Giants Cardinals Tickets

Giants Cardinals Tickets

Mlb Tickets - Top Rotations Heading Into The Season

No matter how many prominent batters a team has, the baseball season is usually decided by the pitchers. With a couple big-time pitchers changing teams and even leagues as is the case with Roy Halladay, taking a new look at the top pitching rotations in the league could give a glimpse into who will be competing for a World Series ring at the end of the year. <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/">MLB tickets</a>for all the teams with top rotations are sure to be premier events every time their best pitchers take the hill.

1: Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox certainly don't seem to have the same pop in their lineup as their rival the Yankees, but the pitching talent they have all the way through their rotation looks to be the best in the majors. Josh Beckett is still a premier pitcher in the league capable of shutting down anyone when he's on, and it appears that Jon Lester is the real deal as the Red Sox's second or third starter. The Red Sox weren't done there, though, as they brought over John Lackey from the Angels – a pitcher with ace stuff that should rack up the wins in the Red Sox rotation. The bottom of the rotation is no slouch either as they have Clay Bucholtz and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who both have significant upside. Matsuzaka is coming off a significant injury, but expectations aren't very high for him and he certainly doesn't have to carry the load. If he struggles, they can always bring in Tim Wakefield to fill out their rotation.

2: San Francisco Giants. With two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, the Giants have one of the most dynamic starters in the game, which would be enough to carry most rotations. With Matt Cain as well, the Giants have the best one-two punch in the game, though it won't likely be enough for them to compete in the NL West due to a fairly anemic offensive lineup. Barry Zito still continues to be one of the most overpaid athletes of our generation but has turned it around somewhat after a laughable opening stint with the Giants, and he could be a solid third starter. You also might not want to sleep on Jonathan Sanchez, who has improved his ERA and strikeouts each of his last three seasons.

3: New York Yankees. Front to back, the Yankees' rotation can compete with anyone's. C.C. Sabathia is a legitimate Cy Young candidate every year and eats up innings, but bringing over Javier Vasquez could prove to be the move that brings the Yankees back to the World Series. Vasquez is still a dynamic talent on the mound and resurrected his career last season with the Braves. In his second stint in pinstripes, Vasquez could be huge. A.J. Burnett is spotty but dominant in stretches, and Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes make up a very strong bottom of the rotation.

4: St. Louis Cardinals. Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright are second only to Lincecum and Cain as a one-two punch. Kyle Loshe had a rough season in 2009 but can still be a solid third-man, and newly acquired Brad Penny is a much better fit for the National League.

5: Philadelphia Phillies. It helps when you pick up arguably the best pitcher in the league in Roy Halladay. Cole Hamels struggled last season but still has a wealth of talent and should be a very solid number two starter this season. J.A. Happ is also one of the most underrated pitchers in the league, as he comes off of a 12-4 season in which he posted a 2.93 ERA. Having a 47-year-old pitcher in Jamie Moyer at the end of the rotation doesn't help too much, but Halladay, Hamels and Happ are more than enough to get the job done.

Best of the rest:

The Seattle Mariners. The M's have two studs in Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, but Lee's not 100% going into the season and the rest of the rotation is spotty at best, atrocious at worst.

Atlanta Braves. Even after losing Vasquez, they have a star in the making in Tommy Hanson and the underrated Jair Jurrjens, who likely won't be under the radar after this season. Derek Lowe hasn't lived up to his contract but is a decent starter, and they also get back Tim Hudson, who has the potential to be the comeback player of the year.

About the Author

This article about <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/">MLB tickets</a> was written by David James in association with <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub</a>, a leader in the sports tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets and special events tickets market.