Did We Draft Starting Pitching Too Early?

Jeff Erickson and Fred Zinkie look at data from 2024 and identify bankable trends. Where are our category leaders coming from? Did we draft starting pitching too soon?

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00:00 - Fred Pod 6-4

00:30 - Overall data from 2024 (as of the start of play this week)

01:30 - 4 of the top-20 pitchers in ERA were drafted in the top-100

07:00 - 12 of the 19 pitches with 75 SO were drafted in the top-100

09:00 - 6 top the top-15 pitchers in WHIP were drafted in the top-100

11:30 - There are so many starters who have are sitting on waivers in most leagues and have an ERA around 3.50 and a WHIP around 1.15 (Ryan Weathers, Jake Irvin, Trevor Williams, Kyle Gibson etc.). Bailey Falter was available on Sunday in most of my 15-team leagues. He has a WHIP under 1.00! 

13:30 - Are big bids on pitchers like Christian Scott ill-considered?

16:45 - Trevor Williams on IL

21:00 - 10 of the top-13 hitters in homers were drafted in the top-100; 5 of the 11 hitters who are batting .300 were drafted in the top-100; 10 of the 12 hitters with 40 runs scored were drafted in the top-100; 9 of the 15 players with 40 RBIs were drafted in the top-100

28:00 - Were we drafting pitchers too early in this “everyone can pitch” landscape?

31:45 - One more observation, of the 22 qualified pitchers with an ERA under 3.00, 15 have fewer strikeouts than innings. In this season of low BABIP and low HR/FB rate, is getting whiffs less important in run prevention?

39:00 - Should owners in trading leagues try to correct this by dealing effective pitchers for effective hitters? 

47:00 - Finally, am I correct in believing that the pitcher injury crises was overblown (once again) in April?

55:00 - Monday notes: Kyle Tucker is day-to-day but should be fine…..Blake Snell is on the IL again…..Noelvi Marte will soon start his rehab assignment…..Brandon Marsh to the IL…..Robert Gasser is dealing with an elbow injury…..Connor Norby debuted…..Tyler Anderson continues to defy the odds….Matt Waldron pitched well again…..The Reds scored 13 at Coors…..Nolan Gorman has hit 8 HR in 14 games…..Mark Vientos had another great game…..MacKenzie Gore burned owners in his two-start week…..Kevin Gausman continues to stink…..Austin Hays hit his first two homers of the season….

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