NL Pitching Rotations
By Kevin Rogers
1) Philadelphia
Roy Halladay (21-10, 2.44 ERA)
Cliff Lee (12-9, 3.18 ERA)
Cole Hamels (12-11, 3.06 ERA)
Roy Oswalt (13-13, 2.76 ERA)
Joe Blanton (9-6, 4.82 ERA)
Skinny: It's tough to find a staff more loaded than this one in all of baseball following the signing of Lee in the offseason. Halladay dominated in his first season with Philadelphia, while Oswalt pitched well after coming over from the Astros in a mid-season trade. The rotation is balanced with two stud right-handers and two elite southpaws which will make for plenty of big numbers to lay with the Phillies.
2) San Francisco
Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA)
Matt Cain (13-11, 3.14 ERA)
Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07 ERA)
Madison Bumgarner (7-6, 3.00 ERA)
Barry Zito (9-14, 4.15 ERA)
Skinny: The Giants stunned the baseball world with their impressive run to a World Series title. It wasn't the offense that carried San Francisco to a championship, instead Lincecum picked up two wins in the Fall Classic to help the Giants knock off the Rangers. Bumgarner pitched well over the final three months, while the Giants combined for a 25-12 mark when Cain and Sanchez took the mound at AT&T Park.
3) St. Louis
Chris Carpenter (16-9, 3.22 ERA)
Adam Wainwright (20-11, 2.42 ERA)
Jaime Garcia (13-8, 2.70 ERA)
Jake Westbrook (10-11, 4.22 ERA)
Kyle Lohse (4-8, 6.55 ERA)
Skinny: The three-headed monster of Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia dominated despite the Cardinals being unable to qualify for the playoffs. Wainwright struggled down the stretch, but compiled a 1.78 ERA in 16 home starts (12-4). The Cards went 19-6 in Carpenter's starts the first four months of the season, while floundering the final two months with a 3-7 ledger. Garcia cashed plenty of 'unders' in his first 13 starts with 12 'unders,' but that number tapered with nine 'overs' in the southpaw's last 15 outings.
4) San Diego
Mat Latos (14-10, 2.92 ERA)
Clayton Richard (14-9, 3.75 ERA)
Tim Stauffer (6-5, 1.85 ERA)
Aaron Harang (6-7, 5.32 ERA)
Dustin Moseley (4-4, 4.96 ERA)
Skinny: Pitching at spacious Petco Park definitely helps lower ERA's around the league as San Diego cashed in until late-season meltdown. Latos turned into one the season's big surprises with the Padres winning 14 of his first 19 starts prior to a 1-7 finish the final five weeks. Richard performed his best under the lights with an 11-3 mark in night starts, while Stauffer closed the season with six straight 'unders.' Former Red Aaron Harang returns to his native San Diego trying to salvage his career after falling out of favor in Cincinnati.
5) Florida
Josh Johnson (11-6, 2.30 ERA)
Ricky Nolasco (14-9, 4.51 ERA)
Javier Vazquez (10-10, 5.32 ERA)
Anibal Sanchez (13-12, 3.55 ERA)
Chris Volstad (12-9, 4.58 ERA)
Skinny: The Marlins were paced by Johnson and Nolasco, despite a bullpen that gave away a ton of leads last season. Johnson hung around the Cy Young race until September thanks to an NL-best 2.30 ERA, while posting 19 straight quality starts from mid-April through the end of July. Vazquez should see success back in the NL after struggling with the Yankees last season, while Sanchez cashed eight of nine 'unders' in matinee action.
6) Atlanta
Tim Hudson (17-9, 2.83 ERA)
Tommy Hanson (10-11, 3.33 ERA)
Derek Lowe (16-12, 4.00 ERA)
Jair Jurrjens (7-6, 4.64 ERA)
Mike Minor (3-2, 5.98 ERA)
Skinny: The Braves led the NL East for a majority of the season, but settled for a Wild Card berth in Bobby Cox's final season as manager. Hudson turned in a fantastic season, including an 11-5 mark at Turner Field. Jurrjens suffered through a groin injury after the first month, but went 7-1 from late June through early September. Lowe and Hanson each saw ups and downs, as both right-handers are expected to deliver plenty of wins, but beware laying big numbers with them.
7) Cincinnati
Johnny Cueto (12-7, 3.64 ERA)
Edinson Volquez (4-3, 4.31 ERA)
Bronson Arroyo (17-10, 3.88 ERA)
Homer Bailey (4-3, 4.46 ERA)
Travis Wood (5-4, 3.51 ERA)
Skinny: The Reds shocked many with its ascent to the top of the NL Central with a solid lineup that led the National League in runs (790). Cincinnati's rotation took care of business against division opponents as the Reds went 49-30 against NL Central foes. The Reds won 11 of Cueto's first 16 starts, but the right-hander finished 0-4 in his final seven outings of the season. Arroyo is an innings-eater by delivering over 200 innings for the seventh straight season, while going 9-5 in his 14 starts against division opponents.
8) Milwaukee
Zack Greinke (10-14, 4.17 ERA)
Yovani Gallardo (14-7, 3.84 ERA)
Shaun Marcum (13-8, 3.64 ERA)
Randy Wolf (13-12, 4.17 ERA)
Chris Narveson (12-9, 4.99 ERA)
Skinny: The biggest problem with the Brew Crew has been its pitching as the lineup delivers yearly. Milwaukee made major upgrades to its rotation with the acquisitions of Greinke and Marcum. Greinke struggled last season after winning the Cy Young Award in 2009 with the Royals. Things will ease up for Marcum now that he is out of the AL East, as the former Blue Jay went 2-8 against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays in 2010. After Greinke's pickup, the pressure eases off of both Gallardo and Wolf, as the two combined for a 15-8 record away from Miller Park.
9) Chicago
Ryan Dempster (15-12, 3.85 ERA)
Matt Garza (15-10, 3.91 ERA)
Carlos Zambrano (11-6, 3.33 ERA)
Randy Wells (8-14, 4.26 ERA)
Carlos Silva (10-6, 4.22 ERA)
Skinny: Following a disastrous 75-87 season, the Cubs retained their pitching staff to go along with the acquisition of Garza from Tampa Bay. The right-hander's numbers should improve by going to the NL Central, while Zambrano concluded the season at 8-0 in his last 11 starts after his mid-season meltdown. Dempster had an uncharacteristically mediocre record at Wrigley Field (5-7), but pitched significantly better on the highway (10-5). Silva turned into one of the better pickups for the Cubs as he started 8-0 in his first 10 outings.
10) Los Angeles
Clayton Kershaw (13-10, 2.91 ERA)
Chad Billingsley (12-11, 3.57 ERA)
Ted Lilly (10-12, 3.62 ERA)
Hiroki Kuroda (11-13, 3.39 ERA)
Jon Garland (14-12, 3.47 ERA)
Skinny: The Dodgers struggled with producing runs at times last season, as Kershaw was the victim of poor run support by receiving two runs or less on 11 occasions. The midseason trade for Lilly from Chicago helped improve the numbers for the southpaw as the former Cub went 7-4 in Dodger blue. Billingsley and Kuroda compiled solid ERA's, but that didn't translate into as many wins as expected.
11) Colorado
Ubaldo Jimenez (19-8, 2.88 ERA)
Jorge De La Rosa (8-7, 4.22 ERA)
Jason Hammel (10-9, 4.81 ERA)
Jhoulys Chacin (9-11, 3.28 ERA)
Aaron Cook (6-8, 5.08 ERA)
Skinny: The Rockies couldn't quite capture the late-season magic of 2007 and 2009 as Colorado fell short of the postseason. Jimenez was the big story of the first two months with a 13-1 mark, while allowing just 13 earned runs in that span. Colorado's rotation couldn't come close to duplicating Jimenez's effort, as Hammel's 7-2 ledger at Coors Field was a positive sign. De La Rosa took a step back after injuries, but compiled a 5-2 mark in matinee starts.
12) Houston
Wandy Rodriguez (11-12, 3.60 ERA)
Brett Myers (14-8, 3.14 ERA)
J.A. Happ (6-4, 3.60 ERA)
Bud Norris (9-10, 4.92 ERA)
Nelson Figueroa (5-3, 3.22 ERA)
Skinny: The Astros received a boost from Myers as the ex-Phillies righty put together a perfect 8-0 record and 2.01 ERA at Minute Maid Park. Rodriguez turned in a respectable ERA, but the southpaw failed to win in five September starts. Happ should be a solid addition in his first full season in Houston after a 5-4 mark in 13 starts since his trade from Philadelphia.
13) Arizona
Ian Kennedy (9-10, 3.80 ERA)
Joe Saunders (9-17, 4.47 ERA)
Daniel Hudson (8-2, 2.45 ERA)
Barry Enright (6-7, 3.91 ERA)
Zach Duke (8-15, 5.72 ERA)
Skinny: Believe it or not, the D-Backs have something to build on in 2011 after putting up a 4.81 ERA last season. Hudson emerged as a solid starter following a trade from the White Sox with a 7-1 mark in Arizona. Kennedy's best stretch came from mid-July through the end of August as the D-Backs went 8-2 in his 10 starts in that stretch. Saunders came over in the Dan Haren trade from the Angels, as the southpaw struggled in the NL with a 3-7 record with the Snakes.
14) N.Y. Mets
Michael Pelfrey (15-9, 3.66 ERA)
Jon Niese (9-10, 4.20 ERA)
R.A. Dickey (11-9, 2.84 ERA)
Chris Young (2-0, 0.90 ERA)
Dillon Gee (2-2, 2.18 ERA)
Skinny: The Mets will be without ace Johan Santana until the All-Star Break following shoulder surgery. This makeshift rotation will be led by Pelfrey, who pitched well at Citi Field with a 10-3 record. Dickey's knuckleball baffled hitters through his first seven starts with six victories, while putting up a 1.99 ERA at home. Young looks to contribute after several injury-ridden seasons in San Diego, as this staff overcame injuries to an underachieving lineup in 2010.
15) Washington
Livan Hernandez (10-12, 3.66 ERA)
John Lannan (8-8, 4.65 ERA)
Jason Marquis (2-9, 6.60 ERA)
Jordan Zimmermann (1-2, 4.94 ERA)
Tom Gorzelanny (7-9, 4.07 ERA)
Skinny: The Stephen Strasburg experiment put fans in the stands at Nationals Park for a little bit, but shoulder surgery puts the fireballer on the shelf for 2011. Instead, the Nats will rely on veterans Hernandez and Marquis, who should log plenty of innings if healthy. Gorzelanny is a decent arm to have at the back-end of the rotation, while Lannan was profitable on the road with a 6-3 ledger.
16) Pittsburgh
Paul Maholm (9-15, 5.10 ERA)
Ross Ohlendorf (1-11, 4.07 ERA)
Kevin Correia (10-10, 5.40 ERA)
James McDonald (4-6, 4.02 ERA)
Charlie Morton (2-12, 7.57 ERA)
Skinny: The worst pitching staff in baseball has an uphill battle climb as the Pirates search for relevancy. Maholm was the only starter with at least 160 innings pitched, while cashing seven of nine 'unders' in daytime action. Ohlendorf disappointed after an 11-10 campaign in 2009, as the former Yankee picked up only win, which coincidentally came in a shutout of the Phillies. McDonald was winless on the road, while going 4-2 at PNC Park after getting traded from the Dodgers in July.
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