Which SP to draft?

by Pat Gillespie on Mar 3, 2011 10:58 AM EST

I'm in a standard 12-team, 5-keeper league, 5X5 with QS instead of Wins.

I tanked last year to get a good pick (#2 overall) to go along with these keepers:

My offense is in great shape and it's almost a 100% lock that Dustin Pedroia goes #1 overall. Since QS is a category over wins, I believe it gives SPs some additional value and I'd like to pick up a nice #2 SP. Looking at who else is kept, these are the top SP available:

Yovani Gallardo

My gut says to go with Cain, Gallardo or Hamels. I'm a little concerned about Cain's strained elbow and I think Hamels is a little overrated. Gallardo has his issues, too. But Oswalt's on the downside and Latos pitched a ton of innings last year (think Verducci Effect). Haren pitched really well once he got to Anaheim, but he's got a lot of innings on his arm, too.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

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Comments

I like Gallardo. But with QS you have to also consider the bullpens. I’ve not had a close look at which of these bullpens offers the best middle relief, but that certainly would be a tie breaker for any even pitchers.

by acr on Mar 3, 2011 2:29 PM EST reply actions

good one

I think I’d rank it Latos, Cain, Hamels, Gallardo, Oswalt, Haren. But those top 3 are pretty interchangeable to me; Latos has the best K-rate and threw a lot of QS, but Cain is one of the best guys at pitching deep into games. Hamels could be really awesome too, and the middle of the Phillies bullpen is probably the (only) weak point of their team.
Gallardo maybe has the most upside, but his stamina is pretty weak. I really don’t know what to expect from Haren and Oswalt, so I left them at the end.

by PrincetonCubs on Mar 3, 2011 7:13 PM EST reply actions

Haren’s value is increased in QS leagues cause the guy is a horse and pitches 7 innings almost every time out. He’s also very underrated after last year. The problem is he isn’t going to be an 8 K/9 guy in the AL. I really like Hamels this year and think he could be great with the added cutter.

Jeremy Miedzinski
www.faketeams.com

by Jeremy Miedzinski on Mar 3, 2011 9:24 PM EST reply actions

Thanks for the comments.
Like I said, I’m a little worried about Cain’s strained elbow, otherwise I like him.
I think Haren is pretty underrated, like Jeremy said. Gallardo’s second half struggles/injuries are a little concerning, but I watched Hamels pitch against Boston today and he looked pretty strong.
Tough call, but hopefully I’ll make the right decision.
Thanks again.

by Pat Gillespie on Mar 3, 2011 10:21 PM EST reply actions

cain

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by 56THE REAL LT on Mar 5, 2011 11:00 PM EST reply actions

Hamels > Latos, Latos > Cain

Latos is gonna have a great year. From his stats he’s superior to Cain. It depends on what draft pick you have. Early go with Hamels, then try to scoop up Latos but if its later get Latos. Hamels more established – it all depends on what pick you have and what actions you take to get to the first SP of your team.

"A baseball fan has the digestive apparatus of a billy goat. He can, and does, devour any set of statistics with insatiable appetite and then nuzzles hungrily for more." - Sportswriter Arthur Daley

by Over the Fence on Mar 7, 2011 7:59 PM EST reply actions