10 Reasons the Washington Nationals' Rotation Has Jumped Above the Phillies'

The Philadelphia Phillies have won five straight NL East division titles on the strength of their pitching.  Their dominant starting rotation led them to consecutive World Series appearances, winning the title in 2008. 

But the Phillies' power has begun to wane, as they currently sit in last place in the NL East.  Now, the biggest threat to their divisional dominance is a team with a potent pitching staff of their own: the NL East-leading Washington Nationals. 

Here are 10 reasons why the Washington Nationals' rotation has now jumped ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation. 

10. Youth

The Philadelphia Phillies are getting old, and nowhere is that more evident than in the starting rotation. 

The average age of Philadelphia's starters—Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Cliff Lee and Kyle Kendrick—is 31, with Halladay being the oldest at 35. 

Conversely, the average age of Washington's starting rotation—Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler—is only 26.  Jackson is the oldest at 28. 

The Nationals can use this youth to their advantage during September and October, when the well-worn arms of the Phillies will begin to tire. 

9. Steve McCatty

This veteran pitching coach is perfect for the Nationals' young pitching staff.  His firm-but-fair approach keeps the youngsters in line, as shown by his animated conversations every time he visits them on the mound. 

But Steve McCatty's pitchers have responded to him, instead of cracking under the pressure.  His constant preaching of first-pitch strikes, pitching to contact and limiting base-on-balls has paid off. 

8. Flamethrowers

As reported by the Washington Post, according to FanGraphs, the average speed of fastballs thrown by the Washington Nationals rotation is an astounding 93.6 MPH.  That is the best average in Major League Baseball, and is actually the best average since that statistic was first recorded in 2002.  

By comparison, the Philadelphia Phillies have a staff-wide average fastball speed of 90.6 MPH.  That ranks them 16th overall, and seventh in the National League. 

The Washington Nationals use their staff's velocity to wear down their opponents.  The cumulative effect is best described by Cincinnati Reds center fielder Drew Stubbs:

"

Against these guys, it’s like you don’t get a chance to catch your breath.  You get done with one, it’s just on to the next one. We were here for four days.  All four guys, and we missed Strasburg, can hit the mid-90s.  That’s tough.  It’s very rare.  Usually, you only have one guy in the rotation who throws like that.

"

7. Earned Run Average

The Washington Nationals currently have the best staff ERA in Major League Baseball at 2.85.  They are the only team in the league with a staff ERA under 3.00. 

The Philadelphia Phillies currently rank third in all of baseball, but they are more than a third of a run worse than the Nationals at 3.23. 

As long as the object of baseball is to allow fewer runs than your team scores, then the Nationals' rotation is doing a better job than the Phillies' rotation. 

6. Head-to-Head Matchup

In an extended series—regular season or postseason—the Nationals can nullify the strength of the Phillies' rotation by countering with their own.  Here is a starter-by-starter comparison, based on current 2012 statistics:

Strasburg vs. Halladay.  ADVANTAGE: Strasburg. 

Gonzalez vs. Hamels.  ADVANTAGE: Even. 

Zimmermann vs. Blanton.  ADVANTAGE: Zimmermann. 

Jackson vs. Lee.  ADVANTAGE: Even. 

Detwiler vs. Kendrick.  ADVANTAGE: Detwiler. 

While Gio Gonzalez and Cole Hamels have both become front-runners to start for the National League in the All-Star Game, the Washington Nationals' rotation as a whole has shown that they are stronger than the Philadelphia Phillies'. 

5. Kyle Kendrick

Kyle Kendrick has become the fifth member of the Phillies' rotation, replacing Roy Oswalt, who continues to hold out for a new contract.  So far this season, Kendrick has been a poor replacement. 

The 27-year-old right-hander is now 1-4 with a 4.10 ERA.  But before Saturday's win, he was 0-4 with a 5.33 ERA. 

Philadelphia needed Kendrick to step up in Oswalt's absence, and the Houston native has not done so.  The Phillies' rotation is weaker as a result. 

4. Chien-Ming Wang

Chien-Ming Wang is the Washington Nationals' wild card. 

The big right-hander from Taiwan pitched well for the Nats last season after returning from a major shoulder injury, finishing 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA in 11 starts through 62.1 innings pitched.  But this spring training, he suffered another setback as he injured his leg while covering first base during a game.  Wang finally made his season debut on Friday night in Atlanta, pitching three innings in relief and earning the win. 

But this sinkerballer with a 60-29 career record is not a relief pitcher, as he takes an inordinate amount of time to warm up.  He actually began his bullpen session in the first inning of Friday night's game, even though he did not enter until the fifth. 

If Wang is going to pitch, it will be as a starter.  And his return comes at a perfect time for the Nationals, as Ross Detwiler's recent struggles have revealed a weakness in the team's rotation.  When Wang replaces Detwiler, he will strengthen the rotation. 

3. Playoff Depth

The Philadelphia Phillies' rotation is built for the best-of-five playoff format of the Division Series.  If Halladay, Hamels and Lee are on their game, then the Phillies will easily advance to the League Championship Series. 

But the Washington Nationals have the advantage in a best-of-seven format, because their rotation has depth.  With the addition of Edwin Jackson, the Nationals now have the luxury of putting less pressure on Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann. 

Jackson's pitching during last year's postseason was a key to the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series.  The depth he provides will give the Nationals an advantage, and reveals a weakness of the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation. 

2. End of an Era

The Philadelphia Phillies have won five straight NL East titles, signaling the "Golden Age" of the franchise.

But their postseason success has declined over time:

2008: Won World Series. 

2009: Lost World Series. 

2010: Lost NLCS. 

2011: Lost NLDS. 

If the Phillies' rotation were still dominant, the Philadelphia empire would have maintained its grip on baseball's postseason and reigned for a decade.  But thanks in part to the weakening strength of the starting rotation, this kingdom is now vulnerable to invasion. 

1. Natitude

It may be a cheesy public relations campaign, but this fact is undeniable: the Washington Nationals have a chip on their shoulder. 

This team lost 100-plus games in both 2008 and 2009.  But they improved in 2010 by winning 69 games, and then won 80 games in 2011.  More importantly, the Nationals gained confidence and experience last season by winning close games and beating the league's royalty. 

Now, this battle-hardened team—led by their formidable front line of starting pitchers—is eager to march on the rest of the National League.  And the kings of the NL East will be the first to fall at the hands of this rising dynasty.