September 11 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Matthew Boyd, Casey Mize, Bailey Falter and More

The 9/11 terrorist attacks happened 23 years ago. That’s a whole generation of time. Things change quickly, but it almost seems like a different world now from 2001. I was in seventh grade at that time; I’ve had time for a whole life of experiences since then (it seems). Time certainly flies.

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.

Jonathan Bermudez, Miami Marlins @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Bailey Falter, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Miami Marlins

Two teams here at the bottom of their respective divisions, both the Pirates and Marlins have bottom-10 offenses who struggle across the board. There is no silver lining outside of the rare player with upside; both teams will lose a lot more before they win big.

Bermudez has appeared in two Major League games as a reliever and gets his first start in this one. He did really good strikeout work in the minor leagues, giving hope of big things in that area, but Bermudez struggled with run prevention, holding a career ERA over 4.60 in the minors.

Falter has an average walk rate but a strikeout rate well below average. His results have been OK this season, but Falter is a low-ceiling fantasy pitcher. Falter’s first start of the season came against the Marlins, when he gave up six runs in four innings while walking three and striking out two.

Both Bermudez and Falter are low-level streamers. The matchups are good, but neither pitcher has proven himself as someone to expect big things from.

Matthew Boyd, Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox

Boyd has made just five starts for the Guardians and looked good along the way, holding a great walk rate and a strikeout rate several percentage points above average. Boyd has allowed exactly one run in four of his starts and three runs in the other; he lasted at least 5.1 innings each time.

The White Sox give Boyd a great chance at another successful outing as they march their way toward history. The loss counter is at 113, just seven from the record. That type of losing doesn’t just happen: there’s team-wide futility afoot, setting the floor for offensive baseball in 2024.

Boyd is a mid-level streamer. His small sample has been successful, and the matchup is right for a quality outing.

Zebby Matthews, Minnesota Twins vs. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels don’t inspire hope. They rank in the bottom 10 in runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. That’s also true over the past 30 days in every category other than home runs. Both recently and over the full season, LA has been one of the worst offensive teams in baseball.

Matthews has thrown just 22 innings over five starts and struggled to prevent runs. He has given up 21 runs (18 of them earned) and six home runs. His strikeout (22 Ks) and walk (three BBs) rates have been good, but Matthews has been hit hard in his short big-league stint.

Matthews is a low-level streamer. There’s a little upside given his strikeout work, but Matthews hasn’t shown enough yet to get a higher ceiling or floor.

Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers vs. Colorado Rockies

Keider Montero, Detroit’s starting pitcher yesterday, was listed here and made fantasy owners very happy, throwing a three-hit shutout with five strikeouts and no walks. It worked once, so why not go back to the well and target the Rockies again while they’re away from Coors Field?

Mize missed two months with a hamstring issue, returning at the end of August; he’s made two starts since returning with below-average results, allowing seven runs (six earned) in 11.1 innings. Over both 2024 and his career, Mize has done well limiting walks but is well below average striking batters out.

Mize is a low-level streamer. The matchup is good, but his performance doesn’t portend good things.

Wednesday’s Streamer Rankings

1. Matthew Boyd, CLE
2. Casey Mize, DET
3. Bailey Falter, PIT
4. Jonathan Bermudez, MIA
5. Zebby Matthews, MIN