"When you think of an ace, names like Sabathia, Halladay, Lincecum or Carpenter immediately come to mind.

Not Brett Myers. Not in the same breath as the aforementioned anyway.

The Astros' #1 pitcher has never won a Cy Young, never won more than 14 games in a season, and he's not your prototypical hard-throwing, strikeout pitcher. But if you're looking for a stopper, or a bulldog to run to the mound for a key series, or a pitcher you know will give your team a chance to win every time out, look no further than the bearded former first rounder.

You could argue that Myers is a poor man's ace, and you could point to a number of stats that are un-ace like (e.g. career WHIP or ERA), but Myers seems to be remaking his career in Houston. In fact, in 2011, he has been ace-like with a 1.77 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through the first three games. But where would he fit in New York, Atlanta, St. Louis or Philadelphia?

Since coming to Houston last season, Myers has been the go-to guy for Brad Mills, Roy Oswalt notwithstanding. Thirty-six games into his Astros' career, he's turned in 35 quality starts. In only one of those starts, he's pitched less than six innings. Moreover, he's not taxing your salary structure either, earning only $7 million in 2011. In 2012, it's $11 million and there's a $10 million option for 2013."