Hot Stove Rivalry: Who’s Got the Better Starting Rotation?

Jeff Freier, Hot Stove New York

If everybody were healthy, I’d say the Mets. But right now they’re both in the same boat—they have three guys they can count on (Hamels, Meyers, Moyer/Santana, Pelfrey, Perez) and then it’s a crapshoot.

Joe Blanton’s been pedestrian, Kendrick’s been terrible, you don’t know what you’re going to get with Pedro, and do the Mets really have a fifth starter right now? Jon Niese?

If Maine were healthy that would give the Mets the edge, but the Phillies have healthy bodies to throw out there, so that gives them the edge.

Jon Atwood, Hot Stove Philly

The Phillies have a better starting rotation. Johan Santana and John Maine are the only two solid pitchers on the Mets' rotation, whereas Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, and Jamie Moyer are all serious hurlers.

Granted, Santana is the best pitcher of the group and is arguably the best pitcher in the major leagues, but Hamels is not far behind him. Hamels is 12-8 this season with a 3.01 ERA and 174 strikeouts. Santana is 12-7 with a 2.71 ERA with 169 strikeouts. Their numbers are very similar and Hamels is in just his second full year in the major leagues.

Maine, also in just his second full year, has struggled with injuries and control this year. He is just 10-8 with a 4.18 ERA this season. He also has 67 walks in just 140 innings pitched.

By comparison, Hamels has 46 walks in 203 innings pitched and Santana has 51 in 196 innings pitched. He has a WHIP of 1.35. Again by comparison, Hamels has a WHIP of 1.03 and Santana’s is 1.15. Maine has run into many of the same “sophomore slump” problems that Phillies’ youngster Kyle Kendrick has.

On the other hand, Myers has dominated every team he has faced since returning from a stint in AAA earlier this year. Since that stint Myers has gone 5-1 with an ERA of 1.80. Moyer had a streak of 14 games in which he did not allow more than three earned runs and has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the major leagues this year.