Mike Pelfrey is one of the top five starters in the National League.

Before the season started, this would have been a ridiculous statement to make. Now, Pelfrey has taken the proper steps forward to prove this statement true.

Pelfrey was the ninth overall pick in 2005 draft. He was put on the fast track to the Majors as he started his first season in high-A ball and ended up in the Majors before the end of the year. Pelfrey once again spent time in both the Majors and Minors during his second year.

He began to live up to his potential during his third season in the Majors posting a 13-11 record with a 3.72 ERA. These are very impressive numbers for a 24-year-old pitcher.

Pelfrey regressed a bit during his fourth season as he went 10-12 with a 5.03 ERA.

This season, Pelfrey has been phenomenal. He has established himself as one of the top starters in the National League. Pelfrey is second in the National League in wins with eight. Pelfrey is also ranked ninth in the NL with a 2.23 ERA.

Pelfrey also ranks in the top 10 in HR/9 (sixth), win percentage (third), innings pitched (10th), wins above replacement or WAR (third), winning probability added or WPA (second), and ERA+ (ninth).

The most significant of those stats is Pelfrey’s WAR and WPA rankings. Those stats are important as WAR determines how many wins a player has been worth to his team versus a replacement level player and WPA determines how many wins he has been responsible for based on…

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