Mike Pelfrey has been one of the team’s best pitcher consistently this year, if not the best. What’s truly amazing is from Spring Training through much of May, Pelfrey looked like a deer in the headlights. Him and his unshaven face, the menacing mouthpiece (which, come on, really wasn’t menacing) that got knocked around on a consistent basis. Pelfrey was pitching scared, and I assume he felt like every game he was being closely watched, as this could be his last start if he doesn’t produce. Then there was Billy Wagner’s tee shirt in spring training, which said BIG PELF. Little did we know, that it would actually be used as a nickname, rather than the basis for a joke against Pelf.

Than, the light bulb went off. It all started on that May 31st afternoon, when he went pitch for pitch with Dodgers ace Chad Billingsley. It was was a true coming of age for Pelfrey, as he showed he could hang with the other big time arms in the NL. Sure, there have been some bumps in the road against the Reds, and that team he can’t seem to beat, but overall, Pelfrey has been everything we could have hoped for, and then some. Pelfrey has been a horse, and only looks to be getting stronger as the season goes along.