Week 6 Pitching Streamers (August 24 - 30)

As usual, complications from the Covid-19 pandemic are influencing Major League teams and pitching rotations alike. Major League Baseball has already postponed the Subway Series between the New York Yankees and Mets this weekend, and your guess is as good as mine as to when the Mets will play again. The situation in New York does not have much of an impact for streaming purposes. The only starter who qualifies as one of our pitching streamers would be Corey Oswalt. If the Mets do play next week and Oswalt faces the Marlins, he is a low-end option. If he faces the Yankees, fantasy managers can look elsewhere.

The news is not all bad on the pitching front throughout baseball. Several of the game’s best pitching prospects were promoted to the Major Leagues this week, which has many fantasy managers salivating. Many of these pitchers will not make my pitching streamers list this week. It is not because I dislike them. I am quite high on most of them. However, to be eligible for me to consider a pitcher a streamer, a pitcher must be rostered in less than half of all Fantrax leagues. Most managers on Fantrax are sharp enough to have already selected most of these pitchers. Also, those who pitch twice this week cannot be considered streamers. Chris Clegg has an excellent piece on two-start pitchers that you can find here. Here are this week’s projected streaming options.

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Week 6 Pitching Streamers

Daniel Ponce de Leon (Friday v. Cleveland, 23 percent rostered in Fantrax leagues)

The Cardinals have had to use a multitude of starters due to having a plethora of makeup games. That should give Daniel Ponce de Leon a pretty firm grasp on a rotation start going forward. While Jack Flaherty was limited to 41 pitches in his most recent start, Ponce de Leon threw nearly twice that many. There does not seem to be a restriction on his workload, so his 26.6 percent career strikeout rate should allow him to rack up plenty of strikeouts. Cleveland is batting just .201 as a team and ranks near the bottom in several other offensive categories as well. Ponce de Leon will square off against a rookie making his second-ever MLB start, which could also play in his favor. The upside is much higher than your typical streamer, and Ponce de Leon should maintain value over the last month of the season as well.

Trevor Williams (Wednesday v. Chicago White Sox, 45 percent rostered)

Trevor Williams has been the ultimate pitching streamer so far in 2020. I suspect he will soon lose eligibility, as fantasy managers will likely continue to pick up Williams if he is serviceable. He has just one win and one quality start through five starts, but he has pitched pretty well. Williams enters the week with a 3.70 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. By streamer standards, those are Cy Young caliber numbers. Williams does not get a ton of strikeouts or whiffs, but he does a good job of limiting hard contact and barrels. His expected stats are well above league average. The White Sox will be a tough test for Williams, but they are much more susceptible to right-handed pitchers. Williams should get two starts the following week against subpar offenses, adding to his appeal.

Tyler Mahle (Saturday v. Chicago Cubs, 41 percent rostered)

Cincinnati is inserting Tyler Mahle back into the starting rotation, and he should be in line to start next Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. Mahle has given up just two runs in two starts, striking out 10 batters in as many innings. The Cubs can hit homers and score plenty of runs, but there is reason for managers to consider Tyler Mahle as one of their pitching streamers this week. Obvious small sample size caveat aside, but Mahle’s Statcast data is very impressive to this point. He ranks in the 90th percentile or higher in xERA, xBA, xSLG, and xwOBA. That is far more than we can say for most streamers. Chicago also strikes out a ton. Their 29.3 strikeout rate against righties is second only to the Detroit Tigers. Mahle has more going for him than most streamers, so I would not mind using him this week.

Gio Gonzalez (Saturday v. Kansas City, 30 percent rostered)

Gio Gonzalez turned back the clock on Monday when he fanned 10 Tigers in just 4.2 innings. It was his second straight start allowing two runs in 4.2 innings against Detroit. That is essentially what fantasy managers should hope for when Gonzalez faces off against the Kansas City Royals next weekend. Kansas City’s offense is in the middle of the pack offensively against left-handed pitching. Gonzalez has long struggled with command at times, but the Royals do not like to take walks. Considering the White Sox absolutely feast on left-handers, they could very well stake Gonzalez to an early lead in this one. That could give him a decent chance at a win or quality start. I would not expect another double-digit strikeout performance, but Gio Gonzalez makes for a serviceable pitching streamer this week.

Jake Woodford (Thursday v. Pittsburgh, 2 percent rostered)

Jake Woodford finds himself thrust into action among the chaos surrounding the Cardinals following their COVID outbreak late last month. The Cardinals have already optioned and recalled Woodford multiple times in just the past week, as they continue to mix and match with their roster amidst a slew of doubleheaders. Woodford is a candidate to pitch in Thursday’s double-dip against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The matchup is certainly right if Woodford does indeed get the call. Pittsburgh has the worst record and worst offense in all of baseball, and by a pretty sizable margin in both instances. There is no guarantee that Woodford gets the ball on Thursday, or that he goes the requisite five innings to put himself in line for a victory. But he should put up decent numbers for as long as he is on the mound.

Chris Stratton (Saturday at Milwaukee, 4 percent rostered)

The Pirates may elect to have Chris Stratton start next weekend because of their Thursday twin bill against St. Louis. If Stratton does indeed get the call, I would give him a long look as a streamer. Stratton has shown potential as a starter in the past when he was a member of the San Francisco Giants. Considering he has yet to be stretched out, fantasy managers should not expect a win or quality start. However, this is a game the Pirates can win, so the potential is there if Stratton can get through five innings. Milwaukee’s offense has yet to get it together in 2020, particularly against right-handed pitchers. Only the Pirates themselves have a lower OPS, wRC+, and wOBA than the Brew Crew. Depending on your team needs, Chris Stratton makes for a very intriguing streaming option this week.

Chad Kuhl (Thursday at St. Louis, 20 percent rostered)

Yes, I consider a trio of Pittsburgh Pirates to be serviceable streaming options this week. What can I say except, “2020”? Streamers by nature are not elite, so the bar is ostensibly low. As far as Chad Kuhl goes, he has pitched pretty well so far this season. He has a 3.21 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, and his 3.70 xFIP is quite serviceable as well. Now, keep in mind that his exit velocity and barrels allowed are bad. Do not confuse Kuhl with a top-flight arm by any means. This start could go south very quickly. Then again, that is the case with most streamers. His start being part of a doubleheader could work in his favor. Perhaps the Cardinals rest a regular bat or two given the circumstances. Expect five innings out of Kuhl and hope to get out with just a run or two allowed.

Logan Webb (Thursday v. Los Angeles Dodgers, 31 percent rostered)

Logan Webb had the best outing of his young career on Friday night. He went seven strong innings against Arizona and struck out a career-best eight batters. I do not necessarily make a point of streaming pitchers against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They lead the Majors in slugging, isolated power, and OPS against right-handed pitchers. However, Webb has had some tough matchups already this season (including at Houston and at Colorado) and has acquitted himself well. There are plenty of other pitchers I would prefer to stream this week, especially given the Dodgers lineup and Webb’s subpar Statcast metrics. However, it would not surprise me if Webb were to continue to dance through the raindrops and put together another serviceable effort this week.

Tyler Anderson (Friday at Arizona, 10 percent rostered)

Tyler Anderson struck out eight Angels on Monday but also surrendered five earned runs in just five innings. Despite the high strikeout total his last time out, he still sports a mere 17.3 strikeout rate on the season. For whatever it is worth, the Diamondbacks have the lowest strikeout rate in home games in the Majors so far in 2020. It is not likely Anderson has another high strikeout total in this game. The Diamondbacks have been inconsistent offensively. They have the lowest slugging percentage in all of baseball against left-handed pitchers, but they are much better in the friendly confines of Chase Field. I consider Anderson to be an average streaming option this week, which is more than I can say for many of the pitchers to follow on this list.

Zack Godley (Saturday v. Washington, 10 percent rostered)

Zack Godley has alternated solid outings with blowups thus far in 2020. If that trend continues, Godley could be in line for a solid effort on Saturday against the Nationals. However, I believe he could struggle against a Washington offense that has swung the sticks well as of late. Godley has posted decent strikeout totals to this point, but Washington is one of the best teams in baseball at avoiding the punchout. Even in Godley’s good outings to this point in the season, he has yet to throw more than four innings. From that standpoint, fantasy managers should temper expectations a bit. There are worse streaming options this week for sure, so I would not blame those who had to rely on Godley. I just would not expect him to set the world on fire in this matchup.

Triston McKenzie (Friday at St. Louis, 31 percent rostered)

Triston McKenzie has been a popular add of late, as he is slated to make his Major League against the Tigers on August 22. That excitement will only increase if he is able to handle Detroit, who enters the weekend with the third-lowest wRC+ and wOBA against right-handed pitchers in all of baseball. McKenzie has dealt with injuries over the last couple of years that have stifled his development. Still, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the former first-round draft pick. McKenzie is all arms and legs, which creates a bit of deception in his delivery. He only has two quality offerings, but he should be able to get by in the short term. The Cardinals will have played 17 games in 13 days by the time Friday rolls around, so McKenzie may be getting them at less than 100 percent.

Matt Harvey (Tuesday at St. Louis, 3 percent rostered)

The Kansas City Royals called up Matt Harvey to start during their doubleheader against Cincinnati earlier this week. Harvey took the loss while allowing three runs in three innings. The team should give Harvey at least one more look this coming Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals do strike out a fair amount, but Harvey has lost the ability to rack up many strikeouts in recent years. He has not had a strikeout rate as high as 20 percent since back in 2015. It will be tough for fantasy managers to expect much in this outing. But with the state of pitching at the moment, many will have to consider streaming Harvey this week. If you would be content with four innings pitched and three or four strikeouts, Harvey could be worth a look.

Trevor Cahill (Saturday at Arizona, 5 percent rostered)

Trevor Cahill managed to go four innings in his last start, which was a marked improvement upon his 2020 debut, in which he lasted just 1.2 innings. He allowed one run on four hits against the Angels, striking out four. The Giants are still stretching out Cahill a bit, so his ceiling is a bit lower than teammate Tyler Anderson’s. Arizona has also performed better against righties so far, which could spell trouble for the former D-Back. Cahill will be opposed by Merrill Kelly, who has been a pleasant surprise for Arizona this season. When it comes to streaming pitchers, sometimes fantasy managers just need a warm body. If that is your primary concern, Cahill represents a serviceable option. If, however, you need a pitcher to secure a win or rack up more than a handful of strikeouts, you should probably look elsewhere.

Not Even with Your Team

Desperation is a stinky cologne. You may be forced into a spot where you have to stream a couple of these pitchers, regardless of how bad the matchup or the pitcher himself is. Just consider yourself warned and use extreme caution when streaming the pitchers below.

Asher Wojciechowski (Wednesday at Tampa Bay, 21 percent rostered)

I noted last week that Asher Wojciechowski had some worrisome underlying metrics, and the regression monster got him on Thursday against Boston. Wojciechowski gave up three runs and seven hits in just 3.2 innings. He has now failed to get out of the fourth inning in two of his last three starts. Wojciechowski will have a tough matchup as he attempts to get right this week. The Tampa Bay Rays are an efficient offense that has enough versatility to put together a solid lineup regardless of their opponent. Wojciechowski has been more effective against left-handed batters this season, so it will be interesting to see how Kevin Cash and company approach him. I would prefer to avoid Wojciechowski this week, though in deeper leagues he may be a more attractive option.

Tarik Skubal (Friday v. Minnesota, 48 percent rostered)

Tarik Skubal is another highly touted prospect who made his first career start this week. It did not go well for the 23-year old. Skubal gave up four runs on seven hits in just two innings of work. Still, fantasy managers have jumped on board, to the point where I would expect Skubal to no longer be streamer eligible (being rostered in less than 50 percent of leagues) by the time he toes the rubber on Friday to face the Minnesota Twins. Either way, I will need to see more from Skubal before starting him against the Twins. Perhaps he can impress against Cleveland over the weekend. If he does, I might be willing to risk him against Minnesota. If he struggles for a second consecutive start, I will gladly let a league mate take the chance instead.

Colton Brewer (Thursday at Toronto, 1 percent rostered)
Darwinzon Hernandez (Thursday at Toronto, 21 percent rostered)

Boston used Colton Brewer as an opener on Friday night, with Darwinzon Hernandez following him. In these scenarios, I prefer the piggybacker as opposed to the piggybacked. Hernandez obviously carries a much higher individual ceiling as a pitcher than Brewer as well. He has elite strikeout upside as exhibited by his 57 punchouts in 30.1 big league innings in 2019. Those strikeouts were accompanied by 26 free passes as well, and therein lies the problem. Over three levels of ball, Hernandez walked an unseemly 74 batters in 87.2 innings. Regardless of how good his stuff it is, I would be uncomfortable using a pitcher who lacks control to that degree. Brewer has very little value, especially if he is going to be limited to one trip through the batting order. Though, to his credit, he did impress in four scoreless innings in Baltimore on Friday night.

Adam Plutko (Wednesday v. Minnesota, 28 percent rostered)

Adam Plutko has been shellacked by the Detroit Tigers in back-to-back starts, to the tune of 10 earned runs in just six innings. Following those disastrous outings, fantasy managers cannot trust Plutko as a worthwhile pitching streamer this week. You have to wonder if Cleveland will consider bringing Mike Clevinger and/or Zach Plesac back in light of Plutko’s recent struggles. Provided Plutko gets one more turn through the rotation (because he deserves it and not at all so the team can manipulate service time), an upcoming matchup with the Twins does not figure to reserve Plutko’s fortunes. The Twins have been a bit inconsistent offensively, but are still an above-average unit overall. I would prefer to look elsewhere for streaming options this week.

Derek Holland (Thursday at St. Louis, 9 percent rostered)

Derek Holland has not started a game since his disastrous nine-run outing two weeks ago. The Pirates may need to turn to him on Thursday, however. Pittsburgh will be playing a doubleheader in St. Louis as part of their attempt to make up their previously postponed series. I would not expect too much from Holland in this game, and he may not have a very long leash. The Cardinals have struggled thus far against left-handed pitchers, but their sample size is smaller than the rest of baseball, so it should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Heading into Friday night’s game, the Redbirds had just 73 plate appearances against lefties, less than half of any other team. Last year, they were average against southpaws, so it is not necessarily a matchup to avoid. I just do not think Holland is the right candidate to take advantage.

Martin Perez (Friday v. Washington, 45 percent rostered)

Martin Perez seems to be a popular streamer in my streaming articles, and he has been included often in this space. This week, however, I am not targeting him. He will face a Washington Nationals offense that has vastly improved over the last couple of weeks. They have averaged over six runs per game over their last 11 contests. Washington also has the second-best wRC+ against left=handed pitchers in the Majors this season. The team may have Howie Kendrick back by then, as he is currently nursing a hamstring injury. Kendrick has long been a lefty killer, sporting a 115 wRC+ against southpaws in his career. About the only thing to get excited about for Perez is that Anibal Sanchez will take the hill for the Nationals. Sanchez has been awful this season, so perhaps Perez can backdoor his way to an ugly victory.

Daniel Castano (Wednesday at New York Mets, 5 percent rostered)

I cannot say with any certainty that the Mets will be back in action in time for their series with the Miami Marlins. If we get some good news over the weekend, Daniel Castano would likely start Wednesday’s game. The Mets tagged Castano for five runs (four earned) in 4.1 innings in his Major League debut, though he did follow up with a quality start against the Braves. Castano does not strike out a ton of hitters, so he will have to keep New York off balance. I would typically like to see a bit more swing and miss upside from a streaming option, but I can understand the appeal if you need to stack innings together. Just make sure this game is being played before investing in Castano this week.

JT Brubaker (Friday at Milwaukee, 7 percent rostered)

JT Brubaker has pitched three innings and given up three runs in each of his two Major League starts. He is tentatively scheduled to face Milwaukee this weekend and next. I tend to shy away from pitchers who face a team in consecutive starts unless there is a compelling reason not to. I am not really seeing one with Brubaker. Brubaker feels like a JAG (just a guy) to me. He was good for the last two years in the Minors, but he is also 26 years old. It is not as if he was some young kid skyrocketing through the Pirates system. A matchup with Milwaukee is not nearly as daunting as one would think. However, I just do not see enough to trust Brubaker in this spot. I would prefer to look elsewhere.

Nick Margevicius (Friday at Los Angeles Angels, 9 percent rostered)

Nick Margevicuis earned his first win of 2020 on Friday night against the Texas Rangers. He matched a career-high with seven strikeouts, though he did falter late. He allowed two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth before being pulled. The Angels offensive numbers have been subpar to this point in the season, especially against left-handed pitching. That seems counterintuitive when you consider they have two of the best right-handed hitters in all of baseball. Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon have yet to heat up at the same time, but it will happen at some point. The ball tends to fly out of Angel Stadium at night, and Margevicius has allowed nearly 1.9 HR/9 throughout his young career. Despite his solid showing on Friday night, I see a lot of red flags here, and I would not trust Margevicius as a streamer in this spot.

Michael Fulmer (Wednesday v. Chicago Cubs, 24 percent rostered)

Michael Fulmer has the same matchup as Tyler Mahle, but they are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum as far as how they are currently pitching. I listed four expected categories where Mahle ranks in the 90th percentile or higher. Fulmer ranks in the bottom two percent in all four of those categories. That is… not good. Fulmer just cannot get out of his way right now. He has allowed more earned runs than he has had innings pitched in three of four starts, and has served up six home runs in just 11.1 innings pitched this year. Fantasy managers simply cannot trust Fulmer until he figures it out. If he happens to put together a decent effort against the Cubs from the waiver wire, so be it.

Jordan Lyles (Thursday v. Oakland, 33 percent rostered)

Jordan Lyles is another name that ends up on these lists in most weeks. Fantasy managers generally have better options, which is good because Jordan Lyles has been nothing special this season. He has just 14 strikeouts in 20.1 innings and has allowed 35 baserunners. His 7.52 ERA is not much better than his 6.41 FIP or 6.95 xFIP. The metrics paint an ugly picture, no matter how you slice it. Lyles will face an Oakland lineup that has plenty of pop. They are among the league leaders in isolated power and also draw plenty of walks. That is something that has hampered Lyles this year. He has walked 13 batters already. He could find himself in trouble if he cannot command the strike zone. This start has the makings of a rough outing and a potential early exit for Jordan Lyles.

Wade Miley (Friday v. Chicago Cubs, 31 percent rostered)

Wade Miley has thrown a total of 3.1 innings in two starts since returning from a groin strain. The Reds are still stretching him out, and it will be difficult to expect more than three or four innings when he faces the Cubs next weekend. This is especially true because the Cubs see a lot of pitches per plate appearance. Their 4.28 mark in that category leads Major League Baseball. That should rule out the potential for a victory for Miley, so managers need to take that into account. They should also be aware that Miley has not pitched well so far in 2020. In those 3.1 innings, Miley has allowed 10 baserunners and six earned runs. There is not a whole lot for managers to hitch their wagons to here, so it is best to leave Wade Miley on the waiver wire this week.

Kris Bubic (Saturday v. Chicago White Sox, 28 percent rostered)

Kris Bubic has shown flashes through his first four starts. He has struck out 19 batters in 19.1 innings but enters the weekend with an 0-3 record and 5.12 ERA. Bubic will face the White Sox next weekend. He faced the Southsiders in his MLB debut last month, allowing two earned runs in four frames. Despite that decent showing, I want no part of Bubic a second time around against Chicago. The White Sox are teeing off on left-handed pitchers so far in 2020. They lead all of baseball in slugging and OPS, as well as wOBA and wRC+ against lefties. You would have to be desperate for strikeouts and be able to afford a hit to your ratios to consider using Bubic as a streamer this week.

Kolby Allard (Wednesday v. Oakland, 27 percent rostered)

Kolby Allard predictably struggled at Coors Field last week, yielding six runs in just three innings. Not to be outdone, he was even worse in his most recent outing. Allard could not get out of the first inning against the lowly Seattle Mariners. He retired just two of nine hitters, surrendering four runs and five hits with two walks. Allard will face Oakland his next time out. The A’s have the highest strikeout rate in the league against left-handed pitchers, but I do not expect Allard to take advantage. He has a career strikeout rate of just 16 percent in 66 Major League innings. Oakland has the best record in the American League and has a heavily weighted right-handed hitting lineup. Using Allard as a streamer this week is asking for trouble.

Adrian Morejon (Saturday at Colorado, 23 percent rostered)

Adrian Morejon has a bright future ahead of him. The 21-year old prospect has a solid arsenal that includes a plus curveball and splitter. While the future may be bright, the outlook for this coming week is cloudy with a chance of a blowup. Morejon is heading to Coors Field, which is never a positive. The Padres have been very careful with Morejon thus far, and have not pushed him past three innings in any of his six career appearances. I would not expect San Diego to deviate from that plan in this outing. With virtually no chance at a win or quality start and the potential for Colorado to score runs in bunches, fantasy managers should leave Morejon on the waiver wire for at least another week.

Anibal Sanchez (Friday at Boston, 49 percent rostered)

I would say it is hard to believe that fantasy managers have Anibal Sanchez rostered in so many leagues considering how terrible he has been. Then again, he is still on one of my teams. Desperate times, my friends… Sanchez is posting career-worst marks in nearly every category, including walk rate, home run rate, and ground ball rate. In his last three starts, he has a 9.00 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, and 7:8 K: BB ratio. Other than that, he has been great. Making matters worse is that Boston’s offense is heating up a bit, having scored at least six runs in four straight. It is hard to say whether that hot streak will last another week. But even if it does not, I would be hard-pressed to throw Sanchez out there this week.

Josh Tomlin (Saturday at Philadelphia, 13 percent rostered)

Josh Tomlin is currently scheduled to make two starts against the Philadelphia Phillies before the end of August. I cannot recommend Tomlin as a streamer in the latter of those two starts, which will take place next Saturday. The Phillies are a top-five offense in several offensive categories thus far in 2020. Tomlin has a career HR/9 of 1.64, which is a huge red flag in this matchup. When hitters tend to get familiar with Tomlin, that is when he has problems. After seeing Tomlin on August 23, Phillies hitters will be plenty familiar with him by the time next weekend rolls around. That start will also take place at Citizens Bank Park, which perennially ranks among the most homer-friendly venues in all of baseball. Expect an ugly line out of Josh Tomlin in this contest.

Justin Dunn (Saturday at Los Angeles Angels, 31 percent rostered)

Nick Margevicius has pitched pretty well this season, and I do not trust him as a streamer against the Angels next week. Do you think I would prefer Justin Dunn over him? I would probably prefer to throw a right-hander against the Angels all things considered. But Justin Dunn would not be that pitcher. He has not shown enough to warrant serious streaming consideration. He ranks in the bottom 10 percentile in nearly every conceivable metric. His Statcast page has more blue on it than his uniform does. The former first-round draft pick should have a decent future as a Major Leaguer, but there is not a whole lot for fantasy managers to hold onto at the moment. I would consider Dunn droppable in most formats, and I would certainly not be looking to stream him in this matchup.

Wade LeBlanc (Saturday at Toronto, 10 percent rostered)

In his last three starts, Wade LeBlanc has given up 14 earned runs in 10.2 innings. He has “only” given up two home runs during that span, though he has still served up a 2.08 HR/9 clip since the beginning of the 2019 season. LeBlanc is an easy target for right-handed batters, who have posted a .371 wOBA thus far this season. The Blue Jays themselves inflicted some of that damage in LeBlanc’s last start. The Blue Jays have plenty of firepower in their lineup, with two power hitters leading the charge. Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk are in the top 20 in baseball in slugging percentage and barrels per plate appearance. It will not help that the ball is flying out of Toronto’s de facto home park in Buffalo. I cannot imagine a scenario where I would throw LeBlanc this week.

Now that you’ve got your pitching streamers for the week, head on over and check out the Latest MLB News and Notes that will be impacting your fantasy leagues.

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Week 6 Pitching Streamers (August 24 – 30)