Stephen Strasburg and the Top 10 MLB Pitchers Who Will Take Over in 2012

Pitching is the most important part of baseball. A team cannot win if it doesn’t send out a strong pitcher to lead the way. No matter how many runs an offense is able to post, a team needs a reliable pitching staff to keep the balance and consistency.

I’ve put together a list of my top 10 MLB pitchers so far who will come up big this season for their respective teams. Of course, Stephen Strasburg heads the list. I’ve chosen him to win at least 20 games this season.

Obviously there are some names that I could not fit in, but I think this is a good list of some of the stronger, under-the-radar pitchers who will impress in the 2012 season.

**All stats were taken after the first two starts of the season (because not all pitchers have started their third game yet).

1. RHP Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals

Strasburg, who missed most of the 2011 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery in late 2010, returned to the mound this month with a winning mindset. So far, he’s 1-0 with a .69 ERA after tossing 13.0 innings, allowing only seven base hits, one earned run and striking out 14.

Overall in his short career, the flame-throwing 23-year-old is 8-5 with an impressive 2.35 ERA. He’s surrendered just 89 base hits, and allowed 29 earned runs over his first 111.0 innings of work. Not to mention he’s racked up 135 strikeouts, which averages out to 1.22 strikeouts per nine innings. 

Stephen Strasburg is such a household name by now I’m sure most people are aware of when he pitches. Even though this phenom debuted almost two years ago, he’s still the most-talked about  pitcher in the majors. If he’s able to stay healthy for the entire season, I’m sure he’ll have a breakout year.

The Nationals have a very strong pitching staff this season, and their rotation, for the first time since moving to the metro area, has shape and fluidity. They’ve gained experience from hardships over the last couple of seasons, and they’ll use that to their full advantage this summer. I believe this will be Strasburg’s first of many 20-win seasons.

2. RHP Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

Over the last 10 years, Roy Halladay has become one of the most dominant pitchers in recent memory. This season looks to be no different for the 34-year-old Philly ace, as he’s stormed out of the gate and currently leads the majors in innings pitched and ERA.

Over his first two outings of the year, the right-handed hurler is 2-0 with a .60 ERA over 15 innings of work. He’s allowed just one earned run on seven base hits to go along with eight strikeouts on the young season.

For his career, Halladay sports an impressive 191-92 record paired with a 3.21 ERA. In his 2,554 innings of work, he’s given up 2,450 base hits and 912 earned runs. He’s won at least 20 games in a season three times in his career, and he's finished with 19 wins five times.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner undoubtedly has valuable experience in the majors, and is also on one of the best offensive teams in Major League Baseball. We expect Halladay not to fail, and with that said, I’m sure this will be another prominent year for the aging righty. I project that Halladay will become a 20-game winner for the fourth time in his career.

3. LHP Matt Harrison, Texas Rangers

Last season, Texas’ Matt Harrison was given a chance to start games on a regular basis and he took full advantage. I think this season will be one of Harrison’s best at the major league level. He showed glimpses of promise last year, and he’s gotten off to a hot start this spring.

Harrison finished 2011 with a strong 14-9 record and a lowly 3.39 ERA. He pitched half of his games at Ranger Ballpark in Arlington where the ball just flies out. Last year was his first full MLB season with the Rangers, and he tossed 185.1 innings, allowed 180 base hits and struck out 126 opponents.

Now you might be wondering why he’s third on the list. Well, so far over his first two outings (2-0), he’s allowed just one earned run on 11 base hits in 14 innings of work. Although his walk total of four is a bit high, there’s always room for improvement.

Last season was his breakout year at the MLB level, but I think 2012 will be the year he turns heads around the league and really shows everyone how talented he is. The Rangers have a great starting staff, which is advantageous as he can feed off of their energy and learn from their experiences. I project that Harrison will earn 18 victories on the year.

4. LHP C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Former Ranger and now Angel, C.J. Wilson, is one of the best pitchers in the game and has recently stepped up his game. Over the last two seasons, he’s 31-15 with a 3.14 ERA, and he helped lead Texas to the World Series in each of those years.

Overall in his career, Wilson has posted a 45-35 record with a 3.56 ERA. In his 721.0 innings of work, he’s scatted 628 base hits, allowed 285 earned runs and racked up 644 strikeouts. Before making the move to the starting rotation before the 2010 season, he used to be part of the Rangers' bullpen.

Wilson got off to a strong start this season, going 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA. In 13 innings with his new team, he’s surrendered nine base hits and he’s served up just two earned runs. He’s struggled with walks (six already), but I’m sure once he gets fully adjusted to his new team, he’ll get right back into his strikeout groove.

Wilson joined one of the most exciting teams in baseball this offseason, and although they haven’t played up to their standards so far, there’s still almost an entire season left. I project that Wilson will post at least 18 wins on the year.

5. RHP Brandon Beachy, Atlanta Braves

The 25-year-old Brandon Beachy has one of the best young arms in all of baseball and he showcased his talent last year as the Braves fell apart in the National League East and missed the playoffs by a hair.

He kind of came out of nowhere, and his name was not very well known around the major leagues. Well, after an impressive 2011 campaign, people are aware of the name Beachy. He appeared in 25 games in ’11, and pitched his way to a 7-3 record with a 3.68 ERA. Over 141.2 innings, he surrendered 125 base hits and 58 earned runs.

In his short career, Beachy sports an 8-6 record and a respectable 3.42 ERA. This season, he’s posted a 1-1 record in his first two starts, as he’s given up just one earned run (five total) over his 12 innings of work.

Beachy is definitely one of the up-and-coming, young arms in the majors and will be something special to watch. With an entire season under his belt, I think he can put together at least a 15 or 16 wins if he manages to stay healthy.

6. RHP Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays

Right-handed hurler, Jeremy Hellickson, is one of the top pitching prospects across the country and is expected to post some impressive numbers at the MLB level. In his first full season with the Rays last year, he finished with a 13-10 record and a strong 2.95 ERA.

In his career, he’s posted an 18-10 record and a 3.05 ERA over his 41 games, 35 of which he started. In his 239 innings of work, he’s served up just 188 base hits and 81 earned runs paired with 155 strikeouts.

This season, however, he’s gotten off to a bit of a tougher start. Over his first two outings (1-0, 3.29 ERA), he’s allowed five earned runs on 10 base hits in 13.2 innings of work. So although he hasn’t impressed out of the gates, I believe he’ll have a breakout year.

Hellickson made his debut in 2010, and pitched almost the entire season last year with the Rays. So, with a year under his belt, he understands the league a little more and I feel like he’ll continue to build on his experience. MLB named him the top right-handed pitching prospect in 2011. I project he’ll finish with at least 16 wins on the year.

7. RHP Hiroki Kuroda, New York Yankees

Former Los Angeles Dodger Hiroki Kuroda is now a Yankee, and we’ll see how this plays out. I think it was a great move for the Bronx Bombers behind Brian Cashman. He's proven that he can keep his team in games out on the west coast, now it’s time for a bigger challenge in the American League East.

Although he’s under .500 in his career with a 42-47 record, he sports an impressive 3.42 ERA. The Dodgers haven’t had the best offense in recent memory, thus he struggled with his record even though his ERA has always been consistently low.

Last season he finished 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA! This season, in two starts, he’s 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA as he’s allowed four earned runs over 13.2 innings.

With the Yankees' powerful offense, Kuroda is definitely going to shine and pick up more victories than ever before. He’ll bring experience to the rotation while also learning from the other Yankee hurlers. I project him to win at least 16 games.

8. LHP Johan Santana, New York Mets

The two-time Cy Young Award-winning southpaw has finally returned to the Mets' starting rotation. Maybe this year he’ll finally live up to his contract expectations with New York after leaving the Twins in 2007.

Everyone is aware of the type of pitcher Santana was before he succumbed to an injury that kept him out of the 2011 season. In his career, Santana sports a strong 133-70 record and a very low 3.09 ERA. To have such a low career ERA during this power-hitting, home run slugging era is very impressive.

Over his first two outings of the year, he’s looked like himself for the most part. Santana used to be a workhorse who tossed 100 pitches like it was nothing, though he is on a restricted pitch count at the moment.

He’s 0-1 with a .90 ERA as he’s surrendered just one earned run on seven hits over 10 innings of work. I think Santana will definitely have a comeback year and win anywhere between 13 and 16 games, but the big question is whether he can stay healthy.

9. RHP Jordan Zimmermann, Washington Nationals

Jordan Zimmermann has been up and down in the Nationals organization over the last four seasons, but I think this will be the first time he’ll spend an entire season at the major league level. Not only that, but I think he’ll have a breakout year for the surprisingly impressive Nats.

In his career, Zimmermann’s posted a 12-19 record, but he’s earned a respectable 3.72 ERA during his time with Washington. He made 26 starts for the squad last season and finished with an 8-11 mark and a 3.18 ERA. He pitched in many tough-luck situations and was victim to blown saves late in games.

This year has unfortunately started off on the same foot. Zimmerman is 0-1 with a 1.29 ERA as he’s served up just two earned runs on nine base hits in his 14.0 innings of work. So, yes, the Nationals again have not been able to score him runs, but I think that will eventually change.

Washington has a strong pitching staff behind Strasburg and former Oakland Athletic Gio Gonzalez. I think Zimmermann has a great chance to learn and develop. If the Nationals’ offense is able to muster anything while he’s on the mound, I think he’ll have a shot at around 13 to 14 victories.

10. LHP Mike Minor, Atlanta Braves

Left-handed starting pitcher Mike Minor was named the fourth-best LHP prospect in the majors last season by MLB.com. Although he’s struggled a bit out of the gate this season, I think he’ll still finish strong and come up big for the Braves.

Over his first two outings, he’s posted a 1-2 record with a 4.38 ERA, allowing six earned runs over just 12.1 innings. Last season, the 24-year-old finished with a 5-3 record and a 4.14 ERA over just 15 starts.

In his career, he’s 9-6 with a 4.71 ERA over 135.2 innings of work. So you might be wondering why he is on this list. Well, he’s on one of the best pitching-developmentally organizations in all of baseball and I think he’s just now starting to grow as a major league pitcher.

This season will be his first full year with the Braves at the major league level, and I think he’ll really show what he’s made of. I project he’ll win around 13 games for the Braves.