Washington Nationals: Where Does Starting Rotation Rank Amongst Game's Best?

Two months of baseball has passed, and the Washington Nationals sit in first place in the NL East alongside the New York Mets and Miami Marlins. 

Who would have thought?

While the Nationals struggle offensively, their starting rotation keeps them in the game. Their rotation does not boast elite pitchers or even big name starters, and their most well known pitcher, Stephen Strasburg shies away from the spotlight.

The Nationals may be under the radar, but they boast the best starting rotation in the league with Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson, and Chien-Ming Wang. Here are some stats to show why the National's rotation is the league's best.

Currently, the starters of the Nationals hold a league leading 2.88 ERA, the only team under 3.00. The starters also hold hitters to a league leading .223 BAA. Their starters also lead the league in hits allowed (256), home runs allowed (22), a WHIP of 1.10, and an 8.61 K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings).

These are astounding numbers for a team that was supposed to compete this season, not dominate. Strasburg, Gonzalez, and Zimmerman have already recorded eight quality starts each, with Strasburg and Gonzalez in the top 10 for most pitching categories. 

It's safe to say the Nationals currently have the best rotation in the league, but just how good are they?

Great rotations have depth from their ace to their fifth starter. Once Wang gets back on track the Nationals will look like serious playoff contenders. They aren't known nationally because they don't boast the aces or receive the publicity that good pitching teams like the San Francisco Giants or Tampa Bay Rays. This lack of publicity is what I believe makes them better. They perform better when they're under the radar. 

While it's possible for them to maintain their excellent performance, don't expect it. I don't believe they are one of the top rotations in the league when compared to the Giants, the Philadelphia Phillies when healthy, or the Rays. I do believe however, that the 2012 season is their breakout season where they will establish themselves as a top rotation, similar to the Rays in the 2011 season. 

By the end of the season, I expect the Nationals rotation to be in the top five in the league, maybe even top three. The potential of this rotation is tremendous, especially with Strasburg and Gonzalez on the mound. 

The 2012 season looks to be special for the National's rotation. Two months have been a small sample size, but the sky looks to be the limit for the Nationals and their young rotation. 

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NFC North Daily: Hot Breakfast Links for June 4, 2012

Hey folks, hope you had a great weekend. I myself got to march in a parade, clean my apartment and watch Kung Fu Panda 2 and Annie with the kids!

And game film—lots and lots of game film. Well, the kids didn't watch the game film. Although I think they would make excellent film loggers.

Anyway, it was a quiet weekend, but there is still plenty to read with breakfast. So fill up a coffee cup, grab a bagel and some of these hot breakfast links.

It's a hard knock life.

Chicago Bears

B/R writer Ryan Cook talks about what we can expect of quarterbacks coming off injury, including Jay Cutler.

Running aging vets out of town is a tradition for the Bears, notes Dan Pompei, and one which the Bears should avoid repeating with Brian Urlacher.

There has been a lot of talk about how Brandon Marshall has matured and grown up, that he's a different player and person now. Perhaps we see some proof of that in Larry Mayer's ChicagoBears.com report that he is mentoring the other receivers at OTAs.

New situations always bring out the best in players—hopefully this sticks.

Detroit Lions

Justin Rogers takes a look at past punishments for multiple arrests and how they might give some insight into what Nick Fairley can expect.

Dave Birkett says rookie Ryan Broyles' former college coach—who was a receivers coach with the Indianapolis Colts—has very high praise indeed for the wide receiver.

Green Bay Packers

Like so many players, rookie Jerel Worthy entered the NFL draft early as a junior. Like so many other juniors, he did it for his family. Tyler Dunne has a great story about what Worthy's family means to him, and how it motivates him.

Mike Vandermause has a Q&A with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers about how, among other things, Rodgers wants to be a Packer for life.

That should happen as long as they don't misspell the name.

Minnesota Vikings

Perhaps feeling left out with all the Lions' arrests, the Vikes got in on the act when fullback Jerome Felton got arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence. 

Tom Pelissero reports that while the top eight picks in the NFL are all unsigned, Matt Kalil's contract will not be a worry. 

Like these stories? Follow the linked writers on Twitter!

@DanPompei @ChicagoBearsCom @Justin_Rogers @mikevandermause @VikingsNow @tompelissero @freeplions @tydunne

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Pittsburgh Pirates: 8 Players Who Could Make Them Perennial Contenders

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It has been 20 years since the last time the Pittsburgh Pirates tasted the sweetness of October baseball, much less had a winning season. That 1992 team had a strong core of players that included stars like Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke, Doug Drabek, and skinny, toolsy outfielder named Barry Bonds.

Since that glorious year Pirates fans have watched as first-round picks and heralded prospects have turned into disappointments on the field. Players like Chad Hermansen, Bobby Bradley, J.R. House, and Bryan Bullington were supposed to turn into the second coming of that '92 team that came one out away from a World Series.

When a player came up and actually succeeded at the major league level, we were forced to watch as the front office cursed our franchise by trading away our young stars (think Aramis Ramirez and Jason Schmidt) for disproportionately small returns.

So here we are in 2012 and wouldn't you know it, our Pittsburgh Pirates are actually giving us a glimmer of hope. After 53 games the Buccos are 27-26 in second place all by themselves and just three games behind the division leading Reds. Will the Pirates be able to sustain this success over the long-term or will they just revert back to the losing ways the world has come to associate with Pittsburgh baseball?

Here is a look at eight players who could help turn the Pirates into perennial contenders. 

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Andrew McCutchen is this Pirates team's version of Barry Bonds. The 25-year-old is turning into a superstar center fielder right before our eyes here in 2012.

After making the All-Star game in 2011 McCutchen has a .337/.396/.565 slash line with nine home runs and 30 RBI. Coupled with his domination at the plate the former first-round pick in 2005 has showed his elite speed on the basepaths where he has 10 stolen bases and in the outfield where he consistently makes difficult plays look routine.

For now the Pittsburgh Pirates go as Andrew McCutchen goes. If the MVP voting was based on how valuable each player was to his respective team, Cutch would win hands down. Management made all of Pittsburgh happy this offseason when they locked their superstar up until at least 2017. If the Pirates are going to contend for the next couple years it will be with Andrew McCutchen in the middle of their lineup.

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Pedro Alvarez has been under the microscope since his major league debut in the middle of the 2010 season. After hitting four home runs combined in consecutive games and winning the Rookie of the Month award with an outstanding September, it looked like the Pirates had that power bat they'd hoped they drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2008.

However, 2011 was not kind to Alvarez as he hit .191 with just four home runs in 74 games while battling injuries and propensity to swing and miss a ton. While El Toro came into the 2012 season with the starting third base job, he was definitely on a short leash.

After starting off slowly Alvarez got hot, hitting five home runs in just a nine-game stretch in late April and early May. He has cooled off since then but has still hit for decent power with eight home runs in total and slugging percentage that hovers around .400.

For the Pirates to be perennial contenders in the NL Central they need Pedro Alvarez to become a consistent force behind Andrew McCutchen in the middle of the lineup. A big second half of the year could help squash any worries Pirates fans have of Alvarez reaching his potential.

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

One of the biggest surprises in all of baseball in 2012, James McDonald is quietly turning in a Cy Young-caliber first half.

After showing glimpses of his potential in 2011, McDonald is finally attacking hitters with his power fastball and big curveball under the tutelage of pitching coach and veteran AJ Burnett. The result after 11 starts is a 5-2 record with a 2.14 ERA good for second best in all of Major League Baseball. His 71 strikeouts are fifth in the NL and his 0.95 WHIP is tied for fourth in MLB.

With the veteran presences of Burnett and Erik Bedard teaching him the nuances of being an ace, McDonald is leading a Pirates rotation which ranks second in all of baseball with a 3.24 ERA. Starting pitching wins championships, it's been proven time and time again. With James McDonald the Pirates have an ace that can lead them to several division titles in the years to come.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Outside of maybe the Braves' Craig Kimbrel, there hasn't been a more dominant closer over the past two seasons than Joel Hanrahan.

The Hammer has 54 saves in 59 save opportunities since the beginning of 2011 while giving up just 20 earned runs in 88.2 innings pitched while striking out 85 opposing batters. The 2011 All-Star selection overpowers hitters with his high 90s fastball and devastating slider and Pirates fans breath much easier when the ball is in his hand.

The Pirates have played a major league leading 24 one-run games in 2012 and the also have a major league leading 15 wins in those games. A huge part of that success is Joel Hanrahan's ability to lock down the opposing lineup when Pittsburgh has the lead in the ninth.

Neil Huntington did a great job of grabbing Hanrahan from the Nationals in the Lastings Milledge/Nyjer Morgan trade. He gives manager Clint Hurdle a closer that he can rely on to finish games off as the Pirates are finding themselves in a position to win games late more often than recent years. 

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Chase d'Arnaud played in 48 games for the Pirates in the heart of their first-place run in 2011, filling in for the injured Ronny Cedeno. However, it is fellow 2008 draftee Jordy Mercer who has gotten a look in 2012.

While d'Arnaud has been injured for most of 2012, Mercer was putting up a .303/.368/.417 line at Indianapolis. He was riding a eight-game hitting streak before getting called up on May 29 to replace a struggling Clint Barmes.

While Barmes is still the starting shortstop in Pittsburgh, it shouldn't be long before Clint Hurdle gets fed up with his lack of hitting for good and inserts one of the Pirates' young shortstop prospects.

While neither Mercer nor d'Arnaud has superstar potential, they each have the ability to be quality starting shortstops at the major league level. Mercer brings the better glove and an outstanding arm to go along with more power in his bat. D'Arnaud on the other hand has had the better track record in the minors and is a close second to Andrew McCutchen on the basepaths.

Whichever shortstop prospect steps up and takes over the job will be an integral part of any Pirates contender in the future as Barmes' light hitting isn't going to cut it for a team trying to win a division.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Arguably the best position prospect in the Pirates farm system, Starling Marte made it very difficult for manager Clint Hurdle to send him down in spring training. All he did in just 12 games this spring was hit for a stupid .520/.520/.920 line with three home runs.

While there were many fans clamoring for Marte to start the season alongside Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata in the Pirates outfield, management made the correct decision in sending him down to Indianapolis to start the season. That doesn't mean that they can't call him up to help Pittsburgh contend for a NL Central title in the second half of 2012.

Currently at Indianapolis, the 2011 Futures Game participant is hitting .270 with five home runs and 14 stolen bases and he's been especially hot to start June.

Marte is a five-tool outfielder who will probably end up pushing Andrew McCutchen out of center field. That's right, All-Star Andrew McCutchen is going to have to move to a corner spot to make room for Marte who has plus-plus speed and an absolute cannon for an arm that has reportedly thrown 100 MPH darts from the outfield.

With the Pirates offense in the dismal state it currently is in Starling Marte would be a welcome addition to the top of the lineup. While he would wreak havoc on the basepaths and in the outfield, he would also provide a little pop to a lineup that desperately needs it. Regardless of whether Marte plays a role in the Pirates' 2012 season, he is surely to be an important piece to any Pirates contender in the near future.

J. Meric/Getty Images

A 2009 first-round pick, Tony Sanchez was picked to be the long-term solution at catcher that the Pirates have missed since the days of Jason Kendall.

While his professional career got off to a great start, injuries and inconsistent play have plagued the top prospect. He started off 2010 hitting the cover off the ball but he fractured his jaw when he was hit by a pitch in June and missed the rest of the season. Unfortunately Sanchez has never really gotten back to his old form and 2011 was a big disappointment as he struggled mightily at Double-A Altoona.

2012 saw him go back to Altoona and while he hasn't been as good as hoped, Sanchez is quietly starting to regain some confidence in himself and the confidence of the Pirates front office. This resulted in his recent promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis, where his talents will really be put to the test to see if he is in fact Pittsburgh's catcher of the future.

The Pirates have mostly been filling the catcher with stopgaps in the hope that Tony Sanchez would live up to the potential they saw when the drafted him No. 4 overall in 2009. If everything pans out as planned the Pirates would have an above-average defensive catcher who can hit 10-15 home runs in the mold of Yadier Molina. Having a solid long-term catcher like Sanchez behind the plate would be a big boost to the Pirates plans to contend in the NL Central 

Taillon and Cole

Ultimately whether the Pirates can be perennial contenders atop the NL Central rides on the development of their tandem of Jameson Taillon and Gerrit Cole.

Pittsburgh's first-round picks in 2010 and 2011 respectively, Taillon and Cole have ace potential and are on the same path to the majors as both are currently in High-A Bradenton's rotation.

Taillon has struggled recently but is still putting up respectable numbers with a 3.57 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 58 innings. No.1 overall pick Gerrit Cole is having a little more success with a 2.53 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 57 innings. Both Taillon and Cole were named to the 2012 Florida State League All-Star game which will take place on June 16.

While Cole is a little more polished with a better change-up than Taillon, having pitched for three years at UCLA, they both have consistent mid-90s fastballs with plus curves that have allowed them to dominate hitters so far in their minor league careers.

While James McDonald has risen to ace status for the Pirates in 2012, adding top prospects like Jameson Taillon and Gerrit Cole to the mix would give Pittsburgh a rotation that could dominate the NL Central for the next 5-10 years.

If all goes according to plan Pirates fans can expect to see Taillon and Cole some time in 2014, giving them the makings of a perennial contender not only for the NL Central title, but for a World Series.

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Stanley Cup Finals 2012: Game-by-Game Predictions for Rest of Series

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After what the world has seen from the Los Angeles Kings throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, few would be surprised if the Finals ended in a quick, short series with the Kings defeating the New Jersey Devils and hoisting the Stanley Cup above their heads for the very first time in franchise history.

It will be a beautiful, touching and memorable ending. 

It is highly unlikely that patterns will be broken during the remainder of the series. The Kings will dominate road games and outplay players and teams that, going into the playoffs, no one would have thought possible.

The King's will rely heavily on defense, resulting in low scoring games, but it's a strategy that works extremely well for them—well enough to do what many would have called highly unlikely a few short months ago and that’s win the cup in five games in New Jersey.

Call it destiny, call it fate, call it a Cinderella story, but Los Angeles is a city where dreams can come true, and for the Los Angeles Kings, they will. 

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Kings will take Game 3.

One area that the Kings especially prosper in is their attitude and spirit. The Kings have a lot of life in them. When they score they scream in excitement.

They have confidence and belief in their ability to win and they show their joy during their post-goal celebration. They play like they realize the significance of what they have accomplished.

When Anze Kopitar scored in Game 2, the look in his eyes said something like, “Hey, I just scored, against Martin Brodeur in the Stanley Cup Finals. This is the moment I've worked my whole life for. This is unbelievable," because it is actually quite unbelievable.

But there are things that statistics can’t predict, and you can’t measure heart, will or desire. 

The Staples Center will have an insane energy when it welcomes the Kings back to Los Angeles, and there will be plenty of momentum and excitement to build on. They play well at home too, and having them walk back into the Staples Center up two games will fire up everyone in attendance. 

Kings will control most, if not all of the game. They run the show on defense, and the Devils are having a hard time finding a way to shut them down.

In two games, the Devils have scored twice in fluke circumstances, both of which the core nucleus of the Devils were not involved. One goal was deflected off the Kings' Slava Voynov and the second was also a result of a deflection, only off the Devils' Ryan Carter.  

On the Kings' side, Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter will score enough to win but not much more, because that's just their style. The team as a whole will prevent the Devils from getting to their net. 

The Kings will take the lead into the third period, but like game one and two, the score will be very close and this is when things will start to get a little bit dirty.

The Devils will begin to feel a little bit desperate. Zach Parise and Martin Brodeur explained that they still feel good about their chances, but they're embarrassed about some aspects of their performance. 

However, Parise especially is already starting to get dirty to try and get the job done, such as trying to score with his hands. We will go into game four with that kind of vibe. 

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

New Jersey will win Game 4.

Statistics and merit haven’t been the sole determining factors in the NHL playoffs but, regardless, the New Jersey Devils have too much talent and playoff experience to get swept in four games.

Even though the Los Angeles Kings took out the No. 1, No. 2  and No. 3 seeded teams and defied everything anyone thought that they knew about playoff hockey, it's still far fetched to think that they will sweep Patrik Elias, Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Martin Brodeur in four games.

The Devils are capable of much more than they gave in Games 1 and 2. Alternatively, It's hard to believe that the Kings are able to give more than they already are. L.A. are already giving 110% and have done throughout the entire playoffs.

Realistically, Games 1 and 2 could have gone either way, the Kings just aren’t giving the Devils the chance to score, which makes New Jersey's juiced forward lineup temporarily obsolete. There haven't been a lot of shots on Jonathan Quick, only 17 in game one. 

In the regular season, the Devils beat the Kings in both meetings. They're more of a scoring-based team while the Kings rely on defense. 

Game 4 will be a little bit rougher than the previous games to try to bring on power-plays because they are a weak area for the Kings and because discipline will be lost due to frustration.

The Devils will be forced to play a desperate game, something that they are much less accustomed to than the Kings are. Going into the playoffs, the Kings were No. 8 in the Western Conference out of 15 teams. They remember being mediocre, the Devils' first line, on the other hand, probably doesn't.

Martin Brodeur will come to the rescue as the last line of defense. The Kings defense is so vital because Brodeur is so hard to score on. A much more workable formula for them is to prevent scoring opportunities, which they have done so well throughout the entire playoffs, than to try to play a scoring game. 

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

After the Devils' Game 4 win, the Kings will take it back to New Jersey and win in the Prudential Center. 

The Kings own road games. They are currently 10-0, having not yet lost on away from Staples Center during the postseason.

Therefore, it would be both symbolic and fate for them to be handed the cup in New Jersey. In addition, the Kings have won all of their series in the postseason in four or five games. They don't do Game 6 or 7. There is no reason for them to try one out now.  

Throughout the series, players like Ilya Kovalchuk have been ineffective. It's sometimes hard to remember which players have 100 million dollar contracts (it's the Devils).

There is no reason to believe that the Devils will all of the sudden begin to play to the level that they are capable of, if they haven't already. Martin Brodeur can't score nor can he overcome the Kings' defense.

Once the Kings are back on the road, they will wrap this series up immediately. 

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MLB Rumors: Trading Cole Hamels Would Be Major Mistake by Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies find themselves in a tough position after a slow start. They currently sit in the NL East basement, leading General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. to say he might have to consider selling at the trade deadline.

Even though the Phillies aren't happy about their poor play after winning five straight division titles, it's way too early to make selling an option. That's especially true when you consider one of the names being floated around is starting pitcher Cole Hamels.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports the Toronto Blue Jays have already contacted the Phillies in hopes of landing Hamels, who will be a free agent at season's end. He states that no deal is imminent, but that talks have taken place.

While losing Hamels without getting anything other than a compensation pick for him is obviously a major concern, waiting until his contract year makes things extremely difficult on Amaro. Since the ace can enter free agency after the year, his open-market value is well below his actual value.

Hamels finished last season with a career-low 2.79 ERA, which ranked sixth in the National League. He's shown even further improvement in 2012. He sports a 2.45 ERA and the peripheral numbers suggest it's sustainable, mostly due to improved strikeout and walk rates.

Trading a superstar like him so early in the season—or at any point, really—would be a sign of surrender for the Phillies. While they envisioned a better start, no team has been able to run away with the division early, leaving Philadelphia just 5.5 games back despite playing well below expectations.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are both working their way back from injury and would provide a gigantic boost to a lineup that's been been wildly inconsistent so far. If they can stay healthy, there's no reason the Phillies can't go on an extended hot streak.

They will need Hamels to make that possible, though. The drop-off from him to his replacement would be enormous, because the Blue Jays—or another team that steps up—probably wouldn't be looking to deal any of their top-notch pitchers to get Hamels. They are looking for a deadline-year bargain.

So even though there are some obvious risks involved, the Phillies should keep Hamels. Getting him to re-sign would be the ideal scenario, but at the very least he will help them stay in contention and should give Philadelphia a hometown edge if he does enter free agency.

That's likely better than any package teams would offer for him before the deadline. Ultimately, he's worth more than the Phillies could get right now.

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NHL Playoffs 2012: Do The Devils Want The Rangers Or Capitals In Round 3?

The New Jersey Devils are guaranteed this much while they continue to wait for their adversary in the Eastern Conference final: the series will start on Monday, the other team will be wearing red, white and blue and they will present a comparable concoction of reliable goaltending, defensive-minded coaching and one or two elite scorers.

If the top-seeded New York Rangers prevail on Saturday, the discussions will immediately turn to Martin Brodeur versus Henrik Lundqvist and Ilya Kovalchuk versus Marian Gaborik, just to name two storylines.

If the Washington Capitals complete the upset, it will be Brodeur versus Braden Holtby, Kovalchuk versus Alex Ovechkin and so on.

If the Rangers end up on deck, they will be confronting a sixth-seeded Devils team immediately after surviving a scare from the seventh-seeded Capitals and a nearly identical toil with the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators beforehand.

With four more nights of recharging and preparation, New Jersey could have a written invitation to be the ostensible underdog that finally lassos John Tortorella’s pupils. Although, they will have to do that by taking at least one game away from Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers will be 5-3 this spring, including two Game 7 victories, if they triumph on Saturday.

On the other hand, if the Caps prevail in their second straight Game 7, the next round will begin at the Prudential Center, where the Devils are 4-1 in the playoffs for a league-best .800 winning percentage on home ice.

In addition, the unripe Holtby will be asked to pull the hat trick and win yet another arm-wrestling bout with a seasoned, elite counterpart. And that will be after a negligible recovery period in the wake of besting Lundqvist and Boston’s Tim Thomas, each in the maximum seven games.

Do note that Brodeur has 193 career Stanley Cup playoff games under his belt, whereas Holtby, Lundqvist and Thomas will have all combined for 115 after Saturday’s New York-Washington decider.

At the same time, the 40-year-old Devils’ goaltender has not had much postseason fulfillment in the last nine years, and he may be looking at his best chance for a savory sendoff. His odds in the intangibles department may be better against an out-of-the-blue rookie than a seven-year franchise cornerstone looking to hit the final frontier.

Washington may also have a tougher time averting and/or responding to two-goal deficits if they cross paths with the Devils. Not counting empty-netters, three of New Jersey’s first eight playoff wins have been decided by more than one goal, including two out of four against the potent Philadelphia Flyers.

The Rangers have won two of their first 13 games in the same fashion, one of which was a 3-1 Game 1 triumph over Washington, the only multi-goal differential on the Capitals’ transcript.

Meanwhile, Washington has seen six of its 13 postseason games go to overtime, posting a 2-4 record in that scenario. They split four bonus stanzas in the first round against Boston, but have blinked against the Blueshirts on two tries.

The Rangers are 2-2 in sudden death, with both losses coming in the quarterfinals and both wins in the semis. The Devils are 3-1 with two wins in back-to-back elimination games against Florida and a split in the Philadelphia series.

If their first six tangles with one another are any indication, the Rangers will need to tap into their depth a little more if they move on, whereas some of Washington’s top guns could stand to shore up at even strength.

Each team has seen a pair of its most leaned-on scorers penetrate the opposition’s laser-beamed defense for three goals apiece, those being Gaborik and Brad Richards for New York and Ovechkin and Jason Chimera for Washington.

Gaborik and Richards have played on the same line and accounted for nearly half of the Rangers’ 13 goals against Holtby.

Chimera and Oveckin play on separate offensive units at even strength, though two of Ovechkin’s goals on Lundqvist have come on the power play. Ditto four of Washington’s 12 goals on the series, none of which have come from the likes of Alexander Semin or Troy Brouwer.

The Rangers, have also tallied four power-play strikes in the conference semifinals, which only amplifies the mirror-image look of the Devils’ prospective third-round foes.

In turn, the proper course of action in deciding the more ideal opponent may be inaction. Instead, New Jersey should appreciate and be ready to capitalize on the critical difference in rest, recovery and page-turning time.

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