June 11 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Triston McKenzie, Kenta Maeda, Miles Mikolas and More
A look at Tuesday's probable starters who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups.
While the point of fantasy sports is generally to rack up the most stats/points possible, pitchers provide value as much by what they don’t accumulate as what they do. A lack of runs and walks allowed is a big positive that can be achieved by any pitcher on a given day.
Those who also fill the stat sheet, though, can make up for a sub-par outing by adding strikeouts and/or having long outings. The best thing is to not give up any runs, but the second-best thing is to strike out a lot of guys when you do allow them to score.
Let’s look at Tuesday'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.
Kenta Maeda, Detroit Tigers vs. Washington Nationals
CJ Abrams was a major part of the return when Washington traded Juan Soto to the Padres. Just 23 years old, Abrams is showing the promise that made him a top prospect: He leads the team in runs scored, hits, doubles, triples and home runs while tied for fourth with 10 stolen bases. His teammates have regularly let him down, though, as the Nationals rank in the bottom 10 in most major offensive statistics.
Maeda has been well above average at striking batters out in every season of his career; he’s seen a significant drop this year, though, to a rate close to 10 percentage points lower than his career number. In a related story, Maeda has given up 30 runs (28 earned) in 40.1 innings, holding a 6.25 ERA.
Maeda is a low-level streamer here. If he was striking batters out at his usual rate, Maeda would see a significant bump in fantasy value. As things stand, though, he looks like an aged pitcher at the end of his career (he’s 36) rather than a player with upside.
Triston McKenzie, Cleveland Guardians vs. Cincinnati Reds
McKenzie does well striking batters out, but he also gives up too many freebies, holding a walk rate about five percentage points higher than average in 2024. The overall numbers are OK (4.16 ERA), but McKenzie’s work leaves room for improvement if he can rein in his control issues, especially with above-average strikeout rates.
Cincinnati strikes out their fair share, ranking seventh in most batter Ks. They have also walked the seventh most, so McKenzie could get into trouble if he loses the strike zone. The Reds aren’t the best matchup, as they rank around 20th in many stats, but they have been a disappointing team this season and offer a decent pitcher like McKenzie the chance at a good outing.
McKenzie is a mid-level streamer with a little upside. He has struck out at least five batters in every start since mid-April, a streak of nine appearances, and McKenzie has a chance to continue that given Cincinnati’s swing-and-miss ways.
Tylor Megill, New York Mets vs. Miami Marlins
Megill has made just four appearances this season, throwing seven shutout innings against the Dodgers in one outing and otherwise allowing 10 runs in 14 innings. His career numbers show a pitcher who has done well striking batters out and kept his walks right at league average, though he had a walk rate over 10% last season and is above the same mark in his short time in 2024.
Among their numerous issues, the Marlins haven’t hit for power. They have the third-least doubles and home runs and the second-worst slugging percentage and OPS. They are closer to the middle in hits and batting average, but that’s still impacted by the month of play they got from Luis Arraez, who ranks fifth on Miami in hits despite spending the last month-plus in San Diego. It’s a sad state of affairs across the Marlins’ lineup.
Megill is a mid-level streamer in this one. His strikeout work is encouraging, and the matchup is right for a solid outing, though there is risk if he loses the strike zone.
Miles Mikolas, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Mikolas has a well below-average strikeout rate, but he helps make up for it by holding a walk rate about half the league average, only allowing one free pass every five innings or so. Though he has a career ERA right near 4.00, 2023-24 has produced worse results, with Mikolas sporting a number closer to 5.00 over 272.1 innings. He has settled in as a below-average starter in the last season-plus.
Pittsburgh is a slightly better version of Miami, sitting in the bottom 10 in most offensive stats rather than the bottom five. One of the most appealing aspects of the Pirates is that they have struck out the fourth most of any team; 11 Pittsburgh hitters have K’d at least 30 times.
Mikolas is a low- to mid-level streamer. The Pirates swing and miss a lot, but that’s not Mikolas’ strong suit. He will benefit more from their lack of impact hitters when the ball is put in play.
Randy Vasquez, San Diego Padres vs. Oakland Athletics
Vasquez’s strikeout rate is very bad (14.3% versus a league average near 21%), but he has barely walked anyone (just five in 33.1 innings). The results haven’t been good, with a 5.40 ERA showing his lack of run prevention. Vasquez has allowed less than three runs just once in seven starts (a 4.1-inning appearance).
Oakland has hit for decent power, ranking fifth in home runs, but they are just 22nd in slugging percentage, showing a lack of production outside of those homers. Bottom-five rankings in runs scored, hits, batting average and on-base percentage combined with the second-most batter strikeouts makes the Athletics one of the best matchups for pitchers.
Vasquez is a low-level streamer. His complete lack of strikeouts limits his ceiling while also not providing much of a floor.
Tuesday’s Streamer Rankings
- Triston McKenzie, CLE
- Tylor Megill, NYM
- Miles Mikolas, STL
- Kenta Maeda, DET
- Randy Vasquez, SD
