MLB Fantasy Baseball: Updated 2011 Top 25 Starting Pitcher Rankings

Here’s an early look at the 2011 starting pitcher rankings.

 

1. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

Led the Majors in wins (21), ranked third in WHIP (1.04), fourth in ERA (2.44) and tied for fifth in strikeouts (219). He’s the complete package.

 

2. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

Lincecum was 16-10 with a 3.43 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 231 Ks. That was during an off year. He was untouchable in the playoffs.

 

3. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

He was a beast last year, leading the league in ERA (2.27), while ranking second in Ks (232) and fifth in WHIP (1.06). His only downside was the lack of wins (13), a problem that could easily resurface in 2011. It’s not a worrisome enough of a problem to keep him out of the top three.

 

4. Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox

Lester continued to perform at a high level, setting a career-high in wins (19) and WHIP (1.20) while matching his career high with 225 Ks. His solid 3.25 ERA rounded out his dominance, which should continue with an even better offense backing him.

 

5. CC Sabathia, New York Yankees

The wins will be there, as he’s averaged 20 the past two years for New York. He has had identical 197-K seasons as well, which is not elite, but solid. A low 3.00 ERA and a sub-1.20 WHIP round out his excellence.

 

6. Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

I still can’t believe Lee joined the Phillies to form one of the best rotations in recent memory. He shouldn’t have a problem increasing that win total, especially since he won’t be facing as many aces. He should post a microscopic WHIP and a low ERA. He doesn’t strike out a ton of batters, which is the only thing that keeps him from ranking higher. 

 

7. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

Verlander followed up his 19-9, 3.45 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 269-K season with a 18-9, 3.37, 1.16, 219 one. Aside from a blip in 2008, he’s been one of the best in the game since 2006. 

 

8. Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies

Jimenez had one of the most dominating first halves in history. He finished 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 214 Ks. He has filthy stuff and is a tireless worker. 

 

9. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Kershaw was brilliant in 2010, going 13-10 with a 2.91 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and 212 Ks. I believe this season he’ll add more wins to the outstanding peripheral numbers. 

 

10. Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

It’s possible the best three pitchers in the American League last season (King Felix: 13, Lee: 12 and Weaver: 13) combined for just 38 wins. Weaver led the bigs in Ks (233), posted the sixth-best WHIP (1.07) and the 16th-best ERA (3.01). 

 

11. Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins

Johnson posted the second-lowest ERA (2.30) in the league last season while sporting an 11-6 record, 1.11 WHIP and 186 strikeouts in 183.2 innings.

 

12. Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

I think a change of scenery will do Greinke good, as he’ll actually have some run support. He stayed in a small market, which is probably good for his psyche. I don’t think he’ll bounce back to his Cy Young numbers, but he could certainly be a Top-10 fantasy pitcher.

 

13. Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox

Buchholz went 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in 2010. He only had 120 Ks in 173.2 innings. If he can improve that total, he also has Top-10 potential. 

 

14. Matt Latos, San Diego Padres

In 2010, Latos went 14-10 with a 2.92 ERA (13th in the league), a 1.08 WHIP (tied for 7th) and 189 Ks (19th).

 

15. Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins

Liriano successfully bounced back last season, posting a 14-10 record with a 3.62 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and 201 Ks in 191.2 innings. He was 8-3 with a 3.31 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in the second half.

 

16. Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels

Haren’s overall numbers were somewhat disappointing (12-12, 3.91 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 216 Ks), but he was rock solid after joining the Angeles, going 5-4 with a 2.87 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 75 Ks in 94 innings. He’s topped 200 strikeouts the past three seasons and he has a 3.55 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP since 2005.

 

17. Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia Phillies

It’s almost embarrassing how stacked the Phillies rotation is. Oswalt was 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP with the Phillies. He finished 13-13 with a 2.76 ERA (8th in the league), 1.03 WHIP (2nd) and 193 Ks (18th). Like Lee, he won’t be facing many aces this year for the Phillies.

 

18. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies

Hamels bounced back in a big way last season, going 12-11 with a 3.06 ERA (17th in the league), 1.18 WHIP (tied for 21st) and 211 Ks (11th). With the studs ahead of him in the rotation, he should have plenty of favorable matchups.

 

19. Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers

Gallardo was 14-7 with a 3.84 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP and 200 Ks in 185 innings. He and Greinke form a solid one-two punch. 

 

20. David Price, Tampa Bay Rays

Price went 19-9 (tied for 4th-most wins) with a 2.72 ERA (7th), 1.19 WHIP (tied for 25th) and 188 Ks (20th). He was 10-2 with a 2.12 ERA against the AL East last season. I think he has a hard time coming close to those numbers, which takes a hit on his overall production. 

 

21. Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

He’ll turn 36 early in 2011, but after going 16-9 with a 3.22 ERA (23rd), a 1.18 WHIP (tied for 21st) and 179-K (28th) season, it’s hard not to imagine Carpenter as a solid No. 2 fantasy pitcher.

 

22. Brett Anderson, Oakland Athletics

He’ll have to stay healthy, but when he is, he can be downright nasty. He finished 7-6 with a 2.80 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and 75 Ks in 112.1 innings. He was 4-1 with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in September and October. 

 

23. Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves

Hanson had an odd 2010, sporting a solid 3.33 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP with 173 Ks, but finished 10-11. In 55 starts, he has a 3.16 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. 

 

24. Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

Cain went 13-11 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 177 Ks. In 170 starts, he has a 3.45 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He’s still unlucky, posting a 57-62 career mark despite those solid numbers.

 

25. Matt Garza, Chicago Cubs

Garza escapes from the brutal AL East and lands in the National League. The past three years he’s been very consistent, posting ERAs between 3.70 and 3.95 and WHIPs between 1.24 and 1.26. His strikeouts were down to 150 last season, but he won a career-high 15 games.

 

Also check out

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Ben Francisco Is the Answer to Replacing Jayson Werth

Former Philadelphia Phillie Jayson Werth signed with his former division rival Washington Nationals for $126 MM over seven years, which allowed Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. to offer a contract to the much-coveted Cliff Lee.

In a deal that shocked baseball where Lee left millions of dollars on the table, he decided to return to a team where he enjoyed the city, the team and the fans.

Lee decided that his comfort and the chance for history and a championship was more important than the money the Yankees offered him.

As a Phillies fan, I am extremely excited to have Lee back on the team, especially since I spent 12 months criticizing Amaro for getting rid of Lee to begin with. Werth, unlike Lee, decided that he would rather have the money than an immediate chance to become a world champion yet again.

With Werth missing from the roster, there has been a great deal of discussion as to who will replace him. Werth was the second best hitter on the Phillies who ranked towards the top in home runs and RBI. He was also a smart baserunner and a great defensive player.

Werth was certainly a productive player and helped the Phillies earn their four consecutive NL East championships and the 2008 World Series victory. Werth was a key asset to these accomplishments, but he did not solely earn these accomplishments, as baseball is, after all, a team sport.

Werth will be 39 years old at the end of his contract. He may still be a productive player, but it is unlikely that he will be as productive in the latter years of the contract as he has been in the past few years, especially if he is injured again or as he becomes slower with age.

With Werth gone, however, who will be his replacement in right field and as a right-handed hitter? Discussions have surfaced about a platoon in right field consisting of Ben Francisco and Ross Gload or Domonic Brown. However, I think that splitting right field with either Gload or Brown leaves much to be desired since they both are left-handed hitters, and Brown also had very disappointing numbers at the plate in the winter league.

Why not just use Ben Francisco as the starter? He may not have as much power as Jayson Werth, but he can produce offensive numbers that are very comparable to what Werth did in 2010. Francisco was largely used as a pinch hitter and not a starter. If he had chances to start every day, he could find a rhythm and become more productive than an off-the-bench player.

Comparing Francisco’s stats to Werth’s stats for 2010, we can see there is not a big difference in the ratio of their stats between these two players.

In 554 at-bats for 2010, Werth batted for an average of .296 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI. Werth’s on-base percentage was .388 with a slugging average of .532. Werth did lead the league in doubles with 46 and had 13 stolen bases, but he had 147 strikeouts. Doing the math, that means that almost 27 percent of the time that Werth was batting, he struck out.

Francisco had 179 at-bats in 2010, which is just shy of a third of the at-bats that Werth had. During those 179 at-bats, Francisco batted .268 with six home runs and 28 RBI. Francisco had an on-base percentage of .327 with a slugging average of .441, which is not much less than Werth’s relative numbers. He also had 13 doubles and eight stolen bases.

If we were to adjust Francisco’s numbers to make it comparative to having played a full season, his numbers would be equivalent to 18 home runs, 84 RBI, 39 doubles and 24 stolen bases, assuming that Francisco’s numbers were directly proportionate through the season.

	At-bats	Avg.	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG%	SO
Werth	554	.296	27	85	.388	.532	147
Francisco	179	.268	6	28	.327	.441	35
Francisco (Adjusted to assume full-season stats)	554	.268	19	87	.327	.441	108

 

If Francisco’s adjusted numbers proved to be his true production over the whole season, he would be a perfect replacement for Werth.

Francisco is a better player than he often gets credit for. He has not played full-time since before he came to the Phillies with Cliff Lee the first time Lee became a Phillie. Francisco batted one-third of the number of times that Werth did and produced exactly one-third of the RBI. That means that over the course of a full season, both of these players will have the same run-producing ability.

The one thing to mention about Francisco is that his home-run-producing ability is less than Werth’s, but as already mentioned, his RBI-producing ability is exactly the same. How can there be this paradox in numbers? The answer to that question is that Werth struck out about 27 percent of the time he batted, whereas Francisco only struck out 19 percent of the time he batted. Therefore, it is clear that Francisco strikes out eight percent less frequently than Werth.

Another answer to this question is that Werth bats for a much lower average when runners are in scoring position than Francisco does. Werth’s batting average with runners in scoring position was only .186, whereas Francisco’s average with runners in scoring position was .306. It can be seen here that Francisco is much better at producing runs when runners are on base than Werth is.

Francisco is a favorite to win Werth’s spot this spring because he will have a chance to shine and prove that he is better than many people expect him to be. Many people beyond myself claim that he is underestimated, including Werth himself and Brad Lidge.

Werth in an interview spoke of Francisco, saying, “I think Ben Francisco is a better player than people realize.” Werth does believe that the Phillies should have Francisco be the man that fills the hole he left. Charlie Manuel also claimed that Francisco is a primary candidate and said, “I think it’s time we give Ben a chance.”

Lidge also spoke of Francisco, claiming that he thinks Francisco is the Phillies’ best option to fill in for the loss of Werth. He said, “In my opinion, if Ben Francisco plays the way I think he can, if he delivers like a lot of guys on our team think he can, the blow of losing Jayson won’t be as big as it appears on paper.

“We’ll need Domonic Brown at some point and Ross Gload could be an everyday player. But to me, Ben is the key. He’s a right-handed hitter with 20-plus home run potential and he can play good D. You look at last year and guys like Ryan [Howard] and Chase [Utley] and Jimmy [Rollins] were hurt. I think we’ll be healthier and that will make up a lot for the loss of Jayson.”

Francisco should be the favorite to earn the starting right field spot this year. He can replace the defense that Werth once added to right field, and Francisco can also make up for Werth’s run-producing ability in the fifth spot in the lineup. Francisco is the answer to how the Phillies can replace Werth in all ways.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Trade Speculation: Is Joe Blanton Headed to St. Louis?

Adam Wainwright will undergo Tommy John Surgery in the near future, prematurely ending his 2011 season. Before his injury, Wainwright looked to lead a strong St. Louis Cardinals rotation, which also included Chris Carpenter, Jamie Garcia, Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse. If the Cardinals decide to fill out their rotation with a pitcher already in their camp, Ian Snell, Kyle McClellan, P.J. Walters and Lance Lynn will compete for the final spot. However, there is also a possibility they will look to acquire a pitcher through a trade before Opening Day.The Phillies and the Cardinals might just match up if the Cardinals decide they need to go outside of their organization to add an arm.

The Phillies are saying and doing all of the right things when it comes to dealing with Joe Blanton right now. But, I still think if the right offer were to arise, they would at least entertain it. I am talking about a deal where the Phillies would acquire Colby Rasmus in exchange for Blanton. The Phillies would most likely have to include some money towards Blanton’s remaining salary.The Phillies would acquire a young, talented and controllable outfielder, while the Cardinals would instantly upgrade their rotation and ease some of the pain of losing Wainwright. The question is: Would the Phillies want Rasmus if the Cardinals were willing to include him in the deal?

Colby Rasmus, 24 years old, posted a .276/.361/.498 slash line in 2010. He also hit 23 HR and produced 66 RBI, finishing with a 132 OPS+. These are all very impressive numbers, especially for a 24-year-old. The problem lies not only in the fact that Rasmus hits from the left side of the plate, but also in the widely perceived notion that Rasmus cannot hit left-handed pitching. The latter is very important because if Rasmus hit LHP well it would not matter which side of the plate he hit from. So the question arises whether Rasmus truly cannot hit LHP or has he not been given ample opportunity to prove that he can?

Ideally, when examining his lefty-platoon splits I would be able to use at least 1,000 plate appearances. However, Rasmus has only 256 PA in his young career vs. LHP, so I will use what I have. In 115 PA during the 2009 season, Rasmus was terrible against LHP posting a .218 wOBA. Compare that to his .341 wOBA against RHP and .218 looks even worse. The one glimmer of hope from 2009 was Rasmus’ .187 BABIP against LHP which suggests he was very unlucky.

In 2010, Rasmus had only 131 PA against LHP. However, his numbers were much more encouraging, as he posted a wOBA of .355 and an OPS of .810 against LHP. Rasmus did strike out at a high rate (33 percent) in 2010, but his strikeout percentage vs. LHP (29.6 percent) was actually less than against RHP (32.7 percent).

Throughout his minor league career, Rasmus hit pretty well against LHP—.275/.371/.455—as opposed to .278/.364/.496 vs. RHP. His minor league numbers suggest he should be an adequate hitter against LHP in the major leagues.He showed good improvement from 2009 to 2010. However, he must be allowed to prove himself against LHP. Rasmus is obviously not a LHP killer, but he is also not as terrible as most would believe.

Rasmus is only 24 years old with immense upside. He would infuse some youth into an aging Phillies lineup. Another key factor is Rasmus is not eligible for free agency until 2015. This would give the Phillies a young, reasonably priced outfield of Rasmus, Domonic Brown and Shane Victorino for the next few years. After looking at Rasmus’ stats, I think it would make sense for the Phillies to accept a deal of Rasmus for Blanton (plus cash) if the opportunity arises. If the Cardinals believe they need to add an established pitcher to their rotation and the Phillies believe Rasmus will hit LHP, then this may be something to watch as spring training progresses.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB: 10 Greatest Keystone Combos: How Do Phillies’ Rollins and Utley Stack Up?

Phillies fans love, love, love their middle infield—and why shouldn’t they? 

Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley will play their seventh this season together this year.  They are a wonderful “keystone combo,” whose combined prowess extends to the plate, the field, and their team’s collective success.

So how do they stack up against the best middle infields of all time?  This is something I’ve been thinking about for quite a while, and I decided to do a little research.  What I found may surprise you—it definitely surprised me. 

Now, I’m not going to do a point system, but I will be using statistics to support these rankings.  The lone requirement is the duo must have played together for at least four years.  If the combination lasted longer, I have tried to take an accurate cross-section of their time as teammates. 

I graded the pairs in these three categories:  1.  Offense.  2.  Defense.  3.  Impact on the success of the ball club. 

Obviously, all three of these categories can be somewhat subjective, but an offensive stat line will be given for each player during the selected years. 

With that in mind, let’s get started!

Begin Slideshow

MLB Fantasy Baseball Profile: Is Ryan Howard Beginning To Fade?

After averaging 46.7 home runs and 141 runs batted from 2007-2009, not factoring his ridiculous 58 HR, 149 RBI 2006 season, Howard hit just 31 HRs last year with 108 RBI.

While those are still solid numbers, they clearly aren’t the type of numbers that made him a star.

I know he was limited to 143 games and 550 at bats because of a sprained ankle, but his slugging percentage (.505) and OPS (.858) were career lows. He hit a home run every 17.7 at bats, which is a far cry from his career 12.8 mark.

Could this be the beginning of a downward trend?

I say “not so fast.”

He’s only 31 years old. If he were a few years older, I would be very concerned with his power drop, but he’s still plenty young to mash with the best of him. Plus, it’s not like his HR total was in the high thirties and low forties.

He hit between 45 and 58 HRs the four previous seasons. He had between 136 and 149 RBI. Those are ridiculous numbers.

While Jayson Werth is gone, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins have a chance to be in the lineup a ton more this year. J-Roll was limited to 88 games and Utley was limited to 115.

Losing two dynamic players like them will have an adverse effect on your RBI total.

If you look at the monthly breakdown of Howard’s numbers, you’ll see he had just one bad month, which came in August. He was limited to just one HR and four RBI. Every other month, Howard had at least 16 RBI, including three with 20+.

If you want Howard, it’s going to cost you. His average draft position, according to Mock Draft Central, is 16. That’s a decent risk, considering how deep the first base position is.

That said, there aren’t many players with legitimate 50 HR, 140 RBI potential.

I don’t think Howard is on the decline yet. I think he rebounds this year and hits 40+ HR with 120+ RBI.

What’s your take?

Also check out:

 

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Does the Charlie Manuel Extension Saga Really Matter?

Okay, before I start, let me just be clear that I am a huge fan of Charlie Manuel, so don’t be fooled by the headline.

However, when I was thinking over the whole situation about his contract, is it really a necessity to keep him?

Manuel has done a tremendous job in Philadelphia by bringing home a World Series, but has he done all he can?

I feel like in sports there comes a time where a coach can do no more then just watch his team try to execute. The Phillies arguably have the best team on paper in the league, with a ton of talented players.

Manuel had a big influence on every player wearing a Phillies uniform, but I feel like every player (with the exception of a few) have maxed out to their full potential of talent.

Having said that, there are also plenty of reasons why they need to give him the extension.

So in this slideshow we’ll analyze five reasons why they don’t need to give him the extension and five reasons why they do need to give him the extension.

In the end, we’ll come to a verdict.

Begin Slideshow

The Five Most Important Phillies (Not In Rotation) Needed to Win Another Ring

So the starting rotation isn’t the worst, but ultimately it won’t matter how dominant the rotation is if the bats stay quiet once again in October.

In last year’s NLCS, the Phils hit an abysmal .216.  The Giants weren’t much better at 244, but they got the timely and clutch hitting from Cody Ross, Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria that Philadelphia was looking for all series.

The big boppers, Utley, Howard, Werth and Ibanez, were just 19-for-82 with 27 strikeouts.

With Werth now in Washington, someone needs to step up and protect Howard in the fifth spot in the lineup.  At times, Werth single-handedly carried the Phightins last postseason.

Begin Slideshow

Adam Wainwright Injury: Can Anyone Stop Roy Halladay From Winning the Cy Young?

Earlier today, the baseball world got some difficult news to swallow when the St. Louis Cardinals’ ace Adam Wainwright was experiencing some serious pain in his right throwing arm, and that more than likely, the 29 year old will undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his 2011 season before it begins. The subject of numerous highlight reels thanks to that nasty curveball, not being able to watch Wainwright throw is a loss to baseball fans everywhere—not just those in St. Louis.

His injury sets the stage for another interesting debate. With the runner up shelved, can anyone stop the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner from re-capturing his title?

Without Wainwright, there is a significant gap between Halladay and the rest of the league. The Cardinals’ ace finished second in last season’s voting, capturing all but four of the second place votes after Halladay took home the award unanimously.

To sum last season up in a nut shell—Halladay was so good that it wasn’t even close, and now with the only other 20 game winner of last season out for the year, we wonder if the Philadelphia Phillies’ ace can cruise to the honor yet again as the anchor of a rotation that resembled an All-Star team.

Halladay, who finished with more than 100 total points in the overall voting than any player, was looking down from a different plateau last season. The rest of the field was a little closer. Wainwright finished with 122 total points, followed by Colorado Rockies’ break-out ace Ubaldo Jimenez (90), Atlanta Braves’ ace Tim Hudson (39), Florida Marlins’ ace Josh Johnson (34) and Halladay’s fellow teammate, Roy Oswalt (nine).

We can only wonder what the rest of the voting would have looked like without Wainwright last season, who posted a record of 20-11 with an ERA of 2.42 with the Cardinals. The wealth of second place votes would have been spread around, but would any other pitcher even come close to Halladay? All we can do now is question each of Halladay’s top threats as Wainwright looks on from the dugout.

For most of the first half of the season, Ubaldo Jimenez seemed like a lock to win the National League Cy Young. Before the All-Star break, he posted an incredible record of 15-1 with an ERA of just 2.20 for the Rockies. We baseball fans believed he would cruise to 20 wins without a problem, but not so fast. He struggled after the All-Star break, posting a record of 4-7 with an ERA of 3.80.

Though I’m in favor of voters showing a bit of leniency for Rockies’ pitchers, who are often thrown under the proverbial bus in Colorado thanks to Coors’ Field, until he shows he can be consistent over the course of an entire season, is he a threat to Halladay’s crown?

As voters begin to take a more SABRmetric approach to the voting process, it’s very unlikely that Tim Hudson captures the award this season either. On the surface, Hudson’s record of 17-9 and ERA of 2.83 seem to place him among baseball’s elite pitchers.

Taking a deeper look, we wonder if he was even deserving of his fourth place finish in 2010. He struck out just 5.47 batters per nine innings while featuring a BABIP of .249—showing that he was incredibly lucky last season. His Fielding Independent Pitching, which is a stat designed to show the overall effectiveness of a pitcher in a form similar to ERA, of 4.09 was more akin to that of a bottom of the rotation arm than the ace he is built up to be. Hudson will be lucky to replicate his 2010 season, let alone win the Cy Young.

What about Halladay’s teammates? Can any of them perform well enough to steal some of their ace’s votes and capture the Cy Young Award? Cliff Lee, who won the award in 2008 in the American League with the Cleveland Indians, has an excellent chance of winning the award. Like Halladay last season, he is transitioning to the National League for his first full season, and following a year where he handled the American League opposition—a feat in and of itself—could benefit greatly from having to face the pitcher as opposed to that pesky DH.

Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels are certainly no slouches either. Oswalt finished sixth in the voting last season while leading the National League in WHIP. He posted a record of 7-1 with the Phillies after coming over from Houston and has fans excited to see what he can do over the course of a full season.

Hamels, on the other hand, has been getting a ton of attention thanks to his newly developed cut fastball. According to pitching coach Rich Dubee, Hamels is in the best shape of his career and now boasts a cutter that is one of best in baseball. In fact, Hamels has improved to the point where FOXsports’ Ken Rosenthal has chosen him as his 2011 NL Cy Young prediction.

While we are losing Wainwright for a season, we must also remember that we are gaining Zack Greinke in his first year in the National League. Greinke, who won the American League Cy Young in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals, was acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason, as they threw all of their eggs in one basket hoping for a World Series run. Though he had a bit of a down year in 2010 by his standards, he could easily challenge any pitcher in the game for the Cy Young.

If I had to have my pick at who would be the most likely to challenge Halladay, however, I’d go with either Tim Lincecum or Josh Johnson.

Lincecum, who is just turning 27 this season, already has two NL Cy Youngs under his belt, though they were both captured with Halladay in the American League. Lincecum battled a few injuries last season, and perhaps the league became a bit more familiar with him, but that shouldn’t be a problem moving forward. As long as he brings his control back to earth, he should contend for a Cy Young, especially pitching in a large ballpark. The only worry is that making last season’s historic run will do to him what it did to Hamels in 2008. The price for a World Series ring won by young arms are tired arms the following season.

Josh Johnson, on the other hand, has to be one of the most overlooked players in all of baseball. Though he has his injury concerns, the guy’s “stuff” is just absolutely filthy. Before missing the final month of last season, he posted a record of 11-6 with an ERA of 2.30. He seemed to finally develop into one of the game’s truly “elite” arms, and as long as he remains with the Florida Marlins, who are a dark horse pick around baseball and stays healthy, he could win 20 games and challenge any pitcher in baseball—not just Halladay’s Cy Young.

Of course, there’s the chance that Halladay removes himself from the process as well. As Wainwright’s circumstance shows, injuries can pop up at any time and completely hamper a player. There’s no predicting them and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. So while Halladay is likely to continue to blast through the National League, it’s entirely possible that something terribly wrong can happen. In fact, anything can happen.

With Wainwright out of the picture, is there really any pitcher better than Roy Halladay?

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Is Cliff Lee’s Injury a Sign Of Things To Come?

Earlier this week it was reported that Cliff Lee, one of four Phillies aces, suffered a mild side strain. Lee stated that he was behind “5-10 pitches.”

In other words, he didn’t miss much time.

Sure, this may sound like news that doesn’t really matter, but this shouldn’t be brushed away. This is a very serious matter that the Phillies need to look into.

Cliff Lee should be monitored and checked frequently at practices. It may be a side strain now, but the next thing you know, he pulls his ACL or he needs Tommy John Surgery. Cliff Lee was shut down for only a week, but this could turn into being shut down for multiple months.

The fact of the matter is that Cliff is 32, and will be 33 at the end of the season. By these day’s standards, he might as well be 52.

It’s not just Cliff, either.

Now that Shane Victorino is 30, that means the whole starting lineup is in their 30s. The majority of the starting lineup is in their lower 30s. That is a starting lineup that is just too old to be competing.

Their last season was an example.

The 2010 campaign for the Phillies was plagued with injuries. Most of the injuries were not age-related, but they are still in trouble.

This injury could be an omen to the 2011 season for the Phillies. The management and coaching need to act soon.  There should be a mandatory medical evaluation that will take place after ever practice, warm-up, and game. Cliff and the Phillies are in some deep trouble.

It was being mentioned since the end of last season, the Phillies are old. Plain and simple. The average age will be about 32 for the Phillies regulars. Everyone knows that once a baseball player hits around 32-35, they’re done. Players are only good in their twenties these days and many people have mentioned this lately.

The aged Phillies could possibly even miss the playoffs since they are just way too old.

I believe many people will agree with me.

The Phillies won the World Series and entire three years ago. Most of the Phils were still in their twenties and youthful.

In 2011, they are aged and depleted and aren’t in any spot to compete. Cliff Lee’s injury may have been small, but it’s a warning. Philadelphia needs to play it safe and smart if the want to be contenders, and that’s just this year. They’re taking a risk by going into the season at such a high age. This could be the last season that they make the playoffs.

Realistically, the NL East will be overtaken by a youthful, more skilled team, such as the Braves or the Mets. If they don’t get some youth, the Phillies dynasty could end.

So go ahead and take this injury as nothing, but the truth is the Phillies are old and this is a preview of the season. It’s a small sample of what the lineup of dinosaurs that is the Phillies are in for.

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2011 Philadelphia Phillies Predictions

While the Philadelphia Phillies won their fourth straight National League East title, they were unable to get back to the World Series for a third consecutive season, falling to the San Francisco Giants 4-2 in the NLCS. The Phillies went out and added yet another ace to their pitching staff in Cliff Lee, giving them one of the best 1-4 starting rotations in baseball history.

Expectations are as high as ever in Philly, and anything outside of a World Series trip this year would be a major let down. Here is a breakdown of what Philadelphia‘s starting lineup and starting rotation will look like heading into this year, plus our MLB predictions on where they will end the year in the NL East.

Starting Lineup

The Phillies offense struggled because of injures in 2010. Both Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins missed significant time, and as a result their production dropped. When healthy these two have the talent to carry the offensive load. 

Ryan Howard is another key ingredient to this offense, as he brings a ton of power in the middle of the lineup. Howard ended the season with 31 home runs and 108 RBIs, his fifth straight season of 30-plus home runs and 100 or more RBIs. 

Placido Polanco might not get the acknowledgment that the other guys get, but he is a solid No. 2 batter who puts the ball in play and sets things up for the rest of the players to drive runs in.
Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez both had a bit of a down year in 2010, and it would really make this lineup that much better if they could rebound and put together a strong year. 

The Phillies are putting their trust in top prospect Dominic Brown to take over the starting job in right field and are thrilled about what this young player can bring to the plate. Catcher Carlos Ruiz had an outstanding year, hitting .302 with a .400 OBP, if he can come close to those stats in 2011, the Phillies will have one of the more complete lineups in the NL. 

Starting Rotation

The rotation is loaded with four guys who could be No. 1s on other squads.  Roy Halladay was the best pitcher in baseball last year as he won 21 times with a 2.44 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.  He also led the majors in innings, complete games and shutouts.

After Halladay is Cliff Lee.  He comes back to Philly after compiling a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP last year playing for Seattle and Texas.  Last time he was a Phillie, he had seven wins with a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts.

Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt are both quality arms as well.  Oswalt came over from the Houston Astros last season and compiled 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with the Phillies. Hamels had some unfortunate luck last year, as he compiled a career-best 3.06 ERA, but finished with a 12-11 record. While Halladay, Oswalt and Lee have all been around for some time now, Hamels is still very young at 27 and figures to only to get better as time goes on. 

The Phillies could go a couple of different ways at the back of the rotation. Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick both have the talent to be an effective No. 5 pitcher. Blanton went 9-6 with a 4.82 ERA last season, while Kendrick compiled an 11-10 record with a 4.73 ERA. No doubt there is a big difference from the top four starters, whoever wins this job could easily finish the year with 10 or more wins. 

2011 Predictions: 1st Place NL East

The Phillies are without question the clear favorites to win the division and represent the NL in the World Series this year and it’s not hard to see why with the starting rotation they will send to the field. The biggest component to the Phillies reaching their goals in 2011 will be health, seven of the eight position players and three of the five starters are over the age of 30.

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