Continuing my series on the best players by decade I'm moving on now to the best starting pitcher of this current decade: 2000 through 2007.

Pedro Martinez gets the nod currently despite not having played this season at all and having a decidedly sub par year last season.

Why? Martinez is the only starting pitcher with 700+ innings and an ERA under 3.00 during the decade thus far. Martinez is at 2.78, while Roy Oswalt (3.08) and Randy Johnson (3.18) rank second and third in ERA respectively.

Martinez also leads the majors in winning percentage (.702) during this period with his impressive 99-42 record. Randy Johnson leads the decade in wins with 124 and in strikeouts with 1923.

Martinez won the Cy Young in the AL in 2000 with an 18-6 record and a 1.74 ERA. His ERA+ for that season, 285, is the all time single season record. Martinez followed that up ERAs of 2.39, 2.26, and 2.22 before losing his touch a bit in 2004 with a 3.90 ERA.

Johnson did win the Cy Young award in the NL in 2000, 2001, and 2002. He also won in 1999 but we'll get to that in the debate over the best starting pitcher of the 90s.

Certainly Johnson has been outstanding this decade. You could make a good argument that he, and not Martinez, is the best pitcher of the decade but Johnson's highs (ERA+ of 190 in 2002) aren't as high as Martinez's and his lows (ERA+ of 88 in 2006) are lower.

Top Ten In Wins 2000-2007

1. Randy Johnson 124
2. Tim Hudson 121
3. Greg Maddux 119
4. Andy Pettitte 114
5. Curt Shilling 114
6. Tom Glavine 113
7. Mike Mussina 111
8. Roy Oswalt 111
9. Bartolo Colon 110
10. Barry Zito 110

Pedro isn't on the list until #19 with his 99 wins. This is due to his injury problems mostly. Pedro's fragility is the best argument against him. If he can't come back with strong showings the rest of this year and in 2008 and 2009 he'll most likely lose his title of the best pitcher of the 00s despite his amazing peak at the beginning of the decade.

And before you go too long thinking that win totals are that important consider that #14 on the list is Livan Hernandez (104) whose ERA+ for the decade is 102 or barely above average. Certainly it seems to show health and longevity more than anything else as Hernandez actually leads the decade in innings pitched with 1783.

Labels: Best By Decade, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson