Team A or Team B (WHIR)

[cordscords]

Standard 5x5

Team A:

C- Salvador Perez
1B- Freddie Freeman
2B- Ian Kinsler
3B- Mike Moustakas
SS- Derek Jeter
CI- Mark Reynolds
MI- Dustin Ackley
OF- Mike Trout
OF- Jason Heyward
OF- Nelson Cruz
OF- Jayson Werth
OF- Jason Kubel
UT- Matt Joyce/Jonny Gomes platoon
BN- Dee Gordon
DL- Alex Rodriguez

SP- Zack Greinke
SP- CC Sabathia
SP- Roy Halladay
SP- James Shields
SP- Dan Haren
SP- Jarrod Parker
SP- Brandon Beachy
RP- Jose Veras
RP- Sean Marshall
RP- Al Alburquerque
RP- Santiago Casilla

Team B:

C- Brian McCann
1B- David Ortiz
2B- Dan Uggla
3B- Miguel Cabrera
SS- Hanley Ramirez
CI- Ryan Howard
MI- Zack Cozart
OF- Adrian Gonzalez
OF- Carl Crawford
OF- Shane Victorino
OF- Adam Eaton
OF- Colby Rasmus
UT- Chris Carter
BN- Delmon Young
BN- Travis Snider

SP- Cliff Lee
SP- Madison Bumgarner
SP- Tim Lincecum
SP- Tim Hudson
SP- Tommy Hanson
SP- Johan Santana
SP- Chris Capuano
SP- Paul Maholm
RP- Jason Grilli
RP- Grant Balfour
RP- Carlos Marmol
RP- Bruce Rondon

[Lickitysplit131]

Team B looks a lot stronger in my eyes.

Team A is looking to capitalize with a dominant pitching staff it looks like. However, I think too much of it hinges on guys who had or are poised to have a down season. Greinke I've never been a fan of. He has "great stuff" according to scouts and people who watch him but aside from his one Cy Young season, he is a 3.5 ERA guy who gets a lot of Ks. You can get someone like Scherzer 5 rounds later who gives you the same thing. Sabathia is poised for a down year with a crumbling Yankees team who I think will struggle to get to .500(thats coming from a Yankee fan)thus limiting his wins. Plus, he is out of shape and getting old...When will he break down? If his team is out of it, he may lose focus and could have an off year. Halladay and Haren are both injury risks(I don't think Haren actually wants to play baseball, just wants to show flashes of brilliance to get paid and sit out) and Shields I just don't like...You may win HRs with your hitting and sometimes SB but that's all you will contend for in a 5x5 league. In my eyes, you only have a chance at winning 6 categories with the other 4 being total losses(average, RBIs, Rs, SVs)

With Team B you are a hitting heavy but a little more well rounded. You look like you'll be able to dominate HRs, RBIs, and steals while competing in runs. Average might be a little rough but that can go either way each week. You can contend for all 5 categories on a weekly basis. Pitching wise you are a little weaker but not by much. Cliff Lee was a great snag to anchor the rotation and a solid Bumgarner makes your 1-2 here as good as your 1-2 on team A. I don't think Lincecum is going to have a bounce back season, but he's a nice gamble for an average pitching staff. I think that at least 1 of your RPs will end up being a solid closer for the year, maybe even 2(I am high on Balfour). You can contend with 4 of the 5 pitching categories with Ks being the only anomaly. I will assume that in a league like this with 8 SPs in your lineup that other teams will have 2 or 3 K specialists which you lack. Otherwise, you look to solidly contend for 9 out of the 10 categories with this team.

I posted recently if you look a below this one. Would like a response to mine

[Pogotheostrich]

Team A wins: BA (even with Reynolds), W, ERA, WHIP
Team B wins: RBI, HR, SV
R and SB looks like a toss up.

Team B looks like they are carrying a lot more injury/bust risks IMO.

[NikkiSixx]

I prefer team B. More Power, probably more steals, a lot more saves, and the rotation isnt bad on the top end. Lincecum and Hanson are 2 solid candidates to have bounce back seasons, and even if they dont, they will still rack up a lot of K's.

Team A has a solid offense for being so starting pitching heavy. Lots of solid upside on this team and is a bit safer than Team A. Mike Trout also carried teams last season all the way to the finish, so if you get some more of that magic back this year, then Team A will be a contender.


2 solid teams, but Team B is a bit more my style.