After today's White Sox victory over the Seattle Mariners, Jose Contreras has now 5-0 this season with a 1.42 ERA. He has won 13 straight regular season games going back to last August. He was name the AL Pitcher of the Month for April, an honor he also won last September -- two regular season months in a row.
Greg Maddux of the Cubs is no slouch either. Although he did lose the game last night against the Diamondbacks, he has won four games this season and, at times, seems unhittable. He has never had such a strong start to the season. What amazes me about Mad Dog is that he is able to stay healthy almost his entire career, thanks to his conditioning and preparation. Other pitchers could take a few lessons from him, such as his teammates Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. He certainly does not look like a pitcher that is ready to retire at the end of this season.
Who is the best pitcher in Chicago at this time? I give the nod to Contreras. The Yankees must look at his record and wonder why he never pitched this way when he was with their team.
In any case, I would not be surprised if both Maddux and Contreras made it to the All-Star game this year. For Contreras, it would be a proper reward for all his hard work and talents. For Maddux, it would be a fitting conclusion to a proflific career.
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