Sabathia or Price? The Rays' young lefty throws harder but—for the next year or two, anyway—give me Sabathia's experience, consistency and durability.
Kuroda or Shields? Shields gives the Rays two legitimate No. 1 starters and he deserves the edge here but Kuroda, 36, is no slouch. He posted a 3.07 ERA while working 202 innings for the Dodgers last season.
Pineda or Moore? If you had assessed these two at last year's All-Star break, Pineda would have been an easy call. He dominated in the first half, going 8-5 with a 2.58 ERA and .193 batting average against. He faded after the break (5.12 ERA) and Moore broke out late but still you would have to call this a draw, for now.
Both are young; Pineda, who turns 23 next week, is six months older. Both throw 95 mph-plus fastballs though Pineda complements his with a hard slider while Moore uses a curve and changeup. Both are considered to have top-of-the-rotation futures. The biggest difference is size: Pineda is 6-7, 260, Moore is 6-2, around 200.
Nova or Hellickson? Hellickson, 24, beat out Nova, 25, for AL Rookie of the Year honors largely because of his 2.95 ERA to Nova's 3.70. Nova, however, reeled off eight wins in eight starts during one stretch and emerged as the club's No. 2 starter for the post-season.
In the final spot: As erratic as Burnett is, he still matches up well against Davis or Niemann. The Yankees still have Hughes and Garcia, too.
So give the Yankees an edge with Sabathia, a draw with Pineda and no matter how the No. 5 spots shake out. The leaves the Rays with an overall advantage, though not by much.
