Starters vs. Relievers: American League

I get asked whether or not starting pitchers are better than relief pitchers an awful lot.

I addressed this point back in March 2009. Back then, though, I wasn't taking 5x5 into account.

2010 American League Auction Rosters: Starting Pitchers (72): 4,671 2/3 IP, 3,459 K, 290 W, 0 SV, 4.26 ERA, 1.338 WHIP, $690 earned, $636 spent.

2010 American League Auction Rosters: Relief Pitchers (36): 760 IP, 739 K, 46 W, 197 SV, 3.77 ERA, 1.291 WHIP, $330, $300 spent.

As I point out every time I write one of these pieces, if the average salary of this year's American League pitchers was $936, then they should earn $936 and not $1,020. I can't bring myself to give the pitchers an eight percent pay cut, though, so the earnings stand.

The starting pitchers bring back more profit, but the relievers bring back more per pitcher. Thus far, if you're chasing ERA/WHIP, you're better off with a reliever than with a starting pitcher. However, even though the relievers are striking out nearly a batter an inning, you're not going to compete in the category without a full compliment of starting pitchers.

This is the big picture. The smaller picture shows us that nine of the Top 10 pitchers are starters, with only Jose Valverde cracking the Top 10. At the bottom of the heap, though, the same is also true. David Robertson is the only reliever among the 10 worst pitchers to date, and his ($6) pace doesn't come close to matching the seven starting pitchers on pace to earn ($10) or less.

The same rules for pitching apply as always. In 5x5, the risks and rewards are both higher with starting pitchers. If you bought Jason Frasor for $11 this year that hurt, but his ($1) earnings haven't hurt nearly as much as Josh Beckett's ($12). On the other hand, while Matt Thornton is putting up a solid $12 season thus far, he's not nearly providing the impact that Brett Cecil and his $28 season is.