The 10 Best Young Players in Major League Baseball - Part 2
21-year-old Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco Giants) was perhaps the most underappreciated baseball rookie in 2010. He wasn’t even called into the Major Leagues until later June, but once that happened he made sure to prove himself. He won seven out of 31
decisions, posted an ERA of 3.00 and made 18 starts for the Giants. His 1.13 ERA he helped the Giants win the National League West. He will most probably be the third starter for the defending world champions, given he had eight three-hit innings in Game 4
of the previous World Series.
Mike Stanton (Florida Marlins) led everyone to believe that he was more than just 20-years-old as he struck 22 long balls. He batted at .259 and doubled 21 times finishing with on OPS of 116. He is often compared to the likes of Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn.
Stanton ranked Number nine in the National League Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
Even though Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) is not a Major Leaguer yet, it won’t be long before he is. Harper had the once in a life time prospect of being selected as the Number one prospect in the overall pick the 2010 draft. He definitely managed
to impress a lot of people when he hit a home-run that covered a distance of 502 feet at the age of 16. He slugged four homers, won the Golden Spikes Award as the Country’s Best Amateur player and had a triple and a double in a College World Series game. At
first he was a pitcher with 96 miles per hour ball but now he plays as a catcher in the Nationals Minor League team. It is expected that he would be joining the Major League by the end of 2011, even though he is only 18.
Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals) was definitely a baseball prospect who was surrounded by a lot of hype. In the end he was selected by the Nationals as the Number one overall pick and he signed on for a four year deal with them. In his first start
he struck-out 14, walked two and allowed no earned runs in seven innings. Next, he managed 32 batters within his first three starts but as luck would have it he had to be operated on as disaster stuck in the form of a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He required
12-18 months of rehabilitations. Although he finished the 2010 season with 92 strike-outs in 98 innings, a 2.91 ERA and a 5-3 record, he is not expected back on the field till April 2012. Whether his greatness continues when he returns is one of the most anticipated
questions of 2012.
Jason Heyward (Atlanta Braves) is definitely thought of as a keeper. He managed to hit a home-run against three times All Star Carlos Zambrano when he was batting for the first time. He earned the title of Rookie of the Month for April and May and was named
as a starter for the All Star Team. His season concluded with 18 home-runs under his belt and 77 RBIs. He came 20th in the Most Valued Player voting. He is someone the Phillies need to look out for, he is dangerous at such a young age and time and
experience will only make him better. Guaranteed Heyward will be a on the All Star team time and again in his career.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: