2012 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings
Here are the 2012 Lester’s Legends fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings.
1. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers: Coming off one of the finest seasons a pitcher has ever thrown. 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 250 Ks. He was unhittable.
2. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies: Going 19-6 with a 2.35 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and 220 Ks is nothing to sneeze at.
TOP NEWS
Assessing Every MLB Team's Development System ⚾
.png?w=256)
10 Scorching MLB Takes 🌶️
Yankees Call Up 6'7" Prospect 📈
3. Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies: Did not disappoint in his return to Philly going 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 238 Ks.
4. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers: Coming off a brilliant 21-5, 2.28 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 248 Ks season that resembled Verlander’s gem.
5. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants: He had a sub-.500 winning percentage, but hard to argue with his 2.74 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 220 Ks. Look for him to bounce back.
6. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners: Unfortunately the wins could be hard to come by, but expect his ERA (3.47) and WHIP (1.22) to come down and his strikeouts (222) to go up.
7. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies: Easy to undervalue him because of Halladay and Lee, but his 14-9, 2.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 194 Ks were plain nasty.
8. CC Sabathia, New York Yankees: Turned in a typically solid 19-8, 3.00 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 230 Ks season.
9. Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels: Could see his wins increase, which would be impressive considering the 18-8, 2.41 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 198 Ks he produced last year.
10. Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox: I expect the Red Sox to be a much more disciplined team. Lester should be better than the 15-9, 3.47 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 182 Ks he produced last year.
11. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: The Nationals will be cautious, but Strasburg is nearly unhittable.
12. Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels: Haren and Weaver form a nasty 1-2 punch. His 16-10, 3.17 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 192 Ks can be bettered.
13. David Price, Tampa Bay Rays: Anchors perhaps the deepest rotation in the league. He was only 12-13, but he still posted solid peripherals (3.49 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 218 Ks) so a bounce back should be in order.
14. Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers: Nasty stuff led to a 17-10, 3.52 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 207 Ks season.
15. Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants: Once again struggled to pick up wins (12) despite a 2.88 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 179 Ks. It’s a crime he can’t get better offensive support.
16. Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers will find it tougher to score runs without Prince Fielder. If Greinke can avoid the early season ineffectiveness that led to a 5.45 pre-All-Star Game ERA, he should be a force.
17. James Shields, Tampa Bay Rays: Returned to form with a 16-12, 2.82 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 225 Ks season.
18. Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks: Quietly produced a 21-4, 2.88 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 198 Ks season.
19. Josh Johnson, Miami Marlins: You know what he can do when he’s healthy. That is the big question mark, though.
20. Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays: He could see his innings monitored down the stretch, but he has no fear and very few peers at his age.
21. C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels: Escapes Texas where he put up a 16-7, 2.94 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 206 Ks season. His road ERA last year was 2.31.
22. Mat Latos, Cincinnati Reds: His new park is a far cry from PETCO, but when healthy Latos can get the job done just about anywhere.
23. Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves: Limited to 22 starts last year, but produced a solid 11-7, 3.60 ERA, 1.17 ERA and 142 Ks season.
24. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants: Vogelson was the surprise last year, but Bumgarner has the potential. Finished 13-13 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 191 Ks. Posted a 2.52 ERA after the All-Star Break.
25. Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox: Health is a concern, but he made 30 starts last year and was highly effective (13-7, 2.89 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 175 Ks).
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
