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.

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.

Top 25 Under 25 in 25: #12

12. Felix Hernandez, RHP, Seattle Mariners

Felix is on the shortlist for best young pitchers in the game today. Felix has amazing stuff and tons of potential, but he hasn't quite harnessed it yet. Hernandez allowed 23 homers in his 31 starts last year, even though he struck out 176 batters. His mechanics have some slight problems in that he falls off to the first base side sometimes when he pitches and he uses his arm way too much to generate his power instead of using his considerable girth. But the thing to remember with Felix is that he's only 21, and he is striking out 8.9 batters per 9 innings this season, and I have to believe that he will dominate the American League in the coming years.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #13

13. Tim Lincecum, RHP, San Francisco Giants


It took the Giants awhile to bring Lincecum up, but thank God they did. Many people have expressed concerns over Lincecum's mechanics, but really they aren't bad at all. Lincecum has been compared to many pitchers, ranging from Koufax to Hershiser to Oswalt, but really he has a style all his own. He really rotates his hips so they almost face second base, and that, along with his tremendous arm speed helps generate his unbelievable velocity. Perhaps Lincecum could run into arm troubles later in his career due to the tough workload he went through at the University of Washington, but Lincecum has to be the best pitching prospect in the game today.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #14

14. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals

Zimmerman, the should have been NL ROY last year, is having a down year this year with the Nats. Zimmerman was drafted in 2005 out of the University of Virginia and was compared to Brooks Robinson defensively. Zimmerman has almost as many errors this season already (12) as he did last season (17). He had a 22 FRAA last season and just a 14 so far this year. Offensively Zimmerman hit 20 homers last year in RFK, arguably the best pitchers park in the majors. Even so, Zimmerman himself said he didn't have much power, and the homers were mostly a result of his line drives. Zimmerman doesn't have the upside of some of the people on this list, but he is almost a sure bet to be a steady contributor for the next decade.

Top 25 In 25 Under 25: #15

15. Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Longoria, the D Rays first pick last year, is already the best prospect in the system, and in Tampa that's saying something. Last season, Longoria split time among three levels and hit .315/.360/.597. Yes thats right, a .597 slugging percentage. This year, in his first full season in AA, Longoria is hitting .274/.385/.520. Many people compare him to Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, but in reality he has a much higher upside. He is younger and has put up better numbers so far, and Longoria will be a 10 time all star and will eventually be the among the best third basemen in the majors.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #16

16. Chris Young, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Young is a player who fits the old mold of what makes a good baseball player (athletic, fast, projectable) rather than the newfangled model (patient, hits for tons of power), but he still gets here at #16. Why? Well, while he wont hit for a high average, and his OBP is godawful (.288 so far this season), but he is projected to have a 20/20 season and is right on that pace, and in the future you could easily see him hitting 25 homers and stealing 30 bases a year, all while playing a plus centerfield (although it will be interesting to see what happens when 2005 #1 overall pick Justin Upton comes up).

Top 25 Under 25 in 25: #17

Admittedly I've been a little slow to update this what with the draft and the college baseball going on. Hopefully you all can forgive me as we jump back into it

17. Robinson Cano, 2B, New York Yankees

Last year Cano had a .308 EqA and a 8.9 WARP3. He also had a very good 28 BRAA (Batting Runs Above Average). Cano isn't blessed with much power, and he doesn't run extremely well, but he plays acceptable defense, and he can hit extremely well. He was third in the majors in hitting last year, and while that season appears to be an anomaly, he should keep building up from his 2005 season and develop into one of the best second basemen in the majors.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #18

18. Homer Bailey, SP, Cincinnati Reds

The 7th overall pick in 2004, Bailey seems poised for his MLB debut soon. The Reds have exausted reasons for not bringing Bailey up. They talked about Bailey's unusually low strikeout rates, but he has struck out 43 in 52.1 IP so far this season. He has also cut down his walks, for barely over a 1.00 WHIP. Bailey certainly can perform better than Eric Milton or Kyle Lohse over the long term, and with Kirk Saarloos recently being sent down, Bailey's arrival seems imminent.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #19

19. Russell Martin, C, Los Angeles Dodgers

One of the top young catchers in the game, Martin hit 10 homers in 415 at bats last season. He also displayed one of the rarer skills for a catcher to have by stealing 10 bases. This year Martin has nearly the same number of walks and strikeouts, along with a .308 EqA and a 2.8 WARP. Martin has nearly a .400 OBP, which means he should probably be hitting leadoff instead of Rafael Furcal or the godawful Juan Pierre. Martin should be one of the young centerpieces of this Dodgers lineup for at least the next five years, and possibly longer, as he shouldn't have to move from behind the plate

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #20

20. Delmon Young, OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Sure Delmon is only hitting .239/.281/.378, and yes he doesn't possess the greatest plate discipline, but he still has the overall skills package to become a superstar. Usually his lack of control over the strike zone would be cause for concern, but he has the pure athleticism to make up for it. A classic 5 tool player, the former #1 overall pick is part of a glut of young talent in the Tampa outfield-and he may be the best of all of them. Young should develop into a .280/.350/.450 type hitter, with the ability to hit 30 homers and steal 20 bases every season.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #21

21. Stephen Drew, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks

Drew, a first round pick out of Florida State, has star written all over him. Scouts have said he projects to be as good as his brother JD, but with all the benefits of being a shortstop. Drew was rumored to be the #1 pick when he came out, but signability issues due to his advisor, Scott Boras, led to him falling to the middle of the first round. Drew is in a bit of a funk so far this season, posting just a .303 OBP, but throughout his career Drew should be a .300/.370/.430 type of hitter: not a lot of power, but he can handle the bat well and is selective enough to post good OBP's for the next decade.

Top 25 Under 25 in 25: #22

22. Cole Hamels, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Hamels is quickly working his way into the top tier of pitchers. Currently second in the majors with 70 strikeouts, Hamels is way ahead of pace when he struck out 145 batters last season. Posessing a low to mid 90s fastball, Hamels makes his living with an amazing changeup that has scouts comparing it to Johan Santana's. Suprisingly, 58 of Hamels 70 strikeouts have come against right handed batters.

Recently, the Phillies have tried to dump some salary in an effort to rebuild, and there's no doubt that Hamels is the focal point of the Phillies' rebuilding efforts, especially as far as the rotation is concerned.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #23

23. Phillip Hughes, P, New York Yankees

Hughes was drafted 22nd overall by the Yankees in 2004. He currently is ranked #1 in the Yankees system, and was viewed as the poster boy of the Yankees' new focus on developing minor league talent. Last year in the minors Hughes struck out 168 batters and allowed just a .179 BAA. Hughes had just a .189 BAA in two major league starts this season, and he is currently on the disabled list. Scouts rave about Hughes, who has the talent to be an all star for years to come. Hughes has three major league plus pitches, and it is his third pitch, his changeup, which scouts say could end up being his best pitch. We'll no doubt be discussing a changeup as well tomorrow.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #24

For the next 25 or so days, I will be taking a look at the 25 best players in baseball under the age of 25. A quick note: a players age is taken into account. For example, for players of similar talents, a 20 year old is rated higher than a 25 year old. This would explain our next player....



24. Carl Crawford, OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays



Crawford, the do everything left fielder for the Devil Rays, has been their franchise player since he came into the league. His OBPs have been steadily climbing ever since he entered the majors, although it is currently at his career high, which is only .366. Crawford's talents lie in his feet. He has stolen 50+ bases three times in his career, and is on pace for 50 again this season. Crawford won't hit for a lot of power, but his speed and defense combine to make him a good all around player. He should get better, but he has limited upside when compared to other players that you'll see in this list, and that lands him at 24.

Top 25 Under 25 In 25: #25

Each day or so for the next 25 days, we'll be taking a look at the best 25 players in baseball under the age of 25.



25. Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers


The son of former Detroit Tiger Cecil Fielder, Prince has inherited his dad's mammoth body, and his ability to hit mammoth homeruns. Famously mentioned in the book Moneyball, Prince has blossomed into a good major league player. Fielder already has 11 homers this season, and looks to be a safe bet to eclipse his career high of 28, which he set last year. Although he is certainly a large man, Fielder can steal a few bases and is a good baserunner. His defense is improving at first, and he should develop into a .280+ hitter who will have a high OBP and the ability to hit 30 homeruns a year