Top 15 Keeper Pitchers

[KaiserSoze]

^^^

He's not top-15.

[Havok1517]

I think Zambrano is at least 2nd tier, he's only 23.

[TheYanks04]

Teir 1(young studs that you have to keep :
Harden
Santana
Peavy
Halladay
Oswalt
Sheets

Tier 2(older studs that may or not repeat their success):
Clemens
RJ
Pedro
Smoltz
Mulder


Tier 3(Injury/consistency issues, have the skills to become tier 1):
Burnett
Prior
Beckett
Zambrano
Buerhle
Carpenter
Willis
Bonderman
Myers
Clement
Morris



Not Keepers:
Livan (workhorse, can't hold up much longer under Frank)
Garland (not buying it, yet)
Duke (still too inexperienced, a big target in redraft leagues)
Vazquez (TOO inconsistent)

I would re-arrange them as:
Tier 1A:
Santana
Harden
Peavy
Halladay
Oswalt


Tier 1B (older studs that may or not repeat their success):
Clemens
Pedro
Smoltz


Tier 2A:
Sheets (Win total is way too low on the Brewers for Tier 1)
Burnett
Carpenter
Prior
Beckett
C. Zambrano
Buerhle
Morris
RJ (might make Tier 3)

Tier 2B:
Livan Hernandez



Tier 3: (on the decline, suspect and/or inconsistent)
Mulder
Hudson
Zito (which Zito is the real Zito)
Moose
Wood
Schilling
Garland
Willis

[Yoda]

How anyone can NOT include Prior at the top is beyond me. The kid is flat out awesome and has had some freakish injuries. He's going to be a top pitcher for many years to come.

[TheYanks04]

Hmmm I have heard rthe same thing about Wood for what seems like forever. Until he actually stays healthy and performs, it is just so much talk.

[Yoda]

Hmmm I have heard rthe same thing about Wood for what seems like forever. Until he actually stays healthy and performs, it is just so much talk.

Dude, Prior's injuries are nowhere near the magnitude of Wood's long list of arm, shoulder and elbow injuries.

Plus Prior was already a better pitcher than Wood when he first stepped on the mound as a rookie. Don't believe me? Look at their stats.

[TB13]

Providing that he gets the call up and since these are keepers that we are talking about, shouldn't King Felix be somewhere in the mix?

[TheYanks04]

No. See Floppert for why you do not rate unproven prospects over top current performers.

[George_Foreman]

Sheets (Win total is way too low on the Brewers for Tier 1)

I REALLY hope people still think the Brewers arn't very good next year... Sheets will win 15 next season, and 20 certainly isn't out of the question. They have a good closer now, and their lineup is getting stronger and stronger. I've got Sheets right up there next to Peavy and Oswalt.

[Box]

No. See Floppert for why you do not rate unproven prospects over top current performers.

Even though King Felix is about as "can't-miss" as pitching prospects go, there's really no way to tell how he'll do facing hitters next year. Probably not a keeper in re-draft leagues, but will be a top round pick (depending on how many players you actually keep). If you keep 10+ players, he's a no brainer keeper. If you keep 5-7 or so, probably not. 7-10, depends who else is on your league.


Then again, if he tears it up for the rest of the season, his stock could rise dramatically.