Dream Rotation Led By Baseball's Best Ace

Ever wonder what it would look like to have baseball's five best starters all in the same rotation? I think at one point or another we've all been watching our favorite team go against a premier ace and said, "Hmm if only he was on my team". Well lets pretend we're the GM and make the best rotation in baseball.

Every staff good or bad needs its ace. Now you're probably thinking well how do you pick just one ace on a dream rotation, well here's how. You want a guy that will give you innings, can strike guys out, doesn't walk guys, and of course gives up very few runs. The guy that best fits that is Roy Halladay.

Roy Halladay has been arguably baseball's best pitcher the last 4 or 5 years. He's a guy capable of giving over 250 innings in a season and there just isn't many if any pitchers nowadays that can do that. He'll be top 10 in strikeouts, he'll be top 5 in fewest walks per 9 innings, and he'll have an era under 3.50 in a offensive AL. This year is no different so far he's started 28 games with a 17-9 record and a bad offensive team in the Blue Jays. He's allowed only 186 hits in 211 innings while striking out 178 batters. He has a 2.69 era with 8 complete games and 2 shutouts. He's walked just 34 batters and has a whip of 1.04. Just reasons why he's the best pitcher in the game.

The number 2 or backup ace is Josh Beckett. He was baseball's only 20 game winner last year and was dominant along the way. He's a guy with power stuff whether it's his 95+ mph fastball or his monster hook. He's a guy very similar to Halladay where he strikes a lot of guys out, few walks, and few runs. However what makes Beckett number 2 is he won't give the innings Halladay will. What makes him second best is postseason success. Last year's playoffs he was 4-0 with a dominant 1.07 era including a 4 hit shutout against the Angels. This year he's been a little banged up but still has 11 wins and 145 strikeouts in 149 innings. Beckett's confidence and stuff make him a clear top 5 pitcher.

Now is where I'm sure great debate will begin. My third guy is Scott Kazmir. He's a very good and very young left hander. Kazmir has certainly proven to be a major strikeout pitcher and be able to get that strikeout is as big a factor in pitching as anything. Over the last 3 seasons he's had no less than 160 strikeouts with last year his breakout season with 239 strikeouts to go along with a 13-9 record on an awful Tampa Bay team. He may not have postseason experience like Beckett but he has beaten playoff teams quite a bit. The big key with him being in here is he still hasn't reached his potential or peak and based on what we saw last year the peak is certainly high.

4th and the reason he's 4th is bad postseason numbers is C.C. Sabathia. Another than those postseason numbers there really isn't much to not love about the guy. Just like Halladay Sabathia is a work horse. The fewest innings he ever threw was back in 2001 and it still was a good 180.3 innings. And since 2005 he's become a major strikeout pitcher averaging 187 strikeouts a season including this season where he has 197 before September. He won the AL Cy Young Award last season with a no doubt phenomanol season. He pitched 241 innings with a 3.21 era while striking out 209 batters and walking only 37. He also had 4 complete games with 1 shutout and a 1.141 whip. The only thing putting him here is bad playoff numbers and wonder if all those innings will wear on him.

Closing out the rotation is the other big name that got traded to the NL this season. Rich Harden is the definition of a pitching stud. He's young and has maybe the best stuff in baseball. Questions with him are obviously can he stay healthy and I think he will be able to for most of his career from this year on so that's why I'll take him. This is his second season with mostly good health and it's probably his breakout year. I said he has maybe the best stuff and the numbers don't lie he's struck out 167 hitters in only 131 innings. He's posting a 1.99 era with a whip a little over 1 at 1.046. Also showing his dominant stuff he's given up a whopping 88 hits in those 131 innings. When healthy he may challenge Halladay as the best pitcher in the game but health is the issue so he is excellent 5th starter for me.

Just for note sort of like NBA 1st and 2nd team here's my second rotation names- John Lackey, Brandon Webb, Chien Ming Wang, Johan Santana, and Tim Lincecum.