Funumbers!
| ERA | WHIP | BB/9 | K/9 | |
| Player X | 3.38 | 1.246 | 2.7 | 7.8 |
| Roy Halladay | 3.80 | 1.051 | 1.5 | 7.4 |
| Adam Wainwright | 3.87 | 1.216 | 2.2 | 8.4 |
| CJ Wilson | 3.62 | 1.312 | 4.1 | 7.6 |
| CC Sabathia | 3.56 | 1.207 | 2.2 | 8.9 |
| James McDonald | 3.61 | 1.190 | 3.4 | 8.1 |
These numbers are all for the 2012 season. I think it's safe to say that each of the pitchers listed could reasonably be described as an ace. Or at the very least, teams would feel pretty comfortable heading down the stretch of a pennant race if their best starting pitcher were putting up the numbers that these gentlemen have put up this year. These guys are all really, really good. But who, pray tell, is this mysterious Player X? He is an impressive hurler, no doubt. He stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the giants of the profession. You've all heard of him, but he doesn't get the pub that some of these other fellows get. So who is it?
The stat line for Player X listed above is actually a composite of the entire Cincinnati Reds pitching staff for this season. That's every pitch thrown by every pitcher this entire season, from Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman on down to Todd Redmond and Bill Bray. These guys have been incredible, both individually and collectively, this entire season. That's the kind of line that Cy Young candidates put up, and they are doing it as a staff. Incredible.
The bullpen survived the double-header on Saturday relatively unscathed. Todd Redmond got kicked around in his big league debut, but Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos bookended him with solid eighters. It's been a true team effort, regardless of how cliched and obvious such a platitude may sound.
Chapman should get the day off after working three straight days, but Marshall and Broxton should be more than capable of closing the game should the opportunity arise.