My complaints for the default Yahoo Fantasy Baseball League Settings

The standard Yahoo! fantasy baseball league is based on 5 batting categories and 5 pitching categories (sometimes referred to as 5x5 "5 by 5"). The default batting cateogires are runs, RBIs, HRs, stolen bases, and batting average. The default pitching categories are wins, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and saves. If you are creating your own custom league, I highly recommend a different setup. If you've already joined a custom league, I think you should petition to your comissioner to make some changes. And here is why:

1. The homerun is grossly over-counted and homerun hitters are over-valued. When a player hits a homer, it is triple counted, as he is also given a run and an RBI in the stats. I know the home run is the most glamorous statistic in baseball, but it really has no place alongside runs and RBIs in a fantasy baseball league. The other problem with having HRs is that doubles and triples aren't counted. As a fantasy manager you should cheer extra when one of your players gets an extra base hit, however, with the yahoo default settings, a triple is only as good as a single. I recommend using total bases instead of home runs. That way, players are properly rewarded for their home runs and extra base hits.

2. Walks don't count for anything. When one of your fantasy players draw a walk, you sigh from a plate appearance where you didn't improve your batting average. I think AVG should be replaced with OBP. Like the home run, average is another glamour statistical category. However, if you were a real baseball manager and your batter walks to leadoff an inning, you're just as happy as if he gets a single.

3. The minimum innings is only 7! 7 innings can easily be reached with 4 closers. If you do happen to be in a league with 7 as the minimum, you shouldn't bother drafting any starting pitchers at all. Closers only pitch one inning at a time and have consistently better ERAs and WHIPs than starting pitchers. A pitcing staff of just 4 closers will consistly win the ERA, WHIP, and saves category every week. Furthermore, you only need to spend 4 middle-round draft picks to get them, using picks you would have used on starters to improve your batting lineup.