2008 Starting Pitcher Rankings

There is quality depth to the starting pitchers this season as usual. You don't necessarily need to draft the top pitchers. There are plenty of 13-15 win guys that you can find late in the draft. Instead of getting 3 potential 2o game winners, try getting 5 or 6 15 game winners. You will see how much better your offense looks and your teams depth will be that much better. Let's get into this year's crop of starters.

Top 50 Starting Pitchers

1. Johan Santana- NYM -Pretty obvious here. The best pitcher in the game only gets better with the move to the NY Mets and the National League. Could win 20 this year. '08 Prediction: 20 W 2.88 ERA 1.08 WHIP 240 K.
2. Jake Peavy- SD -The best pitcher in the game not named Santana. He dominates the NL and his domination will continue. If the Padres want to make the playoffs, they need Peavy to carry them. '08 Prediction: 18 W 2.75 ERA 1.15 WHIP 240 K.
3. Brandon Webb- ARI -Webb is looking to win another Cy Young and get his team back to the playoffs. The addition of Dan Haren will help take some pressure off of him. Great for the WHIP and ERA as well as the W's. '08 Prediction: 18 W 2.95 ERA 1.17 WHIP 200 K
4. Josh Beckett- BOS -Showed last year what we all expected from him for years. Lets see if he can keep it going. Should get very close to 20 W again this year. '08 Prediction: 19 W 3.35 ERA 1.20 WHIP 200 K.
5. C.C. Sabathia- CLE -The best lefty in the game besides Santana. The big man is looking to repeat his Cy Young performance and get Cleveland to the playoffs. May be auditioning for a new contract this year as well. '08 Prediction: 19 W 3.30 ERA 1.17 WHIP 200 K.
6. Eric Bedard- SEA -A strikeout and WHIP monster. The move to Seattle only helps his chances of winning 20. The best thing for him is he won't have to do it by himself anymore. '08 Prediction: 18 W 2.95 ERA 1.15 WHIP 220 K.
7. Justin Verlander- DET -One of the game's best young pitchers. He's the ace for the Detroit powerhouse that is a favorite to win it all. This guy is still getting better too. '08 Prediction: 18 W 3.20 ERA 1.21 WHIP 190 K.
8. John Lackey- LAA -The guy is a horse and a solid ace to any staff. A little bit of injury troubles this Spring but nothing to worry about. '08 Prediction: 20 W 3.25 ERA 1.23 WHIP 185 K.
9. Dan Haren- ARI -The move to a better team and a better league for pitchers can only help Haren. He broke out for a career year last year and hopefully he can keep it up. '08 Prediction: 16 W 2.90 ERA 1.18 WHIP 195 K.
10. Carlos Zambrano- CHC -If he could cut down on the walks and the closers can save games for him, he could be the best pitcher in baseball. Could he finally win 20 this year? Cy Young? '08 Prediciton: 19 W 3.30 ERA 1.25 WHIP 190 K.
11. Cole Hamels- PHI -Could one day be the best pitcher in the game. He's that good. Lefties can't touch him and righties aren't very fond of him either. Another possible NL Cy Young candidate. '08 Prediction: 18 W 3.20 ERA 1.14 WHIP 190 K.
12. Aaron Harang- CIN -Pitching for a bad team but the Reds have gotten a little better. Cordero now in the bullpen to save games for him. Big year for Harang. '08 Prediction: 18 W 3.30 ERA 1.18 WHIP 220 K.
13. Roy Oswalt- HOU -The only good pitcher the Astros have. They will be counting on him to carry the load and keep them out of dead last in the NL Central. However, still good numbers for Oswalt. '08 Prediction: 16 W 3.07 ERA 1.12 WHIP 180 K.
14. Roy Halladay- TOR -The ace of a pretty good Toronto team. Probably won't win a Cy Young again but still gives you ace-like numbers. '08 Prediction: 16 W 3.45 ERA 1.23 WHIP 145 K.
15. Fausto Carmona- CLE -Those who were fortunate to get a hold of him last year should feel very lucky. Probably won't put up numbers like last year but I expect good numbers this year. '08 Prediction: 17 W 3.20 ERA 1.20 WHIP 150 K.
16. Felix Hernandez- SEA -This could be the year that King Felix puts it all together. It will be his third full season in the bigs and thats when young pitchers tend to break out. '08 Prediction: 17 W 3.70 ERA 1.26 WHIP 175 K.
17. Brett Myers- PHI -One of the most under-appreciated fantasy pitchers. The move back to the rotation should go smoothly. Hamels and Myers make a nice 1-2. '08 Prediciton: 17 W 3.45 ERA 1.18 WHIP 200 K.
18. Brad Penny- LAD -Starts out strong but fizzles down the stretch. Still the guy wins games. More of the same from Penny this year with a hope he can finish strong. '08 Prediction: 17 W 3.30 ERA 1.21 WHIP 160 K.
19. Javier Vazquez- CHW -Quietly had an awesome season for a bad White Sox team last year. The team has improved and Javy is feeling good in Chicago. Even better numbers this year. '08 Prediction: 17 W 3.65 ERA 1.18 WHIP 200 K.
20. Daisuke Matsuzaka- BOS -Dice-K had a decent first year but not the year some where expecting. With a year in the U.S. under his belt I expect a lower ERA and WHIP with high K. '08 Prediction: 16 W 3.90 ERA 1.27 WHIP 200 K.
21. Chris R. Young- SD -Was dominating hitters last year before getting injured. Showed the stuff we all believed he had. If injury free this year could easily be top 20. '08 Prediciton: 16 W 3.35 ERA 1.15 WHIP 175 K.
22. John Smoltz- ATL -The old timer is still getting guys out and still one of the better pitchers in the game. Ferocious mentality and will win no matter what. '08 Prediction: 16 W 3.25 ERA 1.18 WHIP 185 K.23.
23. Chad Billingsley- LAD -One of my favorite young pitchers in the game. Thought the Dodgers were ridiculous for not starting him right away. Will start the whole season this year. Big time potential but needs to cut down on his WHIP. '08 Prediction: 16 W 3.45 ERA 1.27 WHIP 160 K.
24. Ben Sheets- MIL -We all know his story. But if he can stay healthy with that Brewers offense behind him, we could see a very good season from Sheets. IF! '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.65 ERA 1.20 WHIP 150 K.
25. Scott Kazmir- TB -The elbow issues are serious and you need to keep an eye on the situation if you're thinking about drafting him. Without him, the Rays are really screwed. '08 Prediction: 14 W 3.30 ERA 1.29 WHIP 200 K.
26. Jeff Francis- COL -This year could be the year that he gets the ERA under 4.00. With that offense behind him and Corpas in the bullpen, you know he'll get wins. '08 Prediction: 18 W 3.90 ERA 1.25 WHIP 170 K.
27. Tim Hudson- ATL -Last year's Hudson was a breathe of fresh air for fantasy owners that mayber weren't counting on that kind of season. I think he'll repeat it again this year. Proving he's the best of the former big 3 in OAK. '08 Prediction: 16 W 3.65 ERA 1.19 WHIP 150 K.
28. Jared Weaver- LAA -A solid no. 2 or 3 on anyone's team. Angels are going to count on him to step up while Escobar is out. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.70 ERA 1.25 WHIP 155 K.
29. John Maine- NYM -Great start to last year but very bad second half. Should put it together this year and be more consistent. The Mets offense helps. '08 Prediction: 17 W 3.80 ERA 1.23 WHIP 180 K.
30. Rich Hill- CHC -One of the best young lefties in the game had a pretty good first full season. We should see improvements in his numbers across the board. Chicago should solidify their closer spot which will help. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.45 ERA 1.20 WHIP 185 K.
31. Matt Cain- SF -Fantasy owners wanted to murder every member of the Giants offense last year as Cain got the least run support in the bigs. Not much help again this year but can't be as bad as last year. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.60 ERA 1.21 WHIP 170 K.
32. James Shields- TB -This guy came out of nowhere to shock the fantasy world. Big guy with electric stuff and one of the handful of brightspots on the Rays squad. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.80 ERA 1.19 WHIP 185 K.
33. Chien Ming Wang- NYY -We know the deal with Wang. Big wins, low K. More of the same for him with the Yanks. '08 Prediction: 19 W 3.60 ERA 1.19 WHIP 110 K.
34. Tim Lincecum- SF -All you can say when you watch him pitch is, Wow! The little guy is electric and reminds us of a young Pedro. Hopefully the Giants can score a few runs behind him. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.50 ERA 1.25 WHIP 185 K.
35. Yovani Gallardo- MIL -One of the best young prospects in the game. Got vital experience last year. I'm not saying All Star but he'll take a big step in becoming one. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.60 ERA 1.19 WHIP 190 K.
36. Francisco Liriano- MIN -The biggest story of the year this year in fantasy for me. Can regain his ace-like stuff after a year and a half off? Maybe not but can still be a very good pitcher. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.30 ERA 1.15 WHIP 175 K.
37. A.J. Burnett- TOR -We all know what this guy could do if he could stay healthy. Problem is he probably won't stay healthy. Will give you could numbers when he plays though. '08 Prediction: 14 W 3.70 ERA 1.20 WHIP 150 K.
38. Adam Wainwright- STL -The Cards best young pitcher is one of the up and comers in fantasy. The Cardinals have a next to pitiful offense though. I really like his future potential. '08 Prediction: 14 W 3.65 ERA 1.25 WHIP 140 K.
39. Oliver Perez- NYM -This guy is so up and down I really don't know what to think. I think if you count on him to win 17-18 you will be disappointed. Should put up pretty good numbers again this year. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.75 ERA 1.25 WHIP 170 K.
40. Ted Lilly- CHC -Few thought as I did last year when I predicted a 15 win season and an ERA under 4.00 for Lilly last year. More of the same this year as he settles in to Chicago. '08 Prediction: 15 W 3.70 ERA 1.19 WHIP 175 K.
41. Derek Lowe- LAD -Always a guy you can count on to put up good numbers across the board. Should even get a few more wins this year. '08 Prediction: 14 W 3.70 ERA 1.23 WHIP 150 K.
42. Pedro Martinez- NYM -We're all hoping Pedro can stay healthy all year but that's asking a lot. Having said that, I think he'll get through most of the season and put up decent numbers. 14 W 3.50 ERA 1.18 WHIP 160 K.
43. Andy Pettitte- NYY -What kind of effect will snitching on his boy Clemens have on Andy this year? The media frenzy will be huge. A possible slow start with a strong finish for him. '08 Prediction: 14 W 3.80 ERA 1.30 WHIP 145 K.
44. Dustin McGowan- TOR -Was shakey early on but came on fast in the last couple of months of the season. Huge potential and upside for where he goes in drafts. '08 Prediction: 14 W 3.80 ERA 1.20 WHIP 175 K.
45. Jon Garland- LAA -The Angels further strengthened their rotation with the addition of Garland. Less pressure on him to win with the Angels. Should get back to his '05-'06 numbers. '08 Prediction: 16 W 3.90 ERA 1.25 WHIP 130 K.
46. Phil Hughes- NYY -Great potential but its still very early for him. Consider him as a no. 5 starter for your squad. '08 Prediction: 13 W 4.00 ERA 1.30 WHIP 150 K.
47. Tom Gorzelanny- PIT -I really like what I see out of this slick young lefty. Too bad he's with Pittsburgh. Nonetheless, he'll still have very good numbers. '08 Prediciton: 15 W 3.80 ERA 1.30 WHIP 140 K.
48. Clay Buchholz- BOS -Phenomanol potential but very early in his career. Can he pitch a full year in the bigs yet? I have my reservations but if any rookie can do it, its him. '08 Prediction: 12 W 3.90 ERA 1.30 WHIP 170 K.
49. Mark Buehrle- CHW -The veteran lefty will be the opening day starter for the Sox and is looking for a big time rebound and I think he can do it. Huge sleeper potential. '08 Prediciton: 15 W 3.80 ERA 1.25 WHIP 140 K.

50. Bronson Arroyo- CIN -Very disappointing '07 season after a great '06 season. Still working out the kinks but I expect better all around numbers for him this year. '08 Prediction: 14 W 3.80 ERA 1.25 WHIP 165 K.

Honorable Mentions:

--Barry Zito- SF -Let's all hope for a return to sanity with Zito. It can't be as bad as last year and he was still able to win 12 games.
--Dontrelle Willis- DET -Very iffy here. Too iffy for me. A lot of guys paying a high price for him. I'll take a chance cheap.
--Jeremy Bonderman- DET -Wins games but is too often out of control or serving up meatballs. I'll let others worry about him. Will take a risk late though.
--Ubaldo Jimenez- COL -Promising young talent that is worthy of a late round pick. Potential sleeper of the year status.
--Ian Snell- PIT -Very good young pitcher on a bad team. Good be a no. 2 or 3 on a good team. I like him late in drafts too.
--Kelvim Escobar- LAA -Despite his injury he still has to get drafted. Hopefully he can give you a good second half and boost your team.
--Rich Harden- OAK -Would spend more than $3 on him or a last few rounds pick on him. We know the potential. Possibly more fragile and delicate than Mark Prior.
--Jon Lester- BOS -If he can beat cancer he can do anything. Will be a very good MLB pitcher but maybe not this year.
--Jeremy Guthrie- BAL -Really liked what I saw out of this young guy last year. Too bad he pitches for the worst team in the bigs. Could win 13 this year.
--Hiroki Kuroda- LAD -Looking good so far in Spring and always had good numbers in Japan. 95 MPH heat as well. Late round steal if you ask me.
--Shaun Marcum- TOR -Very promising young pitcher. Made the move from the bullpen to the rotation with relative ease. Expect improvement all around for him this year.
--Brian Bannister- KC -Kind of like Wang in that he wins games but doesn't strike out a whole lot of hitters. Can be a very helpful no. 5 or 6 starter.
--Noah Lowry- SF -Looking very shakey in Spring and never gave you a high K total to begin with. Tempting but risky.
--Zach Greinke- KC -Finally showing his potential now. Don't be suprised if he wins 14 or 15 for an improved Royals team.
--Joe Blanton- OAK -Not completely sold on Blanton yet. He's been o.k. the last two years. Oakland is much worse a team this year than the past two years however.
--Gil Meche- KC -Like the other KC pitchers can get 13-15 wins for you. Meche has a little bit better K potential than the others.
--Ian Kennedy- NYY -Will likely start in the rotation for the Yanks this year but what will happen to him when Joba becomes a starter?
--Tom Glavine- ATL -The move back home to Atlanta probably won't effect his numbers that much. Some old stuff from Glavine as the last 3 years.
--Greg Maddux- SD -Same situation as Glavine.
--Mike Mussina- NYY -Very risky proposition to count on him to rebound. If he does, he could be a big steal this year. In better shape than Glavine and Maddux.
--Matt Garza- TB -Garza isn't is a whole lot worse a situation in Tampa than he would have been with the Twins. The Rays will probably score more runs than them this year. Don't get your hopes up with Garza.

Okay, I'm done. Wow, that's a long process. If I didn't list someone you have questions about for deeper leagues just send me an email and I'd be glad to answer any questions. Closers will be the last of my rankings and will be out next week.