Roy Halladay Says 'It's 95 Percent Mental': What Is Being Said About Pitcher's Slow Start To The Season?

Roy Halladay is no stranger to success on the baseball field. Winner of 2 career Cy Young awards, the 35-year-old native of Denver, Colorado has put together a very solid career resume.

While the 2013 season is only a handful of games in, Roy Halladay hasn't achieved the level of success on the mound he's been accustomed to.

A unanimous choice for National League Cy Young in 2010, Halladay knows his ability to recover from early struggles starts with calming down his thoughts.

"I would say 95 percent is mental," he told the Philly News. "The more you want it, the harder it is. You almost have to really back that off and put some perspective in the whole thing."

In two starts this season, Halladay's ERA is a whopping 14.73, a steep climb from his career average of 3.34. One win shy of 200 for his career, Halladay and the Phillies hope the early struggles are just a mirage. Noting preparation before each game is a huge component in being successful in the game of baseball, Halladay didn't seem distraught.

"You really have to stick to your routine, stick to your program, prepare every day and let it come to you," Halladay told the New York Times after last night's loss to the New York Mets, "I trust what I have, stuff-wise." With a noticeable drop in velocity, Halladay's pop on the radar gun could begin to come back over the course of a long season.

The Phillies boast a line-up with a balanced combination of speed and power. Add in a solid pitching rotation that includes Halladay, 2008 Cy Young winner Cliff Lee and 3-time All-Star Cole Hamels and the Phillies should be contenders in the National League this season.

Halladay's early struggles may in fact be a short-term situation but as a team through 7 games, the Phillies are only 2-5. Even though 155 games remain, Philadelphia does not want to dig themselves a hole behind perennial powers Washington and Atlanta.

In 301 career games, Halladay is 199-102, including 66 complete games and 20 shutouts.