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Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 9 of the MLB season (5/24 through 5/30). 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 to gain an edge on your opponent then you're in the right place. I'm here to help you make some informed decisions to remain competitive in your league. This article aims to help you stay ahead of the game and get an early jump on those waiver claims before your league mates.
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 on Twitter to stay up to date!
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 various 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 9
Seven Game Weeks:
BAL, CWS, CLE, COL, DET, MIA, MIL, NYM, OAK, SD, SEA, STL, TOR
Stream of the Week
Evan Longoria (3B, SF): 19% Rostered
Longoria was in a power drought prior to Thursday's game when he jacked a two-run shot off of Carson Fulmer as the Giants put up 19 runs on the Reds. Longo started the year on a hot streak, smashing four home runs over his first 10 games, but he hadn't gone yard since April 13. He's currently slashing .248/.347/.432 with eight doubles, five home runs, and 17 RBI on the year, which is below his expected batting line of .272/.376/.526. On paper, it looks like a tough draw for the Giants as they finish the week in Los Angeles for a four-game series with the Dodgers, where they'll be facing the heart of their formidable rotation.
However, the week does start off easy with two games in the desert against Riley Smith and Merrill Kelly before San Francisco heads to L.A. They'll face Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, David Price, and Clayton Kershaw in that series but Longoria has had some decent success against all four hurlers. He's got a .727 OPS in 11 career at-bats vs. Buehler and has a .715 OPS in 27 at-bats against Kershaw. If there's one thing that Longoria has done with consistency all season it's mash left-handed pitching.
He's got an impressive .406/.558/.875 batting line across 43 plate appearances against southpaws. He's also hit the ball hard with an average exit velocity of 96 mph and a max exit velocity of 113.2 mph. His 60.7% hard-hit rate ranks in the 99th percentile and his 13% barrel rate is well above league average (81st percentile). So even though the matchups look tough, Longoria stands a good chance to do some damage next week as the Giants look to stay atop the competitive NL West.
Catcher
Mike Zunino (C, TB): 21% Rostered
We recommended Mike Z a few weeks ago and he came through for us with two home runs over a six-game span. We're going back to the well this week as Tampa has some favorable matchups, despite only playing six games again. Per his MLB percentile rankings below, it's clear that Zunino possesses above-average power. He's in our lineups for his home run hitting ability and he should have a chance to go deep next week.
He's got an expected slugging percentage of .643 against fastballs with a .567 xSLG vs. breaking pitches. The Rays are facing some pitchers that rely heavily on those two types of pitches next week. Ross Stripling uses his four-seam fastball 42% of the time and a combination of his curve and slider on 44.6% of his offerings. He's also struggled with a 7.20 ERA on the year and is allowing 1.7 HR/9.
Brad Keller uses his fastball/sinker on over 70% of his pitches and also holds a 6.52 ERA with 1.4 HR/9. Mike Minor, who's got a 5.02 ERA, employs his fastball (35%) and slider (28%) on the majority of his pitches while allowing 1.5 HR/9. Zunino has a 1.239 OPS in 33 at-bats against left-handed pitching this year so we should be circling the matchup against Minor. The 30-year-old backstop is pretty much a two-outcome hitter but all it takes is one long ball to justify the stream.
Also Consider: Omar Narvaez (C, MIL): 43% Rostered
Corner Infield
Miguel Sano (1B/3B, MIN): 45% Rostered
It's no secret that Sano has gotten off to a horrible start this season. He's been a true three-outcome batter with seven bombs, 39 strikeouts, and 17 walks across 91 at-bats. But it's starting to feel like he already bottomed out as he's caught fire over the last week. He's 8-for-24 over his last seven games, which includes Tuesday's triple home run performance and Thursday's grand slam.
He has an incredibly low floor with his whopping 36.3% strikeout rate (3rd percentile) and career-worst 67.2% z-contact rate. But he's still drawing a fair amount of free passes with a 15.7% BB rate (94th percentile) and his 12.5% barrel rate is solid. His recent hot streak means the Twins should keep him in the lineup everyday and they have some favorable pitching matchups next week. They'll host the Orioles for three games and finish off the slate with a three-game set against Kansas City. Probable starters Jorge Lopez (6.35 ERA), Dean Kremer (6.35 ERA), and Brad Keller (6.52) have all had issues giving up the long ball this year. Lopez has allowed eight home runs in eight starts (2.1 HR/9) while Kremer has surrendered 10 in eight starts (2.6 HR/9). Sano has two career homers off of Lopez as well. You may need to prioritize Sano on the wire as soon as possible given the power eruption he's displayed over the last three days.
YA LOVE TO SEE IT ??@Twins | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/nvA6Od0JZ3
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) May 20, 2021
Yandy Diaz (1B/3B, TB): 7% Rostered
If Sano is a low-floor/high-ceiling stream, then Diaz is the opposite. In fact, it wouldn't be the worst thing to pair the two players together, if you're in need of multiple streamers, as they would balance out each other's weaknesses. The first four matchups of the week set up nicely for Diaz as he gets to face Ross Stripling, Brad Keller, Mike Minor, and Brady Singer. Following Thursday's action, the 29-year-old is slashing .280/.401/.329 with no home runs and 13 RBI to go along with a 24:27 K/BB ratio over 143 at-bats.
You're sacrificing power with Diaz but he can serve as a quality batting average balancer and is a top performer in on-base percentage leagues. His 16.2% BB rate ranks in the 97th percentile while his 14.4% K rate (88th percentile) is well above league average. He enters Friday's (5/21) action riding a seven-game hitting streak and is slashing .339/.431/.403 across 62 at-bats in May. He's starting to heat up at the plate and should carry that over into next week's favorable matchups.
Also Consider: Josh Fuentes (1B/3B, COL): 33% Rostered; Josh Naylor (1B/OF, CLE): 5% Rostered
Middle Infield
Jonathan Villar (2B/3B/SS, NYM): 34% Rostered
This recommendation comes with a caveat as J.D. Davis (finger) is expected to return from the injured list as early as Friday. Davis' absence has led to an increase in at-bats for Villar, who's been playing everyday, and has collected at least one hit in 7-of-8 games. He went deep in back-to-back games on Tuesday (5/18) and Wednesday (5/19) most recently.
Even with Davis slated to return, Jeff McNeil (hamstring) is still hurt and Jose Peraza hasn't performed particularly well in his absence. Villar should still get a handful of starts next week as the Mets play seven games. They're facing four right-handers in German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela, Ian Anderson, and Charlie Morton and Villar is batting a solid .258/.364/.470 with three doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 10 RBI in 77 plate appearances vs. RHP. He also has limited success against Kyle Freeland (2.357 OPS in seven plate appearances), Marquez (1.429 in seven at-bats), and Max Fried (1.200 OPS in five at-bats).
Nico Hoerner (2B/3B/SS, CHC): 33% Rostered
Hoerner was off to a hot start after he was called up back on April 22. A left forearm strain earlier this month put him on the injured list for 10 days, but he's picked up where he left off since his return on May 15. Overall, the 24-year-old is slashing .345/.426/.448 with nine RBI, three stolen bases, and an 11:9 K/BB ratio over 58 at-bats. The sample size is small, but Hoerner's expected stats aren't too far off with a .308 xBA, .343 xwOBA, and .410 xSLG. He's ranked in the 91st percentile in sprint speed as well and is currently working on a modest four-game hitting streak.
The Cubs head to Pittsburgh for a three-game set before heading back to Chicago to host the Reds in a weekend series. Trevor Cahill (6.81 ERA, 4.58 xERA), Wil Crowe (4.35 ERA, 5.33 xERA), and Luis Castillo (7.44 ERA, 4.31 xERA) have all had their struggles while Sonny Gray and Wade Miley both have had issues in Wrigley Field over their careers. The week sets up nicely for Hoerner who's been operating as the Cubs' everyday second baseman. He's been hitting towards the bottom of the lineup, which caps his upside, but if he continues to get on base consistently he should move up in the batting order. He hit sixth for the first time on Thursday vs. the Nationals.
Also Consider: Jed Lowrie (2B, OAK): 35% Rostered; Jonathan India (2B/3B, CIN): 14% Rostered
Outfield
Adam Duvall (OF, MIA): 34% Rostered
The Marlins have seven games on tap for next week, all at home, with a four-game set vs. the Phillies and a three-game series against the Red Sox. Duvall is hitting like you'd expect this season with a low batting average and an above-average slugging percentage. He's rocking a .226/.262/.445 batting line with four doubles, eight home runs, 30 RBI, and a pair of stolen bases across 137 at-bats. He's been swinging a better bat over the last 15 games with a .288 batting average and .847 OPS with four long balls and 16 RBI.
Duvall has fared better against right-handers this year with a .724 OPS as opposed to a .658 mark vs. left-handed pitching. The Marlins are slated to face five righties next week. Duvall also ranks in the 82nd percentile or better in average exit velocity (91.4 mph), max exit velocity (113.8 mph), hard-hit rate (50%), barrel rate (14.1%), and sprint speed. If you can stomach the low batting average then he's worth rostering. All it takes is one swing for him to pay off for you.
Bryan Reynolds (OF, PIT): 44% Rostered
Reynolds has quietly been raking all season. He's tied with Yuli Gurriel for the Major League lead with 15 doubles. He's also got a .293/.387/.455 batting line with four home runs and 16 RBI. It's rare to find a batting average balancer like Reynolds, who also offers XBH potential on the waiver wire in late May. The 26-year-old gets on base at a steady clip and his expected stats check out with a .269 xBA, .357 xwOBA, and .454 xSLG.
He's posting career marks in zone-contact rate (85.1%), average launch angle (11.3 degrees), and walk rate (12.5%). The Pirates host the Cubs and the Rockies for a pair of three-game sets and will face four right-handers and two lefties. Reynolds has a .412 BABIP at home with a .754 OPS (121 plate appearances) against righties and 1.053 OPS (47 PA's) vs. southpaws. He's hit near the top of the Pirates' lineup all season and has some favorable matchups against Jake Arrieta, Trevor Williams, Kyle Hendricks, and Austin Gomber. He's the safest streaming option on this list and has played well enough to warrant a full-time roster spot in 12-team mixed leagues.
Also Consider: Austin Hays (OF, BAL): 20% Rostered; Willie Calhoun (OF, TEX): 17% Rostered
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