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Hitters to add from the waiver wire and stream in Week 27 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season. Jon Mathisen analyzes the top batter streamers to pick up.
Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 27 of the MLB season (9/27 through 10/3). 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 matchups in order to gain an edge on your opponent, then you're in the right place. This article aims to keep you informed while helping you stay ahead of the competition so you can get an early jump on those waiver claims before your competitors. This will be the final hitter streamers column of the season so I want to thank all of you who have taken the time out of your busy lives to sit down and read this article. Hopefully, you've all found value in this column. Thank you for your support, it means the world to me.
We only have six teams playing seven games in the final week of the regular season so high-volume options are scant. It's a bit of an odd schedule as we only have 10 teams playing on Monday with 20 clubs getting the day off. Most fantasy leagues have wrapped up by now but there are still a few who need to crown their champion so if you're still fighting for a title, this article is for you. Streaming, which has been more important than ever this year, can help mitigate poor injury luck and offset those lengthy IL stints. It can be a tedious exercise but often times it can end up being the difference between making the playoffs, advancing, and eventually winning a title or not. So it's time to buckle up, get focused, and find some high-performing hitter streamers for Week 27.
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 them 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 a variety of 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. Best of luck to all of you who are still in the playoffs! Alright, let's get after it.
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 27
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 @RotoBallerMLB on Twitter to stay up to date!
Seven-Game Weeks:
CLE, DET, KC, MIA, NYM, PIT
Stream of the Week
Enrique Hernandez (2B/SS/OF, BOS): 45% Rostered
Hernandez has been heating up at the plate over the last seven games, slashing .365/.483/.636 with a home run, five RBI, and a 3:5 K/BB ratio across 22 at-bats. For the season, the first-year Red Stocking owns a .253/.340/.454 batting line to go along with 18 home runs, 57 RBI, a stolen base, and 82 runs scored over 474 at-bats. Despite his ups and downs throughout the season, Alex Cora has committed to him as the team's everyday leadoff hitter. The Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Mariners are currently locked in a battle for the two Wild Card spots in the American League. At the time of this writing, Boston has a one-game lead over the Yankees for the first spot with just eight games remaining on the schedule. The Red Sox have a stark advantage over the other three playoff-hopeful clubs as they face two last-place teams next week in the Orioles and the Nationals.
Boston will see four left-handed starting pitchers in Bruce Zimmermann, Zac Lowther, Alexander Wells, and Josh Rogers. The two right-handers they'll face are the struggling Erick Fedde (5.10 ERA, 4.66 FIP) and Josiah Gray (5.79 ERA, 6.09 FIP). Hernandez has a solid .261/.360/.494 slash line with nine bombs and 24 RBI against left-handed pitching this season, which makes the Baltimore matchup extra tasty. He's hit the same amount of home runs (nine) against right-handers and has driven 33 runs while slashing an average .248/.327/.429 over 333 at-bats. Hernandez doesn't excel in any one category but is posting the highest Z-Contact Rate of his career at 86.1%. He's just a solid contact hitter who's in the midst of a hot streak, which makes him good enough to stream. As an added bonus, the Red Sox are in the unique position of having a lot to play for while facing two teams who have nothing to play for. It's hard to quantify if that means anything at all but I'd rather have my streamers facing teams who are mailing it in as opposed to competing with everything on the line. Giddy up!
Kike Hernandez ties it pic.twitter.com/24tgdzWspI
— Justin Groc (@justgroc) September 22, 2021
Catcher
Yan Gomes (C, OAK): 12% Rostered
Catcher options are pretty limited next week, as they have been all season, but Gomes has been heating up at the plate. Over the last seven games, he's slashing .304/.385/.478 with a home run, two RBI, and a 5:3 K/BB ratio (23 at-bats). He's been more than capable over the last 15 contests as well with a .244/.333/.400 batting line, two homers, and four runs-batted-in across 45 at-bats. He's batting just .235/.270/.400 with five home runs and 17 RBI across 35 games with Oakland since being moved at the trade deadline; those numbers may not sound great but they've been good enough to outperform fellow backstop, Sean Murphy. Gomes has seen an increase in his playing time lately as a result and has surpassed Murphy in the pecking order. Overall, he's slashing .258/.305/.435 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI across 333 at-bats between the A's and Nationals but has been slightly unlucky with a .291 BABIP.
His expected stats paint a different picture with a .279 xBA, .340 xwOBA, and .467 xSLG. He's posting a 38.7% Hard Hit Rate and 8.8% Barrel Rate as well. The A's visit the Mariners for a three-game series next week before hosting Houston to round out the regular season. They'll face two left-handed starters in the struggling Yusei Kikuchi and Framber Valdez. Gomes has hit lefties well all year with a .325/.339/.581 batting line, seven home runs, and 22 RBI over 117 at-bats so he will most definitely be in the lineup against those two southpaws. He may end up splitting time with Murphy against Chris Flexen, Logan Gilbert, Zack Greinke, and Jake Odorizzi. But Oakland is still technically in the playoff race and they'll need to put their best foot forward if they want to sneak in. Currently, Gomes gives them a more competitive chance than the struggling Murphy who is slashing just .167/.211/.352 over the last 15 games.
Also Consider: Mitch Garver (C, MIN): 27% Rostered; Daulton Varsho (C/OF, ARI): 33% Rostered
Corner Infield
Yandy Diaz (1B/3B, TB): 5% Rostered
We all know the deal with Yandy Diaz by now. He's not going to give you much in the power department but he's as safe as it gets in terms of OBP, limiting strikeouts, and drawing walks. On top of that, he's been raking over the last seven games, slashing .333/.393/.625 with two home runs, eight RBI, and a 2:3 K/BB ratio over 24 at-bats. He's been solid over the last 15 contests as well with a .278/.333/.463 batting line, two homers, 11 RBI, and a 7:5 K/BB ratio (54 at-bats). For the year, Diaz owns a solid .257/.356/.387 triple slash line to go along with 12 long balls and 60 RBI (447 at-bats). The Rays hit the road for the final week of the regular season, starting with a three-game series at Houston followed by a trip to the Bronx for a crucial three-game set with the Yankees. They'll face four right-handed starting pitchers and two lefties.
Diaz has hit southpaws well all season with a .297/.376/.459 batting line, six home runs, and 24 RBI over 210 plate appearances. He's homered off Nestor Cortes in the past and should have success against Jordan Montgomery as well. He's considerably worse against right-handed pitchers with a .229/.342/.336 slash line but he has six homers and 36 RBI against them, which is better than nothing. Diaz's greatest asset is his plate discipline and patience. His 12.9% Walk Rate is elite and ranked in the 91st percentile. He pairs that with a 15.8% Strikeout Rate (82nd percentile), 18.7% Chase Rate (95th), and 19.4% Whiff Rate (83rd). He certainly has a higher floor than ceiling but sometimes that's what you're looking for in a fantasy matchup. Diaz should be provide reliable production in the final week of the season and gets a bump in leagues that count OBP instead of Batting Average.
Yandy Diaz with a three run blast off Robbie Ray and a Rays' lead pic.twitter.com/6ayh5COf3d
— Justin Groc (@justgroc) September 21, 2021
Also Consider: Miguel Cabrera (1B, DET): 8% Rostered; Bobby Dalbec (1B/3B, BOS): 48% Rostered
Middle Infield
J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA): 14% Rostered
Crawford has been remarkably consistent throughout the season and has been a steady hand over the last 15 games. He's slashing .281/.338/.484 with three home runs, eight RBI, and a 9:6 K/BB ratio over his last 64 at-bats and has provided some jaw-dropping plays at shortstop for the surging Mariners. For the season, the 26-year-old is rocking a .267/.331/.371 batting line to go along with nine home runs, 50 RBI, three stolen bases, and 84 runs scored across 587 at-bats. His overall numbers don't blow you away but he's quietly posting career-highs in Z Contact (89.3%), O-Contact (65.1%), and Whiff Rate (15.7%). His 21.9% Chase Rate also ranks in the 86th percentile. He's locked into the leadoff spot for an overachieving Mariners club that no one expected to be in the playoff race this deep into the season.
The schedule sets up very well for Crawford next week as he'll be facing four pitchers that he's had meaningful success against. The M's host the Athletics for three games before the Angels come to town for the final series of the season. Crawford has performed well against Cole Irvin (.455 BA/1.000 OPS in 11 at-bats), Chris Bassitt (.278 BA/.683 OPS in 18 at-bats), Frankie Montas (.286 BA/.732 OPS over 14 at-bats), and Jose Suarez (.364 BA/.909 OPS over 11 at-bats) over the course of his career in Seattle. His splits against right-handed pitching (.263/.336/.365) and left-handed pitching (.274/.324/.380) are relatively even as well. It's not to say that Crawford is matchup proof but he's seeing the ball well lately and no pitcher on the docket, not even Shohei Ohtani, should overpower him. He went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer vs. Ohtani earlier this season, for the record. Much like Kike Hernandez and the Red Sox, Crawford and the M's have everything to play for and will go full throttle until the final pitch is thrown next Sunday.
J.P. Crawford - Seattle Mariners (9) pic.twitter.com/5VnrXVLCcJ
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) September 22, 2021
Also Consider: Didi Gregorius (SS, PHI): 34% Rostered; Garrett Hampson (2B/SS/OF, COL): 33% Rostered
Outfield
Sam Hilliard (OF, COL): 2% Rostered
Overall, it's been a disappointing season for Hilliard. He's been optioned and recalled four times and has often been the odd man out in the Rockies' outfield rotation between Garrett Hampson, Raimel Tapia, Connor Joe, and Charlie Blackmon. But injuries to Joe and Tapia opened the door for Hilliard to gain more playing time down the stretch and he's seized the opportunity. He's been on fire over the last seven contests, slashing .409/.435/.727 with a pair of home runs and six RBI. It hasn't just been a quick flash in the pan for Hilliard, though, as he's batting .325/.372/.600 with three long balls and eight RBI over the last 15 contests. His season numbers aren't great with a .220/.293/.468 batting line to go along with 12 home runs, 28 RBI, and three stolen bases over 205 plate appearances but streaming is all about striking while the iron is hot.
Next week, the Rockies host the Nationals for a three-game series before heading to Arizona to wrap up their season with another three-game set against the D-Backs. They'll face five right-handed starting pitchers in Josiah Gray, Paolo Espino, Humberto Castellanos, Zac Gallen, and Humberto Mejia. Hilliard, who bats from the left side of the plate, has actually struggled to hit righties with consistency (.197/.274/.430 over 142 at-bats) this season. However, the majority of his power, including seven extra-base hits and eight home runs has come against right-handers. None of the aforementioned pitchers pose a major threat, either. The only left-hander that the Rockies will face is Patrick Corbin, who's been an absolute mess this year. Hilliard does have some major holes in his swing but he's rocking a 15.2% Barrel Rate and has posted a Max Exit Velocity over 113.5 mph on the year so he hits the ball hard whenever he makes contact. He is basically a free square (2% rostered in Yahoo! leagues) so he's an easy pickup.
Sam Hilliard going to big boy territory!#Rockies pic.twitter.com/AT3Abjpi7u
— AT&T SportsNet™ | RM (@ATTSportsNetRM) September 23, 2021
Also Consider: Akil Baddoo (OF, DET): 21% Rostered; Austin Slater (1B/OF, SF): 2% Rostered
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