One tip for finding pitching streamers is to pay attention to offenses that struggle to score runs. Then you can cross-reference that with offenses that strike out at a high rate.
The Rockies, Angels, Athletics, and Rays all land among the 10 worst run differentials in baseball. They also happen to rank among the offenses with the most strikeouts as well. These make for excellent teams to stream against.
Other potential streaming targets include the White Sox and Marlins who have awful run differentials. Additionally, Seattle and Boston strike out the most and third most respectively in the league.
With those considerations, you will find my favorite streamers for the week ahead.
Pitching Streamers Available in Some Leagues (Over 50% Rostered)
Nestor Cortes (SP – NYY)
Next Start: Sunday 5/5 vs DET
Nestor Cortes remains available in shallow leagues, despite performing relatively well.
He has outperformed his career norms in walks-per-nine, averaging 1.2 this season. He has nearly matched his career averages with his season strand rate of 76%, and groundball rate of 31%. One area he has underperformed is with his strikeout-per-nine rate. it sits about a strikeout below his career norm.
Cortes’ matchup with Detroit offers him a chance to improve his strikeout rate. The Tigers possess the eighth-highest K% in baseball at 24.2%.
Cortes has a ridiculous cutter to get lefty batters out. It has a 26% whiff rate and a 24% putaway rate. He can even get righties out with it too:
Nestor Cortes, Elevated 87mph Cutter. ✂️ pic.twitter.com/PVENAfDaMy
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 25, 2024
His changeup has a 43% whiff rate and a 31% putaway rate, giving him a great out pitch against righties too.
This is a home game for Cortes, whose low GB% should be mitigated by playing in the third friendliest pitcher’s park in baseball this season.
This may be your last chance to add Cortes in shallow leagues. He should be one of the top pitching streamers for the week ahead, and should be trusted going forwards in most matchups.
Widely Available Pitching Streamers (0%-30% Rostered)
Simeon Woods Richardson (SP – MIN)
Next Start: Monday 5/6 vs SEA
In two games to start the season, Simeon Woods Richardson has seen excellent results. He has averaged a 9 K/9 rate and a 1.6 BB/9 rate through 11 IP. He has a reasonable 72% LOB rate and .290 BABIP.
The only sign of danger so far is his 29% GB rate, which is scary low. Despite that, this is a great matchup for Woods Richardson. His home park is the fifth friendliest pitcher’s park in the league, and Seattle is terrible against right-handed pitching.
Seattle’s 28% K rate as a team is the worst in baseball. they also struggle particularly with strikeouts and batting average against RHP. They have the fifth-worst AVG and the most strikeouts against righties.
This is a great matchup for the young starter. He should lean on his wipeout slider, which has a 29% whiff rate and a 25% putaway rate. Here is a look at it:
Simeon Woods Richardson, Filthy 89mph Slider…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ceX4LFfgps
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 25, 2024
You should make Woods Richardson one of your pitching streamers for the week ahead in all league sizes.
Landon Knack (SP – LAD)
Next Start: Tuesday 5/7 vs MIA
Landon Knack will make his third start in a home game against Miami, in what should be an advantageous matchup.
Knack has a 7.3 K/9 rate and a 3.2 BB/9 rate, so he has some work to do to show he has the command and control to stick in the Dodgers’ rotation.
While he may have some work to do, this matchup lines up great for Knack. Miami has the ninth-worst AVG and the fewest walks against RHP. He can use this matchup to add to his strikeout total with a nasty slider that carries a .000 BAA and a 22% whiff rate. Knack also has a changeup that has been an effective out pitch against lefty hitters. It has a 33% whiff rate and a 22% putaway rate. Take a look at it here:
Landon Knack landed 1st 5 changeups & 6 of his first 7. Landing the change completes his circuit, especially when he can flip in an occasional CB to keep hitters off balance. Continued to challenge zone after hits which shows trust in his stuff & 0 Fear.
5 IP 4 H 1 R 2 Ks1 BB… pic.twitter.com/ylweGxVk7W— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 1, 2024
A low BABIP and a sky-high LOB% suggest regression is coming to Knack’s ERA. However, some positive regression may be on the way in his strikeout and walk rates thanks to this game.
Knack makes for one of the better pitching streamers for those in deep leagues.
Erick Fedde (SP – CWS)
Next Start: Wednesday 5/8 at TB
Erick Fedde essentially revitalized his career playing in Korea last season. He returned to the States a new pitcher, with better results than ever.
His 10 K/9 rate is a full three strikeouts better than his career rate. He also shaved off more than a walk on his 3.6 career B/9 rate this season. While those may seem too good to be true, he changed his pitch mix, which has worked wonders.
His sinker and cutter both have whiff and putaway rates over 25%. He turned his curveball into a sweeper, which as a 23% putaway rate. Fedde also turned his changeup into a splitter which has whiff and putaway rates over 20%. All of his pitches have a .250 BAA or better and an xBAA of .245 or better. Here he is getting batters out with his cutter and sweeper:
Erick Fedde's 7th and 8th Ks. pic.twitter.com/BZyAs87PD5
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 28, 2024
Fedde has a 91% LOB rate, which is 20% higher than his career norm, and screams regression. But because of the changes to his pitch mix, he has more ways to get batters out and keep them from scoring.
In past seasons, this would be a matchup to avoid for those that roster Fedde. With Tampa’s scoring and strikeout woes, though, this makes for a prime streaming matchup.
Tampa has the eighth-highest K rate in baseball and the seventh-highest GB rate. They also have the third-fewest walks against RHP. This game will also take place in the seventh friendliest pitcher’s park in baseball this season.
Fedde is a great target that many are still skeptical of, and should be atop your list of pitching streamers for the week ahead and beyond.
Ben Lively (SP – CLE)
Next Start: Thursday 5/9 at CWS
Ben Lively has been on fire this season. He has a 2.30 ERA, with a 3.01 xFIP, and a 2.89 SIERA.
Lively has tallied nearly an 11 K/9 rate this season, as well as a 1.7 BB/9 rate. His career averages are 7.1 and 2.6 respectively, so these improvements are significant.
This is a small sample size, but Lively’s pitches have been extremely effective so far. His sinker, fastball, curveball, changeup, and slider all have between 20-66% whiff rates. He has leaned on his slier much more than last season while laying off his fastball – a decision that is working out for him now.
He likely will not sustain his low ERA, as the advanced ERA metrics suggest. Lively has a .278 BABIP compared to a .303 career BABIP but has allowed a ton of line drives. He has a 90% LOB rate that should regress as well, along with a very low GB%. This all suggests more batters will get on base and more will score.
Fortunately, for Lively, he plays the White Sox in his next matchup. This means he can likely stave off some regression for a future matchup.
The White Sox are tied for the sixth-highest strikeout rate in baseball at 24.6%. They also possess the third-worst AVG, the seventh most strikeouts, and the ninth fewest walks against RHP. On top of everything, Chicago’s park is the eighth friendliest pitcher’s park this season.
Trust Lively as one of your main pitching streamers for the week ahead.
Andrew Abbott (SP – CIN)
Next Start: Friday 5/10 at SF
Andrew Abbott has a 3.27 ERA after 33 IP across six starts. He continues to inch closer to his career 9.3 K/9 rate, sitting at 7.3 right now.
Abbott has steadily improved his BB/9 rate over the season as well, which sits at three currently. The young lefty has also done a great job at limiting line drives and pulled balls, which has kept his BABIP down. However, he has allowed a 53% flyball rate, which could be dangerous in Cincy’s Great American Ballpark. Abbott has been a bit lucky in just 10% of those balls turning into homers. Plus, just two of his starts have been in Cincy, which has certainly helped him avoid the long ball.
Oracle Park in San Francisco, where this game will be played, is the fourth friendliest pitcher’s park this season. And while the Giants rank in the middle of the pack against LHP, Abbott has the stuff to turn in a good result.
Abbott’s fastball, changeup, and sweeper have been difficult to hit. the highest BAA of the three belongs to his fastball at .213. His changeup has a 32% whiff rate and a 31% putaway rate. His sweeper had a 29% whiff rate last season, but it has caught to much of the plate this season. If he can locate it better, it should result in more whiffs.
Fantasy managers need to add Abbott now. He is one of the better pitching streamers this week and should be a pitcher you hold in deep leagues.
Backup Plan Streamers for Week 7
- PIT Bailey Falter vs COL – Sunday 5/5
- PHI Cristopher Sanchez vs SF – Monday 5/6
- TEX Andrew Heaney at OAK – Monday 5/6
- CLE Triston McKenzie vs DET – Tuesday 5/7
- CLE Logan Allen vs DET – Tuesday 5/7
- PIT Martin Perez vs LAA – Wednesday 5/8
- OAK Paul Blackburn at SEA – Friday 5/9
Desperation Streamers for Week 7
- BOS Cooper Criswell at MIN – Sunday 5/5
- OAK Joe Boyle vs MIA – Sunday 5/5
- TB Tyler Alexander vs CWS – Monday 5/6
- PIT Quinn Priester vs LAA – Tuesday 5/7
- TEX Michael Lorenzen at OAK – Wednesday 5/8