Chop-
You're flat wrong. You'll wax the floor on me in capping baseball, but I promise I know far more about the intricacies of the game than probably anyone on this site.
Beckett
Burnett
Willis
are better than
Smoltz
Hudson
Hampton.
Hands down.
4 reasons:
STUFF
PERFORMANCE
SEALING THE DEAL
AGE
Smoltz might have the best stuff in baseball. He's flat out filthy. I used to love turning the TV on in the 9th in Braves games just to watch him pitch. It was almost unfair. But he's either on, or rapidly approaching the downside of his career. Hudson is solid. The thing with Hudson, is he's in his prime, this is as good as it's gonna get for him. He's not much of a strikeout pitcher, and he relies on some good defense. Which is very good but he's not dominant. Hampton doesn't belong in the same sentence. He's a very, very average pitcher overall, but he's a lefty who throws strikes, so he gets outs. He's still living off of his one good year, and he's been mediocre ever since. Started the year off good, but don't be so short sighted. Long way to go, and he will not keep it up over the full season as evidenced by tonight.
Burnett is one of the nastiest pitchers in baseball. He's hyped for a reason. Opposing hitters say he's the nastiest pitcher in the game after facing him for a reason. His fastball is electrifying with unbelievable movement, his slider is a plus plus pitch. He tries to overthrow and blow pitches by people, now he's learning how to PITCH and back off some. He's only getting better.
Beckett has shown he can not only hang with the best in the playoffs, but dominate. He has all the intangibles has great stuff, not as good as Burnett's though few do, and is a bit more polished than Burnett. Um, oh yeah, he's still learning too. You havn't heard much about him since the WS because him and Burnett have been injured. They were both injured with arm injuries, but their other injuries have been tough luck broken thumbs from line drives or what not. Their health isn't that serious of a concern. But Beckett was in the WORLD SERIES and was the MVP of the World Series and sealed the deal, which we all know the Braves are the Buffalo Bills of baseball.
Performance-wise, Dontrelle Willis is the best pitcher in the game right now.
They're all younger than the Braves staff, and they are all getting better and learning. They are all much more highly touted, projectable, and nastier than their counterparts were at the same age. And their outperforming them NOW. I promise you if you ask any general manager in baseball would you rather have the Marlins staff (or the Marlins top 3) or the Braves who do you want? I don't think you can find 2 GM's who say ATL.
You obviously don't go much by how good a pitcher's actual PITCHES are. You are more of a "what have you done for me lately", "what you see is what you get" kind of guy. You want results. That's fine, too. Because not only are they hyped for a reason, their stuff is better etc, but they are actually proving it now. Marlins ERA is by far and away the best in MLB. Don't know how else to say it, but not only is the Marlins staff better than Atlanta's, but Atlanta's doesn't deserve to be named into 2nd place. That's just cutting some other staffs short.
Braves starting rotation as a whole isn't as good as you think. Braves have a good rotation, but it isn't exceptional like the Marlins which is why the Braves had to move Smoltz back into the rotation. If you would have come to me and tried to argue another teams rotation, I would have given you more credibility. But to come with Mike Hampton? Please. This just shows this thread is about the Braves for you.
I don't know who's going to win the NL East, it looks like it's going to be a dog fight. But to simply write the Marlins off as 2nd place, and gift wrap it for the Braves, considering the way the Marlins are pitching and how anemic Atlanta's offense has been is just plain foolish. If anyone is the favorite to win the east right now, it's the Marlins. The Mets are starting to show some signs and the Nationals and Phillies are no slouches.
I'm going to bed if you wish to respond, I'll see it tomorrow as I'm going to bed. I look forward to your picks tomorrow.
Later.