Ranking NL West Pitching Staffs: Have the Diamondbacks Surpassed the Giants?

The pitching in the National League West has been dominant.  There's an embarrassment of riches out West when it comes to young aces.  Lincecum, Kershaw, Kennedy, Cain, and that only scratches the surface. 

The numbers don't lie.  Last season, six of the 12 pitchers who received Cy Young votes came from the West.  Over the last two seasons, 12 of 26 pitchers elected to the All-Star Game hailed from the division. An NL West team has been either first or second in MLB team ERA every year since 2005.   

In 2010, the Padres and Giants battled for the division until Game 162 with two of the lightest hitting lineups in the major leagues.  Last season, a young Diamondbacks staff came out of nowhere and led Arizona to the crown.  2012 should bring more of the same as the division remains short on hitting and stacked with young arms.  

But which staff is the best?  Here's a ranking, considering each team as it stands right now.  

5. Colorado Rockies

The Rotation:  It's not pretty folks.  The Rockies dealt their No. 1 starter Ubaldo Jimenez at the trading deadline last year, with no immediate replacement in sight.  They will rely on young Jhoulys Chacin to develop into a true ace and for Jorge de la Rosa to finally stay healthy and throw strikes.  Free agent acquisition Kevin Slowey is a fly-ball pitcher.  Perhaps he can only pitch on the road.  

The Bullpen:  The bullpen ranked 23rd in ERA last season and just traded closer Huston Street to the Padres.  If no other moves are made, the bullpen will remain a big question mark.  Matt Belisle will be relied upon again to pickup the pieces when the starters get knocked out early and live arm Rafael Betancourt will likely finally get a chance to close.  

Conclusion:  "It's hard to win when you have guys over 100 pitches in five innings" mused manager Jim Tracy.  The Rockies offense is not good enough to spend another year trying to play catch up.  

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rotation:  Clayton Kershaw was the best pitcher in the West last season.  After that, I'm not so sure.  Chad Billingsley seems to have reached his ceiling as a No. 3 type starter.  Young Rubby De La Rosa showed promise before needing Tommy John surgery and the always-solid Hiroki Kuroda is likely out the door via free agency.  With the Dodgers financial situation in limbo for at least another year, Kershaw will have to post Cy Young numbers again to keep the Dodgers in the hunt.

Bullpen:  Javy Guerra really stablilized a bullpen in disarray last season.  Young flame throwers Kenley Jansen and Blake Hawksworth were inconsistent but showed flashes of brilliance. The Dodgers bullpen could go either way next year and will play a big role in their 2012 success.  

Conclusion:  There are a lot of question marks to be resolved still.  The Dodgers situation remains fluid, with Clayton Kershaw seemingly the only sure thing.  And Chad Billingsley's mediocrity.  

3. San Diego Padres

The Rotation:  The Padres just traded ace Mat Latos to the Red for Edinson Volquez.  Volquez and Latos are both ace prospects who had a rough go of it in 2011.  Regardless, Bud Black has been able to conjure good starting pitching out of pixie dust the last few years.  Unheralded guys Tim Stauffer and Clayton Richard have been rock solid.  

The Bullpen:  Arguably the majors' best bullpen the last few years finds itself in flux.  New acquisition Huston Street is no Heath Bell, and Mike Adams is now in Texas.  Setup man Luke Gregerson came flying back to earth after being nearly unhittable at times in '10.  New blood will have to step up.  

Conclusion:  The pitching will remain solid as long as the Padres remain in cavernous Petco Park.  This team's success depends on whether they can find some professional hitters.  Volquez can slide into the No. 1 slot and if Street holds down the back of the 'pen, the Padres will be a Top 10 pitching staff once again.  

2. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Rotation:  GM Kevin Towers recently claimed: "We think we've got four young starters who are as good as anybody in the N.L. West."  With the addition of Trevor Cahill, he may not be that far off.  If Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson continue repeat their 2011 success and Josh Collmenter reaches his potential, the Diamondbacks will challenge the Giants for best in the West.  

The Bullpen:  The 2011 D-Backs pen was much improved from a historically bad 2010 version, and the recent acquisition of the ancient Takashi Saito shows a continued commitment.  One key issue is whether closer JJ Putz is a long term solution or just a place holder for David Hernandez, who was solid but inconsistent as a setup man last season.  

Conclusion:  The recent Trevor Cahill trade was clearly aimed at competing with the Giants pitching staff in the division.  The D-Backs won't be able to count on another historically bad offensive season by the Bay.  Their pitching will have to match the Giants if they hope to repeat.  

1. San Francisco Giants

The Rotation:  Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner are about as much of a sure thing as you will find in baseball right now.  They have multiple good seasons under their belt, a playoff pedigree, and a promising lack of injury history.  If Ryan Vogelsong approaches his 2011 performance, the Giants rotation remains the class of the division

Bullpen:  There's an embarrassment of riches down in the Giants' pen.  Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo, and Santiago Casilla could all close for major league teams right now.  Javier Lopez is arguably the best lefty-on-lefty specialist in the business.  If one of them isn't traded for a hitter before March, they should be dominant once again

Conclusion:  The gap has narrowed somewhat, but the lights-out bullpen and the consistency of the starters keep the Giants at the front of the pack.