Preseason Top 5 Pitchers

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

Back in 2011 I used to only rank the Top Five pitchers in the league. Pitching dominance at that time was so rare, guys like Maclin Malloy and Joe Seto would be on the list. Then for the next two seasons I changed it to a Top Ten list. I had no trouble including everyone who deserved to be included. I could once again go with ten, but I think the best way to have any sort of debate or controversy is to go back to only five.

As the Power Ranking Czar of WSEM, I get bored limiting it to just the teams. My hope for the 2014 season is to release the Top Five pitcher rankings four times throughout the season: preseason, two in the midseason, and after the season.

5.  Chandler Phillips  –  El Diablos

Everything that RJ Fisher is as a #2, Chandler is the exact opposite. He doesn’t fly under the radar, he isn’t quiet, and he is the face of the Fighting Chickens, which isn’t an easy task since the team has both the MVP and the Clown Shu. Chandler doesn’t have a single award, but he is still a feared pitcher. He knows Skinner is the ace, and excels as a #2. Even though I didn’t take this into account, all he did in the NWLA Tournament as the youngest player there was finish 2nd in ERA behind Ryan Bush. I expect Chandler to be in the Top Five all season. He is only going to get better.

4.  RJ Fisher  –  Whiteford Wicked Aces

I want to put Sam Hatt here, but it doesn’t appear he will get to the 30 inning mark, which is what you need to be eligible for the league leaders. Instead, I put a guy here who only pitched 21 1/3 innings last year. RJ was the #2 pitcher for the champion Wicked Aces last season and quietly was dominate. He only went 3-0 in five starts, but I expect him to pitch a lot more in 2014. He should be around 8-10 starts, and could very well win each of them. RJ in my opinion is the most underrated player in the league and probably hates being ranked this high. He will no longer fly under the radar though, and expect him to have an All-Star caliber season.

3.  Will Mundel  -  Islanders

This one was tough for me, especially when you look at Mundel’s stats from 2013. However, you can’t look at his 2013 stats at all if you want to fairly evaluate him. It was on the job training for Mundel last season as he was found playing catch on Belle Isle before an Islanders game. Those first few starts for him at their windy home field were disastrous. The more he pitched, the more accurate he got. He still earned an All-Star spot and pitched very well in the All-Star game. For this season, you may still see a lot of walks from Mundel because like I pointed out earlier, he plays on one of the windier fields in the league. So you probably won’t see his WHIP dip below the 1.00 mark. He will however be up there in strike outs and wins, and could very well be in the Clown Shu conversation.

2.  Craig Skinner  –  El Diablos

2013 was the year of Craig Skinner. In 11 starts, Skinner went 9-2 with a 0.37 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP. The new bats and the three extra feet had zero negative effect on El Diablos ace, as he took home the Clown Shu. Skinner is expected to once again get a lot of work on the mound this season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him close to 12 starts. Skinner has the best chance to take the #1 spot away from Austin, and could be our first two-time Clown Shu winner.

1.  Austin Bischoff  –  Whiteford Wicked Aces

Nobody is going to be surprised with the first two guys on this list, but I still have to rank them. Austin is the ace on a team full of aces. He is extremely unselfish which ended up costing him the Clown Shu last season. He won’t be close to 14 starts in 2014, but will probably be in the 8-10 range. Austin is very dominant at home where he benefits from an inclined mound, but also can shut down teams on the road. Austin has made a name for himself on the national stage as well, winning the National Pitcher of the Year Wiffy Award in 2013. If Austin wants to stay at #1 all year, he can, he just needs to be a little more selfish.

Honorable Mention:  Evan Bischoff (Whiteford Wicked Aces),  Dennis Pearson (Holy Balls),  Evan Bortmas (Westside Warriors)