Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2012: Young Gun Pitchers Whose Stock Is on the Rise

The youth movement in Major League Baseball over the last five years has been fascinating to watch.

No longer a game dominated by aging stars in their mid- to late-30s, we have seen rookies come into the league and become superstars right away. 

Pitching, in particular, has turned over a new leaf.

Never have there been this many great, young arms in the game. It has made fantasy baseball an entirely different game, too. Players have to be mindful of the young arms that are coming up who will dominate right away. 

Even with all the hype surrounding Justin Verlander and Tim Lincecum, there are plenty of other great options to look at, and you can get them a few rounds later than those already-established stars. 

Here are some of the best young pitchers that will leave a big mark on fantasy baseball this season. 

Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays

Expectations for Moore are already sky high thanks to his performance with the Rays in September and October. Few players are able to justify that kind of hype, but the big lefty certainly has the stuff and mental makeup to do it. 

To be fair, we shouldn't expect Moore to be one of the top-10 best fantasy pitchers in baseball right away. Placing that kind of pressure on anyone is going to leave you disappointed.

But with his golden left arm, he should be one of the top-20 starters this season. 

The abdominal strain that Moore is dealing with now shouldn't be a big problem once the season starts. As long as he gets work in this spring he should be fine. 

A reasonable expectation for Moore would be 175 innings, 3.40 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 190 strikeouts. Hardly elite numbers, but darn good for a rookie in his first full season. 

Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants

Everyone knows about Lincecum and Matt Cain, but no one really talks about how great Bumgarner was in 2011. He was one of the most-hyped prospects two years ago, before he lost velocity, but he found it again and dominated. 

Looking at his numbers—204.2 innings, 191 strikeouts, 3.21 ERA, 1.21 WHIP—you could make a case that he was equal to, if not better than Cain. 

As great as he was last year, there is still room for improvement. He is more comfortable throwing his breaking pitches for strikes, which will help him improve his strikeout totals. 

Lincecum will be the ace of the staff, but Bumgarner is going to make a strong case to be 1A when the season is over. 

Prediction: 212 innings, 3.10 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 197 strikeouts, 14 Wins

Brandon Beachy, Atlanta Braves

Beachy wasn't on anyone's radar coming into the 2011 season. Then he goes out and records 169 strikeouts in 141.2 innings with a 3.68 ERA. 

Those numbers are encouraging, but considering just how out of left field he came, you have to wonder if it was an aberration or a sign of things to come. Part of the problem in evaluating him came from the fact that the Braves used him primarily as a reliever in the minors. 

Until Beachy shows that his arm can't handle starting, or his numbers drop off, we should strike while the iron is hot. His fastball isn't going to overwhelm you, but he has a devastating slider that hitters can't touch. 

One thing he should do is pitch a little more to contact to keep his arm fresh later in the season, but if he wants to average more than 10 strikeouts/9 innings pitched, well, that would sit well with fantasy owners. 

Prediction: 180 innings, 3.47 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 188 strikeouts, 12 Wins

Follow @adamwells1985