Tim Lincecum may not be long in the tooth, but, well, you get it.

By ROBERT SHAW

sportsnet.ca

Major League Baseball is enjoying a renaissance when it comes to pitching. The veterans are as good as it gets with Roy Halladay, CC Sabathia and Johan Santana primed to maintain lofty production. The young guns are even scarier with Tim Lincecum, Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez still establishing career bests each season.

Then there are the hurlers on the cusp of greatness such as Clayton Kershaw, Tommy Hanson, Josh Johnson, Yovani Gallardo and Jon Lester.

While Lincecum's past three seasons provides you with ample reason to grab him in the first round, the great depth of talented hurlers makes it easy to hold off on drafting a starter until the second or third rounds of fantasy drafts.

Top Starters

1) Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants

The crème de la crème, this guy is so far beyond any other hurler in baseball that he is worth grabbing in the first round. Expect another 15-20 wins, 250-plus strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00.

2) Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners

Hernandez finally put it together last year and now that he's got some confidence and the best defence in the major leagues; he should win his first Cy Young award.

3) CC Sabathia, SP, Yankees

Ol' reliable, Sabathia is good for 17-20 wins, a solid ERA and close to 200 strikeouts. He does pitch in a tough division and calls home to a certain hitter's park, but that didn't seem to stop him last season en route to his first World Championship.

4) Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies

He's now the National League's version of Sabathia. His stats were already stellar in Toronto, and now Halladay faces pitchers at the plate on a daily basis in the National League. The durable hurler should offer 220-plus strikeouts for a team expecting to return to the World Series.

5) Zack Greinke, SP, Royals

He just enjoyed a Sandy Koufax-like season, but this guy does not have Jackie Robinson or Duke Snider behind him. Greinke's the ace of a very bad team, plus he lacks the track record of Halladay or Sabathia.

6) Johan Santana, SP, Mets

How his stock has fallen. The good news is that he will have Jose Reyes and David Wright playing behind him while pitching in an ultimate pitcher's park. If he stays healthy, Santana has the ability to grab the NL Cy Young award.

7) Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers

The Tigers' ace bounced back from a down season with career highs in strikeouts, wins and WHIP. Though he loses some talent in centerfield with Curtis Granderson now a Bronx Bomber, Verlander remains in his prime at just 27-years-old and should return for another fine season.

8) Dan Haren, SP, Diamondbacks

Haren's poor second halves do a disservice for the dominating hurler. He surrendered five runs in each of his final three starts and still finished the season with a 3.14 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. The 29-year-old right-hander has improved in each of the past three seasons.

9) Cliff Lee, SP, Mariners

Lee may not dominate the box score like most of his contemporaries, but at the end of the year he always manages to chalk up some fine overall statistics. Expect even better numbers this season as Lee transitions to a pitcher's park with the game's best defense behind him. Consider the 31-year-old former Cy Young award winner a serious sleeper. Remember what the combination of a pitcher's ballpark and top-notch defence did for the rather ordinary Jarrod Washburn last season.

10) Adam Wainwright, SP, Cardinals

Wainwright became an ace last season with 19 wins and a 2.63 ERA. Most impressive were his 212 strikeouts.

11) Chris Carpenter, SP, Cardinals

His 17-4 record and 2.24 ERA tell the story of a dominant ace, but the struggle for Carpenter is to stay healthy. The Cards hurler has just 32 combined starts over the last three seasons.

12) Jake Peavy, SP, White Sox

Another pitcher who has been limited by injury woes, Peavy has a track record of dominance when healthy. More importantly, Peavy looked like an ace in his finish last season with the White Sox, as he allowed three runs in three starts, leading to three wins in his first taste of the AL.

13) Josh Johnson, SP, Marlins

A healthy Josh Johnson proved to be a dominant Josh Johnson last season. The Marlins ace returned to form with 15 wins, 191 strikeouts, and a splendid 3.23 ERA. If he can avoid the injury bug, Johnson should continue to impress.

14) Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers

He may have the best stuff since Koufax, but similar to that Dodgers legend, Kershaw needs to control his pitches. The good news is that he enters the season at just 22-years-old after limiting the opposition to a sick .200 batting average last season.

15) Jon Lester, SP, Red Sox

With all the big name starters in the rotation, it's surprising that Lester has evolved as the Red Sox top fantasy star. The 26-year old hurler led the team with 225 strikeouts last season en route to 15 wins and a solid 3.41 ERA. Best of all, at his age, Lester should still be improving.

16) Yovani Gallardo, SP, Brewers

In his first full season, the Brewers 24-year-old hurler responded with 13 wins, 204 strikeouts and a 3.73 ERA. He will need to cut down on the 94 walks to take his game to the next level.

17) Josh Beckett, SP, Red Sox

When he's on his game Beckett is as good as it gets, but the problem has always been his health. The 29-year-old staff ace managed 17 wins and 199 strikeouts last season, but his ERA was tad high at 3.86.

18) Javier Vazquez, SP, Yankees

He wasn't all that brilliant in his first tour with the Yankees, but in his second tenure with the Bombers, his expectations are lower and he is more mature. That should lead to 16 wins, an ERA around 4.00 and 200 strikeouts.

19) John Lackey, SP, Red Sox

A change of venue will bring a mixed bag for Lackey. The good news is that he is a big game pitcher and will have plenty of big games against the Yankees. The bad news is that the ballpark and schedule does not work to his favor. Expect 15 wins with an ERA close to 4.00.

20) Tommy Hanson, SP, Braves

In his rookie campaign, Hanson picked up 11 wins compared to just four losses thanks in large part to a 2.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Assuming he can take on a greater toll this season for innings pitched, 15 wins and 185 strikeouts are real targets.