Drafted in the 15th round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, Jake Peavy‘s magical 2007 season was almost a decade in the making. He flirted with Cy Young consideration in 2004, posted an NL-leading 2.27 ERA in 27 starts. He followed that with a 2.88 ERA in 2005, earning his first All-Star selection in the process.
Peavy had a down year in 2006, posting a 4.09 ERA in 32 starts with a Padres team that was on the cusp of being very competitive. The following season, he started the month of April going 3-1 in six starts while tossing at least 5.