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Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 13 of the MLB season (6/21 through 6/27). 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 plus 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 the @RotoBallerMLB account on Twitter to stay up to date! We have five teams playing seven games next week and two (the Braves and the Mets) playing eight so we have some intriguing high-volume plays.
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 these guys 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 13
Seven Game Weeks:
ATL*, BAL, HOU, LAD, NYM*, OAK, TEX
*Play eight games
Stream of the Week
Jonathan India (2B/3B, CIN): 41% Rostered
India has been batting leadoff since June 5 and is slashing a stellar .321/.446/.566 with three home runs, eight RBI, and two stolen bases across 15 games since (53 at-bats). He's also shown some solid plate discipline for a rookie with a 14:11 K/BB ratio over that same span. Overall, the former Florida Gator is rocking a .257/.367/.413 batting line with six bombs, 29 RBI, and four stolen bases over 57 games this year. He gets a bump in OBP leagues with his 11.8% Walk rate but he's shown some solid power over the last few weeks as well.
When it comes to hitting the ball, he's not a statcast darling. He only ranks above the 50th percentile in two categories, Max Exit Velocity (110.2 mph) and Barrel rate (9.1%) but he's in the 90th percentile in sprint speed and 79th in Walk rate. There's little variance in his splits against right-handed pitchers (.754 OPS) and left-handers (.792 OPS) so he should fare well against the likes of J.A. Happ, Bailey Ober, Bryse Wilson, and Drew Smyly next week. The precocious rookie's roster shares should tick up over the weekend, especially given his dramatic two-run homer (below) in Thursday's game vs. the Padres so you may want to snag him early.
ROOKIE PLAYING LIKE A VET❗️@JonathanIndia pic.twitter.com/oTc463r2t8
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 18, 2021
Catcher
Max Stassi (C, LAA): 34% Rostered
Volume is typically the name of the game when it comes to streaming so recommending Stassi when the Angels only play five games next week is a risk. But streaming sometimes comes down to playing the hot hand and it doesn't get much hotter than Max Stassi over the last 10 games. The veteran backstop missed close to a month of the season with a concussion but has been on fire since coming off the IL back on June 1. He's slashing .375/.444/.775 with four doubles, four home runs, and 11 RBI over 40 at-bats (12 games) since making his return.
Overall, he's got a .319/.390/.594 batting line to go along with five homers and 12 RBI so we're dealing with a pretty small sample size. The Angels face the Giants for a quick two-game set at home before heading to Tampa Bay for a three-game series. Kevin Gausman should be a tough test for L.A. but the matchups should get relatively easier after that with Anthony DeSclafani, Josh Fleming, Shane McClanahan, and Ryan Yarbrough. Stassi has a 1.042 OPS with three long balls against right-handed pitching and a .952 OPS with two dingers against southpaws. He was an afterthought after missing so much time on the injured list so he's just 36% rostered in Yahoo! leagues. He should pay dividends next week and this could be your last time to grab him off the waiver wire given the shallow state of the catcher position in fantasy.
Also Consider: Jorge Alfaro (C, MIA): 6% Rostered
Corner Infield
Joey Votto (1B, CIN): 25% Rostered
Votto was off to a sluggish start this season with a .226/.305/.425 batting line with five home runs and 17 RBI over his first 29 games (106 at-bats). He then fractured his left thumb after being struck by a Dallas Keuchel pitch back on May 5. He was placed on the injured list and missed nearly a month of action but has been on fire since being activated on June 8. Over the last nine games, he's slashing .250/.368/.531 with three long balls and 12 RBI. He's had some bad luck with a .247 BABIP, which is the second-lowest mark of his career, but he's posting a .270 xBA, .383 xwOBA, and .546 xSLG for the season.
The veteran first baseman is setting career marks in Hard Hit rate (49.5%), Barrel rate (12.9%), and HR/FB ratio (15.1%). He's striking the ball harder than ever so he's swinging and missing a lot more than usual with a 21.7% Strikeout rate. But he's helped balance the whiffs out with an 11.2% Walk rate. The red-hot Reds start the week off with a two-game set vs. the last-place Twins and then host the Braves for four at Great American Ball Park. Votto has had career success against probable starters J.A. Happ (1.157 OPS over 23 at-bats) and Charlie Morton (10-for-33). He should continue his recent power surge next week.
Also Consider: Christian Walker (1B, ARI): 23% Rostered; Joc Pederson (1B/OF, CHC): 37% Rostered
Middle Infield
Jonathan Villar (2B/3B/SS, NYM): 49% Rostered
The Mets are one of two teams to play eight games next week and that extra volume really benefits a player like Villar who's been hitting leadoff for New York. He's currently rostered in 49% of Yahoo! Leagues so he's right on the edge. You may need to prioritize him, much like Jonathan India. Villar was pressed into playing every day for the Mets as their injuries began to mount up and he's responded with steady, reliable production. The 30-year-old speedster has performed better than expected this season, slashing .251/.339/.425 with six home runs, 15 RBI, and eight stolen bases.
The Mets are slated to face seven right-handed starters next week between eight games against the Braves and the Phillies. Villar has a .797 OPS with five home runs against right-handed pitching this year and a .675 OPS with one long ball against southpaws. He's looked great over the last 15 games, operating as the Mets' primary lead-off man, batting .302/.393/.509 with five doubles, two home runs, three RBI, three stolen bases, and 12 runs scored (53 at-bats). He's also posting a 10.8% Walke rate this year, the second-highest mark of his career, and a 22.7% Strikeout rate, which is tied for the best mark of his career. A .393 xwOBAcon, 8.3% Barrel rate, and average launch angle of 11 degrees show a solid quality of contact as well. He only ranks in the 64th percentile in sprint speed but the crafty base runner should be good for a stolen base or two. We can't forget about that element of his game.
Also Consider: Dylan Moore (2B/3B/SS/OF, SEA): 50% Rostered; Asdrubal Cabrera (1B/2B/3B, ARI): 9% Rostered
Outfield
Guillermo Heredia (OF, ATL): 1% Rostered
Heredia has been a solid presence in the Atlanta outfield for much of the season, slashing .275/.360/.467 with 14 doubles, three home runs, and 14 RBI over 120 at-bats. There are some issues under the surface, however. His .240 xBA, .304 xwOBA, and .369 xSLG coupled with his career-high 27.3% strikeout rate show us that the shoe could drop at any moment. But he's rocking .467/.600/.867 batting line with a homer and three RBI over the last seven games. The Braves play eight games next week and Atlanta should continue to stay committed to Heredia, who's outperformed Ender Inciarte up to this point.
Nothing in his batted ball profile suggests that his numbers are sustainable but streaming is all about striking while the iron is hot. He does appear to be selling out for more power with his career-high strikeout rate but he's also posted career numbers in Average Exit Velocity (86.5 mph), Max Exit Velocity (109.7 mph), and wOBA (.335). The floor is very low here but Heredia won't require a costly FAAB bid and could be a sneaky good play in a weekly lineup league considering how many at-bats he'll log next week. Atlanta can score runs in bunches and the 30-year-old outfielder represents a cheap piece of their offense.
Guillermo Heredia puts the Braves up first by a solo dinger pic.twitter.com/W6Lqtort4T
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken) June 18, 2021
Abraham Almonte (OF, ATL): 1% Rostered
Much like Heredia above him, Almonte came out of nowhere to be productive for the Braves. He was killing it at Triple-A Gwinnett with a .403/.554/.613 batting line to go along with three home runs and 19 RBI (83 at-bats) before being called up in the wake of Marcell Ozuna's finger injury and subsequent arrest. Almonte has been a major asset for the Braves over the last 16 games, slashing .300/.463/.550 with seven doubles, one home run, five RBI, eight runs scored, and an 8:13 K/BB ratio (40 at-bats). The sample size is so small that it's hard to get a read on him based on his statcast data. He's sporting career-bests across the board but that's not something we should hang our hat on at this point.
The Braves have believed in him enough to bat him fourth, fifth, or sixth in the lineup in every game in which he's started and that should give us the confidence to stream him. Atlanta plays eight games next week (four at the Mets and four at the Reds) and is slated to face a minimum of six right-handed starters. Almonte, who is a switch-hitter, is batting .324/.489/.588 in 34 at-bats against righties this season. The Braves will probably avoid Jacob deGrom as well, who most likely won't make his next scheduled start on Monday. Almonte won't play every day, like Heredia, but he should see plenty of at-bats next week given the heavy schedule and will see ample RBI opportunities.
Also Consider: David Peralta (OF, ARI): 36% Rostered; Jorge Soler (OF, KC): 46% Rostered
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