The proliferation of pitcher injuries and the evolution of the way games are managed has drastically diminished starting pitching workloads. But it hasn't diminished the faith and fascination a great-on-paper rotation can inspire.
If anything, our appreciation for starting stability, for the constant confidence that comes with pitching persistence, has only been augmented by an environment in which just 15 pitchers accumulated 200 innings last year.
One of the best parts about this time of year in Major League Baseball is the optimism permeating from all 30 clubs.
Before any regular-season games are played, every team can dream big and envision its best-case scenario coming to fruition.