July 19^th 2013:

Today’s Daily Notes will obviously be short and limited to information about streaming pitchers. Tomorrow we will be back to the regular content load.

Stream-Em/ Leave-Em

One of the main criteria for streaming is to have a chance at a win against an opposing pitcher. Also, to qualify as a streamer, they must be less than 50 percent owned in ESPN.com standard leagues. I will often suggest however, sitting certain pitchers that may or may not be on the waiver wire.

Stream-Em:

A.J. Griffin | Athletics | @ LAA | 45 percent owned: Griffin has been inconsistent this season from start to start. Everything depends on whether he allows a home run. In points leagues, Griffin really isn’t a great streaming option because he racks up modest strikeouts and has had modest fortune in getting wins (just eight all season). The area Griffin has been excellent in though is minimizing walks. I have an unhealthy fetish for guys who don’t walk many hitters, but that is limited to guys who also don’t allow more than the league average amount of home runs (which Griffin does). I know I know, this isn’t a ringing endorsement, but Griffin takes the mound today in pitcher friendly Angels Stadium. He faces Jered Weaver, an unfortunate matchup, but with two eight plus inning starts in his last four games against exceptional competition (Boston and Cincinnati), Griffin must be rolled out there.

Jacob Turner | Marlins | @ MIL | 23.1 percent owned: Turner faces the paltry Milwaukee Brewers whom are near the bottom third of the league (18^th) in wRC+ against right handed pitching. The biggest issue opposing pitchers face heading into Miller Park is home runs. Turner has only allowed one home run this season. He draws one of the better (only good one?) Milwaukee pitcher right now in Kyle Lohse, so getting the win is probably not in your favor should you stream him. Nevertheless, he has gone at least seven innings in three of his past four starts, accumulating just a 1.00 WHIP in three of them as well.

Joe Saunders | Mariners | @ HOU | 7.3 percent owned: Saunders has been amazing lately with a 3-0 record and a 10:3 K:BB ratio in his last three starts and going almost seven innings in all of them (one of them went 6 and two thirds the other two went seven). Two of those starts were at Texas and at Cincinnati, the other was at home against the Angels. He has allowed one earned just or fewer in seven of his past nine starts. The only type of pitcher the Astros hit well are soft tossing lefties at home, so it should be a great game to watch. Did I just say that?

If you’re feeling bold: Scott Kazmir @ MIN, Chad Gaudin @ ARI.

Leave-Em:

Ian Kennedy | Diamondbacks | @SF | 34.3 percent owned: Kennedy continues his awful season, looking more and more like a fluke with every passing start. Kennedy has allowed five earned runs in each of his past two starts. He hasn’t won a game since June 1^st @ the Chicago Cubs, but he has only pitched well enough to deserve a win in three of his past seven starts. Thrown into his recent batch of crappiness was a 13 hit 10 earned run shellacking at the hands of the Cardinals on June 6^th. Force him to string together three straight quality starts with good strikeout to walk numbers before starting him.

Jorge De La Rosa | Rockies | vs. CHC | 34.3 percent owned: What has your WHIP ever done to you? De La Rosa has been effectively wild but inefficiently wild in his past few starts. Over his past 29.1 innings pitched, De La Rosa has a 21:11 K:BB ratio and just three quality starts (seven start span). He simply does not go deep enough into games to warrant a stream in points leagues. And in Rotisserie leagues, with a WHIP of 1.28 on the season and just a 3.21 ERA, his numbers beg for an ERA correction, and that means a blow up start. If there’s one thing Rotisserie league owners cannot afford, it’s a massive blow up start. Not to mention the game is in Coors, and his opposing pitcher, Jeff Samardzjia, while not good lately, is the best on that staff.

Irrelevant and not even for the desperate: Andy Pettitte, Jason Marquis, and Bruce Chen.