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Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 23 of the MLB season (8/30 through 9/5). 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.
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! There are nine teams playing seven games next week while the Mets play eight. So we have a few more high-volume streaming options this time around compared to last week's limited slate. This is an exciting time in fantasy baseball with the playoffs just a week away and division races really heating up in MLB. Streaming feels like it's been more important than ever this season given the absurd amount of injuries, especially to high-profile players, that we've had to deal with. It can help mitigate bad luck and can be the difference between making the playoffs or not. So it's time to buckle up, get focused, and build some winning lineups for Week 23.
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 23
Seven Game Weeks:
ATL, BOS, COL, DET, MIA, MIL, NYM*, SF, TB, WSH
*plays eight games
Stream of the Week
Brendan Rodgers (2B/SS, COL): 20% Rostered
Rodgers' career got off to a rocky start, which took a lot of wind out of his top prospect sails. He slashed .196/.235/.227 over his first 102 plate appearances, which is such a tiny sample size that it probably should be thrown out completely, but I digress. He garnered some offseason hype before injuring his hamstring in Spring Training and missing the first 44 games of the year. However, he has spent most of this season reminding us why he was once considered the team's top prospect. He's currently slashing .289/.344/.474 with 10 home runs, 35 RBI, and 31 runs scored over 276 at-bats. He's been a .300 hitter over the last 30 contests as well, slashing .309/.346/.504 with five homers and 15 RBI (123 at-bats).
The 25-year-old infielder has improved his plate discipline with an 85.2% Z-Contact Rate, up from 75.8% last year, and a 60.6% O-Contact Mark (56.3% in 2020). He's shown some decent power with a Hard Hit Rate of 42.7% and 111.8 mph Max Exit Velocity as well. The Rockies are one of seven teams to play seven games next week with three at the Rangers and four at home vs. the Braves. Rodgers fares better against left-handers (.324/.367/.678 in 74 AB's) and while he only faces two next week, Jake Latz and Drew Smyly are far from intimidating. Rodgers should also be favored against the likes of Jordan Lyles (5.64 FIP) and Glenn Otto. The matchups against Charlie Morton, Ian Anderson, and Huascar Ynoa will be tougher, but he gets the Coors Field bump for the Atlanta series. He's been consistently batting near the top of the Rockies' batting order, so he'll see plenty of at-bats throughout the week. He's got a higher floor than ceiling but he'll get enough RBI and run-scoring opportunities that make him streamer-worthy.
Brendan Rodgers - Colorado Rockies (10) 2-run. pic.twitter.com/C83xTz0M71
— MLB HR Tracker (@hr_mlb) August 26, 2021
Catcher
Carson Kelly (C, ARI): 25% Rostered
This isn't the first time that we've recommended Kelly as a streamer and it probably won't be the last. He's still rostered in just 25% of Yahoo! leagues, which seems so low given the sorry state of the catcher position in fantasy baseball. Kelly was one of the better hitting catchers in the game over the first month and a half of the season, slashing .338/.491/.613 with six home runs and 19 RBI over 110 plate appearances (28 games) before hitting the injured list in mid-May with a toe fracture. He struggled in the 22 games following his activation on May 25, putting up a .519 OPS with a pair of home runs before fracturing his wrist and hitting the injured list once again on June 20. He was activated from the IL back on July 30 and has remained healthy ever since.
He's slashing .266/.390/.422 with two home runs, eight RBI, and a 17:12 K/BB ratio over 64 at-bats since his most recent activation. Overall, the 27-year-old backstop owns a .262/.386/.449 batting line with 10 home runs and 34 RBI over 214 at-bats. He's also posting a solid 20.8% Strikeout Rate and 15.4% Walk Rate to go along with a career-high 10.1% Barrel Rate. Next week, the D-Backs host the Padres for three games before the Mariners come to town for another three-game set. They're slated to face three right-handed starters and three lefties over those two matchups. Kelly is slashing a solid .338/.468/.649 with six bombs and 18 RBI vs. southpaws this year, giving him an edge against Blake Snell, Tyler Anderson, and Marco Gonzales. The fantasy community seems to have forgotten how talented Kelly is as he's readily available in 75% of Yahoo! leagues. The 27-year-old will provide a high floor with his on-base skills and has high RBI upside due to the fact that he's been operating as the D-Backs' cleanup hitter.
Carson Kelly - Arizona Diamondbacks (10) pic.twitter.com/C20l9gQpNr
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) August 27, 2021
Also Consider: Elias Diaz (C, COL): 16% Rostered
Corner Infield
Miguel Sano (1B/3B, MIN): 46% Rostered
Miguel Sano's last seven games are a microcosm of his season, and his entire career for that matter. He's put up an ugly .214 batting average and .290 OBP with 10 strikeouts over 28 at-bats. However, he also slugged .571 with three home runs and eight RBI. Fantasy managers understand the risk and reward with Sano at this stage of his career so none of this should come as a surprise. He'll either hit a home run or strikeout, a true two-trick pony. Obviously, his range of potential outcomes is more diverse than that, but you typically stream him for one aspect: power. Few players hit the ball with more authority than Sano and this season is no different. His 53.5% Hard Hit Rate (96th percentile), 16.7% Barrel Rate (94th), and Max Exit Velocity (99th) are all impressive marks. He also sports a decent 11.6% Walk Rate, but that's pretty much negated by his putrid 34% Strikeout Rate, which is actually an improvement from his 43.9% mark in 2020.
The 28-year-old slugger owns a .215/.307/.453 batting line with 22 home runs, 57 RBI, one stolen base, and 52 runs scored over 353 at-bats on the season. The Twins play an odd schedule next week with a makeup game against the Tigers on Monday followed by a brief two-game set with Cubs before a three-game series vs. the Rays in Tampa. They're slated to face four right-handed starters, which benefits Sano who has a .814 OPS against them this year. Zach Davies (5.00 ERA/5.27 FIP) and Ryan Yarbrough (4.57 ERA/4.33 FIP) are plus matchups while Chris Archer and Drew Rasmussen are both getting their feet wet as starters and could be vulnerable. Sano has an extremely low floor but it won't take much for him to pay off as a streamer. He comes with the obligatory "buyer beware" tag.
Also Consider: Patrick Wisdom (1B/3B, CHC): 29% Rostered; Jeimer Candelario (1B/3B, DET): 29% Rostered
Middle Infield
Luis Urias (2B/3B/SS, MIL): 36% Rostered
Urias has quietly put together a strong season for the Brewers. He's slashing .248/.339/.442 with 17 home runs, 57 RBI, five stolen bases, and 63 runs scored over 387 at-bats. His rate stats are nothing special and they're right in line with his expected numbers (.238 xBA, .238 xwOBA, and .421 xSLG). What has been special, and surprising, for Urias is the power that he's displayed this season. He's hit more doubles (22) and home runs (17) this year than he had over the first three seasons of his career combined. He's sporting career highs in Barrel Rate (9.4%), Hard Hit Rate (39.4%), and Max Exit Velocity (111.5 mph) as well. He has a respectable 20.9% Strikeout Rate and a healthy 10.5% Walk Rate, which is another career-best.
Next week starts out a little difficult for the Brewers as they visit the Giants for a four-game series before hosting the Cardinals at home for a three-game set. They're slated to face four right-handed starters and three lefties, which works out well for Urias, who has well-balanced splits. He's slashing .244/.340/.439 with 13 long balls against righties and .262/.333/.452 with four homers vs. southpaws this season. While Logan Webb and Kevin Gausman will be tough, Urias has a great chance at success against the likes of Johnny Cueto, Alex Wood, Kwang Hyun Kim, and Jon Lester. He's slashing .320/.358/.580 with three home runs and eight RBI over the last 15 games (50 at-bats) and will look to stay hot over next week's seven-game slate. Urias and Brendan Rodgers could put up similar numbers next week but the former's multi-position eligibility gives you more roster flexibility, which can help break the tie if you're deciding between the two.
Luis Urias - Milwaukee Brewers (17) Solo. pic.twitter.com/PFRaconzBk
— MLB HR Tracker (@hr_mlb) August 26, 2021
Also Consider: Nicky Lopez (2B/SS, KC): 38% Rostered; Josh Rojas (2B/SS/OF, ARI): 46% Rostered
Outfield
Garrett Hampson (2B/SS/OF, COL): 31% Rostered
It's mostly been another disappointing season for the speedy 26-year-old, who struggled to capitalize on the playing time opportunities he saw earlier this season. He was starting every game at either center field or second base to begin the year, and while he showed flashes here and there, he struggled to get on base at a consistent clip. Hampson's high strikeout rate coupled with a low walk rate made it impossible to show off his greatest asset, which is his speed. Overall, he's slashing an underwhelming 281/.296/.384 with eight home runs, 25 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and 56 runs scored over 370 at-bats. The home runs have tied a career-best while the stolen bases have set a new career-high.
While his roster shares have steadily declined throughout the season, he's started to show signs of life over the last 15 contests. He owns a solid .268/.348/.415 batting line with two home runs, four RBI, five walks, and two stolen bases over that span. He's put up a 10% BB rate, 36% Hard Hit Rate, and a .307 xBA in that timeframe and he's got a real shot to keep it going. The Rockies are playing seven games next week, three against the Rangers in Arlington and four vs. the Braves at Coors Field. He's slashing .281/.341/.512 against left-handed pitching this season, which ensures he'll be in the lineup against Jake Latz and Drew Smyly. He may get a game or two off against the right-handed hurlers but he typically appears as a pinch-hitter in the games he doesn't start.
The matchups against the Braves will be considerably harder than the Rangers but the Coors Field bump never seemed to hurt anyone. Like most streamers, Hampson has a low floor but he has week-winning upside (head-to-head leagues) with his stolen base ability. He ranks in the 99th percentile in sprint speed and if he can continue to get on base at a semi-decent clip then he should continue to attempt more swipes. Even just one steal can be the difference between winning or losing that category in a given week.
Also Consider: Brandon Belt (1B/OF, SF): 27% Rostered; Justin Upton (OF, LAA): 13% Rostered
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