Does Fantasy Baseball Streamer Gavin Williams have Star Potential on April 10?
Four starting pitchers in action on Thursday who have good matchups and are widely available in fantasy leagues.
It's another short day on the MLB schedule, as we have only six games on the docket. That means a lack of fantasy options, both star and streaming. These days can be a bit of a reprieve if you like to keep up with everything that happens on a daily basis, but it makes it a little tougher to find guys for your fantasy lineup.
Let's look at four starting pitchers in action on Thursday who have good matchups and are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats are from MLB.com, as are the probable starters.
Zack Littell, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Angels
Littell is really good with walks and just a little below average at striking batters out. That sets him up as a decent fantasy streamer in the right situations. Littell has actually picked up two losses in his two starts, though he hasn't been bad (13 innings, six runs allowed, 10 strikeouts, and just two walks).
The Angels have been an average offense. Catcher Logan O'Hoppe and infielder Kyren Paris have both started hot, each hitting over .300 with five home runs. Mike Trout and Jorge Soler have three homers apiece, though they are both struggling to hit for average (.179 for Trout). LA is 7-4, a nice start for one of last season's worst teams.
Littell is a low- to mid-level streamer. His strikeout work is just OK, and the matchup might not be as good as it seemed at the beginning of the year (though I still think they will regress and be a good target moving forward).
Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels @ Tampa Bay Rays
Opposing Littell is Soriano, who had one really good start (seven innings with no runs allowed against the White Sox) and one rough start (5.1 innings, five runs allowed against Cleveland). He has higher-than-average strikeout and walk rates, something that is true over his full career also.
Tampa has hit decently, but they are in the bottom 10 in runs scored and near the bottom in home runs, not showing much power. Only second baseman Brandon Lowe has more than one homer for the Rays (he has three). The Rays also don't strike out much, so they present a bit of a low ceiling.
Soriano is a low- to mid-level streamer. His strikeout work has been good, but it doesn't necessarily match up with the Rays. There will be better starts to get Soriano into your lineup.
Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins
Minnesota has started the season on a negative note, and they are a team to target early. They are in the bottom 10 in runs scored, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. They have plenty of time to improve upon their 4-8 record (they won 4-0 over KC yesterday), but the Twins are worth a watch as a team to target; they fit here on a light day on the schedule.
Wacha is right around average in his career with both walks and strikeouts. His ERA has been 3.35 or lower in each of the previous three seasons (with at least 127 innings in each), making Wacha a successful pitcher who is worthy of streaming consideration. His start to 2025 hasn't been great: 9.2 innings, five runs allowed, and two losses in his two starts.
Wacha is a low-level streamer. The matchup is OK but only tentatively, as the Twins weren't one of our targets to start the season. Wacha doesn't necessitate a spot in your lineup unless you're short on pitchers or in a deep league.
Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are one of the prime teams to target. They also keep finding fun ways to lose games. On Tuesday, Cleveland beat Chicago 1-0 when they scored on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning. Yesterday, Chicago had the tying run on second, but runner Mike Tauchman (who went 3/4) got hurt while rounding third on a base hit to left and was easily tagged out near home for the final out of the game.
Williams has been better than average striking batters out in 166 career innings, but he also walks too many guys. Williams has had decent results and is the perfect type of pitcher for the streaming list. It helps that he pitches for Cleveland, something of a pitching factory.
Williams is a mid-level streamer. The matchup is in his favor, and Williams is good enough to provide a nice ceiling. This is streaming at its finest.
Thursday's Streamer Rankings
- Gavin Williams, CLE
- Jose Soriano, LAA
- Zack Littell, TB
- Michael Wacha, KC
