| Starters |
TM |
$$ |
W |
SO |
ERA |
WHIP |
Notes |
| CC Sabathia | NYY | 30 | 19 | 232 | 3.39 | 1.14 | Should challenge for 20 wins in pinstripes. |
| Roy Halladay | TOR | 27 | 18 | 186 | 3.10 | 1.12 | Toronto ace as good as it gets in AL. |
| Josh Beckett | BOS | 24 | 14 | 184 | 3.48 | 1.19 | Cy Young potential offsets injury concerns. |
| Cliff Lee | CLE | 23 | 15 | 155 | 3.38 | 1.20 | Capable of another All-Star campaign. |
| James Shields | TB | 23 | 15 | 154 | 3.51 | 1.15 | Just outside top tier of arms. |
| Felix Hernandez | SEA | 22 | 12 | 184 | 3.77 | 1.33 | Continues slow progress to stardom. |
| Francisco Liriano | MIN | 21 | 12 | 175 | 3.54 | 1.28 | Young star will make up for lost time. |
| Scott Kazmir | TB | 21 | 12 | 202 | 3.69 | 1.30 | Strikeout artist still honing control. |
| Daisuke Matsuzaka | BOS | 20 | 13 | 180 | 3.92 | 1.32 | May get bitten by shaky control. |
| Jon Lester | BOS | 19 | 14 | 166 | 3.35 | 1.28 | Burgeoning star likely to cost pretty penny. |
| Zack Greinke | KC | 19 | 14 | 177 | 3.40 | 1.20 | Quietly developing into top-tier starter. |
| A.J. Burnett | NYY | 19 | 13 | 181 | 3.83 | 1.32 | Hardly a safe bet to remain healthy. |
| John Lackey | LAA | 18 | 13 | 153 | 3.56 | 1.27 | Forearm injury hurts elite status. |
| Justin Verlander | DET | 18 | 14 | 166 | 3.78 | 1.27 | Raw talent likely to fuel bounceback season. |
| John Danks | CWS | 17 | 13 | 168 | 3.45 | 1.28 | Ready to build on '08 performance. |
| Joba Chamberlain | NYY | 17 | 11 | 158 | 3.06 | 1.27 | Prized fireballer to have innings capped. |
| Matt Garza | TB | 16 | 12 | 145 | 3.65 | 1.29 | May live up to postseason-inflated expectations. |
| Ervin Santana | LAA | 16 | 11 | 151 | 3.84 | 1.19 | Elbow injury could sideline him until May. |
| Kevin Slowey | MIN | 16 | 13 | 133 | 4.02 | 1.22 | Aptly named hurler thrives with control. |
| Scott Baker | MIN | 15 | 13 | 150 | 3.56 | 1.22 | Has skill set to sustain success. |
| Gil Meche | KC | 15 | 12 | 168 | 4.04 | 1.34 | Quality starter has likely peaked. |
| Jered Weaver | LAA | 14 | 12 | 148 | 3.94 | 1.24 | Developing righty offers promising mixed value. |
| Erik Bedard | SEA | 14 | 9 | 157 | 3.57 | 1.24 | Could regain elite form with return to health. |
| David Price | TB | 13 | 11 | 164 | 3.85 | 1.22 | Minor League stint won't last long for AL ROY favorite. |
| Mark Buehrle | CWS | 13 | 13 | 134 | 3.86 | 1.34 | Steady as they come in fantasyland. |
| Chien-Ming Wang | NYY | 13 | 17 | 98 | 3.78 | 1.31 | Return to health will bring loads of Ws. |
| Brandon Morrow | SEA | 11 | 9 | 158 | 3.92 | 1.38 | Forearm woes could spell return to 'pen. |
| Armando Galarraga | DET | 10 | 11 | 138 | 4.18 | 1.34 | Likely to drop off from '08 levels. |
| Joe Saunders | LAA | 10 | 12 | 107 | 3.88 | 1.33 | Unlikely to sustain '08 production. |
| Justin Duchscherer | OAK | 10 | 8 | 98 | 3.34 | 1.18 | Hip injuries in consecutive years cause for concern. |
| Fausto Carmona | CLE | 9 | 12 | 121 | 4.12 | 1.30 | Prime bet to bounce back from rocky '08. |
| Andy Sonnanstine | TB | 9 | 12 | 129 | 4.25 | 1.28 | Control artist helped by strong defense. |
| Gavin Floyd | CWS | 8 | 12 | 151 | 4.30 | 1.35 | Periperhals point to dropoff. |
| Jeremy Bonderman | DET | 8 | 9 | 122 | 4.48 | 1.39 | Young enough to recover from '08 setback. |
| Andy Pettitte | NYY | 8 | 12 | 144 | 4.41 | 1.35 | Capable of one more effective season. |
| Jeremy Guthrie | BAL | 8 | 11 | 128 | 3.89 | 1.27 | Has likely reached ceiling as BAL ace. |
| Jesse Litsch | TOR | 6 | 11 | 106 | 3.86 | 1.28 | Effective without strikeout stuff. |
| Tim Wakefield | BOS | 6 | 11 | 115 | 4.34 | 1.34 | Knuckleballer showing few signs of slowing. |
| Brett Anderson | OAK | 5 | 9 | 101 | 4.11 | 1.32 | Uber-prospect on fast track to A's rotation. |
| Anthony Reyes | CLE | 5 | 10 | 133 | 4.06 | 1.30 | May be ready to emerge as dependable starter. |
| Kevin Millwood | TEX | 5 | 10 | 134 | 4.48 | 1.36 | Peripherals point to potential bounceback. |
| Edwin Jackson | DET | 4 | 11 | 114 | 4.53 | 1.51 | Shaky control limits potential for improvement. |
| Brad Penny | BOS | 4 | 9 | 87 | 4.25 | 1.42 | Move to Boston bolsters value. |
| Nick Blackburn | MIN | 4 | 10 | 102 | 4.24 | 1.37 | Control artist susceptible to rough innings. |
| Dustin McGowan | TOR | 4 | 8 | 111 | 4.10 | 1.34 | Recovering fireballer worth stashing away. |
| David Purcey | TOR | 4 | 6 | 81 | 4.67 | 1.41 | Promising lefty capable of competing in AL East. |
| Scott Lewis | CLE | 3 | 9 | 92 | 4.17 | 1.26 | Crafty lefty has control to stick with Tribe. |
| Glen Perkins | MIN | 3 | 11 | 96 | 4.68 | 1.37 | Needs to walk fine line to reprise '08 success. |
| John Smoltz | BOS | 3 | 7 | 88 | 3.98 | 1.14 | Erstwhile ace due back in June. |
| Dana Eveland | OAK | 3 | 8 | 126 | 4.04 | 1.42 | Youngster offers strikeout ability. |
| Clay Buchholz | BOS | 3 | 7 | 92 | 4.75 | 1.40 | May need to wait for another chance in rotation. |
| Dallas Braden | OAK | 3 | 4 | 65 | 4.37 | 1.42 | Minor League success yet to translate to bigs. |
| Bartolo Colon | CWS | 3 | 5 | 77 | 4.46 | 1.38 | Injury risk offsets potential gains. |
| Luke Hochevar | KC | 3 | 8 | 100 | 4.84 | 1.46 | Needs more time to develop into capable starter. |
| Aaron Laffey | CLE | 3 | 7 | 70 | 4.34 | 1.41 | One Carl Pavano injury away from rejoining rotation. |
| Vicente Padilla | TEX | 2 | 10 | 122 | 4.78 | 1.42 | Has done decent job in Arlington. |
| Sean Gallagher | OAK | 2 | 6 | 106 | 4.58 | 1.43 | Strikeout potential hampered by control. |
| Koji Uehara | BAL | 2 | 9 | 132 | 4.42 | 1.39 | Newcomer could baffle AL hitters for awhile. |
| Jose Contreras | CWS | 2 | 7 | 85 | 4.44 | 1.38 | Ready to go after remarkable return to health. |
| Trevor Cahill | OAK | 1 | 7 | 89 | 4.39 | 1.44 | A's could call on young sinkerballer sooner than expected. |
| Paul Byrd | FA | 2 | 9 | 80 | 4.74 | 1.30 | Crafty vet finds ways to remain effective. |
| Kyle Davies | KC | 2 | 9 | 104 | 4.35 | 1.44 | Strong finish provides hope for '09. |
| Kelvim Escobar | LAA | 1 | 6 | 66 | 3.83 | 1.33 | Injured flamethrower could make midseason impact. |
| Carlos Silva | SEA | 1 | 8 | 76 | 4.52 | 1.32 | Control helps bounceback capabilities. |
| Carl Pavano | CLE | 1 | 7 | 78 | 4.38 | 1.41 | Coming off four straight injury-marred years. |
| Gio Gonzalez | OAK | 1 | 7 | 111 | 4.51 | 1.43 | Arrival delayed by shoulder issues. |
| Ryan Rowland-Smith | SEA | 1 | 5 | 77 | 3.96 | 1.38 | May be best suited for bullpen. |
| Brian Bannister | KC | 1 | 9 | 119 | 4.88 | 1.39 | Capable of delivering mild bounceback. |
| Jarrod Washburn | SEA | 1 | 8 | 97 | 4.33 | 1.41 | Vet offers low possibility of helpful numbers. |
| Rich Hill | BAL | 1 | 9 | 123 | 4.21 | 1.48 | Strikeout pitcher needs to overcome control issues. |
| Phil Hughes | NYY | 1 | 7 | 83 | 4.01 | 1.35 | Underachieving youngster will begin year on farm. |
| Zach Miner | DET | 1 | 9 | 84 | 4.20 | 1.47 | May get opportunity to cement rotation spot. |
| Jeremy Sowers | CLE | 1 | 5 | 60 | 4.90 | 1.44 | Finesse lefty unlikely to regain '06 form. |
| Ian Kennedy | NYY | 1 | 3 | 58 | 4.76 | 1.50 | May not get chance to bounce back in '08. |
| Matt Harrison | TEX | 1 | 8 | 68 | 4.81 | 1.42 | Showed defined ceiling in Minors. |
| Dontrelle Willis | DET | 1 | 4 | 66 | 4.93 | 1.53 | Future clouded by early DL stint. |
| Chris Waters | BAL | 1 | 5 | 63 | 5.17 | 1.53 | Needs to hone BB rate to survive in AL East. |
| Nate Robertson | DET | 1 | 6 | 78 | 5.15 | 1.50 | May get bumped from DET rotation. |
| Scott Feldman | TEX | 1 | 5 | 66 | 4.85 | 1.56 | Will have tough time sticking in TEX rotation. |
| Clayton Richard | CWS | 1 | 7 | 71 | 4.83 | 1.46 | Control type to take lumps at U.S. Cellular. |
| Casey Janssen | TOR | 1 | 6 | 68 | 4.19 | 1.34 | Comeback hopes tainted by spring setback. |
| Garrett Olson | SEA | 1 | 8 | 108 | 5.07 | 1.51 | Vying for spot in SEA rotation. |
| Mark Hendrickson | BAL | 1 | 5 | 83 | 4.83 | 1.44 | Stopgap option until prospects take over. |
| Brandon McCarthy | TEX | 1 | 5 | 88 | 4.36 | 1.36 | Already an injury risk in mid-20s. |
| Kenny Rogers | FA | 1 | 7 | 78 | 4.74 | 1.43 | May have reached end of long career. |
| Kei Igawa | NYY | 1 | 2 | 47 | 5.02 | 1.49 | Will likely need trade to realize potential. |
| Jake Westbrook | CLE | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4.50 | 1.59 | May not return until 2010 after Tommy John. |
| Neftali Feliz | TEX | 1 | 1 | 29 | 4.27 | 1.40 | Flamethrower on fast track to Texas. |
| Matt Albers | BAL | 1 | 3 | 51 | 4.42 | 1.47 | Indicators suggest ERA was mirage. |
| Radhames Liz | BAL | 1 | 4 | 78 | 5.62 | 1.68 | Too wild to warrant serious consideration. |
| Chris Tillman | BAL | 1 | 4 | 58 | 4.19 | 1.27 | Future frontline starter with advanced skills for age. |
| Sidney Ponson | KC | 1 | 6 | 67 | 5.14 | 1.56 | Little more than insurance option in KC. |
| Adam Eaton | BAL | 1 | 5 | 96 | 5.45 | 1.52 | Goes from one hitter-friendly park to another. |
| Kason Gabbard | TEX | 1 | 7 | 97 | 4.87 | 1.56 | GB ability enhances chances of survival in Texas. |
| Josh Outman | OAK | 1 | 3 | 66 | 4.33 | 1.44 | Worth watching given strikeout stuff. |
| Jason Jennings | FA | 1 | 3 | 53 | 5.42 | 1.59 | Must prove surgically repaired elbow is sound. |
| Zach Jackson | CLE | 1 | 3 | 57 | 4.86 | 1.55 | Unlikely to outlast competition for starting spot. |
| Shaun Marcum | TOR | 1 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- | Out until 2010 following Tommy John surgery. |
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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