[Mr. Baseball]

Make sure you look at their FIP instead of their ERA. If the FIP is significantly lower than the ERA, it means the pitcher didn't receive very good defensive support and therefor doesn't look as good on paper. Another thing I look for is velocity and ground ball-ratio. High velocity is good, but I'd personally rather have a slower pitcher. Why? Because pitchers with less velocity will typically last longer than flame-throwers. They have longer careers because they rely on different pitches other than a fastball to get outs. When they get old and start to regress, the first thing that goes is their heater. If they don't have a heater to begin with, they don't lose much and can be dominant in to their early 40's. Also, a high GB% is more important than a high strikeout rate.