Are 5x5 league skewed toward hitting?

[tinfoilxtouch]

So I always thought you could win either way in a 5x5 league, either focusing on pitching or on hitting. Then I started looking at Yahoo! rankings for the season tonight...

There are 8 SP ranked in the top 50 for the season. Nobody is ranked higher than 13 right now. Meanwhile, there are 7 1B ranked in the top 50...

Assuming (this is a big if) that Yahoo! doesn't just skew their rankings, does this tell you anything about waiting longer to draft starters in most standard leagues?

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

Look at any draft. In almost any format, hitters are taken way before pitchers for the most part.

[tinfoilxtouch]

Look at any draft. In almost any format, hitters are taken way before pitchers for the most part.

I get that 1st and even 2nd round are usually heavily toward hitting, but 3rd and 4th round people tend to "stock up" in a lot of leagues. Even with guys like Oswalt faltering this season, I'm starting to question if there is any point toward even attempting to build an above-average staff as opposed to picking prospects and WW guys.

[noseeum]

Of course it's skewed towards hitting. The best pitchers only contribute in four categories. Closers only contribute in 2 really. Sure, they can theoretically help in ERA/WHIP, but one bad outing and their numbers are toast.

Then hitters only have BA as a percentage stat, so all hitters help, in some small way, to contribute to 4 out of 5 while causing risk to just one stat.

Definite bias towards hitting.

[Rounders]

Look at any draft. In almost any format, hitters are taken way before pitchers for the most part.

Agreed. Lots of pitchers start flying off the board around the 9th round.

I usually wait until late, and was able to get players like Wang, Rich Hill, Lilly, Escobar and pick up players like Marshall, Mitre, Bannister, Marcum, Garza, James, ect, ect. The guys that I took in the 7th round and above (1 in each league) - Kazmir (not been good until a few starts ago), Carpenter (out for year), and Halladay (not been good until a couple starts ago).
Plus a lot of other pitchers that didn't cost you a high draft pick, or were on free agency at some point, but still have an ERA under 4 - Oliver Perez, Guthrie, Maine, Bedard, Buehrle, Carmona, Lowry, Lowe, Gorzelanny, Vazquez, Snell, Meche, Gaudin.

It's much harder to find a guy like Braun on free agency that will lift your offense than it is to find one of these guys on free agency to help your pitching. There are very few elite starters that set themselves apart year after year (Santana), whereas, hitters are more consistent and you can usually count on them putting up good numbers if they have for a couple years.

[J35J]

As far as the draft goes pitching usually isn't a top priority but once the season starts or shortly there after you better hope to put together a reliable staff because it becomes just as important as hitting once the season starts, IMO.

[rainman23]

Yeah, starting pitchers don't help you in all categories like a hitter does. But their influence on the categories they DO affect is much greater than a batter's is. Unless you're starting nine pitchers.

And if there are fewer top rated pitchers, you could make an argument that snagging one of them is MORE important.

Of course the trick is figuring out who those top rated guys are gonna be...

[TonyCee]

As far as the draft goes pitching usually isn't a top priority but once the season starts or shortly there after you better hope to put together a reliable staff because it becomes just as important as hitting once the season starts, IMO.

Yeah, starting pitchers don't help you in all categories like a hitter does. But their influence on the categories they DO affect is much greater than a batter's is. Unless you're starting nine pitchers.

And if there are fewer top rated pitchers, you could make an argument that snagging one of them is MORE important.

Of course the trick is figuring out who those top rated guys are gonna be...

Word!! Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Niffoc4]

They are skewed towards hitting a bit, because of what everyone else has said... but I tihnk that sometimes this means that you can get a a great deal by going against the grain (a little bit). Too bad it didn't work in my cafe league. I got the pitching, and it IS dominant in many pitching stats, but my hitters STINK! I guess that's what happens when you get caught up in the rookie hype (I'm looking at you Mr. Gordon).

[CoffeeEater]

Not skewed at all.

5 stats for hitting vs. 5 stats for pitching.

5 = 5, numbskulls.