Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Franchise Arms

In keeper leagues, most owners realize, bats are much more valuable than arms. Good hitters are more reliable than good pitchers and they typically have a longer life span in keeper formats. That leads to a lack of truly reliable fantasy aces or "Franchise Arms." A franchise arm is a guy that you can take into the season and know that they will contribute very well in every pitching category that they are eligible for. They are extremely valuable just because there aren't enough of them to go around. Age and team are a major factor because, to make this list, you would have to be a player that an owner could expect to rely upon for the next two or three years.

Felix Hernandez, (24) SP, Mariners-Coming off of back to back Cy Young caliber seasons, there is no reason to believe that King Felix can't still get better. With better run support, he could approach 20 wins. The only long term concern for his owners would be the massive amount of innings that he has put up already.

Roy Halladay, (33) SP, Phillies-Halladay is at the top of his game and should be able to continue posting strong numbers for a few more years. His owners, in keeper leagues, would be smart to back him up with a good up and coming young starter. Eventually, Halladay will slow down.

Tim Lincecum, (26) SP, Giants-The Freak had a bit of a disappointing season in 2010, but, after back to back Cy Young awards expectations may have been a bit to high. He did lose a bit of velocity on his fastball last year, but, his performance late in the year and the playoffs showed that he was back to the dominant ace we all love. If his heater comes back in 2011 lookout.

Adam Wainwright, (29) SP, Cardinals-The only pitcher on this list without a Cy Young award to his credit, Waino definitely deserves a spot on this list. The runner up in the Cy Young race for the last two years, Waino has been as consistent as any pitcher in baseball. He looks to be entering into his prime now and should be in the discussion as the best pitcher in baseball.



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