Baseball spring training is in full swing. With the start of the regular season less than a month away, it is certainly time to prepare for the fantasy draft.  Starters are the backbone of any fantasy team and it’s important to have at least one ace on the staff.  If you can land two, that would give you an advantage over your opponent almost every week.  These are the fantasy baseball top ten starters.

1. Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

Gerrit Cole is the number one starting pitcher in real life and in fantasy. He has all the stats of an elite ace starter over the past two seasons. Check out this line:

• Starts: 32/33
• Innings 200.1/212
• ERA 2.88/2.50
• WHIP 1.033/0.895
• FIB 270/264
• K/9 12.4/13.8

That two year consistency should hold in his first Yankee season. Sorry to disagree with my learned colleague Chuck Stahlheber, but if you are drafting in the mid to late first round, grab Cole. You won’t be sorry, especially in points leagues. He will score more points than any other player in fantasy.

2. Jacob Degrom, New York Mets

The other ace pitcher in New York is Degrom. The reason he sits behind Cole in fantasy is the lack of wins he’s had in the past two years. You can blame his teammates for that as the Mets’ bats go cold when he’s on the mound. His other stats over the past two seasons are just as consistent as Cole’s. His stat line is unquestionably elite:

• Starts 32/32
• Innings 217/204
• ERA 1.70/2.43
• Ks 269/255
• WHIP 0/91/0.97
• K/9 11.2/11.3
• FIB 1.98/2.67

He pitched 7 innings in 12 of his last 13 starts last season. There’s nothing more that can be asked from a starter. If New York can score more runs for him this season, his win total will increase. He would then match Cole in every way. An added bonus would be that ESPN’s Michael Wilbon can stop complaining that Degrom wins the Cy Young Award without winning games.

3. Justin Verlander, Houston Astros

Old man Verlander just keeps rolling along. Since joining Houston during their World Series-winning season, he hasn’t slowed down, especially last season. He led the majors in wins with 21 and made 34 starts with 223 innings with 300 Ks. He also just happened to win the A.L. Cy Young Award. The fact that he went in the third round of fantasy drafts last year means he returned huge dividends. He won’t last that long this time around. If he is there in the second round, pounce. Eventually, age will catch up to him, but it won’t be this season.

4. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

Injuries have moved Scherzer to number four on the list. Last season was the first time in seven years that he didn’t top 200 innings. His stat line of 11 wins in 27 starts reflects the decline. He had a mild back sprain in June and was hit in the face by a ball. Neither should be an issue this season. Scherzer showed he still has it in the playoffs as the Nationals won their first World Series championship. If he completely regains his form, he will be a steal in the second round.

5. Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers

Anyone that can take the top starter slot away from the regular season pitcher-of-the-decade, you have to take notice of. Buehler is doing just that. Clayton Kershaw is now the number two starter for the Dodgers. Buehler is entering his third full season, which means the reins will completely come off. Even with them on last year, Buehler excelled:

• 30 starts
• 182.1 IP
• 215 Ks
• 14 wins
• 3.26 ERA.

He will blow the doors off of those stats this season and as a second-round pick, will pay huge dividends.

6. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals

Strasburg really took off last season, especially when the Nationals needed him most. He won 18 games and made 33 starts with 209 innings as he put any injury concerns behind him. Strasburg also had 251 Ks and a 1.038 WHIP. He did it all last season and if Scherzer doesn’t look out, Strasburg will be passing him as the ace of the team. Don’t wait for him to make it to the third round. He won’t last.

7. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Kershaw isn’t the best pitcher in baseball or fantasy any longer. There is no shame in that. What he is is still pretty darn good. He won 16 games with a 3.03 ERA in 28 starts with 178.1 IP, 189 Ks, and a 1.043 WHIP. If you can pair him with one of the starters above, you have the beginnings of a great staff. If you miss out on one of the above, he can lead your staff with confidence. This is the last time he will be on anyone’s top ten list. But, he will be there when you need him down the stretch and into the fantasy playoffs.

8. Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians

Bieber came on strong last season and the best is yet to come. He won 15 games with a 3.28 ERA in 33 starts with 214.1 IP, 259 Ks, and a 1.05 WHIP. He takes the ball when it’s his turn and pitches deep in games with plenty of punch outs. What more could you ask for from a fantasy starter?

9. Charlie Morton, Tampa Bay Rays

Morton really came on in his first season with the Rays. He eventually rose to the number position as a starter in all of fantasy baseball. He won 16 games with a 3.05 ERA in 33 starts, 194.2 IPs, 240 Ks, and a 1.08 WHIP. Morton is getting older, but pitches in a huge home park and has another strong season in him. His ADP is 51 overall and 16th among starters. To me, that is crazy. He is definitely one of the top ten fantasy baseball starters. He will last longer than the others on this list, but don’t wait too long to scoop him up.

10. Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals

Last, but certainly not least, is Flaherty. He is the youngest pitcher on this list and his arrow is pointing straight up. He increased his starts, IP, Ks, and wins totals over the previous season. Flaherty also had a 0.97 WHIP. Look for him to go over the 200 innings mark as the clamps will be off in his third pro season. If all goes as planned, he will much higher on this list next season. Grab him while you can.

It is exciting that baseball has returned with spring training games in full force. Watch and enjoy the games, but be mindful of preparing for your fantasy draft. Starters are very important to a winning draft strategy. The above fantasy baseball top ten starters will lead the way to a successful fantasy season.

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