Cole Hamels

The Philadelphia Phillies continue to lead the NL East and sit at an impressive 15-6 in the early-going. It seems highly unlikely that this team will finish the season without at least 100 wins. They have struggled to hit and yet they continue to win. They lead the NL East in runs scored with 88 and are second in BA at .265. They have shown that their lineup can play a little small-ball by being in the top five in MLB in singles since Opening Day.

It's always a great thing to see teams lock up young players long-term, especially young pitchers. We all know the saying, "pitching wins championships." Because of that, pitching will always be at a premium in baseball.

Next year's free agent class is almost barren when it comes to starting pitching. Teams that need starters are going to be turning over every rock in search of pitchers that might be available through a trade.

The Phantastic Phour, R2C2, The Four Horsemen, The Foureign Legion...I could go on. The Philladelphia Phillies starting rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels created massive amounts of speculation this winter—could they be the greatest rotation ever assembled?

So, after two turns each, have they lived up to the hype?

He’s not mentally tough. He stinks. He’s a prima donna. Those were just a few of things some Philadelphia fans were saying after Cole Hamels’ poor first outing against the New York Mets. The criticism is nothing new for Cole in Philly.

The Phillies are rolling to start the season. Dominant pitching and an offense that has hit more singles than any other team in baseball. Clearly their series against the Braves meant more to their hated rivals than it did to them, but it's always nice to let the few fans Atlanta has (and the national media) that their "sexy" pick for NL East champion was wrong.

If you ask me, the Philadelphia Phillies got off to a pretty good start this weekend at home. Three games. Three wins.

That good start went way beyond simply getting three wins, however, as the team answered several imposing questions that people around the game held against them heading into the season. As Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt toed the hill, people questioned whether or not they would be able to live up to the hype. They responded by walking just one hitter, striking out 23 more and allowing just six earned runs in 19 innings pitched.

With Opening Day nearly a week away, the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff is still the top topic of preseason predictions. On paper, the Phils should easily pitch their way to the World Series, but so many things can happen over the course of the season that nothing is certain.

Roy Oswalt's frightening experience on the hill on Wednesday proved that seasons can be altered in the swing of a bat.

Opening Day is less than two weeks away, which means everyone and his mother is spouting predictions for the coming MLB season.

With so many talking heads out there, where can you go to find a variety of opinions together in one place? 

Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt... What is and what isn't with the best 1-2-3-4 of the decade?

They're not going to win 80 games. They're not going to have the top three Cy Young vote getters. They're not all going to stay healthy.

They're not all going to win 20 games or make 30 starts. In fact, I bet they don't all make 25 starts.

They will be good enough to win the NL East. They will be very difficult to beat in the playoffs.

In a December to remember, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired the most coveted MLB free agency gem in Cliff Lee.

The Phillies' rotation now includes Roy Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton.

Lee gave the Phillies their fourth legitimate ace, and the group was christened R2C2.  This group has the potential to be historically good, which has gotten a lot of people to thinking: Why do they even need a fifth starter?