The Top 10 Pitchers in the AL

With Roy Halladay gone, the title of best pitcher in the American League has been up for grabs this season. Going into the season, it looked like established aces such as CC Sabathia, Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, and Felix Hernandez were going to battle for the spot. However, while these guys have struggled, others have thrived. Here are my top 10 pitchers in the AL based on this season only (with some bias regarding how I think they will perform from here on out):

1. Cliff Lee - This guy has been nothing but filthy this season. His 2.88 ERA doesn't lead the league, but his 1.93 FIP does. His WHIP is only 0.93, thanks in part to an insane 0.52 BB/9. His 7.86 K/9 is not elite, but it doesn't have to be - his K/BB is an even 15.00 (!) thanks to that incredibly low walk rate. His BABIP is right around league average, so he hasn't even been that lucky - if his 63.7% strand rate was closer to league average he would have the best ERA in the AL.

2. Jon Lester - There's very little not to like about Jon Lester (except for the fact that he pitches for the Red Sox). He's proven that the huge jump in his strikeout rate from last season is here to stay with an elite 9.42 K/9 so far. His .208 BAA is 2nd in the league, and his 3.09 FIP is 4th. His walk rate (3.81) is relatively high, but there's no questioning who's the ace of the Boston staff.

3. Francisco Liriano - The 2.9% HR/FB rate is probably not going to last. The 9.71 K/9 will, though, and with a career low walk rate (2.34), Liriano has been one of the biggest surprises of the season. His 2.11 FIP is second to only Cliff Lee and he's done it all despite a career high .345 BABIP. Even if he gives up a few more home runs, his xFIP (2.95) is the best in the league. He's also been the most valuable pitcher in the AL this year according to WAR - his 3.3 wins have been worth $13.1 million.

4. Jered Weaver - His 9.86 K/9 is second in the league to only Brandon Morrow and his 4.17 K/BB is 4th. His WHIP is only 1.17 and his 3.29 ERA (13th) is backed by a 3.20 FIP (6th), which shows that his stuff has been at least as good as his stats would indicate.

5. Phil Hughes - No homerism here. Hughes has finally delivered on his potential by becoming one of the 10 best pitchers in the American League. He's posted a great 8.84 K/9 and a nice 1.13 WHIP. His 3.11 ERA is only surpassed by his 2.90 FIP - third in the AL.

6. Clay Buchholz - Buchholz's middling 6.19 K/9 is nowhere near what he put up in the minors, and his 3.63 BB/9 isn't that great either. Still, his 2.67 ERA is good for 4th in the AL and his 3.42 FIP is 9th. His 3.9% HR/FB rate is unsustainable, though, and his 4.20 xFIP warns of what will happen when it regresses.

7. Felix Hernandez - King Felix didn't have a good start to the season, so his numbers aren't as good as some of the others on this list. But the strikeouts are still there (8.37 K/9) and he's starting to come around - he's had 6 quality starts in his last 7 outings.

8. David Price - Price has begun to live up to his full potential in 2010, but he's not quite as good as his league leading 2.31 ERA suggests. His .225 BAA (helped along by a .265 BABIP) is good, but his 6.72 K/9 and 3.68 BB/9 are not. That 80.3% strand rate probably also isn't going to last. Price's season is representative of the Rays' rotation as a whole - excellent, but not as amazing as they'd like you to believe. With a 3.87 FIP, he has the largest FIP-ERA differential in the league. Expect him to come back down to earth during the second half of the season.

9. Shaun Marcum - In the wake of Halladay's departure, Marcum has provided the Jays with excellent pitching and made a serious case for the Comeback Player of the Year award. His 6.53 K/9 isn't great, but his 1.75 BB/9 is, and it's good enough for 5th in the AL. His 1.10 WHIP is also tied for 5th.

10. John Danks - Danks has quietly been quite good this year. His 3.31 FIP is 8th in the league, and right on line with his 3.27 ERA. None of his peripherals - 7.13 K/9, 3.16 BB/9, 1.22 WHIP - are mind-blowing, but they're pretty solid. After not allowing more than 3 runs (and then only once) in his first 10 starts, he saw his ERA rise by nearly a full run after a 4 inning, 8 ER outing on May 29.

Honorable mentions go to the aforementioned Zack Greinke and Justin Verlander as well as Andy Pettitte, Ricky Romero, Doug Fister, and Colby Lewis.

So who are your 10 best pitchers in the American League? Who would you hand to ball to at the All-Star Game with home field advantage in the World Series at stake? Who did I miss or overrate? Let the comments flow.

P.S. - Here's a quiz I made on the top 100 Yankees of all time by WAR. Enjoy!