August 7 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Andrew Abbott, Will Warren, Joey Estes and More

August and September are magical times for young baseball prospects. Guys often get their first taste of The Show and the chance to prove they can hang with the big boys, even if they are likely to start next season back in the minors.

I had a friend in high school whose brother spent years in the minor leagues and pitched in one Major League game for the Brewers. (It was in May, not September, but we’ll ignore that fact). Chris Mabeus threw 1.2 innings, allowed four runs with three walks and two strikeouts and probably had the best day of his life (though it looks like his kids are better at baseball than he was, so that may change soon).

Not everybody who plays professional baseball gets to the big leagues, and those who do, even for a short time, are some of the luckiest people in the world. Some of those guys will be streamers for us over the last few months and might help you win a fantasy baseball championship along the way.

Let’s look at 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.

Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds @ Miami Marlins

Hey, Abbott! Abbott has been a perfectly fine pitcher, sitting a little worse than league average in both strikeout and walk rate and owning a 3.41 ERA. He made one start against the Marlins (July 13), and it didn’t go well: 3.1 innings, five runs allowed, two walks and four strikeouts.

Despite that rough outing, there might not be an offense worse than the Marlins (though some are trying). Miami is in the bottom three in runs scored, doubles, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. Every pitcher has value against the Marlins.

Abbott is a mid-level streamer. He has done well, and the matchup is pristine, but he lacks the strikeout prowess of a top streamer.

Davis Martin, Chicago White Sox @ Oakland Athletics

Joey Estes, Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox

This is a great series for streamers. There aren’t very many good hitters between these two teams, but there might be even less good pitchers, meaning most guys aren’t owned in fantasy. That allows for streamers with A+ matchups. Both teams will be ones to target with opposing pitchers all season.

Martin didn’t pitch at all in 2023 and has made just two appearances this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. It’s impossible to know what to expect; in 6.1 innings he has allowed five runs and six walks with eight strikeouts. Martin is an enigma.

Estes missed the beginning of the season with an injury of his own but has been a regular since the middle of May. He does well limiting walks, but he is also below average striking batters out. Estes is only 87.1 innings into his big-league career, again not giving us a lot of information.

Both Martin and Estes are low-level streamers. The matchups put them on the radar, but you can’t expect much out of either of these pitchers.

Trevor Rogers, Baltimore Orioles @ Toronto Blue Jays

Rogers came over from the Marlins at the trade deadline, and there might be a chance for improvement in his numbers. Miami is a dumpster fire, as we detailed above, and Rogers now joins a pennant race with a better defense and coaching staff around him. He won’t be a star, but there’s room for Rogers to get closer to average.

The Blue Jays resisted the urge to tear it all down at the deadline, instead trading away pending free agents but keeping the big names, most notably Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. Even at full strength, this team struggled enough at the plate to sink their playoff hopes. They aren’t as lowly as the three previous squads, but the Blue Jays are around 20th in a lot of offensive stats.

Rogers is a low-level streamer. There’s an opportunity for growth with a young pitcher (26), but until we see it, I can’t predict a higher ceiling.

Will Warren, New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels

Things are getting worse for the Angels, not better. Over the past two weeks, they rank in the bottom 10 in essentially every major offensive box stat, though their walk and strikeout numbers are average. It will be interesting to see how long Mike Trout and the organization stay happy; he won’t be traded this winter, but how many losing seasons might it take?

Warren made his first big league start on July 30 against the Phillies, allowing four runs and two walks in 5.1 innings while striking out six. It wasn’t a good outing, but the opponent this time is much easier for the rookie. Warren did high-level strikeout work in the minor leagues, so there’s hope that will carry over to this level.

Warren is another low-level streamer but with a little more upside than the other guys. His strikeout prowess gives him a better ceiling, though it’s hard to predict his floor.

Wednesday’s Streamer Rankings

1. Andrew Abbott, CIN
2. Will Warren, NYY
3. Joey Estes, OAK
4. Trevor Rogers, BAL
5. Davis Martin, CWS