July 1 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: David Peterson, MacKenzie Gore, Bryse Wilson and More
A look at Monday's probable starters who are widely available in fantasy leagues on a very light day for baseball.
Most days, we’re here looking for guys who have good matchups. It makes sense: Put players in your lineup who have a chance to succeed because of their weak opponent. That’s not really an option today because there are only three games on the schedule.
Because of that, I have listed every starter throwing today who isn’t owned in most fantasy leagues. That leaves only Houston’s Hunter Brown off the list and five other guys who you can probably grab and pop into your lineup if you’re inclined.
Not everyone is a good streamer, though, as a few tough matchups and the worst possible location for pitchers are on the schedule. I will explicitly state whether each player is a true streamer or only here because of the light schedule to eliminate any guessing.
Let’s look at Monday’s probable starters (according to MLB.com) who are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats and rankings are from MLB. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.
Austin Gomber, Colorado Rockies vs Milwaukee Brewers
It makes sense that Rockies pitchers would perform better away from home. Despite attempts to lessen the effects of mile-high Denver, Colorado’s home field is regularly one of the most giving locations to offensive players. Gomber actually has an ERA almost two runs lower at home this season; it’s easy to think of it as a small-sample oddity, but there’s a history of similar results in his past.
No matter the field, Milwaukee isn’t a team to mess with. While I usually look for teams that often show up in the bottom 10 of many offensive stats, the Brewers are in the top 10 mostly and don’t fall below the league average in any area.
Gomber wouldn’t be listed here on a normal day, falling below the streamer line. If you’re desperate for an arm, you’ll likely get a few innings, but chances are the Brewers will do some damage in the hitter’s haven of Coors Field.
MacKenzie Gore, Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets
Gore’s strikeout work gives him a better ceiling than anyone else listed here. He has struck out 25.5% of the batters he’s faced in his career, a number that sits at 26.6% this year. While he walked too many guys in the past, he has gotten to a league-average rate this season (a little under 8%). Just 25 years old, Gore still has a lot of upside after entering the league as a top prospect.
Like the Brewers, the Mets have the opposite profile of the teams I usually target. They are especially adept at hitting for power, ranking eighth or better in doubles, home runs, slugging percentage and OPS. Teams with a lot of power often strike out a lot also, but the Mets are in the bottom 10 in batter strikeouts and top 10 in walks, not allowing much reprieve.
Gore wouldn’t be here a lot of days, but he has a little value, so I’ll call him a low-level streamer. He struggled against the Mets on June 3 (six runs in 4.1 innings, just two strikeouts), but Gore has a chance for some value.
David Peterson, New York Mets @ Washington Nationals
Peterson is one of the few guys in a good position today. Washington follows the type we look for here: Bottom 10 in runs scored, hits, home runs and all four slash categories. They don’t strike out a lot, but the Nationals are a team to target with essentially every pitcher in fantasy baseball.
As for his own performance, Peterson has been above average at striking batters out in his career, and while that number is down this year, he has only thrown 27 innings, so there’s time for that to bounce back. The real problem area is walks, where he has issued a free pass to almost 11% of the batters he has faced. That’s a career-long problem with a chance to sink Peterson’s performance at times.
Peterson is a mid-level streamer. Everything here points to an OK situation for the pitcher that could go either way without causing a lot of surprise.
Yariel Rodriguez, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Houston Astros
The Astros started the season struggling as much as any team in the league, making them a good team to target in fantasy baseball. The world has corrected itself, however, and the team is now in the top 10 in most offensive stats. The biggest downside: Astros batters have struck out almost 30 less times than any other team.
After a few up-and-down performances in April, Rodriguez didn’t make a major league appearance for nearly two months before starting against Cleveland on June 21: He allowed five runs (four earned) in 1.1 innings with three walks and just one strikeout. With only 16.2 innings under his belt, it’s hard to know what to expect from Rodriguez.
In kind, Rodriguez wouldn’t be listed here on the usual day. He’s below the streamer line and more suited for the end of your lineup only if you’re desperate, but even then, I’d leave the slot open before counting on Rodriguez against Houston.
Bryse Wilson, Milwaukee Brewers @ Colorado Rockies
As I mentioned above, this game is in Colorado, which hurts the value of the pitchers involved. The Rockies are essentially a top 10 offensive team at home and a bottom 10 team on the road. Wilson would be listed here any day if this game were in Milwaukee, but it’s a different story at Coors Field.
Wilson is a middling pitcher at best, doing well limiting walks but sporting a strikeout rate below average in every season of his career (since a seven-inning debut in 2018). He’s worked mainly as a reliever since joining the Brewers last offseason, and he has done better in that bullpen work.
Wilson is a low-level streamer here who wouldn’t be listed on many days. Aside from the worst-case location, Wilson has a ceiling with his lack of strikeouts, even against a team like Colorado that Ks a lot.
Monday’s Streamer Rankings
- David Peterson, NYM
- MacKenzie Gore, WSH
- Bryse Wilson, MIL
- Yariel Rodriguez, TOR
- Austin Gomber, COL
