Distressed
that your favorite pitcher kind of sucks this year? Worried that the ace of the
staff of your favorite team might have suddenly lost his stuff forever? Yeah,
well, there’s a lot of that going around. While some of MLB’s star starting pitchers—Kershaw, Lester, Buchholz, Wainwright, Lee, Zimmermann—are achieving at exceptional levels, there are some big-name arms out there who can’t seem to get untracked. Either their pitching flat out stinks (Mark Buehrle), or injuries have hit them hard (Roy Halladay), or their teammates haven’t gotten them any runs (Stephen Strasburg). Even the great Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez, perennial Cy Young candidates both, have struggled to stay above .500.
Here
are the current aces of mediocrity, with their current records. Chances are most will turn things around
before the season is out, but for someone like Cole Hamels (left), it’s gonna take a
very hot streak to re-enter the zone of elite hurlers. For others, like 33-year-old Josh Beckett (5.19 ERA, with a 1.5 WHIP), the end may be nearer than we know.American League
CC
Sabathia, Yankees, 4-4
David
Price, Rays, 1-4
R.
A. Dickey, Blue Jays, 4-6
Mark
Buehrle, Blue Jays, 1-3
Josh
Johnson, Blue Jays, 0-1
Justin
Verlander, Tigers, 5-4
James
Shields, Royals, 2-5
C.
J. Wilson, Angels, 4-3
Felix
Hernandez, Mariners, 5-4
National League
Kris
Medlen, Braves, 1-5
Stephen
Strasburg, Nationals, 3-5
Roy
Halladay, Phillies, 2-4
Cole
Hamels, Phillies, 1-8
A.J.
Burnett, Pirates, 3-5
Yovani
Gallardo, Brewers, 3-5
Kyle
Lohse, Brewers, 1-5
Jeff
Samardzija, Cubs, 2-6
Ian
Kennedy, Diamondbacks, 2-3
Trevor
Cahill, Diamondbacks, 3-5
Tim
Lincecum, Giants, 3-4
Edinson
Volquez, Padres, 3-5
Josh
Beckett, Dodgers, 0-5
