MLB Spring Training 2013: Ace Pitchers in Need of a Strong Spring

Spring training is well underway, giving us our first look at the best MLB has to offer in 2013. As it is still baseball's most important position, all eyes are turned towards the mound.

2012 saw bizarre performances from some of the league's most consistent pitchers. While some aces took minor steps back, others absolutely imploded.

Looking to turn over a new leaf, there's no better time for those struggling aces to refine their game than spring.

There's not a lot of pressure, the games don't really matter and you can work on things you wouldn't normally be able to.

Here's a breakdown of some aces looking to take the first steps towards regaining their form in 2013.

Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay is actually mortal. Who knew?

2012 saw Halladay suffer the worst season of his 15-year career. Doc finished his injury-plagued year 11-8 with an uncharacteristically high ERA (4.49) and WHIP (1.222).

Luck did play a factor in his struggles—Halladay had a 3.60 xFIP—but it's hard to ignore the issues with command.

The 35-year-old had a 2.07 BB/9 and a 3.67 K/BB, despite leading the league in both categories the three seasons prior.

Halladay also saw his average fastball velocity drop to 90.6 mph, way off from his career mark of 92.0 mph.

This could be Halladay's last season in Philadelphia, as he needs 254 innings in 2013 for his option to vest. The Phillies have considered extending Doc, but they've got plenty of money tied up as is.

The right-hander has dominated baseball for the entirety of his career, and these struggles are certainly strange. With the last big contract of his career on the line, Halladay needs a strong 2013.

The ace's struggles began early last spring, and the hope is that he can start things off on the right foot this year.

So far this spring, Halladay has allowed two earned runs in 4.1 innings but has just one walk to five strikeouts. If he can retain that level of command, everything else should fall into place.

Tim Lincecum

No pitcher saw bigger setbacks in 2012 than San Francisco Giant's ace Tim Lincecum.

The 28-year-old saw tremendous regression last season, going 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA, 1.468 WHIP, 2.11 K/BB and 5.67 innings per start—all were career worsts.

Lincecum had a 3.82 xFIP, but his .309 BABIP wasn't far off from his .295 career mark. Just like Halladay, command was a huge issue.

Another alarming factor in his struggles was that his average fastball velocity dropped to 90.4 mph, 1.9 ticks lower than 2011.

His struggles ultimately landed Lincecum in the bullpen for the Giant's 2012 postseason run.

The Freak will be a free agent after the 2013 season, and if not for 2012, he could have been in for a huge payday.

The financial benchmark for ace pitchers has been over the past year. San Francisco had a hand in that, extending Matt Cain to a six-year, $127.5 million contract last season.

2013 is as make-or-break as it gets for Lincecum. The time is now for the young ace to get into shape, refine his mechanics and rediscover the form that made him so good early in his career.

Jon Lester

The Boston Red Sox have been in a sorry state the last two seasons, and their biggest struggles have come with pitching.

Boston has lacked a true ace to anchor the rotation. That role used to belong to Jon Lester, but the left-hander has seen his fair share of issues.

Lester turned in the worst season of his career in 2012, going 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA and 1.383 WHIP.

The 29-year-old actually saw some improvements in his command, posting a three-year low 3.0 BB/9. But his stuff was missing it's usual punch, as he had a 9.5 H/9 and 7.3 K/9.

Boston's blockbuster trade last August brought about the departure of Josh Beckett. As a result, Lester is now the undisputed No. 1 pitcher in that rotation.

If there was ever a time for the ace to return to form, it's now.

Lester is a notoriously slow starter, with an average ERA of 4.17 from March to April in his career. That makes spring training all the more important.

With such an important season on the line, Lester has to set a good pace early in 2013. If he's unable to do that, it could be just a matter of time until he's on the other side of a Boston blockbuster.

All stats vie FanGraphs