The D-Backs took off the training wheels for Scherzer this season by putting him in the starting rotation and he has been outstanding so far. Scherzer has started 19 games this season for the D-Backs and he is 6-6 with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. He has whiffed 111 batters in only 107 1/3 innings this season showing what kind of stuff he has. The D-Backs could rebound next season with just good health and Scherzer will be one of the big reasons for the improvement.

25-year old lefty reliever Clay Zavada has been dominant since his recall from the minors. The rookie has pitched in 20 games this season for the D-Backs and he is 1-2 with a 0.48 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Zavada has good stuff as evidenced by his 20 whiffs in 18 2/3 innings so far this season. Zavada was the #23 prospect in the D-Backs’ minor league system heading into the 2009 season according to Baseball America so his pitching well is not a fluke. The D-Backs need him to keep up the good work.

The Arizona D-Backs should not trade Dan Haren, period. Haren has started 16 games for the Diamondbacks this season and he is 7-5 with a 2.19 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. He has only allowed 78 hits in 115 innings while whiffing 113 batters. He is a Cy Young Award contender right now even though the D-Backs are playing poorly this season. The D-Backs should keep Haren and build the pitching staff around him next season.

It’s hard to blame Dan Haren for his 0-2 record based on how well he has pitched this season. Haren has started 2 games this season for the D-Backs and he has a 2.08 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP. Haren has only allowed 7 hits in 13 innings this season while whiffing 11 batters walking only 3. Haren should sue the hitters of the D-Backs for non-support but it’s likely that he will start picking up wins soon if he keeps pitching well.

Brandon Webb has been outstanding this season and he deserves to be the Cy Young winner based on his win total. He has started 33 games for the D-Backs this season and he is 22-7 with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. His main competitor for the award will be Tim Lincecum of the Giants who has also had a fantastic season for a poor team. He has probably outpitched Webb this season but voters like win totals. It will be interesting to see who wins this award.