Which baseball team in the American and National League would you say has strong pitching this season?
363322
American: Red Sox or Angels\n\nTheir starting rotation is good and Papelbon is the real deal as a closer. The Angels have balanced starting, middle and closing talent.\n\nNational: Houston\n\nThey have the best balance (even without Clemens) and their starters have been good early on. The Mets have too many questions in the starting rotation, but Wagner is amongst the best closers ever.
520233
I think they need to work on their bull pen.  They could win more games if they had better pitching.
601257
They have a chance.  They are in a terrible division, and they are an ok team.  Their pitching is good and their ballpark helps them.
1071553
I'd take the second one.  Some decent power there with Dawson, Cepeda, and Killebrew, while the first group is more contact hitters for average.  Starting pitching not quite as good as the first group, but still with Marichal, Niekro, and Feller, a decent staff.  No real reliever though.
636477
Yes. Their pitching is superb, their hitting is excellent (Chris Shelton...) And their defense is good. Watch them at the end of the season as they make a run at the AL Central.
18699
It is obviously the White Sox.  They already had four pitchers who were throwing shutouts in the playoffs and Series, then they add another top pitcher in the deal with Arizona.  After adding Thome, look for a repeat championship.
246799
Yes. Despite Kerry Wood and Mark Prior's injuries, the Cubs are my sleeper team. Their hitting is good, and they still have some pitching left.
1076757
Not very good.\n\nThe pitching staff is very nice w/ Clemens, Oswalt & Petitte.  The offense is 2 guys (Berkman & Ensberg).  They do not have enough offensive firepower to make a run this year.
117624
They have a legit shot provided their starting rotation does not implode. Their hitting is decent, and could be even better if some of those guys would stop swinging for the fences on almost every at-bat.\n\nI would watch out for Cleveland and Chicago in the AL though.
432723
Since the season is only a few weeks old, you have to go with the Boston Red Sox.  They have the best record in baseball at 11-4.  And of course, the Bears have a long way to go before they have any success outside the football field.
1064561
They have a terrific manager and they are playing great.  While a lot of people lean towards the Red Sox, White Sox and Yankees because of their experience in post season, this Tigers team with their outstanding pitching could surprise and go all the way!  I will root for them.
10827
The SF Giants will not only win the division but will win the NL Crown and be in the WS..they have the best pitching staff in the NL hands down...and the best overall starting 8 (if healthy)...and they have great defense up the middle with Durham/Vizquel/Matheny and Winn...Not only that the addition of Finley for a has been in Alfonso was a great move..because he will spell the 3 OF's too keep them fresh and/or he could start and play Alou at 1b on occasion too give Sweeney/Niekro a day off...
346367
The Indians will do awesome.  Think about who they have batting.  Sizemore, a great leadoff hitter.  Pronk, who will probably lead the league in homers and RBIs.  VMart, hands down the best catcher in the league.  And a few others who are showing their potential at the right time (Casey Blake, Ronnie Belliard, etc.).  Even Eduardo Perez (a former Tampa Bay-er) is getting into the act.\n\nTheir pitching staff, while not stellar, has enough to make it deep into the playoffs.  CC and Jake are good.  Jason Johnson has been good so far, and Wickman hasn't shown signs of faltering as their closer.  I think they are in a tough division though (who would have said this two years ago) but they should be able to overcome the Twins and either be a wild card team or AL Central winners.
436380
Being a michigan native, I see them maybe finishing right around 0.500. Their pitching is very young still Bonderman (3 yrs), Maroth (4), Verlander (rookie), and their closer is injured. Their bullpen is weak too, with young talent again. I think their bats will definetely get them some wins however it has been proven you need pitching to win games, and champions think White Sox.
491002
No, essentially because of their weak starting pitching staff. Brandon Webb is superb, but currently their other 4 have been extremely inconsistent. Their offense is solid and they now have a decent bullpen. However, IMHO, they will need, at least, one more reliable starter. I'm a big fan, but believe they'll finish 2nd in the weakest division in MLB.
290049
They've had solid starting pitching for most of the last decade, but that doesn't mean much in the playoffs. They need guys who can put it together for a few games in a row during a short series. You can have the best pitching in the world during the regular season, and that by itself doesn't guarantee a championship. I think they can win their division again, but the playoffs are a total crapshoot.
1179527
Well, it comes down to two teams. First I will say the second best and that's the White Sox with Jose Contreras (8-0, 3.15 ERA) who hasn't lost a game since sometime in the middle of last season and Mark Buehrle (9-4, 3.22 ERA). Number one, though, goes to the Tigers with rookie Justin Verlander (10-4, 3.13 ERA) and Kenny Rogers (3.44, 10-3), opposite ends of the spectrum, no? They are both having great seasons and seem to be leading their team deep in the playoffs. It's a close call and you can argue you it either way, but that's 20 wins by two starters versus 17. Slight edge to the Tigers. You might think about Clemens and Roy Oswalt in Houston.