Straight Cheese Streaming Starting Pitchers Week 23

This is my weekly column where I suggest streaming low owned starting pitchers that have a matchup in their favor next week to help your fantasy baseball team. Most of these hurlers are to be used and tossed back to the waiver wire. Some of them will graduate from the wire and find a permanent space on someone’s roster, hopefully yours.

Streaming Starting Pitchers Week 23

My process is to look at wOBA, ISO and K% because they tend to identify weak lineups and conversely for pitchers I look at wOBA, ISO against and their K%.

All statistics, ownership and projected starting dates are as of Thursday, August 22.

RHP Dinelson Lamet, SD
Owned Y34%|E15% · @ San Francisco Giants – Friday, August 30

Through his first 8 starts this season Lamet has a 3.95 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 12.1 K/9 and has stuck out 31.3% of the batters he’s faced. Whether it is his new “multi-look slider” or what… I don’t care. He’s pitching well and he has a tasty match up with the Giants in San Francisco next week.

Here’s the book on San Fran at home versus right-handed pitchers:

• 0.273 wOBA (worst in MLB), 0.134 ISO (2^nd worst) and a 24.3 K% (7^th worst)
• Opposing SP have put up a 2.94 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 8.4 K/9 in 45 games in Oracle Park

C’mon, people. This one is easy. Pickup Lamet if he is available in your league and start him confidently in this match up. Don’t drop him afterwards. He’s roster worthy.

RHP Anibal Sanchez, WAS
Owned Y40%|E19% · vs. Miami Marlins – Friday, August 30

We all know what we’re getting with Sanchez these days. His 2019 is pretty close to his career numbers:

• 2019 – 3.99 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 7.69 K/9 and a 19.4 K% (23 starts)
• Career – 3.99 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.04 K/9 and a 20.9 K%

He’s the definition of a “meh” pitcher.

I’m telling you, my 8 loyal readers, that we should consider streaming him next week when he faces the skills-challenged Marlins. “Struggling” doesn’t quite capture their tragic march towards another insignificant season.

• vs. RHP on the road they have a 0.279 wOBA (worst in MLB), 0.133 ISO (also worst) and a 25.1 K% (7^th worst)
• Right-handed SP at home facing the Marlins have a 2.21 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 8.9 K/9 in 45 starts.

I said that the Marlins season would ultimately be insignificant but I stand corrected. Streaming against them should prove significant to your fantasy success down the home stretch towards the end of the regular season.

RHP Brad Keller, KC
Owned Y37%|E22% · vs. Baltimore Orioles – Saturday, August 31

Keller’s ERA sits at 3.95 with a 1.33 WHIP after 27 starts. The 6.64 K/9 and 17.3 K% explain why he is also probably sitting out on in your free agent pool. His numbers have been slightly better over the last two months (11 starts): 3.22 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 7.12 K/9 and striking out 19.2% of the batters he’s faced.

Another bit of data in his favor is that in 10 home starts he put up a 3.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 7.2 K/9 and struck out 19.3% of batters faced.

Enter the Orioles and this data:

• vs. RHP on the road they have a 0.291 wOBA (4^th worst in MLB), 0.146 (3^rd worst) and a 25.3 K% (5^th worst)
• Righty SP at home facing the Orioles have put up a 4.04 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 in 40 games

The Royals have indicated that they might limit Keller’s innings as the season winds down, but if this match up holds we should take advantage.

Extra Cheese

Here is where I recommend a two-start pitcher for you to stream. Please bear in mind that things can change after this article is posted. Injuries, rain delays, managerial moves, etc. can happen.

RHP Michael Pineda, MIN
Owned Y47%|E29% – @ White Sox (Tue Aug 27) & @ Tigers (Sun Sep 1)

Pineda has a 4.26 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.88 K/9 and has struck out 21.2% of batters faced in 23 starts this season. Since July 1 he has a 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 8.1 K/9 and a 21.8 K% in 7 starts.

• White Sox
  • vs. RHP at home: 0.285 wOBA (28^th), 0.141 ISO (25^th) and a 26.8 K% (29^th)
  • Righty SP facing White Sox in Chicago have put up a 3.00 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 in 39 games
• Tigers
  • vs. RHP at home: 0.283 wOBA (29^th), 0.137 (28^th) and a 25.6 K% (27^th)
  • Righty SP facing the Tigers in Detroit have put up a 2.95 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 9.0 K/9 in 49 games

Pineda is lined up for two excellent matchups next week. You know what to do.

Streaming Starting Pitchers Week 21

Let’s look back at my previous recommendations for starting pitchers to stream back in Week 21. Note we have to look back two weeks since last week’s Straight Cheese is for the current week. Got it? Good.

Another Clint Eastwood week: The Good (Vargas), the Bad (Milone) and the Ugly (Young).

Here’s a look back at the two-start pitcher I recommended back in Week 21.

Yeah, remember last week when i said my two-start pitchers were on fire? McKay dowsed that fire with this clunker. It was so bad that he was sent back down to the minors and (thankfully) missed his 2nd start of the week.

New feature debuting this week! Here’s a monthly breakdown of all the pitchers i have recommended this season (both one start & two starts).

July 23rd & 25th. The two pitching suggestions I wish I could take back.

• July 23 – Kelly (ARI) vs. Orioles: 7 earned runs, 8 hits 0 walks and 4 striekouts in 2.1 innings
• Jul 25 – Canning (LAA) vs. Orioles: 5 earned runs, 5 hits, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts in 2 innings

Here are my numbers if you remove these two starts: 4.54 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 313 strikeouts in 352.2 innings.