2011 stats (24 starts): 9-5, 2.31 ERA, 104 Ks, 1.09 WHIP
Many of you may be surprised to see Cueto at number ten on my list, but if you had the opportunity to watch him last year, he was truly something special. While the rest of the Reds pitching staff regressed considerably from their 2010 highs last year, Cueto was the only starter to take a step forward, and if it wasn't for a strained lat that prematurely ended his season, he could have seriously challenged Clayton Kershaw for the major-league ERA title. His injury also denied him the chance to officially qualify for a "place" among the league leaders in ERA and WHIP, as he fell just six innings shy of officially qualifying for the league title. Make no mistake about it: Cueto is Cincinnati's ace heading into this season, and if he can stay healthy and have an encore performance, he will definitely receive more recognition as one of the National League's best starting pitchers.
2011 stats: 11-9, 3.45 ERA, 191 Ks, 1.26 WHIP, 237.1 innings pitched
Big Chris Carpenter put together another gritty, workman-like performance for the eventual World Champion Cardinals, tossing a National League-high 237.1 innings, while anchoring the rotation in the place of Adam Wainwright, who missed the season due to Tommy John surgery. Carpenter also stepped up big when the Cards needed him most, throwing a complete-game shutout on the season's final day to get St. Louis into the playoffs, then duplicating the feat 10 days later against the Phillies in the Division Series to get them to the NLCS. He also shut down Texas' mighty offense in Game Seven of the World Series, going six strong innings, striking out five while surrendering only two runs. Carpenter will be 37 this season, and as long as he is healthy (he has made a combined 69 regular-season starts the last two seasons), he should continue to be effective.
2011 stats: 19-8, 3.00 ERA, 230 Ks, 1.23 WHIP, 237.1 innings pitched
The Yankees received a gritty, workman-like performance of their own from ace CC Sabathia, as he equaled Carpenter's innings output while featuring a WHIP that was 30 points lower and an ERA that was 45 points lower. Critics may accuse Sabathia looking good due to the amount of run support he gets from the Yankees, but that would be failing to see the forest for the trees, as he finished second in the AL in strikeouts and ninth in ERA. Considering that he pitches half of his games in homer-friendly Yankee Stadium, a 3.00 ERA is pretty good.
2011 stats: 13-14, 2.74 ERA, 220 Ks, 1.21 WHIP
Surprisingly enough, "The Freak" had a better year in 2011 than he did during the Giants' World Championship season of 2010. Lincecum lowered his ERA by 0.69 and lowered his WHIP by 65 points! As you can see by his won-loss record, he did not receive a great deal of run support from his team like he did in 2010 (when he finished with a 16-10 record in spite of his uncharacteristically high ERA), and considering that they had a bad offense two years ago, you can only imagine how bad they were in 2011. Lincecum's rapid rise to becoming one of baseball's best pitchers also enabled him to earn quite a bit from the Giants in arbitration, as he will get $18 million this year and $22 million next year, according to Baseball Reference.
2011 stats: 17-8, 2.40 ERA, 238 Ks, 1.03 WHIP, 232.2 innings pitched, six shutouts
It must be nice having one of the ten best pitchers in baseball, and he is not even the best pitcher on your team! Cliff Lee returned to Philadelphia last year on a five-year, $120 million deal, and he had the kind of year Philly fans expected from him, finishing first in the NL in shutouts, second in strikeouts, third in WHIP and ERA and fourth in innings pitched. Unfortunately, he could not come through in the postseason last year, surrendering five runs in a Game Two Division Series loss against the Cardinals. Nonetheless, you can still make the argument that Lee is the best pitcher in baseball when he is on the top of his game, especially when you consider that he is also one of baseball's best control artists.
2011 stats: 16-12, 2.82 ERA, 225 Ks, 1.04 WHIP, 249.1 innings pitched, 11 CGs
Shields took the term "workhorse" to an entirely new level last year, finishing second in the majors in innings while throwing the most complete games in baseball since Randy Johnson's 12 in 1999. In a stacked Rays rotation, Shields was their ace, as you could almost be assured that the bullpen would get the day off whenever he took the mound. Shields also finished third in the AL in ERA and fifth in WHIP.
2011 stats: 18-8, 2.41 ERA, 198 Ks, 1.01 WHIP, 235.2 innings pitched
During the first half of 2011, you could have made the argument that Weaver was baseball's best pitcher, and if you believed that he could have won the Cy Young at that point, you would not have received much dissent from anyone. Before the All-Star Break, Weaver went 11-4 with a 1.86 ERA, 120 strikeouts and a fantastic WHIP of 0.91. Even AL All-Star manager Ron Washington gave him the nod to start for the Junior Circuit in the Mid-Summer Classic. Weaver's numbers would remain steady during the second-half, but Justin Verlander took his game to another level, leaving Weaver in the dust in the Cy Young race.
2011 stats: 19-6, 2.35 ERA, 220 Ks, 1.04 WHIP, 233.2 innings pitched, 8 CGs
It was just another day at the office for "Doc," finishing first in the Senior Circuit in complete games, second in ERA and innings pitched, and third in WHIP. Not much else to see here, he's still one of baseball's best.
2011 stats: 21-5, 2.28 ERA, 248 Ks, 0.98 WHIP, 233.1 innings pitched
Kershaw, at least for one season, unseated Halladay as the National League's best pitcher. In fact, you could make the argument that he was the best pitcher in the game last year, finishing first in the majors in ERA, second in strikeouts, and second in opponents' batting average (they hit a paltry .207 against him). He also did this while pitching for a mediocre Dodger squad, which makes his season all the more impressive. He was already one of the NL's best starters in 2010; last year simply proved that he is here to stay in that discussion.
1.) Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
2011 stats: 24-5, 2.40 ERA, 250 Ks, 0.920 WHIP, 251 innings pitched
What else is there to say about Verlander that has not been mentioned already by the media? He became the first pitcher to win a MVP award since Dennis Eckersley in 1992, the first starter to do it since Roger Clemens in 1986 and the first Tiger pitcher to do it since Willie Hernandez in 1984. He also led the majors in wins, innings, strikeouts, WHIP and opponents' batting average (.192), while finishing in a tie for third in ERA. He fell one win shy of becoming MLB's first 25-game winner since 1990, as he lost to Baltimore in his final start of the regular season. He kept the bullpen fresh as they were practically guaranteed a day off whenever he took the mound, and lets face it, Detroit would have been an average team if he was not in their rotation. He also came through big in the playoffs, as he kept the Tigers from being eliminated at home in Game Five of the ALCS, throwing 133 pitches in 7.1 innings (which kept their battered bullpen fresh), and earning a victory in the process. Let's not forget that he threw his second career no-hitter in Toronto last year as well. He is baseball's best pitcher right now, and unless you are a fan of the Dodgers, Angels or Phillies, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree with that statement.
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Here's what Konerko said, courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times:
“I hope I don’t throw anybody off with this, but this can be a very successful year without making the playoffs." -Paul Konerko
Considering the heightened expectations Chicago had last year, that is a surprising comment, right? Well, Konerko obviously provided more context to his comments, even using last year's Indians as an example of a team that had a "successful" season despite missing the playoffs. He essentially believes that if the Sox lay the framework for something that is sustainable (i.e. receive great production from youngsters such as Dayan Viciedo, Gordon Beckham, Addison Reed and Chris Sale, among others), they will have a better idea of where they stand in 2013, and they can build off of that. Konerko's example of the Indians personified that idea, as they surprisingly hung tough with Detroit for most of the summer before the Tigers kicked things into overdrive in September and ran away with the division.
However, here is the reason why I do not entirely agree with Konerko. Even though the Sox are fielding a few younger players entering this season, they are not a team like the Nationals, Royals, or even last year's Indians, where they are young and talented with little to no expectations. A year in which they do not make the playoffs, but finish with a winning record, would be looked upon as a successful season for those teams. The White Sox, on the other hand, still have a fairly large payroll, and high expectations for many of their key players, including, but not limited to, Adam Dunn, Alex Rios, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and yes, even Konerko (even though he's carried the team for the last several seasons).
This is a team that is only two years removed from winning 88 games, and last year, many prognosticators expected them to win the division (myself included). How can they return most of their key players (sans Buehrle and Quentin, of course) and have such low expectations heading into this season? That is why I have such a difficult time stomaching Konerko's comments. Perhaps I am in a bit of denial, or even worse, a state of confusion as to what to expect from this year's team. I feel like a losing season, or even an 82-83 win season would be somewhat disappointing, but if they do make the playoffs, I will be completely surprised. Really, I am not certain what to expect from this year's team. I just hope that they can return to being a fun team to watch. The White Sox of 2001-2004 were not the best teams ever constructed, but they were fun to watch, only because you could tell they were giving their best effort night in and night out. The teams from 2005-2010 (2007 excluded) were simply a blast to watch, at least from this Sox fan's point of view, because they entered each season with a chance to win the division. Last year, they looked apathetic, and honestly, they were absolutely miserable to watch. Maybe I have been spoiled watching them contend for so long that I just do not want to come to terms that I might be witnessing them on the decline.
Either way, Konerko's honesty is such a refreshing thing to hear during a time where you see the same old tired lines spit out over and over again by managers, players and coaches. Hopefully, this year's team can catch people off-guard again, much like they did in 2000 and 2005.
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