If you want to win a World Series, you need a top of the rotation starter. (US Presswire)

Sometimes you write a story that doesn't come together, but you still learn something from it. A month or so ago, I asked a variety of front-office types and scouts if they had the 2009 draft to do over, knowing everything they know now, whom would they take -- Mike Trout or Stephen Strasburg?

The responses that I got were overwhelmingly in favor of Trout, the idea being that an everyday player was worth much more over the course of 162 games than a starting pitcher -- even one as good as Strasburg.

2013 postseason

Of the dozen or so opinions I got, only two would take the front-line starter. One just liked Strasburg that much; the other gave me a very interesting answer.

"Five years ago, I would have said Trout because I was a big everyday player guy," said the scout, a former position player himself. "Now I go with the one dominant pitcher who can win for you in the [playoffs]. Trout may get you there, but Strasburg gives you that one guy at the top of the rotation that can shut down a good-hitting team."

That led to a discussion at a table of scouts, with all of them talking about the need, once you get to the postseason, for that one guy, that one starter who can make the difference. The Cardinals had it last year in Chris Carpenter. The Giants had at least two (Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain) in 2010. The Yankees had CC Sabathia in 2009. All three of those teams had a pitcher who had won a Cy Young -- as have 23 of the last 30 World Series winning teams. From 1981 to 2011, only seven teams didn't feature a pitcher who had -- or would have -- a Cy Young on his shelf. Of those seven, five had pitchers who finished second in Cy Young voting at some time in their career.

Of the eight teams remaining in this year's playoffs, four (Cardinals, Giants, Yankees and Tigers) have pitchers who have won a Cy Young. The Nationals and Reds have pitchers who have at least earned votes, while the Orioles and A's don't have any starters who have received votes.

While the Nationals and Reds don't have a Cy Young winner, they both have pitchers who will receive votes this year in Gio Gonzalez and Johnny Cueto. 

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