June 26 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Spencer Turnbull, Graham Ashcraft and Spencer Arrighetti
A look at Wednesday's probable starters who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups.
The NBA Draft starts today, one of the few highlights outside of baseball in this slow summer stretch that lasts months. For the first time, they are extending it to a two-day event. There are only two rounds. Are that many people going to tune into the second round of the draft to see which G-Leaguers and overseas stash prospects will go to which teams?
Regardless, it’s something that may take your attention away from your fantasy baseball team, so we’re going to keep spending time finding the pieces around your stars who will help you be successful.
Let’s go through Wednesday’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.
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Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros vs. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are a different team away from Coors Field: In home games, they rank in the top 10 in runs scored, hits, home runs and all four slash categories. They are in (or close to) the bottom 10 in each category in away games; it’s literally that stark of a difference. They’re in the top 10 in most batter strikeouts no matter where they play, a big positive for pitchers.
While Arrighetti has done well striking out batters in his rookie season, that’s about the only place he has excelled. He has walked close to 13% of the batters he has faced (league average is around 8%) and holds a WHIP close to 1.75; no qualifying pitcher has a WHIP over 1.53. Unsurprisingly, his ERA is also inflated, sitting at 6.36.
Arrighetti is a low-level streamer here. There’s a little upside due to his strikeout work, but Arrighetti has been a regularly below-average pitcher, leaving him more suited for the bottom of your lineup than expected to make a real impact.
Graham Ashcraft, Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Ashcraft does OK limiting walks, but he is well below average at striking batters out. Only twice this season has he struck out at least a batter per inning, a mark many pitchers hit regularly. It has worked out to an ERA over 5.00.
The Pirates are the perfect encapsulation of what I look for in a team to target: bottom 10 in runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs and all four slash categories while sitting in the top 10 in most batter strikeouts. I don’t have a lot else to say that isn’t just fluff; Pittsburgh is a team to target every day.
Ashcraft is a low- to mid-level streamer here. The matchup is right, but there’s not a ton to like about his season work other than his ability to limit walks.
Spencer Turnbull, Philadelphia Phillies @ Detroit Tigers
I usually look for teams that rank in the bottom 10 in a lot of offensive stats when choosing who to attack with opposing fantasy pitchers. The Tigers are toeing the line in a lot of areas, sitting right around 20th. They might not be the best matchup, but Detroit still offers plenty of value. They are in the bottom 10 in batter walks and the top 10 in batter strikeouts, a great profile to start with.
Turnbull was on the Tigers from 2018-2023, and he’s returning to face his former team for the first time. After working exclusively as a starter in Detroit, he has made six starts and 10 appearances out of the bullpen this year. His strikeout rate is by far the best of any season of his career, something that’s not surprising as most pitchers strike out more guys when working in relief.
When starting, Turnbull’s strikeout rate was near average and his walk rate a little too high. He is a low- to mid-level streamer here, maybe in danger of a short start because of his usual bullpen role this season.
Wednesday’s Streamer Rankings
- Spencer Turnbull, PHI
- Graham Ashcraft, CIN
- Spencer Arrighetti, HOU
