Fantasy Baseball Pitching Streamers: A Littell Help

At this point in the fantasy baseball season, fantasy managers most likely need to look to the waiver wire for upgrades. Trade deadlines largely have come and gone, but waivers are a great resource to trade out injured or underperforming players for some hot arms and bats. Finding pitching streamers on waivers could be the difference between going to the playoffs and missing them, with just a few weeks left. And this article is here to help you navigate the wire.

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Most teams have a day off on Thursday, and there are not many options for streaming in games that do play, so there will be no Thursday streamer in this article.

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

Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (Over 20% Rostered)

Zack Littell (SP – CIN)

Next Start: Sunday, 8/10 at PIT

Zack Littell blossomed as a starter in 2024 and has continued to grow in the role this season. He has eight wins and 13 quality starts, providing value in fantasy leagues that reward either stat. He has done that with a 3.58 ERA in 133.1 IP.

His opponent in Sunday’s matchup is an awful Pittsburgh offense. They own the seventh-worst run differential and have struck out the seventh most as a team. They also have the fifth-highest strikeout rate, the second-highest groundball rate, and the fewest home runs in baseball. On top of all that, they are the fifth worst in the league in batting average against right-handed pitching, and have struck out the sixth most against them. And while Littell’s highest strikeout rates have come as a reliever, he excels at limiting walks, inducing grounders, and keeping runners from scoring.

Littell relies most heavily on his slider, splitter, fastball, and sinker, but also features a seldom-used sweeper. Despite some pretty nasty breaking stuff, his fastball’s .202 batting average against, 21% whiff rate, and 19% putaway rate rank second, third, and first among the other pitches in his arsenal in those categories. Littell also locates the ball well, a key to his success. His 104 Location+ grades as above average. Littell has an extremely high 56% zone rate, but fools batters exceptionally well with the offspeed stuff, especially outside of the zone. He has a 31% whiff rate overall.

Littell is a bit more widely owned than some of the other names in this article. But if he is out there in your league, he should be prioritized as one of the top pitching streamers for the end of the week.

Michael Wacha (SP – KC)

Next Start: Tuesday, 8/12 vs WAS

Michael Wacha should be more widely rostered for someone with a 3.38 ERA and 10 quality starts. His value dips in leagues that reward wins and penalize losses, but he has still turned in plenty of good outings, making him worthy of an add.

One reason he should be added in many leagues for the coming week is his opponent. He faces a Nationals offense spiraling downward. They have taken over the second-worst run differential in the league, surpassing the Athletics. Washington also has the league’s highest groundball rate and the sixth-fewest home runs. Many fantasy managers may be leery of Wacha because they expect regression, especially to his home run rates, but facing the Nationals should delay that regression. The Nats are also among the league’s worst at walking against RHP, and avoiding walks is a relative strength of Wacha. Many things look to be in his favor in this one.

What has worked best for Wacha has been a devastating changeup, which he throws relatively evenly to both lefty and righty batters. it has a .146 BAA, a 30% whiff rate, and a 24% K rate. It should work well against a lousy Nationals team, fooling batters much like this:

Michael Wacha, Dirty 81mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/4ee9FiTthD

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 1, 2025

Wacha should be added as one of the top pitching streamers wherever available for the week ahead, and potentially beyond.

Widely Available Pitching Streamers (0%-19% Rostered)

Miles Mikolas (SP – STL)

Next Start: Monday, 8/11 vs COL

Miles Mikolas is a true streamer, in a sense that fantasy managers rostering Mikolas should avoid certain teams, but use him to exploit other matchups. In 19 innings against Toronto, Arizona, Chicago (Cubs), and Cleveland, Mikolas allowed 25 earned runs. He also has managed to tally six wins and six quality starts. His matchup against the Rockies is one that could land him his seventh win and a quality start.

Colorado owns the league’s worst run differential, and is on track for the worst since 2015. They have also struck out the second-most in baseball, with the highest K%. For a pitcher like Mikolas, with a low 6.2 K/9 rate, this is great news. They should help him in that category. Colorado also has the sixth-worst AVG and the second-fewest walks against right-handed pitching. And while Mikolas is not known for his strikeouts, he is known for limiting walks. This matchup should play right into his hands.

Mikolas has been hit around a bit this season, but he has a wicked curveball that should get used heavily against the Rockies. It has a .219 BAA and a 21% whiff rate. It has some crazy north/south movement, where even if it lands outside the zone, he can get batters to swing and miss. Take a look:

Miles Mikolas, Filthy 77mph Curveball. 😷 pic.twitter.com/aDIT4nlCji

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 11, 2025

There is some inherent risk in relying on Mikolas, but this matchup has a lot leaning in his favor. He should be considered as one of your primary pitching streamers, especially in deep leagues with thin waiver wires.

Michael McGreevy (SP – STL)

Next Start: Wednesday, 8/13 vs COL

Do not let Michael McGreevy’s 5.08 ERA fool you. He has clearly been burned by some bad luck, with a 59% LOB rate on a team with a top-5 defense behind him. He has done well enough to warrant an add here and should see some positive regression to his ERA afterward.

McGreevy will follow Mikolas in the rotation against Colorado, and as a righty pitcher, many of the things in Mikolas’ favor also work for McGreevy. Much like Mikolas, McGreevy is a low-strikeout pitcher, but with a low walk rate as well. He is league average at inducing grounders, but had extremely high GB rates in the minors, and should see some positive regression there in this game.

McGreevy’s best asset is a filthy sweeper that owns a .212 BAA and a 27% whiff rate. His sequencing and location could be issues, though, because it has an oddly low putaway rate. But when it is on, it is a great out pitch. Here is a look at it in action:

With his parents in the stands, Michael McGreevy picked up the W last night in his hometown ballpark!#ForTheLou x @NationalPro pic.twitter.com/kUvD4jpU4M

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 3, 2025

McGreevy should not hurt your WHIP and should likely avoid the long ball. Consider him as one of your pitching streamers for the coming week.

Colton Gordon (SP – HOU)

Next Start: Friday, 8/15 vs BAL

Colton Gordon has been on a clear innings limit from the Astros, as he has completed the sixth inning just once in 13 starts. He has just one quality start this season, but four wins. As such, he is most valuable in leagues that value wins instead of quality starts.

Facing Baltimore should lead to success for the rookie. The Orioles have the fourth-worst run differential in baseball. They also have the eighth most strikeouts, along with the seventh highest K%. The Orioles have also performed poorly against lefty pitchers specifically. They have the sixth worst AVG, the fourth most strikeouts, and the 10th fewest walks against LHP. This is good news for Gordon, who owns an 8.1 K/9 rate and a 1.6 BB/9 rate.

Gordon has been hurt by the long ball this season, with a 17% HR/FB rate that should experience some positive regression. That could potentially come in this advantageous matchup, especially if he leans on his swing-and-miss stuff. Gordon’s sweeper has a 27% whiff rate, and his changeup has a 24% whiff rate. His sweeper also has a 31% K rate. I mean c’mon…

Colton Gordon, Expelliarmus Sweeper. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/UWQmFDokKg

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 22, 2025

If you need a starter late in the week, Gordon is the way to go. He should be on everyone’s radar for pitching streamers for the upcoming week.

Backup Plan Streamers

• ATH Luis Severino at BAL – Sunday 8/10
• STL Matthew Liberatore vs COL – Tuesday 8/12
• CLE Gavin Williams vs MIA – Wednesday 8/13

Desperation Streamers

• PIT Mike Burrows vs CIN – Sunday 8/10
• SF Justin Verlander vs WAS – Sunday 8/10
• LAD Emmet Sheehan at LAA – Tuesday 8/12
• MIL Jose Quintana vs PIT – Tuesday 8/12
• CLE Logan Allen vs MIA – Tuesday 8/12
• HOU Cristian Javier vs BOS – Wednesday 8/13