Fantasy Baseball Pitching Streamers: Making a Messick

You may be reading this article because you are in your fantasy baseball playoffs and are looking for an edge. Perhaps you landed in your consolation bracket and are trying to avoid punishment. Whatever your situation, this is the time when finding the right pitching streamers can either win or lose you your league. Let this article be your guide to finding the right streamers for the upcoming week. This week’s article will not have a streamer for Saturday because I do not like the matchups for the available fantasy pitchers.

More great Fantasy Baseball Analysis: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire | Weekly SP Rankings | Pitching Streamers | Two-Start Pitchers | Hitting Planner | Lineup Analysis | MLB Injury Report | Risers and Fallers | Prospect Report | Advanced Stats | Under the Radar | Overvalued & Undervalued

Take a look at some of my favorite targets for the week ahead.

Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (Over 25% Rostered)

Eury Perez (SP – MIA)

Next Start: Wednesday, 9/3 at WAS

Eury Perez missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, but has made an impressive return this season. He is 6-3, with four quality starts in 70 IP across 14 starts this season. In his last five games, as of writing, he is 3-0 with two quality starts. His next appearance comes against Washington, which puts him in line for another QS and W.

Miami’s offense has had its own struggles, but Washington’s offense has spiraled. They have the second-worst run differential, the highest groundball rate, and the third-fewest home runs in the league. Against right-handed pitching, the Nationals have the fourth-fewest walks and the third-fewest home runs. Perez has excelled this season at avoiding the long ball, and the Nationals have a hard time hitting homers despite playing in the 11th friendliest hitter’s park this season. Perez’s groundball rate is below league average, but he could see it improve against an offense that hits more grounders than anyone else. The young starter also needs to get his walks under control, and considering the Nationals’ difficulty in inducing walks against righties, we could see Perez perform very well in this one.

Perez features four pitches with a sub-.200 batting average against: fastball, slider, changeup, and sweeper. He can attack batters effectively no matter their handedness. Perez’s slider, changeup, and sweeper own 41%, 59%, and 40% whiff rates, respectively. His changeup has a 60% K rate, while his sweeper has a 43% K rate. Perez’s sweeper is not only among his best pitches at inducing swings-and-misses, but is also his best putaway pitch. It owns a 28% putaway rate. Even with a wipeout sweeper, he can get batters out with pretty much anything. Take a look:

Eury Pérez, Filthy Breaking Balls. 😷

3Ks thru 2. pic.twitter.com/9WvclJVKO3

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 18, 2025

If Perez is available in your league, he is a must-add as one of the top pitching streamers for the week ahead.

Michael Wacha (SP – KC)

Next Start: Thursday, 9/4 vs LAA

Michael Wacha does not carry very high strikeout totals, and has fewer wins than losses (8-10 record). Still, he has performed well enough this season that he warrants an addition in just about any league type and size. Yet, you likely can find him on your waiver wire in shallow leagues.

Wacha lines up for a matchup with the Angels in his next outing. The Angels are a great team to target for streaming. They have the league’s third-worst run differential, the highest strikeout rate, and the most strikeouts as an offense. For someone like Wacha, whose 6.5 K/9 rate is extremely low, this could be one of those rare games where he strikes out five or more batters. That is something he has done just twice since May 31. The Angels also have the most strikeouts and the third-worst AVG against righty pitchers, which bodes well for Wacha.

The veteran Hurler faces a righty-heavy team, as the Angels only have three lefty bats. He should be able to lean heavily on his slider, which has a .238 BAA, a 27% whiff rate, and a 45% GB rate thanks to a nine-degree launch angle. It is his best pitch against righty batters, and one he should rely on significantly.

Wacha needs to be more rostered, especially in leagues that reward quality starts. He has 12 of them on the season, and could earn another against the Angels. Make him one of your top pitching streamers for the coming week.

Widely Available Pitching Streamers (0%-24% Rostered)

Parker Messick (SP – CLE)

Next Start: Monday, 9/1 at BOS

Parker Messick has been spectacular in his first two starts in the majors. Across 13.2 IP, he has allowed one earned run and one walk, while striking out 12 batters, and owning a 0.66 ERA. Messick faces a beatable Boston offense in his next outing.

Boston has some weaknesses that Messick can exploit. They have struck out the fifth-most in the league, and have the eighth-highest K%. Boston also has the eighth-highest GB% in baseball. Those are two strengths of Messick, who posted a 9.6 K/9 rate or better at every level of the minors. He also had a 44% GB rate at AAA this season, and a 42% GB rate across two levels of the minors last year.

It is a small sample size so far, but his arsenal looks awesome. He throws a fastball most of the time, relying also on a changeup, curveball, and slider. He tosses a sinker to a lesser extent. Of those pitches, his fastball, slider, and curve have been the most difficult for opposing batters. They have .118, .143, and .000 BAAs respectively. Messick’s fastball has a 33% whiff rate and a 41% putaway rate, which are second-best and best among his arsenal. Here he is getting outs with his slider (twice), and his fastball:

Parker Messick, K'ing the Side in the 5th. pic.twitter.com/hkjyBuT8hX

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 27, 2025

Messick should be able to replicate his success from his first two starts. He should be one of the pitching streamers you pick up for the week and hold onto for a while.

Cade Cavalli (SP – WAS)

Next Start: Tuesday, 9/2 vs MIA

Cade Cavalli is another young starter to target off waivers. He has not had the same success this season as Messick, but has flashed enough to warrant an add against Miami. Cavalli has tossed 24.2 innings, posting a 1-1 record, two quality starts, and a 22:7 K:BB ratio.

Cavalli matches up in a favorable start against Miami for his next outing. The Marlins have the sixth-worst run differential in baseball. They also have the sixth-highest GB% to go along with the sixth-fewest homers. Cavalli has been a bit home run prone, allowing six on the season. Thankfully for Cavalli, not only does Miami struggle to hit the long ball (especially against righty pitchers), but they also play in the fifth friendliest pitcher’s park this season. Cavalli is also an excellent groundball pitcher, with a 47% GB rate this season. The Marlins also have the sixth-fewest walks against RHP, and Cavalli’s 2.5 BB/9 rate is much better than league average.

Outside of the home runs, Cavalli has looked good. He owns an 8 K/9 thanks to a devastating knuckle curve and changeup combination. Those pitches have 43% and 40% whiff rates, respectively. His knuckle curve has a .367 BAA, but a .249 xBAA, a -2 degree launch angle, a 38% K rate, and a 27% putaway rate. It is an elite weapon that should lead to more success. Check out two pitching experts chat about it here:

Cade Cavalli's curveball is absolutely BEAUTIFUL pic.twitter.com/2gHRsnh3NX

— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) August 15, 2025

Cavalli’s 4.04 xFIP and 4.12 SIERA are a run or more better than his ERA. He should be able to get back on track in this one and should be in consideration as one of your pitching streamers for the coming week.

Jonah Tong (SP – NYM)

Next Start: Friday, 9/5 at CIN

As of writing, Jonah Tong has not thrown an inning in the majors, but has shone across two levels of the minors. He has a 10-5 record in 22 starts across 113.2 IP. In that span, he has posted a 1.43 ERA.

Tong faces a Cincinnati offense that has become weaker as the season has progressed. The Reds have the 10th most strikeouts and the ninth highest K%. They also have the seventh fewest home runs, despite playing in a home park that ranks 11th in park factors for home runs. Tong has been elite at avoiding home runs in the minors, and has a 53% GB rate, so he should be able to avoid the long ball against the Reds. The rookie also has a 14 K/9 rate in the minors this season, something he could exploit against a team that strikes out as much as the Reds.

One of Tong’s elite weapons is a “Vulcan” changeup, which he describes here:

Jonah Tong's vulcan changeup grip helped him post a 1.43 ERA in the minors this year 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/QGPZKdTrDV

— MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2025

Sometimes a starter making his debut can be risky to stream, but fantasy managers should be confident adding Tong. He should be one of your top pitching streamers, and could be someone to hold for the rest of the season.

Colin Rea (SP – ChC)

Next Start: Sunday, 9/2 vs WAS

Colin Rea got rocked in his last outing against San Francisco, but had gone 2-0 with a quality start in his three prior outings. He also faces the Nationals in his next matchup, which is a much less daunting opponent.

As mentioned, the Nats have their issues. They do not score many runs, hit a bunch of grounders, and do not hit many homers. Rea is doing well when it comes to limiting home runs, posting a better HR/9 rate this season than his career average. He also has an above league average GB%. Washington also struggles to walk against RHP, and Rea’s 2.7 BB/9 rate is better than league average as well.

Rea has an interesting arsenal, where there is not one singular dominant pitch, but rather various pitches with differing strengths. His sinker has been toughest for batters to hit, with a .207 BAA. Rea’s slider has a dominant putaway pitch, with a 20% putaway rate. His slider, splitter, curveball, and sweeper all induce 20% whiff rates or higher (39% on his slider).

Rea might not be a pitcher you hold after this game, but is definitely worth an add as one of your pitching streamers for the upcoming week.

Backup Plan Streamers

• SD Yu Darvish vs BAL – Monday 9/1
• LAD Emmet Sheehan at PIT – Tuesday 9/2
• SD Nestor Cortes vs BAL – Wednesday 9/3
• ChC Jameson Taillon vs WAS – Friday 9/5
• PHI Taijuan Walker at MIA – Sunday 9/7

Desperation Streamers

• MIA Ryan Gusto at WAS – Monday 9/1
• KC Ryan Bergert vs LAA – Wednesday 9/3
• ARI Ryne Nelson vs BOS – Sunday 9/7