Here is a look at some of the top comparables to the Angels top starting pitchers: Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson, Ervin Santana.
In this exercise I used 2010-2011 data, looking at the skilled stats of K/9, BB/9 and GB/FB, while coming up with a similarity score based on these three stats for each Angels starting pitcher. The cutoff was having pitched at least 150 IP as a starter over the last two years. Here is the top 25 list for each Angels starter. Some NL pitchers would of course have to be slightly penalized for getting to face pitchers, so feel free to make a mental adjustment for those pitchers. If you wanted to take something like this to the next level, you could look at age, contract status, handedness etc... but I've chosen to look at these three stats which are highly controlled by a pitchers skill level.
| Rank | Name | K/9 | BB/9 | GB/FB | Name | K/9 | BB/9 | GB/FB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jered Weaver | 8.43 | 2.15 | 0.71 | Dan Haren | 7.76 | 1.66 | 1.05 | ||
| 1 | Scott Baker | 7.99 | 2.24 | 0.80 | Madison Bumgarner | 7.90 | 2.05 | 1.30 | |
| 2 | James Shields | 8.21 | 2.29 | 1.18 | Ricky Nolasco | 7.30 | 1.91 | 1.22 | |
| 3 | Justin Verlander | 8.88 | 2.42 | 0.98 | Scott Baker | 7.99 | 2.24 | 0.80 | |
| 4 | Colby Lewis | 8.19 | 2.71 | 0.77 | Ted Lilly | 7.55 | 2.21 | 0.64 | |
| 5 | Tommy Hanson | 8.52 | 2.76 | 0.99 | Jordan Zimmermann | 7.07 | 1.92 | 0.99 | |
| 6 | Cole Hamels | 8.62 | 2.24 | 1.37 | Shaun Marcum | 7.34 | 2.27 | 0.88 | |
| 7 | Josh Beckett | 8.17 | 2.72 | 1.09 | Roy Oswalt | 7.34 | 2.27 | 1.25 | |
| 8 | Zack Greinke | 8.78 | 2.30 | 1.37 | Daniel Hudson | 7.18 | 2.18 | 0.98 | |
| 9 | Mat Latos | 8.88 | 2.66 | 1.07 | James Shields | 8.21 | 2.29 | 1.18 | |
| 10 | Ian Kennedy | 7.92 | 2.70 | 0.91 | Jake Peavy | 7.59 | 2.43 | 0.99 | |
| 11 | Chris Capuano | 7.88 | 2.61 | 1.05 | Bartolo Colon | 7.18 | 2.18 | 1.24 | |
| 12 | Madison Bumgarner | 7.90 | 2.05 | 1.30 | Hiroki Kuroda | 7.23 | 2.19 | 1.41 | |
| 13 | Max Scherzer | 8.25 | 2.90 | 1.02 | Roy Halladay | 8.16 | 1.21 | 1.70 | |
| 14 | Ted Lilly | 7.55 | 2.21 | 0.64 | Jered Weaver | 8.43 | 2.15 | 0.71 | |
| 15 | Dan Haren | 7.76 | 1.66 | 1.05 | Cliff Lee | 8.56 | 1.21 | 1.21 | |
| 16 | Josh Johnson | 8.93 | 2.51 | 1.39 | Joe Blanton | 6.97 | 2.15 | 1.22 | |
| 17 | David Price | 8.44 | 2.96 | 1.16 | Chris Capuano | 7.88 | 2.61 | 1.05 | |
| 18 | Jake Peavy | 7.59 | 2.43 | 0.99 | Adam Wainwright | 8.32 | 2.19 | 1.68 | |
| 19 | CC Sabathia | 8.09 | 2.56 | 1.51 | Matt Cain | 7.2 | 2.51 | 0.91 | |
| 20 | Adam Wainwright | 8.32 | 2.19 | 1.68 | Gavin Floyd | 7.15 | 2.44 | 1.36 | |
| 21 | Matt Garza | 7.77 | 2.80 | 1.04 | Ian Kennedy | 7.92 | 2.70 | 0.91 | |
| 22 | Homer Bailey | 7.69 | 2.73 | 1.07 | CC Sabathia | 8.09 | 2.56 | 1.51 | |
| 23 | Michael Pineda | 9.11 | 2.89 | 0.81 | Chris Carpenter | 7.05 | 2.25 | 1.59 | |
| 24 | Anibal Sanchez | 8.26 | 3.08 | 1.21 | Homer Bailey | 7.69 | 2.73 | 1.07 | |
| 25 | Cliff Lee | 8.56 | 1.21 | 1.21 | Cole Hamels | 8.62 | 2.24 | 1.37 |
| Rank | Name | K/9 | BB/9 | GB/FB | Name | K/9 | BB/9 | GB/FB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Wilson | 7.92 | 3.52 | 1.51 | Ervin Santana | 6.92 | 2.89 | 0.98 | ||
| 1 | Chad Billingsley | 7.66 | 3.63 | 1.44 | Phil Hughes | 6.88 | 2.96 | 0.76 | |
| 2 | Wandy Rodriguez | 8.02 | 3.19 | 1.39 | Jeff Niemann | 6.79 | 2.86 | 1.21 | |
| 3 | Jorge de la Rosa | 8.22 | 3.84 | 1.55 | John Danks | 6.97 | 2.72 | 1.18 | |
| 4 | A.J. Burnett | 7.60 | 3.85 | 1.35 | Travis Wood | 6.85 | 2.83 | 0.68 | |
| 5 | Derek Holland | 7.61 | 3.20 | 1.30 | Aaron Harang | 6.6 | 3.03 | 0.96 | |
| 6 | Anibal Sanchez | 8.26 | 3.08 | 1.21 | Javier Vazquez | 7.24 | 2.97 | 0.74 | |
| 7 | Gio Gonzalez | 8.23 | 4.09 | 1.40 | Ryan Vogelsong | 6.99 | 3.14 | 1.34 | |
| 8 | Jonathon Niese | 7.78 | 2.89 | 1.65 | Matt Cain | 7.2 | 2.51 | 0.91 | |
| 9 | Jhoulys Chacin | 7.66 | 4.04 | 1.83 | Chris Narveson | 7.25 | 3.3 | 1.05 | |
| 10 | Tom Gorzelanny | 7.91 | 3.77 | 0.89 | Wade LeBlanc | 6.47 | 3.15 | 0.82 | |
| 11 | Francisco Liriano | 8.62 | 3.64 | 1.66 | Brett Myers | 6.93 | 2.53 | 1.41 | |
| 12 | Ryan Dempster | 8.60 | 3.62 | 1.27 | Johan Santana | 6.51 | 2.49 | 0.76 | |
| 13 | Felipe Paulino | 8.37 | 3.97 | 1.13 | Alexi Ogando | 6.68 | 2.32 | 0.92 | |
| 14 | James McDonald | 7.80 | 3.90 | 0.86 | Edwin Jackson | 7.26 | 3.09 | 1.47 | |
| 15 | Ubaldo Jimenez | 8.65 | 3.73 | 1.41 | Gavin Floyd | 7.15 | 2.44 | 1.36 | |
| 16 | Ricky Romero | 7.28 | 3.35 | 1.90 | John Lackey | 6.34 | 3.07 | 1.18 | |
| 17 | Edwin Jackson | 7.26 | 3.09 | 1.47 | Johnny Cueto | 6.37 | 2.71 | 1.35 | |
| 18 | David Price | 8.44 | 2.96 | 1.16 | Carlos Carrasco | 6.54 | 2.87 | 1.56 | |
| 19 | Chris Narveson | 7.25 | 3.30 | 1.05 | Brian Matusz | 7.23 | 3.47 | 0.74 | |
| 20 | Max Scherzer | 8.25 | 2.90 | 1.02 | Brett Cecil | 6.2 | 2.92 | 1.03 | |
| 21 | Matt Garza | 7.77 | 2.80 | 1.04 | Shaun Marcum | 7.34 | 2.27 | 0.88 | |
| 22 | Homer Bailey | 7.69 | 2.73 | 1.07 | Daniel Hudson | 7.18 | 2.18 | 0.98 | |
| 23 | Josh Beckett | 8.17 | 2.72 | 1.09 | Kevin Millwood | 6.17 | 2.68 | 0.96 | |
| 24 | CC Sabathia | 8.09 | 2.56 | 1.51 | Joe Blanton | 6.97 | 2.15 | 1.22 | |
| 25 | Ian Kennedy | 7.92 | 2.70 | 0.91 | Homer Bailey | 7.69 | 2.73 | 1.07 |
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