The first four slots in the starting rotation of the Dodgers are locked up with Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla. The fifth spot in the rotation will be determined in spring training with a lot of guys competing for the job. 22-year old lefty Clayton Kershaw by far has the best stuff on the Dodgers’ pitching staff. He pitched in 31 games (30 starts) for the Dodgers last season in which he was 8-8 with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He only gave up 119 hits in 171 innings last season while whiffing 185 batters showing just how nasty his stuff really is. Look for Kershaw to be a Cy Young Award winner when he starts to cut down on his walks. He walked 91 batters last season in 171 innings so think of how good his numbers would be if he cut that total in half? Maybe 2010 will be the year that happens.
25-year old righty Chad Billingsley also has the stuff to be a ace of a pitching staff. He pitched in 33 games (32 starts) for the Dodgers last season in which he was 12-11 with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. He only allowed 173 hits in 196 1/3 innings last season for the Dodgers while whiffing 179 batters. Like Kershaw though he had a problem with control as he walked 86 batters last season and that is too many. If he starts throwing more strikes this season there is no reason he can’t win 15-17 games in 2010.
35-year old righty Hiroki Kiroda could probably teach Kershaw and Billingsley a few tricks as he only walked 24 hitters in 117 1/3 innings last season for the Dodgers. He pitched in 21 games (20 starts) for the Dodgers last season in which he was 8-7 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Only health can stop Kiroda from winning 10+ games in 2010.
32-year old righty Vicente Padilla was a godsend for the Dodgers last season. He pitched in 8 games (7 starts) for the Dodgers last season in which he was 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Overall with the Rangers & Dodgers last season he pitched in 26 games (25 starts) in which he was 12-6 with a 4.46 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Padilla still has wicked stuff so he should be able to put up double digit wins in 2010 for the Dodgers.
30-year old lefty Eric Stults will try to win the #5 starter job for the Dodgers in 2010. Stults pitched in 10 games (all starts) for the Dodgers last season in which he was 4-3 with a 4.86 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. He has now pitched in 35 games (24 starts) in his four years with the Dodgers and he is 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. Stults has always filled in decently when called upon by the Dodgers so maybe he’ll earn his big shot in 2010.
35-year old righty Russ Ortiz will also battle for the #5 job in the rotation this spring. Ortiz pitched in 23 games (13 starts) for the Astros last season in which he was 3-6 with a 5.57 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Ortiz has now pitched in 305 games (266 starts) in his major league career in which he is 113-88 with a 4.48 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. Ortiz hasn’t pitched well in the majors in a long time so I have doubts that he would be a success for the Dodgers in 2010.
33-year old righty Jeff Weaver pitched pretty well for the Dodgers last season so he deserves to be considered for the 5th spot in the starting rotation this year. Weaver pitched in 28 games (7 starts) for the Dodgers last season in which he was 6-4 with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. But, his overall major league numbers are not that impressive. Weaver has pitched in 312 games (274 starts) in his major league career and he is 99-118 with 2 saves, a 4.67 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.
26-year old righty knuckleballer Charlie Haeger looked good late in 2009 for the Dodgers. He pitched in 6 games (3 starts) for the Dodgers last season in which he was 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Haeger also pitched in 22 games (all starts) in AAA-ball last season in which he was 11-6 with a 3.55 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Knuckleball throwers are often late bloomers so maybe Haeger’s time will come in 2010 for the Dodgers.
25-year old lefty Scott Elbert was used out of the pen for the Dodgers last season but he has been a starter in his minor league career. Elbert pitched in 19 games (0 starts) for the Dodgers last season and he was 2-0 with a 5.03 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. He also pitched in 20 games (18 starts) in AA+AAA ball last season in which he was 4-4 with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Elbert had 125 strikeouts in only 96 innings in the minors last season as he has pretty nasty stuff.
25-year old righty James McDonald will probably be more needed in the bullpen in 2010. He pitched in 65 games (4 starts) for the Dodgers last season in which he was 5-5 with a 4.00 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP.
PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE STARTING ROTATION IN 2010: B