These players project to be the best player at their respective position out of all players currently in the league who are 25 or under. I’ve picked one person for every position with at least one runner-up, a five man rotation, and a trio of relievers.
C – Jolbert Saenz, Minnesota Twins, Age 22: His combination of durability, hitting skills, game calling ability, and catching defense are unmatched by any current or future major leaguer. Coming off of the AAA AL MVP season, he looks like a perennial all-star and the envy of all of the leagues GMs.
Runner-up- Magglio Molina, Philadelphia Philles, Age 22: Almost as good as Saenz and looks to dominate NL catchers in similar fashion.
1B – Dee Dee Hutton, Atlanta Braves, Age 21: For the key offensive position on the field, this was the closest race of any position as there are many worthy players here: Brandon Sutton, NY Yankees, Age 21; Kevin Marte, Montreal Expos, Age 23; Pedro Garrido, Philadelphia Phillies, Age 24; Travis Murphy, Anaheim Angels, Age 20; and Valerio Guillen, Boston Red Sox, Age 24. In a case of splitting hairs, Hutton’s combination of power and batting eye is what gave him the nod.
2B – Clyde Redmond, Pittsburgh Pirates, Age 22: With excellent plate discipline, he is going to be an OBP machine for years to come, while being a decent fielding second sacker with good base running skills and playing nearly every day.
Runner-up- Sam Kubinski, Minnesota Twins, Age 22: Although he has been playing CF in the minors, he seems better suited to play 2B at the major league level. No matter where he plays, that big bat is going to make him a rich man as he may go yard 40+ times a season.
3B - Francisco Guillen, New York Yankees, Age 21: At a position that lacks any true marquee offensive talents, Guillen gets the nod over Willie Jose of the San Diego Padres (Age 22) with better contact and his switch-hitting ability which allows him to hit equally well against lefties or righties.
SS - Doug Stewart, Florida Marlins, Age 18: This season’s #2 pick looks to be the closest thing this league has to the second coming of Jake Clapp. While able to competently field the shortstop position, he will be swinging one of the biggest bats in the league while also possessing outstanding plate discipline.
Runner-up- Cliff Rivers, Baltimore Orioles, Age 22: Despite a rough rookie season, Rivers has the talent to become the best overall AL shortstop.
LF – Harry Reid, Cleveland Indians, Age 25: After making the All-Star team as a rookie last season and following that up with an even better season this time around, Reid looks like he is well on his way to a very successful career.
Runner-up - Douglas Carpenter, Cincinnati Reds, Age 19: Carpenter is a fearsome slugger, currently playing CF in the minors, but lacks the skills for ML CF.
CF - Damian Chen, Detroit Tigers, Age 21: With a combination of great fielding, speed, power, excellent hitting ability, and the durability to play every day, Chen looks like the best of the crop of young centerfielders.
Runner-up- Enrique Pena, Philadelphia Phillies, Age 19: If Pena could actually play at full strength for more than 110 games in a season, he would not only hold the top spot at CF, he would be one of the best all-around players in the game.
RF - Guy Cunningham, New York Yankees, Age 21: When Cunningham fully matures, he will be a very tough out and will most certainly get on base more than 40% of the time every season while also providing excellent power.
Runner-up: Eric Roosevelt, Atlanta Braves, Age 22: Roosevelt is a bigtime slugger with excellent plate discipline. Between Roosevelt, Hutton, and Dan Guerrero, the balls will be flying out of Turner Field at a rapid pace.
DH - Bernard Springer, Montreal Expos, Age 23: Yes, I know. Springer plays in the NL and is a catcher. Springer is a catcher just like Mike Piazza was a catcher, a guy with a huge bat who doesn’t completely embarrass himself back there.
Runner-up- Tripp Devereaux, Cleveland Indians, Age 23: Tripp brings a huge power bat to the plate and the discipline to wait for his pitches and earn plenty of walks. Although he does spend some time behind the plate, his true calling is as a DH.
Also deserving of mention is Darryl Whitaker, Anaheim Angels, Age 24, who actually plays all of his games at DH and just finished a spectacular 50 HR season en route to his second consecutive AL silver slugger award.
If Only They Could Play More Games-
Jolbert Romero, San Francisco Giants, Age 22: This catcher, who belongs at DH, could be one of the greatest hitters in the game. Unfortunately, he only has the durability to play about 100 games a season and he will be lucky to ever do that since his body appears to be as brittle as glass.
Louie Mercedes, Portland Beavers, Age 19: When he plays, this kid has the potential to be superior to Saenz as the best backstop in the game. However, his body is just as brittle as Romero and his pathetic durability would only allow him to play in about 70 games at the most.
Starters –
Ozzie Percival, Washington DC Nationals, Age 23: After his Cy Young runner-up performance this season, Percival has started his run in which he looks to be the most dominant starting pitcher for the next 10+ seasons.
Branch Vitiello, Minnesota Twins, Age 22: Likely to make his ML debut next season, Vitiello looks like he will become the AL version of Percival.
Esteban Marquez, New York Yankees, Age 21: Signed this season as an international free agent, Marquez is a tricky southpaw with 2 devastating pitches, a 4-seam fastball and a slurve.
Walt Hernandez, New York Mets, Age 22: This season’s #1 pick is a fireballing lefty with an intimidating fastball and looks to become the primary rival to Percival’s Cy Young candidacy.
Tony Stankiewicz, New York Mets, Age 23: There will be two aces in Shea as Stankiewicz is another hard throwing lefty. Walt and Tony will be quite a 1-2 punch at the top of the Mets rotation.
Runner-up: Scot Pickford, Cincinnati Reds, Age 24: Just missed the list by the slimmest of margins and is a big reason that the Reds are where they are now.
Bullpen –
Daniel Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks, Age 25: Had the most dominant performance of any closer in the game this season.
Karim Wallace, Boston Red Sox, Age 24: Had an outstanding season as one of the top closers in the AL.
Miguel Tatis, Boston Red Sox, Age 24: Seemingly underutilized this season in a right-hand specialist role, Tatis has the skills to be an excellent reliever.
Runner-up: John McCall, New York Yankees, Age 23: What started as an outstanding season went south when elbow tendonitis put McCall on the shelf for a big chunk of the season. Time will tell if he can completely recover and reach his full potential.
If Only They Could Pitch More-
Merv Christopher, Philadelphia Phillies, Age 21; Weldon Roberts, Montreal Expos, Age 23; Wascar Santana, Detroit Tigers, Age 20: If this trio had the necessary stamina and/or durability to spend more time on the mound and less time watching games from the bullpen, then their pitching skills would make them some of the best closers in the game.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Weekly Power Rankings - Philadelphia was Phantastic!
After sliding down two positions last week, Philadelphia came back strong with a phenomenal week of mowing down the competition to take back the #1 rankings. Meanwhile in Beantown, the Red Sox sank like the ships at the Tea Party and all the way from #5 to off the chart.
Current Rank (Previous Rank)
1. (3) Philadelphia Phillies: Season 96-53, Past Week 17 - 3
The Phillies were back with a vengeance this week and roar back into the top spot with one of the most impressive weeks of the season. Their week of dominance was highlighted by an unblemished record in seven games against fellow division leaders Florida and Arizona. With the division clinched and a first round bye almost secured, expect the Phillies to be well-rested for a long playoff run.
2. (1) Chicago White Sox: Season 93-56, Past Week 10 - 10
The White Sox fell back to earth this week and were a bit inconsistent. Series losses against AL South leading Tampa and the cellar dwelling Orioles were followed by them taking 3 out of 4 against the playoff bound Royals. While the Sox appeared vulnerable this week, they too will be have the advantage of a rested squad and still look like they are headed for another World Series appearance.
3. (2) Arizona Diamondbacks: Season 94-55, Past Week 10 - 10
The Diamondbacks had a rough week including that nasty sweep to the Phils and appeared to be on the brink of losing their division lead to the surging Dodgers. But the week was salvaged as it concluded with them taking 2 of 3 from their primary rivals, with two impressive shutout performances by Al Diaz and Felipe Tejada. A Phillies, Diamondbacks NLCS would be exciting to watch and seems to be the most likely scenario.
4. (7) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Season 90 -59, Past Week 13 - 7
The Rays kicked off the week by sweeping the White Sox but unfortunately followed that up with an average week that included series losses to the Blue Jays and Rangers. The Devil Rays have been playing great ball in the second half and their Sox series shows that they can be dangerous in the postseason.
5. (4) Cincinnati Reds: Season 85-64, Past Week 8 - 12
The Reds had a horrid week, losing a bunch of games to teams that will be done after #162. The only thing keeping them from dropping farther was a 4 game split with the D'backs. Will the real Cincinnati Reds please stand up?
6. (6) Los Angeles Dodgers: Season 90 -59, Past Week 11 - 9
Once again, the Dodgers won against the teams they should beat and then could not get it done against a playoff team as they lost 2 of 3 against Florida and Arizona. The Arizona series was huge as they were on the verge of overtaking them for the division lead and then had their offense stymied by great Arizona pitching. I'll say it once again, no matter how many games this team wins, they are not a top 5 team unless they can win a series against a playoff team.
7. (9) Kansas City Royals: Season 85-64, Past Week 13 - 7
The Royals had a solid week, with their only setback being the 3 of 4 lost versus the White Sox and have almost guaranteed their playoff spot as a wildcard team. With a very solid offense and rotation, the Royals will be a very tough first round opponent and have to potential for a deep run.
8. (NR) Toronto Blue Jays: Season 84-65, Past Week 14-6
The Blue Jays caught on fire in the second half of the week and earned their place back on the chart and a near lock for the wild card. With their only setback losing 3 of 4 from the recently hot Yankees, they impressed with series victories against the AL South leading D' Rays and the wild card challenging Knights. The surprising aspect of this week was that they did their winning mostly by virtue of excellent pitching. It will be interesting to see how their first round series plays out.
9. (10) Florida Marlins: Season 82-67, Past Week 11 - 9
If not for the collision with the Phillie juggernaut, the Marlins would have had a great week as they won against all the teams they should be beating and also took 2 of 3 from both the Diamondbacks and Dodgers. While it seems clear that this team cannot compete with Philadelphia's fire power, they do have the pieces to possibly last a round or two in the playoffs.
10. (8) Anaheim Angels: Season 82-67, Past Week 8 -12
And I thought last week was bad. The only saving grace for the Angels was that they took 5 of 7 from the East leading Red Sox. It is uncertain if the Angels will be able to stay in the countdown to end the season, but since their division title is almost secure, we may not see the true Angels on the field until their first round series.
Dropped Out: (5) Boston Red Sox: Season 82-67, Past Week 8 - 12 With Bollea coming off the DL, this was supposed to be the week that the Red Sox assert themselves as one of the main contenders to represent the AL in the World Series. Instead, all they did was dissappoint and allow the Yankees to get back into the race.
Current Rank (Previous Rank)
1. (3) Philadelphia Phillies: Season 96-53, Past Week 17 - 3
The Phillies were back with a vengeance this week and roar back into the top spot with one of the most impressive weeks of the season. Their week of dominance was highlighted by an unblemished record in seven games against fellow division leaders Florida and Arizona. With the division clinched and a first round bye almost secured, expect the Phillies to be well-rested for a long playoff run.
2. (1) Chicago White Sox: Season 93-56, Past Week 10 - 10
The White Sox fell back to earth this week and were a bit inconsistent. Series losses against AL South leading Tampa and the cellar dwelling Orioles were followed by them taking 3 out of 4 against the playoff bound Royals. While the Sox appeared vulnerable this week, they too will be have the advantage of a rested squad and still look like they are headed for another World Series appearance.
3. (2) Arizona Diamondbacks: Season 94-55, Past Week 10 - 10
The Diamondbacks had a rough week including that nasty sweep to the Phils and appeared to be on the brink of losing their division lead to the surging Dodgers. But the week was salvaged as it concluded with them taking 2 of 3 from their primary rivals, with two impressive shutout performances by Al Diaz and Felipe Tejada. A Phillies, Diamondbacks NLCS would be exciting to watch and seems to be the most likely scenario.
4. (7) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Season 90 -59, Past Week 13 - 7
The Rays kicked off the week by sweeping the White Sox but unfortunately followed that up with an average week that included series losses to the Blue Jays and Rangers. The Devil Rays have been playing great ball in the second half and their Sox series shows that they can be dangerous in the postseason.
5. (4) Cincinnati Reds: Season 85-64, Past Week 8 - 12
The Reds had a horrid week, losing a bunch of games to teams that will be done after #162. The only thing keeping them from dropping farther was a 4 game split with the D'backs. Will the real Cincinnati Reds please stand up?
6. (6) Los Angeles Dodgers: Season 90 -59, Past Week 11 - 9
Once again, the Dodgers won against the teams they should beat and then could not get it done against a playoff team as they lost 2 of 3 against Florida and Arizona. The Arizona series was huge as they were on the verge of overtaking them for the division lead and then had their offense stymied by great Arizona pitching. I'll say it once again, no matter how many games this team wins, they are not a top 5 team unless they can win a series against a playoff team.
7. (9) Kansas City Royals: Season 85-64, Past Week 13 - 7
The Royals had a solid week, with their only setback being the 3 of 4 lost versus the White Sox and have almost guaranteed their playoff spot as a wildcard team. With a very solid offense and rotation, the Royals will be a very tough first round opponent and have to potential for a deep run.
8. (NR) Toronto Blue Jays: Season 84-65, Past Week 14-6
The Blue Jays caught on fire in the second half of the week and earned their place back on the chart and a near lock for the wild card. With their only setback losing 3 of 4 from the recently hot Yankees, they impressed with series victories against the AL South leading D' Rays and the wild card challenging Knights. The surprising aspect of this week was that they did their winning mostly by virtue of excellent pitching. It will be interesting to see how their first round series plays out.
9. (10) Florida Marlins: Season 82-67, Past Week 11 - 9
If not for the collision with the Phillie juggernaut, the Marlins would have had a great week as they won against all the teams they should be beating and also took 2 of 3 from both the Diamondbacks and Dodgers. While it seems clear that this team cannot compete with Philadelphia's fire power, they do have the pieces to possibly last a round or two in the playoffs.
10. (8) Anaheim Angels: Season 82-67, Past Week 8 -12
And I thought last week was bad. The only saving grace for the Angels was that they took 5 of 7 from the East leading Red Sox. It is uncertain if the Angels will be able to stay in the countdown to end the season, but since their division title is almost secure, we may not see the true Angels on the field until their first round series.
Dropped Out: (5) Boston Red Sox: Season 82-67, Past Week 8 - 12 With Bollea coming off the DL, this was supposed to be the week that the Red Sox assert themselves as one of the main contenders to represent the AL in the World Series. Instead, all they did was dissappoint and allow the Yankees to get back into the race.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Weekly Power Rankings - White Sox Surge to the Top
Welcome to the second installment of the power rankings. It was a great week for hosiery and fish as the White Sox, Red(leg)s, and Red Sox rose in the rankings, while the Devil Rays went up two spots and the Marlins made their debut on the list. However, it was a bad week for winged creatures as the Angels took the biggest dip of 4 spots and the Blue Jays fell from #8 to off the chart.
Current Rank (Previous Rank)
1. (3) Chicago White Sox: Season 83-46, Past Week 16 - 4
The Sox were the hottest team of the week. After starting the week losing 2 out of 3 against the Yankees, the Sox went on a tear. They scored an impressive 3-game sweep of the AL West leading Angels and came within one extra inning loss of duplicating the feat against the AL East leading Red Sox. With impressive performances against the other division leaders, the Sox currently look like the team to beat.
2. (2) Arizona Diamondbacks: Season 84-45, Past Week 13 - 7
The Diamondbacks had a solid week as they won every series. In their only series with a possible playoff opponent, they took the series at Florida 2 -1, including a dramatic 11th inning victory in the first game which was a great pitcher's duel between #1 starters Tejada and White. This team just keeps on winning games with excellent pitching and stays put at #2 on the list.
3. (1) Philadelphia Phillies: Season 79-50, Past Week 10 - 10
The Phillies had a rough second half of the week with a 3-7 stretch, including a bad 3-game sweep at home versus the Cincinnati Reds in which they were outscored 26-9. The Phils were using their 3-4-5 starters in this series against the 5-1-2 of the Reds, but it did show that good pitchers can shutdown this prolific offense. Their mediocre showing this week sees the Phillies drop 2 spots to #3.
4. (5) Cincinnati Reds: Season 77-52, Past Week 13 - 7
The Reds could have been higher this week if we only knew for sure which team they are. Are they the Big Red Machine that swept the Phillies and took 3 of 4 from the playoff bound Dodgers? Or are they the team that lost 2 of 3 against both the Braves and Padres, two teams that will be playing golf in October.
5. (7) Boston Red Sox: Season 74-55, Past Week 13 - 7
The Red Sox just keep getting better as the season wears on. Despite a close series loss against the White Sox, the Red Sox looked very impressive this week with series wins against Wild Card leading Kansas City and Toronto and a sweep of the AL South leading Devil Rays. Their pitching has been outstanding as they gave up 4 runs or less in all but three games this week. With Bollea coming off the DL next week, Boston is looking more and more like a serious contender.
6. (6) Los Angeles Dodgers: Season 79 -50, Past Week 11 - 9
Other than their setback losing 3 of 4 against the Reds, the Dodgers won series they should win taking 2 of 3 from five different non-playoff teams. Their pitching still impresses as they played many close games, but they need to win against the playoff teams to crack the top 5.
7. (9) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Season 77 -52, Past Week 12 - 8
That three game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox looms large, but the Rays move up two spots by virtue of their domination of non-playoff teams and a series win against the Angels. Their week opening series against the White Sox and week closing series against the Red Sox will tell quite a bit about their playoff prospects.
8. (4) Anaheim Angels: Season 74-55, Past Week 10 -10
Perhaps their opening ranking was a bit too high as the Angels were swept by the White Sox and beaten by Tampa. They also failed to impress in taking 4 of 7 from the Blue Jays. The best thing this team has going for it is that their large division lead will allow their regulars to be well rested for the playoffs.
9. (10) Kansas City Royals: Season 72-57, Past Week 12 - 8
The Royals are another tough team to peg as they were involved in more blowouts this week than any other team. Unfortunately, they were at the losing end of almost as many as they won. But Rivera just keeps on winning, and with him on their side their is still hope for this wild card team.
10. (NR) Florida Marlins: Season 71-58, Past Week 10 - 10
The Marlins have back doored they way onto the countdown this week with a mediocre week, while the Blue Jays had trouble competing with playoff teams and dropped off the list. A four game split with #2 Arizona is the highlight of the week. This is another team that lacks the consistency of the top teams and has an uncertain playoff future.
Dropped Out: (8) Toronto Blue Jays
Current Rank (Previous Rank)
1. (3) Chicago White Sox: Season 83-46, Past Week 16 - 4
The Sox were the hottest team of the week. After starting the week losing 2 out of 3 against the Yankees, the Sox went on a tear. They scored an impressive 3-game sweep of the AL West leading Angels and came within one extra inning loss of duplicating the feat against the AL East leading Red Sox. With impressive performances against the other division leaders, the Sox currently look like the team to beat.
2. (2) Arizona Diamondbacks: Season 84-45, Past Week 13 - 7
The Diamondbacks had a solid week as they won every series. In their only series with a possible playoff opponent, they took the series at Florida 2 -1, including a dramatic 11th inning victory in the first game which was a great pitcher's duel between #1 starters Tejada and White. This team just keeps on winning games with excellent pitching and stays put at #2 on the list.
3. (1) Philadelphia Phillies: Season 79-50, Past Week 10 - 10
The Phillies had a rough second half of the week with a 3-7 stretch, including a bad 3-game sweep at home versus the Cincinnati Reds in which they were outscored 26-9. The Phils were using their 3-4-5 starters in this series against the 5-1-2 of the Reds, but it did show that good pitchers can shutdown this prolific offense. Their mediocre showing this week sees the Phillies drop 2 spots to #3.
4. (5) Cincinnati Reds: Season 77-52, Past Week 13 - 7
The Reds could have been higher this week if we only knew for sure which team they are. Are they the Big Red Machine that swept the Phillies and took 3 of 4 from the playoff bound Dodgers? Or are they the team that lost 2 of 3 against both the Braves and Padres, two teams that will be playing golf in October.
5. (7) Boston Red Sox: Season 74-55, Past Week 13 - 7
The Red Sox just keep getting better as the season wears on. Despite a close series loss against the White Sox, the Red Sox looked very impressive this week with series wins against Wild Card leading Kansas City and Toronto and a sweep of the AL South leading Devil Rays. Their pitching has been outstanding as they gave up 4 runs or less in all but three games this week. With Bollea coming off the DL next week, Boston is looking more and more like a serious contender.
6. (6) Los Angeles Dodgers: Season 79 -50, Past Week 11 - 9
Other than their setback losing 3 of 4 against the Reds, the Dodgers won series they should win taking 2 of 3 from five different non-playoff teams. Their pitching still impresses as they played many close games, but they need to win against the playoff teams to crack the top 5.
7. (9) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Season 77 -52, Past Week 12 - 8
That three game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox looms large, but the Rays move up two spots by virtue of their domination of non-playoff teams and a series win against the Angels. Their week opening series against the White Sox and week closing series against the Red Sox will tell quite a bit about their playoff prospects.
8. (4) Anaheim Angels: Season 74-55, Past Week 10 -10
Perhaps their opening ranking was a bit too high as the Angels were swept by the White Sox and beaten by Tampa. They also failed to impress in taking 4 of 7 from the Blue Jays. The best thing this team has going for it is that their large division lead will allow their regulars to be well rested for the playoffs.
9. (10) Kansas City Royals: Season 72-57, Past Week 12 - 8
The Royals are another tough team to peg as they were involved in more blowouts this week than any other team. Unfortunately, they were at the losing end of almost as many as they won. But Rivera just keeps on winning, and with him on their side their is still hope for this wild card team.
10. (NR) Florida Marlins: Season 71-58, Past Week 10 - 10
The Marlins have back doored they way onto the countdown this week with a mediocre week, while the Blue Jays had trouble competing with playoff teams and dropped off the list. A four game split with #2 Arizona is the highlight of the week. This is another team that lacks the consistency of the top teams and has an uncertain playoff future.
Dropped Out: (8) Toronto Blue Jays
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)