The All-Star Break is officially over. Hope you got lots of rest for the stretch run of the fantasy baseball season. Can you believe most leagues only have six weeks left before the playoffs? With that in mind, I wanted to highlight pitching streamers who won’t just help you in Week 18, but in the weeks beyond; high-upside players who can make a real impact.
But whether you’re looking to sure up your rotation this weekend in a daily-roster league, next week in a weekly league, or even if you’re looking for a nice two-start recommendation, this article has you covered. So good luck, have a scroll, and as always, remember to stream responsibly.
Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (About 50% to 65% Rostered)
Erick Fedde SP White Sox
Last start: Wednesday, July 10th vs. Twins – 5IP W 0ER 4H 2BB 5K
2 starts next week: Monday, July 22 @ Texas + Saturday, July 27th vs. Mariners
The first-half numbers look pretty solid for Erick Fedde (2.99 ERA/1.13 WHIP/8.0 K/9). That’s caused his roster percentage to grow almost beyond pitching-streamer territory. But considering his expected stats almost back it up (xERA, for example is at 3.58), and his last six starts have been more than solid (2.43 ERA/1.03 WHIP). The likelihood of the righty getting traded to a contender sometime soon, you might want to consider getting on board for the second half if he’s been overlooked.
Or maybe you just want some volume next week in a shallow league? That works too. The 31-year-old is lined up for two starts and both opponents rank in the bottom third (Rangers 20th, Mariners 27th) in wOBA. And if Quality Starts are particularly desirable for you, he’s registered six in his last 12 tries.
Brandon Pfaadt SP DBacks
Last start: Thursday, July 11th vs. Braves – 6IP W 0ER 3H 0BB 4K
Next start: Saturday, July 20th @ Cubs
1 start next week: Friday, July 26th vs. Pirates
Brandon Pfaadt was one of my pitching streamers last week. He hasn’t pitched since then so all those points are still valid. He’s racking up innings (at least six in 12 of his last 14 starts), has been pitching really well lately (2.57 ERA/1.20 WHIP over six starts), and his next opponent, the Cubs on Saturday, are ranked 22nd in wOBA over the last month. So if you play in a daily roster league, especially points, and he’s somehow still on your wire, have at it. For next week, he’ll get an even better matchup. The Pirates are ranked 28th in wOBA. So weeklies are good to go too.
Gavin Williams SP Guardians
Last start: Saturday, July 13th @ Rays – 5IP 1ER (2R) 3H 3BB 2K
Next start: Saturday, July 20th vs. Padres
1 start next week: Thursday, July 25th vs. Tigers
OK, Gavin Williams hasn’t dazzled us in three starts this season (nine strikeouts and six earned runs over 14.1 innings). But sometimes you just have to trust the talent. The 24-year-old is a former first-round pick, dominated in the minors (2.34 ERA/1.00 WHIP/11.9 K/9 rate over three seasons), and had a successful rookie campaign last year (3.29 ERA/1.26 WHIP/8.9 K/9). It seems like it’s just a matter of time before the righty settles in after missing the first three months with an elbow injury.
Not enticed yet? Even as just a pitching streamer, his matchup next week alone is worth a shot. The Tigers are ranked 25th in wOBA and just two weeks ago couldn’t muster much off Williams. They were shut out for 5.1 innings, registered just five hard hits (out of 15 balls in play), and struck out five times. Seems like the right time to stream and then see where it goes.
Shane Baz SP Rays
Last start: Thursday, July 11th vs. Yankees – 4.1IP 3ER 6H 1BB 5K
Next start: Sunday, July 21st @ Yankees
1 start next week: Friday, July 26th vs. Reds
I wrote about Shane Baz in last week’s Pitching Streamers article. To sum that up: he’s been far from dominant in his two Major League starts so far. But his upside, as seen pre-injury (3.15 career minor-league ERA and a 10.5 K/9 in 50 innings in the majors), is high enough to make him an ace.
Nothing has changed since then. He hasn’t even made another start. Except that now we have a much better idea of who his next two opponents are likely to be. This weekend’s matchup is a rematch with the Yankees, a tough test (ranked 3rd in wOBA). But next week, he’ll contend with a middle-of-the-road Reds team (ranked 16th). This isn’t just about matchups, though. The 25-year-old is a potential difference-maker for the rest of the season. This time of year, that’s not easy to find on the wire.
Pitching Streamers Available in Most Leagues (About 30% to 50% Rostered)
Reese Olson SP Tigers
Last start: Wednesday, July 10th vs. Guardians – 6IP W 3ER 6H 1BB 3K
Next start: Saturday, July 20th @ Blue Jays
1 start next week: Thursday, July 25th @ Guardians
In case you haven’t noticed, Reese Olson has bounced back from his rough patch in early June. It saw him yield 17 runs in just 14.2 innings over a three-start stretch. Since then, things sure have stabilized for the 24-year-old. He’s pitched to a 2.40 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and a 9.3 K/9 rate during his last five starts.
The uptick in strikeouts is particularly encouraging given that his K rate (22.0%, or 48th percentile) has, thus far, failed to match an impressive whiff rate (28.2% rate which ranks in the 72nd percentile). So we could be seeing the final piece of the puzzle coming together for the righty, in a season where he’s already performed admirably (3.30 ERA/1.18 WHIP). If a manager in your league panicked last month, you might want to take advantage. As a pitching streamer, or a piece to help down the stretch, this pick-up makes sense.
Pitching Streamers Widely Available (About 30% Rostered or Fewer)
Dean Kremer SP Orioles
Last start: Sunday, July 14th vs. Yankees – 4.2IP 2ER 4H 2BB 4K
Next start: Sunday, July 21st @ Rangers
1 start next week: Saturday, July 27th vs. Padres
I wrote about Dean Kremer last week as a pitching streamer. He hasn’t quite shaken off the rust, but he did continue limiting hard contact against a team that makes a lot of it (Yankees are 3rd in wOBA, but also 2nd in home runs) on Sunday. In fact, in his last two starts he’s yielded just nine hard hits out of 31 balls in play. That’s just a 29% hard-hit rate and it’s even more impressive than his overall rate of 37.2% (which ranks in the 61st percentile).
The problem, of course, is that three of those hard hits turned into home runs. Though we can’t call that rust for too much longer, I’m still willing to believe he’s just occasionally missing his spots. Perhaps I’m chasing the one good start he has made since returning from the IL where he generated 16 swinging strikes and struck out eight (July 3rd). But upside like that is tough to find in a deep league. So I say chase it for at least one more week.
Spencer Schwellenbach SP Braves
Last start: Friday, July 19th vs. Cardinals
1 start next week: Wednesday, July 24th vs. Reds
It doesn’t seem like Spencer Schwellenbach is getting enough credit. The 24-year-old made a jump straight to the majors from double-A, stumbled a little in his first two starts, and since then has compiled a 3.34 ERA/1.06 WHIP/8.2 K/9 rate over his last six starts. And, very impressively for a rookie, he’s gone at least six innings in four of them.
Even better, the rookie will draw the Reds next week. They rank 16th in wOBA and strikeout 6th-most overall. Seems like an obvious pitching streamer in a deep league. Standard mixed? You could do much worse.