Setting your lineup on a weekly basis is a process. Not only must you review your roster but also the waiver wire to make sure that you are putting the optimal lineup combination out there. We spend so much time looking at pitching matchups, and there is nothing wrong with that considering I wrote a whole article about Two Start pitchers, but let us give some respect to the bats as well. Hitters can have both good and bad matchups and situations as well, and there is a lot to exploit which could generate an advantage. With that being said, let us take a look at 5 hitters to stream for the coming week of fantasy baseball.
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2023 Hitting Streamers: Five Hitters to Stream
Orlando Arcia, SS, Atlanta Braves
Between Detroit and Colorado, the Braves have one of the most favorable schedules in the league this week and the fact that they have seven games makes things even better. Arcia has found himself playing every day for Atlanta, and in 164 plate appearances, the veteran is hitting .318 with five home runs, 19 RBI, and 22 runs scored.
The Braves offense is really humming at this point, and based on the quality of pitching they are, or really are not, seeing against the Tigers and Rockies, that trend can certainly be expected to continue. Over the last 14 days, Arcia is hitting .333 and on the season, he has a career-high hard-hit rate of 43.7%. Atlanta’s offense is one of the deepest in the league and Arcia has developed into part of that depth.
Jose Abreu, 1B, Houston Astros
For the first two months of the season, Abreu was one of the largest disappointments in the league but we have to give the Astros credit for sticking with the veteran. Entering action on Saturday, Abreu was hitting .308 with two home runs and six RBI in the last seven days and then he promptly went deep against Cleveland while driving in three runs.
Despite the recent success, Abreu is still hitting just .223 on the season which only serves to illustrate how badly he was struggling. The first baseman is up to three home runs and 29 RBI, but there is still a long way to go. Houston now has to deal with the, hopefully temporary, absence of Yordan Alvarez but Abreu has seemingly done a good job of stepping up to fill the void.
Even from a batted ball perspective, Abreu still has a long way to go when it comes to his StatCast metrics, but we also have a proven track record of success. The window to buy low likely has passed for Abreu but if it has not, the first baseman should be on your radar. This is a great week for him against Cincinnati and Washington, making him one of the better hitters to stream who might be available in many leagues.
Corey Julks, OF, Houston Astros
Yes, we are going with two straight Astros, and part of that is due to their favorable matchups against the Nationals and Reds. Due to the aforementioned injury to Alvarez, the semi-regular playing time that Julks was seeing will only increase. What really caught my attention is the fact that Julks has four stolen bases in his last six games and that type of production should not go unnoticed.
Julks has developed into a solid option this season with Houston and the outfielder is batting .262 with five home runs, 22 runs scored, 22 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. With 63 stolen bases allowed, the Nationals are the third easiest team to run on this year so that will only serve to benefit Julks who has added length to the bottom third of Houston’s lineup.
Nick Pratto, 1B/OF, Kansas City Royals
The Royals have moved Pratto to the top of their lineup, and in 12 games he is having success batting .283 with two home runs, four RBI, and six runs scored. While the Royals have six games on the week, they have one of the best matchups as they face the Reds and Angels.
Seeing Pratto move to the top of the order, even though it is Kansas City, is a good sign in his development; at least in the short term. In 156 plate appearances on the season, Pratto is hitting .289 with four home runs and 17 RBI, but things have seemingly kicked into high gear as of late for him. Pratto has recorded a solid 10.1% barrel rate this year to go along with a 44.1% hard-hit rate and we know that the Royals will continue to give him a chance. Vinnie Pasquantino’s move to the IL further solidifies Pratto as one of my favorite hitters to stream for at least the next few weeks.
Ji-Hwan Bae, 2B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
While the rule changes have led to an increase in stolen bases, that does not mean they have not become any less difficult to acquire. That is why Bae is bound to catch our attention after stealing four bases over the last seven days. Bae is now up to 19 stolen bases on the season and each team he faces this week (the Cubs and Brewers) are in the top half of stolen bases allowed.
Bae is hitting a solid .271 on the season, with a .328 OBP, so we do not have to worry about him reaching first base to subsequently steal more bases. The Pirates have now committed, rightfully so, to regular playing for Bae. There is not much power in play but a solid batting average and his proficiency to steal bases are all we need