilliant outside of four ugly road starts. If you look at his other nine outings, Cobb has a 2.15 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 10.3 K/9 rate. All six of his home starts this season have been brilliant, too, generating a 2.48 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. That’s the ace we saw in his Tampa days, and it’s clear that Cobb still has more positive regression headed his way behind an absurd 2.60 FIP. We love all of that against the Mariners, with Seattle sitting dead-last in both batting average and wOBA. That’s clear when you see Cobb’s 0.89 WHIP in his two starts against them this year.
Cobb isn’t the only Angels pitcher worth picking, with Sandoval looking like a sensational option as well. The 24-year-old southpaw has actually allowed four runs or fewer in all 12 appearances he’s made, totaling a 3.18 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 10.4 K/9 rate over his last seven starts. Two of those happened to come against this sad Seattle lineup, with Sandoval whiffing 16 Mariners across 13 innings in those two quality starts. That makes both of these guys easy choices and great streamers to start your week! Sandoval happens to be a favorite of the Streamonator, projecting him to provide $9.3 worth of value.
JT Brubaker/Tyler Anderson, PIT (vs. NYM)
Brubaker is another guy who’s been in this article constantly, and it’s hard to understand why he remains so widely available. This rookie has done nothing but perform, pitching to a 3.82 XFIP and 1.18 WHIP this season. His two most recent starts inflated his ERA a bit, but we don’t really care when you look at the FIP and WHIP. That’s a better indicator of how good a pitcher can be, and we absolutely love him facing a bad lineup in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Let’s talk about Pittsburgh, with PNC Park ranked 27th in park factor this season.
That park also benefits Mr. Anderson, with Tyler getting the same superb matchup as well. The Mets currently rank 29th in runs scored, 21st in K rate, and 24th in wOBA. That’s huge news for Anderson, with the southpaw allowing three runs or fewer in 14 of his 17 starts. The three ugly ones all came against three of the best offenses in baseball, which is obviously not a concern here. In the other 14 outings, TA has a 3.10 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, allowing just two runs to the Mets a week ago.
Adbert Alzolay, CHC (at ARI)
I really feel like this kid can be a stud in the coming years, flashing moments of brilliance in his first two seasons with the Cubs. His 4.66 ERA has forced the hands of many fantasy managers, but those are impatient sheep. This is a 26-year-old prospect who generated a 2.95 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 33 percent K rate in a limited time last season, and his advanced numbers this year tell us we should be swinging closer to those numbers sooner rather than later.
So far this year, Alzolay has a 26 percent K rate, 19 percent K:BB ratio, 3.73 xFIP, 25 percent HR/FB rate, 3.79 SIERA, and 1.09 WHIP. That’s a lot to absorb, but it indicates that there might be no better buy-low in fantasy baseball right now. All of that looks nice but facing the Diamondbacks is absolutely delicious. Arizona ranks 17th in K rate, 23rd in OBP, 26th in wOBA, 27th in OPS, and 29th in xwOBA and lose seemingly every night.
Michael Pineda, MIN (at DET)
Pine tar Pineda has been in this streamers article since I started doing this three years ago, and he just continues to be undervalued in fantasy circles. While he was widely owned this time a month ago, an IL stint forced him to be dropped in numerous leagues, with a dud in his return start being the final straw for many fantasy owners. This is a great time to go pick him up, though, with Pineda pitching to a 3.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 8.2 K/9 rate before landing on the IL.
I mean, we’re talking about a guy who had a 3.91 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in his first two seasons with the Twinkies, and it simply makes no sense why people would give up on him after one poor start and an unforeseen injury. The best part of this play might be the matchup with the Tigers, though. The Motor City Kitties rank bottom-10 in K rate, OBP, runs scored, OPS, and xwOBA. That’s clear when you see that Pineda has 17 Ks across 13 innings in his last two starts against them, allowing just 11 baserunners and four runs in that span.
Streamers to Consider
Brad Keller/Danny Duffy, KC (vs. BAL)
These two have shown flashes in the past and could thrive against a 24th-ranked Orioles offense.
Steven Matz, TOR (vs. TEX)
Matz looked like a breakout early on, and facing a terrible Texas lineup might be the way to return to that form.
Chris Flexen, SEA (at LAA)
Flexen has a 1.38 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over his last five starts, and it’s not like the Angels are scary with Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout both sidelined.
Tylor Megill, NYM (vs. PIT)
Any formidable pitcher against the Pirates is in play, and Megill is just that behind a 3.50 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.
J.A. Happ/Bailey Ober, MIN (at DET)
These two are risky, but we have to look at anyone facing the Motor City Kitties.
Feel free to comment me here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
