Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Week 18

Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 18 of the MLB season (7/26 through 8/1). 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 opponents.

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! 11 teams are playing seven games next week while the Braves and Mets each play eight (five against each other) in order to make up for a game that was postponed back on May 30. We have options aplenty so it's time to hunker down, get focused, and build some winning lineups.

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. Alright, let's get after it.

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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 18

Seven Game Weeks:

ATL*, BOS, CHC, CWS, CIN, COL, DET, KC, LAA, NYM*, PHI, TOR, WSH

*eight games

Stream of the Week

Joey Votto (1B, CIN): 32% Rostered

It's surprising to see Votto is still available in 68% of Yahoo! leagues considering how he's performed recently. He fractured his thumb back in early May and missed over a month but has been locked in since coming off the IL back on June 8. He's slashing .286/.395/.496 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, and a stolen base in 133 at-bats since his activation. He's taken his game to another level over the last 20 games, in particular, rocking a stellar .314/.435/.586 batting line to go along with five doubles, four home runs, and 10 RBI over 85 plate appearances.

He's sporting career bests in hard-hit rate (48.3%) and barrel rate (13.2%) while still getting on base at a steady clip with a 12% walk rate. His .382 xwOBA and .523 xSLG rank in the 91st and 90th percentiles, respectively. He's walking less than his historical rate (16.8%) but that's led to a better quality of contact, which should be a benefit next week as the Reds are slated to face six right-handed starters in seven games next week. Cincinnati visits the Cubs for a four-game set before heading to Queens to take on the Mets for another three. Votto is slashing .284/.386/.523 with eight doubles, 10 home runs, and 27 RBI against right-handed pitching this season.

He's performed well in his career against three of the probable starters he's facing. Kyle Hendricks (1.271 OPS, 3 HR in 33 at-bats), Zach Davies (.928 OPS, 1 HR in 31 AB's), and Carlos Carrasco (1.341 OPS, 1 HR in 14 AB's) are all plus matchups for Votto. In addition to that, he's also homered off of Adbert Alzolay earlier this season and has taken Alec Mills deep before as well. The 37-year-old is set up to smash and if you can't get him in your lineup for the entire week as a streamer then you should consider him in DFS, particularly when facing Hendricks, Davies, and Carrasco.

Joey Votto last 20 games (85 PA):

.314/.435/.586
5 2B
4 HR
10 RBI
13 BB
49% HH

Next week's schedule sets up VERY nicely for him. Facing a RHP in 6-of-7 games #ATOBTTR

— Jon Mathisen (@EazyMath) July 22, 2021

Catcher

Zack Collins (C, CWS): 5% Rostered

The week sets up nicely for Zack Collins, who's taken over as the everyday catcher for Yasmani Grandal (knee), who underwent surgery to repair a tendon tear in his left knee back on July 7. Collins hasn't really flashed since taking over the job (.158/.360/.368, 1 home run, three RBI, and 6:5 K/BB ratio in 25 plate appearances) and he doesn't hit in a prominent spot in the lineup, typically eighth or ninth, but he'll be facing some tasty pitching matchups next week. The White Sox head to Kansas City for a four-game set with the Royals before heading back to South Side to host the Indians for a three-game weekend series.

Collins bats from the left side of the plate and is slated to face five right-handed starters. The 26-year-old backstop is slashing .242/.370/.424 with nine doubles, three home runs, and 17 RBI over 99 at-bats against righties this season. Brad Keller (5.84 ERA, 6.45 xERA), J.C. Mejia (7.53 ERA, 5.24 xERA), and Triston McKenzie (5.91 ERA, 4.84 xERA) shouldn't be very challenging for Collins while the two lefties he could potentially face are Daniel Lynch (15.75 ERA, 11.50 xERA) and Kris Bubic (5.03 ERA, 5.86 xERA).

He's got a rough 31.1% strikeout rate for the year but he's getting on base at a decent clip with a 13.4% walk rate. He may be a better fit in OBP leagues as he's improved his plate discipline since July 7, putting up a 23% strikeout and walk rate since then. Potentially streaming Collins is about getting a piece of a potent lineup that will be facing subpar pitching. He's readily available on the waiver wire and is capable of providing a decent OBP, runs, and should have some RBI opportunities as the Sox tee off on the Royals. The ceiling is higher than you may think and the floor won't kill you in an OBP league.

A dinger from Zack Collins gives the White Sox the lead in the 3️⃣rd! pic.twitter.com/6jpAM4B0aD

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 18, 2021

Also Consider: Mitch Garver (C, MIN): 37% Rostered

Corner Infield

Yandy Diaz (1B/3B, TB): 5% Rostered

Diaz has been on a tear since the calendar flipped to July, slashing .389/.450/.750 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs, seven RBI, and eight runs scored over 36 at-bats. The 29-year-old infielder was slugging .291 over his first 182 at-bats this year until hitting his first home run on June 6. Since then, he's hit six bombs and is slugging .500 over 102 at-bats. This newfound power stroke is an intriguing development for the disciplined Diaz. The Rays host the division-rival Yankees and Red Sox for three games apiece next week and Diaz has a .806 OPS at home this year (.633 on the road).

He hasn't sacrificed his stellar plate discipline despite the recent home run streak. He's got a 15.6% strikeout rate, 15.6% walk rate, 85.3% Z-Contact, and 66.7% O-Contact Rate. His 17.2% chase rate also ranks in the 97th percentile. The toughest pitcher he'll face next week is Gerrit Cole but he has a career .381/.381/.524 batting line with one home run and four RBI (21 at-bats) against him. He shouldn't have much trouble with Nick Pivetta (4.37 ERA) or Martin Perez (4.16 ERA) either.

Another thing working in Diaz and the Rays favor is the addition of Nelson Cruz, who gives Tampa Bay a legitimate power threat. His presence makes their lineup very dangerous and should help boost the production of everyone hitting around him. Diaz figures to hit somewhere in the middle of the lineup, which should lead to more RBI and run-scoring opportunities. Giddy up.

@RaysBaseball offense has come alive!!!!

Yandy Diaz's two-run shot puts Tampa Bay up 7-4!

?: Bally Sports Sun
?: https://t.co/HAobR08C8r
?: Bally Sports App#RaysUp #MLB pic.twitter.com/nVXinNgCgj

— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) July 18, 2021

Also Consider: Jace Peterson (1B/2B/3B/OF, MIL): 31% Rostered; Wilmer Flores (1B/2B/3B, SF): 16% Rostered

Middle Infield

Jose Iglesias (SS, LAA): 5% Rostered

Iglesias has quietly been raking over the last 17 games, slashing .369/.406/.538 with five doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight RBI, and nine runs scored over 65 at-bats. For the year, he's got a .284/.313/.408 batting line with 15 doubles, seven home runs, 29 RBI, four stolen bases, and 39 runs scored (306 at-bats). He doesn't walk much (3.2% BB Rate) but he's made consistent contact throughout the season with an 86.8% Z-Contact Rate and 71% O-Contact Rate. His .316 BABIP is slightly above his career average (.309) and his expected stats (.275 xBA, .301 xwOBA, .376 xSLG) aren't far off his actual numbers.

The Angels are hosting the Rockies for three games before division-rival Oakland comes to town for a four-game set. Iglesias has a .762 OPS at home this year and while he performs better against left-handers (.308 BA, .798 OPS), he's not a liability against right-handed pitching (.274 BA, .690 OPS). He's also hitting .333 against breaking balls and .286 against offspeed pitches this season and will be facing some pitchers that rely on those combinations such as German Marquez, Austin Gomber, Chi Chi Gonzalez, and James Kaprielian. Iglesias is very similar to Donovan Solano, who's mentioned below, in that both players offer very little in terms of power. But Iglesias should provide a high floor with his batting average and run-scoring potential.

Donovan Solano (2B/3B/SS, SF): 10% Rostered

Solano has been raking since the All-Star break, slashing .333/.385/.333 with a pair of runs and a stolen base across 24 at-bats (six games). The veteran infielder now has a .270/.324/.358 batting line with three home runs, 21 RBI, two stolen bases, and 25 runs scored for the season (226 at-bats). His actual stats are not far off his expected numbers with a .262 xBA, .309 xwOBA, and .378 xSLG. His 6.8% walk rate is the highest mark of his career and his 17.6% Strikeout Rate is the lowest in three years. While he hasn't lived up to his nickname, "Donny Barrels," Solano has still been a reliable part of the first place Giants' lineup.

San Francisco hosts the rival Dodgers for a three-game series before the Astros come to town for a three-game set of their own. The Giants should face three left-handed starters and three right-handers, which benefits a balanced hitter like Solano. He's slashing .266/.333/.329 in 143 at-bats against righties and .276/.304/.414 in 87 at-bats against lefties this year. He's hit one of his three home runs this season off of Julio Urias, who he's slated to face in game 1 of the Dodgers series. You won't get any power with Solano but he's a cheap piece of the Giants offense, which ranks top four in team wOBAcon (.394), top five in team slugging (.435), and top six in wOBA (.329). The ceiling isn't sky high here but a quiet, productive week is within his range of outcomes.

Also Consider: Jonathan Villar (2B/3B/SS, NYM): 32% Rostered; Kike Hernandez (2B/SS/OF, BOS): 41% Rostered

Outfield

Joc Pederson (1B/OF, ATL): 39% Rostered

Pederson seems to like his new digs now that he's with the Braves. His numbers looked better before his disappointing 0-for-5 performance in Thursday's win over the Phillies so he's now slashing .227/.261/.364 with a double, a home run, and four RBI over the last six games with his new team. On the plus side, he's led off every game in which he's started since joining them. The Braves play eight games next week so volume is the name of the game with Pederson as they visit the Mets for a five-game set, which includes a doubleheader on Monday (7/26), before heading back to Truist Park for a three-game series with the Brewers. Pederson is slashing .230/.297/.417 with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, and two stolen bases over 278 at-bats on the year between the Cubs and the Braves.

His expected stats mirror his actual numbers quite closely with a .235 xBA, .324 xwOBA, and .424 xSLG so you get what you get with Pederson. He is striking the ball harder than ever, though, with a 47.5% hard-hit rate and has increased his average launch angle to a career-best 16.7 degrees. Surprisingly, he's struggled against right-handed pitching this season with a .216/.280/.428 batting line compared to a .236/.342/.493 triple-slash line for his career. 20 of his 26 extra-base hits, including 11 home runs, have come against righties, however. He's made great strides vs. left-handers, which has always been a struggle for him and the main reason why he was often platooned when he was with the Dodgers. He's got a .292/.370/.415 batting line in 73 plate appearances against southpaws.

This is important because it assures Pederson will remain in the lineup, regardless of opponent. The Braves are slated to face seven right-handed starters next week, many of which rely on their fastball offerings (four-seam, sinker, cutter) and Pederson is batting .271 with a .494 xSLG against said pitches this year. Tylor Megill (58.2% fastball usage), Marcus Stroman (63.8%), Taijuan Walker (57.3%), Freddy Peralta (52.8%), and Corbin Burnes (54%) all rely on some combination of their fastball over 50% of the time. The 29-year-old has a low floor but he's got a fair shot to go yard next week and will get plenty of opportunities to do so.

Also Consider: Robbie Grossman (OF, DET): 40% Rostered; Justin Upton (OF, LAA): 33% Rostered

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