Yet, all of those accolades earn him the No. 3 spot in the Philadelphia rotation.
The Phillies' rotation, the easy pick for the best in the bigs, is scary good, and starting on Tuesday night, the Red Sox will get a look at it.
It certainly is saying something that someone like Hamels is the No. 3 in Charlie Manuel's rotation, but that's usually going to be the case when Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay share the same rotation as you.
Lee, the lefty who spent some time in Philly a few years back, surprised the baseball world when he picked the Phillies over the Yankees and Rangers this offseason. In getting Lee back, the Phillies got back someone who is arguably the best left-hander in the game. Lee struggled out of the gates some to begin the season, but has rebounded in a big way, giving up just one earned run in June, a stat aided by his active two-start shutout streak.
Meanwhile, all Halladay is doing is leading the bigs in wins, complete games and innings pitched. Always a workhorse, the reigning Cy Young winner picked up right where he left off last season, a season in which he pitched a perfect game in the regular season and then a no-hitter in his playoff debut. Like Lee, Halladay is undefeated in June.
Then there's Thursday's starter, Hamels. The southpaw has battled inconsistency as he tried to battle sky-high expectations after winning the World Series MVP at age 24. He seems to have turned the corner this season, though, as he's on pace to have the best numbers of his career. Only 27, he's still got plenty of time to be a dominant force on the mound.
Who is the Phillies' toughest starting pitcher?Market Research
Monday, June 27: Which Red Sox bench player will play the biggest role down the stretch?
