On the diamond, a new wave of hurlers
Baseball's young guns take their place in the rotation
from the June 22, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Although Peavy, for instance, has already won an ERA crown and a strikeout title earlier in his career, he seems to have discovered a new gear in 2007.
In April, Peavy struck out 16 batters against Arizona, within a few fastballs of the big-league record of 20 shared by Johnson, Clemens, and Kerry Wood.
He kept rolling from there. To date (as of June 20), Peavy has a 9-1 record, a 1.98 ERA and 110 strikeouts. At present, he reigns as the odds-on favorite to win the NL Cy Young.
"He looks like the best pitcher, period," Mr. Verducci says. "He's a real throwback player. I think he would love to play a position and pitch at the same time. If he's smart, he'll never leave San Diego because it is a great pitchers' park."
In Oakland, Haren has notched up a similarly impressive résumé this season. His stats nearly mirror Peavy's: an 9-2 won-loss mark, an AL-best 1.78 ERA and 84 strikeouts.
The gaudy pitching lines that Peavy and Haren have compiled represent the best of the young starters, but they have plenty of company.
Among the most notable: Fausto Carmona, Justin Verlander, Josh Beckett, and Johan Santana.
Consider Cleveland's Carmona. The 23-year-old served as both a starter and closer for the Indians last season, to disastrous effect. He won his first start before dropping 10 straight decisions.
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