How Friggin Good Will Roy Halladay Be?

Baseball season is right around the corner and TheWizWit [dot] com is here to get you prepared with more Phillies knowledge than your tiny little brain can handle. Over the next few weeks we're going to answer a multitude of questions facing our 2010 Fightin' Phils, all leading up to the ultimate question: Will the Phillies win the World Series? [The answer, yes.]



Honestly, this is kind of a silly question. Roy Halladay is an unbelievable pitcher, easily the best pitcher the Phillies have had since Curt Schilling. But, to follow the rules here, I'll give a little more to pump you up about watching Mr. Halladay take the mound every five days.

First, let's take a look at Halladay average stats over the last eight years:

30 starts, 213 innings, 16 wins, 3.13 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, six CG, 156 K's

Now, when you factor in that he missed about 25 starts between '04 and '05 with a broken leg and shoulder fatigue, these stats become all the more impressive. Plus, he did all this in the AL East, facing the Yankees and Red Sox about five times apiece each year. Now he'll get the Nationals and Mets (yes, Mets fans, you suck).

Halladay has thrown 18 complete games over the past two years, and needed more that 117 pitches just once in those games to do it. He throws a lot of pitches, but does so over eight or nine innings, so there really isn't much worry about him getting hurt (no more than any other pitcher would). He's a workhorse in the truest form and keeps himself in great shape so he can stay that way.

Another good thing about Roy, yes we are already on a first name basis, is that he limits walks and homers. Will the HR allowed bump a little in CBP? Sure, everybody's does. BUT, he doesn't allow unnecessary baserunners and he's playing on a team with great defense. That defense, coupled with hitters seeing Halladay for the first time, should allow him to keep his ERA down and his win totals up.

Plus, after a down year in 2007 when he had ONLY a 3.71 ERA and 139 strikeouts (he also threw seven complete games and won 16 games, Jesus, his bad years are better than 80% of the pitchers in baseball), Halladay made a few tweaks to his arsenal. Since then, he's thrown more cutters and has thus increased his K/9 rate back above 7. Basically, the only knock on him (low K totals) has been removed. He now goes deep into games, limits baserunners, generates a ton of groundballs AND strikeouts 200+ a season.

Hmmmmmmm. Wait for it.....wait....for....it....

Yea, Roy Halladay is really really really friggin' good. Barring injury or an incredible lack of run support, he's headed for 18 wins, 220+ innings and mid-to-high 2's ERA. Plus about eight or nine complete games.

Enjoy Philadelphia. I know I will. And shut up about Cliff Lee already. Seriously, SHUT THE FUCK UP. NOW.