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Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 24 of the MLB season (9/6 through 9/12). This weekly piece should be helpful for anyone looking to gain an edge in their league. If you need a fill-in for an injured player or want to exploit some matchups in order to gain an edge on your opponent, then you're in the right place. This article aims to keep you informed while helping you stay ahead of the competition so you can get an early jump on those waiver claims before your opponents.
There are 11 teams playing seven games next week and two (Baltimore and Toronto) playing eight. So we have plenty of high-volume streaming options for the fantasy playoffs. This is an exciting time in fantasy baseball with the postseason just getting started and division races heating up in the majors. Streaming has been more important than ever this season given the absurd amount of injuries that we've had to deal with all year. It can help mitigate bad luck, like Xander Bogaerts coming down with COVID-19, for example, and can be the difference between making the playoffs or not. So it's time to buckle up, get focused, and find some high-performing streamers for Week 24.
Disclaimer: I am only highlighting players that are currently rostered in 50% or less of Yahoo! leagues, meaning you should have a decent chance of picking them up on the waiver wire. These recommendations should apply to most league settings and formats as I'm looking for players who can help you across a variety of scoring categories. If the following names aren't available, feel free to read our Waiver Wire Pickups piece that drops every Monday for more ideas. Alright, let's get after it.
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 24
Remember that this piece is forward-looking and a lot can happen over the course of a week. Potential pitching opponents, lineups, and projected number of at-bats are all subject to change so make sure you're following @RotoBallerMLB on Twitter to stay up to date!
Seven-Game Weeks:
BAL*, CLE, COL, KC, LAD, MIN, NYM, NYY, PHI, STL, TEX, TOR*, WSH
*plays eight games
Stream of the Week
Jonathan Villar (2B/3B/SS, NYM): 36% Rostered
Next week, Villar checks two of the most important boxes when it comes to streaming. He's been raking at the plate for the better part of the month, so he's hot, and the Mets are also playing seven games, so he'll have the volume. Just how hot has Villar been? Well, he's slashing .356/.424/.576 with four home runs, nine RBI, seven runs, and a pair of stolen bases over the last 18 contests. He owns a .455/.520/.909 batting line with two home runs, three RBI, and five runs scored over the last seven games as well. On the year, the veteran infielder has a .257/.330/.454 batting line with 17 home runs, 36 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 50 runs scored over 350 at-bats. You need to strike while the iron is hot when it comes to streaming and Villar's combination of power and speed is nearly impossible to find on the waiver wire, especially this late in the year.
The Mets start the week off with a road game against the Nationals before heading south for a three-game series with the Marlins. They then finish off the week with the Subway Series against the Yankees at Citi Field. Villar, who is a switch-hitter, has performed well against left-handed pitching this year (.296/.339/.426 over 108 at-bats) but the Mets are only facing one southpaw, Patrick Corbin, to start the week. Luckily for us, Villar has dominated Corbin over his career, slashing .476/.455/.619 over 21 at-bats.
Even though he hasn't performed quite as well versus right-handed pitching, particularly when it comes to rate stats (.239/.327/.458 across 232 at-bats), the majority of his power has come against them. He's hit 11 extra-base hits (nine doubles, two triples) and 13 homers off right-handers. Villar has also moved up to the leadoff spot over the last four games and if that trend continues then he should see an uptick his at-bats next week. Few streamers have the upside of Villar, who possesses both power and speed. That coveted combination should lead to some big performances while he serves as the Mets' table-setter.
Jonathan Villar stays red-hot with another homer, this one a solo shot. The Mets have loved the look of their lineup with Villar leading off.
Marlins 2, Mets 1, bottom one. pic.twitter.com/8VvpAnm8pH
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 2, 2021
Catcher
Jacob Stallings (C, PIT): 6% Rostered
Our catcher options are pretty limited for next week. It's already the shallowest position in fantasy baseball and there just aren't many attractive options on the waiver wire this deep into the season. We've had to dig a little deeper than normal but Jacob Stallings should be a productive option for your team. The Pirates play six games next week, all at home, with a three-game set against the Tigers and another three-game series versus the Nationals. Stallings, who owns a .236/.327/.370 batting line with eight home runs, 48 RBI, and 32 runs scored on the season, has performed well at PNC Park this year. He's slashing .268/.361/.429 with five long balls and 34 RBI in 168 at-bats at home as opposed to a .201 batting average and .594 OPS on the road.
The Pirates will face four right-handed starting pitchers next week in Wily Peralta, Matt Manning, Josiah Gray, and Paolo Espino. Stallings' splits vs. righties are similar to his numbers at home with a .267/.368/.401 batting line over 202 at-bats. There isn't a ton of upside with the 31-year-old catcher, especially in the power department, but he has solid plate discipline and shouldn't put up a lot of empty plate appearances. He's got an 11.4% Walk Rate and 24.3% Chase Rate on the year so getting one base has been his strength. If you're still looking to stream catchers this late into the season then it's likely that you're used to underwhelming performances out of that position. Stallings won't light the world on fire but he won't be a complete dud, either. If you're looking for more of a boom/bust option with a higher ceiling, as opposed to a safer floor, then you could look into Luis Torrens, Elias Diaz, or Daulton Varsho.
Also Consider: Luis Torrens (C/1B, SEA): 4% Rostered; Elias Diaz (C, COL): 18% Rostered
Corner Infield
LaMonte Wade Jr. (1B/OF, SF): 12% Rostered
Streaming Wade Jr. has been fairly straightforward this season. Whenever San Francisco is facing a right-handed starting pitcher, he's in their lineup and should be in yours, too. The 27-year-old first baseman/outfielder is slashing .267/.336/.556 with 17 home runs, 42 RBI, and five stolen bases against righties this season (225 at-bats). Overall, he's got a .253/.324/.518 batting line with 17 home runs, 43 RBI, and five stolen bases (253 at-bats). As you can see, there's not much disparity between his season numbers and his splits vs. right-handers. He simply doesn't see at-bats whenever the Giants face a left-handed starting pitcher, that's typically when Darin Ruf will start in his place.
San Francisco plays six games next week (three in Colorado and three against the Cubs at Wrigley) and they'll see four right-handed starters. Chi Chi Gonzalez, Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Hendricks, and Zach Davies are on the dinner menu for Wade Jr. The former Minnesota Twin has been an excellent contributor for the Giants this year and is posting a 10.6% Barrel Rate, 43.6% Hard Hit Rate, and Average Launch Angle of 19.1 degrees. He's won't be playable when the Giants face Kyle Freeland and Justin Steele next week but he should provide dividends in their other four contests. He's been known to swipe a bag or two and is a perfect 5-for-5 on theft attempts this year.
LaMonte Wade Jr is special. He’s perfect for this Giants team pic.twitter.com/J7lfsuDiNB
— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) August 21, 2021
Also Consider: Miguel Cabrera (1B, DET): 8% Rostered; Bobby Dalbec (1B, BOS): 25% Rostered
Middle Infield
Nicky Lopez (2B/SS, KC): 47% Rostered
We're going back to the well with Lopez, who's been an excellent streamer for us this season. The speedy 26-year-old has been on fire over his last 15 contests, going 23-for-59 (.390/.463/.475) with one home run, six RBI, five stolen bases, and eight runs scored. Overall, he has a .292/.363/.363 batting line with 21 extra-base hits, one homer, 34 RBI, and 18 stolen bases. He obviously lacks power but we like Lopez for his high batting average, on-base percentage, and stolen base upside. He has excellent plate discipline with a 13.7% Strikeout Rate (94th percentile), 15.2% Whiff Rate (94th), 24.6% Chase Rate, and 90.7% Z-Contract Rate. He's also got a 9.3% Walk Rate and his Sprint Speed ranks in the 78th percentile.
The Royals play seven road games next week with four coming against the Orioles and three vs. the Twins. They'll face four right-handed starters and three southpaws. The good news is that Lopez's splits are relatively even, regardless of who he's facing. He's slashing .292/.372/.363 vs. right-handers and .290/.333/.366 against lefties. Lopez should feast on probable starters Matt Harvey, Alexander Wells, Bailey Ober, and Griffin Jax. He's locked into the number two spot in the Royals' batting order and will be a good source of batting average, OBP, and runs scored next week. His steal attempts have been a little sporadic lately as he swiped 10 from August 8 through August 22 but hasn't picked up any since then. This could mean he's overdue for a few attempts next week but you also shouldn't be surprised he doesn't steal at all.
Also Consider: Josh Rojas (2B/SS/OF, ARI): 38% Rostered; J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA): 12% Rostered
Outfield
Connor Joe (1B/OF, COL): 26% Rostered
It's rare to find a player like Joe on the waiver wire this late into the year. He's a leadoff man, who hits in a potent offense, and possesses even splits against right-handed and left-handed pitching. He's been readily available on the waiver wire for weeks and is still rostered in less than 30% of Yahoo! leagues. He's been remarkably consistent over the last 30 games, going 32-for-104 (.308/.400/.548) with seven homers, 24 RBI, and a 19:15 K/BB ratio. He's taken full advantage of consistent playing time and owns a solid .287/.378/.472 batting line with eight home runs, 35 RBI, and 23 runs scored across 178 at-bats this season. His expected rate stats are not far off his actual batting line with a .282 xBA, .368 xwOBA, and .453 xSLG. He's also posting a 9.5% Barrel Rate, 19.5% Strikeout Rate, 12.2% Walk Rate, and Average Launch Angle of 14.8 degrees.
The week certainly doesn't start off easy for the Rockies, who host the NL West-leading Giants for a three-game set. They'll get Kevin Gausman and the red-hot Logan Webb on back-to-back days to begin the series but at least it'll be within the friendly confines of Coors Field. The week should get a little easier when they head to Philadelphia for a four-game series with the Phillies. Joe will get plate appearances against Matt Moore, the struggling Zack Wheeler, and the inconsistent Aaron Nola. As mentioned earlier, Joe has relatively even splits against both right-handed (.280/.377/.448 with four home runs and 22 RBI) and left-handed pitchers (.306/.390/.551 with four home runs and 12 RBI). The 29-year-old has been locked in since taking over as the team's leadoff man. Raimel Tapia was the team's primary leadoff hitter before going down with an injury in early August. As a result, Joe moved into that role and hasn't relinquished the top spot, even after Tapia was activated on August 30. He'll see consistent volume and have plenty of chances to cause some damage next week.
Connor Joe - Colorado Rockies (8) pic.twitter.com/Fd04mnrNF1
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) August 25, 2021
Odubel Herrera (2B/OF, PHI): 12% Rostered
Herrera, like Joe listed above him, is another leadoff man whos' been performing well lately. He has been sizzling hot at the dish over the last 15 games, going 20-for-47 (.426/.491/.766) with four home runs, eight RBI, a stolen base, and a 7:5 K/BB ratio. The 29-year-old owns a .265/.322/.440 batting line with 20 doubles, 12 homers, 42 RBI, five stolen bases, and 47 runs scored across 343 at-bats this season. He's posting career-bests in Hard Hit Rate (40.4%), Strikeout Rate (15.7%), Chase Rate (30.6%), Z-Contact (85.2%), and O-Contact (67.7%).
The Phillies visit the Brewers for three games before hosting the Rockies for a four-game set to round out their week. The toughest pitcher they'll face is Brandon Woodruff, who's slated to start Monday's contest. After that, the going gets considerably less tough as they'll see Alec Bettinger, Eric Lauer, German Marquez, Austin Gomber, Kyle Freeland, and Jon Gray. Herrera, who bats left-handed, has a solid .269/.328/.398 batting line with three home runs and nine RBI on the year, against southpaws. So he'll remain atop the order against the left-handed Lauer, Gomber, and Freeland. Surprisingly, he's performed worse against right-handers with a .264/.319/.460 batting line on the season but he's also smashed nine homers and driven in 33 runs against them. Herrera is a five-category contributor and should be able to stay hot through next week. His second base eligibility gives you some roster flexibility as well.
Odubel Herrera follows his first-inning double with a home run in the third. pic.twitter.com/bm1DdVqPjG
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) August 28, 2021
Also Consider: Akil Baddoo (OF, DET): 25% Rostered; Pavin Smith (1B/OF, ARI): 13% Rostered
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