Sasha's 2007 NL West Starting Pitching overview
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by user Sasha
This is my first article in awhile so I hope I remember how but I am going to be over-viewing each baseball position division by division.
First NL West SP's
Disclaimer: This is my overview of it if you have any problems make your own or talk to me about it and maybe I'll change it. Also I do not claim to be expert on this so cut me some slack.
One more thing this is very long so please bear with me.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 Brandon Webb: Webb was the NL Cy Young winner last year and could contend for it in 2007. Webb relies heavily on the sinker and so relies on the defense behind him. Webb also has a good 2-seam fastball or come-backer against lefties and a nice changeup although the changeup has caused him some arm problems. Webb is the clear ace of the staff and as long as his defense is as good as it was last year he should be one of the best pitchers in the league.
2 Randy Johnson: The Big Unit has been dominate in the past and could still be depending on how he recovers from off-season back surgery. Johnson is a BIG lefty who has a powerful fast ball, though not as powerful as it once was, and one of the best sliders ever thrown. Johnson is in his second stint with the D-Backs and will do well as long as he doesn’t give up too many long balls or walks. Johnson just needs to recover well and not let age catch up to him (he will be 44 by the end of season) and things will be just fine.
3 Livan Hernandez: Hernandez is a pinpoint pitcher who takes the number 3 hole in the snakes’ rotation. Hernandez is a workhorse consistently pitching 200 innings a season. Hernandez has a slow curve that can go low 60’s and below. As long as he keeps it in the park and the defense plays well Hernandez should have an acceptable season.
4 Doug Davis: This lefty is another pitcher that will rely heavily on the Diamondbacks’ defense. Davis is also another workhorse along the lines of Hernandez (and though I didn’t mention it Webb and Johnson also pitch 200 innings frequently). Davis has a nice cut-fastball and an above average curve. Davis is basically a poor man’s Barry Zito (go look up the states I’ll wait) but like I said it all depends on the D.
5 ???? Edger Gonzalez, Enrique Gonzalez and Juan Cruz are the front-runners for this spot while Micha Owings, Dustin Nippert and Dana Eveland also in contention. Edger Gonzalez has struggled in most of his major league opportunities but turned heads when he came up again late last season. Enrique Gonzalez showed some promises last year but his ERA was still well over 5.00. Juan Cruz has the best stuff of the group but he struggles with control and with getting past the 5th inning. Nippert and Eveland have posted great numbers in the minors but both have struggled in the Biggs. And Owings has had no big league experience but was 10-0 in AAA. One note is that Randy Johnson will likely start the year on the DL so the final two candidates for this spot will be able to fight it out in the beginning of the season too.
Los Angeles Dodgers
1 Derek Lowe: Lowe is the announced opening day starter and ace for the Dodgers. Lowe relies on the groundball for outs and so needs a strong defense for success. Lowe of course has the sinker he also has a hard slider. Lowe should do well as long as he gets the much-needed defense.
2 Jason Schmidt: Schmidt could be the ace of the staff but instead Schmidt will easily fill the number 2 hole. He is a power pitcher with a great fastball a nasty slider and a good changeup to boot. Schmidt should do well this year especially against the Diamondbacks who he absolutely dominates.
3 Brad Penny: Penny is pure power and might also be the ace though he is not as reliable. He has a heavy fastball and a strong curve though he can struggle with control. Penny is a good pitcher but he just needs to work on control.
4 Randy Wolf: Wolf is a good pitcher who needs just really needs to stay healthy and keep the ball in the park. He has a nice fastball complemented with a big curve and a nice change but the big thing for him is his control.
5 ???? Four pitchers, Brett Tomko, Mark Hendrickson, Chad Billingsley and Hong-Chih Kuo, will be competing for this spot. All of them started and relived last year though Chad Billingsley did the most starting and had the best numbers last year.
San Francisco Giants
1 Barry Zito: Zito the Cy Young winner and unopposed ace of the staff. Zito leads a staff, which unlike the rest of the Giants players are relatively young. Zito has a hittable fastball but has that huge 12 to 6 curveball. Zito has had declining numbers but getting out of the AL should help him.
2 Matt Cain: Cain proved with a stellar rookie campaign that he was the real deal. Cain may not be the ace of the staff but he is the ace of the young Giants’ pitching prospects. Cain has a strong fastball that goes about 94 mph, he also mixes in changeups and curves. Cain just needs to keep doing what he did last year.
3 Matt Morris: Morris did not have a great year in ’06 but he still has the 3 hole in the Giants’ rotation. He doesn’t have the same vip in his fastball but does have an ok breaking ball and a sinker. The big thing for Morris is keeping the ball in the park.
4 Noah Lowry: Lowry is one of the Giants’ young pitcher that is on the up and coming. Lowry is also one of the ACGM favorites to make the leap in 2007. He has one of the better changeups in the game also. Lowry needs to pitch more innings though as he pitched well in four games in June but was unable to get any decisions.
5 Jonathan Sanchez? Sanchez is the front-runner for the spot but is not garneted it. Sanchez has a nice fastball and should be good next year as long as he gets his control in order. One note technically Russ Ortiz [spit] is the front-runner but I’m talking about pitchers.
San Diego Padres
1 Jake Peavy: Peavy may be number one here but last year he just couldn’t make things come together. He has a good fastball great curve and slider and arguable his best pitch his changeup. Peavy has some of the greatest stuff out there all he needs to do this year is put it all together.
2 Greg Maddux: Maddux does what Maddux does and that is pitch. He may be getting on in years but he can still throw and well enough to earn the 4 spot. Maddux’s pitches are basically fastballs that are thrown at different speeds in exactly where he wants them to go. All Maddux needs to do to be successful is do what he always does keep the ball in the park and try not to have to face the Diamondbacks who completely destroy him.
3 Chris Young: Young did an admirable job as stepping as ace last year and will try to repeat that success. He has a very good fastball and an above average curveball. Young just needs to keep up his control and get through a few more innings.
4 David Wells: Wells is an older pitcher who doesn’t walk anyone much. He has a well-commanded fastball a big breaking ball and a good change. Wells should get back to his usual fly ball tendencies now that he is PetCo he can afford to do that.
5 Clay Hensley: Hensley can very easily fill this very talented rotation’s fifth spot. He has well commanded fastball and a nice slider but nothing else. Hensley is talented but he needs to develop another pitch and learn how to get lefties out.
Colorado Rockies
1 Aaron Cook: Mr. Cook may not be an ace but he is the best thing that the Rox have so what can you do. He does have a good sinker, which is the only reason his ERA was under 5.00 in Coors. Cook can repeat this season if he just does what he did last year and keep things on the ground.
2 Jeff Francis: Francis was very good last year and if I thought he could repeat I would probable have him as number one. He has a fastball with pinpoint control and a good curveball. All he needs to do is keep the ball down in Coors I mean how hard can that be.
3 Rodrigo Lopez: Lopez will get crushed enough said. But I’ll say more, he has a moving fastball with a slurve that moves well unless it doesn’t and then he gets hit hard. Lopez is just not going to work well in Colorado.
4 Josh Fogg: Fogg really shouldn’t be a starter at all but hey I’m not a fan of Colorado so hey go right ahead. He has a bad fastball and an ok curve but he loses that every once in awhile. Fogg might be an ok starter and as you will see there are plenty of guys to take his place.
5 ???????????????? It’s between Byung-Hyun Kim, Brian Lawrence, Taylor Buchholz, Jason Hirsh and Ubaldo Jimenez. Truthfully Kim is the only one who I know of and I know it shouldn’t be him so good luck Rockies.
