This season, Adam Wainwright has carried the Cardinals pitching staff on his back. He is 13-7 with a 2.74 ERA and 146 strikeouts, which mostly have have come from the filthy curve that Wainwright features.

Speed: 73-77 mph

Control: Six out of ten

Break: 16.9 inches down, 7.6 inches left

Justin Verlander had started off the season red hot, but has since cooled down.

However, he is still having a good season, with a record of 12-6, a 3.45 ERA, and a massive 186 strikeouts. That huge number has come from Verlander's mid to high 90s fastball and a nasty 12-6 curve.

What makes his curve more nasty than Wainwright's is the tightness and the 1-2 punch of his fastball that provides deception.

Speed: 75-79 mph

Control: six out of ten

Break: 13.3 inches down, 5.7 inches right

This season, Zack Grienke has been the surprise of 2009. If on a better team, Grienke could potentially have 14 or 15 wins.

This season he has been fantastic with 11 wins and seven losses, a 2.43 ERA, and 167 strikeouts, most of which have come from his mid 90s fastball and mid 80s slider.

Speed: 84-88 mph

Control: eight out of ten

Break. 5.6 inches down, 8.4 inches left

This season, Jonathan Broxton has been lights out as the Dodgers' closer. He has 24 saves in 28 opportunities, with an ERA of 2.84 and 76 strikeouts.

These numbers have come from his two great pitches: his fastball and slider.

Speed: 86-90 mph

Control: six out of ten

Break; 7.5 inches down, 8.4 inches left

Joba Chamberlain had a very average first half of the 2009 season. In the second half, Chamberlain has performed like the top prospect that he was back in 2007, with a record of 8-2, an ERA of 3.73, and 102 strikeouts.

A great part of his success is his four good pitches: a low 90s fastball that can go to the mid to high 90s when in jams, an above average curveball, a decent changeup, and a vicious tight slider.

Speed:83-86 mph

Control: seven out of ten

Break: 7.7 inches down, 8.5 inches left

This one might come as a surprise to a lot of people, but when Rich Harden is on, he is unhittable.

This season has been shortened for him, but he has a mediocre record of 7-7, an ERA of 4.41, and 124 strikeouts. Harden has three pitches: A mid 90s fastball, an average slider, and a nasty splitter.

Speed: 84-88 mph

Control: eight out of ten

Break: 10.2 inches of drop, 2-4 inches left or right

This season, Kershaw has had his ups and downs. For the most part it has been good, though. He has two very good pitches; his filthy curveball and mid 90s fastball.

This season Kershaw is 8-6 with an ERA of 2.73 and 133 strikeouts. What makes the curveball so effective is that the fastball just explodes out of Kershaw's hand, whereas the curveball comes out very slow and with severe drop.

speed:71-75 mph

Control: seven out of ten

Break: 17.7 inches of drop, 6.9 inches right

This season, Josh Beckett has been masterful. He has three good pitches: his fastball, changeup, and curveball. Beckett is 13-4 with an ERA of 3.12 and 139 strikeouts.

What makes his curveball so filthy is the fact that he has two other good pitches that hitters have to watch out for.

Speed: 76-79 mph

Control: eight out of ten

Break: 16.7 inches of drop, 8.8 inches left.

C.C Sabathia has always been known for a very good mid 90s fastball and filthy slider. This year is no different.

C.C. is 12-7 with an ERA of 3.7 and 123 strikeouts. He still makes hitters look stupid with the 1-2 punch of his slider and heater.

Speed: 81-85 mph

Control: nine out of ten

Break: 10.6 inches right, 7.1 inches down

The Freak is without a doubt the best pitcher in baseball, in my mind. At the age of 25, Lincecum has already won a Cy Young and is well on his way to a second one.

This season he is 12-3 with an ERA of 2.20 and an astounding 198 strikeouts. He also leads the league in complete games. He has such great success because of his lower to mid 90s fastball that can even get up to 97-98 mph, an upper 70s curveball that has above average break, and of course the changeup.

Average fastball speed: 92.6 mph

Average Changeup: 83.3 mph.

Control: nine out of ten

Break: 5.7 inches down, 2-5 inches left or right.