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Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire. This article, which began last season, runs seven days a week. We are always ready to stream.
For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on your waiver wire.
Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Tuesday, June 19. Let's get to it.
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Agenda
- Ser Anthony Rise
- Today's Weather and Updates
- Tomorrow's Picks
1. Ser Anthony Rise
Former Phillies closer Hector Neris was demoted to Triple-A earlier today, putting to rest any questions about his role in the Phillies bullpen (i.e. it's "none"). Presumably, Seranthony Dominguez will rise to the mantle of closer, although the Phillies bullpen does offer a couple alternatives in the forms of Edubray Ramos and Tommy Hunter. A benefit to using Hunter is his fixed contract. Ramos has a 0.69 ERA (albeit with a 3.09 FIP/3.91 xFIP). Hunter actually has better peripherals than Ramos, but with a lesser 4.05 ERA.
Dominguez stands out for his 1.27 ERA in 21.1 innings. He's recorded 11.39 K/9 and 1.27 BB/9. However, he could massively benefit by being just a little more willing to risk a walk and/or work up in the zone with his fastball. His 19 percent swinging strike rate isn't just elite, it's fourth among all pitchers with at least 20 innings (Josh Hader, Sean Doolittle, and Edwin Diaz). Speaking of Diaz, Dominguez's size and rise to bullpen prominence is quite reminiscent of the Mariners relief ace. Although the Phillies may prefer for Dominguez to fill a multi-inning role, perhaps they should follow the path of least resistance.
2. Today's Weather and Updates - Monday, June 18
Summer storms threaten the action in Chicago, Cleveland, and Colorado. The Cubs is threatened throughout. Shifting winds could make it difficult to predict if the wind will blow in or out. The Indians game should start, but completing it may be another matter. As is common in Denver, spotty storms could wash out the game or never hit the stadium.
3. Streamer Picks - Tuesday, June 18
Pitchers to Use
It feels like fantasy managers are starting to get lazy. Carlos Rodon has been back for about two weeks. Although he's struggled with allowing home runs, he basically looks better than ever. The skills are present for a big second half once he shakes off the rust. This means you may wish to pass on his start versus the Indians. However, now may be your last chance to roster him. He's 32 percent owned, and he'll disappear completely if he fires a strong outing tomorrow.
By comparison, owners have noticed Mike Soroka. He's just under 50 percent owned. The righty is perhaps the best command and control prospect to reach the majors in recent season - all at the tender age of 20. Command usually takes longer to develop. While I predict some rough patches in Soroka's near future, he has a usable matchup versus the Blue Jays tomorrow.
Freddy Peralta has shot up from one percent to 17 percent owned since the start of yesterday when his promotion was announced. The righty has swing-and-miss stuff mixed with iffy control. The profile reads as excessively volatile with near-elite upside and ruinous downside. Because he leans so heavily on his fastball, the best case scenario probably looks something like Tony Cingrani's debut season. It's more likely he's eventually battered into a bullpen role. He's visiting pitcher friendly PNC Park.
Other Targets: Luke Weaver, Vince Velasquez
Pitchers to Exploit
Jason Vargas hasn't been as bad as his numbers suggest. Sure, he was terrible to start the season, but he probably rushed back from injury. Vargas has always relied on hitting his spots. Rust can probably be blamed for the poor command he showed in those early outings. He seems to be back to fringe-streamable with the right matchup. Alas, tomorrow is not the day. He's visiting Coors Field. His opponent, German Marquez, has a 7.71 ERA when pitching at home this season. This game could get sloppy.
Other Targets: David Hess, Jaime Garcia, Sal Romano, Jason Hammel, Matt Koch, Paul Blackburn, Eric Lauer, Dereck Rodriguez
Homers on the Wire
Wrigley Field may be the place to hunt for bargain power tomorrow. Southpaw Rich Hill is returning from his most recent case of leprosy (blisters). He was bad before landing on the disabled list. Since a pinch hit in late-May, occasional leadoff man Albert Almora is batting .353/.384/.471. He hasn't actually hit a home run in that span, but Hill tends to work up in the zone. It's a perfect matchup for a ground ball hitter. On the flip side, Enrique Hernandez and Austin Barnes will have the platoon advantage against Mike Montgomery.
Other Targets: Asdrubal Cabrera, Dominic Smith, Todd Frazier, Wilmer Flores, Tom Murphy, Aaron Hicks, Guillermo Heredia, Matt Adams, Danny Valencia, Colin Moran, Tyler Flowers, Charlie Culberson, Brandon Guyer, John Hicks, Jake Marisnick, Franklin Barreto, Chad Pinder, Mark Canha, Hunter Renfroe, Derek Dietrich
Steals on the Wire
I suppose a word or three about Adalberto Mondesi is in order. He's expected to start three or four games per week. Mondesi made his major league debut as a 20-year-old back in 2016. Since then, he's struggled to make any kind of contact. Even Triple-A pitchers have proven to be too much. However, he has shown enough power at Triple-A to merit giving him time to adjust in the majors. While I'm far from sanguine about his chances to become more than a utility man, the fantasy upside includes 10 to 20 home runs with over 30 steals. Take off your rose colored glasses and you'll notice he's projected for a .270 OBP which means very few stolen base chances.
Dexter Fowler's slump has given fourth outfielder Harrison Bader a chance to play more regularly. Bader is an ideal fourth outfielder with enough pop, speed, and contact skills to offer some threat to opposing pitchers. However, the Cardinals are trying to use him as a direct replacement for Fowler. In this, they'll be disappointed. For now, ride his frequent top-of-the-order assignments and decent base running potential. You'll want to be careful using him against the Phillies. Andrew Knapp is the man to target, not Jorge Alfaro.
Other Targets: Harrison Bader, Jonathan Villar, Jose Peraza, Leonys Martin, Delino DeShields, Travis Jankowski, Manuel Margot
