Michael Ventre

We live in an age of hyperbole. Just about every star athlete who comes along is either The Greatest Ever, or The Next Somebody. Michael Jordan, for instance, is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player ever, but there are some who still carry the flag for Elgin Baylor or Wilt Chamberlain or Magic Johnson. And The Next Jordan is currently a scrum involving LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Tracy McGrady, with Kobe Bryant clawing to get back into the mix.

In baseball, Barry Bonds is now considered The Greatest Ever, even though many maintain their allegiance to Willie Mays for his all-around impact, or to Babe Ruth because he had the unusual distinction of being a fearsome pitcher who became a fearsome slugger.

Lately, Roger Clemens is getting the love for being possibly The Greatest Ever . The top five all-time pitchers in the modern era in terms of wins are Cy Young (511), Walter Johnson (417), Grover Alexander (373), Christy Mathewson (373) and Warren Spahn (363). There is also support for Lefty Grove, Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Satchel Paige.

But let’s just say for the moment that Clemens, with his 331 career victories, is the greatest living pitcher and deserving of being mentioned among the best ever.

Is there a young pitcher out there on the horizon who could someday surpass him?

It’s risky business to predict who among the current crop of hurlers might have the blessing of good health over most of a long career to go along with exceptional gifts, not to mention the benefits of being with a competitive team or teams. But speculating wildly about something that may never happen is nothing new to us. As sports fans, it’s almost our duty.

So here are five candidates to become The Next Clemens. They could blow out their rotator cuffs tomorrow, or they could someday make The Rocket seem like The Paper Airplane. But they have the stuff to at least merit participation in the discussion:

Johan Santana, Minnesota Twins
He’s a strikeout demon like Clemens. He also plays in the American League, like Clemens did for the bulk of his career. That will provide him with the possibility of longer stints, translating into more strikeouts and more opportunities for victories. However, he does tend to throw a lot of pitches, so he could get pulled early anyway on pitch count. Still, the 26-year-old Santana has a nasty mix of pitches: a fastball that cooks at around 94-95 mph, a slider and a superb change-up.

He’s playing with a team that is one of the better-run small-market clubs; currently the Twins are in second place in the AL Central to the surprising White Sox. So if he remains there, he’ll likely have support throughout his career. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders, and is not intimidated at all by pressure situations. Last year, he led the AL in ERA and strikeouts and received his first Cy Young Award. It probably won’t be his last.

Dontrelle Willis, Florida Marlins
Some observers feel the Marlins’ 23-year-old southpaw suffers because of his wacky delivery and high leg kick, that a windup like that will eventually wear him down in later years. But it didn’t seem to bother Juan Marichal, who played 16 seasons in the majors and won 243 games. Willis has a terrific attitude and an excellent competitive spirit. He combines those with a solid fastball, a good slider and an improving change-up.