Roto Riteup: June 16, 2015

The 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo is in full swing! Already the new Star Wars: Battlefront game has been shown and my hype train for it is now boarding. I’m worried that it’s only 20 versus 20 and a lack of space battles will make the game feel more cramped than previous versions, but with a decent number of vehicles and loadouts, it is nice to see the developers haven’t completely abandoned what made previous SW: Battlefront games so strong.

On today’s agenda:
1. Kyle Schwarber gets promoted
2. Wei-Yin Chen continues to roll
3. Streaming Pitching Options

Kyle Schwarber gets promoted
The catcher/left fielder is set to spend almost a week in the big leagues. Schwarber will be the third catcher and figures to possibly make an appearance in the outfield or as a pinch hitter. Regardless of his defensive spot, Schwarber does not appear likely to stick with the Cubs for long. From the linked article, general manager Theo Epstein has already announced the team’s plan for the talented 22-year-old:

“His next stop is to continue his development as a catcher at Triple-A. First, however, he is going to join the Major League team for six days to contribute as a designated hitter, as a bat off the bench, and as a third catcher.”

FanGraphs’ own Kiley McDaniel had Schwarber pegged as the fourth best prospect in the Cubs organization and the 21st best in baseball prior to this season. Since that ranking, Schwarber has punished Double-A pitchers to the tune of a .318/.439/.578 line with 13 home runs in 238 plate appearances. He’s certainly worth stashing in keeper and dynasty formats, however standard 12-team mixed leagues can keep him on the waiver-wire. As one may expect, Schwarber is largely available as he can be picked up in more than 90 percent of Yahoo! or ESPN leagues and over 70 percent of CBS formats.

Wei-Yin Chen continues to roll
After yesterday’s masterful outing, Chen has seen eight of his 13 starts, be of the quality variety. On top of that, Chen has held opposing lineups to three runs or fewer 11 of 13 times. His 2.89 ERA won’t last forever as his 3.93 FIP suggests, however Chen is posting solid strikeout and walk rates. He managed a modest nine swinging strikes out of 106 pitches yesterday for a 8.6 percent, very similar to his 8.4 percent rate he this season prior to the start. According to Brooks Baseball, it doesn’t appear as though Chen is mixing up his repertoire or velocity much, save for a slight dip in his sinker usage and a corresponding rise in his slider. A two percent change in usage isn’t enough for me to definitively call a new approach, so I expect to post a K/9 closer to his 7 — his career rate — than the 7.89 he currently owns. He still makes for a solid stream option in standard mixed leagues and deserves to be owned in anything deeper than that. One can find Chen available in 35 percent of CBS formats, 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues and over 75 percent of ESPN leagues.

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Streaming Pitching Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Brett Anderson at TEX (Alex Gonzalez)
The Rangers have hit a tick below league average against southpaws thus far, though they’ve struck out at the 10th highest rate. Anderson is free to stream in over 60 percent of CBS leagues and 90 percent of Yahoo! or ESPN settings.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Jesse Chavez at SD (Odrisamer Despaigne)
Again I’m skirting what a really makes for a stream option as Chavez is already owned in over 65 percent of CBS formats. Still, given his availability in over 55 percent of Yahoo! and ESPN leagues, I’m willing to be flexible here.