Which rotation would you rather have?

[RL24]

I took the 5 guys who I think will be really solid this year over the 3 aces.

I don't think Worley will repeat what he did last year. I think he'll slot into that #4 still, but with an ERA of around 4.20, not 3.00. Blanton and Pinero are just stopgaps in that #5 slot.

I'm going to guess the Rays have zero 20-start pitchers with ERAs over 4.00. IMO having those arms in 100% of games is more valuable than the Phillie arms that only throw in 60% of the games.

This.


It's really hard to compare the two staffs. One pitches in the hardest division in baseball, and the other, well, the other is an NL team.

 

[rico08]

Phillies pitchers pitch to pitchers. I'll take the AL option.

 

[Topnotchsy]

Lee and Halladay were dominant in the AL, it seems silly to say that they get less credit because they've switched leagues (and continue to dominate.)

No one on the Rays was as good as any of the top 3 pitchers on the Phils last season (ok, maybe Shields was as good as Hamels, but it's close.) The Rays may be insane for the next 10 years, but they are young and have not hit their primes yet (outside of Shields.)

While many view 27 as a player's prime, I am beginning to think many pitchers hit theirs at 29-30 or so. I'll take the Phils.

 

[RL24]

Lee and Halladay were dominant in the AL, it seems silly to say that they get less credit because they've switched leagues (and continue to dominate.)

I can buy that for Halladay. I think you should research Cliff Lee's performance in the AL a little more closely though. Maybe I just watched too much of Cliff with the Indians. But I'm looking at things like ERA: things like 6.29 (2007) and 5.43 (2004). I know ERA isn't that great of a stat, but you don't get it that high with poor defense. You do it by having WHIPs like these: 1.521 (2007) and 1.503 (2004). -0.6 WAR.

Sure, he was great last year in the NL- in just 32 games he had 6 CG SHO's- that's one more than he had his entire AL career (206 games). See how much easier it is to pitch in the NL?

 

[Topnotchsy]

Lee and Halladay were dominant in the AL, it seems silly to say that they get less credit because they've switched leagues (and continue to dominate.)

I can buy that for Halladay. I think you should research Cliff Lee's performance in the AL a little more closely though. Maybe I just watched too much of Cliff with the Indians. But I'm looking at things like ERA: things like 6.29 (2007) and 5.43 (2004). I know ERA isn't that great of a stat, but you don't get it that high with poor defense. You do it by having WHIPs like these: 1.521 (2007) and 1.503 (2004). -0.6 WAR.

Sure, he was great last year in the NL- in just 32 games he had 6 CG SHO's- that's one more than he had his entire AL career (206 games). See how much easier it is to pitch in the NL?

His last full season in the AL he went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA. The next season he had a 3.14 ERA before being traded to the Phils (where ironically his ERA went up a bit.) There were some reallly painful years there, but I think it is more a matter of him becoming a far better player than anything to do with which league he was in.

 

[George_Calfas]

Can we selection C). Other?

 

[gt2590]

I'm a Phillies supporter, and live in the area, like the OP, but I'm an A's and D-Backs fan more so I don't think I'm bias at all.

I agree with JH (scary huh? :lol: ) and personally I think the 18 votes (so far) for the Rays is about 17 too many. :?

There is NO ONE in baseball who, for 2012 or even 2013, would take the Rays' Staff over Philly's.

Experience aside, the Phils top 3 are just too good to make it even close. And IF Price doesn't bounce back from an erractic year, it's even worse. In fact, the argument can be made that the Phils have 3 of the best 6 pitchers in the NL, while TB has MAYBE 1 of the Top 6 in the AL...

On top of that, I can't say I wouldn't take SF, LAA and/or the stinkin' Yanks staff (if they get some turn-around years)

 

[Brett Keith]

Phillies for this season. The Phillies have more experience and production at the top, while the Rays give you a better shot in the bottom half. The Phillies top 3 also have all proven they can be big game/postseason studs.

 

[gt2590]

4 more Rays votes? ::facepalm::

 

[markakis8]

Can we selection C). Other?

Play by the rules George.

 

[BowmanChromeAddict]

Yeah, I know I'm a Phillies fan so therefore everyone will assume I'm biased, but how anyone voted for the Rays for the 2012 season is beyond me. The argument that they are young and cheap means nothing for a one year run. The only way to choose the Rays is to add to the original question things that were not asked. He didn't say which staff would you rather have if you were a small market team (so cheap doesn't matter), and he certainly didn't ask which staff you'd rather have for the next 10 years (so young doesn't matter). The question was a simple one and the only answer is the Phillies. Obviously the answer could change with injuries or if Worley turns into JA Happ, but today, with history in mind and expectations clear, the only choice is the Phillies.

 

[markakis8]

Yeah, I know I'm a Phillies fan so therefore everyone will assume I'm biased, but how anyone voted for the Rays for the 2012 season is beyond me. The argument that they are young and cheap means nothing for a one year run. The only way to choose the Rays is to add to the original question things that were not asked. He didn't say which staff would you rather have if you were a small market team (so cheap doesn't matter), and he certainly didn't ask which staff you'd rather have for the next 10 years (so young doesn't matter). The question was a simple one and the only answer is the Phillies. Obviously the answer could change with injuries or if Worley turns into JA Happ, but today, with history in mind and expectations clear, the only choice is the Phillies.

Valid points. I'm a Phillies fan as well so my opinion my seem biased. I originally started the thread b/c of an article I read by Jayson Stark who suggested that the Rays were the best rotation in baseball and it dumbfounded me.

The Rays are looking good, don't get me wrong, but there are a couple rotations I would take over the Rays right now - the Phillies and Angels being two off the top of my head.

I'm also surprised 24 people voted for the Rays but I suspect a lot of those votes came from members who value age and ceiling, looking towards the future, which is all moot when you are strictly speaking about 2012.

 

[bravesfan22]

C: Braves

with that being said and my hatred for the phillies Id take the Rays.

 

[George_Calfas]

Can we selection C). Other?

Play by the rules George.

I am, thus I will not vote.

 

[markakis8]

[quote="George_Calfas":27gabbpp]Can we selection C). Other?

Play by the rules George.

I am, thus I will not vote.[/quote:27gabbpp]

Awwwwwww

We all know you would've chosen the Pirates b/c of their new "ace"

 

[Zymco]

Angels.

 

[BowmanChromeAddict]

Angels.

My first reaction was "No way" and then I looked at it again. Wow...Weaver, Haren, Wilson, Santana, and Garrett Richard. That's actually one hell of a rotation. I'll still take Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and Worley but the Angels' staff is impressive and I would take them over the Rays in 2012.

 

[sharktitanfan]

I chose the Rays based on the depth. I know it is speculation, but if one of the top three from the older Phillies rotation goes down for a long period of time, their rotation may not recover as well. Either rotation is pretty awesome on paper, but we'll have to see how it plays out.

 

[jeremy]

Justin Verlander
Al Alburquerque
Doug Fister
Jacob Turner
Fredrick Porcello

 

[markakis8]

Justin Verlander
Al Alburquerque
Doug Fister
Jacob Turner
Fredrick Porcello

Are they converting Al to a starter or are you just being jeremy?