64/60 Position Rankings Pitchers

Pitching is really hard to rank. So many teams have different approaches. Some teams have 4 or 5 closers some teams have none others have one. So ranking these units I simply went by the best arsenal of arms rather than the statistics.

12. Rubber Duckies- SP- Tim Lincecum, Jair Jurrgens, Homer Bailey, Aaron Harang- Closer- Street- MRP- Nick Masset, Jared Burton- ?- Stephen Strasburg, Aroldis Chapman. Anytime you have 5 Reds pitchers it can't be good. Masset and Burton shouldn't be on a Fantasy Roster. Bailey isn't a sure bet. Harang could have a solid season but then again we have said that for two seasons now. Jurrgens had a wonderful 09 campaign but can he repeat it? Having only one closer is bad but when your lone closer will start the season on the DL it is even worse. Strasburg isn't in the rotation so you are already pitching 9 against 10 and Chapman's status is still up in the air.

11. BC Dingers- SP- Yovanni Gallardo, Brett Anderson, Johnathan Sanchez, Ben SHeets, Edwin Jackson, Colby Lewis, Brian Matusz. CP- Octavio Dotel, Chad Qualls. This collection of arms could be much better than this ranking by years end but as a unit you have more questions than answers. Gallardo and Anderson both should be good options every 5th day. Everyone else has questions. Jackson is moving to the NL but his strong 09 season was partly the results of some underlying numbers going his way. Sanchez is a dominate guy at times but can also give you that 4 inning of crap pitcher. Matsuz is young and pitches in the AL East. Lewis is coming over from Japan and Sheets is coming back after missing all of 09. A two closer approach can work in this league but I would have to believe you would prefer two more steadier options than Aardsma and Dotel.

10. C-Burg 41129ers- SP- Zach Greinke, Jared Weaver, Brandon Webb, AJ Burnett, Phil Hughes, Diasuke Matsuzaka, Ervin Santana. Closer- Brian Fuentes, Mike Gonzalez. MRP-Fernando Rodney. Having this unit ranked this low is a testament to how good and deep the pitching will be this year. This is another squad that could easily finish Top 5 in the league. Greinke won't have the same year as last season but he is still a Top 10 option as a pitcher. Weaver becomes the Ace of the Angels by default and though he is not a Fantasy ace he is a nice 2nd or 3rd option. AJ Burnett will give you great mixed in with bad you just have to ride it out. Hughes will have a good season though he may be coddled on his IP. That leaves Webb and Santana both are facing health issues and it's only March it could be a long season for both. Matsuzaka is another good bad pitcher with the good better than average and the bad is really bad. Gonzalez and Fuentes is a decent duo but if you are only going with two Closers I would prefer more steady options. If Rodney isn't the closer he doesn't warrant a roster spot.

9. Ohio RIver Carp- SP- Cliff Lee, TOmmy Hanson, Johan Santana, Francisco Liriano, Bronson Arroyo, Fausto Carmona. CLoser- Brian Wilson, Frank Francisco, Matt Lindstrom, Billy Wagner. If Lee was healthy this unit would be better. Hanson will be a stud and if Santana is anything close to his old self he was a steal where selected. Liriano is just to intriguing to pass on. Even if he pitches well this season consistency will be an issue. Arroyo and Carmona will kill your K/9. Wilson doesn't always do it pretty but he nearly always gets it done. Francisco is really good if he can stay healthy. Wagner certainly has the tools but 10 innings pitched in two seasons is concerning. Lindstrom will get first crack in Houston.

8. Maccabi Hebrewers- SP- Josh Johnson, Clayton Kershaw, James Shields, Clay Buchholz, Johnny Cueto, Derrek Lowe, JA Happ, Randy Wells. Closer- Francisco Cordero. Currently carrying only 9 pitchers the Hebrewers could use the 10th man. I love the top three starters. They are as good as any trio in the league. Buchholz and Cueto will have a solid seasons this year and will be good 4th and 5th options. I am not sold on Randy Wells 09 season. Another pitcher who's underlying stats resulted in a pretty season. Happ also falls into that category. Lowe's best days are behind him. Even if he pitches well his low K totals really hurt your K/9. One Closer makes it difficult to compete in the SV dept.

7. Hell and Damnation- SP- CC Sabathia, Jake Peavy, Ted Lilly, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow, Andy Pettitte. CLosers- Jon Pappelbon, Hoffman, Matt Capps, Franklin Morales. Only Brandon Morrow is a risky option and the upside is worth it. Buehrle and Pettitte hurt your K/9 ratio but it won't be as prominent with 5 Closers. Sabathia will one day feel the effects of all those innings hopefully it won't be this season. Peavy should rebound nicely this season. Capps and Morales are nothing more than SV options but it is better to have something than nothing at all.


6. Prestige Worldwide- SP- Ubaldo Jimenez, John Lackey, Jorge De LaRosa, Kevin Slowley, Wade Davis, Scott Feldman, Felix Hernandez, Kevin Correia Closers- Rafael Soriano, Ryan Madson. This unit could easily finish much higher than this ranking. You will find minimal difference between this group and the remaining 5. I like Jimenez and Felix Hernandez as a good 1-2 punch. This groups value will depend on how effective Lackey can be. Is he worthy of the big contract? Slowley is a very safe option and likely won't hurt himself with walks. Correia is effective when pitching in Petco. De LaRosa has the stuff but has yet to put it all together will this be the season? Wade Davis and Scott Feldman had success last season but can it continue? Soriano will have a good season in Tampa but Madson may only be used as a closer for the first week. You would like to have another option I would think.

5. Hendo COlonels- SP Chris Carpenter, Wandy Rodriguez, Chad Billingsley, Ryan Dempster, Gavin Floyd, Jeff Niemann, Randy Wolf. Closer- Broxton, Nunez MRP- Neftali Feliz. Carpneter is a stud when healthy but can he make it thru two consecutive seasons? Wandy Rodriguez's wonderful 09 campaign had a lot to do with favorable underlying numbers that likely won't repeat themselves. I love Billingsly, Dempster and Floyd all will have really good outings and very rarely will any ot them get shelled. Niemann nor Wolf should be counted on to match there totals from last season. One elite closer and a decent option is all you need to stay competitive.

4. Arguementative 9irons- SP- Roy Halladay, Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, David Price, Hiroki Kuroda, Rick Porcello Closers- Andrew Bailey, Jose Valverde, Ryan Franklin, Brad Lidge. Halladay and Lester goes without saying. I love the upside of both Scherzer and Price. Kuroda and Porcello are K/9 killers and this rotation would be better off without them. The Closers are about the best in the league. Valverde, Bailey are both really good options. Neither Franklin or Lidge are locks to have the jobs by seasons end so having them as a 3rd or 4th option negates the risk.

3. Tude Smackers- Javier Vazquez, John Danks, Joel Piniero, Joe Blanton, Justin Verlander, Sean Marcum. Closers- Mariano Rivera, Heath Bell, Carlos Marmol. MRP- Wuertz. Verlander and Vazquez are great 1 and 2 options and both are K machines. I loved the Marcum pick up. Danks is not spectacular but is a steady option. Piniero nor Blanton make any since on this roster Piniero takes away from the K/9 strength of Verlander and Vazquez. Barring injury this group of closers will be the best in the league. All are dominate and all are big K guys. Better MR options are out there than Wuertz.

2. B'Ville Stars- SP- Adam Wainwright, Josh Beckett, Matt Garza, Scott Baker, Tim Hudson, RIch Harden, Erik Bedard, Mat Latos, Roy Oswalt. CLosers- K ROd. I usually am not a big fan of the one closer but with this stable of POWER arms it's hard to argue. Only Hudson isn't a viable Strikout guy. You do have some injury risk as Bedard will start the season on the DL and Harden will have his annually stint. Hudson and Oswalt are both possible concerns regarding health. If this rotation can stay intact K should be a categorey that belongs to the Stars nearly every week.

1. Bear Creek FP Factory- SP- Dan Haren, Cole Hamels, Matt Cain, Ricky Nolasco, Carlos Zambrano, Scott Kazmir. Closers- Joakim Soria, Jason Frasor, Bobby Jenks, Chris Perez. By now you should know how fond of the Factory I am. Did you really expect anyone else to be on top of any of my list? If you look back on 09 only Haren, Cain and Soria had great season but here at the Factory it is about today and tommorrow. Hamels, Nolasco, Zambrano and Kazmir will have wonderful season and remain healthy. Jenks will rebound Frasor will hold onto the job all season and Perez will be so good in the abscence of Wood that Wood will be traded upon his return. Just how the Factory drew it up baby.