Sunday Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Mahle, Scherzer, and More

Let's talk about the White Sox. Chicago had a record of 162-324 over the past three seasons, the worst in baseball during that time, and that included 121 defeats in 2024, the all-time record since 1900. It looked like the Sox would need several more seasons to get back to even an average level.

Well, between a few solid drafts, strong trades bringing in good prospects, and a couple of decent free agent signings, the White Sox aren't only in contention for the playoffs, they are leading the division by 4.5 games and have a plus-48 run differential. There are still over 25 games to go, but Chicago is in position to make their first postseason since 2021 and only their fourth trip since winning the World Series in 2005. Their quick turnaround is a beacon of hope for those teams sitting at the bottom of the league this season (hello Angels, A's Rockies, and Giants!).

Moving to fantasy baseball, let's look at four starting pitchers in action on Sunday who have good matchups and are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats are from MLB.com, as are the probable starters. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

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Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals @ Cleveland Guardians

Lugo's season-long numbers show that of a pitcher who is close to average, giving up a few too many hits and runs but doing well limiting walks and home runs. His biggest issue from a fantasy perspective is that Lugo has fallen to a below-average strikeout rate after being average or better for much of his career, including several seasons as a starter (he was a reliever most of his career until 2023). Lugo has had his worst month in August, allowing five runs in three of his five starts and three runs in another, though he is coming off five innings with just one run his last time out against Toronto.

Cleveland is in the hunt for the AL Central, but they haven't helped themselves. As mentioned above, the White Sox have looked good, and the Guardians lost each of the first two games this series against the Royals, the last-place team in the division. They had won eight of nine prior to this slip, but Cleveland's offense has kept them down too often, a reason they are just a .500 team with a negative run differential. While Jose Ramirez had a double yesterday, he still hasn't hit a home run in over a month since returning from the IL. Though he missed over five weeks with injury, Ramirez hasn't hit a homer since June 6 and has only four bombs since the beginning of May.

Lugo is a low-to-mid-level streamer. The matchup is right, but Lugo has been a middling pitcher most of the season, including low strikeout numbers. His recent struggles also bring more worries.

Tyler Mahle, Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies

The past few days, I've talked down the Rockies as a slightly below-average offensive team when they play away from Coors Field. That's not exactly true, though; their counting stats are a little above average in some areas. When looking at their rate stats, Colorado looks more like a middling team. A big part of their counting numbers ranking so good is that they have played 71 road games, tied for the most in the league. They fall back to the pack when looking at the areas that aren't affected by the number of games played, showing them as an average offensive team.

Mahle was acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline, and he has been fantastic in four starts with the Braves: 23 2/3 innings, 19 hits, four runs, five walks, and 23 strikeouts. Mahle has generally been good in his career, doing average-or-better work with both BBs and Ks and limiting hits, runs, and home runs. Atlanta has held the Rockies to just five total runs over the first two games of this series, and Mahle could make it a third quiet game as the Braves look for the sweep.

Mahle is a mid-level streamer. Maybe I'm putting too much stock into his hot streak with Atlanta, but Mahle has shown to be a solid pitcher in his career and has things at least mildly in his favor here.

Dustin May, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Texas Rangers

May is another pitcher who moved at the deadline, staying within the NL Central from the Cardinals to the Brewers. He hasn't been nearly as good as Mahle with his new team, allowing 14 hits and 10 runs in 15 1/3 innings, but May's season-long numbers are mostly average, so I believe he can bounce back. There is some concern because May left his last start after just one pitch when he was hit in the shoulder blade with a line drive, but he seems ready to go, just with a slight risk.

The Rangers play in one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball, something that brings down their overall offensive stats. They generally top out in the middle in away games, though they have done better getting hits while lacking power. We're most concerned with their recent performance: Texas ranks in the bottom five (or very close to it) in runs, hits, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS over the past month. We'll keep going after the Rangers until we see them turn things around over an extended period (and time is running out for that).

May is a low-to-mid-level streamer. His struggles since coming to Milwaukee are a little concerning, but May has been a decent pitcher over his career and is worth considering when the matchup is right.

Max Scherzer, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Seattle Mariners

Seattle is one of our best streaming targets. They are a bottom-five offense over the past 30 days, and we can say the same thing based on their season-long numbers. Like their division-mates in Texas, the Mariners have a shot at winning the AL West but are seeing those hopes possibly dashed by a low-level offense. Every team in the division has a record .500 or worse and a run differential of worse than minus-40; it's a sad state of affairs. Seattle is another team we will go after every day with pitchers when we can.

Scherzer is far from his best form, something that has been true for several years. We can't blame him, as age catches up to everyone, and the 42-year-old pitcher is doing something special just by getting on the field at that age. His season-long numbers are ugly, but Scherzer has actually been OK in August, giving up seven runs in one outing but otherwise combining for 21 1/3 innings with 16 hits, six runs, eight walks, and 17 strikeouts in four starts. I still don't trust him for too much, but Scherzer's recent stretch shows that he can put together quality starts.

Scherzer is a low-to-mid-level streamer. His low strikeout rate takes away one of his biggest pluses from the past, but the matchup is right, and Scherzer is the best he's been for a while right now.

Sunday's Streamer Rankings

1. Tyler Mahle, ATL
2. Dustin May, MIL
3. Seth Lugo, KC
4. Max Scherzer, TOR