Top 60 Starting Pitchers

2012 Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings – Top 60 Starting Pitchers

Although Sabathia and Lincecum are favorites hear at Fantasy Couch, we had to rank four starting pitchers ahead of these names

1. Clayton Kershaw, LAD 22-5 2.44 ERA 234 Strikeouts – The reigning National League Cy Young winner added a nasty slider to his arsenal and ended up with 21 wins and a 2.28 earned run average last season. It’s hard to believe he could be better this season, but at age 24, feel lucky to draft him and don’t look back.

2. Justin Verlander, DET 20-6 2.56 ERA 245 Strikeouts – Last year’s American League Cy Young winner was unhittable at times with a fastball that hit triple digits on the radar gun and wicked off-speed pitches. It’s hard to put him below Kershaw after 24 wins and a 2.40 ERA last season, but playing in the AL is the difference.

3. Roy Halladay, PHI 19-8 2.53 ERA 218 Strikeouts – Hallady continues to be an elite and extremely reliable pitcher year-in, year-out with seven consecutive seasons of 16 wins or more and at least 220 innings pitched. His earned run average the past two seasons has been under 2.50 in the hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Park, which.

4. Cliff Lee, PHI 17-8 2.78 ERA 220 Strikeouts – Like his teammate Halladay, Lee’s ERA was ridiculously low considering his home park, at 2.41 last year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the duo win 20 games apiece in 12’.

5. Jared Weaver, ANA 16-9 2.95 ERA 217 Strikeouts – Rounding out the top 5 is Weaver who is coming off a career year after signing a long-term extension with the Angels. He’s a happy camper playing for a team that could go very good for a long time. Expect big things.

6. C.C. Sabathia, NYY 17-8 3.12 ERA 207 Strikeouts – The southpaw has pitched very well in pinstripes and should continue to be amongst the game’s best. Sabathia has lowered his ERA in each of the last three seasons since signing with the Yankees, while also winning at least 19 games with at least 230 innings pitched.

7. Tim LIncecum, SF 16-7 2.98 ERA 227 Strikeouts – Timmy’s 13-14 record in 2011 was mostly a result from of poor run support from the offense when he took the hill. Lincecum will give the Giants a chance to win almost every time out because hitters seemingly stay off-balanced. Fantasy owners are also going to get excellent stats in every other category as well.

8. Zack Greinke, MIL 17-6 3.29 ERA 202 Strikeouts – Greinke has superior stuff and finished strong down the stretch with a 9-3 record in second half of last season. He will be more familiar and more effective against NL hitters this season, which will be his second as a Brewer.

9. Felix Hernandez, SEA 16-7 3.25 ERA 226 Strikeouts – ‘King Felix’ is one of the game’s best pitchers in real life, but that can change in fantasy baseball because of the team he plays for. Hernandez did give up more runs than usual in 2011

10. Cole Hamels, PHI 16-9 3.22 ERA 188 Strikeouts – The third head of the ‘three-headed monster’ that resides atop the Phillies’ rotation is Hamels. He is coming off his best season in the Big Leagues and at age 28, should only get better with Halladay and Lee to learn from.

11. Dan Haren, ANA 16-9 3.49 ERA 198 Strikeouts – The addition of Albert Pujols will surely give the Angels and Haren the chance to win a lot of ballgames in the coming years. Haren has been very successful over the years and should continue to be very valuable fantasy player.

12. David Price, TB 15-8 3.38 ERA 205 Strikeouts – The hard-throwing southpaw has dynamite stuff and could very well pitch himself inside the top 10 before the season’s over. Price’s owners want to see the 2010 version when he went 19-6 with a sub-3 ERA, and we like the chances.

13. Matt Cain, SF 16-7 2.99 ERA 172 Strikeouts – Like Lincecum, Cain is really going to need more run support on average to get the wins he deserves. He just knows how to pitch on the Major League level and could win a Cy Young before he retires.

14. Steven Strasburg, WAS 14-4 3.01 ERA 190 Strikeouts – Injury is the concern is not moving Strasburg up this list because he has arguably the best stuff of any pitcher in the world. The Nationals will likely take extreme precaution in conditioning his arm to pitch every fifth day. Here is a guy that could pay the most dividends out of anyone else in your fantasy draft.

15. Ian Kennedy, ARI 15-8 3.08 ERA 183 Strikeouts – Last season we saw Kennedy had the breakout season that few saw coming, with a 21-4 record, 2.88 ERA and 198 punch-outs. He’s a very capable pitcher but don’t expect the same dominance that was displayed last season.

16. Yvonni Gallardo, MIL 14-8 3.50 ERA 212 Strikeouts – The 25-year-old Mexican hurler got off to a slow start in 2011 but ultimately finished strong with a 17-win season and third straight with at least 200 strikeouts. Look for him to continue to grow and his upside is something owners would love to have on their roster.

17. Josh Johnson, FLA 13-3 2.90 ERA 187 Strikeouts – The 28-year-old will easily crack the top 20 if he starts 30 or more games which he’s done only twice in six seasons. That is the big ‘if’ owners should be worried about because he only made nine starts last year with shoulder inflammation.

18. C.J. Wilson, ANA 14-8 3.10 ERA 183 Strikeouts – The Angels signed a solid pitcher in Wilson, who decided to stay in the AL West moving from Texas to Southern California. He is now the third head of their Weaver-Haren-Wilson monster, which actually has a nice ring to it. Wilson is poised have another great campaign after going 31-15 with over 200 innings tossed in the past two seasons.

19. Matt Moore, TB 15-5 3.44 ERA 214 Strikeouts – Moore is a highly touted, left-handed pitching prospect that burst onto the scene last postseason much like Price did in 2008. At age 22, Moore will strikeout a lot of hitters on his way to a very successful first, full season in the Rays rotation.

20. Tommy Hanson, ATL 14-8 3.32 ERA 191 Strikeouts – The big right-hander is reportedly going to be ready for Spring Training after shoulder issues that cut short his 2011 season by two months. Hanson has focused on strengthening his shoulder this offseason and that could a huge boost to his success and fantasy value going forward.

21. Jon Lester, BOS 15-9 3.51 ERA 194 Strikeouts – The strikeouts and innings pitched were a bit down last season in comparison to 2008-10, but owners can expect another solid year from Lester in 2012. He’s got an array of pitches he can throw for strikes, which usually leads to good things.

22. Adam Wainwright, STL 14-5 3.13 ERA 186 Strikeouts – There have been no setbacks so far in Wainwright’s recovery from Tommy John surgery that caused him miss all of 2011. Expect him to pitch well this season in limited innings because the Cardinals won’t want to overwork him.

23. Mat Latos, CIN 15-9 3.45 ERA 188 Strikeouts – Coming over to Cincinnati in the offseason should be a nice change of scenery for Latos who has lots of upside. He throws hard and has a lot of movement on his pitches, which is a recipe for success at the top level.

24. Tommy Hanson, ATL 14-8 3.32 ERA 191 Strikeouts – The big right-hander is reportedly going to be ready for Spring Training after shoulder issues that cut short his 2011 season by two months. Hanson has focused on strengthening his shoulder this offseason and that could a huge boost to his success and fantasy value going forward.

25. Yu Darvish, TEX 14-8 3.37 ERA 179 Strikeouts – The Japanese export will draw a lot of attention in the media and possibly your fantasy draft and rightfully so because he is very good. Darvish is highly athletic and has very intimidating stuff that should translate well in any language.

26. James Shields, TB 13-10 3.23 ERA 196 Strikeouts – After posting a 16-12 record and 2.82 ERA in 2011, Shields should continue to be a ‘workhorse that produces strikeouts at a high rate. He’s in line to post his six consecutive season with 200+ innings pitched.

27. Chris Carpenter, STL 14-7 3.48 ERA 185 Strikeouts – Carpenter is past his prime, but still has plenty of tread still on the tires. He makes for a very serviceable No. 2/3 starter on your fantasy squad because he’s a proven winner.

28. Madison Bumgarner, SF 15-10 3.11 ERA 189 Strikeouts – Bumgarner is only 22-year-old and has a very high ceiling in terms of potential. He is still figuring out how to be consistently effective at the Major League level and could be close to breaking out.

29. Brandon Beachy, ATL 14-8 3.45 ERA 216 Strikeouts – The 25-year-old is heading into his second season in the big leagues and has a lot of promise posting high strikeout totals. Fantasy owners will hope to get more innings then the 142 he threw last season, which should happen barring injury.

30. Josh Beckett, BOS 14-6 3.19 ERA 180 Strikeouts – Owners can expect quality starts by Beckett, even though he may miss a start here and there with injury. There is plenty of upside if he stays healthy.

31. Michael Pineda, NYY 14-9 3.70 ERA 206 Strikeouts – The young and talented Pineda will be wearing pinstripes next season thanks to an offseason trade. He showed flashes of brilliance last year and he will need to be more consistent to make a big impact in pinstripes.

32. Matt Garza, CHC 13-11 3.67 ERA 186 Strikeouts – Garza has lost double-digit games the past three seasons and didn’t pitch all that well last season, his first in Chicago after coming up in the Tampa Bay organization. Don’t expect him to be above average.

33. Ricky Romero 15-10 3.20 ERA 180 Strikeouts – Last year, the Blue Jays’ ace set career highs in wins (15), innings pitched (225), shutouts (2), K’s (178) and ERA (2.92). Owners should assume similar stats in 2012.

34. Tim Hudson, ATL 14-10 3.40 ERA 151 Strikeouts – The veteran is 33-19 in his past two seasons, both in which he’s made 33 or more starts and pitched at least 215 innings. Expect Hudson to be fantasy relevant for at least a couple more seasons.

35. Daniel Hudson, ARI 13-9 3.66 ERA 160 Strikeouts – The 24-year-old Hudson started out rough last April, and then proceeded to go 8-1 in May and June. He can go stretches pitching ‘lights-out’ and owner will hope to see that more often this year.

36. Shaun Marcum, MIL 12-7 3.64 ERA 159 Strikeouts – Marcum has won 13 games in back to back seasons and should be right around there in 2012. Don’t expect many K’s, but he will give himself and the Brewers a chance to win more often than not.

37. Gio Gonzalez, WSH 13-9 3.36 ERA 185 Strikeouts – The left-handed Gonzalez has pitched well the past two seasons with Oakland and should continue now playing for the Nationals. It may take some time for him to adjust to his new league and team, but the change should pay long-term dividends.

38. Jeremy Hellickson, TB 13-8 3.29 ERA 139 Strikeouts – The Rays have one of the best rotations in baseball and Hellickson looked good in his rookie season last year with a sub-3 ERA. He did have some control issues and walked more than should have, but didn’t allow many hit either.

39. Johnny Cueto, CIN 13-8 3.55 ERA 135 Strikeouts – Cueto went 9-5 with a 2.31 ERA in 24 starts after missing the first month of the season last year. He will give up more runs this year while still be effective.

40. Anibal Sanchez, FLA 14-11 3.77 ERA 205 Strikeouts – The Venezuelan hurler topped the 200-strikeout mark for the first time in his career in 11’ and should continue the trend. You should be able to draft him later than his actual value.

41. Jamie Garcia, STL 13-10 3.59 ERA 145 Strikeouts – Garcia is entering his third season in the Cardinals’ rotation after winning 13 contests in each of the past two. He is a serviceable fantasy option.

42. Shaun Marcum, MIL 12-7 3.64 ERA 159 Strikeouts – Marcum has won 13 games in back to back seasons and should be right around there in 2012. Don’t expect many K’s, but he will give himself and the Brewers a chance to win more often than not.

43. Derek Holland, TEX 13-6 3.91 ERA 161 Strikeouts – Holland recorded four shutouts in 32 starts last season, ending with a 16-5 record. He’s highly talented and pitches for a team that scores a lot of runs, which is a recipe for wins.

44. Jordan Zimmerman, WSH 12-9 3.78 ERA 158 Strikeouts – Zimmerman is going to have to last longer in games to move up the fantasy ranks because most everything else is there. He’ll make baby steps this year towards a bright future.

45. Ubaldo Jimenez, CLE 13-9 3.64 ERA 190 Strikeouts – Jimenez had a down year in 2011 between Colorado and Cleveland, but 2012 should be much better. At 28, he’s still in his prime and the change of scenery could be what is needed to bounce back.

46. Clay Bucholtz, BOS 12-6 3.59 ERA 142 Strikeouts – The Red Sox really need Bucholtz to stay healthy and be the third pitcher in the rotation. He can be very productive if he stay off the disabled list.

47. Bandon Morrow, TOR 13-10 4.24 ERA 210 Strikeouts – The 27-year-old Morrow can be nasty at times with high strikeout totals being the result. He can be a “boom or bust” type player and that’s far from ideal but still valuable.

48. Max Scherzer, DET 12-9 4.34 180 Strikeouts – Scherzer is a hard-throwing righty who has a high ceiling in terms of talent, but has to be more dependable from start-to-start. He can be unhittable in some games while blowing up completely in others.

49. Neftali Feliz, TEX 12-7 3.50 ERA 167 Strikeouts – As a closer the past two seasons, Felix tallied 72 saves with a sub-3 ERA. Now as a starter, owners should expect some growing pains as he adjusts to high pitch counts going deep into ballgames.

50. Ervin Santana, ANA 13-11 3.44 ERA 173 Strikeouts – Santana pitched better than his 11-12 record indicated with a career-high in innings pitched (228) and a personal best ERA (3.38). The Angels are luck to have him as the No. 4 starter.

51. Hiroki Kuroda, NYY 12-10 3.85 ERA 156 Strikeouts – Kuroda isn’t flashy and get a lot of ground ball outs that bodes well playing in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. He should have a decent year with his best days being behind him.

52. Daniel Bard, BOS 11-6 3.66 ERA 175 Strikeouts – Like Feliz, Bard will try to convert from bullpen guy to starter this year. Bard certainly has the stuff to be a very good starter, just don’t expect him to do so right out of the chute.

53. Edwin Jackson, WSH 12-9 3.74 ERA 162 Strikeouts – Now with his sixth team in his professional eight seasons, Jackson was once a highly-touted prospect for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now he’s a middle-of-the-road starter that has the occasional great game.

54. Cory Luebke, SD, 11-8 3.65 ERA 167 Strikeouts – The former Ohio State Buckeye is moving up many fantasy draft boards because of his 9.92 strikeout per inning ratio in 17 starts last season. Don’t read too much into the hype, Luebke should have a decent season but not spectacular.

55. Ted Lilly, LAD 12-8 3.65 157 Strikeouts – The Dodgers need someone to step up and pitch effectively behind Kershaw, and the likely candidate is the soft-tossing southpaw. He should have relatively decent year in Los Angeles.

56. Ryan Dempster 13-11 4.18 ERA 194 Strikeouts – The seasoned right-hander will try for his fifth consecutive season with at least 200 innings pitched in 12’ and should put up almost as many strikeouts. Don’t expect a great winning percentage though.

57. Wandy Rodriguez, HOU 12-10 3.53 ERA 169 Strikeouts – Rodriguez’s career record is 73-75 with his best season coming in 2009 when he went 14-12 in 33 starts. Don’t expect him to be too much better this season.

58. Chad Billingsley, LAD 13-10 4.15 ERA 162 Strikeouts – The former first-round pick of the Dodgers in 2003 has never lived up to his potential. This year will likely be more of the same, inconsistent Billingsley we’ve grown accustomed too.

59. Justin Masterson, CLE 11-9 3.52 ERA 150 Strikeouts – After starting off a perfect 5-0 in April last season, the former second-round draft pick in 2006 went a disappointing 7-10. Masterson has to be more consistent to gain fantasy relevance rely heavily on his sinkerball.

60. Johan Santana, NYM 10-7 3.65 ERA 145 Strikeouts – Santana is a late-round, flier pick at this point and that’s being very optimistic. He missed all of last season with a torn capsule in his shoulder and it’s a very tricky injury for a pitcher to recover from. Stay tuned to his Spring Training starts.