Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
The preparation process for the 2013 fantasy baseball season is well underway with drafts coming up in the next few weeks. There is one player that comes to mind right away that could be a high draft pick that could turn into a No. 1 pitcher for any team, and his name is Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg won’t be under any restrictions in 2013, and has the potential to pitch 200 innings, which is perfect for fantasy owners with an innings limit.
Strasburg is probably going to get to 16-18 wins as well with an ERA around 2.90, which are numbers that few pitchers will get close to this season outside of Justin Verlander. Pitchers are always a revolving door in fantasy baseball. as some pitchers may look great before the season and fall on their face during the regular season. Strasburg may be an injury risk to some people, but a smart fantasy owner will look at Strasburg and see a pitcher that could lead them to a fantasy championship.
If I was drafting for the 2013 season right now, Strasburg would land somewhere in the second round for me. That may seem a bit high to some people, but I’m not picking any pitcher other than Verlander and Clayton Kershaw before Strasburg. Strasburg is just too talented to let slip too far into the draft, and while getting two solid hitters may be the plan for some owners, I would want a great hitter and pitcher in the first two rounds. If you are going that route, Strasburg is the man you want in the second round.
Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports or like his Facebook page.
