Best Pitcher in the Majors

[JBH3]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

Rivera was more dominant as a closer last year than Lidge.

Lidge was 41 for 41 not including the postseason, and had 92 K's in 69 innings pitched. If anything it's a wash between the two, and both of them suck right now anyways...

[ryan36]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

We don't have to, but we should. A dominant starting pitcher is much more valuable than a dominant closer.

...There was actually an article about this...how easy it is for most teams to just "plug in" a setup guy and get a year or three of success...Jeff Nelson is about the only one who couldn't do it...I'll see if I can find a link

...found it ....
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...e=caple/080805

[rspencer86]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

...There was actually an article about this...how easy it is for most teams to just "plug in" a setup guy and get a year or three of success...Jeff Nelson is about the only one who couldn't do it...I'll see if I can find a link

...found it ....
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...e=caple/080805

That's a great article. Look at the Royals, Joakim Soria was picked off of the scrap heap in the Rule 5 draft and ended up becoming one of the better closers in the game. The difference between a dominant closer and a middle-of-the-road closer isn't all that much when you look at the numbers.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

That's a great article. Look at the Royals, Joakim Soria was picked off of the scrap heap in the Rule 5 draft and ended up becoming one of the better closers in the game. The difference between a dominant closer and a middle-of-the-road closer isn't all that much when you look at the numbers.

Wrong. The Padres knew what they had in Soria, but took the risk by leaving him off the 40-man roster, although there were players that could've been cut so he could've been protected. He didn't come from scrap heap.

[snepp]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

If they really knew what they had they wouldn't have left him unprotected.

[NYJets]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

Wrong. The Padres knew what they had in Soria, but took the risk by leaving him off the 40-man roster, although there were players that could've been cut so he could've been protected. He didn't come from scrap heap.

So they expected him to be one of the best closers in baseball?

If they knew what they had, they would have protected him. No one has 40 players that are more valuable than a dominating closer.

Edit: Beat me to it.

[Vince]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

Begins and ends with Doc Halliday...

[gta95]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

Johan. Hes dominant.

[SPTO]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

Begins and ends with Doc Halliday...

He's easily the best starting pitcher in Blue Jays history that's for sure.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

If they really knew what they had they wouldn't have left him unprotected.

It's the Padres FO, what do you expect? It's the same group that reached with Matt Bush in 2004, drafted Nick Schmidt over Rick Porcello, traded a decent prospect for an over-the-hill center fielder who's not suited for PETCO Park. I can go on-and-on, but my point wasn't that they projected him to be a closer, they never did. The point was he wasn't scrap heap, that is all.

[MIKEY93]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

i say Johan. also Lincecum has filthy stuff including Roy Halladay.. what a gem he pitched today

[fugazi]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

If Halladay played just about anywhere but Toronto, this discussion would be more or less over before it began.

[Ewing]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

Halladay is great but for everyone saying he's the best take a look at the stats the last three seasons and so far this season.

Roy Halladay: 139 ERA+, 1.12 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 4.11 K/BB
Johan Santana: 159 ERA+, 1.07 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 4.26 K/BB

He's clearly a great pitcher but he's not even close to Johan.

[Misfit]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

Halladay is great but for everyone saying he's the best take a look at the stats the last three seasons and so far this season.

Roy Halladay: 139 ERA+, 1.12 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 4.11 K/BB
Johan Santana: 159 ERA+, 1.07 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 4.26 K/BB

He's clearly a great pitcher but he's not even close to Johan.

You left out something that I consider important:

Innings pitched Halladay: 752.1
Innings pitched Santana: 733

Per start Halladay:7.16
Per start Santana: 6.79

And last year and this year Santana's numbers are against an inferior league. I'll concede that on any given night, Santana has the ability to be the more dominant pitcher, but Halladay's "give me the ball" mentality puts him in my favor.

[Ewing]

Re: Best Pitcher in the Majors

You left out something that I consider important:

Innings pitched Halladay: 752.1
Innings pitched Santana: 733

Per start Halladay:7.16
Per start Santana: 6.79

And last year and this year Santana's numbers are against an inferior league. I'll concede that on any given night, Santana has the ability to be the more dominant pitcher, but Halladay's "give me the ball" mentality puts him in my favor.

You're giving Halladay the title based on 20 innings? Look at the ERA+, it's not even close.