| This has been one of the better seasons of | | | | nowadays, and Cain is partly responsible for a |
| baseball pitching in recent memory, and it's an | | | | resurgence of success in San Francisco. Should |
| exciting time to be a baseball fan. Let's have a | | | | Lincecum be hurt or otherwise slip up, Cain's |
| look at the pitchers leading the charge in the | | | | numbers stand pretty well on their own. |
| National League, to see who may have a shot at | | | | Chris Carpenter (12-3, 2.27 ERA, 0.98 WHIP). |
| the coveted Cy Young award. | | | | Who knew that Carpenter still had it. One of the |
| Dan Haren (11-7, 2.59 ERA, 0.89 WHIP). | | | | best pitchers in baseball just a few years ago, |
| With the lowest WHIP in baseball, Dan Haren has | | | | Carpenter missed nearly all of 2007 and 2008, |
| been lights out for most of the season, limiting his | | | | and most of the baseball world either forgot |
| opposition to a .202 batting average and pitching | | | | about him or wrote him off. At 34 years old, |
| the majority of his games having given up 5 hits | | | | Carpenter looks as good as ever before, with |
| or less all season. Haren was arguably the best | | | | what has been an incredible season of pitching so |
| pitcher in baseball for most of the season, having | | | | far. Carpenter has amazingly surrendered just 19 |
| had a 1.96 ERA as recently as July 18th. Lately, it | | | | walks in 130 innings pitched, one of the reasons |
| hasn't been all great for Haren, who's given up 4 | | | | for his career low 2.27 ERA. It's no coincidence |
| or more ER in three of his last four starts. Haren | | | | the Cardinals lead their division. |
| is known to drop off during the late part of the | | | | Tim Lincecum (12-3, 2.19 ERA, 1.02 WHIP). |
| season, and should the trend continue, the | | | | Lincecum appears to be the favorite for the Cy |
| chances for a Cy Young don't look as good as | | | | Young award at this point, and with good reason. |
| they did just a few short weeks ago. | | | | These numbers are out of control! Between the |
| Wandy Rodriguez (11-6, 2.51 ERA, 1.20 WHIP). | | | | ERA (best in the NL), his opposition's batting |
| Perhaps the most impressive thing about Wandy | | | | average of .211, his four complete games, and |
| Rodriguez (aside from the fact that this season | | | | most notably, his major league-high 205 |
| seemingly came out of nowhere) is what he's | | | | strikeouts, Lincecum dominates the opposition |
| done on the mound since July. Rodriguez has been | | | | nearly every time he takes the mound. He needs |
| legitimately exceptional since July 2nd, having given | | | | a haircut badly, but who really cares when you're |
| up a total of just 4 ER in his last 7 starts (and | | | | putting up numbers like these? |
| 47.0 IP). That amounts to an ERA of 1.34 over | | | | It's been a great season of pitching for the |
| the span, and if he keeps it up, he's sure to make | | | | National League. Aside from these five, pitchers |
| a legitimate case for himself. | | | | like Clayton Kershaw, Johan Santana, Adam |
| Matt Cain (12-4, 2.44 ERA, 1.17 WHIP). | | | | Wainwright, Javier Vazquez, and Josh Johnson are |
| While often overshadowed by his teammate Tim | | | | all having great seasons and could easily replace |
| Lincecum, Matt Cain is having a season that any | | | | another pitcher on this list with some more strong |
| pitcher would be thrilled to have even once in his | | | | outings. Let's see what happens from here. |
| career. ERAs this low are generally unheard of | | | | |