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Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your daily source of waiver wire and streaming advice.
Here are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Wednesday, April 12th. Since it's a full slate, most of the focus will be on pitchers.
Let's get to it.
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Agenda
- Morton and Paxton Deliver
- Today's Weather and Updates
- Tomorrow's Picks
1. Morton and Paxton Deliver
Yesterday featured several rubber matches. The game I most anticipated was Houston visiting Seattle. Two breakout candidates, Charlie Morton and James Paxton, were on tap. They did not disappoint.
Paxton earned the win as part of a seven inning, eight strikeout shutout performance. He sat between 95 and 98 mph with his fastball, mixing in a devastating breaking ball. He mostly leaned on his two primary pitches. His command remains inconsistent. He'll paint a location and then miss the next spot by two feet.
Morton began the day with pinpoint precision, but his command dropped a couple grades around the fourth inning. A couple long at bats might have fatigued him. Morton worked between 95 and 97 mph. His plus curve isn't really a strikeout pitch. He'll need to maintain command deeper into outings in order to rack up strikeouts.
2. Today's Weather and Updates
All of today's games should happen. There may be rain delays in Cleveland and Pittsburgh. San Francisco could see a late drop or two of rain. It looks like Washington D.C. and Boston may be damp tomorrow according to this largely unhelpful weather map.
3. Tomorrow's Picks - Wednesday, April 12th
Pitchers to Use
Despite widespread hype related to his increased velocity, Shelby Miller remains just eight percent owned in Yahoo leagues. Miller is primed to face the Giants at AT&T Field. The San Francisco lineup is mid-tier, and their park is the pitcher friendliest in baseball. If there's ever a time to try Miller, it's tomorrow. And if the outing goes well, you'll be holding a trade asset.
Blake Snell will take the bump opposite Jordan Montgomery at Yankees Stadium. The southpaws partially mitigate the home run risk associated with New York's band box by virtue of their handedness. Snell is a good play for owners who need strikeouts and can afford to be cavalier with their ratios. Montgomery is a potentially sneaky flier in deeper leagues. He's posted strong strikeout and walk rates throughout the minors. The scouting report reads like a left-handed Jerad Eickhoff. There's no true weapon in the repertoire, but the volume of junk and command should keep hitters off balance.
Left-hander Amir Garrett pitched well in his major league debut. He'll probably need to use more offspeed stuff to ensure long term success. Garrett is facing a top heavy Pirates offense at pitcher friendly PNC Park. It's the second best venue for pitchers. I would recommend Ivan Nova too, except he's 65 percent owned.
Mike Leake is a steady/boring option for regular streaming. Opposite Max Scherzer, he'll have to twirl a gem if he wants a chance at a win. Look at him only as innings volume.
Other Targets: Andrew Triggs
Pitchers to Exploit
Coors Field features Luis Perdomo versus Kyle Freeland. Target anyone and everyone currently residing in Colorado.
Zack Wheeler looked a lot like Zack Wheeler last week. He had velocity, he recorded some strikeouts, and his command was below average. Expect Wheeler to record about a strikeout per inning. If he pitches beyond the fifth inning, I'll be surprised.
Ubaldo Jimenez is terrible early in the season. And also late in the season. And the middle too. Go ahead and target the few available Red Sox. Jackie Bradley Jr.'s injury should open the door for someone like Brock Holt.
Matt Cain isn't a major league pitcher. The sooner the Giants accept this, the more likely they are to make the postseason. For fantasy purposes, there are a few Diamondbacks to target.
Other Targets: Kyle Gibson, A.J. Griffin, Jesse Chavez
Homers on the Wire
The waiver wire is stuffed with power potential. Coors Field offers the same names as yesterday - Mark Reynolds, Gerardo Parra, Tony Wolters, Ryan Schimpf, Yangervis Solarte, and Austin Hedges. Also a few stolen base options.
OBP god Brandon Guyer gets a start versus a lefty. I've long ago determined that Derek Holland is perfectly unpredictable. He could blank the Indians or fail to complete one inning.
As a fly ball hitter, Tommy Joseph is well positioned to drop bombs versus Wheeler. The Mets starter is a ground ball pitcher who often misses over the heart of the plate.
I remain a fan of the Mariners lineup versus Mike Fiers. Mitch Haniger is the hot hand. Danny Valencia, by comparison, looked lost yesterday. Against Morton, he was swing and missing breaking balls over three feet away. Mike Zunino is an option if you need a catcher.
Other Targets: Brandon Drury, David Peralta, Josh Reddick, Matt Joyce, Yonder Alonso, Adonis Garcia, Hyun-soo Kim, Mitch Moreland, Justin Smoak, Aaron Judge, Steven Souza, Rickie Weeks
Steals on the Wire
The stolen base side of things remains confined to a few repeat names. Chris Owings has a lovely matchup versus Cain. There is no need for further analysis.
Manuel Margot and Travis Jankowski are at Coors Field. They're facing a lefty which could push Jankowski to the bench.
Cesar Hernandez will probably test the Mets battery if he reaches base. They're not known for their ability to hold base runners.
Other Targets: Jarrod Dyson, Leonys Martin, Taylor Motter, Delino DeShields
Skill Positions
Keep an eye on Buster Posey. Reports say he's fine after getting hit in the head by a Taijuan Walker fastball yesterday. If concussion symptoms develop, Nick Hundley becomes roto relevant.
Joaquin Benoit is the closer in Philadelphia. Everybody will tell you Hector Neris is next in line. If Benoit needs replacing before the end of April, they're probably right. Otherwise, consider Edubray Ramos as the top closer prospect in that bullpen.
With Bruce Rondon looking like hot poo, the Tigers promoted minor league relief ace Joe Jimenez. He could take over for Francisco Rodriguez if the veteran is traded later in the summer.
