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Baseball is back, and fantasy managers in daily leagues no doubt already have holes to fill. The easiest way to do that is with streamers. Fortunately, RotoBaller has you covered with daily streaming picks.
Each day, RotoBaller will provide you with some of the best fantasy baseball streaming picks - options to consider in fantasy baseball daily leagues. Additionally, these recommendations can be useful for fantasy managers setting DFS lineups.
We have our typical split slate Wednesday, and I see streaming opportunities for both pitchers and hitters all throughout the day. We don't necessarily have a ton of tempting hitter's environments -- Fenway and Coors are off the ledger, for example -- but there are still some very appealing matchups due to some of the questionable arms taking the hill. There are also two low-rostered pitchers that catch my eye, even though recent performance or the statistical matchup may keep many off of them Wednesday.
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Hitter Streamers for 6/23 - Shallow Leagues
C.J. Cron (1B, COL) - 39% rostered
Matchup: @ SEA LHP Justus Sheffield
Cron went into Tuesday on an impressive heater that has seen him slash .417/.462/.958 with a double, four home runs and 10 RBI over the last seven games. He’s also been punishing left-handed pitching all season, including outside of Coors. Cron owns a .346 average versus southpaws when traveling, and a .356 average, 1.059 OPS, .449 wOBA and 174 wRC+ against left-handers overall. Sheffield is undeniably talented, but he owns a 6.03 xERA and 1.6 HR/9, and he’s given up a .312 average, .384 wOBA and 1.7 HR/9 to right-handed hitters.
Josh Bell (1B, WAS) - 51% rostered
Matchup: @ PHI RHP Vince Velasquez
Bell got off to a very slow start this season, but he’s bounced back to forge a .284/.341/.506 slash line with six doubles, four home runs and 11 RBI over the 26 games he’d played in the last month heading into Tuesday. The switch-hitter has been exponentially better when hitting from the left side, and he owns a. 330 wOBA, .254 ISO and 45.2 percent hard-contact rate against righties on the road. Meanwhile, Velasquez has plenty of worrisome metrics despite his 10.1 K/9, as he’s also carrying a 4.80 xERA and 5.27 FIP. Moreover, he’s been taken to task by lefty bats, which have tagged him for a .278 average, .369 wOBA and 23.2 percent line-drive rate. Bell also happens to be an excellent fastball hitter – he owns a .368 wOBA against the four-seam this season and a .377 wOBA for his career – and Velasquez is first and foremost a power pitcher.
Yermin Mercedes (UTIL, CWS) - 47% rostered
Matchup: @ PIT RHP Chase De Jong
You’re not going to find many low-rostered White Sox bats that you can exploit De Jong’s weaknesses against right-handed hitters with, but Mercedes is still under 50.0 percent and certainly brings plenty of upside. Mercedes has been at his best against left-handed pitching, but De Jong has given up a .393 wOBA to right-handed bats, including a .542 wOBA in a small 16-batter sample against that handedness at home.
J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA) - 24% rostered
Matchup: vs. COL RHP German Marquez
Crawford has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters in June, as he went into Tuesday with a .364/ .414/.584 slash line partly constituted of eight doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI over 87 plate appearances during the month. The veteran shortstop has also been a reliable contact hitter all season, and although he’s been at his best in same-handed matchups, he still in a good spot Wednesday against Marquez, who’s been victimized by lefty bats on the road for a .345 average, .399 wOBA, 28.6 percent line-drive rate and 39.5 percent hard-contact rate.
Hitter Streamers for 6/23 - Deeper Leagues
Tony Kemp (2B/OF, OAK) - 7% rostered
Matchup: @ TEX RHP Mike Foltynewicz
Kemp headed into Tuesday’s action wielding a hot bat, as he’d posted a .315 average and 1.025 OPS with eight XBH and 12 RBI across the 67 plate appearances covering his 17 June games. The veteran has also been doing very well hitting out of the leadoff spot in the few opportunities he’s had this season, and he could very well be slotted in there Wednesday against Mike Foltynewicz, who’s been hammered by lefty bats all season. Folty has given up a .336 average, 1.080 OPS and .451 wOBA to left-handed hitters, and a massive 3.1 HR/9 when facing that handedness at home. Kemp has hit both handedness of pitcher well, and he boasts a .317 average, .244 ISO, .408 wOBA and 31.6 percent line-drive rate against righties on the road. When Foltynewicz exits, Kemp will get a crack at a Rangers bullpen that’s given up a 7.22 ERA, .265 BAA and .332 wOBA to left-handed hitters in June.
Ji-Man Choi (1B, TB) - 2% rostered
Matchup: vs. BOS RHP Garrett Richards
The left-handed hitting Choi has been at his best in same-handed matchups over this season’s small sample, but he still carries a .313 average and .342 wOBA against righties at home. He owns a .349 wOBA and .210 ISO versus righties at Tropicana Field during his career, while Richards has allowed a .286 average and .340 wOBA to left-handed hitters while also giving up a 20.0 percent HR/FB rate to them on the road. Red Sox relievers have also been the worst in baseball versus lefty bats in June, surrendering a .328 average and .410 wOBA to that handedness.
Billy McKinney (OF, NYM) - 3% rostered
Matchup: vs. ATL RHP Kyle Wright
McKinney makes for a low-rostered left-handed option to roll out against Kyle Wright, who’s allowed a .299 average, 1.99 HR/9 and .400 wOBA to the 150 left-handed hitters he’s faced thus far in his career. McKinney has slugged six of his seven homers this season off right-handed pitching and owns a .321 wOBA and 27.9 percent line-drive rate against that handedness at home. He’s also shown some nice pop overall during his opportunities this season, as 18 of his 34 hits have gone for extra bases. Meanwhile, Braves relievers could also be a good target – they’ve pitched to a 5.59 ERA and .344 wOBA against left-handed hitters in June.
Robel Garcia (2B/OF, HOU) - 0% rostered
Matchup: @ BAL RHP Tom Eshelman
Eshelman has had some significant trouble against left-handed hitters during his career, allowing a .281 average, .881 OPS and .369 wOBA to that handedness over a 127-batter sample. The Astros have several potent left-handed hitters that are highly rostered, but Garcia is one that certainly isn’t and that should be in the lineup again Wednesday. The switch hitter has a .500 average against righties on the road in a very small sample this season, and he owns a .283 average, .920 OPS and .375 wOBA in that split over his career. The Orioles bullpen also has plenty of issues versus lefty bats, as its relievers have allowed a .291 average and .374 wOBA to that handedness thus far in June, and a 6.60 ERA to righty hitters in the same span.
Pitcher Streamers for 6/23 - Shallow Leagues
John Gant (SP, STL) - 14% rostered
Matchup: @ DET RHP Matt Manning
Gant hasn’t been anywhere near the same pitcher over the last three starts that he was over his first 10, as he’s pitched to a 12.27 ERA, 3.3 HR/9 and 2.00 WHIP over the 11 innings covering the former span. Gant did redeem himself from consecutive meltdowns his last time on the mound, as he held the Braves to a respectable three runs over 5.1 innings. His matchup Wednesday is one that should be amenable to a resurgence, considering the Tigers have a 26.9 percent strikeout rate, .216 average and .306 wOBA against right-handed pitching thus far in June. Gant also owns a 2.68 ERA across 37 road innings, furthering his case.
Pitcher Streamers for 6/23 - Deeper Leagues
Caleb Smith (SP, ARI) - 12% rostered
Matchup: vs. MIL RHP Brandon Woodruff
Smith is surprisingly low-rostered for a pitcher that’s been near-dominant over the last month-plus, a span during which he owns a 2.51 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 10.0 K/9 and 0.9 HR/9 across 28.2 innings during eight appearances (four starts). The left-hander has a solid 1.15 WHIP and 0.9 HR/9 at home over the entirety of the season as well, and while the Brewers have been a dangerous team against left-handers on the road over the last several weeks, Smith already held them to one run and recorded eight strikeouts over five innings on June 6.
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