The Up-and Comers

Baseball is a sport for men, but you've got to have a lot of little boy in you. There are a lot of players in their first few years in the game that have caught my eye and could be on the fast track to super-stardom. Here's my lineup: *crowd roaring*

Leading Off~ Dexter Fowler CF

Batting second~ Gordon Beckham 2B

Batting third~ Matthew Wieters C

Batting Cleanup~ Chris Davis 1B

Batting Fifth~ Pablo Sandoval 3B

Batting Sixth~ Jay Bruce RF

Batting Seventh~ Elvis Andrus SS

Batting Eighth~ Jordan Schafer LF

Starting Pitcher~ Tommy Hanson

Closer~ Daniel Bard

Fowler~ This speedster for the Rockies is bringing the art of the stolen base back with style. 9 SB's through 22 games has him near the league lead and being able to cover a lot of ground in a fly ball happy park Coors Field is exactly what this Fantasy team neads.

Beckham~ Heavily touted by the "big club's" skipper (Ozzie Guillen) Beckham is a five-tool player. He is batting a chin hair under .300 (.299) for the White Sox AA affiliate and has an OPS of .896. Shortstop by trade, but the South Siders want him for 2^nd base, in fantasy world he would probably get the occasional start at SS and become eligible in both positions.

Wieters~ This catcher has been hailed as Joe Mauer with Morneau power. He hits from both sides of the plate and if not for the "business of baseball" he would be starting over journeyman Greg Zaun. His gaudy 2008 stats were: .355 BA 27 HR's and 91 RBI's. The O's have themselves a legitimate backstop for years to come if they can keep a player of his caliber under contract.

Davis~ Although off to a slow start in 2009, 2008 saw an emerging slugger in Arlington. 17 HRs in 80 games begs the question, what would his first full season bring? Hitting in a star studded lineup (Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, and Josh Hamilton) should reward Davis ample opportunities to drive in runs. First base is his for as long as the Rangers want him.

Sandoval~ This grip-and-rip slugger from San Fran is a clean-up hitter in the making. Thus far in '09 the third baseman is hitting .319 and emerging as the only power source in an anemic Giant lineup. Also having the versatility to play 1B and Catcher makes him a coach's dream and an invaluable member to your organization.

Bruce~ Playing on what could be a contender in October Jay Bruce is the only power bat the Red Legs have left in their outfield. With 6 HRs through Tuesday he is on pace to hit 30+ and that definitely gets him a spot on my "up and comer" squad.

Andrus~ This slick fielding rookie SS for the rangers moved their resident All-Star SS (Michael Young) to 3B. He's gotta be good, right? Precisely. He may need a year of seasoning at the big league level to adjust to the pitching but with the way this young man throws the leather around there is NO other SS his age capable of getting to the balls that he does. Gotta be strong up the middle to win in this league!

Schafer~ Anyone who hits an HR in his first AB should at least get some consideration. I'm not sure what it is about this kid but I'm jumping on his bandwagon. He's got a short little left hand stroke and is a plus defender who is capable of playing EVERY outfield slot. He may not hit .300 as a rookie but this kid is going to be a stud.

Hanson~ If it weren't for the Braves pitching staff throwing lights out right now, Tommy "gun" Hanson woulde be their number four starter. The firevalling 2yr old has a 1.69 ERA and 38 K's in 26 IP. If anyone falters Hanson will be on the first train to the 'Dirty South'.

Bard~ As far as closers in the making Daniel Bard fits the bill. He's got a triple-digits fastball, knee buckling slider, and compliment that with surgical like accuracy . When Papelbon leaves at the end of the season because the Sox won't pay him what he "thinks" he's worth (see K-Rod contract 3yr 37 mil). Why pay someone that when you have a farm system practically giving you someone else younger who throws harder? No brainer to me. In steps Bard, out steps Paps and once again the boy genius that is Theo Epstein will be proven that he is the best GM in baseball.

Yes there were players that I didn't mention, Matt Laporta, David Price, and Rick Porcello just to name a few. But that just goes to show, how rich the talent pool is for these boys of summer. Who's going to be in our children's dreams and on our fantasy teams for years to come? I wouldn't be against any of these young men to be the poster boys of the league in 5 years time.

Stay Tuned

Ryan