New York Mets: Power Ranking the Team's 2012 Rotation

The New York Mets boast the least formidable starting staff in the pitching-laden National League East. Frankly, it’s not much of a debate.

The Phillies' staff consists of three legitimate aces at the front end, and they remain the favorites to win their sixth consecutive division title.

The Braves, although they didn’t make any significant upgrades, boast the deepest staff in the division and will be led by their young flamethrowers.

Then there are the upstart Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals who made substantial upgrades by acquiring Mark Buehrle and Gio Gonzalez, respectively.

The Mets do not possess the depth or star power to win the division as conventional wisdom would suggest. They are banking on career years from their veterans and vast improvements from their younger guys. However, Terry Collins can rely on a boost from the bullpen with the additions of Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez.

5. Dillon Gee

While some Mets fans believed Gee was the savior after his franchise record-breaking start, the more seasoned Mets fans tempered their expectations with reminders of other flameouts such as Mike Bacsik.

Even after his second-half struggles, the 25-year-old managed to finish with a solid if unspectacular 13-6 record with a 4.43 ERA. His ERA+ of 84 would suggest he was the beneficiary of good fortunes and his peripherals confirm that.

As the league adjusted to Gee, he was forced to adjust as well. He admittedly did not "have his curveball" in 2011, so perhaps the reemergence of that pitch will add to his arsenal. While Gee is the least accomplished of the Mets starters, he is also the least experienced and possesses the ability and poise that Mike Pelfrey has failed to display.

4. Jon Niese

While Niese possesses all the qualities of a pitcher on the cusp of stardom, he has been a subpar second-half pitcher and has had some freak injuries derail some potential turning points in his career.

Niese received a rhinoplasty in the offseason. The left-hander has had conditioning issues in the past, but improved breathing thanks to the nose job has helped in that regard. While it remains to be seen whether the nose job will be beneficial, it would seem that Niese has the experience (370 big league innings) to become comfortable in the National League.

I predict Niese will improve on his 2011 numbers, but will not become the No. 2 starter that the organization had hoped he would become when they drafted him in the 2005 amateur draft.

3. Mike Pelfrey

Mets fans are often left baffled when watching Mike Pelfrey. The 6’7” right-hander out of Wichita State occasionally displays flashes of brilliance which seem to suggest he is ready to fulfill his potential of being an ace. However, seeing his best is equally as likely as seeing him put up a line like this.

Whether it is a lack of mental toughness or strictly a matter of command, Pelfrey has been unable to establish himself as an elite starter. After his 9-1 start in 2010, he is currently 13-21 and there is recent speculation that the organization may cut ties with him.

Every year seems to be a "make-or-break" type year for Pelfrey, but he has managed to lurk in mediocrity long enough to warrant not being released or receive a contract extension. With Sandy Alderson’s emphasis on efficiency and performance, this may be the final year Mets fans will be subjected to the inconsistencies of "Big Pelf."

2. RA Dickey

There is no doubt that R.A. Dickey has the poise and effectiveness to have sustained success in this league. While there was initially skepticism regarding the staying power of Dickey’s knuckleball, he proved over the past two seasons that age will not be a factor.

The guy climbed Mt. Kilamanjaro!

Dickey is the final exclusive knuckleball pitcher in the majors after the retirement of Tim Wakefield. He may also be the most intellectual which can be seen from his elaborate post-game interviews which have the atmosphere of a State of the Union address.

Dickey has compiled ERAs of 2.84 and 3.28 over the past two seasons and has one year remaining on his contract. Sandy Alderson has already stated he sees Dickey in the long-term plans of the team.

If the Mets are to surprise anyone in the National League, Dickey must pitch as effectively as he has and find a way to increase his strikeout rate considering New York's suspect defense (their Total Zone Rating was an abysmal -77 for season). With the combination of Dickey’s intellect, work ethic and experience, there is no reason he can’t be counted on for 200 innings of a 3.00 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP.

1. Johan Santana

It’s natural for people to question whether we will ever see vintage Johan Santana anymore. The thing about Santana is that he has already won a Cy Young in the year following arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Johan has been the model of consistency throughout his career, but he's turning 33 and has missed over a year of action.

Johan’s competitive nature, combined with his deadly changeup, will enable him to perform his best when he is on the mound. But, there's only a slim chance he'll be able to log over 200 innings on the mound as he has routinely done in his career.

While he may not be the best pitcher in baseball anymore, he may be the most valuable to his team’s success. If the Mets are unable to get an ERA+ near 150 from Santana they will be staring at their first last-place finish since 2003 and their fourth consecutive sub .500 season