When entering a draft, everyone wants that stud starting pitcher who will not only get them double digit wins, but also a solid ERA and WHIP and a mess of strikeouts. Today I look at the NL leaders in ERA, focusing on the starting pitchers who gave you a sub-3.50 ERA. What you will notice is these pitchers also gave you solid WHIP figures.
Let's take a look after the jump:
| Player | INN | GS | QS | CG | W | L | K | BB | ERA | WHIP | K/BB |
| Carpenter, Chris SP STL | 193 | 28 | 22 | 3 | 17 | 4 | 144 | 38 | 2.24 | 1.01 | 3.789 |
| Lincecum, Tim SP SF | 225 | 32 | 26 | 4 | 15 | 7 | 261 | 68 | 2.48 | 1.05 | 3.838 |
| Jurrjens, Jair SP ATL | 215 | 34 | 25 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 152 | 75 | 2.60 | 1.21 | 2.027 |
| Wainwright, Adam SP STL | 233 | 34 | 25 | 1 | 19 | 8 | 212 | 66 | 2.63 | 1.21 | 3.212 |
| Kershaw, Clayton SP LA | 171 | 30 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 185 | 91 | 2.79 | 1.23 | 2.033 |
| Vazquez, Javier SP ATL | 219 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 238 | 44 | 2.87 | 1.03 | 5.409 |
| Cain, Matt SP SF | 218 | 33 | 20 | 4 | 14 | 8 | 171 | 73 | 2.89 | 1.18 | 2.342 |
| Hanson, Tommy SP ATL | 128 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 116 | 46 | 2.89 | 1.18 | 2.522 |
| Happ, J.A. SP PHI | 166 | 23 | 14 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 119 | 56 | 2.93 | 1.23 | 2.125 |
| Rodriguez, Wandy SP HOU | 206 | 33 | 23 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 193 | 63 | 3.02 | 1.24 | 3.063 |
| Santana, Johan SP NYM | 167 | 25 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 146 | 46 | 3.13 | 1.21 | 3.174 |
| Haren, Dan SP ARI | 229 | 33 | 24 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 223 | 38 | 3.14 | 1.00 | 5.868 |
| Lee, Cliff SP PHI | 232 | 34 | 24 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 181 | 43 | 3.22 | 1.24 | 4.209 |
| Wolf, Randy SP LA | 214 | 34 | 24 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 160 | 58 | 3.23 | 1.10 | 2.759 |
| Johnson, Josh SP FLA | 209 | 33 | 23 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 191 | 58 | 3.23 | 1.16 | 3.293 |
| Jimenez, Ubaldo SP COL | 218 | 33 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 12 | 198 | 85 | 3.47 | 1.23 | 2.329 |
| Pineiro, Joel SP STL | 214 | 32 | 21 | 3 | 15 | 12 | 105 | 27 | 3.49 | 1.14 | 3.889 |
A handful of these guys were probably not on many drafters radar at their 2009 drafts including Clayton Kershaw, J.A. Happ, Randy Wolf, and Joel Pineiro, but they all gave you solid performance throughout the year. Everybody on this list, with the exception of Kershaw, gave you double digit wins as well. Take out Wolf, Tommy Hanson and J.A. Happ, and they all gave you 13 wins or more.
All except Pineiro, Happ and Carpenter gave you sold strikeout totals for those in 5x5 leagues. Hanson gave you 116 K's in 128 innings, so he could breach the 200 K level in 2010 if he can make 30 starts.
I am curious of Johan Santana is a top 5 starting pitcher in NL leagues in 2010?