2010 Battle of The NL East: The Phillies Rotation

The Phillies are fresh off of a trip to the World Series for the second time in two years and have established themselves as the premier team in the National League. 

The Phillies added a pitcher in Roy Halladay who is considered by many to be the best pitcher in all of baseball. Halladay has put a 2.78 and 2.79 ERA in the past two years. Both with the Toronto Blue Jays, in the best division in baseball. The AL East.

Halladay is making the transition from the heavy hitting AL East to the softer NL East. The AL East featured 3 of the top 5 hitting teams in the MLB; the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, and the Tampa Bay Rays. Even the Baltimore Orioles were a middle of the pack offense last year.

The NL East features the Florida Marlins, the Atlanta Braves, the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals. 

Halladay will lead the rotation followed by Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, JA Happ and most likely Jamie Moyer.

Hamels, 26, is coming off of a rough year that started off with injuries. He was never able to recover from his slow start. Had Hamels been the star he was in the 2008 season, the Phillies would have most likely won the world series. The questions surrounding him are how he can rebound in 2010

Blanton is a steady number 3 pitcher. Pancakes Joe, as they call him, carried the Phillies pitching staff for a good portion of the year when they did not have an established ace. Joe went on a streak from May 26th to September 5th (18 starts), where he allowed more than 3 runs only one time. Blanton is forgotten in this rotation and has the ability to be very good. As good as he can be sometimes, he can be very wild too, letting up 5 or more runs 7 times. Blanton is a work horse for this team, and was a huge part in their 2008 championship.

JA Happ will be the 4th man in this rotation. He is coming off a fantastic rookie season where he dazzled hitters left and right. He did however struggle towards the end of the year and in his one playoff start. Although, he started in the pen, he came into the rotation for Chan Ho Park and was phenomenal. Many fans and experts, however think that he will have a rough time in 2010. He does not have overpowering stuff, and if he does get figured out, heads up.

Jamie Moyer. Ugh, Jamie Moyer. This guy, well into this 40s is still chugging along. Moyer still thinks he has it, and for that contract he better. He is the weakest spot in the Phillies rotation and if he can not get the job done, it will most likely be filled with the likes of Antonio Bastardo or Kyle Kendrick now that Kyle Drabek is gone. 

Predictions:

Roy Halladay- 20-7 2.65 ERA and a CY Young

Cole Hamels- 16-8 3.33 ERA and a Comeback Player of the Year Award

Joe Blanton- 14-10 3.90 ERA

JA Happ-13-9 4.10 ERA

Jamie Moyer- 11-14 4.50 ERA