If you had to create and all-star starting rotation of all the pitchers pitching in the AL this year, this would be mine:
Johan Santana - Of everyone he has to be the lock. Barring injury this guy has been lights out. Two Cy Youngs speak for themselves and the only guy with an ERA under 3 in the league.
Justin Verlander - Power power power, young young young. A dangerous combination. Hitters started to figure him out a little bit last year and he started to slip at the end of the year. With a year under his belt he will learn the craft of pitching and be able to maximize his skills, which no one is doubting.
Mike Mussina - I admit he will probably be the second best pitcher on his team, third if Clemens comes back to the Yanks. However, the guy has been in the league sixteen years without a power picth, just placement and movement. Some other guys MIGHT put up great numbers, but he WILL put up really really good numbers.
Roy Halladay - It seems like sometimes hallady gets forgotten being lost in the tundra that is Canada, but the guy can pitch. It seems like everytime you look he's throwin a two hitter. He's dependable too, 4th in the league in innings pitched last year.
Curt Schilling - By his standards, he had a bad year last year. His body is starting to give out on him, so much so that Boston won't give him an extension past his contract. But the guy is has two things going for him: heart and experience. He knows how to pitch, how to win, and as was shown in the Red Sox's World Series run, Schilling will pitch through pain.
A little spice to the dish: I'm taking Mo Rivera to close it out in the ninth.
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"In big games, the action slows down for him where it speeds up for others. I've told him, 'I'll trade my past for your future.'" -Reggie Jackson on Derek Jeter
Johan better be at the top of anyone's list, if not I will stop reading...
After that the arguments can begin.
I like Zambrano a lot, even if I think he is an idiot. He is right on the cusp of a Cy Young and in a contract year.
I agree that you have to pick a guy that has been there for awhile, however I don't like Mussina and I have had enough of Schilling. The guy I would go with is Smoltz, the guy can start, finish, and everything in between. He is probably the most overlooked player, especially in fantasy league considering his numbers.
Another guy that just plain pitches is Roy Oswalt. The little guy with the big arm, he is a durable and has been the ace in Houston even when the Rocket was there with out trying to be the BMOC. He just got paid big time, but he is the kind of guy that will continue to work hard.
As for younger guys, I'm going with Scotty Kazmir. Great pitcher on a bad team, more K's and lower ERA than Verlander, but also had issues at the end of the year.
The point I'm making here is that this isn't the top 5 pitchers in baseball, its the 5 I would want to have on my team
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Do you guys want the truth...or do you want to see me hit some dingers?!?
moonraker717 wrote: Johan better be at the top of anyone's list, if not I will stop reading...
After that the arguments can begin.
I like Zambrano a lot, even if I think he is an idiot. He is right on the cusp of a Cy Young and in a contract year.
I agree that you have to pick a guy that has been there for awhile, however I don't like Mussina and I have had enough of Schilling. The guy I would go with is Smoltz, the guy can start, finish, and everything in between. He is probably the most overlooked player, especially in fantasy league considering his numbers.
Another guy that just plain pitches is Roy Oswalt. The little guy with the big arm, he is a durable and has been the ace in Houston even when the Rocket was there with out trying to be the BMOC. He just got paid big time, but he is the kind of guy that will continue to work hard.
As for younger guys, I'm going with Scotty Kazmir. Great pitcher on a bad team, more K's and lower ERA than Verlander, but also had issues at the end of the year.
The point I'm making here is that this isn't the top 5 pitchers in baseball, its the 5 I would want to have on my team
If this were an interleague All Star team, then maybe I could see what you are saying. Here's my 5 starters for the AL.
Johan Santana is number 1 no question.
Roy Halladay has to be in the top 5. He gets the job done every year and is starting to get recognized for it.
C.C. Sabathia has some good stuff. He didn't have a great W/L record last season, but he had a great ERA and a bunch of strike outs. Look for him to have a better year.
Curt Shilling is showing a few signs of slowing down but still can be dominant. Gave up a ton of HR's last season, but countered with a large number of strike outs and a decent ERA.
Jered Weaver is my sleeper pick. Sophomore slump this season? Maybe. But if he throws the ball like last season, watch out.
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"It's the fans that need spring training. You gotta get 'em interested." - Harry Caray
I like the Jared Weaver pick, he started to slump a little at the end of the year but he's got great stuff, and when schilling is healthy is still a legit ace when he steps on the mound
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"In big games, the action slows down for him where it speeds up for others. I've told him, 'I'll trade my past for your future.'" -Reggie Jackson on Derek Jeter
I don't understand how there is no respect for Mike Mussina. The guy has averaged 15 wins a year over a sixteen year career. He's not gonna bust out for a phenominal year, and he doesn't have power stuff but you know what he will produce year in and year out. Harden is an injury machine, Verlander is only one year in, Kazmir has never thrown 200 innings in a year. Mussina threw 197 innings last year, he will take you deep into games, save the pen, and give you consistancy. How do you not want this guy in your starting rotation.
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"In big games, the action slows down for him where it speeds up for others. I've told him, 'I'll trade my past for your future.'" -Reggie Jackson on Derek Jeter
I definetely wouldn't want Harden until he proves he can be healthy, but Mussina is just old, winning 15 games with the Yankees isn't as impressive as it sounds. He did have a great ERA last year, but I would say it will be at least 4 this year
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Do you guys want the truth...or do you want to see me hit some dingers?!?
Mussina is very good, no doubt. Wins aren't the best way to measure that though... Most people here could have had 10 wins pitching for the Yankees each of the last few years. Moose just didn't quite make my top 5.
Mussina has been a consistant winner beyond his time in New York, so in his case wins absolutely mean something. And there is talk that without 300 wins Glavine isn't a first ballot hall of famer despite two twenty win seasons and two cy youngs. So there is clearly something to getting wins. But beyond that, Mussina is durable. Last year he was injured and still got deep into ball games just because the Yankees needed him to because their rotation was bad. You need that type of guy on your staff.
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"In big games, the action slows down for him where it speeds up for others. I've told him, 'I'll trade my past for your future.'" -Reggie Jackson on Derek Jeter
I aggree with Mussina as a pick. He's one of those guys like Glavine and Maddux were in Atlanta, only at this point in his career Mussina is still throwing great. He geets over looked and people forget about him because he isnt a power pitcher and wont lite up sportcenter with strike outs. but he knows how to win and more importantly knows how to pitch, thats why he has thrown this well for this long.
Johan is great, in the second half he's unbelievable. However, he usually puts up a mediocre first half so I would have to go with Halliday as my go to guy in the first half.
Yea I dont know if he is necesarily a slow starter but he's just an amazing closer. His ERA in September and October is usually under 2. By comparison and maybe by Johan's standards he throws a poor first half, but in the spectrum of the whole league, he is great all year.
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"In big games, the action slows down for him where it speeds up for others. I've told him, 'I'll trade my past for your future.'" -Reggie Jackson on Derek Jeter
