When you dig in to set your lineup each week, it is not an easy or single-step process. After you examine your current roster, it is then time to take a look at the waiver wire and those available options as well as the upcoming schedule for each team along with any trends that are taking place. If you look hard enough, there are often situations both to exploit and avoid from the hitting perspective. Let us take a look at 5 hitters to stream for the current week of fantasy baseball.
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Five Hitters to Stream This Week
Maikel Garcia, 3B, SS, Kansas City Royals
Over the past seven days (entering action on Saturday), Garcia is hitting just .200 for the Royals in 20 at-bats. That is the first plus to look at as the infielder has carved out a regular role in Kansas City since his promotion. Overall, he is hitting .271 with an OBP of .323 thanks to a 7.2% walk rate as he has done a solid job of making contact.
While Garcia does not bring much power to the table, let us be clear. That is not what we are after here. The multi-positional eligibility is a plus as Garcia can fill multiple holes across the infield, but we have clearly buried the lede.
If you need help in the speed department, and who doesn’t then Garcia can provide a nice boost there. He has three stolen bases in the last seven days and 13 on the season in 49 games thus far, and that could allow you to make up some ground.
Tommy Pham, OF, New York Mets
Much was made earlier in the season about Pham’s batted ball metrics, but they were not translating into results. Not much has gone right for the Mets over the past month, but Pham has been one bright spot.
In 23 games in June, Pham is hitting .349 with six home runs, 15 runs scored, and 18 RBI. Seeing success out of Pham is not completely out of nowhere, and considering he has been making consistently strong contact all season, you should feel comfortable in believing here. As long as he continues to hit, he will continue to be in New York’s lineup as they need all the production they can get.
Pham has a career-high.227 ISO along with a 15.2% barrel rate and 51.5% hard-hit rate. With contact like that, success is bound to follow.
Carlos Santana, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates
The veteran is not the same player he once was in his prime, but Santana is still a useful option in the middle of Pittsburgh’s lineup. After a rough May in which Santana hit just .165, he has found his stroke once again in June with a .287 batting average to this point.
Perhaps more important than Santana’s batting average is the power production we are seeing out of the first baseman with six home runs and 19 RBI. Whether Santana is still in Pittsburgh at the end of the month is potentially a different story that likely depends on how well the Pirates do over the next few weeks, but for now, he is firmly set in the middle of their batting order. I’m not sure how long we see this hot streak continue but right now it makes him one of the better hitters to stream if you have a corner infield spot that needs attention in the upcoming week.
Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota Twins
The Twins are slated to face just about all right-handed pitching in the coming week, and that is a great sign for Julien as he finds himself at the top of the order against right-handed pitching for Minnesota.
Despite struggling with strikeouts (34.1 K%), Julien is still hitting .259 with a .343 OBP (thanks to an 11.1% walk rate) which certainly works regardless of your format; although there is a clear advantage from an OBP perspective. Against right-handed pitching, Julien is hitting .277, and considering the platoon Minnesota is currently operating under, that is even better for his outlook. All of Julien’s four home runs, nine RBI, and 15 walks have come against right-handed pitching in 101 at-bats.
Patrick Bailey, C, San Francisco Giants
In most situations, everyone can usually need some help behind the plate, and Bailey does not appear to be going anywhere for the Giants. The former first-round pick is hitting .322 in 33 games with five home runs and 26 RBI after hitting the decisive three-run shot against the Mets on Friday.
Strikeouts, 26.8%, are concerning and we have to be aware of his .410 BABIP along with the fact that Bailey does not walk, but it is also hard to ignore a .557 slugging percentage and his success to begin his major league career. Bailey has a 14.1% barrel rate and 47.1% hard-hit rate and this hot hand makes him one of my favorite hitters to stream for the short term.