2014 Fantasy Baseball Cheat Sheets: WHIP

(Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched)

Of all the fantasy pitching categories, a pitcher's WHIP is probably the most-important statistic when evaluating his worth.
Like all fantasy stats, there are statistical anomalies, like Marco Estrada's 3.87 ERA despite his very-low 1.08 WHIP in 2013. By comparison, Gio Gonzalez, Mike Leake and Chad Gaudin each had a WHIP of 1.25, however they each had an ERA of 3.37 or less in 2014, which is more par-for-the-course (or even a touch low) with such a WHIP.

When it comes to draft day, we've already forewarned you to not get too hyped over a pitcher's wins - wins are too reliant on the team around him. Also, total strikeouts may be misleading depending on the number of starts or appearances a pitcher has in a season (K/9 is a better statistical indicator despite not being a standard 5 x 5 fantasy stat). ERA is a pretty good indication of a pitcher's worth, but there's a little more luck involved with it as compared to his WHIP.

The bottom line is that a pitcher's WHIP is calculated with more data: Hits + Walks per Inning Pitched. A starting pitcher typically has 30+ starts and 200+ innings pitched in a season. That's a pretty significant cross-section of reliable data when it comes down to pure math. Since it's a much larger cross-section of data, a pitcher's WHIP is more-likely to reflect an accurate depiction of a pitcher's true fantasy value on draft day, and WHIP is also a much better predictor of future success for a pitcher. When you break it down simply, a WHIP is a stat that indicates how many batters a pitcher allows to get on base with a hit or a walk. To dumb this way down, if a pitcher allows fewer guys on base, that means he's simply better than other pitchers with a higher WHIP.

Top 150 Fantasy WHIP Leaders: Starting Pitchers

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
5
7
8
9
9
11
11
11
14
15
15
17
17
17
20
20
22
22
24
24
24
24
24
29
29
29
32
32
32
32
32
32
38
38
38
38
42
42
42
42
42
47
47
47
50
50
Starting Pitcher
 Kershaw, C
 Harvey, M
 Scherzer, M
 Fernandez, J
 Iwakuma, H
 Lee, C
 Buchholz, C
 Bumgarner, M
 Strasburg, S
 Cueto, J
 Wainwright, A
 Darvish, Y
 Sale, C
 Estrada, M
 Zimmermann, J
 Minor, M
 Price, D
 Cingrani, T
 Oberholtzer, B
 Greinke, Z
 Gray, S
 Bailey, H
 Rodriguez, W
 Griffin, A
 Hernandez, F
 Cashner, A
 Archer, C
 Salazar, D
 Santana, E
 Weaver, J
 Alvarez, H
 Wood, T
 Arroyo, B
 Sanchez, A
 Peavy, J
 Cobb, A
 Ross, T
 Hamels, C
 Kuroda, H
 Cain, M
 Lackey, J
 Corbin, P
 Lohse, K
 Teheran, J
 Colon, B
 Cole, G
 Feldman, S
 Chen, B
 Albers, A
 Hudson, T
 Delgado, R
WHIP
0.92
0.93
0.97
0.98
1.01
1.01
1.02
1.03
1.05
1.05
1.07
1.07
1.07
1.08
1.09
1.09
1.10
1.10
1.10
1.11
1.11
1.12
1.12
1.13
1.13
1.13
1.13
1.13
1.14
1.14
1.14
1.15
1.15
1.15
1.15
1.15
1.15
1.16
1.16
1.16
1.16
1.17
1.17
1.17
1.17
1.17
1.18
1.18
1.18
1.19
1.19
App
33
26
32
28
33
31
16
31
30
11
34
32
30
21
32
32
27
23
13
28
12
32
12
32
31
31
23
10
32
24
17
32
32
29
23
22
35
33
32
30
29
32
32
30
30
19
30
34
10
21
20
Starts
33
26
32
28
33
31
16
31
30
11
34
32
30
21
32
32
27
18
10
28
10
32
12
32
31
26
23
10
32
24
17
32
32
29
23
22
16
33
32
30
29
32
32
30
30
19
30
15
10
21
19
ERA
1.83
2.27
2.90
2.19
2.66
2.87
1.74
2.77
3.00
2.82
2.94
2.83
3.07
3.87
3.25
3.21
3.33
2.92
2.76
2.63
2.67
3.49
3.59
3.83
3.04
3.09
3.22
3.12
3.24
3.27
3.59
3.11
3.79
2.57
4.17
2.76
3.17
3.60
3.31
4.00
3.52
3.41
3.35
3.20
2.65
3.22
3.86
3.27
4.05
3.97
4.26
Rank
52
52
54
54
54
54
54
59
59
59
59
59
59
65
65
67
67
67
67
67
67
73
73
73
76
76
78
78
78
81
81
81
81
85
85
85
85
89
90
90
90
93
93
93
93
93
98
98
98
98
Starting Pitcher
 Ryu, H
 Masterson, J
 Nolasco, R
 Latos, M
 Miller, S
 Burnett, A
 Redmond, T
 Tillman, C
 Quintana, J
 Parker, J
 Medlen, K
 Liriano, F
 Villanueva, C
 Gonzalez, M
 Ogando, A
 Shields, J
 Dickey, R
 Haren, D
 Straily, D
 Garza, M
 Garcia, F
 Gonzalez, G
 Leake, M
 Gaudin, C
 Chacin, J
 Kluber, C
 Stults, E
 Milone, T
 Gorzelanny, T
 Gee, D
 Porcello, R
 Nova, I
 Morton, C
 Lester, J
 Holland, D
 Hefner, J
 Danks, J
 Moore, M
 Verlander, J
 Lynn, L
 Fister, D
 Miley, W
 Lincecum, T
 Kazmir, S
 Chen, W
 Eovaldi, N
 Jimenez, U
 Pettitte, A
 Arrieta, J
 Wood, A
WHIP
1.20
1.20
1.21
1.21
1.21
1.21
1.21
1.22
1.22
1.22
1.22
1.22
1.22
1.23
1.23
1.24
1.24
1.24
1.24
1.24
1.24
1.25
1.25
1.25
1.26
1.26
1.27
1.27
1.27
1.28
1.28
1.28
1.28
1.29
1.29
1.29
1.29
1.30
1.31
1.31
1.31
1.32
1.32
1.32
1.32
1.32
1.33
1.33
1.33
1.33
App
30
32
34
32
31
30
17
33
33
32
32
26
47
30
23
34
34
31
27
24
17
32
31
30
31
26
33
28
43
32
32
23
20
33
33
24
22
27
34
33
33
33
32
29
23
18
32
30
14
31
Starts
30
29
33
32
31
30
14
33
33
32
31
26
15
28
18
34
34
30
27
24
13
32
31
12
31
24
33
26
10
32
29
20
20
33
33
23
22
27
34
33
32
33
32
29
23
18
32
30
14
11
ERA
3.00
3.45
3.70
3.16
3.06
3.30
4.32
3.71
3.51
3.97
3.11
3.02
4.06
3.78
3.11
3.15
4.21
4.67
3.96
3.82
4.37
3.36
3.37
3.06
3.47
3.85
3.93
4.14
3.90
3.62
4.32
3.10
3.26
3.75
3.42
4.34
4.75
3.29
3.46
3.97
3.67
3.55
4.37
4.04
4.07
3.39
3.30
3.74
4.78
3.13
Rank
102
102
102
102
106
106
106
106
106
106
106
106
106
106
116
116
116
116
116
121
121
123
123
123
126
126
126
129
129
129
132
132
134
134
134
134
134
139
139
141
141
143
143
145
145
145
148
148
148
Starting Pitcher
Wilson, C
 Hernandez, R
 Perez, M
 Richards, G
 Buehrle, M
 Samardzija, J
 Hellickson, J
 Harang, A
 McCarthy, B
 Deduno, S
 Kelly, J
 Slowey, K
 Marcum, S
 Cosart, J
 Gallardo, Y
 McAllister, Z
 Koehler, T
 Wheeler, Z
 Rusin, C
 Sabathia, C
 Tepesch, N
 De La Rosa, J
 Locke, J
 Peacock, B
 Guthrie, J
 Williams, J
 Vargas, J
 Kennedy, I
 Kendrick, K
 Santiago, H
 Maholm, P
 Capuano, C
 Peralta, W
 Correia, K
 Cahill, T
 Rogers, E
 Phelps, D
 Doubront, F
 Chatwood, T
 Niese, J
 Turner, J
 Dempster, R
 Ramirez, E
 Jackson, E
 Hughes, P
 Hammel, J
 Nicasio, J
 Pettibone, J
 Happ, J
WHIP
1.34
1.34
1.34
1.34
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.36
1.36
1.36
1.36
1.36
1.37
1.37
1.38
1.38
1.38
1.39
1.39
1.39
1.40
1.40
1.40
1.41
1.41
1.42
1.42
1.42
1.42
1.42
1.43
1.43
1.44
1.44
1.45
1.45
1.46
1.46
1.46
1.47
1.47
1.47
App
33
32
20
47
33
33
32
26
22
18
37
20
14
10
31
24
29
17
13
32
19
30
30
18
33
37
24
31
30
34
26
24
32
31
26
44
22
29
20
24
20
32
14
31
30
26
31
18
18
Starts
33
24
20
17
33
33
31
26
22
18
15
14
12
10
31
24
23
17
13
32
17
30
30
14
33
25
24
31
30
23
26
20
32
31
25
20
12
27
20
24
20
29
13
31
29
23
31
18
18
ERA
3.39
4.89
3.62
4.16
4.15
4.34
5.17
5.40
4.53
3.83
2.69
4.11
5.29
1.95
4.18
3.75
4.41
3.42
3.93
4.78
4.84
3.49
3.52
5.18
4.04
4.57
4.02
4.91
4.70
3.56
4.41
4.26
4.37
4.18
3.99
4.77
4.98
4.32
3.15
3.71
3.74
4.57
4.98
4.98
5.19
4.97
5.14
4.04
4.56

Analysis of Fantasy Starting Pitchers

Everyone wants to know if Jose Fernandez is for real? Lots of people have an opinion about it, too, so we'll chime in... but we're not gonna be all boisterous and overly-opinionated about it. That's just lame and immature... and far be it from us to act in such a fashion. So, let's analyze, shall we?

Jose Fernandez's stats were ridiculous last season, and he carried a lot of fantasy pitching staffs after being picked up off of the waiver wire in most leagues. In 2014, however, we see his ERA getting around the 1.15 region, as well as his ERA getting into the 3.00-3.40 region - still excellent numbers, though. We think that veteran hitters this season will have figured him out a bit and will be a few steps ahead of him in the early part of the season - and maybe all season. Still, though, a 0.98 WHIP doesn't lie. Fernandez has crazy-good stuff, and that's not going to go away. Once he catches back up with hitters, he'll be fine for a long time. He only turns 22 in July, so there's a lot of time for him to be a dominant pitcher.

Johnny Cueto is just one of those pitchers who gets it done, somehow, some way (unless he's injured, of course). Over the past three seasons, Cueto has a combined WHIP of 1.125 in 68 starts. Last season, he spent the majority of the season on the DL, but came back strong to close out the season. Despite entering his 7th season in the majors already, he's still only 27 years old - an age when a lot of players enter their most-dominant seasons. Some guys will look at his stint on the DL last season and shy away from Cueto; others will look at it as a low-mileage, energy-saving season. We think that, even if Cueto does get hurt again, he's still worth a relatively-high roster spot on your fantasy team, because when he's in and pitching, he's money.

David Price owners last season were about ready to fly to Tampa Bay on their own and punch David Price right in the face after his terrible start to the season. Then he went on the DL, missed a month-and-a-half, then came back on July 2nd and proceeded to kick the league's ass through the end of the season. Over his last 18 starts, Price was dominant with a 2.53 ERA, and really had only one notably bad start. Clearly, during the first part of the season, something was bothering him physically, and going on the DL for it was the best thing he could have done. After burying countless fantasy pitching staffs the first part of the season, he more than made up for it from July 2nd on. Now, Price is the subject of many trade rumors, but don't worry about it. He'll be fine wherever he ends up.