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It's been my experience so far this year that movement, control and GB/FB Tendency are slightly more important than stuff at the Gold and Diamond levels so far this year.
I'm in my second Diamond season (and for the first time ever I'm not in danger of getting relegated and theoretically alive for a playoff spot.) A couple days ago I sold the Peak LHP Billy Pierce card despite the fact he's rated 100 overall (Stuff 93 Movement 86, Control 77.) He was giving up HR like his name is Patrick Corbin. He actually walked 2 or fewer batters in each of his 6 starts, so BBs weren't the problem. The problem was the fact he's a Flyball pitcher, and combined with a 77 Control rating, that caused him to give up 2 HR in five of six starts. (In the 6th start he gave up one gopher ball.)
Of course it's possible to account for this in setting up park factors at the beginning of the season, but in doing so you're also helping the opposing pitchers and hurting your own offense so I prefer not to do that.
So far, I've been most successful with SP with Movement and Control ratings of at least 80 and a Neutral tendency. (Unfortunately, this year it at least seems like there are fewer Extreme GB and GB pitchers in the game than there were early on in last year's game.)
I've been kind of stunned by this, but I've won several games in my Diamond league this week where my SP has given up 10 or more hits but less than five runs in 7-8 IP. I won those games because with a 80+ Control rating my SP didn't walk more than a couple guys and he didn't give up gopher balls.
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