Drafting Offense Over Pitching

     There are always those certain players who have a history of injuries. Players that have the ability to put up huge numbers but fantasy owners are afraid to take. After all, who wants to see one of their top ten players go down for an extended period of time with an injury right? At least this problem can be avoided. We have the choice of not taking them and saving us the constant worry. It’s the unexpected injuries that we all fear the most.

     Experience has shown me that pitchers have a higher tendency to be injured when they have no history of injuries. Every time they throw the ball, they put so much strain on their shoulders and arms; it’s like playing Russian roulette. With every pitch we fear anything from blowing out an elbow to something as small as a simple blister. Just look at Josh Beckett’s history of missing games due to blisters on his fingers where he grips the ball.

     This is one reason why, other than the top few Starting Pitchers, it is more important to fill your offense. Another reason is that every year there are always a few pitchers who have good seasons that owner can pick up off of free agency. There once was a time I tried going the route of drafting Pitchers high up in hopes of getting a powerhouse staff. In the end, there were a couple pitchers who didn’t do as well as expected along with a couple of injuries, and for this I missed out on top offensive players. If Johan Santana is available in the second round, grab him. You might even think of taking him late in the first round. Other than that, I would suggest you grab the offensive stars first.

     Another reason offensive players are more trustworthy, is that they depend only on their own ability. Pujols does not need to depend on any of his teammates to crush a fastball over the wall. Soriano can steal second base and it doesn’t matter what his teammates are doing. Pitchers on the other hand count too much on their teammates. If he has slow players around him, ground balls that should be outs might turn into singles. If his team cant score runs, he will not get as many wins and the closer will not get as many saves. If they score too many runs, this also can ruin save chances for a closer.

     Focus more on setting yourself up with a top offense but still use some brains. A good pitcher is still worth more than an average hitter.

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