This is a ranking of the best starting pitchers of the 2011 season, and it's based on the performance of last season alone.

1. Roy Halladay- His 2.20 FIP was awesome, his efficiency gets overlooked because of the hype surrounding the guy directly below him.

2. Justin Verlander- Deserved the Cy Young, but his season was a little overrated (.236 BABIP). Still, accomplishing a 2.40 ERA with 8.96 fans per nine is no easy feat.

3. Clayton Kershaw- Although Halladay should have won the award, it's tough to argue with a guy who had the pitching Triple Crown. But of course, the Triple Crown doesn't trump advanced statistics; even if it's still an incredible feat.

4. CC Sabathia- Lost among a season of elite pitching was Sabathia's 2011 campaign.

5. Cliff Lee- Had a 2.60 FIP and was in the thick of the "race", well, for those who paid attention to him.

6. Dan Haren- If you dig deeper, it becomes apparent that Haren was truly the best starter on the Angels last year.

7. Jered Weaver- But hey, Weaver did have a 2.41 ERA regardless of the luck involved.

8. Ian Kennedy- How could I not reward the former Yankees prospect?

9. Madison Bumgarner- This sophomore was no bum, as he garnered a 2.67 FIP.

10. Zack Greinke- A 10.54 K/9 and 2.56 xFIP? I think so.

11. C.J. Wilson- There's a reason why he's easily the top free agent starter on the market.

12. James Shields- Would have been in the top ten in most seasons; just not this one.

13. Matt Cain- The guy who somehow defies sabermetrical logic year in and year out, but he did have a 2.88 ERA that was in line with his 2.91 FIP this season.

14. Cole Hamels- Yeah, the Phillies offense really dragged the team down.

15. Doug Fister- And we thought this trade was meaningless when it first went down.

16. David Price- Wasn't all that much worse than his teammate, but he was still worse.

17. Matt Garza- Well, at least the Cubs got what they wanted in the trade; an over-performing pitcher. He won't always be this good, but that season alone might make that trade at least a solid one for the Cubbies.

18. Felix Hernandez- Yeah, I probably put him a little too low, but it really wasn't the best of years for Felix. But just you wait for 2012 Mariners fans, you'll have the Astros to beat up on.

19. Tim Lincecum- No top 20 is complete without Timmy's presence, even in a "down" year (he still had a 2.74 ERA).

20. Daniel Hudson- He and Kennedy are two young starters to build a rotation around.

21. Brandon McCarthy- Now who saw that coming?

22. Josh Beckett- He really carried the Red Sox sagging rotation this year with a 2.89 ERA.

23. Matt Harrison- Scouts love him when he doesn't nibble, and he had a solid year that he should be able to build on.

24. Chris Carpenter- A boss year in and year out, and to think that the Cards won it all without Wainwright.

25. Jaime Garcia- What better way to end a top 25 starter list than a World Champion?

What a rebound year

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rankings, SPs, Yankees, CC Sabathia, Red Sox, Josh Beckett, David Price, James Shields, Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, CJ Wilson, Matt Harrison, Angels, Dan Haren, Jered Weaver, Mariners, Felix Hernandez, Brandon McCarthy, Astros, Phillies, Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, St. Louis Cardinals, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Cubs, Matt Garza, Zack Greinke, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Clayton Kershaw, Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy

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6/21 Daily Rundown: Pujols Out 6 Weeks

June 21st 2011 06:20

1. Pujols injury update

Albert Pujols will be out for about six weeks with a fractured left wrist in a season filled with ups and downs for Puj. He sustained this injury after colliding with Wilson Betemit of the Royals in a baseball play gone wrong. The Cards have had to deal with many injuries this season to their stars. Matt Holliday has missed time, David Freese is still out, and Adam Wainwright has missed the entire season.

"You can't replace a player of his magnitude," general manager John Mozeliak said. "It just seems like we've had to deal with one injury after another.

"We still have to find ways to win games, and that's what we'll do."

The Cardinals have found ways to win games thanks to some amazing play by Lance Berkman. I don't see him cooling off. He's hitting line drives, and his BABIP is right where it should be. Detractors will point to a high HR/FB%, but that number is in line with his career numbers. Berkman is healthy, and he's mashing.

2. All Boston does is win, win, win no matter what

I feel bad for the Padres, because they stood no chance. The Red Sox scored ten runs in the seventh inning and won the game 14-6 behind Adrian Gonzalez. The interesting thing is that Orlando Hudson was the only player to hit a homer in this game. He went 3 for 5 with two runs and three RBIs. Chase Headley went 4 for 5 with a double and two runs (he scored on Hudson's dinger).

The Red Sox scored on a double play, twice on an HBP, and twice again on a walk. Evan Scribner gave up four earned runs without getting an out, and Ernesto Frieri gave up four earned runs without even giving up a hit. He walked two and was responsible for the two batters hit by pitches. Adrian Gonzalez went 3 for 5 with a double, two runs, and three steaks.

3. Lidstrom will return

This is great news for hockey fans in general, and it's the best news ever for Red Wings fans. Fellow defenseman Brian Rafalski surprised everyone by retiring when all eyes were on Lidstrom. Much to the relief of GM Ken Holland, Lidstrom will play another season in the NHL. He still hasn't lost it, and he is my pick for the Norris Trophy.A testament to his sportsmanship and leadership, Lidstrom is also a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy and Mark Messier Leadership Award.

4. Tim Hudson

That's all I need as a header for this one, because it was all about Hud in the Braves' 2-0 victory over the Jays. His Game Score of 85 was backed by a remarkable performance through eight innings. Hudson gave up just two hits and a walk while striking out eight. He broke the 1,600 mark in this game. The amazing Craig Kimbrel got his 20th save of the year by striking out the side.

Ricky Romero had a strong outing, but that was overshadowed by the greatness of Hudson. The veteran starter his his second career homer in the seventh inning with two outs. It was a two-run shot to left that was 401 feet out, and it generated the only runs scored in the game. It's safe to say that Hudson didn't have a bad game.

5. Is Jimmer a bust?

Jimmer was great in college, but I don't see him panning out in the NBA. He's a great shooter, he works hard, he's a leader, and he knows how to win games. But there have been tons of guys with those qualities who have busted out. Why? They're not good enough. Jimmer isn't a true point guard because he is only an average passer and he stinks on D. I see him being a below average player in the NBA whose real value is as a scorer off the bench. I love the kid, but I just don't see him as a guy who deserves to be a lottery pick. He should go in the late teens because of his college production.

Can the Cards get a break?

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6/2011 Team Scope: St. Louis Cardinals

June 8th 2011 15:11

Even without one of the best pitchers in baseball and staff ace Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals are the best team in the NL Central. They are currently two and a half games ahead of the second place Milwaukee Brewers. Albert Pujols has just started to turn up the heat after being in the worst slump of his career since he was a rookie.

Pujols is only going to get better from here on out, and another sign that points to this is his .257 BABIP. He currently has 14 dingers with 43 runs and 39 RBIs. Lance Berkman has been the story of the team so far. Although he has sucked in the field, as expected, he's been mashing it this year. Bekman is a terrible right fielder, but the Cardinals will take it given his great hitting ability.

Matt Holliday has been the best on the Cards so far this year, but you really have to keep an eye on his too good to be true .395 BABIP. One other note, Berkman also knows how to take a walk. Anyway, Colby Rasmus has looked out of sorts for a little. His fielding and baserunning definitely help him, but I worry about that .325 BABIP, .269 BA, and 22.2% K rate. Rasmus has been nothing less than intriguing thus far.

Ryan Theriot really can't field. Why did they sign him and trade Brendan Ryan again? I asked this same question a long time ago, and Theriot has done nothing to prove me wrong. Ryan can actually play shortstop. Well, look on the bright side. At least Theriot has, for the most part, come in the clutch this year. Look on the dark side- to quote Tony from Psych- because Theriot is struggling against fastballs. At least he's hitting sliders though, and he doesn't swing at stuff outside the zone either. The book on Theriot is that he can't hit, and pitchers give him a steady diet of fastballs too.

Speaking of pitchers, Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse have been great this year. The scary thing is that Garcia and ace Chris Carpenter are only going to get better. Carpenter has been very unlucky this year so far. Fernando Salas has been doing well as the new closer, and he'll continue to play well. I don't like his low ground ball percentage, but he's not going to suddenly drop off.

Lohse's slider and changeup have been absolutely nasty this year. I am also liking Carp's curve. Jaime Garcia and Kyle McClellan are also effectively changing speeds right now. Salas, Carpenter, and Garcia are getting hitters to swing out of the zone.

I think the Cardinals will be able to win their division, but they will definitely be challenged by the Brew Crew and the Reds. While the Cardinals aren't a great team, they have two very good pitchers as well as a lineup that features four fantastic and fearsome hitters.

Is He An Ace Yet?

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Teams, Brendan Ryan, St. Louis Cardinals, Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter, Colby Rasmus STL, Fernando Salas, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse, Kyle McClellan, Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday, Ryan Theriot

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5/2011 Starting Pitcher Rankings

May 22nd 2011 14:01

1. Tim Lincecum
2. Roy Halladay
3. Josh Johnson
4. Cliff Lee
5. CC Sabathia
6. Adam Wainwright
7. Jon Lester
8. Felix Hernandez
9. Justin Verlander
10. Dan Haren
11. Josh Beckett
12. Ubaldo Jimenez
13. Jered Weaver
14. Clayton Kershaw
15. Chris Carpenter
16. Cole Hamels
17. David Price
18. Matt Cain
19. Zack Greinke
20. Tommy Hanson
21. Francisco Liriano
22. Yovani Gallardo
23. Roy Oswalt
24. Trevor Cahill
25. Wandy Rodriguez
26. James Shields
27. Chad Billingsley
28. Jaime Garcia
29. Clay Buchholz
30. Ryan Dempster
31. John Danks
32. Max Scherzer
33. Jake Peavy
34. Mat Latos
35. Johan Santana
36. Jorge De La Rosa
37. AJ Burnett
38. Shaun Marcum
39. Brett Anderson
40. Phil Hughes
41. Ricky Romero
42. Zach Britton
43. Michael Pineda
44. Jeremy Hellickson
45. Ricky Nolasco
46. Matt Garza
47. Jonathan Sanchez
48. Johnny Cueto
49. CJ Wilson
50. Madison Bumgarner