2009's Best Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers
A Look at the Best Starting Pitchers Available in Fantasy Baseball.
Mar 30, 2009
In fantasy baseball, it is often important to have a couple of really good starting pitchers that can anchor your team. Most leagues count wins, strike-outs, ERA, and WHIP as four of the main pitching statistics, and starting pitchers can nail down a number of these categories for successful teams. It's not always easy to figure out who to draft early on though, and nobody wants to get saddled with an expensive starting pitcher who is injury prone. Therefore it is very important to draft those starting pitchers wisely, always keeping in mind that there may be some gems available in the later rounds.
The Best Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers for 2009
1. Johan Santana, New York Mets
In 2008 Santana was able to put up a 16-7 record in 34 starts, while posting an impressive ERA of only 2.53. He was a hard luck starter to a Mets team that had bullpen problems all season long. He could have easily won 20 games with a dominant closer, and that is exactly what he will have with Francisco Rodriguez joining the team in 2009. The Mets also picked up J.J. Putz as their set-up man, so Santana will only have to go 7 innings to get quite a few wins. He will also be expected to pass 200 strike-outs in 2009, and with a great Mets team, is the best option out there.
2. CC Sabathia, New York Yankees
2008 saw Sabathia split time between the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers, and in this past off-season he signed with the New York Yankees. He is the sole reason that the Brewers made the playoffs, racking up strike-outs, innings pitched, and games started for them down the stretch. In the end he was able to post 251 strike-outs in 253 innings and a paltry ERA of only 2.70. He should be expected to continue those winning ways in New York, as the Yankees are hanging their hopes (and a huge paycheck) on that promise.
3. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
Lincecum had an impressive Cy Young season for the Giants in 2008, putting up an 18-5 record, a 2.62 ERA, 265 strike-outs, and a WHIP of only 1.16. He could easily be the best pitcher in baseball right now, but the weak Giants offense could cost him a few games along the way. Expect him to continue getting better, and if he can avoid injury, he may be on his way to another Cy Young this season.
4. Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks
Mr. Consistency continues to put up great numbers for the Diamondbacks, finishing 2008 with a 22-7 record, a 3.30 ERA, and 183 strike-outs. Fans should assume he can continue this rate of winning games in 2009, and that he could do even better with Arizona this season. He is one of those guys that you can really count on in the clutch, and a pitcher that could become very valuable in the stretch run.
5. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Hernandez is one of those pitchers who has an extremely high up-side, but because of his youth has some up and down games. 2009 looks to be the break-out season that the Mariners have been waiting for from him, and he could really put up a lot of wins and strike-outs. Even though he had a rough 2008 campaign, he still managed to post a 3.45 ERA with 175 strike-outs. He could end up being a steal in the middle rounds of this year’s fantasy baseball draft, and he is well worth keeping your eye on.
