August 14 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Martin Perez, Tyler Phillips, David Peterson and More

Two playoff hopefuls got beat by 10+ runs yesterday. The Mariners fell to the Tigers 15-1, and the Twins beat their division and wild card foes the Royals 13-3. It sucks to lose by that margin, but it’s not really THAT bad; it’s only one game.

Even if those teams lost a tight 3-2 game, the outcome would be the same in the playoff race. Run differential doesn’t matter for anything other than advanced stats. If Seattle and/or Kansas City win today, they’ll forget all about the big losses from Tuesday.

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.

Jordan Montgomery, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies

Timing is everything: Montgomery was traded to the Rangers at the 2023 deadline and was crucial in their run to the World Series, making 11 starts in the regular season and allowing just 21 runs with only one start lasting less than 5.1 innings. He made a few scoreless starts in the playoffs as well, earning him a $25 million salary with Arizona.

I tell the same story with Colorado every day: No Coors field, no offense. They haven’t developed many young players, but I wonder if the franchise could have success signing slugging veterans to one-year contracts to boost their slugging numbers and earn a bigger contract the following season elsewhere. Pitchers won’t sign with the Rockies, so why not take advantage of the other side?

Montgomery is a low-level streamer. Despite everything I said above about his 2023 heroics, he has struggled after a late start to this season and has a strikeout rate far below his career rate.

Martin Perez, San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

The only thing better than getting traded away from the Pirates is getting to pitch against the Pirates. Perez was a deadline acquisition, getting thrust right into a playoff race on a team within spitting distance of the Dodgers. Perez has been very good in his two starts with San Diego, throwing a combined 13 innings and allowing just three runs with 13 strikeouts and two walks.

Perez won big by getting out of Pittsburgh. The Pirates have the fourth-worst record in the National League. They have some young players with high hopes including the NL Rookie of the Year favorite Paul Skenes, but it’s going to have to wait until next season when they likely add offensive talent to complement their pitchers.

Perez is a mid-level streamer. His old team presents a great matchup, and Perez has done well since joining his new team.

David Peterson, New York Mets vs. Oakland Athletics

Peterson started the season on the IL but has great superficial numbers since returning: 6-1 record with a 3.44 ERA. His strikeout and walk rates are both several percentage points worse than average, though, lowering his value a little. Peterson has had a good August, with just three runs allowed in 11 innings.

Oakland is fifth in home runs. DH Brent Rooker (29 home runs) and catcher Shea Langeliers (22) both rank among the top 25, and four other players are in double digits. That makes it so much worse that they rank 25th in runs scored; there must be a lot of solo home runs.

Peterson is a mid-level streamer. The matchup is good, but Peterson hasn’t struck out enough guys to have the highest ceiling.

Tyler Phillips, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins

Phillips has only thrown about 30 innings, and after a good start to his season, he has struggled during two starts in August. The Mariners and Dodgers scored 12 runs in 6.2 innings, though he did pick up a win in the second game by virtue of his team scoring nine runs. Phillips hasn’t walked many batters, but his strikeout rate is below-average.

I can’t contain myself anymore: Let’s check in on the Marlins’ current players versus former teammate Luis Arraez. Arraez was traded to the Padres on May 4, but only nine players have more hits for the Marlins than the 41 Arraez recorded for Miami. A 10th player is tied, but the next highest guys are at 22. He’s also eighth in runs and doubles and 10th in walks.

Phillips is a mid-level streamer. The matchup is right, and Phillips has been good enough to be on the streaming radar.

Will Warren, New York Yankees @ Chicago White Sox

What can I say about the White Sox that I didn’t already say about the Marlins? Andrew Vaughn, the third overall pick in 2019, has been Chicago’s best hitter, and that’s not a good thing. He leads the team with 45 runs, 101 hits, 26 doubles, 14 home runs, 52 RBI and 102 strikeouts. Only the doubles are among the top 20 in the league. Vaughn developing into at least an average hitter is one of the biggest things the White Sox can hope for right now.

Warren’s two big-league starts haven’t gone well: 9.2 innings, 12 runs allowed and five walks, though his 12 strikeouts are a nice safety net. That was against the Phillies and Angels, and though LA has a weak offense, the Sox feature one of the best matchups in the league, giving Warren a better chance at succeeding.

Warren is a low- to mid-level streamer. The results haven’t been great, but his early strikeout work has been positive, and the matchup couldn’t be much better.

Wednesday’s Streamer Rankings

1. Martin Perez, SD
2. Tyler Phillips, PHI
3. David Peterson, NYM
4. Will Warren, NYY
5. Jordan Montgomery, ARI