We got off to a rough start with our broadcasters last week when Leiter came to IL, and Ritchie got blown up earlier in the week, but everything went well other than that. Gage Jump looks like a player to be included at this point, and we’ve had great weeks from guys like Anthony Kay, Paul Goldschmidt, Taj Bradley and Willi Castro. It’s funny how games worth a week always look, but that’s just the nature of math and fantasy baseball. With that in mind, let’s take a look at this week’s favorable matchups and dive into the broadcasters!
Popular Team Games
7 Games
Chicago White Sox (BAL, CLE)
Cleveland Rangers (vs. TEX, vs. CWS)
Colorado Rockies (vs. MIA, vs. SF)***
Los Angeles Dodgers (at ATH, vs. SD)
Miami Marlins (COL, ATH)***
6 Games
Athletics (vs. LAD, vs. MIA)
Atlanta Braves (vs. STL, v. NYM)
Boston Red Sox (vs. WAS, at LAA)
Philadelphia Phillies (vs. PIT, KC)
San Francisco Giants (ARI, COL)
Tampa Bay Rays (KC, HOU)
Throwing Streamers
Anthony Kay, CWS (in CLE)
Kay was one of our favorite hosts last week on the doubleheader show, and she rewarded us with the best start to her career. All the same rules apply this week because Kay is being ignored due to a bad schedule. Despite facing the Yankees, Dodgers and Phillies in the first three outings, Kay compiled a 3.33 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over his last 10 starts. He also allowed two runs or fewer in 10 of his 14 starts this year while throwing six scoreless innings in his most recent start. That was actually against Cleveland, with Kay recording eight strikeouts in that stretch while giving up just three hits. That’s not surprising, as the Rangers are missing their two best bats and rank 27th in runs scored and 28th in xwOBA.
Streaming Average: $-6.2
Griffin Jax, TB (at KC)
The Rays are one of the most innovative franchises in baseball, and it’s no surprise that they turned the all-time shortstop into one of their best starts. Jax had a 2.03 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in his last full season with the Twins and has finally earned starting time. Although he hasn’t gone five innings in four consecutive starts, he has allowed just two runs in all of those. That gives him a 0.90 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 over that span. You might worry about the limit, but Jax actually threw 88 pitches in his most recent five-inning shutout. That means a long start could be around, and we like that against KC. That last five inning gem was against them, the Royals ranked 19th in runs scored and 20th in wOBA.
Streaming Average: $-6.6
Javier Assad, CHC (vs. SD)
Assad has been the underdog for the Cubbies. It’s hard to believe he’s been in flux in recent years, given his 3.51 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. What’s even more surprising about that is that his 4.04 ERA this year is the worst of his career despite posting a career-best 1.04 WHIP. A nine-hit shutout against Philly and a six-run dud against the Dodgers are the only blips on his radar this year, with Assad amassing a 1.49 ERA and 0.69 WHIP over his 10 other appearances. He also has a 1.35 ERA and 0.50 WHIP at home, while facing a subpar San Diego lineup this week. The Padres rank 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP and wOBA.
Average Stream: $-28.1
Peter Lambert, HOU (vs. MIN)
Lambert looked like one of the worst pitchers in baseball during his time with the Rockies, but an organizational change was all the guy needed. He has been a complete breakout with the Astros this season, posting a 3.28 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. His numbers have been even more impressive in recent weeks, allowing two or fewer runs in five straight starts while sporting a 2.54 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in that span. His 1.09 WHIP at home also shows that he’s comfortable in Houston, and we don’t mind the home matchup against Minnesota. The Twins rank 20th in xwOBA and 25th in xwOBCON, and Lambert likely enters this game as a -150 favorite.
Streaming Average: $2.6
Joey Cantillo, CLE (vs. TEX)
These Cleveland workers seem to be developing diamonds in the rough, and they’ve found something special with Cantillo. The lefty had a 3.21 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in last year’s breakout campaign and has been consistent recently. The lefty has allowed just one run in three straight starts, posting a 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 in that span. That might be the best stretch of this guy’s career, and we love a home showdown with Texas this week. Cantillo compiled a 3.40 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 rate in Cleveland this year, while the Rangers ranked 19th in xwOBA and 25th in runs scored.
Streaming Average: $-5.3
Hitting Streamers
Colorado Rockies Bats (vs. MIA, vs. SF)
(TJ Rumfield, Willi Castro, Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak and Troy Johnston)
It’s surprising how many Rockies bats are available in multiple leagues, but that reflects the nature of this franchise. Colorado’s bats have been a must-pick in the past because of Coors Field, but not because of how bad this roster has been. That’s a story for another day from “Rockies fans,” but all of these are fascinating broadcasters on this epic schedule. We’ve been waiting for the Rockies to have a full week of home games, and it’s finally here! We have seven games at Coors Field this week! They aren’t terrible bats either, with San Fran sitting 21st in ERA and 22nd in wOBA while Miami has a mediocre pitching staff. Most importantly, the Rockies will likely score 5-6 runs in all of these games in baseball’s best hitter park!
Now that the conditions are out of the way, let’s talk about these hitters! Rumfield leads the team because he has been hitting third for the Rockies every day. He has a .360 OBP and .842 OPS in the offseason while posting a 1.180 OPS over the past two weeks. Castro is eligible for the position across the board, while providing a .417 OBP and .934 OPS over his last 23 games. McCarthy is one of the league leaders in steals over the past three years while maintaining a .310 AVG and .836 OPS since May 3. Moniak was a must-list player prior to his IL placement, while Johnston produced a .378 OBP and .820 OPS throughout his sophomore season.
Sam Antonacci, CWS (BAL, CLE)
I really wanted to include a Marlins bat for one of our hitters, the way their schedule looks, but they don’t have any good options outside of their own players to choose from. We’ll agree with Antonacci as our second baseman because he feels like a legend in the making. The guy has been leading the ChiSox lineup for a month now, racking up a .386 OBP and .799 OPS. That’s the form we’ve seen in the minors, with Antonacci accumulating a .444 OBP and .861 OPS. All of that doesn’t even take into account his best asset, as he has 71 steals in nearly 200 career games. He also has seven games this week against two underperforming players. Baltimore ranks 22nd in ERA and WHIP, while Cleveland doesn’t bother us.
SAGNOF (Saves/Steals No Face)
Theft Specialists
Nasim Nunez (WAS)
Nunez leads the league with 31 steals while recording nine of them in his last 15 games.
Jake Mangum (PIT)
Mangum has been pitching almost every day, picking up eight steals in his last 21 outings.
Luisangel Acuna (CWS)
Finally Acuna is playing almost every day, swiping six steals in the last two weeks.
Keeps Professionals
Alex Lange (KC)
The bullpen for the Royals has been a nightmare, but Lange has six hits in his last 10 games.
Yoednrys Gomez (MIN)
Gomez has been the tight end for the Twins, recording five saves last month.
Feel free to comment here or contact me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions! Also, feel free to check out my Waiver Wire article from yesterday!
