(Last week, Anthony ranked baseball’s best young pitchers under 24 years of age.. This week, he takes a look baseball’s top young position players.)
Maybe it’s because the pressure to start rookies in the NFL and NBA is greater, but doesn’t it seem more exciting to watch young players develop into stars in baseball than any other sport? There’s just something about watching a 23 or 24-year-old make his debut on the diamond that’s more exciting than when a rookie makes his first start on the gridiron or hardwood.
Granted, it’s still fun to watch rookies play in football and basketball, but young baseball players don’t seem to get the same kind of hype. It takes youngsters in MLB months of strong production to get media attention and that in itself should make fans have an appreciation for how hard it is for baseball players to succeed at a young age.
It may seem strange, but there isn’t a bevy of young, superstar talent in MLB. Most of the “young” stars like Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard and Matt Holliday are all closer to 30 than they are 25. That said, who are baseball’s top young players at each position?
Below is a list of eight players that are already stars or quickly becoming ones. The age cutoff was 24, so as with any list or ranking, there were some snubs. It was hard to leave off players like Russell Martin (25), Miguel Cabrera (25) and Hunter Pence (25), but what are you going to do? There has to be some cutoff.
As always, feel free to argue the hell out of which players I snubbed.
Catcher: Brian McCann, 24, Atlanta Braves
With Russell Martin missing the cut at 25 years of age, McCann gets the nod as baseball’s top young catcher. And based on his numbers so far this season, McCann might have gotten the nod over Martin anyway. He’s tied with the Cubs’ Geovany Soto for most home runs (10) among catchers this season and he’s hitting an impressive .315. He’s also leading the league in doubles with 16 and even though he’s been overshadowed by teammate Chipper Jones’ amazing season, McCann has been one of the NL’s best hitters this year.
First Base: Prince Fielder, 24, Milwaukee Brewers
There’s simply no other choice for first base: Prince is King (ah, you get what I mean). Even though he got off to a slow start in April and early May, Fielder is starting to heat up this season. He’s currently batting .282 with 10 dingers and 32 RBI and while he might not blast 50 home runs again like he did a year ago, he has the best pop of any young hitter in the game. Although, with the way he’s hit recently, the Reds’ Joey Votto at least deserves mention here, too.
Second base: Dustin Pedroia, 24, Boston Red Sox
The two-bagger doesn’t offer a lot in terms of young talent, but Pedroia is the best of the bunch. He emerged as an everyday player in the BoSox’ championship run last year and has remained consistent both at the plate and defensively this season. He’s currently hitting .276, which certainly isn’t anything to brag about, but he does offer a little pop (four home runs this season) and can steal a base from time to time (six). He’s also easy to root for with the way he plays the game hard.
Third base: Ryan Braun, 24, Milwaukee Brewers
Say what? He’s a regular in the Brewers outfield now? Well, he proved last year that he can play the hot corner, so I’m going to bend the rules to fit him here. Anyone who thought Braun’s rookie year would turn out to be a fluke is sadly mistaken. Thus far Braun is hitting .296, has knocked in 44 RBI and has blasted 16 long balls. The former 2005 first round pick is quickly becoming one of the best young hitters in the game and has the potential to become a superstar. His average might dip, but if he continues to hit as well as he has thus far, Braun will easily top the 34 home runs and 97 RBI that he produced last year. If I wasn’t a cheater, Alex Gordon, Ryan Zimmerman, Evan Longoria or even Mark Reynolds could have gotten a look at third base, too.
Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez, 24, Florida Marlins
This position haunted me last year and it’s going to do so again this year. Both Ramirez and the Mets’ Jose Reyes are five-tool players who can hit for average, steal bases and score runs. But Ramirez has a little more pop and his defense is also better, giving him the slight edge. Reyes already has 10 errors thus far this year, which is incredibly high considering it’s not even the All-Star break yet. Both players are excellent young talents, however, and it’s too bad I can only choose one shortstop for this team.
Outfield: B.J. Upton, 23, Tampa Bay Rays
Just like all the outfielders that made this list, Upton is a fantastic young prospect. While his power numbers are down from a year ago (he only has three home runs this year compared to the 24 he hit in 2007), his .307 average and 18 stolen bases are solid. He’s also made a nice transition from middle infielder to centerfielder, has added a great deal of speed to the club’s outfield and has been a huge contributor to the surprising first-place Rays. It’s amazing to think Upton is still at least four years away from reaching his prime potential.
Outfield: Nick Markakis, 24, Baltimore Orioles
The Stros’ Hunter Pence might have gotten the nod here, but he just misses the cut at 25. Markakis started the year like a bat out of hell, hitting .345 midway through April, but has since tapered off and is now only averaging .262. He’s one of the games best young defensive players, however, and is incredibly well rounded. He’s hit just shy of 10 home runs with nine, has swiped seven bags and he can get on base at a decent clip, too (.813 OPS). He also has shown great range in the outfield and has one of the stronger arms in the game. By the end of the year, his average should creep back up to around .295 and if he keeps up the current pace, he might top the career-best 23 home runs he had last year.
Outfield: Chris Young, 24, Arizona Diamondbacks
Young is in the midst of a nasty slump (his batting average has dipped to .239), but a blind field mouse could see the kid’s potential. He already has 12 home runs, 31 RBI and 42 runs on the year, plus his stolen base production should increase once he starts getting on base again. He also plays a great centerfield and once the D-Backs shake the current funk they’re in, Young’s numbers should start to improve. The Red Sox’ Jacoby Ellsbury also deserves mention here, although his at bats are low in comparison to the rest of the 24 and younger outfielders.
With McFadden’s deal finalized, three of the top four picks in April’s draft have already signed deals. No. 1 pick Jake Long got a $57.75 million, five-year contract with $30 million guaranteed from Miami and third pick Matt Ryan got a $72 million, six-year contract with $34.75 million guaranteed from Atlanta.
