The 2009 season might just be the best time to draft New York Mets ace Johan Santana. Ever so quietly, the two-time Cy Young award winner led the National League in ERA (2.53) and innings pitched (234.1) and was the main reason New York stayed in playoff contention through late September. He is the pre-eminent starting pitcher in fantasy baseball, but will barely be a top 20 pick in ‘09 drafts.

Since becoming a full-time starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins in 2004, Santana has yet to pitch fewer than 219 innings in a season. And in four of those five campaigns, he finished with a sub-3.00 ERA that weighs heavily on a fantasy team’s pitching numbers. Read more »

Josh Hamilton was a late-round pick in 2008 drafts, and Carlos Quentin went largely undrafted. Yet, both ranked among the top sluggers in the American League and finished with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. Owners who managed to acquire their services were boosted unexpectedly in their quests for league championships. But, looking ahead to ‘09, which player is more likely to replicate, maybe even build upon, their surprising success?

It’s tough to argue against the fact that Hamilton is the better overall baseball player. His motions are more fluid, he’s more athletic, has more charisma, and plays better defense. Fantasy owners don’t much care about that, though. It’s all about offensive numbers, and in our estimation, Quentin, assuming his wrist is 100 percent come Opening Day, will be the more valuable player in ‘09. Read more »