Oakland Athletics Rich Hill: May 1 Streaming Option

Apr 15, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Rich Hill (18) walks off the field after throwing against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 15, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Rich Hill (18) walks off the field after throwing against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Oakland A’s starter Rich Hill has pitched well so far this season. With a favorable matchup against the Houston Astros on Sunday, he is a top streaming option.

The Oakland Athletics rotation isn’t anything to brag about. Sonny Gray sits atop the depth chart, but the talent tails off a bit after that. However, the pitching staff seems to be strengthening a bit. The No. 2 guy, Rich Hill has been pitching very well so far this season. With Week 4 of the fantasy season coming to a close, he is a must start on Sunday.

I know I haven’t made many streaming picks this season. Though, if you need someone to push you over the edge in strikeouts or get that much-needed win or quality start, Hill is the pitcher to pick up.

More from Fantasy Baseball

Hill is 3-2 with a 2.42 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 12.8 K/9. He struck out 10 batters in two of his starts and has 18 total strikeouts in his last two outings. While he does have nine walks, he has given up over five hits just once. In his last outing against the Detroit Tigers, he pitched seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits while striking out eight.

His matchup against the Astros should be more of the same. The Astros lineup isn’t putting up the numbers fantasy owners are used to. Over their previous seven games, the team scored 29 runs with a .238 average and 77 strikeouts. They’ve been held to two or fewer runs three times in that span.

The one weird stat that accompanies Hill is that he is 0-2 at home and 3-0 on the road. Hill is home on Sunday. His first home start was a last-minute change because Gray was scratched due to food poisoning. The second, he was just roughed up by the Kansas City Royals.

Next: BoSox Steven Wright: Waiver Add

Hill is owned in just 36.3 percent of ESPN leagues, which means he’s widely available. The matchup is sound and he’s been consistent this season. The 36-year-old should have another high strikeout game against the Astros. He may be more than a streaming option for some owners, but in standard leagues, he is a start-and-drop pitcher.