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Welcome back, RotoBallers! As a reminder, in this piece we're looking for weekly streamers in head-to-head leagues, which means players who are 50% owned or less in Yahoo! leagues and who have seven games in the week. These players could provide great value off the waiver wire, particularly in head-to-head leagues, for week 15 of the 2017 baseball season.
To catch my streamers column each and every week, add me on Twitter @rotonails and always check the RotoBaller MLB page.
With that said, let’s dive into the stream(ers).
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 15
Shin-Soo Choo (OF, TEX) - 22% owned
After being limited to 48 games last year, Choo rebounded with a nice first half in 2017. In less than half a season of games played (78), he posted a .250/12/49/42/7 line. For his career, Choo has massive splits depending on pitcher handedness. Versus righties, he has a .294 average and a .890 OPS; versus lefties, he has a mere .243 average and a .695 OPS. He should face six righties this week, and the pitching matchups are favorable beyond handedness. These circumstances are enough to put him atop the streaming list, despite playing all his games on the road this week (and hitting better at home).
Tommy Pham (OF, STL) - 33% owned
Pham is becoming a regular on the list. His ownership percentage keeps shooting upwards, but it is still low enough for many to reap the benefits this week. Pham was bothered by a sore hip in his last game before the break, but he is back in the lineup Friday. So long as he is healthy, he should do some damage for your team. In a mere 59 games (he was in the minors all of April), the 29 year-old posted a line of .299/11/42/34/11. He would be atop the list if he faced more lefties this week (due to his splits), but he is still the second best streaming option if available..
Trey Mancini (1B/OF, BAL) - 50% owned
Trey “Boom Boom” Mancini just met the cutoff this week at 50% ownership. Over his first 274 career at bats, the rookie has a .314/17/34/49/1 line. He has worked his way to everyday playing time, and he has been spraying the ball to all fields. His pitching matchups this week are average, and that is enough to put him third in our streaming options this week.
Josh Bell (1B/OF, PIT) - 31% owned
At the break, Bell already has more homers than he had in any minor-league season. He posted a .239/16/45/44/2 first half line. Early in his career, he has hit righties better and should face a majority of them this week. Moreover, he gets to play at Coors . If available, he is worth an add this week for power and run production, and he could surprise you with a serviceable average and a steal.
Keon Broxton (OF, MIL) - 50% owned
Broxton has the type of power/speed combo to make fantasy owners drool. However, he also has the type of strikeout rate to make them sigh. In 86 games this year, he has 14 homers, 17 steals, and a 37.9% k-rate. In 168 career games, those numbers change to 23 homers, 41 steals, and a 37.1% k-rate (leading to a .233 average). If you want a power/speed combo, he’s a great choice. But, you need the stomach for a poor batting average.
Joey Gallo (1B/3B, TEX) - 36% owned
Speaking of high strikeout rates and poor batting averages, we turn to Joey Gallo. Gallo somehow has a higher k-rate (38.5%) and lower average (.194) than Broxton this year. So why is he on the list? Remove the average, and he has 21 homers, 47 runs, 41 RBIs and five steals in 81 games. That is elite production. He also faces favorable pitching matchups this week. If you can stand to punt batting average, he is a great play.
Jose Reyes (SS/3B, NYM) - 13% owned
This year, the only reason Jose Reyes has not been Jose Reyes is due to a poor BABIP. Otherwise, his strikeout and walk rates, his batted ball profile, and his power and speed are all in line with his career numbers. As a middle infielder who can still swipe 20+ bags and hit double-digit homers, he is worth streaming despite facing more righties (who he hits worse) and having just average matchups.
Carlos Gomez (OF, TEX) - 35% owned
If Gomez has been healthy, 50% owned or less, and had seven or more games, he has been on the list this year. His power/speed combo is the reason. In 58 games, he has a .248/12/34/32/7 line. Over the prior five years, he hit 19 or more homers three times and stole 34 or more bases three times. After a poor stretch from 2015 until the middle of 2016, he has bounced back. With these stats and favorable pitching matchups, he would be higher on the list if he did not play all his games on the road (where he has performed notably worse).
Also worth monitoring
Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL) – After a slow start, Arcia has bounced back to a .283/8/34/30/5 line.
Manuel Margot (OF, SD) – Healthy again, Margot has a .263 average with 10 steals and five homers in just 59 games. He also gets to play in Coors but faces tough matchups.
Hernan Perez (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIL) – With a line of .266/10/32/35/8 at the break after a .272/13/50/56/34 line in 2016, Perez is a good option who may not crack the lineup everyday.
Paul DeJong (2B/3B/SS, SF) – The 23 year-old smacked 13 homers in 48 minor league games this year, and already has 9 in 36 MLB games.
Jarrod Dyson (OF, SEA) – Dyson faces below average matchups, but he will face at least five righties and is an elite basestealer. If you need stolen bases, he is a good choice.
Stephen Piscotty (OF, STL) – Piscotty is a good hitter who has been underperforming on the year.
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