Latos challenging for the #1 rotation spot?

[webbbj]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/po...-reds-true-ace

article on ESPN saying it could be possible. Id say <1% but Latos has been the best starter last 8 starts.

Nice to have that kind of top end pitching going into augist and september.

[RedsFanInBama]

If I'm evaluating our pitching staff, I have to consider what they've done all season. Cueto has had a couple bumps lately, but he's been amazingly consistent all season. When Latos is pitching his best, I think he is better than Cueto. But we've only seen flashes of that this year. We haven't seen enough consistency to put him above Cueto IMO. I do feel great about our those two guys right now, though.

[Pony Boy]

I would really like to see a 6 man rotation for the rest of the way. Cueto and Bailey really need to miss a start or 2. We should have added another starter at the deadline.

[Tadasimha]

Could see in a couple of season the Reds having basically two #1 starters in Cueto and Latos.

[RedsFanInBama]

I would really like to see a 6 man rotation for the rest of the way. Cueto and Bailey really need to miss a start or 2. We should have added another starter at the deadline.

Another starter was the thing we needed least at the deadline. If we need a sixth starter, we have a couple of options in AAA. They're not great, but you're really only talking a spot start here or there. A true 6-man rotation should not happen. These guys have a routine that they are accustomed to. No reason to disrupt it, especially with us still in the middle of a pennant race.

[arkimadee]

I still trust Cueto more. That being said I think we are all seeing Latos for what he is and that is an excellent end of the year pitcher.

[Stray]

Cueto takes the ball in game 1, no question. It'd be nice if Latos keeps it rolling and we send out our other ace in game 2 though.

[drowg14]

For this season, and probably next season, Cueto is this teams best pitcher. But Latos has the most talent, and I fully expect him to be a legit ace in a couple years.

[Maker_84]

For this season, and probably next season, Cueto is this teams best pitcher. But Latos has the most talent, and I fully expect him to be a legit ace in a couple years.

Agreed Cueto has been reliable but when Latos is on he's better due to having more ability

[btmreds]

I still think Cueto is the clear cut #1 guy. You still never know what Latos is going to give you every game and Cueto is about as consistent as they come. It's hard to argue with a 2.52 ERA.

[OGB]

There are so many little parts of Cueto's game that I love that give him an edge over most pitchers.

He might be the best in baseball at picking runners off.

He might be the hardest to steal on in baseball.

He might be the best bunter amongst pitchers in baseball.

And on top of all that, the guy hustles down the line every time he puts the ball in play.

[rgslone]

Latos has certainly been good - and seems to be getting better. But Cueto is the #1 for a reason. At a young age, Cueto is quickly becoming one the better guys in the game in the "art of pitching". When you have Cueto's stuff (which is very good) and are able to combine that with a great pitching acumen, you are a true Ace. Guys who pitch as smartly as Cueto don't usually have his stuff. Cueto could strikeout a lot more than he does - and when he needs a strikeout he can usually get it - but instead his approach is to keep his pitch count low and conserve energy (which is why he can throw 96mph late in the game when he wants). I think being around Cueto is good for Latos. I believe that he will get even better and more consistent if he pays attention and adopts more of Cueto's approach.

[drowg14]

Latos has certainly been good - and seems to be getting better. But Cueto is the #1 for a reason. At a young age, Cueto is quickly becoming one the better guys in the game in the "art of pitching". When you have Cueto's stuff (which is very good) and are able to combine that with a great pitching acumen, you are a true Ace. Guys who pitch as smartly as Cueto don't usually have his stuff. Cueto could strikeout a lot more than he does - and when he needs a strikeout he can usually get it - but instead his approach is to keep his pitch count low and conserve energy (which is why he can throw 96mph late in the game when he wants). I think being around Cueto is good for Latos. I believe that he will get even better and more consistent if he pays attention and adopts more of Cueto's approach.

Cueto is far from a true ace. Part of being a true ace is durability year in and year out, while maintaining elite numbers for several years. Cueto's 2010, while good, doesn't fall within the elite range. And Cueto's 2011 numbers, while great, were the result of pitching only 156 innings.

If Cueto can get his innings this year up to at least 185 again (200 would be a better indication), while maintaining this type of performance, and then repeats again next year, that is when we consider calling Cueto a "true ace" IMO.

[PTjvs]

Cueto is far from a true ace. Part of being a true ace is durability year in and year out, while maintaining elite numbers for several years. Cueto's 2010, while good, doesn't fall within the elite range. And Cueto's 2011 numbers, while great, were the result of pitching only 156 innings.

If Cueto can get his innings this year up to at least 185 again (200 would be a better indication), while maintaining this type of performance, and then repeats again next year, that is when we consider calling Cueto a "true ace" IMO.

So, by this set of criteria, you are saying there are currently no true aces in the NL?

[drowg14]

So, by this set of criteria, you are saying there are currently no true aces in the NL?

You mean like Verlander, Kershaw, Halladay, Felix, Sabathia, Lee, and Greinke? And arguements to be made for Cain, Hamels and Weaver? Other pitchers I would say are on their way would be Strasburg, Price and Bumgarner.

The term "Ace" is overused. Not every team has an "ace." At any given time there are usually only 10-15 ELITE pitchers in the game.