Blue Jays: Ranking the Starting Five Among AL East Rotations
With spring training winding down and the start of the regular less than two weeks away, the pitching rotations of the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays are beginning to solidify.
Here, we will examine each team's projected rotation to see which AL East squads will enter the 2012 campaign with an advantage over their divisional rivals.
The Blue Jays' rotation will a have a look of familiarity, but will hope to experience a collective breakout this summer.
5: Baltimore Orioles
1 of 5The Orioles are expected to end the 2012 season in the cellar of the AL East. One major reason for that? The rotation.
As of now, the projection is that Tommy Hunter, Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Jake Arrieta and Dana Eveland will form the roster, though Brian Matusz has a chance to land a job.
In 2011, the Orioles ushered youngster after youngster to the mound and found out the hard way that not all fresh talent blossoms so quickly. Arrieta, along with Chris Tillman, Zach Britton and Brian Matusz all fell on hard times.
Though veterans Tommy Hunter, Jason Hammel and Dana Eveland may bring some stability to this year's group, the collective ceiling of the bunch is not all that high.
Arrieta may progress from last year, but there is no reason to believe he will be much of a difference-maker just yet.
The wild card is Chen. Baltimore management is hoping to have found a diamond in the rough in the 26-year-old, but indications are that the Taiwanese rookie is destined for a career as a back-end starter.
The addition of pitching depth never hurts, but this squad lacks a legitimate ace. Maybe even a legitimate No. 2 as well.
Baltimore will have the division's weakest rotation in 2012.
4: Toronto Blue Jays
2 of 5There is reason to be optimistic about the Jays' starting five in 2012, but there is also reason to be worried.
The projected rotation of Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Henderson Alvarez and Dustin McGowan is rife with potential, but enters the campaign as one big question mark.
Beyond their staff ace, Romero, fans cannot be sure what to expect from any of these guys. Some are anticipating a breakout campaign from Morrow, but these expectations have existed since 2009. Cecil has dropped a ton of weight from last season, but has not seen his velocity return to where it was in 2010. Alvarez looked terrific as a rookie last year, but will be up against the dreaded sophomore slump in 2012. And McGowan, well, he's pitched 21 innings since midway through the 2008 season.
On the other hand, all of these guys have high ceilings. The most realistic prediction is that one or two breakout and one or two falter. I'm not even going to attempt to pretend like I know which players will fall to which categories.
If the Jays hope to challenge for a playoff spot in 2012, they will need the rotation, beyond Ricky Romero, to help improve on last year's 81-81 record.
Entering the 2012 season, Toronto boasts the AL East's fourth most effective starting rotation.
3: Boston Red Sox
3 of 5The club will see Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard and either Vincente Padilla or Aaron Cook form the rotation.
The top three could flank any club, but the four and five spots leave much to be desired.
Bard is a great talent, but some question how smoothly he will transition from the bullpen to the dugout. And regardless of who wins the last opening, the back end of the rotation will not strike fear into opposing hitters.
Look for the Red Sox to acquire a starter during the regular season in an effort to tighten up the rotation. A move will become all the more necessary if Beckett or Buchholz struggle in 2012. Both guys can pitch like aces, but have struggled with consistency over the past couple years.
Boston will enter the 2012 campaign with the division's third-best group of starting pitchers.
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2: New York Yankees
4 of 5At the start of the offseason it looked like starting pitching would be the club's weakness. Come the end of spring training, not so much.
C.C. Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes project as a strong group.
I am not as high on Pineda as some, and I think that the deal that sent Jesus Montero to Seattle will prove a mistake for the Bronx Bombers in the long run. That said, the acquisition of Pineda, coupled by the signing of Kuroda, makes this group very, very strong.
Ivan Nova pitched superbly for the Yanks last year and could continue to move towards the front of the rotation. Hughes is hoping for a breakout year, but looks to be the weak link in an otherwise ironclad chain.
Oh, and how does Andy Pettitte sound as pitching depth?
The Yankees own the second-best pitching rotation in the AL East.
1: Tampa Bay Rays
5 of 5The Rays will enter the 2012 season with arguably the best pitching staff in the MLB. Most analysts have the group ranked behind the Phillies and Angels, but it is close. Very close.
David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore and Jeff Niemann will form what is a very scary presence.
Beyond the ridiculous amount of talent here, this squad is extremely young and electric. As good as this rotation is today, it will be better next year, with Price, Hellickson and Moore all having bright futures ahead of them.
Though this projects as a legendary rotation in the making, Tampa Bay already possesses the division's strongest starting five.
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