Harper vs. Trout; Who's More Important?

By: Mike Wagenman

Two of the best young players in the major leagues are, without a doubt, Bryce Harper of the Nationals and Mike Trout of the Angels.  They are 19 and 20, respectively, and arguably have more potential than almost any prospect in the past decade.  While Harper’s every at-bat is national news, Trout is somehow flying under the radar out in California and seems undeservingly overshadowed.  Arguing over who is the better player between the two is like splitting hairs, and it is much too early on in their careers.  However, I posed the question “who is more important to the success of his respective team?” on Twitter a few days back, and got some mixed responses.  Here is a closer look.

Since being called up on April 28^th and debuting against the Dodgers, Harper is hitting .280 with seven home runs, 20 RBI and a .361 on-base percentage.  All very stellar numbers for a rookie indeed.  However, the Nationals were 14-6 before Harper was added to the major league roster and are just 27-24 since.  Although it is still early, the Nats’ record does not indicate extreme benefit from Harper’s presence.  Some benefit, yes.  Harper also seems to be in the midst of a rookie slump; it looks as though opposing pitchers are figuring him out, as evident by his 0-7 with five strikeouts performance in a 14-inning loss to the Yankees.  He is hitting just .186 with an on-base percentage of .255 and 14 strikeouts in his past 11 games.  In those 11 games, Harper has not hit a home run and has only driven in one run. 

With Michael Morse and Ryan Zimmerman limited by injury, Adam LaRoche coming back down to earth, and the role players playing average at best, Washington has been counting on their 19-year-old outfielder to put the team on his shoulders and make his teammates better.  It is a tall task for anyone, let alone a rookie.  It is also no secret that the Nationals are driven by their pitching, with a league best 2.97 ERA and .220 batting average against.  Judging by the numbers and trends, it seems that the Nationals pitching is more beneficial than Harper.

On the flip side of the coin in Los Angeles/Anaheim, the Angels’ rookie has done nothing short of carrying his team.  Trout is leading the American League with a .338 batting average.  In just 51 games at the big league level, compared to around 70 for most other regular starters, Trout is first in stolen bases (21), sixth in OPS (.931), third in on-base percentage (.399), as told by Jake Dal Porto of Bustasports.  He is the leadoff man for the Angels, and is a true catalyst at the top of the lineup.  Opposing pitchers and catchers have been concerned about Trout on the bases, usually leading to mistakes, hits, and runs for the Angels. 

The Angels were a lowly 6-14 before Trout was called up, but are 32-19 since and have gained five games on the division leading Rangers.  While Harper is still a work-in-progress in the outfield, Trout is a legitimate Gold Glove candidate in the outfield.  He has just one error, and uses his speed to cover an incredible amount of ground.  He has made driving, running, and jumping catches all season long, saving runs for his team.  Trout’s constant presence on the bases has lead to a higher batting average for his teammates like Torii Hunter, Albert Pujols, Kendrys Morales, and Mark Trumbo, most of who were struggling to start the year.  Trout has proven to be a game-changer, and a guy that drives the Angel offense.

Although Bryce Harper has an infinite amount of talent and potential, it is clear that Mike Trout has done far more for his team.  Yet, somehow he still does not get the recognition he deserves.  His speed, hitting, and defense change games for Los Angeles.  Tune in to watch Harper and the Nationals take on the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET and Trout and the Angels take on the Orioles at 7:05 PM ET.

Sources: ESPN, Bustasports, SweetSpot Network

MLB Fantasy Team - With A Twist

By: Corey Donetz

I'm a lover of the game of baseball, and a fantasy draft enthusiast. All of this led to the idea of crafting a Major League Baseball team entirely out of players 23 years of age or younger. The team I constructed includes players only 23 or younger (to date). I used a mixture of stats (hard stats and sabermetrics) and the all important eye-test.

First off, we'll get to the position players. The majority of the players are right-handed, with the exception of the first basemen and two outfielders.

(Name/Age/Team/Handedness)

Designated Hitter:

Jesus Montero (22) Seattle Mariners (R) 

Montero is off to a slow start in his first full year, but like the rest of these players he's very young and has an extremely high ceiling of potential. He has played a lot of DH, but can also play first base and catcher.

Catcher:

Salvador Perez (22) Kansas City Royals (R)

Wilin Rosario (23) Colorado Rockies (R)

Perez was injured prior to the start of the season, but he is no doubt a professional hitter. In limited time due to getting hurt, Perez has shown how good of a hitter he is. Even at the young age of 22, he is already one of the best offensive catchers in the league. 

First Base:

Eric Hosmer (22) Kansas City Royals (L)

Freddie Freeman (22) Atlanta Braves (L)

Freeman's numbers are better than Hosmer's numbers so far this season, but I believe that Hosmer is the better player and he will turn it around this year. Both players are very well-rounded, but their offense is their meat and potatoes.

Second Base:

Brett Lawrie (22) Toronto Blue Jays (R)

The Jays struck gold when acquiring Lawrie from the Brewers, and although he is very hot-headed, there is no doubting his skills on the field. He can hit for average, and has some pop in his bat. Lawrie has played mostly 3B with Toronto, but he can also play other spots in the infield including second base.

Third Base:

Will Middlebrooks (23) Boston Red Sox (R) 

Mike Moustakas (23) Kansas City Royals (R)

Moustakas has show spurts of how good he can be, but has been consistently inconsistent. Middlebrooks is among the leaders in almost every offensive category among rookies, and has a very respectable glove at the hot corner.

Shortstop:

Starlin Castro (22) Chicago Cubs (R)

Elvis Andrus (23) Texas Rangers (R)

Starlin Castro is an amazing talent, a career .300 hitter, and is arguably the best shortstop in baseball (top 3 in my opinion). Andrus is no slouch either, but when put on a team with Castro he'd have to be the second option. 

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The outfield gets a little tricky. My heart wants me to start Jason Heyward, but his defense of late has been lackluster, and has been very inconsistent at the plate. However, he and Harper can be switched pretty easily at this point and time. 

Left Field:

Bryce Harper (19) Washington Nationals (L) 

Jason Heyward (22) Atlanta Braves (L)

Harper has tremendous arm strength, is hitting just under .300 since being called up to the big leagues and has an OBP of .372. At the incredibly young age of 19, you really can't ask much more than that. The power numbers will increase as he plays more.

Center Field:

Mike Trout (20) Los Angeles Angels (R) 

Jason Heyward (22) Atlanta Braves (L)

Mike Trout has speed that is rarely possessed by anybody to play baseball. He can cover a lot of ground in the outfield, hit for average, steal bases, and has pop in his bat as well. If Trout can stay healthy he has the ability to be one of the most complete players to ever play.

Right Field:

Giancarlo Stanton (22) Miami Marlins (R) 

Jason Heyward (22) Atlanta Braves (L)

Power. Stanton has a lot of it. He hits homeruns that only a few can even try to mimic. His average in 2012 is just under .300; if he can keep his average up, while still having the same power numbers, it could be very scary for opponents. He also has a canon in the outfield to go with the offense.

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Now for the pitching. There were two starting pitchers that got cut from the rotation and moved to the bullpen. Those two are Rick Porcello and Chris Sale. Porcello has struggled and would be the long relief option, while on the contrary, Chris Sale has been outstanding for the White Sox as a starter this year. Sale has great stuff and saw time in the pen before becoming a starter for the Sox this season. With lack of lefty options for the bullpen, Sale could bring a lot to this team in a set-up man role.

Starting Pitcher:

Stephen Strasburg (23) Washington Nationals (R)

Madison Bumgarner (22) San Francisco Giants (L)

Jarrod Parker (23) Oakland Athletics (R)

Matt Moore (22) Tampa Bay Rays (L)

Michael Pineda (23) New York Yankees (R)

For all of these pitchers the main key is staying healthy. Strasburg and Pineda have both already encountered major injuries. Strasburg has recovered and returned with great stuff, Pineda will try and do the same once he is healthy again. 

 Closer:

Addison Reed (23) White Sox (R) 

Relief Pitcher:

Rick Porcello (23) Detroit Tigers (R)

Julio Teheren (21) Atlanta Braves (R)

Drew Smyly (22) Tigers (L)

Kelvin Herrera (22) (R)

Chris Sale (23) White Sox (L)

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Lineup:

1. Mike Trout CF (R)

2. Starlin Castro SS (R)

3. Bryce Harper LF (L)

4. Giancarlo Stanton RF (R)

5. Jesus Montero DH (R)

6. Eric Hosmer 1B (L)

7. Will Middlebrooks 3B (R)

8. Salvador Perez C (R)

9. Brett Lawrie 2B (R)

SP: Stephen Stasburg (R)

With the lack of lefties Harper and Hosmer were split up to balance the lineup. The lineup has decent speed throughout, with a lot in the top. Lawrie at the bottom helps turn the lineup over well, an of course the power in the middle of the lineup.

For a team of players all 23 and younger, this would certainly be a team to be reckoned with.

Follow me on Twitter: @TheFutureIs_Now

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*Photo Credits: ESPN.com

Sources: 

ESPN.com

FanGraphs.com

BaseballReference.com

MLB.com

Affiliates of MLB.com

Twitter.com

"Ack" Attack

A feature on Mariners 2B Dustin Ackley


By: Mike Wagenman

The Seattle Mariners are a young, up-and-coming baseball team with their sights set on long term success. Their roster is filled with young players who possess worlds of potential, and who are showing how good they can really be when given the chance. Ace “King” Felix Hernandez has won a Cy Young Award at the age of 25; right-handed rookie starting pitcher Michael Pineda has a 2.68 ERA at age 22; first baseman Justin Smoak is anchoring the middle of the lineup at the age of 24; and left fielder Carlos Peguero is rapidly improving, also at age 24. For the Mariners, one other young man is about to join the party.

Standing at 6'1”, and just 182 lbs., Dustin Ackley is not as physically imposing as one might expect from a 2^nd overall draft pick. Former Mariners great and future first ballot Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. said of Ackley after he was drafted, “we finally found someone skinnier than Ichiro!” However, 23 year old Ackley, despite his slightly slender stature, sure knows how to hit a baseball as well as anyone most scouts have ever seen.

Ackley stormed through the Mariners farm system carrying much hype, leaving the Mariner faithful with much anticipation. In fact, the Mariners official Twitter page was bombarded over the past few weeks with begs and pleas from fans to call up Ackley to strengthen the 29^th ranked offense in baseball. Finally, on June 17^th, after hitting .303 in Triple-A, the fans got their wish, as Seattle officially promoted the lanky second baseman to “the show”.

Raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Dustin Ackley attended North Forsyth High School followed by South Stokes High School. Ackley led South Stokes to back-to-back state championships in 2003 and 2004, shattering school and state records along the way. His utter dominance of opponents earned him Louisville Slugger All-American honors for his senior year. For Ackley, the decision as to which college to attend was simple; he stayed in his own backyard and picked the University of North Carolina.

While at UNC, Ackley was a 3-year starter, before leaving for the draft after his junior campaign. He hit over .400, recorded over 110 hits, and had an OPS over 1.000 in all three years. During his junior year, Ackley hit .417 with 22 home runs, 73 RBI, 18 doubles, 4 triples, and an incredible on-base percentage of .517. He finished second in the Golden Spikes Award race (best player in college baseball) to Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State. His mind-blowing statistics and ability to lead his team to three consecutive College World Series appearances (all while making first team All-CWS) left Seattle salivating. Ackley's versatility (starting games at 1B, CF, LF, 2B, and SS for UNC and playing the majority of his games at 3B as a high schooler) was just icing on the cake for the Mariners.

It all came full circle for Ackley in his first major league at-bat against Roy Oswalt as he ripped his first career single. The next game, in his fifth at-bat, Ackley hit his first career home run, followed the next day by his first ever triple. Through just three games, Ackley is hitting .273, and is in the lineup and playing second base tonight against the Washington Nationals. For Ackley and the Mariners, the sky is the limit, the future is nothing but bright, and much success (both individual and team) is on the horizon.