FanPost

Roy Halladay, 12.5 seasons in.


Roy Halladay has been a Philly for half a season. By now you've seen him pitch a few shutouts, lead the league in CGs, and show some of the reasons he is the best pitcher in baseball.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

Well, you have since he threw a perfect game, but you know what I mean...

Some of you may regret losing Cliff Lee for him, who is leading baseball with a 14.83 K/BB ratio. Nobody strikes out batters like Lee..

..except Halladay, who has given up three walks with the bases empty. On 326 PAs. His 70 strikeouts make for a 23 1/3 ratio. He walks more batters with men on base, but when that happens, the opposition is batting .204/.258/.282

Clearly, the man knows his job.

The only starter this year who can touch him is Josh Johnson. Last year it was Zack Grenike and Tim Lincecum. Next year? Strasberg? Halladay will be there. Why? Because you can turn on a television and watch him change a curveball that he's been happy with for five years, and use the new one to cut up the Braves. Because he can fix a few invisible problems with his fastball this year and make the pitches work better than in the last two years, when he struck out batters at career rates. Because you can watch him get beat up by Cincinnati, and see him strand nine men on base. Because nobody makes batters cringe like him.

Because the book on Halladay is to 'Hit him', there being nothing to figure out, no problem for the batter to solve, no overpowering fastball, no hard curve, no deceptive slider, just a series of excellent pitches, well placed.

Eventually time or happenstance will remove the finest active pitcher from service. I know I'm going to enjoy watching him perform, and after a half-year of him, I'm sure you can understand. Enjoy a true master at work.