2010 Fantasy Baseball: Starting Pitcher (SP) Breakouts

2010 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide: Starting Pitcher (SP) Breakouts. Starting Pitcher (SP) Breakout selections are based on a standard scoring system in mixed AL/NL fantasy baseball leagues for the 2010 season. Scoring system stats include: wins, losses, strikeouts, era, and whip - (W, L, K, ERA, WHIP). IP = innings pitched during the 2009 season.

Starting Pitcher (SP) Breakout selections are based on players who have the potential to post a significant increase in pitching statistics during the 2010 season, as compared to their 2009 season and/or previous season statistics over their major league career. Each players age for the 2010 season is provided after their name.

Top 5 - Starting Pitcher (SP) Breakouts 2010

#1 - Clayton Kershaw - Los Angeles Dodgers (22)
As an extremely highly touted pitching prospect, Kershaw entered the 2009 season with a starting job in the Dodgers pitching rotation, and at just age 21 Kershaw was definitely able to hold his own over his first full MLB season. The Dodgers have been taking it easy on Kershaw over the past two years, much like Seattle did with Felix Hernandez, and there is no doubt that Kershaw is primed to be a perennial CY Young contender over the next 10 years. Entering his third season pitching at the major league level, expecting a huge jump in wins and strikeouts is likely for Kershaw during the 2010 season on what should be a playoff contending Dodgers team.
2009 Stats: 171 IP, 8 W, 8 L, 185 K, 2.79 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
2010 Stat Projections: 200 IP, 17 W, 6 L, 230 K, 2.80 ERA, 1.18 WHIP

#2 - Brett Anderson - Oakland Athletics (22)
With an impressive showing as a 21 year old rookie during the 2009 season, Anderson should enter the 2010 season as the Athletics ace of the starting pitching staff. Offering excellent strikeout ability and rarely giving up walks, Anderson has the potential to tally a solid ERA around 3.50 or below with a WHIP around 1.15 during the 2010 season. Unfortunately pitching on an Athletics team that will likely struggle to score runs during the 2010 season, Anderson who will match up against opponents ace starting pitchers on several occasions during the season, may have a hard time cashing in on wins.
2009 Stats: 175 IP, 11 W, 11 L, 150 K, 4.06 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
2010 Stat Projections: 200 IP, 12 W, 8 L, 190 K, 3.40 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

#3 - Francisco Liriano - Minnesota Twins (26)
Four years removed from an outstanding rookie season in 2006, and three years removed from Tommy John surgery, Liriano enters the 2010 season with an outstanding amount of upside and breakout potential as an ace starting pitcher in the majors. With a solid showing in the Dominican Winter League, Liriano appears to be on the track to regaining his pre-Tommy John injury form. However there should still be a major question mark as to just how many innings he will be able to pitch effectively during the 2010 season, but with numerous starting pitchers successfully coming back from Tommy John surgery, most recently the Marlins Josh Johnson, Liriano offers more than enough talent to breakout into an ace starting pitcher in the majors during the 2010 season.
2009 Stats: 136 IP, 5 W, 13 L, 122 K, 5.80 ERA, 1.55 WHIP
2010 Stat Projections: 180 IP, 15 W, 5 L, 200 K, 3.50 ERA, 1.10 WHIP

#4 - Clay Buchholz - Boston Red Sox (25)
With Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Jon Lester taking up the top three spots in the Red Sox starting pitching staff, Buchholz will battle Daisuke Matsuzaka for the #4 spot, with Buchholz likely landing in the final #5 spot. Assuming Buchholz does claim the #4 or #5 spot in the starting pitching staff, you have to like his potential matchups against opponents #4 or #5 pitchers. With a solid showing after his midseason call up during the 2009 season, Buchholz offers a tremendous amount of potential for fantasy baseball teams in terms of wins and an overall solid stat line across the board in other categories. If the Red Sox offense can stay healthy and score runs, Buchholz could be looking at a 15 win season from his end of the rotation starting pitching spot.
2009 Stats: 92 IP, 7 W, 4 L, 68 K, 4.21 ERA, 1.38 WHIP
2010 Stat Projections: 180 IP, 14 W, 7 L, 160 K, 3.80 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

#5 - Jonathan Sanchez - San Francisco Giants (27)
Sanchez has long been considered a top of the line starting pitcher at the major league level, while also boasting ace potential. After finishing the 2009 season extremely well, including posting a 3.83 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 84 innings pitched after the All-Star break, Sanchez at age 27 is poised to have a breakout year during the 2010 season. Offering a career major league strikeout ratio of just over 1 strikeout per inning, Sanchez could easily be looking at a 200 plus strikeout season in 2010. The wins may be hard to come by considering he is backed by a likely low run scoring Giants offense in 2010, but Sanchez's ability to tally high strikeout numbers to go along with solid ERA and WHIP numbers should be more than helpful to fantasy baseball teams in 2010.
2009 Stats: 163 IP, 8 W, 12 L, 177 K, 4.24 ERA, 1.37 WHIP
2010 Stat Projections: 200 IP, 12 W, 10 L, 210 K, 3.80 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

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