Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #10

Admittedly real life has gotten in the way of blogging a bit in the past couple of weeks. But once I get back to school I'll definitely have more free time, so hang in there readers, all three of you....

10. Howie Kendrick, 2B, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Even though he is ranked #10 here, I'm not as high on Kendrick as many baseball experts seem to be. Granted, I'm not as smart as guys like Nate Silver and Joe Sheehan, and I realize Kendrick is a second baseman, but I don't see him having a lot of power and I don't think his OBP will be too much higher than his batting average since he swings at a lot of pitches-both good and bad. That being said, Kendrick will probably develop into a guy who hits 12-15 homers a year and will hit .320 or so, so when he wins a couple of batting titles and has OBPs north of .400, I guess everyone can show me this article and laugh.

Former #1 Pick Switches from Short to the Mound

Matt Bush, who the Padres drafted number one overall back in 2004 has officially moved from shortstop to pitcher. There was much speculation about the move, and it was well deserved, since Bush hit just .221/.291/.276 in three years of pro ball spread out at four different levels. Also, Bush suffered some minor injuries which helped decrease his range in the field. However, Bush still possesses a fantastic arm, and has topped out at 98 mph so far on the mound.

Bush will probably end up being the type of pitcher who will sit in the mid 90s and then rear back when he needs to to get to 98. This is a positive move all around, as Bush was seen as one of the biggest busts ever for a #1 pick, but this switch to the mound is the first step to hopefully a major league career for Matt Bush.

Lee signs with Senators

North Dakota defenseman Brian Lee, Ottawa's first round pick in 2005, has signed a deal with the Senators, forgoing his last two seasons of eligibility. At this point the native of Moorhead, Minnesota is the Fighting Sioux's only loss on the blueline. Lee totaled 53 points in two seasons in Grand Forks. Lee's departure will probably be felt much more on paper than on the ice. Lee's lackluster defensive efforts led to Blake Wheeler's overtime winner in the 2007 WCHA Final Five, along with Boston College's first empty net goal in the Frozen Four.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #11

11. Jeremy Bonderman, SP, Detroit Tigers

Bonderman, who before a couple of years ago was probably best known as the pitcher who caused Billy Beane to throw his chair in the book Moneyball, has lowered his ERA by a half run in each of his major league seasons. Last year he also topped the 200 strikeout plateau for the first time in his major league career. This year he also has a 4 defense independent ERA, which is a full half run lower than the league average. Also, this year is on pace to have his lowest walk total of his career. Bonderman should continue to put up large strikeout numbers, and if he keeps his walk numbers down he could develop into the best starter in the AL not named Santana.