Pocket Aces

We heard about all the tandem running backs in the NFL. We also know that the NFL is a copycat league beyond any sense of the little taddle-tale we had in elementary. Major League Baseball is starting a new trend that hasn't taken by storm yet but is growing as of late. Similar to the wildly popular game Texas Hold 'Em, teams have gone to the pair of ace potential pitchers at the top of their rotation. Pocket Aces, known as the best starting hand in Hold 'Em, will probably blow up to full force as the talent in the minors all around are much better than in years past. Let's look over the teams that have the prominent dynamic duos.

Cleveland Indians:

This is probably the biggest duo in baseball, not only talent wise, but they could play on the Browns defense with their size (Sabathia could play DL at 6-7, 290 and Carmona is a linebacker at 6-4, 240). These two pitchers combined for 39 wins last season and both are under 30 years old. The knock on both C.C. and Fausto are their postseason performances. They ranked down with the likes of Aaron Sele and Byung-Hyun Kim. You can only assume as they get more postseason experience in, it can only get better. They can work deep into games (both had 215+ IP) to give much needed rest to a bullpen that has to improve if they want to make a run for the American League Pennant this year.

Arizona Diamondbacks:

Brandon Webb has been a Cy Young winner. He had to been ecstatic when the D-Backs traded for Dan Haren this offseason. Haren was one of the top AL pitchers last season and was in the Cy Young race for most of the season. Now he will have team that will give him run support, something the A's couldn't do. Like the fore-mentioned Indians, Webb and Haren are very young and can only improve as they get older. The question becomes can these two help Arizona top the Rockies, Padres and Dodgers in the West?

San Diego Padres:

Petco be damned, Jake Peavy and Chris Young were the best duo in baseball last season. You want proof, Peavy led the National League in ERA. Chris Young only finished 5th. Did I also mention they combined to strike out a batter an inning. While we still can't explain why Young only won nine games last season *cough, no run support, cough*? We can assume that this duo will won 30+ games this season. They have the potential to be lethal come playoff time. Question becomes do they have the make up?

New York Mets:

We all know that Johan Santana is the best pitcher in baseball, according to everyone? But this guy was being compared to the other guy of this duo, Pedro Martinez. If Pedro can stay healthy, the Mets could have the 2nd best rotation in the NL. Another question is, Can Santana adjust from the AL to the NL? Talent is abundant amongst these two, but so are the questions.

Seattle Mariners:

With apologies to Matt Cain, Felix Hernandez is the best under 25 pitcher in the baseball. Thing was they had 4 guys that couldn't pitch to a paper bag without allowing runs. This caused Bill Bavasi added super-talented, yet injury prone Erik Bedard. Like Peavy and Young, this duo could strike out a lot of batters with their filthy stuff. The issue with them is neither guy has pitched over 200 innings. If they want to smell the postseason, they have to get deep into games and keep a very good M's bullpen rested.



There are some other teams have potential of having the same type of duo, like the following: Cubs with Rich Hill and Carlos Zambrano, Rockies with Jeff Francis and Ubaldo Jimenez, Giants with Cain and Lineceum, Tigers with Willis and Verlander. These duos right now stand out over the rest right now. This we know about the future, it looks very bright.

[redsrbetter]

I love the pocket aces reference bro! This is a good article. Although it wasn't that hard for me to make my pick. Webb and Haren take the cake for me. Watch out for the DBacks this year. They were very strong last season and all those young studs will be one year closer to their potential.

I like the question that ended the D-Backs pocket aces as well. The rest of the division is very tough to compete against. But the DBacks still have the better top two, The Rockies have the best offensive punch in the division and the Dodgers and D-Backs have so much young talent that they can make it very tight. Imagine if all those young bats come alive this season for the D-Backs like they did for the Rockies last year.

Great read bro.

rep, DIGG, YB, del, FB

[browntown653]

Real close, but I'm gonna go with Cleveland and hope Leo doesn't yell at me.

[General]

It's Cleveland vs. SD in my mind, and I love Peavy, so it goes to him.

[Dry1313]

Mariners. If your sole knock is injury worries, well than, that's silly.

Both can K 250. Both can have a WHIP of 1. Both can have 225 IP. Both can have ERAs of 3.

They are also the youngest.

[redsrbetter]

Wow, we are pretty spread out on our votes here guys. Very hard decision.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Carmona and Sabathia. Haren and Webb in a close 2nd

[ljshorty89]

I'm a huge Mets fan, I really want to be able to say Johan and Pedro, but in reality, I don't think you can go against Haren and Webb. They're pitching in one of the top pitching parks. They're in the NL. They've got Webb who has averaged over the course of their careers slightly more IP and slightly lower ERA than Peavy. Haren on the other hand has averaged about 20 more IP, and a ERA that is about .15 higher, which is countered by having pitching in the AL. I think that statistically, and based on their capabilities, its very close between the SD duo and the Arizona duo....but I go with Webb/Haren.



By the way, I will continue to argue that there is no better quartet than Johan/Pedro/Maine/Perez. How many can beat 3 15 game winners, and Pedro all in one rotation?

[love_that_reefer]

Had to go with the no brainer here and vote Webb and Haren. Webb has Cy Young stuff every year and Haren is coming into his own. Both guys eat a lot of innings and are both good home and away.

[love_that_reefer]

Originally Posted by ljshorty89 I'm a huge Mets fan, I really want to be able to say Johan and Pedro, but in reality, I don't think you can go against Haren and Webb. They're pitching in one of the top pitching parks.

Chase Field is a hitter's haven. It is far from a pitcher's park but you are still right on Webb/Haren

[OrioleMagic]

If you consider what each pitcher has ALREADY accomplished, it is a no-brainer going to Johan and Pedro. I was very surprised when I saw the votes. I also was surprised at the analysis even though it was well-written it short-changed what Santana and Martinez have already accomplished. I think the poll question could have been a little more specific in saying "Who is the best THIS YEAR"... I do not look for Pedro to be what he used to be, but without even looking up the stats, the Mets have the two most proven Pocket Aces!

[General]

The question is "Which is the best pitching duo?"

Seeing as it is in the present, we are all correct in assuming that it is about today's pitchers in terms of their pitching capabilities right now.

[ljshorty89]

you're right L_T_R, I was looking at the wrong park for some reasons. I still can't imagine two guys better than Webb/Haren. I still say its D-Backs, Padres. then the Mets/Indians/Mariners are all pretty close after that.....