This is a legit argument that this team could end up the best pitching in Marlins team history. Check this out:

 

Johnson 114.1 IP, 97 hits

 

Volstad 98.1 IP, 96 hits

 

Miller 71.1 IP, 70 hits

 

West 44.1, 40 hits

 

Nolasco 84.2 IP, 96 hits (Last 4 starts is 4-0, 28 IP, 15 hits, 32 K's!)

 

 

Even our pen of Nunez, Badenhop, Sanches, Meyer, Calero, and Pinto has been very solid. Tim Wood has looked sharp so far as well. Anibal Sanchez might become expendible.

 

 

Could this be the 1st time the Marlins have 5 starters who allow less hits than IPs in team history?

 

If we get one more hitter, I think we can challenge the Dodgers, Giants, Phils, Cards, and Brewers for the NL. I'd take our rotation over anyone's- yes the Giants.

I think the rotation is just a bit better than average so I wouldn't call it a strengh. We have one stud in JJ and then four guys that are probably 4.50 +/- 0.50 ERA guys.

I think the rotation is just a bit better than average so I wouldn't call it a strengh. We have one stud in JJ and then four guys that are probably 4.50 +/- 0.50 ERA guys.

 

 

 

Ill take 03

 

Beckett

Penny

PAvano

Willis

Redmond

I think the rotation is just a bit better than average so I wouldn't call it a strengh. We have one stud in JJ and then four guys that are probably 4.50 +/- 0.50 ERA guys.

 

 

 

no way. Nolasco is a GREAT #2 starter. I think he has something like a 1.50 era since his trip to the minors. since then he has been as reliable if not more than JJ.

I think the rotation is just a bit better than average so I wouldn't call it a strengh. We have one stud in JJ and then four guys that are probably 4.50 +/- 0.50 ERA guys.

 

 

I think our rotation is better than that. Like marlins_09 said, Nolasco has been excellent since his return from Triple-A. As of right now, he's a great #2 to compliment JJ. I have high hopes for Miller. He's putting up the best numbers he's ever had in the big leagues. There's no reason not to think that he will continue to improve and mature. Due to his recent struggles, it is apparent that West may have been brought up too early. However, he has still been pretty solid for us, especially considering Graham Taylor was experiment number 1 and that definitely did not work. West has been WORLDS better than Taylor. Volstad...I just don't really know with him right now. Hopefully it's just a midseason struggle and that's all that it will be. He's got potential, so hopefully he works himself out of this funk. We have the second best rotation in the East, to Atlanta. Their rotation has really been stellar this year. I don't think we have a better rotation than SF, but if we get a solid and consistent bat, our starting pitching won't keep us out of October and could very well catapult is into the playoffs.

I think the rotation is just a bit better than average so I wouldn't call it a strengh. We have one stud in JJ and then four guys that are probably 4.50 +/- 0.50 ERA guys.

 

 

yeah, not sure how you can say nolasco is at best a 4 era guy.

 

And since nolasco was sent down, we have a 3.8 team era.

I see Nolasco as a 4.25 type guy... a little better than his career line (4.36).

I see Nolasco as a 4.25 type guy... a little better than his career line (4.36).

 

 

 

do you even watch when he pitches?

At their best, I think JJ and Ricky are as good a 1-2 as we've had. But it's tough to judge the whole staff yet, because while Nolasco is going up, Volstad and West seem to be slipping some.

 

To your question about the innings/hits... might be a first if they were able to keep it up all season but I haven't checked every team.

 

The '03 staff all did it except for Pavano who was 1 hit away.

I think 2003 was better. And I think that Johnson and Nolasco pale in comparison to the Brown/Leiter 1 and 2 we used to have. But it's still pretty solid. I need to see more stability from Vosltad, whose ERA seems to be climbing with every start, and I don't think West is going to sustain the same level of production. But the results we have gotten now are pretty satisfying overall.

I'll just repost something I wrote on the forbidden other board which we cannot speak of here:

 

'From June 10 on last year, he was around 9 K/9, 1 BB/9, 1 HR/9, and a 2.8 ERA.

During his first 9 starts this year, he was closer to his career averages, 7.5-ish K, 2.5-ish BB, but was then way up on HR, 1.67.

Then, from SFG to now, he's been at around 10 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, .4 HR/9 and a 1.5 ERA. Over the past 13 calendar months, the 9 starts where he was closer to his career averages is the outlier, and his performance over the last 6 is eerily similar to his great stretch last year, unsustainable HR rate notwithstanding.'

 

his career numbers should matter, but that hr was able to so consistently lift his game above that last year and in his last month and a half indicates he's a far better pitcher than his career rates.

Volstad has really been struggling lately and hopefully West can come out tonight and throw strikes but I think miller is a solid 3-4 starter

Was there anyone who didn't think our strength woul be starting pitching if they stayed healthy?

Volstad has really been struggling lately and hopefully West can come out tonight and throw strikes but I think miller is a solid 3-4 starter

 

 

 

 

This rotation is great because you have potentially 4 future/present aces in JJ, Nolasco, Miller and Volstad and a solid 3/4 starter in Sean West who can possibly be an ace in the future.

 

If these guys are on there game there should be anybody that could beat us, but that's the problem this season, we've only had One consistent starter in J.J. Nolasco has been great as of late but struggled early, Volstad has let up way to many homeruns this season,17 in 15 starts while he only let up 3 last season in 14 starts. West has shown plenty of upside but has some control issues and finally Andrew Miller has improved drastically especially with the control but he just needs to keep his pitches low in the zone in the later innings and he should be going 6 or 7 easily.

 

They can be great but just have to get it together and hopefully the ASB helps them and we could make a run in the 2nd half of the season.

Volstad has really been struggling lately and hopefully West can come out tonight and throw strikes but I think miller is a solid 3-4 starter

 

 

 

 

This rotation is great because you have potentially 4 future/present aces in JJ, Nolasco, Miller and Volstad and a solid 3/4 starter in Sean West who can possibly be an ace in the future.

 

If these guys are on there game there should be anybody that could beat us, but that's the problem this season, we've only had One consistent starter in J.J. Nolasco has been great as of late but struggled early, Volstad has let up way to many homeruns this season,17 in 15 starts while he only let up 3 last season in 14 starts. West has shown plenty of upside but has some control issues and finally Andrew Miller has improved drastically especially with the control but he just needs to keep his pitches low in the zone in the later innings and he should be going 6 or 7 easily.

 

They can be great but just have to get it together and hopefully the ASB helps them and we could make a run in the 2nd half of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

agreed, If volstad can come back and pitch like he did last year I think we could have the best 1-2-3 in the NL

Volstad has really been struggling lately and hopefully West can come out tonight and throw strikes but I think miller is a solid 3-4 starter

 

 

 

 

This rotation is great because you have potentially 4 future/present aces in JJ, Nolasco, Miller and Volstad and a solid 3/4 starter in Sean West who can possibly be an ace in the future.

 

If these guys are on there game there should be anybody that could beat us, but that's the problem this season, we've only had One consistent starter in J.J. Nolasco has been great as of late but struggled early, Volstad has let up way to many homeruns this season,17 in 15 starts while he only let up 3 last season in 14 starts. West has shown plenty of upside but has some control issues and finally Andrew Miller has improved drastically especially with the control but he just needs to keep his pitches low in the zone in the later innings and he should be going 6 or 7 easily.

 

They can be great but just have to get it together and hopefully the ASB helps them and we could make a run in the 2nd half of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

agreed, If volstad can come back and pitch like he did last year I think we could have the best 1-2-3 in the NL

 

 

1-2-3-4 With the way Miller has been pitching and West is a solid number 5 guy.

Volstad has really been struggling lately and hopefully West can come out tonight and throw strikes but I think miller is a solid 3-4 starter

 

 

 

 

This rotation is great because you have potentially 4 future/present aces in JJ, Nolasco, Miller and Volstad and a solid 3/4 starter in Sean West who can possibly be an ace in the future.

 

If these guys are on there game there should be anybody that could beat us, but that's the problem this season, we've only had One consistent starter in J.J. Nolasco has been great as of late but struggled early, Volstad has let up way to many homeruns this season,17 in 15 starts while he only let up 3 last season in 14 starts. West has shown plenty of upside but has some control issues and finally Andrew Miller has improved drastically especially with the control but he just needs to keep his pitches low in the zone in the later innings and he should be going 6 or 7 easily.

 

They can be great but just have to get it together and hopefully the ASB helps them and we could make a run in the 2nd half of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

agreed, If volstad can come back and pitch like he did last year I think we could have the best 1-2-3 in the NL

 

 

1-2-3-4 With the way Miller has been pitching and West is a solid number 5 guy.

 

 

 

ya true

Um, 1997 anyone?

 

Kevin Brown

Alex Fernandez

Livan Hernandez

Al Leiter

Tony Saunders

 

 

Also, WildMarlinMan2003, this can't be the first time that our starting 5 all have more IP than Hits. I can think of at least one team that did it. Guess which (look up).

I think our rotation is very strong, could easily develop into the best we've had. Nolasco is not a 4 era pitcher, he obviously fixed whatever problem he had and is back to being dominant like he was in the 2nd half last season. Not saying he's going be under 2 permenantly but def better than 4.

 

I'm surprised everyone is so quick to think Volstad is bad now, he'd been very consistent up until his past few starts, I'd think it's more likely he will get back to where he was than to get worse.

 

West is definitely a fine #5, most teams 5th starters are really terrible. Miller has been awesome since coming off the DL, if he can keep up even close to what he's been doing we definitely have one of the top rotations in the NL.

I'll just repost something I wrote on the forbidden other board which we cannot speak of here:

 

'From June 10 on last year, he was around 9 K/9, 1 BB/9, 1 HR/9, and a 2.8 ERA.

During his first 9 starts this year, he was closer to his career averages, 7.5-ish K, 2.5-ish BB, but was then way up on HR, 1.67.

Then, from SFG to now, he's been at around 10 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, .4 HR/9 and a 1.5 ERA. Over the past 13 calendar months, the 9 starts where he was closer to his career averages is the outlier, and his performance over the last 6 is eerily similar to his great stretch last year, unsustainable HR rate notwithstanding.'

 

his career numbers should matter, but that hr was able to so consistently lift his game above that last year and in his last month and a half indicates he's a far better pitcher than his career rates.

 

His ERA since 6/10/08 is 3.78. If you say he's a 3.78 type pitcher I wouldn't really argue with it although I don't agree.

I see Nolasco as a 4.25 type guy... a little better than his career line (4.36).

 

do you even watch when he pitches?

The thing is I think every game counts. It's a bad habit I can't break .

I'll just repost something I wrote on the forbidden other board which we cannot speak of here:

 

'From June 10 on last year, he was around 9 K/9, 1 BB/9, 1 HR/9, and a 2.8 ERA.

During his first 9 starts this year, he was closer to his career averages, 7.5-ish K, 2.5-ish BB, but was then way up on HR, 1.67.

Then, from SFG to now, he's been at around 10 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, .4 HR/9 and a 1.5 ERA. Over the past 13 calendar months, the 9 starts where he was closer to his career averages is the outlier, and his performance over the last 6 is eerily similar to his great stretch last year, unsustainable HR rate notwithstanding.'

 

his career numbers should matter, but that hr was able to so consistently lift his game above that last year and in his last month and a half indicates he's a far better pitcher than his career rates.

 

His ERA since 6/10/08 is 3.78. If you say he's a 3.78 type pitcher I wouldn't really argue with it although I don't agree.

 

yes, but he's been two different pitchers over the last year. From June 10 through the en of the season, and over his last 6 starts he's been one. And for 9 starts in the middle he was someone completely different.

From May on last year, Ricky Nolasco was probably the best pitcher in baseball. He struggled his first 9 starts this year, but his last 5 he seems to be back.

 

I don't see how he's a 4.25 guy.

 

Great WHIP, great K rates...he's a fly ball pitcher, but that works with him too, considering we don't exactly play in a hitter's park...imo.

 

As a matter of fact, I'm going to make a prediction here. I say he finishes the year with an ERA under 4.

He'd peobably have to have a sub-3 era for 100 innings from here on out. That'll be tough.

If Nolasco finishes under 4 that's crazy.

 

Regardless, the damage has been done for his arbitration case. He's not going to triple his salary which is huge for the Marlins payroll next year.