By Steve Kwan
Fantasy Sports 101 Baseball

March 21, 2008 - Since most baseball fans can agree that the AL is the more fearsome of the two leagues in Major League Baseball, it may be surprising to see that many of the marquee 5-man rotations are actually in the NL. But at least five AL teams have done a remarkable job of stacking their starting pitching with quality from number 1 to number 5.

Trying to pinpoint who has the best rotation at this point in time seems to be a moot point; injuries are always lurking around the corner, waiting to ruin a team’s chance at a pennant. But at this early stage in time, there are staffs out there that have enough depth to make up for potential injury.

Here is my list of the AL’s top five rotations:

1. Toronto Blue Jays

#1 - Roy Halladay
#2 - A.J. Burnett
#3 – Dustin McGowan
#4 – Shaun Marcum
#5 – Jesse Litsch

I know you may be laughing out loud at the absurd idea of Burnett being healthy for a FULL season, but since he can opt out after this season, he might just be due for a career year. Halladay is much more valuable in real life than in fantasy, McGowan finally started to realize his potential last season, and Marcum will look to sustain the impressive stats that he put up last year. Litsch has had a rough spring, but because Casey Janssen blew out his arm, Litsch becomes the #5 starter by default. Assuming that everyone performs up to their potential, this is a solid rotation up and down, and the Jays will need exactly that to survive in the AL East.

2. Seattle Mariners

#1 – Erik Bedard
#2 – Felix Hernandez
#3 – Carlos Silva
#4 – Miguel Batista
#5 – Jarrod Washburn

Seattle’s new rotation features former Orioles fireballer Erik Bedard and King Felix in a 1-2 punch unlike any other in the AL. Silva was a pricey offseason signing from Minnesota, but he has had success against AL West teams and should be an effective #3 (though still not an effective fantasy option). Batista might be hard-pressed to improve on his 2007 numbers, but the sunny outlook on Seattle’s team this year might offset that. Jarrod Washburn is a serviceable #5.

3. Detroit Tigers

#1 – Justin Verlander
#2 – Kenny Rogers
#3 – Jeremy Bonderman
#4 – Dontrelle Willis
#5 – Nate Robertson

Verlander has emerged as a legitimate ace, while Rogers plays the role of the wily old veteran. Nate Robertson is a great pitcher to have as a #5, but the other two spots in the rotation can either be explosive or just simply explode. Bonderman needs to shake off his horrendous end to 2007; signs this spring so far have been mixed. And can Willis turn his young and still somewhat promising career around? If the answer to that question is yes, then the Tigers will have a fearsome rotation that matches their fearsome lineup.

4. Los Angeles Angels

#1 – John Lackey 
#2 – Kelvim Escobar
#3 – Jon Garland
#4 – Jered Weaver
#5 – Joe Saunders

Injuries didn’t wait for the season to start to throw a wrench in the Angel’s rotation. Both Lackey and Escobar are doubtful to be 100 percent at the start of the season, but in normal circumstances they would provide a good 1-2 combo up top. Garland, acquired from Chicago in the offseason, will be relied upon to eat up innings. Weaver and Saunders form a solid back end to a rotation which on paper looks tight from top to bottom. If Lackey and Escobar were to miss extended periods of time, one-time fantasy sleeper hit Ervin Santana would step into the gap.

5. Boston Red Sox

#1 – Josh Beckett
#2 – Daisuke Matsuzaka
#3 – Tim Wakefield
#4 – Jon Lester
#5 – Bartolo Colon

With Curt Schilling gone for the near future, Colon steps ahead of superprospect Clay Buchholz and into the rotation. Beckett finally fulfilled his promise as an ace last season, while Wakefield was his usual self and will probably continue to be this season. Matsuzaka is somewhat of a question mark; will he be able to draw on his season of experience? Or will his lack control and be victimized by improved scouting by his competition? Well, Hideo Nomo had at least two good seasons before going south, so Dice-K should be a fine #2 this year. Lester is healthy now, but any injuries to him, Colon or Wakefield could give Buchholz a chance to claim a permanent rotation spot.

Related Links: MLB Home, 2008 Draft Kit, Top Five NL Rotations