Pitching Streamers to Target in Week 23 of Fantasy Baseball

Whether you are in a playoff matchup or working your way through your league’s consolation bracket, everyone’s goal is to win. Making smart decisions with pitching streamers will help you get a leg up on your opponent. Hopefully, some of the pitchers below will help you do exactly that.

Below are my top Week 23 pitching streamers.

Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (Over 30% Rostered)

Gavin Stone (SP – LAD)

Next Start: Sunday 8/25 vs TB

Gavin stone has performed well this season, though he has had somewhat of a tough stretch lately. His last outing may have set him back on track. He tossed seven innings against Seattle, tallying 10 strikeouts while allowing two walks and no earned runs. That was his first quality start since a complete game shutout against the White Sox at the end of June.

Tampa has been a major disappointment this season, but that makes them a great target to stream against. With Stones’ skills at limiting walks and scorers, he should have a solid outing against the Rays. Tampa owns the ninth worst run differential, the eight most strikeouts, the eighth highest strikeout rate, the third fewest home runs, and the eighth highest groundball rate.

Stone has been excellent at inducing grounders, with a 43% GB rate, thanks to a ridiculous changeup and slider combination. That combo gives him great out pitches for both lefty and righty batters. His changeup has a .185 batting average against and a 36% whiff rate. His slider has a BAA of .247, it has a 35% whiff rate and is one of his most effective out pitches with a 21% putaway rate. Take a look:

Gavin Stone’s 10th strikeout — an 89 MPH slider. pic.twitter.com/0Cstf7KPdD

— Positive Residual (@presidual) August 20, 2024

Tampa really struggles against right-handed pitchers in particular. They have the second-worst average, the fourth-most strikeouts, and the fewest home runs against RHP.

This is an excellent matchup for Stone and he should be at the top of your list of pitching streamers for the upcoming week.

Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – ARI)

Next Start: Wednesday 8/28 vs NYM

As of writing, Eduardo Rodriguez has pitched 16 innings across three games. He has an 11:4 K:BB ratio in that span, though he has yet to complete the sixth inning. Rodriguez has been out with a shoulder issue, so Arizona’s coaching staff may continue to limit his innings, which matters if your league values quality starts. He could continue to put up solid ratios, but is more valuable in leagues that value wins.

So far, Rodriguez has a 6.1 strikeout-per-nine rate, which should improve as he continues to get more time on the mound. He also has an above-average 75% LOB rate, meaning he has stranded runners on base at least three-quarters of the time.

Rodriguez faces a New York Mets offense that has the ninth fewest walks against left-handed pitchers. That should help Rodriguez, who has had some issues with walks in the past.

Wednesday’s slate of games does not have a ton of high-value pitching streamers, so if you need an edge over your opponent, Rodriguez could provide that.

Widely Available Pitching Streamers (0%-30% Rostered)

Jameson Taillon (SP – ChC)

Next Start: Monday 8/26 at PIT

Jameson Taillon has regressed a bit in his last three starts, giving up four or more earned runs in each. However, in the 10 games prior to that, he had eight quality starts and a 4-4 record.

Taillon has had one of the best seasons in his career if you take away his 3.77 ERA. He owns a 7.1 K/9 rate and a 1.8 BB/9 rate. He has stranded runners 73% of the time, while inducing a 40% GB rate.

Taillon’s matchup against Pittsburgh plays right into his strengths and right into their offensive weaknesses. The Pirates have the fourth most strikeouts and fourth highest K%, the fifth fewest home runs, and the third highest GB%. Against RHP, they have the sixth-worst AVG, the eighth-most strikeouts, and the second-fewest homers.

Taillon has been right about league average at inducing grounders and has been above average at limiting scoring and limiting walks. One key to those successes has been his sweeper, which has a .184 BAA, a 35% whiff rate, and a 21% putaway rate. Here it is in action:

Remote athlete Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon50) logs his 5th straight quality start.

The most notable adjustment – throwing his sweeper and his cutter inside to lefties. pic.twitter.com/gKOTslF2nj

— Ben Brewster (@TreadAthletics) July 7, 2024

Ignore the last three games, and trust that Taillon will get back on track in this matchup. Make him one of your priority pitching streamers for the week ahead.

Nick Martinez (P – CIN)

Next Start: Tuesday 8/27 vs OAK

Nick Martinez has performed well, for the most part, since converting from a relief role. He sported a 3.16 ERA prior to his last two starts, in which he gave up nine total earned runs, including six in his last start against Toronto. Regression was bound to happen for Martinez, especially considering he had such a low HR/FB rate, but now that regression may slow down. He faces Oakland in his next start, which should result in a great performance.

Oakland’s offense has struggled for consistency this season. They have the sixth-worst run differential, the fifth-most strikeouts, and the fifth-highest strikeout rate overall. Martinez has a below-average 7.2 K/9 rate, but facing a team like Oakland that strikes out a lot should help him earn a few extra strikeouts in this one. Oakland also has the second most strikeouts against RHP.

One thing that Martinez could do to succeed in this matchup is to lean on his changeup. It has a .211 BAA, a 40% whiff rate, and a 21% putaway rate. Oakland has the third-worst AVG against righties, and a pitch this nasty should keep them on their toes:

Nick Martinez, Nasty 81mph Changeup. 👌

5th K pic.twitter.com/v5eVhVbsou

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 11, 2024

Martinez is a bit off the radar as a converted reliever, so if he is available, you should consider him as one of your pitching streamers for the upcoming matchup.

David Peterson (SP – NYM)

Next Start: Friday 8/30 at CWS

David Peterson has been excellent since the beginning of June but is undervalued and not rostered enough. Since June 4, Peterson has logged 13 games, tallying seven quality starts and posting a 7-1 record. His matchup against Chicago could earn him another quality start and win.

One area of concern for Peterson is his walk rate (4 BB/9), but the White Sox have the second-fewest walks against LHP. Peterson also has a below-average 7.3 K/9 rate, but Chicago has the ninth-highest K% overall and the second-worst AVG against LHP. Fantasy managers should not worry about those issues in this matchup.

Where Peterson excels, the White Sox struggle. He has an 81% LOB rate, meaning he limits baserunners from scoring. His 54% GB rate plays a huge part in that. On the flip side, the White Sox have the worst run differential in the league, as well as the fewest home runs overall and against LHP.

Peterson has the pitches to continue to see success. He pairs a disgusting changeup with a filthy sinker to get batters on their heels. His changeup has a .152 BAA and a 30% whiff rate, while his sinker has been his best out pitch with a .248 BAA and a 23% putaway rate. Take a look at his changeup here:

David Peterson, Dirty 86mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/WlcURMjyoh

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 22, 2024

This is an excellent matchup for Peterson and one you should exploit if you need pitching streamers for the upcoming week.

Backup Plan Streamers for Week 23