Despite Tyler Mahle’s sparkling 0.89 ERA through four starts, Joe O'Rico views him strictly as a streamer. Mahle is running a 178 BABIP and 89 % strand rate that O'Rico flagged as unsustainable. The walk rate sits at 12 %, stuff+ grades are pedestrian, and his career track record (4.22 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) suggests regression once the batted‑ball luck normalizes. Until the control improves and the Rangers’ offense guarantees wins, O'Rico recommends deploying Mahle only for favorable matchups rather than parking him in fantasy rotations.

Despite Tyler Mahle’s sparkling 0.89 ERA through four starts, Joe O'Rico views him strictly as a streamer. Mahle is running a 178 BABIP and 89 % strand rate that O'Rico flagged as unsustainable. The walk rate sits at 12 %, stuff+ grades are pedestrian, and his career track record (4.22 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) suggests regression once the batted‑ball luck normalizes. Until the control improves and the Rangers’ offense guarantees wins, O'Rico recommends deploying Mahle only for favorable matchups rather than parking him in fantasy rotations.

Joe O'Rico advised stashing Hayden Wesneski (37 % rostered) rather than treating him as a mere streamer. Through three starts the right‑hander sports a 4.00 ERA but an expected ERA around 3.50, fueled by a 31 % strikeout rate and sub‑5 % walk rate (21 K, 3 BB). SIERA and xFIP (both 2.95) signal real skills growth, even though a 12 % barrel rate and 44 % hard‑hit rate keep ERA estimators mixed. O'Rico believes the tangible strikeout/command gains, plus Houston’s win potential, make Wesneski worth holding for a few more turns to see if he becomes a rotation fixture.

Joe O'Rico recommended Jorge Polanco (24 % rostered) as a middle‑infield add in 12‑team leagues, even with T‑Mobile Park muting offense. Polanco owns a 12 % barrel rate, career‑best 41 % hard‑hit rate, and walks at a double‑digit clip, supporting his typical 117‑124 WRC+ range from 2021‑23. Injuries sunk last season, but the underlying batted‑ball profile has rebounded, and his multi‑position eligibility helps patch MI holes while managers wait on names like Zach Neto. O'Rico views him as a steady OBP source with 15‑20 HR upside.

Joe O'Rico recommended Jorge Polanco (24 % rostered) as a middle‑infield add in 12‑team leagues, even with T‑Mobile Park muting offense. Polanco owns a 12 % barrel rate, career‑best 41 % hard‑hit rate, and walks at a double‑digit clip, supporting his typical 117‑124 WRC+ range from 2021‑23. Injuries sunk last season, but the underlying batted‑ball profile has rebounded, and his multi‑position eligibility helps patch MI holes while managers wait on names like Zach Neto. O'Rico views him as a steady OBP source with 15‑20 HR upside.

Joe O'Rico said Jonathan Aranda should be scooped up everywhere while he is still just 40 %‑rostered on Yahoo. Aranda is slashing over .400 with three homers, owns the best WRC+ in baseball, and his Baseball Savant page is maxed out in red—21 % barrel rate (up from 16 % last year), 95th‑percentile hard‑hit rate, and elite expected stats. Hitting cleanup in a hitter‑friendly Tropicana Field gives him everyday RBI chances, and O'Rico believes even a regression to a 13‑14 % barrel rate still projects a 30‑HR season. He prefers Aranda to Kyle Manzardo because Aranda brings multi‑position eligibility and a superior park/lineup context.