September 12 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Kumar Rocker, Mitchell Parker, Gavin Williams and Darren McCaughan

It’s a light MLB slate today with only eight games on the schedule. That means nearly half the league has the day off, making our fantasy work that much harder. The streamer pool is lighter as well, so I have just four names for you today. They vary from big-time rookies to low-level veterans, giving you a taste of everything.

Let’s look at Thursday’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.

Darren McCaughan, Miami Marlins @ Washington Nationals

McCaughan has limited big-league action in three different seasons, often working out of the bullpen. He has been OK with walks but is well below average striking batters out, sitting close to half the league average. It’s a small sample, but McCaughan hasn’t shown any strikeout skill.

Washington isn’t a terrible team. They have a young core of players who could be successful as soon as next season. The Nats are still a little light on talent this year, though, as they have hit the second least home runs and rank in the bottom 10 in runs scored, slugging percentage and OPS.

McCaughan is a low-level streamer. He’s a limited pitcher, and the matchup is just OK; he’s a desperation arm for the last spot in your lineup.

Mitchell Parker, Washington Nationals vs. Miami Marlins

Parker has been better than average with walks and right at average with strikeouts this season, his first in the majors. He has faced the Marlins twice this year with good results:

• April 27 @ Miami: 4 innings, 1 run allowed, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks
• June 16 vs Miami: 6 innings, 1 run allowed, 4 strikeouts, 0 walks

Past success doesn’t guarantee the same in the future, but it’s probably a good thing that he pitched well against Miami earlier in the season.

The Marlins are one of the worst teams in the league. They rank in the bottom five in many offensive stats and currently sit 34 games back in their division and tied with the Rockies for the worst record in the National League (the White Sox will save them from the worst record overall). This is a team to target every day.

Parker is a mid-level streamer. He’s been fine and strikes out enough guys, and Miami is one of the best matchups possible.

Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners

This is a fun one. You might remember Rocker as a star at Vanderbilt who was selected by the Mets 10th overall in 2021, but due to something in the medical check, New York didn’t sign Rocker, forcing him to spend a year in the independent leagues.

He was then drafted again in 2022, this time third overall by the Rangers to reunite with former Vanderbilt teammate Jack Leiter (who has had a rough start to his own career).

Seattle is a nice place for Rocker to make his debut, as the Mariners are among the worst offenses in baseball. They rank in the bottom six in runs scored, hits, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. Most importantly, Seattle batters have struck out more than any other team.

Rocker is a mid-level streamer in his debut. He’s done phenomenal strikeout work in the minors, with 97 in 64.2 innings, and has a great matchup. I’m all in on this one.

Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Williams has less than 150 innings on his ledger, all accumulated over the past two years. He has walked too many batters, but Williams also owns a strikeout rate several percentage points above average. Williams started against Tampa back on July 13 and allowed two runs (one earned) in five innings, with three walks and two strikeouts.

Tampa Bay sits among the worst offenses in baseball, ranking in the bottom 10 in essentially every major offensive box stat. This team shed big-league talent at the trade deadline, and while it will probably work out well in the long run, it has given them a pretty hapless lineup for the rest of 2024.

Williams is a low- to mid-level streamer. The matchup is right, and his strikeout work has been good enough to give him a little upside.

Thursday’s Streamer Rankings

1. Kumar Rocker, TEX
2. Mitchell Parker, WSH
3. Gavin Williams, CLE
4. Darren McCaughan, MIA