Kevin Baxter’s major league rankings

If pitching is 90% of the game, then a number of teams went into the season’s second half with a starting rotation that gives them an arm up on the competition. Others? Well, not so much.

The team / The pitch

No arms limitations here

1. Philadelphia A baseball-best 11 complete games, 13 shutouts and 2.93 earned-run average.

2. Seattle: Rotation has two All-Stars, AL-low 3.19 ERA and is averaging baseball-best 62/3 innings a start.

3. Atlanta: Jair Jurrjens (12-3, 1.87), Tommy Hanson (10-4, 2.44) top a staff with 58 quality starts.

4. Angels: Jered Weaver (11-4, 1.86), Dan Haren (10-5, 2.61) among top six in AL in wins, ERA.

5. Tampa Bay: All-Star James Shields leads majors with seven complete games, three shutouts.

6. San Francisco: 509 strikeouts second in baseball; four starters with ERAs below 3.19.

7. Oakland: Despite rash of injuries, starters are tied for AL lead with 3.19 ERA; have given up fewest earned runs in league.

Armed, somewhat dangerous

8. N.Y. Yankees: After CC Sabathia (13-4, 2.72), rotation gets pretty mediocre yet still leads majors with 42 wins.

9. Pittsburgh: Bucs have 11-game winner in Kevin Correia and two other starters with ERAs below 3.00.

10. San Diego: Starters are 26-38 despite 3.41 ERA, seventh-best in baseball.

11. Texas: Alexi Ogando, C.J. Wilson both 9-3; staff leads AL with 11 shutouts.

12. Detroit: After Justin Verlander (12-4, 2.15) ERAs soar, yet Tigers are second in AL with 10 shutouts.

13. Minnesota: Scott Baker is 5-2, 2.20 since June 1.

14. St. Louis: Jaime Garcia (9-3, 3.22), Kyle Lohse (8-6, 3.32) top a rotation in need of depth.

15. Washington: Although 3.75 ERA is sixth in NL, only one regular starter has a winning record.

16. Boston: Despite injuries, bloated 4.09 ERA and one complete game, rotation shares AL wins lead with Yankees.

17. Dodgers: Second to Phillies in NL with 11 shutouts — four in July — and second to Astros with 40 losses.

Making a pitch to get better

18. Milwaukee: Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum both 7-3 but Greinke’s ERA is 5.45 compared to Marcum’s 3.39.

19. N.Y. Mets: Rookie Dillon Gee (8-3, 3.52) leads a rotation with three eight-game winners.

20. Arizona: Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson are 6-1, 3.54 combined since June 1.

21. Chi White Sox: Philip Humber (8-5, 2.99), Mark Buehrle (6-5, 3.42) only starters with winning records.

22. Florida: Loss of Josh Johnson (3-1, 1.64 ERA in nine starts) crippled young rotation.

23. Colorado: Ubaldo Jimenez is 9-15, 3.95 since last year’s All-Star break.

The Venus de Milo has better arms

24. Toronto: Blue Jay starters lead majors in walks (221), fourth-worst in WHIP (1.44).

25. Cleveland: Opponents batting .269 against Tribe; only three Indians hitting better than that this year.

26. Cincinnati: Take away Johnny Cueto (5-3, 1.96) and Reds’ rotation is 28-26 with a 5.12 ERA.

27. Baltimore: Rotation averaging less than 52/3 innings a start; no starter has an ERA below 4.05.

28. Houston: Fewest wins (17), most losses (43) of any rotation in baseball.

29. Kansas City: Opponents hitting MLB-high .295, slugging .468 against K.C. starters, who have an AL-worst 5.15 ERA.

30. Chicago Cubs: ERA of 5.21, 35 quality starts worst in baseball.

— Kevin Baxter