Roy Halladay and the Aces: The Philadelphia Phillies Rotation Through 48 Games

The Phillies starting rotation has been pretty good this year.  While scoring very intermittently, the team has been able to win 29 games.  The sad reality is, if we were to look at the starter's stats, we would expect them to win quite a few more.  

Here's an in-depth look at how they've performed so far.

The Ace of Spades: Roy Halladay

Stats

• Record: 10 GS, 6-3 (T-first in MLB), 4 CG (first in MLB)
• IP: 77.1 (first in NL)
• SO: 80 (first in MLB)
• ERA/WHIP: 2.21/0.98 (sixth/second in NL)

Big Roy's stats pretty much speak for themselves.  He ranks at or near the top in every category you can rate a pitcher in.  

One of the craziest stats is his strikeouts.  He is averaging more than a strikeout per inning and is on pace to beat his career best, which was last year when he fanned 219.  

The reigning Cy Young is working hard on obtaining his third piece of pitching hardware.  He has given the Phillies a great chance to win every time he toes the rubber, allowing more than two ER only once in 10 starts.  Suffice to say, the Ace of Spades is doing what we all have come to expect.

Grade: A+

The Ace of Hearts: Cliff Lee

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PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 25: Starting pitcher Cliff Lee #33 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks in the dugout before the Major League Baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 25, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated

Stats

• Record: 10 GS, 3-4, 1 CG
• IP: 66
• SO: 78 (second in MLB)
• ERA/WHIP: 3.38/1.20

The returning hero has become the Cole Hamels of 2011.  He has been a hard-luck loser in quite a few games this year due to the Phillies' struggling offense, only allowing more than three ER in two starts this year.  That being said, he has been mildly inconsistent.  He set a new career high in BBs in a single game with six against the St. Louis Cardinals.  

I can give him a little defense on this one since I watched the game.  Lee is a pitch-to-the-corners type of pitcher and the umpire's strike zone was very, very small.  But a pitcher of Lee's caliber needs to be able to adjust to something like that.  

Lee has yet to step up and show that he deserves the second seat in our vaunted rotation, but there's a lot of season left.

Grade: B-

The Ace of Clubs: Roy Oswalt

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PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 26: Starting pitcher Roy Oswalt #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the Major League Baseball game at Chase Field on April 26, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Philli

Stats

• Record: 7 GS, 3-2
• IP: 39
• SO: 27
• ERA/WHIP: 2.77/1.18

Lil' Roy has been broadsided with a couple of issues this year.  

His nagging back injury issues came back and a tornado attacked his home.  Strangely enough, his worst start came as a result of the latter.  He hadn't given up more than two earned runs in any start until the game against the Diamondbacks.  A few minutes prior to that game, he was informed that a tornado was ripping through his home.  

Obviously, his mind wasn't on the game and it showed.  He gave up five earned runs on six hits in only three innings before Charlie got him out of there.  Not counting that start, he would have a sweet 1.75 ERA.

Since then, he has only given up one ER in each start, but somehow has not earned a win in those games.  If the Phillies offense would perform, Oswalt could easily be sitting at 5-2 right behind Halladay and Hamels.  Even counting the injury and absence, Oswalt has been outstanding this year and if he can keep the back healthy, he should do just fine.

Grade: A- 

The Ace of Diamonds: Cole Hamels

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PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 27: Starting pitcher Cole Hamels #35 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks in the dugout during the Major League Baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 27, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. . The Phillies defeated

Stats

• Record: 10 GS, 6-2 (T-first in MLB), 1 CG
• IP: 67
• SO: 68 (T-sixth in NL)
• ERA/WHIP: 3.06/1.02

This year's dark-horse pick for NL Cy Young is playing like he wants to dethrone Halladay.  He is easily the best No. 4 starter in all of baseball.  And thankfully, the Phillies offense has started preforming for him, scoring three or more runs in six of his 10 starts.  

And even when they don't back him, he does what is necessary to win the game.  

Against the Padres, his offense only gave him two runs of support.  So Cole went out and threw eight innings of shutout ball.  Then again against Colorado, the Phillies were only able to scratch across two runs.  So Hamels once again went eight innings, only allowing one earned run while giving up just five hits.  

This season is going to be a good one for Hamels, and I think he will give the reigning Cy Young a run for the award this year.

Grade: A+

Conclusion

Grades

• Roy Halladay: A+
• Cliff Lee: B-
• Roy Oswalt: A-
• Cole Hamels: A+

Whatever you want to call them—R2C2, Phour Horsemen, Phour Aces—it doesn't matter.  These pitchers have proven what they are capable of.

Halladay and Hamels have been outstanding while injury and inconsistency have plagued Oswalt and Lee respectively.  If the Phillies offense can get going, expect all four to be sitting at or above the 20-win mark by the end of the year.  

The hardest decision when it comes to this rotation is who will start in the playoffs.