Who's our Ace?

[Broseph]

Because Kennedy isn't fooling anyone out there this year.

 

[bankybruce]

I have always said that this team does not have one. Kennedy always seemed like a #2 at best to me, even with last year. Hudson and Cahill are both #3's in my mind. Hopefully Bauer is the #1 sooner rather than later. Corbin appears to be not quite ready and I have no idea what he is yet. Skaggs is still an unknown and Miley is a present surprise so far. One of those will be part of the rotation with these other 4 next year IMHO.

Bauer
Kennedy
Hudson
Cahill
Miley

That is my bet for the rotation next year with Skaggs ready if falter.

 

[azsportsfan01]

There are very few true number ones in baseball. They are Verlander, Halladay, Kershaw, Lincecum, Hernandez, Weaver, and Sabathia. Everyone else is a 2 or worse, not that those are bad. Hudson as a package is the best pitcher on the team because his ceiling in a 2. Kennedy is a 3, Cahill is a 3, and Saunders a 4. Miley is a 4 or 5 and Corbin is at best a 3 but really a 4.

Bauer and Skaggs have the potential to be 1s but will probably settle in a 2s. If we can get that then that would be great.

Too often people see a strong performance, like Kennedy had last year, and automatically equate that as an ace. He had a good year and is now regressing back to his mean. A team that has an entire rotation of 3s would be a playoff team, the problem is with 3s you get the days they look like 1s and the days they look like 5s. The D-Backs are still in a great position with their pitching, even though they don't have a true ace at top.

 

[az240zz]

I love how everyone says that so and so is a 2 not a 1. That so and so is 3 or maybe a 4 then someone else will say he's a 5.
Last year he was a 1 this year he maybe a 3, next year, who knows.

 

[azsportsfan01]

I love how everyone says that so and so is a 2 not a 1. That so and so is 3 or maybe a 4 then someone else will say he's a 5.
Last year he was a 1 this year he maybe a 3, next year, who knows.

He was never a 1. To be an ace you need two plus-plus pitches, and the rest have to be at least above average, if not plus. Add in plus command and you have very few aces. People can play like aces but in the long run they won't be able to keep up that production and will regress to their mean, which is exactly what Kennedy is doing.

 

[az240zz]

He was never a 1. To be an ace you need two plus-plus pitches, and the rest have to be at least above average, if not plus. Add in plus command and you have very few aces. People can play like aces but in the long run they won't be able to keep up that production and will regress to their mean, which is exactly what Kennedy is doing.

Wow wasn't calling you out, I just think that trying to figure out who is #1 or 2 or 3 with this pitching staff is funny. Whether you think he's a 1 or not doesn't change the fact that he is considered the "ace" by Dback announcers and, it appears, management.
I personally think that Bauer will be the #1 in the not to distant future. Does that mean he'll be an "ace" no but he will be our best, which would make him #1 on this staff.

 

[overseascardfan]

Wow wasn't calling you out, I just think that trying to figure out who is #1 or 2 or 3 with this pitching staff is funny. Whether you think he's a 1 or not doesn't change the fact that he is considered the "ace" by Dback announcers and, it appears, management.
I personally think that Bauer will be the #1 in the not to distant future. Does that mean he'll be an "ace" no but he will be our best, which would make him #1 on this staff.

Consistency is key to being an "Ace". Kennedy just hasn't been consistent enough to be considered an ace.

 

[azsportsfan01]

Wow wasn't calling you out, I just think that trying to figure out who is #1 or 2 or 3 with this pitching staff is funny. Whether you think he's a 1 or not doesn't change the fact that he is considered the "ace" by Dback announcers and, it appears, management.
I personally think that Bauer will be the #1 in the not to distant future. Does that mean he'll be an "ace" no but he will be our best, which would make him #1 on this staff.

Oh, I didn't take it as a call out. Just explaining what the positons are on the mound. There are so very few 1s and way to many people think their players will be one. The fact is most guys are really 3s or 4s. Bauer right now is a 2 at best because of his control, if he can harness it better he has a chance to be an ace. It is all about tempering expectations.

 

[BC867]

There is something psychological about being called the "ace" -- to the fans, team management and the players themselves.

The ace is expected to stop losing streaks. To take some pressure off the rest of the starting rotation and bullpen. A starting pitcher the other teams fear facing.

Baseball has been that way for a long, long time. Think back to our Johnson/Schilling #1/1a days. We had not one, but two. Or even Brandon Webb, when he was a solid #1.

When your team has it, it is a factor. When you don't, fans brush it aside.

When you make the playoffs, who is #1, #2, #3, #4 is indeed a factor. You want to start out on top and see your ace get more starts than the rest.

 

[Homer Simpson]

There are very few true number ones in baseball. They are Verlander, Halladay, Kershaw, Lincecum, Hernandez, Weaver, and Sabathia. Everyone else is a 2 or worse, not that those are bad. Hudson as a package is the best pitcher on the team because his ceiling in a 2. Kennedy is a 3, Cahill is a 3, and Saunders a 4. Miley is a 4 or 5 and Corbin is at best a 3 but really a 4.

Bauer and Skaggs have the potential to be 1s but will probably settle in a 2s. If we can get that then that would be great.

Too often people see a strong performance, like Kennedy had last year, and automatically equate that as an ace. He had a good year and is now regressing back to his mean. A team that has an entire rotation of 3s would be a playoff team, the problem is with 3s you get the days they look like 1s and the days they look like 5s. The D-Backs are still in a great position with their pitching, even though they don't have a true ace at top.

I don't think you should leave Matt Cain and Cliff Lee (and to a lesser extent Cole Hamels) off this list just because they're not #1 on their teams. I think at least the first two can be considered aces.

 

[azsportsfan01]

I should have included Lee, I just plain forgot. Hamels and Cain are good but they are not 1s. Both have inconsistencies in their games. That said they are probably the top 2s in baseball.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Consistency is key to being an "Ace". Kennedy just hasn't been consistent enough to be considered an ace.

Obviously you are referring to the first 20% or so of this season, because it's hard to be anymore consistent that he was last year.

Until somone else steps (and Miley is almost there which is amazing...), Kennedy remains the ace on this team.

 

[overseascardfan]

Obviously you are referring to the first 20% or so of this season, because it's hard to be anymore consistent that he was last year.

Until somone else steps (and Miley is almost there which is amazing...), Kennedy remains the ace on this team.

I meant over the course of his career he hasn't consistently shown he is "Ace" material. Last year was a career year and one year doesn't make him an ace. Let him have a couple of years like last year in a row and he is an ace.