I have been trying to determine whether a pitching-heavy strategy is a winner in mixed league formats and/or AL-/NL-Only ones. This weekends injury news comes closer to providing that answer.
The Angels announced John Lackey will miss 3-4 weeks of the regular season with a strained triceps muscle. Given my hypothesis called for loading up on starting pitching, this news wouldn't be a death blow as one would expect to have 3 or 4 other quality SP still available.
However, the additional news on Rays' ace, Scott Kazmir, begins to clarify this strategy in an AL-Only format. Kazmir has missed yet another turn in the rotation and appears headed to the DL to begin the season. Is it possible a team's top two SP in this strategy were Lackey and Kazmir? It most certainly is.
How many aces remain in the AL if Lackey and Kazmir are out? What if you have another one of them, Josh Beckett? I think the writing is on the wall that a pitching-heavy strategy in an single league format will not work.
Agree?