Continuing the series of guys who will rise to superstardom, we present the pitchers who will exceed expectations, even after being successful in 2007. They will not be among the first group of pitchers taken, but they will perform similar to that group.

Justin Verlander—DET—It is hard to go too much farther up from where Verlander already has been. He was 11-2 in his only 20 starts in the minor leagues, and has now won 35 games in just two full major league seasons. However, this season, I expect two things to increase in Verlander’s game. 20 wins are well within his grasp. He has a potent offensive lineup, and his division promises multiple starts against the Royals, White Sox, and Twins, all who figure to struggle this season. You can expect his ERA to drop to the low end of the 3.00, and his strikeouts to finally get back to where they were while he was in the minors. If he is able to top 200 innings again this season, expect his strikeouts to top the 200 mark.

Oliver Perez—NYM—Remember 2004? That’s where Perez will be again this year, except for an increase in wins. Perez has always had electric stuff, and in his first full season with the Mets he showed some of what made him someone nobody wanted to face that season. The Mets are going to make up for last season’s horrendous collapse and capture the NL East title this year, and with the addition of Johan Santana, some of the pressure is off of Perez. It is safe to expect 17-20 wins, a 3.10 ERA, and 185-200 K’s.

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