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All the final 2010 fantasy baseball rankings for hitters is done. For those that skipped today’s title, this starts the top 20 starters for 2010 fantasy baseball. This is NOT for 2011 (caps for those still wearing their Piranha 3-D glasses).  This is a recap.  Will these affect next year’s rankings?  Sure.  But not entirely.  To recapitulate, these rankings are from ESPN’s Player Rater.  It’s an objective third party to fairly gauge my preseason rankings.  Does this mean I think ESPN’s Player Rater is the Tootie and I’m the Natalie?  No, just an unbiased comparison.  Anyway, here’s the top 20 starters for 2010 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:

1. Roy Halladay – Now I’m either a freakin’ genius or I’m lucky as a leprechaun standing under a pigeon who just ate Mexican food.  I’d like to think it’s the former.  There’s only one surprising name in this group of 20 starters, who I’ll get to in a bit.  Did I rank all of these guys exactly as they ended up?  No, I’m not Ms. Cleo.  But if you would’ve asked me if I you should draft 18 of 20 of these starters, I would’ve said sure.  Carpenter I wasn’t a fan of, but he’s not completely surprising.  It’s no wonder that in all of my leagues, my pitching was beyond respectable (except for wins).  Continued in Wainwright’s blurb.  Preseason Rank #4, 2010 Projections: 17-8/3.02/1.14/185, Final Numbers:  21-10/2.44/1.04/219

2. Adam Wainwright – I never drafted a pitcher before the 3rd round and, if I did draft one there, I’d lay off starters for 4 to 5 rounds.  It wasn’t like I sat there and drafted Johan, Greinke and F-Her.  If I did, I would’ve been screwed.  I’d grab F-Her then much later Baby Weaver then later Oswalt then Jonathan Sanchez.  If you don’t think that’s a solid top 4 in a league with 12 or more teams, you need to lay off the glue sniffing.  Continued in F-Her’s blurb.  Preseason Rank #10, 2010 Projections: 16-8/3.30/1.18/190, Final Numbers:  20-11/2.42/1.05/213

3. Felix Hernandez – The projections might not be exactly on for these starters, but 18 of the 20 starters here all fell in a preseason grouping of starters that I was excited about drafting.  As for Felix… Sure, F-Her blew when it came to wins, but you can’t fault him for that.  Well, I mean, you can, but then you’d be Joe Morgan.  Preseason Rank #2, 2010 Projections: 18-6/3.00/1.10/220, Final Numbers:  13-12/2.27/1.06/232

4. Ubaldo Jimenez – Here’s what I said in the preseason, “Takes nads the size of beach balls to draft a Rockies pitcher as your first pitcher off the board.  Also takes nads to win a fantasy baseball championship.  Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.”  And that’s me quoting me!  Though the 2nd half for Ubaldo was a worry with a 4.15 ERA.  Though II, The Return of Though, the first half was insane.  Preseason Rank #14, 2010 Projections: 15-9/3.50/1.27/200, Final Numbers:  19-8/2.88/1.15/214

5. Roy Oswalt – I realize he was on the Astros for half the year, so there’s goes those wins, but what explains his only 7 wins on the best NL team in the 2nd half?  I asked it, so I’ll answer it.  My win karma is why.  Sorry, Oswalt and all Oswalt owners.  I’m currently meditating 3 hours a day in hopes of turning around my bad win karma.  Preseason Rank #28, 2010 Projections: 12-6/3.65/1.22/150, Final Numbers:  13-13/2.76/1.03/193

6. Jered Weaver – “Okay, but is Weaver really this good?”  That’s you.  Here’s me, “He led the major leagues in strikeouts.”  Unlike Wins, you don’t back into that.  I already touched a bit on my 2011 Jered Weaver fantasy.  Preseason Rank #24, 2010 Projections: 15-10/3.65/1.22/180, Final Numbers:  13-12/3.01/1.07/233

7. CC Sabathia – He had his worst WHIP in 5 years.  His worst K-rate in 5 years.  His worst walk rate in 5 years.  His luckiest with men left on base in his career.  Paradoxically, his ground ball rate went up.  You may be looking at the beginning of the end for Prince Fielder’s stunt double.  Preseason Rank #5, 2010 Projections: 20-10/3.45/1.17/200, Final Numbers:  21-7/3.18/1.19/197

8. David Price – In honor of December Grey, here’s his David Price sleeper post from last year.  The Price was right, snitches!  Preseason Rank #26, 2010 Projections: 12-9/3.75/1.30/155, Final Numbers:  19-6/2.72/1.19/188

9. Cliff Lee – PETA would’ve appreciated The Adverb’s season because there was hardly any balls.  In all seriousness, spay and neuter your adverbs.  Preseason Rank #13, 2010 Projections: 15-8/3.40/1.22/160, Final Numbers:  12-9/3.18/1.00/185

10. Justin Verlander – Technically, not a bad season from Verlander, but why does it feel like I was annoyed every time he was starting a game?  Oh, I know.  His BAA vs. the 1st hitter was .291, which is 25 points worse than any other hitter.  Verlander was also terrible in the first inning and in April (5.53 ERA).  Idea bulb!  Bring Valverde in for the first inning then let Verlander close out the final 8.  Preseason Rank #7, 2010 Projections: 17-11/3.25/1.20/230, Final Numbers:  18-9/3.37/1.16/219

11. Jon Lester – If you throw out the final start of the year, Lester’s ERA was below 3.  If you throw out 2 wins, 2 losses, 10 Ks and add an extra 3 earned runs, my projections were right on.  If you throw out the year 2000, my stock portfolio would still be worth something.  Preseason Rank #9, 2010 Projections: 17-7/3.35/1.20/215, Final Numbers:  19-9/3.25/1.20/225

12. Josh Johnson – He’s like a rich man’s Erich Bedarden.  I guess it could be worse.  He could’ve pitched more than one start in September and had the results of Latos.  Speaking of which… Preseason Rank #12, 2010 Projections: 14-6/3.35/1.22/175, Final Numbers:  11-6/2.30/1.11/186

13. Mat Latos – Had four straight months of an ERA below 2.38.  In September, his ERA was 6.21.  I’m pretty bummed that the Padres pitched him so many innings and now it’s going to be hard to own him next year.  Oh, well.  I’ll see you in 2012, Latos.  Preseason Rank #68, 2010 Projections: 6-7/4.15/1.32/125, Final Numbers:  14-10/2.92/1.08/189

14. Tim Hudson – There were about three months in the season where I kept saying Hudson was getting lucky and his ERA would raise.  Didn’t really work out that way.  I did like Hudson in the preseason, so I didn’t count him in the 2 starters from this list I wouldn’t have owned.  I would’ve probably sold him some time in July though.  Preseason Rank #59, 2010 Projections: 13-5/3.55/1.32/145, Final Numbers:  17-9/2.83/1.15/139

15. Matt Cain – Cain continued his bafflement of the Fangraphs Database.  As I said towards the end of the season, I’m done saying Cain’s getting lucky.  He is, but I’m done saying.  Okay, I’m not done saying it, but I am.  If you catch my drift…  He was lucky!  Preseason Rank #32, 2010 Projections: 15-10/3.65/1.25/165, Final Numbers:  13-11/3.14/1.08/177

16. Clayton Kershaw – If Dodgers won 90 games and Kershaw won 20 games, he’s in the Cy Young conversation.  I’m not saying this to defend my preseason Cy Young selection of Kershaw, but I am, so there.  Preseason Rank #17, 2010 Projections: 12-4/3.20/1.22/200, Final Numbers:  13-10/2.91/1.18/212

17. Trevor Cahill – The only completely surprising name in this entire list.  I would’ve bet against him being a top 20 starter.  So does that mean I’m moron or Cahill was lucky last year?  They’re unrelated.  Both can be true and at times are true.  Cahill’s FIP was 4+ and his K-rate was egregious.  Cahill had no business having the season he had.  Preseason Rank #81, 2010 Projections: 17-8/3.02/1.14/185, Final Numbers:  18-8/2.97/1.11/118

18. Chris Carpenter – This name isn’t surprising and is surprising.  It’s surprising because I figured Carp would get hurt, it’s not surprising because when he’s healthy he has been solid.  Preseason Rank #18, 2010 Projections: 14-7/3.10/1.05/135, Final Numbers:  16-9/3.22/1.18/179

19. Cole Hamels – After a subpar 2008, I predicted a nice bounce back for Hamels.  Well, here ya go.  Had the best K-rate of his career in a full season and had a 2.23 ERA in the 2nd half of the year.  It’s true, I have a small crush on Hamels.  We all have our crosses to bear, especially if you’re Mr. T.  Preseason Rank #11, 2010 Projections: 16-10/3.45/1.15/185, Final Numbers:  12-11/3.06/1.18/211

20. Clay Buchholz – I’ll tell ya what, I was kinda crazy for Buchholz in the preseason and he ended up okay with all the wins and decent, if misleading ERA, but his lack of Ks is downright scary.  Who jacked him for his Ks?  It’s kinda appropriate that his name uses all hard Cs.  Preseason Rank #41, 2010 Projections: 14-9/3.95/1.34/155, Final Numbers:  17-7/2.33/1.20/120