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Elliott Baas analyzes hitter streamers and starts for Week 12. These bats are potential fantasy baseball waiver wire adds to stream for head-to-head leagues.
Welcome to the hitting streamers column for the week of 06/17-06/23. Whether you're looking to maximize the number of games played, exploit favorable matchups, or fill in for injured players, streaming hitters can be a fruitful strategy for those willing to put in a little work every week.
Keep in mind that this column highlights players owned in approximately 50% or fewer of Yahoo leagues who could present nice streaming options for the upcoming week. This applies to any league but specifically is geared toward head-to-head weekly leagues where matchups are more critical.
If the following names aren't available, don't hesitate to check our famous waiver wire pickups list to find some appealing alternatives. Let's get to it.
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 12
Seven Game Weeks: BAL, CIN, CLE, HOU, KC, LAA, LAD, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYM, NYY, OAK, PHI, SEA, SF, STL, TB, TEX, TOR, WAS
Streamer of the Week
Kole Calhoun (OF, LAA): 23% Owned
Calhoun has quietly been crushing it for the Angels this season, with 14 home runs and a .247 ISO in 268 PA on the year. He’s in a great spot this week, with seven road games and only one left-handed starter on the slate for the Angels. That left-handed starter is Clayton Richard, so we shouldn’t be too worried about that start anyway.
Calhoun hits fourth for the Angels against righties, and should be in prime position to produce as the Angels beat up on weak Blue Jays’ pitching with four games in Toronto. He’ll then get three games in St. Louis, all against right-handed starters. Calhoun is under-owned in general, but he’s a great streamer this week as well.
Behind the Plate
Chance Sisco (C, BAL): 12% Owned
Sisco was recently promoted to the majors, and he’s already hitting cleanup for Baltimore. He’s also served as the DH for the Orioles, which could allow him to maximize his plate appearances in a seven-game week for Baltimore. He’ll get to feast on the weak pitching of Oakland and Seattle, though unfortunately Sisco will be on the road away from hitter-friendly Camden Yards. Still, he’s in a good position to produce and is one of the best streaming options at catcher.
Roberto Perez (C, CLE): 13% Owned
Perez has experienced a power explosion this season, with a career-high 11 home runs and a .254 ISO. For the first time in his career, Perez is an above average hitter. He’s in a great spot this week, as Cleveland plays four games in Texas and then gets three at home against Detroit. Perez typically plays 4-5 games a week, and should get plenty of exposure to weak Texas and Detroit pitchers. As far as streaming catchers go, owners could do a lot worse than picking up Perez.
At the Corners
Miguel Sano (1B/3B, MIN): 38% Owned
Sano has been on a power binge since returning from the injured list, crushing six home runs with a .342 ISO in 19 games. He also gets four games against bad Royals pitching and three games against lefties. Sano is under-owned in a general sense, but now is the perfect time to swoop in and pick him up before his ownership creeps up even higher. This is arguably the best power-hitter out there in this many leagues, and should provide power and run production numbers this week.
Yandy Diaz (1B/3B, TB): 34% Owned
The way things are currently lined up, the Rays would take on four left-handed starting pitchers. Granted, one of those lefties is James Paxton but that shouldn’t deter owners away from Diaz. He has pulverized lefties this season for a .349 AVG, 1.026 OPS, and .254 ISO. He’s also picked things up in June after a cold May, hitting .326 with an .827 OPS since June 1. Diaz is in the ideal position to boost those numbers with seven road games in the Bronx and Oakland.
Also Consider: Renato Nunez (1B/3B, BAL): 40% Owned, Cheslor Cuthbert (1B/3B, KC): 1% Owned, Kyle Seager (3B, SEA): 19% Owned
Up the Middle
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (2B/SS/OF, TOR): 34% Owned
Gurriel has been on fire since returning from his demotion, hitting .323 with five home runs and a 1.060 OPS in 68 PA going into Thursday. He has demolished left-handed pitching as well, with an .894 OPS and .324 ISO versus southpaws. That’s great news, since Gurriel and the Blue Jays take on five left-handed starters this week. He’s also hitting third for the Blue Jays behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio, meaning he’s got plenty of run-producing opportunities this week. With triple eligibility and a smoking hot bat, there are few better options than Gurriel right now.
Danny Santana (1B/2B/OF, TEX): 11% Owned
Texas has seven home games this week, so most of their hitters are in play for streaming. Santana is a widely available option who has triple eligibility and a decent power-speed combination. As of writing this, the Rangers are only scheduled to face right-handed starters, which plays well into Santana’s skillset. He’s hit .336 with a .909 OPS and .212 ISO versus right-handed pitching this season. The Rangers are going to score a ton of runs this week, and Santana could be right in the thick of it all near the top of their order.
Also Consider: Rougned Odor (2B, TEX): 44% Owned, Jurickson Profar (1B/2B/3B/SS, OAK): 42% Owned, Kolten Wong (2B, STL): 21% Owned
In the Outfield
Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR): 23% Owned
Grichuk also benefits from the Blue Jays’ seven-game week with five games against left-handed starters. He has a .773 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season, over 100 points higher than his OPS against righties. He has good power potential for the upcoming week, as he gets four games at home against the Angels and three in Boston. With a 36.2% hard-hit rate and 17-degree average launch angle, Grichuk should be able to produce some power as a streaming option.
Garrett Cooper (1B/OF, MIA): 21% Owned
Cooper has been on fire in June, hitting .395 with three home runs and a 1.173 OPS this month. He also has had reverse splits this season, hitting .329 with a .935 OPS against right-handed pitchers. The Marlins are set to take on exclusively right-handed starters this week, and Cooper gets a ballpark upgrade with four games in St. Louis and three in Philadelphia. He is a under-the-radar option at both outfield and corner infield this week.
Also Consider: Oscar Mercado (OF, CLE): 17% Owned, Josh Reddick (OF, HOU): 22% Owned, Ramon Laureano (OF, OAK): 27% Owned, Harrison Bader (OF, STL): 22% Owned
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