I think I did okay ... but I've never won. Help!

[aharbin]

I am a huge baseball - and fantasy baseball - fan. I am an avid manager, and I know enough to be dangerous. But I always end I always end up finishing 7th or 8th in a 12 team league. Let me know how I did in my this year. I think I finally have a team that can compete for the crown ... Thanks very much!

Yahoo 12 team H2H (R, HR, RBI, SB, OBP, W, SV, K, ERA, WHIP)

C: Victor Martinez
1B: Albert Pujols
2B: Chase Utley
3B: Aubrey Huff
SS: Michael Young
OF: Carlos Lee
OF: Ichiro
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury
Util: Andre Ethier
BN: Robinson Cano
BN: Adrian Beltre

SP: Chad Billingsley
SP: Scott Kazmir
RP: Brian Fuentes
RP: Brian Wilson
P: Erik Bedard
P: Scott Baker
P: Chris Volstad
BN: Jeremy Guthrie
BN: Armando Galarraga
BN: Fernando Rodney

I know my pitching is weak ...

[kailromanoff]

Agreed, your pitching is weak. If Cano or Huff start well, you should look to deal for some pitching depth. I would even go so far to say if Cano is looking good move Utley for a stud. I love Beltre though, so I would hope for Huff to come out the gates hot and find the team lacking a respectable 3b to deal with. Overall I like your team, but to win your gonna need to package someone for more pitching or hope you get the right guys off the wire. I think this team will finish no higher than 3rd without a move, but I guess if you can make the playoffs(assuming they happen since it is H2H) anyhting can happen.
-good luck

[Funky_Monk]

Yeah, pitching is a little weak.

I like your batters though. You have speedy guys who will give you good OBP and SB's, and even good AVG.'s (like Ichiro). Pujols will also give some great AVG. and everything else. HR's might be weak depending on how much the other guys went for power.

[Meddler]

Pitching isn't that weak, IMO. Billingsly and Kazmir are a solid one two, there's upside in Bedard, and Baker is steadily more than serviceable. Volstad probably won't be that useful though, but he could give you nice WHIP and ERA and maybe decent Ws. Not crazy about the pitching on your bench, but its enough of a start to work with.

I think the one offensive category your a bit risky in is SBs, you're basically relying on Ichiro and Ellsbury. They're not bad guys to rely on, but if one of them goes down it really hurts your chances of being above average in that category, and if you lose both you have almost no saftey net. I'd keep my eyes open for a speedy bench OFer. Maybe someone like Coco Crisp or Willy Taveras. Someone like Orlando Cabrera might be a nice bench player for you too, you could play him every now and then to get some extra SBs out of SS. Cano is a nice piece of depth, but if you're only going to commit two position players to your bench, I don't think 2B should be one of them. Cano is a bit undervalued right now, but if he gets off to a good start he could quickly become a hot commodity, and be well worth a solid pitcher to an owner weak at 2B.

[aharbin]

Thanks guys. I grabbed Cano in one of the last few rounds. I think he'll start strong ... at which point I'll deal him for some pitching. I have a lot of upside on my pitching, but I don't have any sure things either.