There are a lot of solid pitching streamers next week. It was hard picking a top 10. Lots of my favorite rookie pitchers didn’t make the cut because they’ve run into some tough opponents ahead. This includes Tanner Bibee (one start in Baltimore), Taj Bradley (vs. Dodgers on Sunday and then at the Red Sox next week), and Louie Varland (one start at the Astros). Though they’re not rookies, you can also throw in both Josiah Gray and Mackenzie Gore who line up for one start against the Phillies. If you’re not risk-averse, and really looking for volume, any of these options are acceptable. And unless your league is super shallow, all of them have the potential to help you for the long haul.
That being said, these are the 10 pitching streamers I am recommending for Week 9. As always, they are in roster percentage order.
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Top 10 Pitching Streamer Options For This Upcoming Week
Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (About 50% to 65% Rostered)
Andrew Heaney SP Rangers
Last start: Sunday, May 21th vs. Rockies – 6IP W 0ER 6H 2BB 5K
Next start: Saturday, May 27th @ Orioles
Next week: Friday, June 2nd vs. Mariners
Andrew Heaney is on the fringe of becoming too rostered for this list. That tends to happen when a pitcher starts piling up quality starts (five of the last six outings now). The Orioles, his opponent this Saturday, are a step up in weight class, but they hit for much less power in Baltimore (26 home runs in 23 games vs. 34 in 25 games on the road and a .736 OPS vs. .772). That’s encouraging for a guy whose career HR/9 rate is at 1.62 and who surrendered seven runs to them back on April 4th in Texas. If he gets through this weekend’s start OK, next week’s contest against the Mariners should be much less challenging. They rank in the bottom five in average, OBP, slugging, and OPS.
Eury Perez SP Marlins
Last start: Tuesday, May 23rd @ Rockies – 4.1IP L 3ER 4H 3BB 3K
Next start: Sunday, May 28th @ Angels
1 start next week: Saturday, June 3rd vs. A’s
Fantasy baseball managers can be reactionary at times, but wowzers why are we dropping Eury Perez after one not-so-good start? And in Colorado! His declining roster percentage puts him back into the streamer conversation which could be a big opportunity for you. Fine, Sunday’s game at the Angels will be challenging. They’re in the top 10 in just about all offensive categories. So if you want to pass in daily lineup leagues because you’re nervous about ratios, fine. Sit him, but please don’t drop him. And, check out who he gets next week… the A’s! Even if you play in a shallow league, I can’t imagine not having room on your roster for such a juicy start.
Dane Dunning SP/RP Rangers
Last start: Monday, May 22nd @ Pirates – 5.2IP 1ER 6H 3BB 3K
Next start: Sunday, May 28th @ Orioles
Next week: Saturday, June 3rd vs. Mariners
After only surrendering one run and nearly converting a quality start in Pittsburgh on Monday, Dane Dunning has now allowed two or fewer runs in each of his four starts. With Jacob Degrom still likely out another couple of weeks, it’s looking like the 28-year-old will draw the Mariners next week, a team in the bottom five in most offensive categories. If this Sunday’s start at the Orioles is making you a little antsy, I feel you. But the Orioles hit fewer home runs at home (26 in 23 games vs. 34 in 25 games) and their OBP is significantly less too (.315 vs. .341). Considering he’s yet to allow a HR and has a solid 2.09 BB/9 rate, that could play well to Dunning’s strengths.
Pitching Streamers Available in Most Leagues (About 35% to 50% Rostered)
James Paxton SP Red Sox
Last start: Wednesday, May 24th @ Angels – 3IP L 5ER 4H 3BB 5K
Next week: Wednesday, May 31st vs. Reds
Can we give James Paxton a pass for his five runs yielded in only three innings against the Angels on Wednesday? Besides the tough opponent, he had, after all, only thrown 21 innings in the last three years coming into the season. And he looked sharp in his first two starts, averaging 96 miles per hour on his fastball for the first time since 2016. He’ll get an extra day of rest for next week’s start against the Reds, a team in the bottom half of just about all offensive categories, including the third least amount of home runs. It looks like he still has some gas left in the tank. I like his streamer appeal for this one.
Michael Kopech SP White Sox
Last start: Wednesday, May 24th @ Guardians – 7IP W 0ER 2H 1BB 9K
Next week: Monday, May 29th vs. Angels + Sunday, June 3rd vs. Tigers
OMG, have you noticed Michael Kopech’s last two starts? 15 shutout innings, two wins, three hits, one walk, and 19 strikeouts! Where did that come from? Even with those starts, his ERA/WHIP is 4.24/1.22, and his BB/9 rate is a ghastly 4.55. His Statcast page is scary too. The hard-hit metrics and expected stats are among the worst in baseball. One explanation might be that his fastball (the only bright spot on his Statcast page) is being thrown harder and is moving more. And his new “bullet slider” – like the fastball – is generating more whiffs. Whether he can sustain these improvements, or if hitters have yet to adjust to the changes, Kopech makes for a great stream with two starts next week, one being against the struggling Tigers.
Bobby Miller P Dodgers
Last start: Tuesday, May 23rd @ Braves – 5IP W 1ER 4H 1BB 5K
2 starts next week: Monday, May 29th vs. Nationals + Sunday, June 4th vs. Yankees (tentative)
Another week, another pitching prospect. This time it’s Bobby Miller and his debut win against a mighty Braves offense on Tuesday was pretty encouraging. He only had 10 swinging strikes on 95 pitches, a little low considering the rookie sports a 99-mile-per-hour average fastball and has a diverse 5-pitch arsenal. The minor league results won’t wow you, but the poor kid’s been pitching in the PCL, a notorious hitter-friendly league. Given his aplomb against the top-tier Braves, you’ve got to love his upcoming start against the Nationals, an offense clearly on the other side of the spectrum. He could line up for a second start against the Yankees, but that will depend on what the Dodgers do when Julio Urias returns from the IL. It seems like they’d be more likely to demote Gavin Stone, the other Dodgers’ prospect who has struggled mightily in two starts.
Matthew Liberatore SP Cardinals
Last start: Friday, May 26th @ Guardians – 5IP L 4ER 5H 2BB 2K
1 start next week (tentative): Friday, June 2nd @ Pirates
Matthew Liberatore was lined up for two starts this week, but the Cardinals mysteriously used him out of the pen against the Dodgers on Sunday. This didn’t work out too well as Liberatore surrendered two earned runs in his inning of work. But it did serve to push his tentative next start back to a very favorable matchup in Pittsburgh next week against a sputtering Pirates’ offense. His roster percentage is still very low because we don’t know if the Cardinals will keep him in the rotation to make that start. They’d either have go with a six-man or give the very struggling Steven Matz a break (phantom injury?). The rookie struggled last night against the Guardians, but he still seems like the best option. If you’re looking for a streamer who could stick on your roster, this is your man.
Pitching Streamers Widely Available (About 35% Rostered or Fewer)
Jack Flaherty SP Cardinals
Last start: Sunday, May 21st vs. Dodgers – 4.2IP 3ER 4H 4BB 5K
Next start: Saturday, May 27th @ Guardians
Next week: Saturday, June 3rd @ Pirates
After pitching a gem last week, Jack Flaherty didn’t fare quite as well on Sunday. He didn’t get destroyed by the Dodgers, but his three runs and four walks in not-quite five innings didn’t help fantasy managers too much. They are the Dodgers, though, a top-offensive team who leads the league in walks by a wide margin. So it didn’t play to Flaherty’s strengths much. He draws the Guardians on Saturday and then the struggling Pirates next weekend. These bottom-half offenses could bring back some of the magic we saw last week.
Domingo German SP Yankees
Last Start: Tuesday, May 16th @ Blue Jays – 3IP 0ER 0H 0BB 2K (ejected)
2 starts next week: Monday, May 29th @ Mariners + Sunday, June 4th @ Dodgers
Domingo German hasn’t pitched in two weeks because of a foreign substance suspension. Does that make you nervous for a guy who’s put up an elite whiff rate and chase rate this season? Good, me too. But he’s got a soft landing spot in his first start back. The Mariners strike out the second most in all of baseball, rank last in batting average, and close-to-last in the other ratios. It looks like he’ll line up for a second start, but if his elite spin rates (fastball spin ranks at 93rd percentile and curveball spin at 75th percentile according to Baseball Savant) are affected by no banned substances, the Dodgers sure are a team that can make him pay. If I need volume, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Brayan Bello SP Red Sox
Last start: Tuesday, May 23rd @ Angels – 7IP L 2ER 6H 0BB 6K
2 starts next week: Tuesday, May 30th vs. Reds + Weekend vs. Rays
Over his last five starts, Brayan Bello now has a 2.57 ERA, three wins, two quality starts, and 29 strikeouts in 28 innings. If you consider some of those opponents (Blue Jays, Braves, and Angels), the numbers are even more impressive. The secret to his success has been missing bats (whiff rate is 69th percentile, chase rate 59th) and when that fails, keeping the ball on the ground (almost 60% ground ball rate). Can he keep that recipe against the Reds, who strike out fifth most in the Majors and who rank 27th in home runs? It seems very possible. He’ll make a second start, too, so if you need volume he’s a solid, widely available source. I know the Rays will be a tough match, but he’s no stranger to fighting the heavyweights.
Got some favorite pitching streamers of your own for the coming week? Drop some knowledge in the comments below. Also make sure to check out the top Two-Start Pitchers for next week.
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