As in real life, pitching is nearly everything in the fantasy realm. You can always swallow a few 0-4�s or even 0-5�s out of your hitters, but seeing your pitcher tagged for eight earned runs in 2 1/3 innings will ruin your day no matter what. So not only is it important that your team has pitching, but even excess pitching � for no other reason than to choose the most favorable matchups in a given week, or better yet pitchers with two starts in a week. It may not matter much which teams your hitters may be facing in a given week, but choosing a pitcher who is facing Tampa Bay at home, as opposed to Texas on the road, can make all the difference.

1. Johan Santana (MN) � Even as late as last spring, the Twins couldn�t find a permanent spot in the rotation for Santana, this off-season the front office made it�s wisest move by locking up Johan for 4 years/$40 million. If the last four months of last season was any indication, that may be the deal of the century. In 21 of his final 22 starts Johan allowed no more than two earned runs, and all of three in that 22nd game. Santana also went ten consecutive starts (all at least six innings) allowing no more than four hits. After the All-Star break Santana went 13-0, with a 1.21 ERA/.75 ratio. Santana is equally effective at home or on the road, and easily vaults over the old standby as the #1 starting pitcher to own in fantasy baseball.



2. Randy Johnson (NYY) � Meet the Big Apple�s newest high rise, although he is just slightly younger than the Empire State Building. Last year at this time, the Unit was considered perhaps the biggest gamble heading into the season. Either Johnson was going to rebound, or break down and perhaps head into retirement. What happened was that the Amazing Randy had perhaps his finest season yet, recording a perfect game along with a 2.60/.90. The only shame was that many performances were wasted on a horrible Diamondback team. Randy may now be in the American League, but in a great pitchers park for left-handers, which should result in a ton of wins. Johnson�s strikeout rate isn�t quite as freakish as a few years back, but his value is still very high � especially in AL only leagues.



3. Curt Schilling (BOS) � There�s been questions on whether Schilling will answer the bell for opening night in New York, but I wouldn�t be shocked if they rolled Schill to the mound on a gurney and he throws seven shutout innings on the Yankees. The pictures of Schilling�s ankle scar ought to be on OGRISH, where four separate tears were repaired after the World Series. Schilling was confined to a wheelchair for a month but has been working out like a maniac since. Schill threw off the mound for the first time recently, and although he said he was unhappy with his performance. Still, I�m not doubting him and am looking for him to make the greatest comeback since Eddie came back from a horrific beating by the Matador to participate in a threesome by the end of a recent episode of Tilt. Unit and Santana are already drafted, Schilling is very highly recommended in AL only leagues.



4. Roy Halladay (TOR) � Among total pitchers, Halladay only ranks in the mid-teens and represents the same type of gamble that Randy Johnson was last year. Halladay�s two DL stints in 2004 were possibly connected to throwing 266 innings in his Cy Young season of 2003. Halladay also added another pitch to his repertoire before the �04 season � if he looks good in the spring games you could have a steal on your hands.



5. Carl Pavano (NYY) � Parlayed a huge year with the Marlins into a huge pay day from Mr. Steinbrenner. Pavano is a very imposing 6�5� 240 � but doesn�t get a lot of strikeouts, relying mainly on ground balls although he does have a mid �90�s heater. Past arm problems along with dealing with New York pressure will be obstacles, but Pavano is a good bet to approach 20 wins.



6. Rich Harden (OAK) � The A�s unloading both Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder cements Harden�s place in the Oakland rotation once and for all. After the All-Star break Harden went 8-2 with a 3.49/1.17 while reducing his base on balls considerably. Harden could definitely be headed to a Johan Santana-like breakout season.



7. Kelvim Escobar (ANG) � Pitched in a lot of tough luck (11-12) last year and had an ERA barely under four. But Escobar ranks high in 5X5 leagues due to a high number of strikeouts. Baseball hit only .244 off him last year, so look for Kelvim to rack up a ton of wins with a strong Angel offense behind him.



8. Mike Mussina (NYY) � Always a tough pitcher to figure out, he could get absolutely shelled one night and flirt with a perfect game the next. Had a lousy year (4.59 ERA) last year which included a couple of DL stints, but pitched very well down the stretch. Don�t shy away from starting Moose in Boston, for some reason Mussina saves some of his best work for Fenway Park.



9. Bartolo Colon (ANG) � Is this what the American League has come to??? A pitcher with a 5.01 ERA from the year before ranking in the top ten??? Colon (5�11� TWO-FITY) seemed to be going the Sidney Ponson route in more ways than one during the first half, racking up a 6.63 ERA. But Colon was brilliant in the second half going 12-4 with a 3.63, with the AL only hitting .232 off him. You should be able to ride the Bart for at least 15 wins this season.



10. Barry Zito (OAK) � This is another gamble pick, if Zito�s 12 to 6 is on, you can easily shoot him up to the top-five on this list, when it�s not he�s just another AL pitcher. Did rebound somewhat in the second half last year. Zito still hasn�t reached his prime so assuming he�s healthy this should be a bounce-back year.



11. C.C. Sabathia (CLE) � At 6�7� 290 and only at age 24, he probably could just as well go #11 overall as an offensive tackle in the NFL Draft. Everyone has had C.C as a burnout candidate the past few years, but has actually been consistent workhorse with an ERA around 4 and a WHIP around 1.30. He could blossom in year #4 with an improved Cleveland team behind him.



12. Freddy Garcia (CWS) � I was never nuts about the guy in Seattle, and now he is working in a less favorable pitchers park in Chicago, but at least doesn�t have to face the likes of Anaheim or Texas nearly as often. Freddy�s strikeout rate did return to 2002 levels last year. He�s still only 29, but I don�t know if you will ever see his 2001 form (18-6, 3.05/1.12) again.



13. Mark Buehrle (CWS) � Has posted a fine 65-44 record over the past four years, but some are worried about the 715 innings logged over the past three seasons, including 245 last year alone. Is at his best when literally sawing the bat off of opposing hitters hands.



14. Matt Clement (BOS) � The dude sure racks up a pitch count. There was a fan just behind the dugout who was reminding him during a start at Miller Park last year. During the second inning: �THAT�S 47 MATT!!!�, during the third �THAT�S 73!!!�, and finally in the fifth �104 NOW CLEMENT!!!�. Now Red Sox nation gets the joy of watching Matt�s 5 2/3 inning outings, which is kind of like enduring a root canal. But Clement has value this year in strikeouts and wins, not a bad play in the depleted AL field.



15. Brad Radke (MN) � Is ten years in with the Twins, and 127 wins later is not likely to leave anytime soon since he�s actually from the area. Had statistically his best season last year with a 3.48/1.16. Not good for strikeouts without a lot of upside, but a good #3 starter with few worries for your team.



16. Wade Miller (BOS) � A high-risk/high-reward play, Miller has posted ERA�s at 3.40 or below for three of the past four years in Houston in a park not too much worse for pitchers than Fenway Park. Strikeouts 7.5 batters per nine innings, but has been shut down for parts of the last two seasons with a fray shoulder. The fear is that season ending surgery will be a possibility eventually, but if Wade can beat those odds he could also easily be a top ten AL pitcher. Watch spring developments carefully.



17. Jeremy Bonderman (DET) � At age 22 still a work in progress, but his second half performance was exceptional last year with a 3.70/1.10, and 85 strikeouts in 90 IP. If you want to take a flyer on one guy emerging to become an All-Star this year, Jeremy could be that guy.



18. Ted Lilly (TOR) � ERA/ratio totals are not exceptional, and doesn�t throw anything over 90 MPH � but gets the results with 12-10 records the last two years. Is known as a fly-ball pitcher � which is good as long as those fly balls don�t land over the outfield wall.



19. Jake Westbrook (CLE) � Raised serious eyebrows by allowing only two hits over 16 innings in a pair of outings v. the Tigers early last year, and finished the year with a fine 3.38 ERA. Not a hard thrower and doesn�t produce a lot of strikeouts, so he won�t be highly touted on draft day.



20. Zack Greinke (KC) � Is only 21 and pitches for the lowly Royals, but Greinke already has four different pitches in his arsenal and now wants to add a knuckleball!!! Is very cerebral and very good at scouting the opposition and changes speeds constantly.



21. David Wells (BOS) � People had to be talked out of jumping off the Coronado-Bay Bridge after he turned his back on the Padres for the umpteenth time during the offseason � and moving back to the AL East where he now vows to extract revenge on the Yankees. Even at age 42, Wells posts an exceptional ratio (1.14 last year) due to the fact that he rarely allows any walks.



22. Bronson Arroyo (BOS) � Is ranked highly on some cheats and way down on some others over concern that he may only be a #5 starter this year. However Arroyo started 29 games for the World Champs in 2004, posting an ERA just over 4 with a fine 1.22 ratio. There are enough health concerns with the other Red Sox starters to ensure that Arroyo gets regular work this year.



23. Rodrigo Lopez (BAL) � Should be the Orioles ace, but was actually tried out in the bully on a couple of occasions last year. Lopez has posted ERA�s of 3.57 and 3.59 the last two years and shouldn�t be a bad bet on those occasions where he�s not facing the Red Sox or Yankees.



24. Kevin Brown (NYY) � Haven�t we made the mistake of giving up on him before??? But his bad back, along with the same bizarre intestinal parasite that Jason Giambi had may prove to be too much to overcome. But Brown is one of the all-time intense competitors and it wouldn�t be a surprise if he were to bounce back.



25. Jaret Wright (NYY) � Was a waiver wire bargain for many fantasy teams last April, and wound up posting 15 wins with a fine 3.28 ERA with the Braves last year with nice strikeout totals. How he fares with the Yanks may be another matter however, we do know that he did initially fail a physical before the team signed him anyways � a good bet to break down at some point.



26. John Lackey (ANG) � Goes 6�6� and 235 � numbers haven�t been great (ERA�s over 4.50 the last two years) but has a great curveball and started to strike out a lot of hitters late last year. If you believe in the Age 26 theory, this will be Lack�s breakout year.



27. Joel Pineiro (SEA) � The Age 26 theory goes with Pineiro as well this year, 2004 numbers were bloated somewhat by an awful April, and will also be undervalued based on missing the last two months of last season with a bum elbow. If the health checks out he should be fine late round choice.



28. Scott Kazmir (TB) � In shocking fashion, the Mets got rid of their #1 prospect in exchange for Victor Zambrano at the trade deadline last year. The Rays immediately called him to the show, skipping AAA in the process. Kazmir was kicked around a little, but as was the case in the minors averaged well more than a strikeout per inning. Fastball checks out in the mid 90�s along with a plus curveball. Kazmir is someone to watch, although it wouldn�t be a bad idea to have the 21 year-old start the year in AAA.



29. Dan Haren (OAK) � Acquired in the Mark Mulder trade, Haren is expected to step in as a #3 starter in the A�s rotation. The starting pitcher in the PCL All-Star game, Haren K�d 150 in 128 IP before getting a late-season call-up last year.



30. Jose Contreras (CWS) � The White Sox found out the same thing as the Yankees before him last year, that Contreras his maddening inconsistent. If you can pick and choose when Contreras is going to do well (usually against some of the softer teams), he might be worth your while.



31. Cliff Lee (CLE) � If he did anything close to the 9-1 record with a 3.77 ERA in last year�s first half, Lee would go a few spots higher on this list. But Cliff had an ERA pushing eight after the break while giving up long balls by the bunch.



32. David Bush (TOR) � Just part of a nice crop coming up through the Blue Jay system, Bush had a nice first half-season in the bigs � going 5-4 with a 3.69 ERA. Bush had a pretty interesting amateur resume, he was one of the best closers in college baseball at Wake Forest, but was slowed by blood clots in his leg of all things.



33. Kevin Millwood (CLE) � Remember in 1998 when Millwood and Kerry Wood were supposed to be the next big things. The dominant days of a few years back seem to be a distant memory now fo Millwood, and he figures mot to do much better in another bandbox in Cleveland than he did in Philly last year, where he season ended prematurely with elbow problems.



34. Jarrod Washburn (ANG) � Had a tremendous year when the Angels won it all, going 18-6 with a 3.15/1.17 � but had been nothing but ordinary since. Awful strikeout total lowers his value in 5 X 5 leagues.



35. Paul Byrd (ANG) � Coming back from Tommy John surgery, Byrd actually did well going 8-7 with a 3.94 ERA with the Braves. He�s a Comeback Player of the Year candidate now in the American League.



36. Jamie Moyer (SEA) � 21-7 with a 3.27 ERA just a year earlier, Moyer fell to 7-13 with a 5.21 ERA last year. Still logged 200 innings with his usual 34 starts, but Moyer�s freefall lends credence to the theory on how even the best in their profession can hit the wall for good after age 40.



37. Dan Meyer (OAK) � The crown jewel of the Tim Hudson deal, Meyer has over a 4-1 strikeout to walk ratio in his professional career and recorded well over a strikeout per inning last year. Meyer is expected to immediately move into the A�s rotation.



38. Jon Garland (CWS) � Has been pretty consistent his first three years, compiling an even 36-36 record (12 wins each year), but with ERA�s of over 4.50 and WHIP�s over 1.37 each year. The hope is that he suddenly improves this year at age 25, which would make sense.



39. Bobby Madritsch (SEA) � Once pitched in the Independent League, which usually says it all. However Madritsch actually had a nice half-season with the Mariners with a 6-3 record and 3.27 ERA. Smart money says the league figures him out this time around, but at least he�s in a good pitchers park.



40. Tim Wakefield (BOS) � Wakefield and his knuckler are still around, but he could be the odd man out in the Red Sox rotation. Turns 39 later in the year but has been throwing like he�s 45 for quite a while.



41. Orlando Hernandez (CWS) � Had a great few weeks last summer after the Yankees literally brought him back from the scrap heap, winding up with a nice 3.30 ERA in 84 IP. I wouldn�t expect as much with him at Comiskey, although he could do well out of the New York microscope.



42. Kenny Rogers (TX) � Has been around so long that he almost outdates the other Kenny Rogers. I mean Lenny Randle may have been rearranging manager Frank Luccehsi�s face when he broke in. He may have some value if you actually believe that Kenny will win 18 games again, but just because he�s Texas� de-facto ace doesn�t mean that he has to be yours.



43. Sidney Ponson (BAL) � Best known for losing his Arubian knightship after going mad with his jet-ski and getting into a beach-clearing brawl with what turned out to be a local judge. Between the lines, Ponson won 17 games as recently as 2003 but ballooned (in more ways than one) with a 5.30/1.55 last year.



44. Joe Blanton (OAK) � Yet another of the new youngsters that should crack into the Oakland rotation this spring, has been compared to Rich Harden � but in reality falls below not only Harden, but new acquisitions Dan Meyer and Dan Haren as well. Still Blanton has been considered one of the crown jewels of the A�s farm system, although his fastball did lose a few MPH�s last year.



45. Grant Balfour (MN) � No, he�s not a goalie from Canada, but a pitcher from Australia. Balfour has the inside track on the Twins #5 slot, but has never pitched over 100 innings in his career and also battled arm problems last year.