This season, more so than in past years, there are many baseball pitchers who have been successful in their careers, but have gotten off to slow and sluggish starts. Some are just slow to get out of the gate, others are struggling with injuries, and some are just losing effectiveness. Here now is my scouting report of the struggling pitchers.

Andrew Miller - Looking very hittable at this point. He's been all over the place so far, and could probably use some AAA seasoning. He may be very good one day soon, but doubtful it will be this season.

Johan Santana - 1-2 record, but the stats are there. Nothing to worry about here on his way to an 18 win season.

John Maine - Un-hittable in Spring Training...uncontrollable in April. He just needs to settle down. The stuff is still there, so no need to worry about Maine. He should attain his 15 wins.

Jamie Moyer - There's concern here, as Moyer pitches in a rotten pitcher's park. He's getting old and it's starting to show. He has 10-10 written all over him because of the run support he'll receive. A 5.00 ERA is possible.

Odalis Perez - Hasn't been awful, but hasn't been impressive either. He's 0-3 on another bad team. He's capable of improving his stats, but probably not looking at many wins.

Tim Lilly - He's looked terrible, but still capable of turning things around. He'll still finish over .500. Be concerned at the bad start, but don't panic just yet.

Bronson Arroyo - Notorious slow starter who usually heats up with the weather. That ballpark scares me. While in Cincy, he may never be more than a .500 pitcher. He'll come around in June if you can be patient.

Josh Fogg - His days in the rotation are numbered. Gives up too many homeruns with poor pitch selection and location. Look for him to be a mop-up man by May.

Roy Oswalt - Looked awful until his last start. He'll turn it around sooner rather than later. His control has been quite good.

Dave Bush - Shouldn't be in the rotation. His rotation spot is in jeopardy. The Brewers would have been better off with Vargas than Bush.

Paul Maholm - Not sure why he can't seem to put it together. He has decent stuff, but can't win consistently. If he can limit the hits allowed, he can win. His control is pretty good. A 11-14 season is probable.

Matt Morris He's toast. It's simply not there any more.

Mark Mulder - Can he survive as a finesse pitcher? That could take a year or two to develop. He's high risk when he returns to the Cardinals.

Randy Johnson - He should throw plenty of strikes, but his control is off a bit. He could walk more than he has in some time. Still an injury risk. He no longer intimidates unless facing a rookie.

Jeff Francis - Slow start, but should rebound as well as a Colorado pitcher can. Not overly concerned here.

Franklin Morales - The kid's not ready. The losses and no-decisions may mount.

Ubaldo Jimenez - keeps the ball down, but keeps it down way off the plate. His control needs some fixin'. Doubtful he'll finish the year in the rotation.

Chad Billingsley - Off to a spotty start, but still looks dominant at times. He's ready, and after a few growing pains, should rebound nicely. He's got the talent and is ready to pitch in the majors.

Chris Young - Still looks rusty, but should be fine as the year wears on. No concern here.

Barry Zito - Just looks like there's something wrong. He's lost it. The velocity is way way down. He could be the worst pitcher signing since Chan Ho Park robbed the Rangers with his massive contract. Zito looks done.

Daniel Cabrera - We said it in pre-season, and we'll say it again...Cabrera doesn't know how to pitch. He had one good season during his disappointing career. He doesn't throw enough strikes. Don 't let his win against the Yankees fool you. He belongs in AAA...or Japan.

Jeremy Guthrie - Off to a slow start, but he's capable of rebounding...and he should remain the ace of the staff, even if that translates into an 12-12 season. He'll bounce back.

Adam Loewen - A bit over-rated in my eyes. He's an average pitcher on a below-average team. He should be striking out more guys that he does. Doubtful he'll see .500 this season...or next.

Steve Trachsel - As long as he allows contact, he won't win. He strikes out very few hitters, and the balls he does allow to be hit are hit hard. Trax will be 9-13 at best this season.

Jon Lester - While young and talented, the Red Sox may not be able to afford allowing him to learn at the major league level. The Yankees will be there all season long. Lester could find himself demoted in favor of Justin Masterson if he continues to struggle. However, his long term projections are promising.

Clay Buchholz - Slow start, but convinced he'll turn it around soon. He's only a few bad pitches away from being successful this season. Be patient with him, and he'll reward you.

Phil Hughes - Rough start due to his wildness. He should be fine, but needs better command of the zone. He's been too fine trying to paint the corners. Let it fly Phil. He should still win 12 games this season.

Mike Mussina - He's done. He averages three strikeouts a game at best. He has nothing left in the tank. It's just a matter of time before he loses his rotation spot.

Andy Sonnanstine - His rotation spot is in danger, which is too bad, because he can pitch. Let's hope the Rays are patient with him.

A.J. Burnett - He's looked weak so far, so hopefully there's no injury involved. Remember that he has never exceeded 12 wins in a season, and it looks doubtful for this season as well.

Mark Buehrle - He's looked lifeless so far, but he's still a decent pitcher with a decent team behind him. Look for a 12 win season with an ERA at about a 4.00

CC Sabathia - Sound the alarm. Something doesn't look quite right here. He's looking like a different pitcher. He should rebound, but if this gets in his head, it could lead to a long dry spell.

Justin Verlander - Strikeouts are down, walks are up. He should be fine as the season progresses. He looks off, but there's no hint of an injury. Patience is needed here.

Jeremy Bonderman - This one concerns me. He hasn't pitched well for three years now. This guy was loaded with potential, so perhaps there is an injury....or he's getting bad advice. He needs to use his fastball more.

Kenny Rogers - Reeling and looking old. He needs a spark, or his rotation spot will be in danger. He hasn't looked right since returning from injury last year.

Dontrelle Willis - Either injured or thinking way too much. He needs to rear back and let the heater rise as it used to. For now, he's a high risk pitcher that looks like a subpar pitcher.

Gil Meche - Not overly concerned just yet. He should rebound and be fine.

Jon Garland - Don't like what I'm seeing from Garland. He's trying to finesse too much. He'll get run support, but sooner or later he'll start getting pounded. he's a risky option at this point.

Lenny DiNardo - In the famous words of Robot: "Danger Will Robinson...danger!" He'll be in the bullpen or AAA sooner than later.

Jason Jennings - This guy has pitched in the two worst pitchers ballparks. He's looked bad so far. If nothing is medically wrong, there's a big concern here with his pitching. Doubtful he can turn this around with Texas.



Court Adjourned!