The Starting Five Guide

So, I explained who the seven men of the 'pen were, earlier. But how about the Fab Five? The starters in baseball. Actually, it sometimes is only two or three great pitchers.

Ace

The King Of The Hill on your team! The ace of the staff is usually the starter with the "Best arm". Unless there is a lefty (Think Kershaw) better than him, the ace is usually a right-hander. His pitch selection is the best in terms of control and variation. He's not always the best strikeout pitcher (Think Jim Palmer of the Orioles in the 60s and 70s), but he works the most innings. That's because his endurance is second to one at the most. As mentioned, control is big here. He'll rarely, be the pitcher to lead the team in bases on balls per nine or wild pitches. But with his arm, he'll usually lead the team, and maybe the league, in wins, complete games, and innings pitched. Oh, yeah, and also, ERA. Indeed, with this pitcher, it's often that he'll go nine, even if the team is losing. Often, he only depart for a pinch hitter. So he usually finishes the inning he's in before he's yanked. It should be noted, the term, "Ace" can also be used to describe the best relief pitcher, too. But if you hear, "Ace pitcher..." it is almost always a starter. As mentioned earlier, the ace usually has the best arm strength, often going seven innings. Also, when he's pulled, it usually in between innings. He'll finish the inning, leaving right there or for a pinch hitter if it's a National League game. And if your team is lucky enough to make the postseason, he'll start game one, unless injured. Keep in mind, this position can vary during the season. The "ace" gets hurt or has an off-season, and the second or third pitcher pitches better...Odds are, he gets a promotion to the head of the class! This pitcher might also be the nasty boy of the staff, targeting other hitters for some brush backs and knockdowns.

Second Starter

The second starter is the best right-handed pitcher if the ace is a lefty. Or he's the best left-handed pitcher on the staff if the ace is a righty. Classic example of a righty being the # 2 starter? Don Drysdale, who pitched the day after Sandy Koufax. But thinking back to my days of following the Toronto Blue Jays in the early 90s, here's where Jimmy Key would pitch after Dave Stieb.If the best lefty pitcher is not as good as the second best righty, then he'll be the third starter. 

At no point am I implying that the second starter on the team is that far inferior to the ace. Usually his stuff is not quite as good. In fact, it is possible that he has more strikeouts then the ace. His pitch selection might not be as healthy, and his arm strength might be a little less. Again, the margin is not quite as much. Sometimes, his endurance can be a little more then the starter. This does not necessarly mean he has more innings pitched when all is said and done, however. His control might also be not as good as the ace. If he's having a great year, and the ace is having "only" a good year (Or maybe a bad year), then it is definitely possible for him to end up with the most wins. The manager may even make him the ace of the staff if he's having a great year, come playoffs. He'll get his share of complete games, (possibly) strikeouts (Possibly even leading the team), complete games, and innings pitched. Now if the ace doesn't lead the team in ERA, it's usually this pitcher.

Third Starter

If the first two starters are righties, then almost always, this is where your lefty is. Here is where control is sometimes a real issue. So too, is the pitch selection. This pitcher usually does not finish many games, and probably has far less innings pitched then the starter. He could, on the positive side, be the strikeout artist on the team. But if that's the case, it's because he lacks the control of the ace or second best starter. He's not necessary a bad pitcher, but he's not really someone you can count on for the big win. He could very well be a win one, lose one pitcher, depending on his ability and the team he's on. If he's good, and the ace and second pitcher aren't that season, he could lead the team in ERA.

There are exceptions, to all the above. If you've got a lot of good arms, this guy can be almost as good as the first two starters. Best third starter of all time? John Smoltz got reduced to this role sometimes in Atlanta had Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.

Fourth Starter

There are exceptions, but usually he's not that much of a pitcher in terms of manager's putting faith in him with the season on the line. It's not that he's bad, but he can't quite give you the innings that the ace and second best starting pitcher can. Also, his strikeouts are low. His pitch selection isn't as good or reliable. But, he might have better control then the third starter. He might be a young pitcher, too, just learning the tools of the trade. He might also be someone who has pitched in the bullpen, shown potential, and now ready to give it a go as a starter. The big concerns for everyone is his arm strength and composure. He might go the entire season without a complete game. His win total might be in single digits (Not that his loss total will be!).

Fifth Starter

This pitcher is usually the hurler with the least amount of arm strength. Often, he is right-handed. He often will leave after only six or less innings. The bullpen often gets into the action early for him, especially if he's young. He doesn't have "The good stuff" that the better starters on the team has. In fact, it might even be said jokingly that he doesn't have any stuff. He velocity on the pitches is among the lowest among starters, and perhaps even lower then anyone out of the bullpen. He might end up pitching there before the season is over. He will not be the team leader in wins, complete games, strikeouts, innings pitched or complete games. If his control is bad, look for him to lead the team in walks and wild pitches. Like the fourth starter, he could be a pitcher who is young and trying to break into the starting rotation. But if it's early in the season, then he could be on borrowed times as a starter if he's struggling.


References

Halberstam, David. October 1964. New York: Villard, 1994. Print.

Halberstam, David. Summer of 49. New York: William Morrow / Avon Books, 1989.

Kalb, Elliott. Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball: Mr. Stats Sets the Record Straight on the Top 75 Players of All Time. McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.

Shalin, Mike, and Neil Shalin. Out By A Step: The 100 Best Players Not In The Baseball Hall of Fame. Lanham: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.

Whiteford, Mike, and Taylor Jones. How to Talk Baseball. Revised Edition. Galahad Books, 1987.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 11 May 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>.