April 25 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Andrew Heaney, Randy Vasquez, Michael Soroka and More
A look at the probable starters on Thursday who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups.
On the day of the NFL Draft, most eyes will be away from the action on the diamond and focused on a stage in Detroit, Michigan, where 32 college football players will hear their names announced and learn their new homes.
With 10 games on the MLB slate, though, we still must pay the proper respect to fantasy baseball and set a full lineup. Let’s look at the 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 ESPN.
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Andrew Heaney, Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners
Heaney has been nearly a league-average pitcher in his career, but he’s been a little worse than that so far in 2024. Looking at his game log helps explain why: Heaney’s four starts have been against the Braves, Rays and Astros twice. That’s brutal.
The matchup here is going to be much nicer, as the Mariners have settled in comfortably among the worst offenses in baseball. They rank in or among the bottom 10 in most offensive stats.
With an average pitcher against a weak lineup, Heaney is a mid-level streamer in this one.
Michael Soroka, Chicago White Sox @ Minnesota Twins
It just hasn’t come together for Soroka. Injuries have cost him most of his career since debuting in 2018, and though he’s just 26 years old, things are trending down in 2024. His strikeout rate is about half the league average, and he has walked more batters than he has struck out (15 to 12).
The Twins offer a chance at success because of their mighty struggles this year, but to expect much out of Soroka is foolish. I will begrudgingly call him a low-level streamer due to Minnesota being among the worst offenses, but Soroka is more fit for the last spot in your lineup if you’re desperate.
Randy Vasquez, San Diego Padres @ Colorado Rockies
Vasquez came to San Diego in the Juan Soto trade after a 37.2-inning debut with the Yankees last year. He was good in 2023, sporting a 2.87 ERA and striking out 33 batters, albeit while walking too many guys.
His Padres debut wasn’t stellar: Five innings against the Blue Jays, and though he allowed just one earned run, Vasquez gave up four total runs and took the loss. He will look for better results against a weaker Rockies lineup this time around.
Colorado has been near the middle of the league on offense after multiple seasons below that mark despite playing at Coors Field. This one is in Denver, which is less appealing than if they were playing in San Diego, but Vasquez still has a chance to have a quality start.
Vasquez is a mid-level streamer in this one, showing some upside but also not blowing anyone away in his short career.
Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox
Woods Richardson has made one appearance in each of 2022, 2023 and 2024, totaling 15.2 innings. It’s not enough to get a real read on the 23-year-old. He has struck out close to a batter per inning, so that’s a good start.
This is all about the matchup, though. My friend sent me a screenshot of a fun stat he found before Wednesday’s game: “The 2024 Chicago White Sox are the first team in MLB history to be shut out 8 times in their first 22 games.”
Chicago is pitiful, folks, and virtually every pitcher has fantasy value against them. Woods Richardson is a good bet to go five or six innings with at least decent results in this one.
#waivers #2024-fantasy-baseball
