Best fastball: Josh Johnson, Marlins. For anyone who has ever had any question about whether Tommy John surgery works, may I present Josh Johnson? J.J. had the surgery in August 2007, and returned to the majors July 10 last season. Since then, he's made 29 starts and has produced an ERA of 3.09, a WHIP of 1.19 and has fanned 165 batters in 192 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-7 Johnson saw his fastball's velocity increase after the surgery, as he regularly lives in the mid-90s now and can crank it up to 97 or 98 in big spots. He's basically a fastball/slider pitcher (though he does occasionally flash a change), and his slider honestly isn't anything to write home about. But because it's 10 miles an hour slower than the gas, it keeps hitters honest.

Honorable mention: Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez.

 

 

 

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/baseball/flb/story?page=60F6I090623

 

I know we have that other JJ thread from ESPN, but I thought this deserves its own topic for discussion.

When JJ takes the mound, he has the type of presence that you know will make him one of the best of this generation if he can stay healthy throughout his career. We've had a lot of good pitchers come through here in the last decade, but out of Burnett, Beckett, Willis and the others, none of them command the mound the way Johnson does.

Maybe I don't really follow him that much, but I had no idea that Verlander hadsuch a commanding fastball that many ESPN posters argue that its better than JJ's.