Monday's Fantasy Baseball Pitching Streamers: Luis Morales, Ryne Nelson and More
Four starting pitchers in action on Monday who have good matchups and are widely available in fantasy leagues.
Happy Labor Day! Many people treat this as the unofficial last day of summer. Fall weather will begin soon (if it hasn't already where you live), and the winter will be here before we know it. If you don't have plans to get outside today, make a little time to take a walk or something; we're running out of time.
Let's look at four starting pitchers in action on Monday who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups. Most stats are from MLB.com, as are the probable starters. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.
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Luis Garcia, Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels
Garcia last pitched at the end of April in 2023. That's nearly two full seasons missed recovering and overcoming complications after Tommy John surgery to get back on the mound. Before suffering his injury, Garcia was very good with strikeouts and right around average with walks. He also did well limiting hitters, showing himself as a valuable pitcher who helped the team win a World Series. It's hard to know what to expect after such a long time off, but Garcia was successful in the past.
Sticking to that timeline of the past 30 days, the Angels have been one of the worst offensive teams in that time, ranking in the bottom 10 in runs, hits, doubles, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. LA hitters have struck out more than any other team in that time; they've also struck out more than any other team over the full season. That's a nice bonus.
Garcia is a low-to-mid-level streamer. The matchup is a very nice one to return for, and his strikeout work should mix well with the Angels' swing-and-miss ways, but it's tough to expect big things after missing so much time, and Garcia is likely to make a short start also.
Luis Morales, Athletics @ St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals have been a below-average offense since the trade deadline, particularly lacking in the power categories. Over the past month, St. Louis ranks in the bottom five in doubles, home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. Even better for the outlook of our opposing pitcher, Cardinal hitters have drawn the fourth-least walks in that time while striking out the second most (tied with Arizona).
Morales has thrown just 22 2/3 innings in his first season. He has been good with strikeouts (22 Ks) but also walked too many batters (10 BBs). He has given up just 12 hits and three runs, finding early success, but it's hard to know what to expect with such a small track record. Morales was good with strikeouts in the minors, so there's reason to believe he will keep a high level there, even if his rate drops a little with more innings.
Morales is a mid-level streamer. The matchup is a very good one and matches up well in terms of St. Louis' high strikeouts and Morales' own K ability.
Ryne Nelson, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Texas Rangers
Nelson has split his time between the rotation and the bullpen this year, making 18 starts and 10 relief appearances. He has been just a hair below average with strikeouts but very good with walks, setting himself up for success. He has also done well limiting hitters, giving up just 101 hits in 125 innings and a home run every 9.6 innings, a very good rate.
Texas has bottom-10 offensive numbers, but it's fair to wonder if their home park is limiting them: Baseball Savant rates Globe Life Field in Texas as the most pitcher-friendly park in baseball this season. Their home/away splits point to better production on the road: 86 homers on the road to just 67 at home, slugging percentage 28 points better in away games, and OPS 27 points better on the road. This one takes place in Arizona, which is a top-five hitters park by the same Baseball Savant numbers, setting up the offense to be better.
Nelson is a mid-level streamer. He has been very good this year, and though they have a better outlook here, Texas' batters have struggled all season, setting Nelson up nicely.
Kai-Wei Teng, San Francisco Giants @ Colorado Rockies
Teng has accumulated just 24 1/3 innings over the past two seasons, time that hasn't been kind to him. Teng has given up 29 hits and 25 earned runs (9.25 ERA) with 17 walks and 19 strikeouts. Those are ugly numbers all around. His minor league numbers were better, including good strikeout work, so we could see improvement as Teng gets more innings under his belt. For the time being, though, I have a hard time trusting him in my fantasy lineup.
The Rockies might have the worst lineup in baseball, but they get a boost from playing half their games at Coors Field, where this game will take place. The home/away splits are starkly contrasting:
- Home: 68 games, 311 runs, 619 hits, 142 doubles, 22 triples, 74 home runs, .268 batting average, .324 on-base percentage, .444 slugging percentage, .768 OPS
- Away: 68 games, 199 runs, 468 hits, 78 doubles, 11 triples, 64 home runs, .208 batting average, .266 on-base percentage, .338 slugging percentage, .604 OPS
That's a tale of two teams. It's not a surprise, as every group would hit much better with half their games in Colorado, but the Rockies have league-worst numbers away from home.
Teng is a low-level streamer. His struggles so far are too much to ignore, even if he might have a brighter future ahead. This game taking place at Coors Field stops him from rising a notch, making Teng a pitcher to skip today.
Monday's Streamer Rankings
- Luis Morales, ATH
- Ryne Nelson, ARI
- Luis Garcia, HOU
- Kai-Wei Teng, SF
