SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The National League West features the deepest crop of starting pitchers in the major leagues, including the past two NL Cy Young Award winners.

Could Matt Cain be the best of the bunch?

It might seem a ridiculous suggestion given Cain's 7-16 record last season. But anyone who watched the Giants' emerging ace compete, challenge hitters and amass strikeouts as a 22-year-old understands that his record meant as much as his preferred brand of bubble gum.

Jake Peavy understands. So does Brandon Webb. The best in the division agree that when you talk about the top pitchers in the NL West, and the majors, Cain should be in the conversation.

"Dude can pitch, man," said Peavy, the San Diego Padres' ace and defending Cy Young winner. "Do me a favor and tell him I like his style."

"Guys ask about myself and Peavy all the time," said Webb, the Arizona Diamondbacks' ace and `06 Cy Young winner. "But (Cain) is one of the top pitchers in the league, too."

By now, you probably know how Cain arrived at his 7-16 record: second-worst run support in the league (3.51 runs per game), the bullpen blew five of his leads, the Giants didn't score in four of his starts—including two 1-0 losses.

Webb knows this sad tune by heart. In 2004, he was 7-16 despite a 3.59 ERA that ranked 15th in the NL.

"I definitely feel for where he's at," said Webb, whose Diamondbacks lost 111 games in `04. "There were a lot of errors behind me, a lot of unearned runs. It's tough, but you've got to battle through and trust the next year will be great."

Webb was the Cy Young Award winner two seasons later. Peavy predicts a similar growth chart for Cain. A few weeks ago, Peavy was playing catch with Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley when they began talking about the offseason trade rumors. Balsley asked whom the Giants should covet more, Cain or Tim Lincecum.

"Me, I'm a Cain fan," Peavy said. "He is as good as anybody in the NL on a given day. He's a big, strong kid who's going to hold up. He's going to eat innings. I love the mentality, the vibe you get when he's on the mound."

Peavy remembered the game last September when Cain stared into the Padres dugout after Scott Hairston flipped his bat following a home run. Cain vowed he wouldn't forget.

"I love to see a pitcher stand up for himself and be a competitor on the mound," Peavy said. "I totally get that vibe from him."

Cain makes no apologies for protecting his space. His sense of baseball decorum is just one of many areas advanced beyond his years.

"It's just not respecting the game when that stuff happens and that's why I get upset about it," said Cain, who turned 23 in October. "That's kind of my little area on the mound, and I guard it. I don't want anybody to mess with it, and that's the way I take it.

"You want to own the mound and you want to own the plate, too. That's my mentality all the time."

Cain had another memorable dust-up with Colorado Rockies star Matt Holliday in 2006. Cain hit Holliday with a pitch, Holliday hit a 478-foot homer in his next at-bat, then jawed at Cain as he rounded the bases. Cain barked back.

After the game, in a rare display, both players issued public apologies for their actions.

It's clear the Rockies respect Cain, and for good reason. Colorado was 70-49 against right-handed starters, the best in the NL. Not even the best were immune.

Cain was. He had a 3.07 ERA in five starts against the Rockies—lower than that of Webb (5.77), Peavy (3.54), the Padres' ageless Greg Maddux (4.28) or Dodgers ace Brad Penny (3.49).

"I'd sure take him on our staff," said Holliday, who is a .217 lifetime hitter against Cain. "There is no doubt he's one of the top young pitchers in the league. He's in the top tier of pitchers in general. He's got a great fastball that moves and he can pitch inside."

According to Pitch F/X data, Cain's average fastball was 94.39 mph last year. While most young, hard-throwing pitchers consider themselves indestructible, Cain is already thinking ahead to the day when he loses some zip.

"It's gotten now where everybody looks at the radar gun, but a guy like Maddux knows how to pitch better than ever," Cain said. "You're always adapting because you won't have your fastball your whole career."

That's why Cain worked to make his slider an important pitch last season. He threw more changeups, too. One of these days, he hopes to be an artist like Maddux or Livan Hernandez, throwing pitches that break a dozen different ways.

While he might be too modest to claim otherwise, Cain said he doesn't consider himself among the game's elite—yet.

"There's so much to learn," he said. "I definitely look up to Webb and Peavy, Maddux, all those guys. I can learn from them. I can learn from Timmy (Lincecum), even though he doesn't have as much (service) time.

"I just don't ever think I'm bigger than the game."

Finally, what about the other ace in the division? What does the Dodgers' Penny think of Cain?

When asked by a reporter, Penny made the dubious claim that he'd never heard of Cain. That's probably the rivalry talking. But Penny knows what it's like to be young, and to own a supremely gifted arm.

"I wish I would have approached my career then like I do now," Penny said. "Who knows how much better I would have been?"

Odds are, Cain will never have to ask himself that question.