Everybody is an ace

[UnashamedRiver]

there seem to be a ton of aces in the MLB right now. If you pick a random team the media seems to have labeled a ton of pitchers as aces.

Sabathia

Beckett

Lester

Price

Shields

Romero

Verlander

Jimenez

Peavy

Wilson

Haren

Weaver

King Felix

Pineda

Halladay

Hamels

Oswalt

Lee

Hanson

Hudson

Strasburg

Santana

Johnson

Greinke

Gallardo

Carpenter

Wainwright

Zambrano

Kennedy

Lincecum

Cain

Kershaw

How many aces can there possibly be? It's like everybody is an ace.

[Oriology]

there seem to be a ton of aces in the MLB right now. If you pick a random team the media seems to have labeled a ton of pitchers as aces.

Sabathia

Beckett

Lester

Price

Shields

Romero

Verlander

Jimenez

Peavy

Wilson

Haren

Weaver

King Felix

Pineda

Halladay

Hamels

Oswalt

Lee

Hanson

Hudson

Strasburg

Santana

Johnson

Greinke

Gallardo

Carpenter

Wainwright

Zambrano

Kennedy

Lincecum

Cain

Kershaw

How many aces can there possibly be? It's like everybody is an ace.

What do you think an ace is? Not mocking, just asking. To me, one possible definition is a guy who could, in a respectable rotation, be the #1 starter (maybe a bit liberal). In this case, there would ideally be 30 in the MLB, and, if my math is correct, there are 32 on your list. Might be a bit low of a standard for an ace, though...what do you think?

[UnashamedRiver]

What do you think an ace is? Not mocking, just asking. To me, one possible definition is a guy who could, in a respectable rotation, be the #1 starter (maybe a bit liberal). In this case, there would ideally be 30 in the MLB, and, if my math is correct, there are 32 on your list. Might be a bit low of a standard for an ace, though...what do you think?

To me an ace pitcher would be a sub 3 ERA and at least 7.5k/9. This is the 1st time I've ever thought about this topic. You know, how many aces there are in the MLB? When someone is called an ace it immediately grabs my attention especially when the O's face one of them. But then I see a guy like C.J. Wilson and I think. Ok whatever. Nothing really special going on here.

[JDubs]

There are a ton of non-aces on this list.

[UnashamedRiver]

There are a ton of non-aces on this list.

That's what I was thinking, but every single one of them is regularly called Ace.

[scOtt]

Aces when pitching against us?

[Frobby]

The definition of an ace has to be a moving target, considering that the average starter's ERA has dropped precipitously over the last 5 years or so:

2006: 4.70

2007: 4.64

2008: 4.46

2009: 4.46

2010: 4.16

2011: 4.06

[UnashamedRiver]

The definition of an ace has to be a moving target, considering that the average starter's ERA has dropped precipitously over the last 5 years or so:

2006: 4.70

2007: 4.64

2008: 4.46

2009: 4.46

2010: 4.16

2011: 4.06

whoa. Somebody is off the juice.