The 10 Best Starting Pitchers in the National League

With a less than a month until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, the Major League Baseball season is upon us.

With the arrival of America's pastime near, fans and experts alike begin to debate which players and teams are the best in baseball.

However, the speculation all comes to an end when the season starts—that's why they play the game.

With no further ado, here are the best pitchers in the National League.

Just Missed the Cut...

15. Ryan Dempster - After recording 85 saves in three years as the Cubs' closer, Dempster had a career year as a starter in 2008, finishing 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the NL Central Champions. Dempster looks to match last season's performance for Chicago in 2009.

14. Derek Lowe - While the Braves may have overpaid for Lowe, they will get some bang for the buck. Atlanta's newest ace is a workhorse, totaling over 200 IP three times in the past four seasons and has never spent time on the disabled list in his major league career.

13. Edinson Volquez - The young flamethrower from the Cincinnati Reds was last season's biggest surprise, finishing 17-6 for the Big Red Machine. Looks like that Volquez-Josh Hamilton trade was a win-win deal for both the Rangers and the Reds.

12. Ben Sheets - Assuming that he ends up playing in the NL in 2009, Sheets would be among the best. He has come into his own the past two seasons, posting solid numbers for the surging Milwaukee Brewers and does not look to be slowing down anytime soon.

11. Tim Hudson - Yes, he is injured and will not be back until August, but Hudson is one of the best pitchers in the game when healthy. He has won 15 games in a season five times and would have added to that total last season if not for season-ending Tommy John surgery in early August.

10. Jair Jurrjens

When the news reached Atlanta last winter, the question was, "The Braves traded Edgar Renteria for who?"

Originally acquired to compete for the fifth spot in a seasoned Atlanta starting rotation, the Braves' plans changed drastically for their newest rookie.

Jurrjens had to grow up quickly with injuries to Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Tim Hudson devastating the Braves' pitching corps.

Although there was no playoff baseball at Turner Field in 2008, Jurrjens exceeded expectations and became the team's ace, pitching much better than 13-10 record and 3.68 ERA would indicate.

In addition, Jurrjens was named NL Rookie of the Month for June 2008 and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting at last season's end.

Jurrjens will team up with newcomer Derek Lowe in an effort to take the Braves back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

Now, the question around Detroit is, "The Tigers traded Jair Jurrjens for who?"

9. Chad Billingsley

When Chad Billingsley got the call to the big club, he arrived with a bang.

And the scary thing for rest of the National League--he just keeps getting better and better.

During his first three seasons with the Dodgers, the 24-year old has seen his ERA steadily improve, posting an impressive mark of 3.14 in 2008.

As for his total in the "W" column, bodes well for Los Angeles in 2009.

Billingsley won 16 games in 2008 and looks to increase his win total for the fourth consecutive season.

However, his season did not end the way he had hoped.

After a good first postseason outing against the Cubs in the NLDS, Billingsley self-destructed against the eventual World Series Champions, the Phillies.

In two outings that only totaled up to five complete innings, Billingsley gave up 11 runs, 10 earned, and walked seven batters in a series to forget.

Now, Billingsley is motivated more than ever to return to the playoffs and to play at a higher level.

While he suffered a spiral fracture of his left fibula from slipping on ice in the offseason, the Dodgers' young ace will be ready for another playoff run and a chance for redemption.

8. Dan Haren

For some reason, nobody wants this guy.

Only six seasons into his young career, Haren has worn the baseball caps of three different teams, playing in both the American and National Leagues.

However, he has yet to disappoint, earning two consecutive All-Star selections, representing the Oakland Athletics for the American League in 2007 and the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League in 2008.

Haren started the 2007 All-Star Game for the AL opposite current division rival Jake Peavy at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Haren has won 14+ games the past four seasons and should make it five straight in 2009.

He has also posted a 3.20 ERA over the last two seasons, shutting down the best sluggers in both leagues.

In addition, Haren and Brandon Webb form one of the best pitching tandems in the NL for the D-Backs, winning a combined 38 games for Arizona last season.

Look for Haren and the Diamondbacks to make a push for October this season with a talented pitching staff and a good corps of young players, including Justin Upton and Stephen Drew.

Haren is a good pitcher who often makes his former teams regret trading him away.

Arizona would be wise to keep him around for a while.

7. Carlos Zambrano

Carlos Zambrano, a.k.a. "Big Z," is the Chicago Cubs' fiery fireballer, wearing his emotions on his sleeve in every game.

Who said being competitive was a bad thing?

Whatever Zambrano is doing, he's obviously doing something right, both on the mound and in the batter's box.

Zambrano is one of the best hitting pitchers in the game, slugging 16 career home runs and winning the Silver Slugger Award twice (2006, 2008).

During the 2008 season, Zambrano recorded a batting average of .337 and became the first Cubs pitcher to have a four-hit game since 1964.

However, this list is for the best pitchers in baseball, a mold that Zambrano fits just as well, maybe even better.

The 3-time All-Star is the only pitcher to win 13 games in each season from 2003-2008 and became the first Venezuelan to lead the NL in wins with 16 in 2006.

Zambrano is also fresh off of a no-hitter in September of 2008.

Don't sleep on "Big Z."

6. Roy Oswalt

Ever since his rookie season in 2001, Roy Oswalt has quietly become one of the best pitchers in baseball.

However, his body of work resounds loudly and clearly.

Oswalt has recorded 129 wins in his major league career, the most of any major league pitcher during that span.

In addition, Oswalt has won 14 or more games seven times in his eight-season career, winning a respectable 10 games in an injury-plagued 2003 campaign.

Oswalt has been selected to three All-Star Games and has had a consistently low ERA, going as low as 2.94 and never surpassing 3.54.

Not only that, but he won the 2005 NLCS MVP, shutting down Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals with a 2-0 record and 1.29 ERA in 14 innings.

While he may be nearing the end of his prime, Oswalt is still a force to be reckoned with and will be making lots of noise on the mound in Houston.

5. Jake Peavy

The subject of many trade rumors this offseason, Peavy is the dream of every World Series contender.

No surprise there.

Peavy is one of the top strikeout pitchers in all of baseball, winning two strikeout championships and racking up 1,256 K in only seven seasons.

Peavy is also a two-time All-Star and was the captain of the 2006 USA World Baseball Classic team.

With all due respect to his other accomplishments, the 2007 season is the best performance of Peavy’s bright career.

Aside from winning the Players Choice Award for Outstanding NL Pitcher, Peavy won the NL Cy Young Award unanimously, becoming only the 10th pitcher to do so.

However, his most impressive award may have been his pitching Triple Crown, leading the NL with 19 wins, 240 strikeouts, and a 2.54 ERA.

Following up his 2007 campaign proved difficult for Peavy to manage as he struggled to a 10-11 record for the last-place Padres.

However, despite his poor record, Peavy’s 2.85 ERA ranked third in the NL, providing a bright spot for an otherwise dismal season in San Diego.

Although Peavy had a disappointing 2008 season, the 2007 version of Peavy should be back very soon--bad news for the rest of the NL.

4. Brandon Webb

It's funny how a change of numbers can make a really big difference.

Prior to switching from No. 55 to No. 17, Brandon Webb had a career record of 17-25, despite posting a 3.25 ERA in his first two seasons.

However, after the jersey switch, the chips began to fall Webb's way.

The 3-time All-Star has a knack for winning, twice leading the NL in that category.

He also has a tendency to pitch shutout innings, throwing a franchise record 42 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in 2007, the fifth longest streak since 1940.

However, chief among the accomplishments of his young career is the 2006 Cy Young Award.

Webb was recognized as the best pitcher in the NL after winning 16 games, the fewest ever for a Cy Young Award winner, and recording a 3.10 ERA.

Yet, Webb has continued to impress, finishing as the NL Cy Young Award runner-up the past two seasons, winning a total of 40 games and posting an ERA of 3.15.

It looks like No. 17 is a lucky number for Webb.

And in the spirit of No. 17, I've composed a Brandon Webb haiku--a poem consisting of 17 syllables.

All batters beware!
Brandon Webb's beyond compare.
Face him if you dare.

(It’s a dumb poem, but I couldn't resist.)

3. Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum often draws comparisons to fellow pitcher Roy Oswalt because both pitchers throw hard and get great movement on their pitches.

And while Oswalt is one of the top pitchers in the game today, Lincecum, barring a major injury or an Andruw Jones-ish collapse, could be better.

"Lincecum does not throw a baseball as much as he launches it," Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated writes. "98-mph rockets somehow expelled, with finely tuned kinetic energy, from a batboy's body."

One of the most fascinating aspects of San Francisco’s pitching wunderkind is his pitch velocity, especially considering his size.

Lincecum stands at a generous 5'10" and weighs about 172 lbs., yet his pitches are clocked around the neighborhood of 98-99 mph.

"He's got as good of stuff as I've ever seen," said five-time All-Star Lance Berkman. "He's got three almost unhittable pitches."

Well, during the 2008 season, nearly all of his pitches were unhittable.

"The Little Giant" pitched 227 innings for the Giants, winning 18 games and posting an ERA of 2.62.

In addition, Lincecum was also named to his first All-Star team and led the NL in strikeouts, posting 265 K on the season.

In light of his achievements, Lincecum was honored as the Major League Baseball Starter of the Year, The Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year, and the Player's Choice Award for Outstanding NL Pitcher.

However, his most impressive accomplishment came in the form of the 2008 NL Cy Young Award, the first Giant to win it since Mike McCormick in 1967.

Heading a rotation that includes Randy Johnson and Matt Cain, things could get interesting for Lincecum and the Giants in 2009.

2. Cole Hamels

With Curt Schilling and John Smoltz both close to retirement, the torch for baseball's best playoff pitcher is ready to be passed.

Cole Hamels, step right up!

Hamels certainly made his case to succeed Smoltz and Schilling as the pitching version of "Mr. October" during the 2008 post-season.

Hamels started off by dominating the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, allowing only three runners in eight shutout innings for a Phillies 3-1 victory.

The Phillies' southpaw was only getting warmed up.

In the NLCS, Hamels mowed down the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 1.93 ERA, surrendering only three earned runs over 14 total innings.

Hamels was the winning pitcher in both the opener and the clinching game, winning the NLCS MVP for keeping Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers in check.

Upon facing the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, the Cinderella story didn't faze him.

Hamels made two starts against the Rays, allowing two earned runs in each outing and coming through in the clutch to help the Phillies win both games.

Hamels outdueled Scott Kazmir, the winning pitcher of the All-Star Game, in the opening game, winning a 3-2 duel at Tropicana Field.

Pitching again in Game 5, Hamels pitched six solid innings, giving the Phillies enough to win the game and the World Series.

The Phillies' ace was named the World Series MVP, making him the fifth player to win two post-season MVP awards in the same year.

In addition to his playoff success, Hamels isn't too shabby in the regular season either.

The All-Star pitcher has won 29 games over the past two seasons, compiling a 3.22 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.

Luckily for the Phillies, they signed the 25 year-old Hamels to a three-year, $20.5 million contract extension, avoiding arbitration with their star until 2011.

As long as Hamels is at the top of Philadelphia's starting rotation, the Phillies will be contenders in the NL pennant race.

1. Johan Santana

Johan Santana is the best pitcher in the National League.

While most of his accomplishments came in the AL with the Minnesota Twins, Santana has proved himself capable in the NL, leading the league in ERA in 2008.

Aside from his league-leading 2.53 ERA for the New York Mets, Santana won 16 games and struck out 206 batters during the 2008 season.

However, success is nothing new for the Mets' ace.

Santana has won 15 or more games five seasons in a row, including a 20-win year in 2004.

In addition, he has posted an ERA below 3.00 five times in the past seven seasons, and has recorded 200+ strikeouts for five consecutive years.

Not only does he post Hall of Fame-caliber numbers, but the three-time All-Star also has enough awards to fill an entire trophy case.

Santana led the AL in strikeouts three times (2004-2006), he led the AL in ERA twice (2004, 2006), and he led the AL with 19 wins in 2006.

Other awards include winning the The Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year, The Player's Choice for Outstanding AL Pitcher, and the AL Cy Young Award, two times each (2004, 2006).

Santana has also won the 2006 Pitching Triple Crown with 19 wins, a 2.77 ERA, and 245 strikeouts.

He has even won a Gold Glove Award in recognition of his defense at pitcher during the 2007 season.

However, despite his personal success, Santana is not satisfied.

After a second consecutive late-season collapse by the Mets in 2008, the fans in the Big Apple are starting to get antsy waiting for a championship.

Santana and the rest of the starting rotation should be more productive now that the Mets have signed Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez to join Billy Wagner in New York's bullpen.

The prospect of having to face Santana alone is scary, but now that Santana has a solid bullpen behind him, facing the Mets will be terrifying.

Review of the List

Here is a review of the best pitchers in the National League:

15. Ryan Dempster
14. Derek Lowe
13. Edinson Volquez
12. Ben Sheets
11. Tim Hudson
10. Jair Jurrjens
9. Chad Billingsley
8. Dan Haren
7. Carlos Zambrano
6. Roy Oswalt
5. Jake Peavy
4. Brandon Webb
3. Tim Lincecum
2. Cole Hamels
1. Johan Santana

Do you agree with the list? Are there any pitchers too high? Are there any pitchers too low? Was anyone snubbed? Does someone on this list not belong? Share your thoughts below.