Best Starting 5 in Baseball

Since the Sox signed John Lackey in December, I have been running my mouth about the Red Sox having the best and deepest rotation in baseball. Today, Buster Olney of ESPN answered a reader’s question about the top 5 starting rotations going into 2010 and guess who was #1? Your Boston Red Sox, followed closely by the Evil Empire. I am drooling just thinking about the pitching match-ups for the opening series against the Yankees.

The top 2 rotations in baseball will be facing off 18 times during the regular season, not including the potential for a post-season match-up. To start the season, we will most likely see Josh Beckett vs. C.C. Sabathia in game 1, Jon Lester vs. A.J. Burnett in game 2, and John Lackey vs. Andy Pettitte in game 3. If you are a baseball fan, it doesn’t get much better than those incredible match-ups.

Both the Red Sox and Yankee rotations also have some question marks as well. There is still some uncertainty in the back-end of the Sox rotation with Wakefield, Buchholz and Dice-K all fighting for 2 spots (click here to see my thoughts on how the rotation will pan out). Buchholz finished last season strong, gaining confidence, but has yet to prove he can pitch a full season effectively and Dice-K was basically a wash last season, starting only 12 games with an ERA of 5.76 due to injuries. His health will be vital to the Sox success in 2010.

The Yankees have some uncertainty at the back-end of the rotation as well. Potential 5th starter Phil Hughes, who only made 8 poor starts in 2008 and just 7 in 2009, spent most of the 2009 season in the bullpen and may remain in the ‘pen for 2010. The question mark for the last few years has been Joba Chamberlain’s and his ‘rules’ and 2010 is no exception. The team management needs to decide whether he will be a starter for the full season or spend time in the bullpen and stick to their choice. When healthy, Joba can be a difference maker.

When it boils down to it, pre-season pitching rotation ratings don’t mean anything, but they do begin to get me extra excited for the 2010 season. Just thinking about the potential pitching match-ups between the Sox and Yankees is mind-boggling. Strap yourself in, it should be a wild ride in the AL East…