June 8 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Ben Lively, Alec Marsh, Simeon Woods Richardson, and More

A week into June, 10 teams are 10 or more games out of first place in their division. The Chicago White Sox head that list, sitting with an MLB-worst 16-48 record, 25 games from the Guardians. We are a little over seven weeks from the trade deadline, and the teams that fall below and rise above that 10-games-out number will help determine who is buying and selling come the end of July.

Let’s run through Saturday’s probable starters (according to MLB.com) who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups, creating streaming value. Most stats and rankings are from MLB. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs

After excelling with strikeouts last season, Abbott has seen that number drop well below league average. His walks have come down as well, but Abbott would increase his value substantially if he found his 2023 strikeout rate (over 26% versus less than 18.5% this year). His results have still be positive, as he has an ERA of 3.39.

The Cubs aren’t a great matchup, as they hit for power, but their other numbers have been dwindling since a good start, leaving the team in the bottom 10 in hits, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. They have also struck out the seventh most.

Abbott is a low- to mid-level streamer here. His dip in strikeout rate caps his value, but Abbott’s results have been mostly positive, so he is serviceable in your lineup.

Ben Brown, Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds

Opposing Abbott will be Brown, a pitcher who has made half of his 14 appearances out of the bullpen and has totaled 51.1 innings in his first big league season. He has struck out nearly 30% of the batters he has faced, something that is helped by pitching in relief, but Brown also sits guys down at a good rate when starting.

The Reds have improved over the past month or so, playing themselves closer to a middling unit than the bottom of the league. Their hitters have struck out the sixth most, sitting one spot higher than Cubs batters. With swing-and-miss ways and an offense still failing to thrive, Cincinnati is an OK matchup.

Brown is a mid-level streamer. His strikeout work puts him a notch higher than Abbott, even if Abbott might be more likely to throw six shutout innings.

Ben Lively, Cleveland Guardians @ Miami Marlins

Despite playing nearly as many games with the Padres as he did with the Marlins (30 vs. 33), Luis Arraez is still fifth on Miami in hits and fourth in runs scored. He’s an excellent contact hitter, but this is starting to get ridiculous now. In a related story, the Marlins are one of the worst offensive teams in the league.

A regularly underwhelming pitcher, Lively is having his best season in his first year in Cleveland at 32 years old. The Guardians/Indians franchise has been coaxing above-average seasons out of middling starters for over a decade now, so this shouldn’t necessarily be a surprise. Most importantly, Lively has an above-average strikeout rate for the first time in any season.

Lively is a mid-level streamer with upside. His improved strikeout work is great but also something that could fall back toward his career numbers, though it looks real right now.

Alec Marsh, Kansas City Royals vs. Seattle Mariners

Oh, what a Friday these teams had. I mentioned Kansas City’s starter yesterday, Daniel Lynch IV, as a low-level streamer who had some value against a weak Mariners lineup. He gave up seven runs in the first inning; Lynch ended up lasting four innings despite that opening frame, allowing eight runs with four walks, four strikeouts and two hit batters.

The Royals then scored 10 runs from the fourth inning on, including three in the bottom of the ninth to secure a 10-9 win. Great job wasting one of your few good offensive performances, Seattle. The Mariners have one of the lowest performing lineups in the league and strike out more than any other team.

Marsh has struck out 131 batters in 129.1 career innings, flashing an above-average rate. He has brought his walks down after allowing too many last year, and Marsh’s ERA has dropped along with that number (to 3.76)

Marsh is another mid-level streamer with upside. His K rate combined with Seattle’s swing-and-miss ways could result in a big day for the young pitcher.

Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Woods Richardson is having a good first full year in the Majors, allowing more than three runs just once in nine starts and at least working into the fifth inning in every outing. His strikeout rate has fallen just a little below league average, but Woods Richardson also hasn’t walked many hitters, resulting in an ERA just over 3.00.

Andrew McCutchen is fourth on the Pirates in at-bats, hits and batting average (among qualified hitters) and tied for second in home runs. This isn’t to say that McCutchen is having a season for the ages at 37 years old; instead, it’s a knock against the rest of the Pittsburgh lineup, as very few players have been both healthy and productive. The Pirates are toward the bottom of the league in most offensive stats.

Woods Richardson is a mid-level streamer here. He has been a reliable starter, and while there haven’t been many great highs, Woods Richardson’s steadiness deserves a spot in someone’s lineup.

Saturday’s Streamer Rankings

Everyone is really close today. The guys toward the top of the list are the best strikeout pitchers.

1. Ben Lively, CLE
2. Alec Marsh, KC
3. Ben Brown, CHC
4. Simeon Woods Richardson, MIN
5. Andrew Abbott, CIN