Is Marcum a true #1 or #1 by declaration?

Post #1 » by **YogiStewart** » Thu May 13, 2010 2:34 pm

Would Marcum be a true #1 starter on most teams?
Also wondering if he's that good of a pitcher or, due to his year off, teams don't have a "book" on him yet and haven't seen much of him.

A few years ago, people were saying he would be a better version of Josh Towers. That certainly isn't great praise.

Just wondering what your thoughts would be.

CapeCrusader · Post #2 » by **CapeCrusader** » Thu May 13, 2010 5:46 pm

#2 easily on most teams, but #1 I dunno.

soulchild_07 · Post #3 » by **soulchild_07** » Thu May 13, 2010 5:58 pm

I think stuff wise he's closer to a #3 but with his make up and including his intangibles make him a front of the rotation starter. However I think on a world series contender, Marcum should be at best your #2 or #3. So I guess my answer to your question is on this team he is a #1 by declaration and you hope someone like Romero or Cecil or Morrow can take over the true #1 role.

Lateral Quicks · Post #4 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Thu May 13, 2010 6:22 pm

As I posted in the last game series thread, I think he's a legitimate number 2 at the moment. He had a dominant season before his injury, and he hasn't missed a beat this year.

We need to see him in some more important games vs. the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays to anoint him a true number 1, but his numbers certainly back it up to this point.

Brew666 · Post #5 » by **Brew666** » Thu May 13, 2010 6:53 pm

Being that he hadn't pitched since '08 I would say that it was by declaration. At the same token I do believe he is a legit #1. In Toronto we've been spoiled with Cy Young contenders for a very long time so maybe our bar is bit higher.

I do agree with soulchild_07 that he's not going to be a #1 for a World Series contender but most teams aren't World Series contenders.

sule · Post #6 » by **sule** » Thu May 13, 2010 7:28 pm

I still just can't wrap my head around the fact that our #1 isn't always going to be as good as Halladay or at least be a Halladay-esque pitcher.

We've consistently had awesome #1's for a long time. Halladay, Clemens, Hentgen (for his Cy years), Steib, David Wells, Jack Morris, hell..even to a lesser extent, Todd Stottlemyer, Juan Guzman, and Doyle Alexander

The_Hater · Post #7 » by **The_Hater** » Thu May 13, 2010 8:31 pm

People keep underrating him. Probably because he doesn't throw 95 mph.

Based on how he's pitched during his career thus far, he's at worst a #2 starter. If he's your #3 then you have one hell of a pitching staff and he could easily be the #1 guy on a lot of staffs.