Seems like the theme in this section is reclaimation projects and burgeoning greatness ands when I see guys like Crede and Sizemore here it reminds me of how tough it was to make this list.
59 Chris Carpenter, P, St Louis Cardinals
For ages Carpenter was the future for the Blue Jays rotation but injury after injury seemed to hamper his progress. A move to St Louis and he seemed to get a second wind and became the pitcher we always thought he could be. A fearless pitcher with a great hook and a lively fastball, he was good value for the Cy Young Award this year and who’s to say he can’t back it up with a similar showing next year?
58 Joe Crede, 3B, Chicago White Sox
People always talk about Joe Crede’s potential and how he doesn’t hit for a good enough average and truth be told, if he got his average above .280 he’d probably have a great season. What you need to remember is that he stays in the line-up everyday because he can take one out of the yard and he is the best defensive third baseman in the AL. If people stopped focussing so much on what he doesn’t do and focussed on what he does then he might get those Gold Gloves he deserves.
57 Joel Zumaya, P, Detroit Tigers
They say the downside on Joel Zumaya is that he could end up a Billy Wagner-esque closer. I bet every team in the league would love to have pitchers with that downside. He’s starting in the minors now and is striking guys out at a ridiculous rate and if he can get a third pitch to complement his three digit fastball and slurve then he could become a dominant starter. Either way he’ll be in The Majors soon and he is nasty.
56 Jake Westbrook, P, Cleveland Indians
I’ve been saying how good Westbrook is for ages. When Westbrook was leading the league in losses I was still telling people how good he was and come seasons end he had fifteen wins and I felt smug. He is a real gamer who guts it out in every start and gives his team a chance to win every fifth day and he’s one of those guys who still looks to go nine on every start. Westbrook is a quality pitcher. Why won’t people believe me?
55 Ivan Rodriguez, C, Detroit Tigers
Throughout his career Pudge Rodriguez might not have been Johnny Bench but he’s come as close as anyone ever has. He reaches for balls he used to block with his body and his power numbers are starting to decline but you always have to watch him when he plays because he still has that arm and still loves to show it off.
54 Roy Oswalt, P, Houston Astros
Clemens and Pettitte might have had the big years and put up the numbers but Oswalt is the ace of that staff. He has the great curve ball and the good fastball and is one of the most competitive pitchers around. He goes after hitters with the attitude of ‘here it is, what you going to do about it?’ One way or another the game will be decided with him on the mound.
53 Zack Greinke, P, Kansas City Royals
Greinke has it so tough on the Royals. He has no help offensively or defensively and the way he attacks the zone by changing speeds and location he needs his fielders to back him up. What impressed me about him this year was that he never stopped pitching to guys and some of his best starts were down the stretch after a long season of being beaten up and he’s only just turned 23. If they can put together a half decent team in Kansas City then he will win games.
52 Darin Erstad, 1B, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
If there was ever someone who played the game with more intensity than Darin Erstad they wouldn’t last too long because they would spontaneously combust. Erstad plays anywhere on the field, anywhere in the line-up and gives it his all. He’ll run through walls, knock guys over and would probably take a bullet if he had to.
51 Jeff Clement, C, Seattle Mariners
Clement hit 46 homeruns at Southern California which is second all time there to some guy called Mark McGwire who hit 54. Add to that power some decent raw tools defensively that he is working hard to refine with the help of Chad Kreuter, we have an intriguing catching prospect who warrants attention.
50 Mike Matheny, C, San Francisco Giants
Anyone who wants to know what it means to be a top defensive catcher should watch Matheny play. He uses his body like no one else to keep the ball in front of him, has tremendous lateral movement and great footwork to complement his ability to gun down base runners. His ability to call a game and handle a pitching staff are also as good as it gets. Sheer poetry in motion.
49 Billy Wagner, P, Philadelphia Phillies
He doesn’t look that big or intimidating but he manages to get that ball to the dish in a hurry. He doesn’t hit 100mph as much as he used to but he still is as nasty as they come and totally fearless. When he’s bringing it, there aren’t many who can handle it.
48 Gary Sheffield, RF, New York Yankees
I like this guy for a lot of the reasons why many people dislike him. Gary Sheffield has serious attitude and while some people see it as arrogance or petulance, I see it as an unquenchable desire to win and demanding nothing but the best. On top of all that attitude is the fastest bat in baseball and hit’s the ball so hard so often that the ball would probably go 600ft if those damn fences didn’t get in the way.
47 Rickie Weeks, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers
Its easy to like a guy who has Gary Sheffield-esque bat speed and great speed on the bases. Its even easier to like a guy who, in his rookie year, struggles down the stretch but never made excuses or complained even though he ended up having surgery at the end of the year on a thumb that had been hampering him for two months. Rickie Weeks will emerge very quickly as one of the most dynamic players in the game very, very soon and the Brewers have a big piece of that rebuilding puzzle right here.
46 Kerry Wood, P, Chicago Cubs
If Kerry Wood could stay healthy for a whole year he would strikeout 400 hitters and the reason I can say that is because he won’t happen. Its just never taken off for Wood the way it should have but whenever he is playing he is as tough as they come with an overpowering fastball and one of the great curves in the game. He struck out nineteen once and you know he can do it again against anyone, its just a matter of staying healthy.
45 Mark Prior, P, Chicago Cubs
With Mark Priors conditioning and mechanics he shouldn’t have the injury problems he does but we still have yet to see just how good he can be (and he can be the best if given a chance) and the way I see it, it will take two full seasons without injuries until we see him really become the force he was always thought to be but if he can’t get that soon then those injuries will add up and hinder him for the rest of his career.
44 Carlos Quentin, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Carlos Quentin is an on base machine with power and great defensive tools. Basically he has a tremendous baseball mind and an athletic body and as good as he is now, he will get better and then he’ll work to improve on that. As things stand he looks to be a Paul O’Neill producer but don’t be surprised if he the next Larry Walker emerges.
43 Yadier Molina, C, St Louis Cardinals
The youngest of the Molina boys and his brothers say he could be the best of the three which is saying something. He’s already Gold Glove quality behind the dish and did the almost impossible by replacing Matheny without missing a beat which says a lot about how good he could be.
42 Grady Sizemore, CF, Cleveland Indians
In this new age of baseball that seems to focus on numbers and statistical models there doesn’t seem to be much room for intangibles but every now and then something happens that leads to someone being plugged into a line-up and its like catching lightening in a bottle.
Grady Sizemore started off last year as the odd man out in the Indian outfield but got a chance to play due to an injury and once he was inserted into the lead-off spot the whole team clicked. He might not be the most statistically impressive player but he just makes things happen.
41 Mark Teixeira, 1B, Texas Rangers
The Rangers might have the best infield in baseball and often people focus on the former Yankee Alfonso Soriano or sparkplug extraordinaire Michael Young and sometimes they look at Mark Blalock (is he the slowest player in MLB?) and this seems to dull Mark Teixeira’s star and lets not beat about the bush, Mark Teixeira is one of the elite clean-up men in MLB and will be for a while.
40 Jeremy Bonderman, P, Detroit Tigers
Remember when, as a 21 year old rookie, Bonderman lost 19 games? When a guy bounces back from that you know he’s got the right stuff. Even after all that he pitches without fear and attacks hitters and as his body has filled out more and more and he’s gotten stronger, he has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the AL.
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