Best 6th pitching cat to use??

[roninmedia]

I agree with BP about losses. I enjoyed my 6x6 league that counted SO and L.

[EricF]

I don't agree with losses as a category. We used it our first year and immediately discarded it the next year. There's not much more demoralizing than either losing a 1-0 game or having a relief pitcher give your starter a loss by allowing the runners the starter left on base to score. You not only don't get a win, you get a loss! Imagine having Matt Cain in 2007 when he had a 3.65 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, and still had a 7-16 record. You hang with him, thinking his luck will turn around, and you not only tank the wins category, you sink in the losses category, too.

[cards05]

I like K/BB ratio. It increases the value of strikeouts even more (which I think is appropriate) and also rewards good control.

[Slow Pitch]

Thanks for the suggestions so far...some pretty good ideas!

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

I like holds, even though for w/e reason it doesn't seem that you like it. It forces teams to take RP who aren't closers and to actually know something past basic rankings that you can find all over the internet.

[Matthias]

I disagree with the consensus of opinion. Let's break down your categories:
Wins - Edge: Starters Modest Contribution: Middle Relievers Small Contribution: Closers
K's - Edge: Starters
ERA - Edge: Relievers
WHIP - Edge: Relievers
Saves - Edge: Closers Small Contribution: Middle Relievers No Contribution: Starters

Now the suggestions so far:
Losses - Edge: Relievers
Holds - Edge: Middle Relievers (exclusively)
IP - Edge: Starters
QS - Edge: Starters (exclusively)
K/9 - Edge: Relievers
Total Bases Allowed - Edge: Relievers

Now all of these are great categories in the abstract but only the IP and QS suggestions help you balance out your reliever-friendly setup. Losses and Holds, although great categories to work into the right balance, would completely blow away any necessity of a deep bullpen. In that league, I'd try to draft Santana, Peavy or another top-flight pitcher, and then all relievers, basically.... maybe pick up another starter or two if someone looked really hot but as long as I was competitive in K's and not last in Wins, why bother blowing up 1st place in everything else?

You definitely need a SP-friendly stat to avoid the pitching in your league to turn into who can scorn the most starters.

[GotowarMissAgnes]

If there is an IP minimum, however, the 1-2 starter strategy and all relievers isn't operable.

[Tarquin]

Right now in one of the 7X7 leagues I play in, the setup is W, ERA, K, S, Holds, WHIP, K/9.

However some of you brought up good points as this may favor relievers way too much. I may end up switching K/9 with something else like QS or boost up the minimum innings per week to 25-30 (Which will force people to have atleast 3 or 4 starters)

[Slow Pitch]

Well our league requires you to start 5 SP & 4 RPs. Weekly line ups.

[Matthias]

If there is an IP minimum, however, the 1-2 starter strategy and all relievers isn't operable.

Most roto leagues have a fairly nominal IP minimum (if at all, generally it's a maximum). But even so, I dislike IP mins; they seem like a crutch to prop up an unbalanced system.