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Heading into play on Tuesday evening, Mets first baseman Ike Davis is scuffling. With a .172/.271/.382 batting line, patience is beginning to wear thin for the fans in New York. The former first-round pick was ticketed for stardom and immense power production, but it’s fair to ask if he’ll ever become that player.

If this topic feels redundant, it’s for good reason. Through this date last season, Davis was batting .173/.236/.276, flailing at pitches outside the strike zone and generating discussion about a demotion to the minor leagues.

Of course, after going basically 0-for-April/May, Davis finished with a flurry.

In the 100 games from June 9 through the end of the season, Davis slugged .565, smashed 27 home runs and drove in 69 runs. In the second half of 2012, he was the sixth most valuable first baseman in the sport, behind only names such as Fielder, Pujols, Gonzalez, LaRoche and Encarnacion.

Before we conclude that Davis is just a slow starter and bigger things are to come this summer, let’s not forget his start to the 2011 season. In 36 games prior to a freak ankle injury ended his season, the then 24-year-old posted a .925 OPS.

From that moment onward, fans expected and hoped for star production out of Davis, and have instead endured inconsistencies, strikeouts and slow starts.

As the years go on, it’s becoming harder to believe that Davis will reach that ceiling. That’s not to say he won’t continue a path to a long, productive career, but it might be time to temper expectations on what he can actually become.

When comparing the career of Davis through his first three seasons in the big leagues to the first basemen of the last 25 years, it’s clear that the jury is still out on his future.

Heading into 2013, Davis had a career OPS+ of 118. In other words, he’s been 18 percent better than league average. While that’s far below the standards set by the young versions of Frank Thomas, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols and Jeff Bagwell, it’s right around the marks posted by Justin Morneau and Paul Konerko.

It’s fair to say that we have enough evidence that Davis isn’t on the path to the Hall of Fame like those first four names. However, a career arc similar to 2006 AL MVP Morneau or Konerko would leave Met fans more than satisfied.

Yet, names like James Loney and Brad Fullmer also lie near Davis on the list. Both were highly touted and made splashes early, but ultimately never improved.

With Terry Collins managing this season as a lame duck in New York, playing time and the makings of a semi-platoon have begun to develop within the Mets lineup. Over the last week, Davis has sat on multiple occasions against an opposing left-handed starting pitcher. If that continues, it can become harder and harder for him to develop enough of a rhythm to break out of his funk.

While Collins tries to win games, general manager Sandy Alderson is looking to the future, hoping Davis will come around and continue to develop.

According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, the Mets and Alderson expect Davis to come around.

Of course, part of that may be the lack of internal or external options for the franchise to turn to at first base.

As Howard Megdal of LoHud Mets points out, there’s no first baseman in the system projected to be a star, few options in the upcoming free-agent market and Davis is still a young player under team control.

Unless you believe in Lucas Duda’s ability at the plate and are ready to hand him first base, Davis should keep getting the opportunity to thrive.

Considering that Davis is swinging at less pitches outside the strike zone than ever before, posting a very low BABIP (batting average on balls in play) and walking more than last year, he’s due to break out sooner than later.

Yet the slow starts, high strikeout rates and time spent finding his stroke each season are bound to catch up and halt his career projections.

At the age of 26, Davis is still a valuable piece and good bet to crank 25-plus home runs for many years, but the idea of him becoming a star to build around is becoming less believable, one slump at a time.

Do you still believe in Ike Davis?

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Through the first six seasons of Clay Buchholz‘s major league career, he profiled as a good pitcher. His career ERA of 3.92 was 13 percent above league average, he struck out nearly two batters for every one he walked and surrendered less than one hit per inning.

If he could stay healthy—no easy task considering his injury history—Boston could look forward to a 28-year-old pitcher coming into his physical prime giving its rotation quality innings through at least 2015, and possibly even longer if contract options were exercised for 2016 and 2017.

Few outside of Buchholz‘s immediate family and closest friends could have imagined what’s happened early on in 2013. The former first-round pick has gone from good to great, on the verge of becoming baseball’s next great superstar ace.

Of course, the early success comes with skepticism and controversy.

While it’s impossible to know for sure if Buchholz is or was doctoring the baseball, this much is clear: His game has changed for the better.

In baseball, small sample sizes can yield inordinate results. For example, take last year’s April sensation for the Cubs, Bryan LaHair. Remember that guy? He hit .390 in April, banged out five home runs and became the coolest fantasy baseball pickup out there.

Today he’s the starting first baseman for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japan Pacific League.

Regardless of whether you believe in Buchholz‘s ascension to ace status, he’s not heading to Japan anytime soon. Instead, he’ll be a hot topic all season as he attempts to sustain a blazing start and lead the Red Sox into contention.

When assessing his early season performance (7 GS, 50.2 IP, 56 K, 18 BB, 1.60 ERA, 2.13 FIP), it’s important to weed out what is sustainable from what isn’t. In other words, the changes in Buchholz‘s game that can help him over a long period of time.

First, let’s rule out what can’t be sustained: LOB (left on base) percentage and HR/FB percentage.

Simply put, Buchholz is stranding baserunners at a mind-boggling rate of 85 percent. On average, pitchers will leave 70-72 percent of baserunners stranded without letting them reach the plate. If Buchholz keeps putting the same amount of men on through hits or walks, eventually more will score.

Through his first seven starts this season, only 2.6 percent of fly balls given up have sailed over the wall for home runs. On average, about 10 percent of fly balls will become home runs. With a ground-ball percentage that is down from his norm, the evening out of Buchholz‘s HR/FB rate will result in more runs.

Now that those are out of the way, here are three reasons why Buchholz actually does look like an ace in Boston: 

1. He’s becoming a strikeout machine

Through the first 636.1 IP of Buchholz‘s career, he struck out 6.7 batters per nine innings through his age-27 season. As far as strikeout ability, that mark put him in the same range as former luminaries such as Jon Lieber and Matt Morris. While both were successful starters, no one confused their careers with Pedro Martinez or Johan Santana’s.

With over 50 innings under his belt in 2013, Buchholz is mowing down hitters via the strikeout like never before.

His 9.9 K/9 has him in the top 10 among starting pitchers. He’s just behind flamethrowers like Max Scherzer, Matt Harvey and Matt Moore. His current mark puts him ahead of legendary strikeout artists like Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and Tim Lincecum.

Over the course of baseball history, the best pitchers have often struck out the most batters. While some fans and media members talk about “pitching to contact” to avoid high pitch counts and low innings-per-start totals, retiring batters via strikeout is the quickest way to dominance.

With the understanding that LOB percentage and HR/GB ratio will eventually even out, limiting the amount of balls put into play will yield big results for Buchholz. 

2. Batters can’t decipher his offerings due to movement

A quick look at Buchholz‘s pitch data doesn’t divulge any secret about increased velocity. No, he’s not blowing pitches by batters with 99 mph fastballs. Instead, the movement on his pitches has become so deceptive that batters simply aren’t swinging at strikes.

From 2009-12, batters swung at 61 percent of Buchholz pitches that were in the strike zone. This season, they are only swinging at 53.7 percent of those offerings.

What looks like a ball coming out of his hand is actually a strike.

Comparing anyone to Greg Maddux is baseball blasphemy, but Buchholz has his two-seam fastball working at a level that few have achieved since Maddux’s run of dominance.

When opposing left-handed batters think a fastball is headed for their hip, bailing out and taking the pitch becomes second nature.

This season, that ball is darting back along the inside corner for a called strike.

The following is a look (via BrooksBaseball.net) at the horizontal movement on Buchholz‘s pitches during a dominant outing in Toronto last week.

3. Mental approach

Due to recent injury history and an earned run average in the mid-fours last season, it’s easy to forget how much success Buchholz had at an early age. From the no-hitter in his second major league start to a 2.33 ERA in the American League East at the age of 25, success seemed to come very easy for Buchholz.

While his work ethic was rarely publicly questioned by a usually intrusive Boston baseball media, it was natural to expect the success to continue as he aged and got stronger.

Of course, that didn’t happen.

With failure came perspective. With perspective came an increased work ethic (via Ron Chimelis of MassLive.com).

Add in the return of John Farrell, Boston’s former pitching coach turned manager, and you have a pitcher with a mature outlook and confidence to achieve greatness.

Along with co-ace Jon Lester, the Red Sox are rolling out two of the better pitchers in the American League. The path back from a 69-93 season to contention won’t be easy to sustain, but having a pair of under-30 arms like that can change the direction of any franchise.

Is Buchholz on the path to becoming an ace in Boston?

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On a day where doctors clearing Alex Rodriguez for baseball activities dominated the Yankee headlines, the revelation of Michael Pineda‘s throwing session (via Hardball Talk) could turn out to be the news item baseball fans in New York remember most moving forward.

While A-Rod’s bat can clearly still help the Yankees, Pineda‘s right arm remains a key to their future, as well as an X-factor for their potential success right now.

The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher was acquired prior to the 2012 season to be a cost-controlled mainstay atop the Yankees starting rotation for years. In surrendering catching prospect Jesus Montero, New York cashed in the biggest chip in their farm system for a pitcher already established on the major league level.

After coming into 2012 camp overweight and suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, plans were put on hold for Pineda.

Now, as he rehabs and revs up for his return, his level of strength and performance will become a hot topic among Yankees supporters and detractors.

If Pineda can’t recover the stuff and prowess of his early rookie-season dominance, he’ll be labeled damaged goods and is unlikely to make a major impact on the 2013 or 2014 Yankees.

On the other hand, a fully healthy Pineda can be a major addition to the pitching staff, effectively replacing the below-average innings that Ivan Nova and David Phelps have provided early on. Teamed with a top four of CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes, the addition of Pineda has the potential to give New York the best rotation in baseball.

Before assessing what Pineda can be moving forward, take a minute to look back at what he was in 2011 before tailing off in the second half of the season.

As one New York team becomes hopeful for his return, the comparisons to a 24-year-old on the other side of town, Matt Harvey, are too obvious to miss.

Dating back to last July, Matt Harvey has provided Met fans with the following numbers, dazzling his way into their hearts: 16 starts, 2.26 ERA, 7-5 W-L, 99.2 innings pitched, 116 strikeouts, .182 batting average against and a .556 opponents OPS.

Now here are Pineda‘s numbers across the first 17 starts of his 2011 rookie campaign in Seattle: 2.58 ERA, 8-5 W-L, 108 innings pitched, 106 strikeouts, .193 batting average against and a .564 opponents OPS.

In short, Harvey and Pineda had almost identical debuts. While the current star of New York is now ticketed for superstardom, Pineda hit a wall around his first All-Star break, finishing the season with an ERA in the high-fours. Within months, he was traded to New York.

While it’s impossible to know how healthy or dominant a pitcher the Yankees could be inserting back into their starting-pitcher mix, the baseline is there. Two years ago, Pineda wasn’t just potential. He was basically Matt Harvey before Matt Harvey.

As further news pours in during Pineda‘s upcoming rehab stint and starts across the minor leagues, keep this in mind: New York needs him.

Aside from the struggles of Nova and Phelps, the Yankees are counting on a rotation that includes 38-year-old Kuroda, 40-year-old Pettite and 32-year-old Sabathia coming off of elbow surgery.

If the healthy, 22-year-old, freshly selected All-Star Michael Pineda was available in the upcoming July trade market, the haul would trump anything else offered, including that of Giancarlo Stanton.

Of course, that’s not the reality of the situation. He’s 24, not 22, rehabbing from shoulder surgery and no lock to ever resume his role as a budding ace.

Yet, if he can find that dominance, New York may again have enough to reach October.

Do you think Michael Pineda will regain his 2011 form?

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With the calendar turning to May, baseball jumps to the second month of the season. With that comes an increase in context when talking about individual players or teams.

Hot starts are leaning more toward an acceptable sample size. Early slumps are skating on the edge of becoming a rough start to the season rather than just a bad week or two.

Within the ebb and flow of the major league season comes storylines, takeaways and talking points from the week of action that was completed.

As you sit around watching baseball and chatting about the sport this weekend, keep in mind these five takeaways from the week that was in MLB action.

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As the New York Mets left the field following a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Miami Marlins on Monday evening, the story of the game quickly became about missed opportunities with runners on base and two blown leads (in the ninth and 15th) that would have turned a heart-wrenching defeat into a satisfying victory.

If you sat through the 15-inning, five-and-a-half-hour contest in South Beach, an interesting stat popped up during the first half of the game. Matt Harvey, the young, dynamic Met ace, was allowed to throw 121 pitches in less than six innings. That number represented the fourth highest total in baseball this season.

While the talk in New York is about the five-game losing streak, marathon loss and dismal outlook on this season, don’t forget the big picture: Led by Harvey’s arm, the Mets are expecting to compete as early as 2014.

Interestingly enough, their manager, Terry Collins, doesn’t have a contract past this season.

As you can imagine, the Mets are now in an awkward position. While Collins seems like the type of baseball lifer that wouldn’t harm any young player in the name of winning a few baseball games, he’s also fighting for survival and the right to manage this roster as an influx of talent is set to hit Queens over the next 24 months.

Through less than a full month of the 2013 season, Collins has acted very much like a man fighting for his job rather than a caretaker of a roster that’s not set up to win now.

From lineup decisions to abusing arms in the bullpen to a clear lack of communication with the front office to allowing Harvey to extend himself on a night where he was laboring, Collins’ tactics look harried and short-sighted.

Let’s start with Harvey.

Simply put, there’s no reason for a 24-year-old arm to thrown 121 pitches this early in the season. The only explanation? A manager, sensing his offense was struggling and not wanting to hand a lead to an untrustworthy bullpen for 12-15 outs. In short, Collins put an April victory over the Miami Marlins over common sense when handling a young pitcher.

What makes the logic even more puzzling is a decision from Sunday. With Jon Niese pitching in his 100th career start against the Philadelphia Phillies, Collins removed him in the seventh inning, citing the 117-pitch mark he had reached.

This despite the fact that Ryan Howard, whom Niese has owned throughout his career, was sitting on the bench ready to pounce as a pinch-hitter against a right-handed reliever.

If you’re worried about Collins’ handling of young pitching due to inconsistency or instinct to win and survive, the recent command and control issues of Zack Wheeler in Triple-A will be music to your ears.

Of course, just weeks ago, Collins, in the midst of injuries and poor performances in the back end of his rotation, told WFAN that the team might have to consider bringing up Wheeler “pretty soon” to join the staff.

The quote from Collins completely ignored the organization’s desire to keep Wheeler in Triple-A long enough to avoid arbitration and free agency a year early. Despite his issues in the Pacific Coast League, Collins knows that Wheeler is a better bet to get hitters out than Jeremy Hefner. Don’t pretend that the manager slipped on a public stage when stating his desire for more talent on the roster.

Starters aside, Collins has been saddled with a poor bullpen from the day he arrived in Queens. Yet, his handling of some of the arms provided to him by upper management has been negligent.

Earlier this month, left-handed reliever Josh Edgin was sent down to Double-A after posting a 9.64 earned run average in 11 appearances. The ERA is far less egregious than the fact that Edgin was asked to throw in 11 of 21 team games. At one point, he was on pace for 96 appearances for the season.

While the best managers (see Joe Torre and Tanyon Sturtze) can struggle with pitch counts and managing the bullpen effectively and efficiently, consistency isn’t too much to ask for from a manager, especially one that sees the big picture.

Thus far, Collins has backtracked on both of his strongest convictions with his everyday order.

With Ike Davis off to another slow April start and Lucas Duda reaching base at a prolific rate, it made a good deal of sense to shift Duda up in the order and drop Ike lower. Allowing Duda‘s bat to find more plate appearances and RBI opportunities figured to increase New York’s run scoring chances. Dropping Davis’ slumping stick could alleviate the pressure to break out of the slump.

Despite the logic, Collins claimed he wouldn’t, citing his reluctance to put pressure on Duda to perform differently. Within days, the move was made.

On a similar note, Collins showed reluctance to move Daniel Murphy and David Wright down in the order to more traditional run producing spots, third and fourth respectively, but flip-flopped on that idea as well. On Friday evening, there was Murphy and Wright, hitting third and fourth, with Ruben Tejada bumped up to the two-hole.

Aside from the faulty logic of giving your hottest hitters less plate appearances per game, the move was another sign from a manager lacking in consistency because of the pressure to break losing streaks, build long winning streaks and do enough early in 2013 to have the fans and media demand a contract extension.

Unfortunately for Collins, early season returns probably won’t change his ultimate fate. If the front office thought he was the right man to lead the franchise back to October, an extension would likely have been offered.

It wasn’t, leaving Collins to take it upon himself to force their hand this season.

With that comes danger to the long-term vision of Sandy Alderson and the Met brass.

Josh Edgin‘s left arm may be a meaningless victim in the grand scheme of things, but Matt Harvey’s right arm can’t be. Inconsistency in the message and lineup may not bother an established star like David Wright, but can impact the psyche of a young hitter like Lucas Duda.

Terry Collins’ future shouldn’t be the story in New York, but his early season moves are making it harder and harder to ignore.

Has Terry Collins done a good job as manager of the Mets?

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If you are a fan of the unpredictable, baseball in April has been a very, very fun month. With the Washington Nationals playing average baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates in first place and the Toronto Blue Jays making Vegas look quite foolish, little has gone as planned.

As the calender turns to May, we can take a snapshot of the best individual performances in April and how they may or may not impact the 2013 award races. MVPs and Cy Youngs are rarely won in April, but a hot start can be a precursor to a breakout season or award campaign.

With a month of knowledge, storylines and narratives played out and in our baseball conscience, here are updated predictions for every major MLB award entering May.

All statistics are current as of the end of play on April 29, or if you stayed up until nearly dawn on the East Coast watching the Angels vs. A’s game, through the morning of April 30.

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The 162-game grind of a Major League Baseball season is an arduous, slow and methodical process to eventually lead baseball to their 10 best teams playing and competing for a World Series in October.

Much like a marathon, we can view the mile-by-mile splits to better understand which teams are leading and why, how fast their trajectory is racing and if the pace is sustainable.

Here’s a look back at the week that was in MLB action with the four biggest takeaways:

1. You Can’t Have Too Much Pitching

Coming into the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers had a problem that any manager/general manager combo would love to be saddled with: too many capable starting pitchers for the five-man rotation.

Within just a few weeks of play, injuries and roster maneuvers have destroyed Los Angeles’ depth, leaving them with inexperienced Triple-A arms rushing into action, the hope that Ted Lilly’s surgically repaired shoulder will hold up and hoping Zack Greinke’s collarbone injury will head within the expected time frame.

In Toronto, R.A. Dickey hasn’t looked himself to due a stiff back. Even more worrisome is the fact that Josh Johnson, with an injury-plagued arm who hasn’t thrown 200 innings in a season since 2009, was scratched from his start on Friday (per AP and The Washington Post). In his place? New York Mets’ castoff, recent waiver claim and former Toronto Blue Jay, the immortal Aaron Laffey.

2. Early Deserving All-Stars Feature Surprising Names

While conducting All-Star balloting in late April is a ridiculous exercise, it’s interesting to look at the leader boards around baseball while comparing the names with those listed on the ballot.

Simply put: Young players aren’t just excelling, they are the choice at many positions right now if you choose to cast your ballot early.

At first base, Chris Davis, though not a prospect at the age of 27, would be a first-time All-Star. As of today, his play has more than warranted votes over the more established names on the ballot. The same case can be made for the young first baseman in the NL, Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

At shortstop, the most excitement has come from the Jed Lowrie in the American League and the trio of young NL shortstops named Brandon Crawford, Didi Gregorius and Jean Segura. Don’t know their names? You will, maybe as early as this July.

With the All-Star game being featured at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, it’s hard to find a more deserving starter for the National League than Matt Harvey. Considering the buzz in New York, the city would be electric to see him lead the National League onto the field in mid-July.

3. Tampa Develops Arms Better Than Anyone

Watching Alex Cobb and Matt Moore dominate the New York Yankees in Tampa this week gave baseball fans another glimpse of just how well the Tampa Bay Rays organization develops and nurtures young arms.

When James Shields was traded away, some questioned how the organization would replace 200-plus innings of dominance. Thus far, despite uneven early-season returns from the 2012 Cy Young winner David Price, the rotation is leading the way for the offensively challenged Rays.

Kudos to Sports Illustrated for profiling general manager Andrew Friedman and the Rays’ staff before the season for their patience and belief in a system that doesn’t rush arms, graduates them only when they are ready to contribute at a high level in the AL East and maximizes the six years of control they are afforded before free-market prices make arms like Shields’ expendable.

If Tampa falters this season, or within the next few years as his free agency approaches, Price will probably be moved.

Don’t panic, though.

Tampa will thrive due to their next wave of arms.

4. Jose Valverde’s Return to Detroit Raises Red Flags

From a “baseball should be fun” standpoint, Papa Grande’s return to the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen should be viewed as a great move.

From a “don’t be worried about Detroit’s relievers’ standpoint, Tigers fans should start wondering about the lack of offseason moves to solidify a bullpen that is holding back an excellent group of starters and position players for the defending AL Central champs.

After yesterday’s loss to the Kansas City Royals, the Tigers are now 1-5 in games decided after the second inning.

If Valverde isn’t the man for the job, look for rookie Bruce Rondon to get a chance. After that? The trade deadline could cause Detroit to give up more than they would like for a solution to their biggest problem.

What was your biggest takeaway from the week in MLB action?

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Baseball is in the midst of a golden age of pitching. While many fans chide the mere notion of pitch counts for young arms and “babying” prospects as they fondly remember the days of complete games thrown with regularity and 300-inning seasons from starters, those days are gone.

In their place lies a game dominated by power arms, strikeout artists and a crop of young pitchers set to take center stage for years to come.

While Clayton Kershaw (25), Felix Hernandez (27) and Justin Verlander (30) may be the cream of the crop among pitchers right now, there are candidates under the age of 25 ready to take their spots in the coming season among the game’s elite arms.

Matt Moore is 4-0 for the Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Harvey looks like the best young pitcher to rock New York City since Dwight Gooden. Chris Sale has more in common with Randy Johnson than just a gangly figure. Shelby Miller is making St. Louis forget Chris Carpenter’s injury ever happened. Madison Bumgarner is as accomplished as any under-25 arm in recent memory.

Yet, factoring in major league experience, success and immediate and future potential, the best under-25 pitcher in baseball resides as the ace in Washington.

Stephen Strasburg, despite uneven results this month, is the best young pitcher in baseball and poised to continue his march to the top spot in the sport within the next few years.

In some ways, Strasburg’s plight from No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft to 14-strikeout debut to Tommy John surgery to controversial shutdown last summer has overshadowed his performance on the field since 2010. When he’s been on the mound for Washington, Strasburg hasn’t just been good or flashed potential, he’s performed like one of the greatest under-25 pitchers in baseball history.

Using Baseball-Reference.com’s Play Index, Strasburg’s status as an all-time great young pitcher comes into context and separates him from the other under-25 arms that have dominated alongside him.

In the history of baseball, Strasburg’s 4.51 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks No. 1 for pitchers under-25 with at least 49 games started in the majors (the number of starts in Strasburg’s career). His ERA over that time is 2.94, better than a young Roger Clemens, Tim Lincecum, David Price, Mike Mussina or Felix Hernandez. His K/9 bests the young versions of everyone in history, save for Kerry Wood.

Last year, in Strasburg’s first year of 25-plus starts in the majors, he struck out 11.1 batters per nine innings. From 1992-2012, a span that includes expansion, the steroid era and a tremendous rise in strikeout rate across the sport, only four pitchers topped that mark in any year: Pedro Martinez (’97, ’99, ’00), Randy Johnson (’95, ’97, ’98, ’99, ’01, ’02), Curt Schilling (’97) and Kerry Wood (’98, ’03).

In terms of age, Wood remains the only comparable in recent memory. While one attribute, an elbow injury, will keep the comparison alive until Strasburg proves he can stay healthy long-term, another, control, should keep them apart. Wood could throw it by anyone, but also had the tendency to walk to ballpark. As Strasburg’s all-time best K/BB rate shows, he’s a strikeout artist with command and control.

Considering the impact Matt Harvey has had in New York, he deserves consideration. As do Chris Sale, Matt Moore and Shelby Miller. In reality, though, only Bumgarner has justified the hype, produced at a high level in the majors for years and stayed healthy long enough to challenge Strasburg for this title. With back-to-back 200-inning seasons on his ledger, in addition to contributing to multiple World Series championships in San Fransisco, Bumgarner is the second choice.

Yet his upside doesn’t match Strasburg’s.

Few pitchers in the history of the game have performed as well as Strasburg this early in a career. Thus far, he’s made ESPN.com’s Keith Law’s pre-draft analysis seem prescient. Prior to the 2009 MLB Draft, Law had this to say to MLB Trade Rumors about Strasburg’s ability to dominate baseball from the day he was selected:

“Strasburg could pitch in the majors right now and would be Washington’s #1 starter if they could sign him quickly and stick him in their rotation in June.”

There was a reason for the hype coming out of San Diego State, buzz after the 14-strikeout debut and justification for shutting him down to preserve the arm last summer.

Stephen Strasburg is the best under-25 pitcher in baseball right now. As the years pass, he’s likely to become the unequivocal best pitcher over-25, under-30, under-35 and hold those titles until his career winds down.

Is Strasburg the best young pitcher in baseball? Comment below, follow me on Twitter or “Like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball!

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In baseball, maybe more than any other sport, fans gravitate toward phenoms. The thought of a pitcher that can be the next Justin Verlander or outfielder that can match the swing and power of a young Ken Griffey, Jr. can almost be more tantalizing than watching a finished product through the latter stages of a career.

The world of social media, instant gratification and, in the minds of baseball executives, cost-controllable stars equal fan interest, victories and potential.

A phenom can be described as anyone who is outstandingly talented. In sports, we add an addendum to our phenom criteria: youth.

Sure, Ryan Braun and Robinson Cano are phenomenal baseball players. They’re also old news. We know how good they’ve been and that their next likely destination in Cooperstown. While fans yearn and search for the next big thing, a list has been compiled here.

While each team in the sport would love to possess four or five of these players, it’s more fun to imagine an entire roster of phenoms.

In searching through the respective rosters around baseball, two criteria for this team became clear: First, no phenom could be older than 24. Second, no player with more than two full seasons in the big leagues would be considered.

Imagine needing to win one game using only phenoms. What would the lineup card look like? Who would toe the hill? Who closes out the ninth inning?

Let’s take a look at MLB‘s All-Phenom Team.

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Prior to the current run of sustained success in Philadelphia, putting together an all-time dream team for the Philadelphia Phillies would have likely resulted in a satire piece featuring luminaries such as Robert Person, Steve Jeltz and Rico Brogna.

Of course, times have changed. National League East titles, playoff appearances, NL MVPs, star acquisitions, a new ballpark and, of course, a World Series championship have all contributed to change the perception of the Phillies franchise.

Ironically, it’s also why the fans are struggling in 2013 to come to grips with a window of opportunity that is closing. Not only are the memories of winning fresh, but the contributors from that group are still with the ballclub.

Here is my take on selecting the Philadelphia Phillies’ All-Time Dream Team.

Catcher

Carlos Ruiz (2006-present, 106 OPS+, 1x All-Star, 15.2 WAR): Chooch wasn’t the first to come to mind, but his place on a World Series championship team, starting for the 2008 champs, and  improving bat vaulted him above Darren Daulton and Mike Lieberthal. His 15.2 WAR lies below Daulton, but Ruiz has accomplished the feat in just over six big league seasons. It took Daulton well over a decade to give that kind of value to the organization. 

First baseman 

Ryan Howard (2004-present, 135 OPS+, 3x All-Star, 2006 NL MVP, 18.1 WAR): While it’s easy to be critical of an aging, declining Howard right now, don’t forget the player he was when emerging from an overextended stay in the minors. From 2006-2009, Howard was one of, if not the, most feared hitters in the game.

Howard ranks second on the all-time Phillies franchise lists for slugging percentage and home runs. Anyone who cranks out nearly 200 home runs in four seasons, including 58 in 2006, deserves a spot on this team. 

Second baseman 

Chase Utley (2003-present, 126 OPS+, 5x All-Star, 55.2 WAR): During Howard’s MVP season and home run barrage, Utley’s Cooperstown-caliber play next to the Big Piece on the right side of the infield was lost in the national shuffle. In Philadelphia, they’ve always seemed to understand the privilege of watching Utley play.

Among the all-time Phillies ranks, Utley is fourth in WAR and a good bet to catch and pass Richie Ashburn for third sometime this summer. If his knees and hips hold up, Philadelphia will face an interesting dilemma in deciding on a contract offer for Utley next winter. 

Third baseman 

Mike Schmidt (1972-1989, 147 OPS+, 12x All-Star, 3x NL MVP, 106.5 WAR): Michael Jack Schmidt wasn’t just the easy choice for greatest Phillies third baseman in history, he’s arguably the greatest player to man the hot corner in the history of the game.

The 548 home runs and Gold Glove defense equals a player whom Baseball-Reference.com credits with more value than all but 25 players in the history of baseball. Among those with less career WAR than Schmidt: Randy Johnson, Joe Morgan, Cal Ripken and Albert Pujols. 

Shortstop 

Jimmy Rollins (2000-present, 97 OPS+, 3x All-Star, 2007 NL MVP, 42.0 WAR): As J-Roll continues to display exemplary durability and athletic ability through the years, his climb up Philadelphia’s all-time lists are inevitable.

The greatest Phillies shortstop in history also will present baseball historians with a more difficult task when his career ends: voting yes or no to induction into Cooperstown. What once seemed like an easy debate, or, in other words, there wasn’t a shot, now has become an interesting topic. Either way, his leadership, durability and all-around game will land him in the Phillies Hall of Fame.

Outfield

Richie Ashburn (1948-1959, 111 OPS+, 4x All-Star, 57.2 WAR): The 1995 Hall of Fame inductee should need no introduction to Philadelphia faithful. Ashburn debuted and starred before his time, becoming one of the most disciplined hitters of the ’50s on his way to four different seasons of .400-plus on-base percentage marks and two 100-plus walk seasons.

Despite power numbers that were pedestrian (29 career home runs), Ashburn’s ability to get on base would make him one of the most sought after players in the game today. On this dream team, he’s the natural choice to leadoff.

Chuck Klein (1928-1933, 1936-1938, 1939, 1940-1944; 139 OPS+, 2x All-Star, 34.9 WAR): Despite four separate stints in Philadelphia, Klein made his mark on the record books. While playing in an offensive era surely boosted his numbers, the five-year run between 1929-1933 (1.050 OPS, 1,982 total bases) are video-game numbers in a pre-video-game world.

Bobby Abreu (1998-2006, 139 OPS+, 2x All-Star, 47.0 WAR): Before you scoff at the notion of Bob Kelly Abreu as an all-time Phillie and member of this dream team, please drop the narrative that he was a “losing” player and the team won in the years after he left simply because he was traded to New York.

Instead, consider these facts: Abreu posted a .400-plus on-base percentage in eight out of his nine seasons in Philadelphia, posted six 20-20 campaigns and received MVP votes in more than half of his years with the club. Like it or not, the guy was a tremendous all-around talent.

Starting pitchers 

1. Steve Carlton (1972-1986, 120 ERA+, 7x All-Star, 4x Cy Young winner, 64.6 WAR): It starts and ends with Lefty at the top of this dream team rotation. Of all the accomplishments in a Phillies uniform, Carlton’s 1972 season stands out. Coming over in a lopsided, to put it mildly, trade for Rick Wise, Carlton’s contract dispute in St. Louis turned out to be Philadelphia’s big gain.

There have been many great individual pitching seasons in baseball history, but Carlton’s 12.1 WAR in 1972 ranks among the greatest performances ever. Considering the team record of 59-97, Carlton’s 27-10 record is eye-opening. If he was given better talent to pitch behind, it’s not crazy to think Lefty could have won 35 games that season. 

2. Robin Roberts (1948-1961, 114 ERA+, 7x All-Star, 69.7 WAR): While the philosophy behind voting for individual awards has changed over the years and decades, it’s worth noting that Roberts placed in the Top 10 for NL MVP voting during five of his seasons in Philadelphia. Voters may not have been in tune with wins above replacement in the mid-’50s, but six straight years of 300-plus innings transcends advanced metrics and baseball research. 

3. Curt Schilling (1992-2000, 126 ERA+, 3x All-Star, 36.8 WAR): The results of the 2013 Hall of Fame voting aside, Schilling was one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball, let alone the Philadelphia Phillies.

Of course, some in Philadelphia would argue that many of his best seasons came after leaving. That’s true, but don’t discount what he did while there. From 1992-1999, Schilling’s eight full seasons in Philadelphia, he ranked 11th in ERA+, fifth in strikeouts, third in complete games and second in strikeout-to-walk ratio.

4. Cole Hamels (2006-present, 124 ERA+, 3x All-Star, 2008 World Series MVP, 28.7 WAR): Considering his relative youth and career on the horizon, let’s focus on Hamels among every pitcher in baseball since debuting in 2006. Over that span, the lifetime Phil ranks sixth in strikeouts, 11th in IP, ninth in ERA+ and fourth in K/9. His dominance is only just beginning, folks.

5. Cliff Lee (2009, 2011-present; 142 ERA+, 1x All-Star, 15.3 WAR): Surprised? If you’ve truly watched Lee evolve into one of the most consistently dominant arms in the game, you shouldn’t be. Throw out the W-L record of 2012. Instead, focus on what he brings to the mound each and every time: otherworldly strike-throwing ability.

In the history of baseball, Lee ranks sixth in career strikeout-to-walk ratio with a mark of 3.68. Ironically, Phillies history is littered throughout the top five. Curt Schilling is the best ever. Roy Halladay, who just missed out on this list, ranks fifth.

Closer 

Brad Lidge (2008-2011, 113 ERA+, 1x All-Star, 1.7 WAR): When it comes to Brad Lidge, throw out the middle and the end. When assessing which relief pitcher in Phillies history belongs on their dream team, Lidge’s perfect 2008 season, capped off by striking out Eric Hinkse to seal the World Series, is all the matters. Outside of Mariano Rivera, every closer is violate. Somehow, someway, Lidge found a way to channel his ability into one storybook season.

*Advanced stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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