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Top five pitchers of the season - 2012 Major League Baseball - Part 1

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Top five pitchers of the season - 2012 Major League Baseball - Part 1
It will not be wrong to say that the past few years in Major League Baseball have been the “year of the pitcher”. The earned run average has dropped quite significantly since 2006.  It seems the pitchers have finally gained a comfortable advantage over their
eternal enemies and the story has not been any different so far this season.
While Chicago White Sox starter Jake Peavy and New York Mets’ ace John Santana are enjoying an impressive bounce back season, youngsters like Stephen Strasburg and Clayton Kershaw have also shown just what they are capable of, as per the stats of 2012 season.
With more than half the season having already gone by, I believe it is a great time to compile a list of top five pitchers in Major League Baseball right now.
The evaluation criteria I used to come up with this list is simple. It mainly takes into account current statistical performances but also consider past results. Strike-outs, ground ball to fly ball ratio, home-runs conceded, walks and hits per innings (WHIP)
and earned run average and total number of wins will determine who the best pitcher is.
1.  Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander
It is always difficult to not include Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander in any list of top baseball pitcher. The discussion about the top thrower in 2012 must start and end with Tigers’ ace, who has given some incredible performances since the start of the
season.
The 2011 Most Valuable Player Award and Cy Young Award winner, Verlander posted dominating stats past season to win the Pitching Triple Crown Award. His 24-5 record with 250 strike-outs and 2.40 ERA helped the Tigers win the American League Central Division
title for the first time.
Although his stats for this season are not the same as last year, he is looked very much like his old self. Right now, he is 12-7 with an impressive 0.98 WHIP and 166 strike-outs. In his 168.2 innings, Verlander has given up just 47 earned runs with a staggering
2.51 ERA.
“He’s a great pitcher, he really is. He’s got more than average stuff. The more you are in the big leagues, the more you come to grips with how things are up here and the more you settle down and learn how to actually pitch. He’s starting to do that right
now, a little earlier than most people expected,” former Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge said in an interview.
Verlander may not be having his best season as far as the stats are concerned, Tigers’ Manager Jim Leyland will be extremely happy with what he has seen from his so far this season. With the exception of one poor outing in the All Star Game, he has been
rather dominant on the mound.
“He’s pretty impressive. He’s worth the price of admission. I’ve never had a starting pitcher who can throw 99 in the ninth inning,” Jim Leyland said of Verlander.
Manager Leyland and General Manager Dave Dombrowski have high expectations from their team this season. Tigers have not won the World Series title since 1984 and it will be interesting to see if Verlander can end the season on a high note to lead the Tigers
to the World Series title glory. 
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Continued in Part 2

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