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Do you like monstrous power at the plate? How about unhittable pitching with some of the nastiest stuff from some of the best hurlers in the game? Throw in a few hints of unbelievable defensive gems, and that’s exactly what fans will feast their eyes on during the 2014 MLB All-Star Game.

Multiple mashers like Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen and Troy Tulowitzki will look to put on a show at Target Field. But with aces in Felix Hernandez, Yu Darvish, Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright looking to silence those big bats, a battle of attrition will take place during every at-bat.

As for the depth of the rosters, it appears the American League might just have the upper hand. With huge hitters in Jose Abreu and Yoenis Cespedes on the bench along with Chris Sale missing out on the initial roster, there is plenty of talent to go around for the AL team.

With the All-Star Game set to start on July 15, here’s a look at the full rosters after the reveal and some of the top projected performers for the Midsummer Classic.

Projected Top AL Performers

Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

In a loaded AL lineup, there are several offensive players worthy of taking this honor. But with Trout, baseball fans get a little bit of everything.

The five-tool player is capable of just about anything on the diamond and flashes every tool almost every time he takes the field. Rather than getting big-headed about his ability, Trout remained humble when he earned the starting nod:

Then there’s what he’s done on the field already this season. Hitting .308 with 20 home runs, a 1.005 OPS and 63 RBI, Trout leads the Angels in each category. In a lineup that includes both Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, that’s saying something for the 22-year-old.

He’s also been one of the most clutch players in the MLB this season, as ESPN Stats & Info notes a pretty remarkable stat:

Don’t worry, he’s still flashing the leather as well. MLB’s official account passes along footage of an insane catch from earlier this month:

If he doesn’t do it with the bat or glove, Trout has a good chance of stealing the show on the basepaths as well. With 10 stolen bases this year, Trout literally could impact every part of the Midsummer Classic with his ability.

Felix Hernandez, RHP, Seattle Mariners

During a season where the Seattle Mariners are working hard to establish themselves as a contender in the AL West, Hernandez has been one of the biggest reasons—as usual.

As absurd as it sounds, Hernandez might just be putting together his best season yet, per MLB:

The 28-year-old might be in line for yet another Cy Young Award with those numbers, but he’s also established himself as the best in the AL so far. King Felix leads the AL in ERA (2.11) and innings pitched (136.1) thus far this season.

Though he likely won’t have several innings to make a difference in the game, Baseball Tonight believes he is one of three starters who might potentially start the contest:

Whether it’s his 90-plus fastball or his devastating breaking pitches, Hernandez has an entire arsenal that will baffle NL hitters. Regardless of whether or not he starts, Hernandez will make an impact for the deep pitching staff.

On the biggest stage during the regular season, Hernandez will come out and prove yet again why he’s considered one of the best in the game.

Projected Top NL Performers

Carlos Gomez, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

We could have stayed with the young guard and said Yasiel Puig. Or maybe gone with last year’s NL MVP in McCutchen. Then there’s the league leader in batting average in Tulowitzki, who also has 18 home runs this season.

But on the All-Star stage, something about Carlos Gomez just screams out MVP potential. For one of the hottest teams in the MLB, Gomez has led the Milwaukee Brewers this season and truly put himself in the same category as some of the National League’s best outfielders.

As the MLB account notes, it’s difficult to crack such an athletic group of players:

The irony here, of course, is that Gomez and Puig, two of the most polarizing figures in the game, both earned starter duties by the fans. While fellow players and some fans might get riled up by their antics, both Gomez and Puig have done enough to be revered by the majority of the MLB audience.

Ian Casselberry of The Outside Corner provides his thoughts on the situation:

Regardless of what some fans might think of Gomez, he’ll certainly bring the wood on July 15. Much like Trout, he has the potential to change the game in a multitude of ways, but his bat will shine at Target Field—a park where he hit a three-run homer just last month.

On a star-studded roster with several potential top performers, look for Gomez to shine.

Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

You didn’t think the best pitcher in the game was going to be left off the list, right?

Despite missing the first part of the season for the Dodgers, Kershaw has still been phenomenal. The two-time Cy Young winner is making a case yet again with a 10-2 record, 1.85 ERA, 115 strikeouts and, of course, a no-hitter.

How unhittable has Kershaw been this season? Mark Simon of ESPN shares a look at a heat map from his last four starts:

Kershaw has also made a case to be the All-Star starter on a deep roster with his recent pitching. Along with the low batting average against him, every team during the last 36 innings has been unable to put up a run against him, as ESPN Stats & Info notes:

In a rotation that includes teammate Zack Greinke, Johnny Cueto and Wainwright, Kershaw will once again be the top player to toe the rubber at Target Field. Coming into the game pitching some of the best baseball of his career, he’ll do the same on the All-Star stage.

Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter:

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With fan voting for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game coming down to its final stretch, players ranging from sure things to long shots are using Twitter as their prime method of self-marketing.

All-Star weekend runs from July 12th-July 16th. The most recent vote tallies were released on June 22 for the American League, and June 23 for the National League.

It doesn’t come as a shock that each team is pushing for its players to make the trip to Citi Field. Here’s a recent tweet from the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ official Twitter account regarding Pedro Alvarez, who hasn’t cracked the top five in fan voting for third basemen:

Then there are players who have taken it upon themselves to toot their own horns. The outfield races in both leagues are especially tight, so it’s unsurprising that vocal offenders hail from these positions.

Jose Bautista is a prime example. According to the updated polls, he’s recently closed the gap between his fourth-place standing and the third outfield spot, which is currently in Nick Markakis‘ hands (the two are separated by just under 50,000 votes). Bautista currently has a .250/.345/.481 line—not that impressive—but has been integral to Toronto‘s recent run. 

Not only is Bautista tweeting up a storm to help his cause, but just on Monday, the Twitter account @TeamBautista was created. The account is serving as a tool to help Bautista edge out fellow outfield candidates Markakis and Torii Hunter. He tweeted this on Sunday:

And then followed with this on Monday:

Here’s an example of a @TeamBautista tweet:

Dexter Fowler, who hasn’t even broken the top 15 outfielders in fan voting but who’s statistically having a better season than Bautista, retweeted this from the Colorado Rockies’ Twitter account on Monday:

Although Fowler’s performance this season does warrant more recognition from fans, this quest is likely pretty futile for the center fielder this late in the game. He’s the third-best hitter on the Rockies, and both Troy Tulowitzki (even injured) and Carlos Gonzalez have better chances of making the team from Colorado—in their respective positions. They are first and fourth, respectively, in fan voting.

Carlos Gomez, who is currently injured but in 11th place in the NL outfield fan voting, is making good use of his retweet button as well:

Gomez is having a breakout season (.313/.355/.570), which is why people have been voting for him. Not only has he been Mr. Consistency at the plate, his clinics in the field are can’t-miss:

There’s no statistic for how much Twitter campaigning sways voters, but if I had to guess, I’d say the influence is negligible. While it’s true that some of these campaigners are deserving players on the bubble, they are baseball players, not politicians. Fans are voting for Miguel Cabrera not because he’s an elite spokesperson for himself, but because he’s one of the best hitters of our time.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As you look at the next 10 slides, think about how much value each of these players have to their respective teams. Not just salary, but value. Even just the names tell you a lot—Bryce Harper, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Reyes and more. Teams can overcome injuries, but they cannot replace value in most cases and if you add in the value of time lost, it’s pretty clear that teams need to be doing more. 

That’s easy to say, but if injuries are “part of the game,” as some will try to infer, and since all injuries can’t be prevented, then finding solutions is rendered moot in their mind. That’s defeatist. If a team can’t hit, the hitting coach is going to be asked why. More and more teams have hired assistant hitting coaches for the major league team in addition to coaches at every level. Some teams even have a bunting coach!

For injuries, which has as demonstrable an effect on a team as a hitting coach, the simple solution would be to add one more assistant trainer. The ratio of two trainers to a roster of 25 seems manageable until you see how many man-hours are required per injury, and that’s before we talk about how much is required for immediate care, rehab and the administrative tasks. 

Another assistant trainer would add one-third more man hours immediately and, if a team simply called up its Triple-A trainer, there would be very little change since they should be familiar with many of the players and procedures. The reason teams do this simply can’t be cost. It can’t be availability either, since finding a competent athletic trainer for short-season ball could be done in an afternoon. 

Baseball is seeing a significant increase in injuries this season and I believe it’s the result of being penny wise and pound foolish. Lack of manpower in the medical staff, a lack of knowledge about biomechanics and predictive measures and little to no research on sports science is going to leave teams exactly where they are now, or worse, and that’s not a good place. 

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There are a lot of players worthy of being selected to the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, but not all of them will make it.

Thirty-three players make the AL All-Star team, and 33 players make the NL All-Star team. That means that a mere 66 players make the initial team, which is extremely tiny when you consider that 750 players are currently on active MLB rosters.

Because less than 9 percent of the league’s players end up on one of the initial teams, some deserving players miss the team. However, because players and managers vote for most of the All-Stars, some players who don’t get any attention from the national media are recognized.

This year, there are more players who have done well but have flown under the radar. Here are five of those players.

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Last week, the case was made for WAR as baseball’s best statistic. Now it’s time to dig a little deeper to find out if some of the early-season leaders in Wins Above Replacement are for real.

Take a look at the WAR leaders, per FanGraphs, and amid proven studs like Miguel Cabrera, Evan Longoria and Joey Votto, you’ll notice a bunch of hitters who seem like potential new entries for breakout stars.

But given that we’re only a month-and-a-half into the 2013 season, it’s possible that some of these stars-in-the-making actually are closer to stars-in-the-faking, inflated by luck or unsustainable underlying numbers.

Let’s examine a batch of these players to uncover whether each of the following is a Breakout Star, a Legitimate Starter…or Just Lucky.

Before we go sticking these labels on players, though, let’s define what they mean:

1. A Breakout Star is a player who will soon be a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate
2. A Legitimate Starter is an above-average player who is capable of being a first-division starter
3. Just Lucky is an average player whose performance is being trumped up by good fortune

Carlos Gomez, OF, Brewers

2.6 WAR (No. 3 among hitters)

Seems the Johan Santana trade actually might have worked out for the Twins—if only they’d hung onto Gomez instead of trading him away for J.J. Hardy.

While it’s taken quite a while for the 27-year-old center fielder to figure things out at the plate in the majors, it appears he’s done just that, as he’s hitting .336 with 20 extra-base hits, including six homers, nine steals and 23 runs.

There’s been more than a little good luck here, though, as Gomez’s .413 BABIP is third-highest in baseball. Obviously a speedy, in-his-prime player is a prime candidate to sport an above-average BABIP, but his current one is more than 100 points higher than his .311 career number—and insanely unsustainable.

Coupled with Gomez’s 4.9 percent walk rate—not to mention, that 22.7 percent strikeout figure—and Gomez could be in for a major regression in the batting average department.

The speed? We’ve known that’s for real for years, and it helps him both on the bases and in center field, so there’s less worry over Gomez’s ability in those regards. That should help prop up his WAR even if his bat slows.

Speaking of his stick, what about the power? As his batted ball data indicates, Gomez has become much less of a ground-ball hitter and shifted toward lofting more fly balls since 2011. That obviously helps him put more over the wall, and his 13.6 HR/FB rate is actually right in line with what he managed the past two seasons, too.

In other words, the gains in power Gomez showed by smacking 19 homers in 2012—in only 452 plate appearances—are real, and we could be in for a season of 20 to 25 home runs, along with 30-plus steals and stellar defense (you watched the video, right?) at a premium up-the-middle position.

Verdict: To become a true Breakout Star, Gomez will have to show some improvements in plate discipline and prove he can keep his average up when his BABIP inevitably falls. Until then, he is certainly at least a Legitimate Starter.

Projected 2013 WAR: 4.5-5.0

Jean Segura, SS, Brewers

2.4 WAR (No. 5)

After just 41 games at the outset of this season, Segura already looks like the next great shortstop.

The 23-year-old is leading the NL with a .364 batting average, to go along with seven homers, 20 RBI, 25 runs and 14 steals.

The non-surface stats, though, paint the picture of a youngster playing somewhat above his head. You see, Segura owns a .394 BABIP (sixth-highest) and 20.0 HR/FB rate.

The former is very high and will regress, but for such a quick player, it’s not unreasonable to expect he’ll post above-average BABIPs for years, especially if he continues to hit the ball on the ground 53.3 percent of the time and use his wheels to leg out hits.

The latter, however, is a rate that belongs with only the true sluggers. To wit, this year Pedro Alvarez (25.8), Wilin Rosario (20.5) and Prince Fielder (20.0) all have similar rates, and well, one of these things is not like the other.

In case you were wondering, at 5’10”, 200 lbs. and with a career high of 10 homers, the ground-balling middle infielder is that one, even if he does have some opposite field pop, as the video shows.

The early returns on the defensive front are promising, and Segura should be able to stick at shortstop, which will always give him a nice bump in positional value in WAR’s eyes.

Verdict: While the surface stats say Breakout Star, Segura is more in the mold of a Legitimate Starter who will be above-average at his position, thanks to his ability to handle the defensive responsibilities, make lots of contact and run enough to add value on the bases.

Projected 2013 WAR: 4.0-4.5

Manny Machado, 3B, Orioles

2.3 WAR (No. 6)

As highly thought of as Machado was as a prospect after being the third overall pick in 2010, it’s unlikely anyone expected him to be this good, this quickly.

Although the 20-year-old more than held his own in his first taste of the majors last summer, hitting .262 with seven homers, 24 runs and 26 RBI in 51 games—all while playing a new position, no less—Machado appears to have taken at least two or three steps forward to begin 2013.

At the moment, the righty-hitting Machado has five home runs, 26 RBI and 32 runs through 43 games, numbers that aren’t too different from his 2012 performance in about the same amount of time. And yet, Machado is batting .328 with an MLB-high 18 doubles. Speaking of which…

What do we make of this? A quick peek at BABIP shows a .368 rate, which is among the highest, but it’s not a crazy number given the routinely hard contact Machado is making on both line drives (21.2 percent) and grounders (49.0 percent).

The plate discipline numbers are intriguing, too, as Machado is walking in only 5.0 percent of his plate appearances, but also whiffing just 14.6 percent of the time. In other words, Machado is putting bat on ball—a lot—and when he does, he’s stinging it.

The former shortstop has also made himself into one of the best defensive third basemen around in very short order, which helps pump up his WAR even more.

Verdict: The fact that Machado is striking out so infrequently at such a young age and with such little experience is extremely promising. This shows he’s focusing now on making solid contact, with the goal of eventually tapping more into his power to turn into the Breakout Star that his pedigree suggests—and that he’s quickly becoming.

Projected 2013 WAR: 5.5-6.0

Josh Donaldson, 3B, Athletics

2.1 WAR (No. 9)

Admit it: Some of you just went, “Uh, who?”

Right, well, Donaldson is a very interesting case for a guy you’ve either never heard of or never given a second thought to, because it’s not often that a 27-year-old with little prior big league experience—let alone success—suddenly morphs into a big-time player.

Hitting .317 with six homers, 27 RBI and 23 runs scored through 44 games has gotten Donaldson noticed, as Dave Cameron wrote for ESPN Insider (subscription required), and may even be enough to make some wonder why they haven’t heard of him before now.

In addition to the above numbers, Donaldson also has 15 doubles, as well as a 10.4 walk percentage and a 15.4 strikeout percentage, both of which are above league average.

Try as you might to find a weak link in Donaldson’s underlying stats, and nothing jumps out. His HF/FB is fine at 14.3 percent; his .349 BABIP is high but only slightly; and the righty-hitter is even hitting right-handers, as his .287/.354/.443 line reads.

While Donaldson had shown flashes and signs of being a productive hitter in the minors along the way, perhaps the biggest change is that the former catcher has turned into what looks to be a solid third baseman with the glove (check the video), at least in a limited sample to this point. That may be most important for Donaldson going forward.

Verdict: While something in the gut still feels like Donaldson is closer to Just Lucky than Legitimate Starter, it’s wrong to ignore the facts as laid out above. If he proves to be a quality defender with this type of offensive profile, Donaldson finally may have solved the A’s longstanding third base problem.

Projected 2013 WAR: 3.5-4.0

Gerardo Parra, OF, Diamondbacks

2.0 WAR (No. 12)

When Arizona lost preseason Rookie of the Year candidate Adam Eaton to an elbow sprain at the end of spring training, the D-backs were in the rare position to be able to at least cover themselves at both the leadoff spot and in center field.

Parra, a veteran of four seasons spent primarily as a fourth outfielder with a great glove and usable skills on offense, has not only held down the fort while Eaton recovers, the 26-year-old has thrived at times while playing every day.

Through 43 games, the lefty-hitting Parra is batting .320 with 14 doubles and 28 runs as the club’s primary leadoff hitter. The other numbers don’t knock your socks off, but Parra doesn’t have any real weaknesses either.

He doesn’t strike out much (15.5 percent), walks some (9.3 percent) and his .367 BABIP, while high, isn’t much north of his .337 career rate.

The biggest knock on Parra is that he struggles to hit for almost any power against southpaws with a so-so .730 OPS in 2013 and a less-good .654 mark for his career.

Of course, Parra‘s bread and butter is really his D, including his arm (video evidence to the right), and that’s unchanged this year. Plus, he’s getting to work more often in center than his usual left field, which makes his contributions that much more valuable.

All of this raises the question of how the D-backs will fit in Eaton, once he’s ready to return, which could be by the end of May or early June.

Verdict: Within the Legitimate Starter realm, Parra is more of a fringe fit, as he’s the type who could be exposed over an extended period. He is, however, in his prime and proving he can handle a prominent position on the field and in the lineup. There’s not much more ceiling but still a safe floor.

Projected 2013 WAR: 3.0-3.5

Matt Carpenter, 2B/3B, Cardinals

1.9 WAR (No. 16)

While Donaldson may have fixed the recent broken history of hot cornermen in Oakland, Carpenter is on track to do the same at the keystone in St. Louis.

The surprise here, though, isn’t that the 27-year-old has been a plus with the bat—he’s slashing .290/.375/.432 with 14 doubles, 14 RBI and 33 runs—but that he’s been a positive with the glove so far.

Carpenter, who transitioned from a utility role to second base over the winter, has posted a 13.9 UZR/150 despite the fact that he’d never even sniffed the position prior to a few experimental outings there last season. While it’s unwise to read too much into defensive statistics at such an early stage, it’s at least a promising development.

As for Carpenter’s offense, well, that’s been similar to what he showed in 2012: a high-average, good-contact batter from the left side with a strong walk rate who also raps plenty of doubles because of a line-drive stroke (24.3 percent liners).

Carpenter is never going to be a star—he lacks the power to be more than a 12- to 18-homer guy—but he does almost all of the little things extremely well. His offensive approach and plate discipline, combined with what seems to be a legitimate ability to capably play wherever he’s put on the diamond make him something like the NL’s version of Ben Zobrist.

Verdict: There’s a lot to like here, so Carpenter shouldn’t have any trouble being a Legitimate Starter for a handful of seasons. Of course, he may instead be used as more of a Swiss Army knife type who can fill in across the board, but that wouldn’t take away from his value. If anything, it might add to it.

Projected 2013 WAR: 4.0-4.5

Starling Marte, OF, Pirates

1.9 WAR (No. 18)

To say Marte has been impressive this year would be understating things just a bit.

The 24-year-old is hitting .305 with five homers, 17 RBI, 10 steals and 33 runs scored in what is his first full season in the majors.

There are a few warning signs, though, that Marte may not maintain quite this level of success. Like his .386 BABIP, which is rather high, even for a speedster who hits the ball on the ground a ton (55.5 percent grounders). Or his 4.6 percent walk rate, especially when he’s striking out almost 23 percent of the time.

Plate discipline was the big concern with Marte in the minors, so the fact that there hasn’t been any real improvement or adjustment yet means there’s a good chance the best pitchers on the planet will eventually be able to exploit his aggressiveness from the right side.

Marte, who came up through the ranks as a good center fielder, also draws a lot of his WAR value from the fact that he’s currently playing left field while Andrew McCutchen mans center. This may wind up being similar to when Brett Gardner, a natural center fielder, became arguably the best left fielder going for a few years in New York while handling a less demanding position.

Verdict: Look, Marte is a Legitimate Starter in that he’s a good, young player with offensive upside and strong defensive ability. But unless he starts addressing some of the flaws in his approach, Marte won’t be quite as great as he appears to be right now.

Projected 2013 WAR: 3.0-3.5

Statistics come from FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The National League Central is filled with talent, and Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija leads the list of players who are going to have breakout seasons.

With the Houston Astros no longer in the division, teams in the NL Central will face each other 19 times this season. 

Last season featured Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates as the breakout star of the division. There probably won’t be a performance like that from any of the players on this list, but these players will certainly make a name for themselves this season.

This division is filled with young players and it will be a division to watch out for in the future. 

Who joins Samardzija on the list of 2013 breakout performers?

*All stats are from MLB.com

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This is sort of like last minute Christmas shopping. Here is one final tip for you before you have your fantasy baseball league draft. Sorry but I can’t stop you from picking a bunch of stiffs. What I can do is give you a few ideas as to which “sleepers” might be able to help your team in spite of your other draft picks.

There have been a ton of injuries this Spring, so some of these sleepers may get an early start. I have my own draft on Sunday, so I’ll be reading this too when I’m done writing it. I’ve heard the phrase, “maybe you should take your own advice” before, so I just may have to do that.

None of these guys are Rumpelstiltskin sleepers, but they will probably go late in your draft and a few maybe not at all. I listed the teams by division starting with the National League. Without further ado, here they are.

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It happens every year.

Minor league players, sometimes as young as 18, are hyped up to be the “next big thing” in baseball. 

As fans and fantasy baseball participants, we either watch these young talents blow up and become stars or unfortunately bear witness to them being thrown into the fire.

Being “Baseball’s No. 1 Prospect” really doesn’t mean as much as it should.  Players who have worn that title have succeeded and failed in the eyes of the big leagues.  We rarely and truly never know how a young talent will fare when called up. 

Can a power hitting catcher from Double-A protect the plate enough to hit Roy Halladay?

How will a young kid from the Midwest handle the big spotlight of a championship-hungry city?

At times it’s disheartening to see players be built up so much, just to fall harder.  Why do we as a society of fans and baseball fanatics, feed on the careers of young-blooded baseball “phenoms”?

Do we really understand how hard it is to travel, leave family, keep in touch with friends, and to forget all of those hardships to step up to the plate at Yankee Stadium?

We don’t, but we still have the nerve to complain when our 13th round draft pick doesn’t hit over .260. 

Regardless of the social and ethical borders we’ve crossed as onlookers of a beautiful sport like baseball, we still have a chance to not only realize how special young talent is, but to remember those once-heralded prospects for the sake of baseball.

With that said, the following players have been “lost at sea.”  2011 could prove the year that some, maybe even all of these players, blow up their life jackets and float their careers to safety.

Matt Wieters, Catcher, Baltimore Orioles

Wieters has had a career that’s hard to swallow.  And because of that, he’s become the distinct example of major league scarring.

Formally “Baseball America’s No. 1 Prospect” as of 2009, he’s been unable to carry his career minor league average of .333 into the big leagues.

Drafted in fantasy leagues among some of the best catchers in the game in 2009, even before he was called up to the majors, Wieters was projected to be a savior of many faces.

He was the future of great hitting catchers.  The future of the struggling Baltimore Orioles franchise and the future fantasy owner’s best friend.

Where did it all go wrong?

In 2009, through 354 at-bats, he hit a very respectable .288 average.  However, after hitting only nine home runs, the lack of power instantly rubbed fantasy owners the wrong way.  Was he a rookie bust?  That’s arguable, but that was just the beginning.

Last year, after Wieters was still being drafted among the best catchers in the game, his production absolutely plummeted.  Batting a unworldly .249 with 11 home runs, he was instantly tossed overboard and cast out to sea.

Still floating, Wieters will have a chance to rebound from last year and reshape his career as a MLB player and personality. 

Currently under the radar, the 24-year old catcher will be able to sit back and take this season in stride.  No “saviors” being thrown his way.  No “Baseball America’s No. 1 Prospect” being thrown his way.  Just the ball.

If Matt Wieters can rebound this year and become a legitimate hitting catcher for seasons to come, he will become a prime example as to why rushing baseball talents from the minors up to the majors, could ruin expectations as well as early careers.

Alex Gordon, 3B, Kansas City Royals

Once projected to be the next David Wright, Gordon is now being considered the Ryan Leaf of baseball.

Where have the years gone?

Gordon stepped into the spotlight that is the mess of Kansas City back in 2007.  The former first-round pick has been unable to swim to safety, let alone keep his head above water. 

Once thought of as a perennial 30-home run hitter, Gordon has only 45 homers through four seasons and 1,442 at-bats.

Now in 2011, Gordon is fighting to not only start at third for the Royals, but he’s fighting from being demoted back down to the minors.

Gordon turns 27 today.  Since 27 is the “prime time” for hitters to produce at their highest potential, this could be the last chance for Gordon to save his career.  If not, he could go down as one of the biggest busts ever in baseball.

Does this come as a surprise?  It might, but considering Gordon was hyped to the brim, as well as being counted on to rescue one of the worst franchises in the MLB over the past 15 years, he might of never had a fair chance to build a career in baseball.

Gordon’s life jacket has slowly been leaking, and the 2011 MLB season could be the patch he’s been looking for.

Carlos Gomez, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Heading into 2011, Gomez will be playing for his third team in a four-year career.

Once thought of as the next big speedster to grace the majors, Gomez has been unable to hit enough to keep a starting job.  2008 was the only year that Gomez has recorded over 320 at-bats.

Remember, this is a guy who supposedly beat Jose Reyes in foot races on the regular at practices.  His game is speed, his talent is speed, his paychecks are dependent on his speed, and he’s been unable to utilize it.

In 445 career games, the 25-year old has only swiped 77 bases.  Quite a lower number for Gomez, who stole 65 bases between two minor league seasons from 2005-2006.

Still fairly young, Gomez still has a chance to rebound and right the ship.  However, considering that his legs are his sole and sometimes only attribute, the longer he waits to explode, his chances to do so become nonexistent. 

What can we expect from Gomez this year?

Nobody really knows.  Gomez could turn his career around and finally hit for the average that will allow him to steal 50 bases. 

On the other hand, he could continue to be trade bait, vanishing into the pool of MLB players and lose his speed as age starts kicking in.  Let’s hope not.

Honorable Mention: Mark Prior, SP, New York Yankees

Prior needed to be mentioned.  He’s a product of an unlawful and unethical sabotage of a great pitcher’s arm.

After being ran into the ground by manager Dusty Baker from 2002-2003, Prior, who was 22 at the time, pitched over 320 innings in 49 starts.  Four of those starts were complete games.

While letting a young and talented pitcher get his feet wet doesn’t qualify as a crime, Baker’s over usage of Prior has been highly documented and continuously debated. 

Prior’s short, yet impressive career, has been a building block that has been used by team’s to structure plans for their young pitchers.  Think Joba Chamberlain and Clayton Kershaw.

It’s been four years now since Prior has recorded one out in the majors, and there is no reason to believe that will change.

Every year, Prior tries to rehabilitate and resurface as a pitcher to be signed.  Usually a team will sign him in the miraculous hopes that he’ll be deemed healthy and be able to pitch even an inning in the majors. 

That’s how good of a pitcher he was.  And was is the key word.

Signed by the New York Yankees this off-season, Prior will have yet another opportunity to make a comeback at the age of 30.

If there was ever a team for Prior to get healthy for and display his talents in a major league stadium, it’s the New York Yankees.  The situation seems perfect.

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As Brewers fans slowly thaw this spring from a cold and unforgiving winter, they will be pleasantly surprised to see a Milwaukee team that addressed a much needed weak spot this offseason: Starting pitching. 

With the additions of Zack Greinke and Sean Marcum to a rotation already consisting Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf, the Brewers may now have enough pitching to compete with division rivals St. Louis and Cincinnati. 

The question facing the Brewers is can the revamped starting rotation help the team win the division in 2011, possibly the final season with soon to be free agent Prince Fielder.

In addition, will Zack Greinke prosper in his first season with the team and his first season in the National League? 

Key Acquisitions: 

SP Zack Greinke (Free Agent)

SP Sean Marcum (Trade w/ Blue Jays)

RP Takashi Saito (Free Agent)

SS Yuniesky Betancourt (Free Agent)

Key Losses:  

RP Trevor Hoffman (Retirement)

SP Chris Capuano (Free Agent)

Who to Target 

Not surprisingly, the Brewers’ top two offensive weapons are also the top two fantasy options for the team.

Ryan Braun is a top five outfielder that is a triple threat for fantasy owners, as he is a powerful hitter with a hard to find combination of speed and high average. Braun will most likely be drafted in the first two rounds of a 12 team snake draft and will be a nice bookend outfielder and solid foundation for any fantasy team. 

The second blue chip fantasy player for the Brewers is Prince Fielder, the team’s imposing first baseman. Although Fielder is coming off a down year, in which he had career lows both slugging percentage (.471) and batting average (.261), he is in a contract year and will likely put up monster numbers as he auditions for potential suitors. 

Yovani Gallardo and newly acquired Zack Greinke are the top pitchers to target, with Gallardo being the safer of the two options.

Greinke is a talented pitcher with filthy pitches; however, he struggled in his last season with Kansas City and it is unclear how well he will respond to the move to the senior circuit.

Sleeper 

It was difficult to pick a sleeper for the Brewers, as the team does not have one player that sticks out above the rest as a potential break-out candidate for 2011. 

By default, I chose Carlos Gomez, the once highly touted center fielder who has stellar speed and can flash the glove, but lacks discipline and production at the plate.  

As a career .246 hitter, Gomez has been a disappointment for those who thought he would mature into a possible 20/20 threat. 

It appears he is going to be given one last chance this season as the team’s center fielder and may finally become fantasy worthy in 2011.

This article was originally published on www.kramericasports.com, the home of free fantasy news, rankings and advice.

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It doesn’t matter who is on the mound when an offense puts up 13 runs.

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