Name Chicago's best starting rotation

[JonnyRed]

My Sox loving father- and brother-in-law and I got into a good debate about Chicago's best starting rotation last night. Of course, it quickly became a discussion on potential versus production. Here's what I came up with, and with pitchers & catchers having reported this week, I'm wondering how everyone else rates Chicago's best?

 

1. Mark Beurlie: Workhorse who gets the job done with the game on the line.

2. Carlos Zambrano: Has all the talent, now can he take his game to Beurlie's level?

3. Mark Prior: This is where the real debate began. Prior has what it takes to be the best pitcher in the game, but he has to stay healthy and deliver.

4. Freddy Garcia: Solid all-around pitcher

5. Jon Garland: Is he a one-year wonder?

Others: Contreras (which pitcher will we see in 06, the second half pitcher or the old version?), Vasquez (has the promise, but how will he do back in the AL?), Wood (same old, same old questions)

[Magnetic Curses]

My Sox loving father- and brother-in-law and I got into a good debate about Chicago's best starting rotation last night. Of course, it quickly became a discussion on potential versus production. Here's what I came up with, and with pitchers & catchers having reported this week, I'm wondering how everyone else rates Chicago's best?

 

1. Mark Beurlie: Workhorse who gets the job done with the game on the line.

2. Carlos Zambrano: Has all the talent, now can he take his game to Beurlie's level?

3. Mark Prior: This is where the real debate began. Prior has what it takes to be the best pitcher in the game, but he has to stay healthy and deliver.

4. Freddy Garcia: Solid all-around pitcher

5. Jon Garland: Is he a one-year wonder?

Others: Contreras (which pitcher will we see in 06, the second half pitcher or the old version?), Vasquez (has the promise, but how will he do back in the AL?), Wood (same old, same old questions)

 

zambrano is already on buerhle's level, anyone making a claim that he isn't hasn't consulted the statistics.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Big if, but if Wood is healthy, the Cubs have the top 3 spots (Z, Prior, Wood). Buehrle and Garcia would round out my top 5. Garland doesn't deserve honorable mention in my book, and McCarthy is maybe a half season away from replacing Garcia.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

If we're going to assume everyone is healthy:

 

1) Wood

2) Prior

3) Zambrano

4) Buerhle

5) Garland

 

Buerhle really doesn't impress me, either in the flesh or by looking at his stats. But hey, he wins games, and that's solely a function of the pitcher. :roll:

[CoolHandLuke]

no health/age concerns

 

Zambrano

Prior

Wood

Buehrle

Garland

 

realistically

 

Zambrano

Buehrle

Prior

Garland

Garcia

 

imo.

[Andy]

Zambrano

Prior

Garland

Buehrle

Wood

 

In that order.

[SouthSideRyan]

Can't believe all the Garland love on this thread. Ahead of Buehrle????

 

Zambrano

Prior

Buehrle

Garcia

Vazquez

[CardsFanInChiTown]

All things considered...

 

Zambrano

Buehrle

Prior

Garland

Garcia

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Yeah, there's no way Garland should be ahead of Buehrle. Or Garcia for that matter. And you can make a case to put Wood in front of him too.

[Tim]

Javier Vazquez will be the best pitcher on the Sox this year.

 

I believe this is the year he gets fully past his dead arm issues and gets the life back. When he was with Montreal, he was one of the best pitchers in the game. He was just run into the ground. They timed that trade with the Yankees perfectly.

 

If everyone is fully healthy for 2006, I'd go:

 

1) Prior

2) Z

3) Vazquez

4) Wood

5) Miller

6) Buehrle

7) Garcia

8) Maddux

9) Contreras

10) McCarthy

11) Guzman

12) Williams

13) Hill

14) Garland

 

 

 

Okay, so Garland may be better than that. I just don't really think he's all that great. One way or another, though, both sides of town are going to see some good pitching in 2006.

[TrueBlueCubFan]

Take out Garland's 05' season & he is close to a 5.00 ERA career pitcher. No way should he be in the top 5.

 

Zambrano

Buerhle

Prior

Wood

Garcia

[CaliforniaRaisin]

My Sox loving father- and brother-in-law and I got into a good debate about Chicago's best starting rotation last night. Of course, it quickly became a discussion on potential versus production. Here's what I came up with, and with pitchers & catchers having reported this week, I'm wondering how everyone else rates Chicago's best?

 

1. Mark Beurlie: Workhorse who gets the job done with the game on the line.

2. Carlos Zambrano: Has all the talent, now can he take his game to Beurlie's level?

3. Mark Prior: This is where the real debate began. Prior has what it takes to be the best pitcher in the game, but he has to stay healthy and deliver.

4. Freddy Garcia: Solid all-around pitcher

5. Jon Garland: Is he a one-year wonder?

Others: Contreras (which pitcher will we see in 06, the second half pitcher or the old version?), Vasquez (has the promise, but how will he do back in the AL?), Wood (same old, same old questions)

 

Wow, how can you rate Buehrle ahead of Zambrano?

[Diffusion]

Prior

Zambrano

Wood

Buerhle

Vazquez

[rjchapma]

Buerlhe: Best most consistent for the longest time

Zambrano: Could be better than Buerlhe, but not yet

Prior: Could be the best in Chicago if he's healthy

Garcia: is a consistent 15 game winner

5th is a crap shoot Wood if healthy is on there, but never is. Contreras was great at the end of last season, but is inconsistent in his career. Garland has only one good season under his belt. Vasquez was good for Montreal and had one good year with the Yanks, but since then inconsistent. Mccarthy young could be the best of all the guys in the crap shoot, but hasn't proved it since he hasn't pitched enough.

[ManEatingTarp]

Buerlhe: Best most consistent for the longest time

Zambrano: Could be better than Buerlhe, but not yet

Prior: Could be the best in Chicago if he's healthy

Garcia: is a consistent 15 game winner

5th is a crap shoot Wood if healthy is on there, but never is. Contreras was great at the end of last season, but is inconsistent in his career. Garland has only one good season under his belt. Vasquez was good for Montreal and had one good year with the Yanks, but since then inconsistent. Mccarthy young could be the best of all the guys in the crap shoot, but hasn't proved it since he hasn't pitched enough.

 

We have a winner!

Imo this is the most accurate breakdown of the 2 teams starting staffs.

Bottom line, there are 10 pretty darn good to great pitchers to choose from.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

We have a winner!

Imo this is the most accurate breakdown of the 2 teams starting staffs.

Bottom line, there are 10 pretty darn good to great pitchers to choose from.

 

Except for the fact that Zambrano is already better than Buehrle and that he didn't pick a #5.

[Diffusion]

Zambrano: Could be better than Buerlhe, but not yet

 

Career statistics

Carlos Zambrano: 763 IP, 637 H, 55 HR, 332 BB, 655 K, 3.26 ERA

Mark Buerhle: 1224 IP, 1226 H, 129 HR, 280 BB, 730 K, 3.63 ERA

 

So, get this, Z is 2 years and 3 months younger than Buerhle, and the only category that Buerhle has an edge over him is walks, while Z wins every other category hands down, and you want to claim that Buerhle is better? Based on what? Pitches per second?

 

Garcia: is a consistent 15 game winner

 

Are we talking about the same Freddy Garcia that hasn't won 15 games in a year since the season that ended a whole 40 months ago now (2002)?

 

5th is a crap shoot Wood if healthy is on there, but never is.

 

Never puts the case a little too strongly. He was last properly healthy in May 2004. About 21 months ago. Roughly half the amount of time since Freddy Garcia last won 15 games in a season.

 

Vasquez was good for Montreal and had one good year with the Yanks, but since then inconsistent.

 

No, he was good for Montreal, he can a good half season with the Yanks, completely fell apart for the rest of the year, and since has been pretty much the same pitcher he's ever been, a good one, albeit one with flyball tendancies.

 

Mccarthy young could be the best of all the guys in the crap shoot, but hasn't proved it since he hasn't pitched enough.

 

Believe it when I see it. Personally I'm not particularly impressed by him.

[SouthSideRyan]

And before anybody comes on with some unfounded statement about Zambrano being emotionally unstable and can't keep his cool, Buehrle has allowed more unearned runs than Zambrano has in their 3 full seasons.

[ManEatingTarp]

We have a winner!

Imo this is the most accurate breakdown of the 2 teams starting staffs.

Bottom line, there are 10 pretty darn good to great pitchers to choose from.

 

Except for the fact that Zambrano is already better than Buehrle and that he didn't pick a #5.

 

Buehrle vs Zambrano is up to debate. The difference in leagues can skew some of those numbers. It's really a case of 1 and 1A. They're both solid #1s.

 

As for #5, any of those pitchers could have great years.

[SouthSideRyan]

Zambrano has a career ERA+ of 132, Buehrle, 128.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

In their years where they didn't do any relief work:

 

Zambrano- 136, 165, 131 ERA+; Average: 144

Buehrle- 140, 129, 108, 126, 143 ERA+; Average: 129

[Diffusion]

We have a winner!

Imo this is the most accurate breakdown of the 2 teams starting staffs.

Bottom line, there are 10 pretty darn good to great pitchers to choose from.

 

Except for the fact that Zambrano is already better than Buehrle and that he didn't pick a #5.

 

Buehrle vs Zambrano is up to debate. The difference in leagues can skew some of those numbers.

 

You're right. Buerhle has pitched in what over the last few years has been the worst division in baseball. That really needs to be taken into account and held against him.

[reggiemiller rules]

We have a winner!

Imo this is the most accurate breakdown of the 2 teams starting staffs.

Bottom line, there are 10 pretty darn good to great pitchers to choose from.

 

Except for the fact that Zambrano is already better than Buehrle and that he didn't pick a #5.

 

Buehrle vs Zambrano is up to debate. The difference in leagues can skew some of those numbers.

 

You're right. Buerhle has pitched in what over the last few years has been the worst division in baseball. That really needs to be taken into account and held against him.

 

I dont know the stats so if i am wrong i apolozige, but It seems as if The Cell has also been a better hitters park the last few years then Wrigley. I think Zambrano is a little better but they are very very close and its not that absurd for anyone to say they would take Buherle.

[ManEatingTarp]

We have a winner!

Imo this is the most accurate breakdown of the 2 teams starting staffs.

Bottom line, there are 10 pretty darn good to great pitchers to choose from.

 

Except for the fact that Zambrano is already better than Buehrle and that he didn't pick a #5.

 

Buehrle vs Zambrano is up to debate. The difference in leagues can skew some of those numbers.

 

You're right. Buerhle has pitched in what over the last few years has been the worst division in baseball. That really needs to be taken into account and held against him.

 

I dont know the stats so if i am wrong i apolozige, but It seems as if The Cell has also been a better hitters park the last few years then Wrigley. I think Zambrano is a little better but they are very very close and its not that absurd for anyone to say they would take Buherle.

 

What he said. ;)

 

And it really doesn't matter because neither one of them is better than Carp.

 

...runs and hides.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

We have a winner!

Imo this is the most accurate breakdown of the 2 teams starting staffs.

Bottom line, there are 10 pretty darn good to great pitchers to choose from.

 

Except for the fact that Zambrano is already better than Buehrle and that he didn't pick a #5.

 

Buehrle vs Zambrano is up to debate. The difference in leagues can skew some of those numbers.

 

You're right. Buerhle has pitched in what over the last few years has been the worst division in baseball. That really needs to be taken into account and held against him.

 

I dont know the stats so if i am wrong i apolozige, but It seems as if The Cell has also been a better hitters park the last few years then Wrigley. I think Zambrano is a little better but they are very very close and its not that absurd for anyone to say they would take Buherle.

 

What he said. ;)

 

And it really doesn't matter because neither one of them is better than Carp.

 

...runs and hides.

 

=; puh-lease