Looking ahead...the playoff rotation

If Mike Hampton pitches at all in the postseason, I think it will be coming out of the bullpen. This helps to clear up the probable rotation for the postseason. Jaret Wright and Russ Ortiz will obviously start in the playoffs, but if the Braves go with a 3 man rotation in the first round like they normally do that leaves it between Paul Byrd and John Thomson.

Paul Byrd is 7-5 with a 3.34 ERA in 15 starts since coming back from the DL. He has 17 walks and 63 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings pitched.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5468

John Thomson is 11-8 with a 4.08 ERA in 29 starts this season. He has 46 walks and 115 strikeouts in 174 1/3 innings this season. Since the All-Star break, he has been impressive: 5-1 with a 2.91 ERA.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5772


This is one of those "problems" that a number of other teams would love to have. The Braves have 4 quality starters (and it would be 5 if Hampton were completely healthy...possibly 6 or 7 with Capellan and Ramirez). My guess is that the Braves would go with Byrd as the number 3 starter in the NLDS. If they get to the NLCS and the World Series, then they would probably shift to a 4 man rotation, with Thomson getting Game 4 starts.

This looks like a pretty good rotation:

RHP Jaret Wright 14-7 3.39 ERA
RHP Russ Ortiz 14-7 3.82 ERA
RHP Paul Byrd 7-5 3.34 ERA
RHP John Thomson 11-8 4.08 ERA

The Braves probably can't go too far wrong with those choices.