We made it! It’s been a long time coming but we’ve finally got there, the final team on our 30 Clubs in 30 Days Countdown! And we did it two weeks before MLB Network! Without further ado the team that has created the most buzz in the off-season is also our pre-season number one, the Philadelphia Phillies.
No. 1 Philadelphia Phillies
Projected Rotation
- Roy Halladay-RHP
Roy Halladay // Photo: fantasticfansite.com
- Cliff Lee-LHP
- Roy Oswalt-RHP
- Cole Hamels-LHP
- Joe Blanton-RHP
Projected Bullpen
- Brad Lidge-RHP
- Ryan Madison-RHP
- Jose Contreras-RHP
- Kyle Kendrick-RHP
- Dannys Baez-RHP
- J.C. Romero-LHP
- Antonio Bastardo-LHP
Projected Lineup
- SS Jimmy Rollins
- 3B Placido Polanco
- 2B Chase Utley
- 1B Ryan Howard
- CF Shane Victorino
- LF Raul Ibanez
- RF Ben Francisco
- C Carlos Ruiz
Analysis
Usually I start my analysis portion on the batting order, but this time I have to start on the rotation. A rotation that’s given me a novel’s worth of material that has to be summed up in about 200 hundred words, I shall do my humble best.
It starts with Roy Halladay: the best pitcher in baseball. Two no hitters over the course of last season and the Doc has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. Combine Halladay with Lee and you have the most dominant 1-2 punch in baseball. Combine those two with Oswalt and you have the most dominant 1-2-3 punch in baseball, and combine those three with Hamels and you get the point.
The staff went 21-7 after trading for Oswalt last season, a substantial improvement that may triple with the acquisition of Lee. Another aspect of this whole thing that’s not being talked about is that the four-headed monster matches up perfectly; two lefties, two righties, to rotate and keep opposing batting orders on their toes. We could see four starters with 20 victories each, which is ridiculous! Get your popcorn and cheese steaks ready Philly, it’s going to be a show!
Jimmy Rollins // Photo: phollowingthephillies.blogspot.com/
The rotation has the support of a solid bullpen that saw Brad Lidge pitch phenomenally down the stretch last year. The only pressing concern it the lack of left-handers but since all of the setup men will be coming in with zero runs on the board anyway that’s not going to matter.
Philadelphia’s batting order isn’t at a loss for firepower either. Veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins will hit leadoff, it is imperative for Rollins to stay healthy this year, he’s the glue that holds the lineup together and even with their pitching they will need hitting to win a championship.
Rollins gives way to Utley, Howard, Victorino, Ibanez, etc. Pretty scary if you’re a pitcher considering your own team won’t be getting you any run support. All the Phillies will need to do is score one or two runs in most games and they’ll emerge victorious.
It will be interesting to watch this whole thing unfold, as baseball fans we’ve never seen a rotation like this before, and we’ve also never seen expectations higher in the city of Philadelphia.
I can tell already this is going to be one of the most interesting seasons ever in Major League Baseball so thank you for hanging out with me for the last 30 (and some) days to learn all about it. All the posts are still on The [Five] so be sure to catch up if you haven’t and let me know what you think!
Thanks again and happy baseball season!
Outstanding job and congratulations on finishing your 30 clubs in 30 days preview! I really enjoyed it!
Outstanding job and congratulations on finishing your 30 clubs in 30 days preview! I really enjoyed it!
Ok guys. First of all, I love this site. But…SF will do it again. They will come on strong early and will maintain to mid-season. Then towards the end, they will show how strong they are…that is what the news reel says in my head anyway.
@UnderRAPS
PS I am going to SF in June. My mojo will carry the team 😛
Thanks for the love, Jarvis. But, I disagree. My BLUE JAYS will finish the season as the World Series champs.
Ha, who am I kidding… they won’t even get anywhere near the top of the AL East!
Ok guys. First of all, I love this site. But…SF will do it again. They will come on strong early and will maintain to mid-season. Then towards the end, they will show how strong they are…that is what the news reel says in my head anyway.
@UnderRAPS
PS I am going to SF in June. My mojo will carry the team 😛
Thanks for the love, Jarvis. But, I disagree. My BLUE JAYS will finish the season as the World Series champs.
Ha, who am I kidding… they won’t even get anywhere near the top of the AL East!
Now that the countdown is over it’s all about the Twins. I hope I didn’t give off too much bias in the report.
Now that the countdown is over it’s all about the Twins. I hope I didn’t give off too much bias in the report.
Just ran through the whole 30… good work Terry. Thanks for getting me ready for my pick ’em season!
Just ran through the whole 30… good work Terry. Thanks for getting me ready for my pick ’em season!
Twins vs. Giants World Series, but once again, pitching will prevail. Pavano is not an ace, while one could argue that 4 of our 5 are aces on nearly any other staff in the league, or at least have ace potential in regards to Mad Bum and Sanchy. Giants in 6.
If last year taught anyone anything, pitching currently wins championships, and the Giants pitching is only getting scarier, and because of our bullpen and youth, I’m still holding to it that our staff should be more feared than the Phillies.
Twins vs. Giants World Series, but once again, pitching will prevail. Pavano is not an ace, while one could argue that 4 of our 5 are aces on nearly any other staff in the league, or at least have ace potential in regards to Mad Bum and Sanchy. Giants in 6.
If last year taught anyone anything, pitching currently wins championships, and the Giants pitching is only getting scarier, and because of our bullpen and youth, I’m still holding to it that our staff should be more feared than the Phillies.
The Giants do not have four aces, that’s one of the craziest things you’ve ever said. The Giants have one ace and his name is Lincecum. While Cain has a lot of potential and played well last year he would not have been the ace on any playoff team last year, as well as several other contenders.
Mad Bum was great in the post-season, so was Dontrelle Willis and we all know how that one turned out. Sanchez is a great four guy but calling him an ace is like calling Sarah Jessica Parker a 10. He’s just not that good.
I’d say at this point your rotation is better, but not by a ton. Pavano was in Cy Young conversations until the end of the season last year and Liriano has made great improvements and could even be a bona fide ace this year.
Duensing will round out the rotation well, he was unbelievable after moving to the rotation at mid season and Blackburn and Baker are both solid options and are still getting better.
We don’t have Lincecum but we’re better off than most when it comes to pitching. Every year our rotation has questions and every year they’re answered. That would be one helluva series though.
Twins in 7
The Giants do not have four aces, that’s one of the craziest things you’ve ever said. The Giants have one ace and his name is Lincecum. While Cain has a lot of potential and played well last year he would not have been the ace on any playoff team last year, as well as several other contenders.
Mad Bum was great in the post-season, so was Dontrelle Willis and we all know how that one turned out. Sanchez is a great four guy but calling him an ace is like calling Sarah Jessica Parker a 10. He’s just not that good.
I’d say at this point your rotation is better, but not by a ton. Pavano was in Cy Young conversations until the end of the season last year and Liriano has made great improvements and could even be a bona fide ace this year.
Duensing will round out the rotation well, he was unbelievable after moving to the rotation at mid season and Blackburn and Baker are both solid options and are still getting better.
We don’t have Lincecum but we’re better off than most when it comes to pitching. Every year our rotation has questions and every year they’re answered. That would be one helluva series though.
Twins in 7