07.23.2010: How sweet it is!

First place! Great win for the Lunkers last night. They try improve their lead tonight with the birthday boy, Charlie Henderson, on the hill.

Be sure to check in tomorrow as I will publish a Hot Sports Opinion about one of our very own Lunkers. For today, you get to meet Patrick Nathanson, and find out who wins the NL West debate...


Just a refresher on criteria: I am only analyzing players 27 and younger on each team's 40-man roster based predominantly on their MLB production and what it might project to...

Winners
AL East: Tampa Bay
AL Central: Detroit
AL West: Texas

NL East: Atlanta Braves
NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers
NL West:?????

San Diego Padres: Shocked the Padres are still leading the NL West and remain one of the best teams in the Major Leagues? Get used to it. They have one of the most underrated young corps of pitchers in the big leagues.Matt Latos is as advertised and at 22 is picking apart MLB batters. Wade LeBlanc (25) is pitching very well and Clayton Richard (26) has proven to be a late bloomer, as the once highly-touted prospect is starting to figure it out. That staff will keep them in the NL West for years to come, as I suspect all three will continue to improve.

Offensively, they are not quite as strong in the youth department but the potential is there. Chase Headley is having his best year in his young career in 2010, but I don't see an upside much steeper than what he is showing for the 26 year old--not that that is too terrible of a thing, he is still a pretty good player. Kyle Blanks has the most potential of 'em all. A 6'6" outfielder with raw power, Blanks has the talent to succeed in the majors, but it is now a question as to whether he is a legitimate hitter, or just a big guy with great power that Minor League Pitchers somehow couldn't work around.

Tony Gwynn Jr. is a nice piece, but he has pretty much shown you what you will get from him. The real question, offensively, is Aaron Cunningham. He has gotten a small sampling of playing time this season and done well. At 24, Cunningham has plenty of offensive upside as a toolsy outfielder.

Don't forget about 23 year-old lefty, Aaron Poreda, on the pitching side, adding more depth to that young staff.

Overall, staff great, hitting pretty ordinary as far as the youth department goes.

Youth Leader: Latos, without a doubt. A sub 3.00 ERA for a 22 year-old pitcher is pretty ridiculous, I don't care where you pitch.

San Francisco Giants: Ummmmm...you think Brian Sabean goes to bed dreaming of the Giants teams to come in the next few years? Where do you start? Ok, I'll start with pitching.

Tim Lincecum is, at 26, arguably the best pitcher in baseball. You know who is not too far behind him? Twenty-five year old, Matt Cain, the Giants' #2 starter. Oh, and Madison Bumgarner is 20 years old and in his first five starts he has a 2.41 ERA. Yes, 5 starts is a small sampling, but the guy comes in with tons of regard and is kind of-sort of showing why. Oh, and did I mention he is only 20? I guess we can also mention Jonathan Sanchez, the hard-throwing lefty apparently has figured it out. He has a 3.47 ERA through 19 starts this season. Is the ace his stuff suggests he could be? No...not that he might not continue to develop. But a #4 guy that throws in the high 90's from the left side? I'll take it.

Ok, to the sticks we go. Don't look too much into Pablo Sandoval's down season. The guy is 23 and coming off a season in which he hit .330. You don't just luck into a .330 average when you hit with as much power as Sandoval does and runs as slowly as he does. Some guys boost their average in a given year because of a spike in infield hits...that guy is definitely not Sandoval. He is a struggling a bit this year, yes, but don't be worried.

You know who isn't struggling? Buster Posey. He is 23 as well. The 1B has 8 home runs this season and is in the middle of a 16 game hitting streak. Once again, I am well aware that some of the most ordinary players in baseball history have had 8 home runs over a 50-game span that includes averages equal to or better than Posey's .353 clip, but when a first-rounder like Posey, who scouts say is one of the brightest hitting prospects of the decade, delivers this soon, are you supposed to just brush it aside?

Waiting in the wings is talented prospect Francisco Peguero, the 22 year-old outfielder.

Is the quantity there with the bats? No. But that's okay when your "quality" consists of two of the best young hitters in all of baseball.

Youth Leader: I guess Lincecum because you can't ignore a guy with 2 CY Youngs at the age of 26.

Colorado Rockies: Okay, let's get something straight. Ubaldo Jimenez (26) is very good. There is no doubt he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. But, he is not the most dominant pitcher in baseball like his 2010 numbers might suggest. He is without a doubt one of the ten best MLB arms 27 or younger, and maybe in the top 5, but I don't think it is a guarantee. Regardless, he is pretty frickin' good, let's not take that away from him.

Jhoulys Chacin (22) has a very bright future and is getting some great experience in the bigs this season--he will only get better. But outside of he and Jimnenez there is not a ton. Franklin Morales has not really panned out, though, at 24 he still has time. Greg Smith and Jason Hammel are servicable but nothing that makes me go crazy.

Offensively, there is definitely talent. Carlos Gonzalez is one of the brightest offensive players in the league. He is the total package at the plate and in the field. Dexter Fowler has plenty of talent, though his 2010 numbers don't show much. Let's not forget Troy Tulowitzki (25), one of the best short stops in the game. Ian Stewart is not a bad supplemental piece either, but he is not someone you build a lineup around like Gonzalez or Tulo.

Youth Leader: Tough to go against Tulo or Gonzalez but you can't turn away from Jimenez. Ask me same time next year and I guarantee its Gonzalez without hesitation.

Los Angeles Dodgers: I am surprised this team is not better this year, future aside. But, they will be competitive for years to come because of a very strong core. Between Clayton Kershaw (22) and Matt Kemp (25), the Dodgers have one of the best young pitchers and hitters in baseball. Kershaw, a lefty, continues to turn heads and he still is only 22 years old. Once he improves his control just a bit, he will take home at least one CY Young, likely more. Kemp, in centerfield, does it all. I don't think he'll get there, but he is one of the few 40-40 threats in baseball.

Chad Billingsley (25) is already pretty good, but has potential to be much better. One night he amazes you and then the next time out he is ordinary. There is still time for him to find some consistency and I have a feeling it is coming. Another young arm, James McDonald, has tons of talent out of the pen, but he will likely be a bullpen guy and that only gets you so much credit in this debate, especially because McDonald doesn't project to be the next dominant bullpen guy, rather a guy who will be very good.

Yeah, Jonathan Broxton is 26 and he is very good, but something about him scares me as far as signing him to a long term deal is concerned. I don't know what, exactly. I can't pinpoint it.

Russell Martin just isn't the same. If he was the 2008 Russell Martin, let's talk about a lineup to be reckoned with for the future, but he isn't, and it isn't. James Loney is good, but he is a first baseman without much power.

Youth Leader: Clayton Kershaw. No questions asked.

Arizona Diamondbacks: This division, in general, is the strongest division top to bottom as far as youth corps is concerned. The Diamondbacks have got some stuff going for them. First off, 22 year-old Justin Upton is one of the best young bats in baseball--he has speed, he's got power, and he can hit for average. Gerardo Parra is supposed to be a top of the order guy from the left side of the plate and, while he hasn't shown that yet, he is still only 23. At the other end of this age spectrum, 27 year-old Stephen Drew isn't a superstar like some used to project, but he is pretty good. Mark Reynolds (26) is someone I'll take on my team any day. Yeah, he strikes out a ton and his average is down, but the guy produces runs, he can run, and he plays a very good 3B...oh, and did I forget to mention he is one of the few remaining MLB players with mid-40 HR power? Another one of those guys with tons of pop is 26 year old Chris Young. Does he have Reynolds power? Tough to say, but if he doesn't, he is not far behind. The former White Sox farm hand is doing it with the long ball, but with the average as well, a big step for the outfielder with 40-40 potential.

The D-Backs, however, are pretty bare as far as the arms are concerned. Edwin Jackson is pretty good, but at 26 and with a lot of mileage, he has not shown that he is an ace. Scouts thought that could be Ian Kennedy, but the 25 year old isn't either. Both have the talent to be pretty good #2 pitchers--Jackson has come much closer to realizing that potential than Kennedy.

Youth Leader: Justin Upton. But its pretty tough to pass on a guy like Young with 40-40 potential.

And the Winner Is...The San Francisco Giants. How can you not pick a team with four young studs in their future staff--two of whom are already among the best in baseball, another who, at 20, is showing he is on his way, and the last piece, who, on most other teams would be a pretty darn good #2. And, they have two of the best young hitting prospects in baseball...I didn't have to labor on this one.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers: They get the edge because I'd take the younger Kershaw over Jimenez and Kemp over Gonzalez.
3. Colorado Rockies: If this debate includes the entire farm system, they jump LAD.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks: No pitching, but the best young hitting other than SF
5. San Diego Padres: Yeah, they are last, but they would be higher if it included full organization and I would be perfectly fine inheriting this bunch.

Next Post we will determine an overall winner!