June 30 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Taj Bradley, Spencer Schwellenbach, Lance Lynn and More
A look at Sunday's probable starters who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups.
There are only three MLB games tomorrow, and with all respect to the fans of these teams, there’s not much to get excited about: Astros vs. Blue Jays, Mets vs. Nationals, and Brewers vs. Rockies. If you’re looking for a baseball fix around the turn of the month, you better make sure to get it on Sunday.
(Also, tomorrow is the biggest holiday of the year: Bobby Bonilla Day. If you haven’t already taken the day off, be ready to call in sick. It’s a day for celebration!)
Let’s run through Sunday’s probable pitchers (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.
Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels vs. Detroit Tigers
Anderson’s strikeout and walk numbers point to a pitcher who is struggling to keep his head above water: 65 Ks and 46 BBs in 99.1 innings. Luck has been on his side, though, as he holds a 2.63 ERA, a number he has only come close to once (2.57 in 2022 with the Dodgers, which was a true outlier until this year). His superficial numbers stand out, but I’m not as high on Anderson.
The Tigers could put him in position to continue succeeding, though, as they regularly show up in the bottom 10 in most offensive stats. They are top 10 in most batter strikeouts and bottom 10 in walks, a great starting point for all pitchers but especially for a guy who struggles in those areas.
Anderson is a low- to mid-level streamer. If his lucky ways turn around, Anderson will lose a lot of his supposed value, but this matchup gives him a chance at a decent outing.
Taj Bradley, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Washington Nationals
Bradley has shown up here a few times in the last month and had big performances. On June 13 against the Cubs, he threw seven innings, struck out 11, and though he gave up two runs, neither was earned. His last start against Seattle lasted 5.1 innings and he struck out eight while allowing just one run (though four walks were too many). Bradley’s strikeout rate near 30% gives him major upside.
Washington doesn’t strike out a lot, sitting in the bottom 10 in batter Ks. They also show up in the bottom 10 in a lot of other offensive statistics, meaning their contact doesn’t often translate to success. They are especially inept hitting for power, ranking 29th in home runs, just three above last place.
Bradley is a mid- to high-level streamer here. More big strikeout games are likely to come, and even if that doesn’t happen in this one, Washington’s low ceiling gives Bradley a nice floor.
Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies @ Chicago White Sox
I wrote yesterday about how Colorado pitchers get a big reprieve when pitching away from home, and starting pitcher Cal Quantrill was getting an extra boost from facing possibly the worst offense in baseball in the White Sox. Chicago responded by scoring 11 runs, though Quantrill gave up just five.
Well, it’s the same story today. Freeland is set up better to succeed being away from Coors Field and gets the extra benefit of facing one of the worst teams in the league. Freeland has thrown just 21.2 innings this year and it’s been brutal: 25 runs allowed (23 earned) and nine walks to just 13 strikeouts.
Freeland is a low-level streamer. He’s here because the White Sox are so bad and because Freeland is a better pitcher than he has shown this season, even if he tops out as middling.
Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds
Lynn has allowed a whopping 13 unearned runs so far this season. Among pitchers who have allowed at least 38 runs, only Colorado’s Ryan Feltner has given up even 10 unearned runs; Lynn is an outlier in that facet. That means his true ERA is probably higher than his current number of 3.86. Sure enough, his xERA, which is meant to better calculate a pitcher’s real performance, is 4.34, the second biggest difference between the two of any season of his career.
Cincinnati isn’t a terrible offensive team. They are below average in essentially every area but end up right around 20th in a lot of those categories. The Reds also rank in the top 10 in most batter strikeouts, leaving a chance for a higher ceiling for a guy with a high K rate, like Lynn.
Lynn is a mid-level streamer. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see his superficial numbers look a little worse in the second half, but the matchup is right, and he has a chance to rack up strikeouts in this one.
Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are a better matchup than their division-mates in Cincinnati, sitting close to the bottom five in many stats rather than just the bottom 10. It’s not isolated to one area, either: Pittsburgh ranks 26th or lower in every slash category and tied for third in most batter strikeouts.
Schwellenbach has made five major league starts with mixed results. His worst two outings combined for 10 runs allowed in 9.2 innings, and the other three produced 17 innings with just six runs allowed. He has been good with both strikeouts and walks, with a 25 to seven ratio. We won’t know much about Schwellenbach’s ceiling until he gets a few hundred innings under his belt.
Schwellenbach is a mid-level streamer. His strikeout work in the minors was average, so there’s no reason to hope for big numbers, but Schwellenbach has shown he is capable of quality outings.
Sunday’s Streamer Rankings
- Taj Bradley, TB
- Spencer Schwellenbach, ATL
- Lance Lynn, STL
- Tyler Anderson, LAA
- Kyle Freeland, COL
