Draft Advice: Wait on Pitching

Sep 21, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) pitches in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

There are many fantasy baseball drafting strategies on the Internet. Get a No. 1 starting pitcher early. Wait for saves. Find speed late. The list goes on and on. Whether you follow those suggestions or not, I don’t care. The only advice I have for you is to wait on starting pitching when drafting.

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Why? Well, the answer is simple. You can find a replacement pitcher much easier than you can with a hitter. The depth for hitters runs dry when 10 teams draft 12 hitters each (120 players). With relief and starting pitchers taking up nine spots in standard leagues, there are some good players available in July or August.

Take a look at Tristan H. Cockcroft’s updated rankings. He has just two pitchers in his top 10, Clayton Kershaw and Felix Hernandex. The third starting pitcher is No. 20 overall Chris Sale. If an opponent decides to take a starter with the fifth or ninth overall pick, take the next best hitter. Just like in fantasy football, when there is a run on one position, go against the grain and select a player from a different position.

In one league last year, I drafted Drew Smyly in the 20th Round. I also picked up the fourth-best pitcher in 2014, Corey Kluber, off the waiver wire. Mike Fiers was a late-season pick up. Garrett Richards was a hot add early in the season. Phil Hughes had a great season, finished 23rd on ESPN’s Player Rater, but was owned in just 58 percent of leagues.

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Because you can find great pitching in late drafts or pick up a sleeper off the waiver wire, you should focus on drafting hitters in the first few rounds. Would you rather waste your first-round pick on Hernandez or wait until Round 8 for a Tyson Ross or Doug Fister?

If you lose Sale or Kluber could hurt for a week or two, but you can bounce back with a nice waiver-wire pick up or two. Losing Mike Trout or another top hitter to injury will ruin your season. Using your first five or six picks to stack up on solid hitters will help your team in the long run.