Every playoff pitching staff undoubtedly has an ace in their starting rotation, and unfortunately there's not enough to go around. That's why interest is so high in Yu Darvish, the Japanese phenom who has astronomical numbers pitching in Asia and who has been rumored to be posted for Major League Baseball teams to bid on this offseason. The rumors have gone back and forth, but now Jon Morosi is reporting that Darvish is "more likely than not" to come over to the States according to his sources for Fox Sports.
In 2011, the 25-year-old had a 17-6 record with 223 IP and a 1.49 ERA. He also had a .843 WHIP with 261 strikeouts against 35 walks. Of course, those numbers might not transfer but even a shadow of those sorts of statistics would instantly place him among the better pitchers in the league, which is one reason the Kansas City Royals (among others) should be taking a closer look.