The ability to stream pitchers is crucial in having a winning season. So below are 10 pitchers with favorable matchups that have own percentages below 65 percent.
Mike Minor, SP, Texas Rangers
He has an ESPN own percentage of 51 percent.
Minor comes into the week strong after striking out 13 Mariners through seven innings and allowing only one run. He is due up next against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday who have the third most strikeouts. With his current statistics, Minor should be owned in more than 51 percent of leagues and in fantasy lineups until he proves otherwise.
Rich Hill, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Hill has an ESPN own percentage of 65 percent.
Hill started his first game of 2019 on Sunday and pitched a decent game by going six innings and striking out six, however he did allow two home runs on five hits. Hill is a frequent visitor to the injured list but when he plays should have plenty of strikeouts in addition to at least six innings a game. His next start will come on Saturday against the San Diego Padres and should be placed in the fantasy lineup.
Chris Bassitt, SP, Oakland Athletics
He has an ESPN own percentage of six percent.
Bassitt was called up on Monday, April 22 for his first start and showed enough to earn another start. His second start came Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays and threw an amazing seven innings while striking out nine. His only mistake came on a one-run home run in the first inning but didn’t get the run support needed to achieve the win. Bassitt is pitching against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday and could be in for another big game against a team that ranks near the bottom for batting average.
Rick Porcello, SP, Boston Red Sox
Porcello has an ESPN own percentage of 63 percent.
Porcello started 2019 off terribly, as a result, he has been dropped by many fantasy baseball managers across the board. On the other hand, his two most recent games have been more like his career average and received his first win of 2019. Porcello has two different starts this week meaning now is the time to take a risk on him. His first start comes Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics, and the second is Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.
Caleb Smith, SP, Miami Marlins
He has an ESPN own percentage of 60 percent.
Smith has been dominant in every game of 2019 allowing very few batters on base while striking out at least six. Similar to Minor, Smith should be owned in more leagues and in lineups for every game he starts. His next game is Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians who have the second lowest batting average of 2019.
Frankie Montas, SP, Oakland Athletics
He has an ESPN own percentage of 39 percent.
Montas added a splitter to his arsenal and it has been just as good as his sinker and slider. He is getting more batters out by getting them to swing at bad pitches outside the strike zone. In addition to the strikeouts, most balls hit off Montas are grounders resulting in outs. He’s had a couple of shaky starts but nothing that is worrisome enough to be in free agency. Montas is scheduled for two starts this week, the first coming Monday against the Red Sox and his next on Sunday against Pittsburgh.
Yonny Chirinos, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
He has an ESPN own percentage of 35 percent.
Chirinos allowed three home runs his last game and might worry some fantasy baseball managers however he is in line to pitch twice this week. His first game is Monday against the Kansas City Royals and Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles. Chirinos was named the starting pitcher for Monday’s game but then it was decided he would come in the during the second or third inning as a follower. He has been mostly consistent all year by allowing few base runners on base.
Griffin Canning, SP, Los Angeles Angels
Griffin has an ESPN own percentage of two percent.
Canning has been called up from triple a to start on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. This will be his major league debut and could be in for a big day as the Blue Jays don’t rank high in any hitting categories. His 2019 in the minors has been stellar and has 17 strikeouts to one walk. Canning is worth a shot to earn fantasy points.
Jerad Eickhoff, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Eickhoff has an ESPN own percentage of 14 percent.
Eickhoff pitched an almost perfect four innings in relief for his first appearance in 2019 but followed with a poor performance when he started his next game. He then shut down a weak Miami Marlins team and looked good while doing so. His next game will be on Friday against the Washington Nationals. This isn’t the best matchup but if a fantasy baseball team is in danger of losing their week they could turn to Eickhoff for points.
Vince Velasquez, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Velasquez has an ESPN own percentage of 14 percent.
Velasquez has been showing improvements in every game this year and might be able to turn in a solid year if he can keep up these numbers. He has pitched on the road for his last three starts but comes back home on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers don’t have much firepower and should be easy for Velasquez to handle.
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1 Comment
Great Article! I picked Canning up and hoping for big things from him this season