List of top 100 performers in the game – MLB 2012 Update - Part 21
39. David Price
David Price is one of the many bright young players the Tampa Bay Rays has produced and developed over the last decade or so. Price has improved his game play significantly since he joined the Rays and he eventually made the leap form a much hyped prospect
to a staff ace.
Although the left hander struggled to fulfil his immense potential in an up and down first full season, he produced match winning performances in the 2010 season, going 19-6 with an incredible 2.72 ERA, starting the All Star game. Following his consistent
performances, he finished second in the American League Cy Young vote.
Things continued to get better for the 26-year-old starter in 2011 as he displayed some high quality pitching skills throughout the year. Improving with every game, Price posted his career best stats in the past season with 3.2 FIP and 4.7 WAR. Furthermore,
his already impressive K/9 rose from 8.11 to 8.76, while his BB/9 went down by one run during the same period of time.
Price is still very new to Major League Baseball and it will not be wrong to say that he is still learning the art of pitching. If he wants to do well at this level, he will be looking to work hard on all aspects of his game. Consistency and self belief
will also play a crucial role in his success.
"It's pretty unique. It's a good opportunity for me to have. You know, this is a very tough lineup obviously and it is a tough lineup to pitch against, and it's a lineup that I really hadn't had a whole lot of success against in the past," said Price in
an interview.
He further added that, "So it will be good for -- something for me to be able to get off my back whenever we get this over with, and that's what I am looking to do."
40. Mike Stanton
After punishing the Minor League pitching for four years, Mike Stanton was promoted from AA straight to Major League Baseball in June 2010. Hitting 22 home-runs with 59 RBI’s and an .833 OPS in 100 games, he showed the fans a glimpse of the talent that caused
Baseball America to rank him third in the list of best prospects in the game prior to 2010.
In his first full season in MLB, Stanton displayed some high quality hitting skills as he finished fifth in the National League. Hitting 34 home-runs with an impressive .537 SLG, he looked in commanding form.
Handling the pressure absolutely brilliantly, the slugger posted a sensational 138 wRC+ and 4.5 WAR. Since he burst on to the scene at the high school level, Stanton has shown he is a pure athlete.
Stanton has been one of the key players for the Marlins for the last couple of seasons. In addition to his power hitting skills, the player can contribute significantly in the field as his Fld has remained decent since he debuted in 2010.
However, he has been criticised occasionally for his weak base running (3.8 career BsR) and that can be expected of a such a young player. However, if he continues to play his natural game and with some more MLB experience, he can lead the Marlins to great
results.
Continued in Part 22
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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