Kuzul

There is nothing more intimidating for a hitter than being stared down by a power pitcher who can blow a fastball right by them. Fans also get excited as these pitchers light up the radar gun and rack up the strikeouts.

The rankings on this list will be determined by a combination of the pitchers’ talents, stats and their ability to bring the heat.

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Initially, when hearing a productive and established player such as Jayson Werth signed with the Washington Nationals, it was bewildering.

The Nationals had stunk for years now with the only shining start, pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg already out for the entire 2011 season, as he needed Tommy John surgery. Not good news for any pitcher, especially a 21-year-old as the blame is on the organization. The Nationals’ meager fanbase turned up in droves for Strasburg, only to have him taken away—an all-too-common theme since settling in Washington five years ago.

Regardless, the Nats’ 2010 record speaks for itself, as it was the NL East’s worst finish with 69 wins and 93 losses. At home, they were above .500 closing out 41-40; but on the road, 28-53 is nauseating and not numbers that draw big stars.

Then consider facing the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, the unpredictable New York Mets and the up-and-coming Florida Marlins 18 games a season doesn’t help the Nationals’ cause either.

With crappy stats the only resolve is to go after a semi-star, like Werth, then pay up with a big contract. Werth is a star but he not the same level as Carl Crawford or Cliff Lee, making the dollars number so outrageous that the player will at least meet with you. The Nationals came with a plan, first by promising Werth that his money would not cap out the club, as the Nats pockets ran deeper to find him some more help.

That is still just talk about things that had not happened yet, and it is the Nationals making it easier said then done. What must have caught Werth’s attention was the Nationals farm system because this club is stacked for the next few seasons.

I guess sucking for so long does have its positives—just look at the Tampa Bay Rays, who made a 180 from bad right into the World Series in what seemed like nano-years.

Unlike down in Tampa Bay, the Nationals claim to have money to spend. So, presumably holes can be filled and if not by the green, then the Nats can head on down to the farm.

Remember that quality not quantity does apply here, meaning talent doesn’t come in numbers so it is taking a chance. Any club who wants to win now has to think like the Yankees or Red Sox. The one or two times trading works out has usually been the difference maker for a successful season.

So, who are these youngsters? Other than Strasburg, I watched the other three in the Arizona Fall League and each caught my eye.

Stephen Strasburg, SP 

The most hyped rookie in MLB history. Strasburg is an outstandingly talented pitcher that every baseball fan salivated over during his brief stint in 2010. This is a special kid, as he won games, is only 22-years old, sold 78,00 jerseys in June and literally filled an empty Nationals ballpark. In his first 68 innings pitched in the bigs, Strasburg finished with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts.

Bryce Harper, OF 

The 2010 No. 1 draft pick will be just 19 on his next birthday. Harper bats with plus-power, attacks pitches and can hit to the opposite field. He already possesses the ability to make changes at the plate and has an above-average throwing arm in the outfield. This kid will make his debut in 2011 and you can bet Harper will be a superstar.

Derek Norris, C

Norris is 21-years old, hits with power, has long at-bats and draws ample walks. Norris has a strong arm, but mechanics and technique need some improvement but experience can fix any slight flaws. Keeps getting better. 

Eury Perez, CF

Perez is the pest opposing teams dread because this kid can steal bases like you read about. Finishing with 64 steals, ranking second in the minors. Perez doesn’t hit home runs, but can get on base so fast, turning a single into a triple. Nice addition to break up any team’s batting order.

More young talent to look for in Washington…Pitchers: A.J. Cole, Sammy Solis, Robbie Ray and don’t forget 2009 rookie tandem of SS Ian Desmond and 2B Danny Espinosa, who showed serious potential in the infield.

This leaves the question, would it be a smart move to add some more experience for balance, at least mentally in the Nationals’ clubhouse? Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman will at least help, but he didn’t do much in 2010 motivation-wise.

It might sound crazy, but the Nats can learn from the Rays’ mistakes. Tampa possessed an exceptionally rare group of talent troubled by immaturity, particularly after losing the 2008 World Series and playing like sore losers in 2009. Veteran players can handle the pressure and leadership is essential in any sport.

Maybe Jayson Werth just got richer, but he could just be the smartest free agent this offseason.

Practice makes perfect, but it takes patience and looking forward the Nats could be the team to beat in the NL in 2012 season.

It looks like things are about to change in the Nation’s capital. Young, talented and hungry are a dangerous combination.

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Despite a flurry of movement at baseball’s winter meetings, free agent pitcher Cliff Lee remains unsigned.

But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been fielding offers.

According to reports, both the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers are bidding aggressively for the ace and an agreement may soon be reached. However, with some of the contracts that are being handed out (Jayson Werth – seven years/$126 million, Carl Crawford – $142 million), the price for the 31-year-old left-hander has become astronomical.

Lee and his agents have all the leverage right now in negotiations and any number of teams may be interested in his services. Here’s a look at the teams believed to be in the hunt for Lee, and which one may have the advantage in eventually striking a deal.

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Yesterday, conjecture became reality.

After months of speculation that Jayson Werth would leave the Phillies when his contract expired, it became official when the Washington Nationals signed him to a mega-deal.

Most everyone would agree that the terms of the contract widely exceeded expectations.

Even the Nationals GM Mike Rizzo admitted as much by implying that the 7-year, $126 million deal had to be inflated to attract a high profile free agent due to the team’s less than stellar track record. 

Beyond the obvious financial windfall benefiting Werth and his agent Scott Boras, all parties involved seem to lose at some level.

Although the Phillies abundance of remaining talent, headed by the Big Three, will still position them as strong contenders in 2011, the team is clearly worse off without Werth. 

It is apparent to most all observers that the club loses its one big, right-handed power bat to break up its lefty sluggers. More peripherally, though, they lose the type of patient hitter that runs up pitch counts and on base percentage.  

And, for Phillies fans who suffered through watching the Bobby Abreu era, Werth’s defensive range, aggressive baserunning and all out hustle were highly valued.

In fact, these qualities along with his work ethic make him the type of player that Philly fans embrace—although not now that he has jumped ship. 

In anticipation of “J-Dub’s” exit, most pundits and fans have envisioned replacing him with a platoon scenario.

Names such as Ben Francisco, John Mayberry Jr, Matt Diaz, and Jeff Francouer have surfaced to pair with left-handed rookie phenom Domonic Brown.

Unfortunately, none of them possess Werth’s combination of speed, range, arm, or gamer mentality—let alone batting capabilities.  

Besides securing a five-tool player, the Nationals lose on many fronts with this deal.

Even if they can shrug off the scorn from most every other GM and team owner around baseball for raising the bar by handing a 31-year old player with a history of injury a seven-year contract at an average annual salary of $18 million, they still have issues. 

Should Werth’s production start to fade as he moves out of his prime, their return on investment will nose dive.

Even worse, if the injury bug returns, it could happen sooner. 

Part of Rizzo’s rationale for overspending right now is that his club needed to acquire the type of centerpiece necessary to build a winner and signal to other players around the league that Washington has a bright future. 

This seems particularly risky considering that Werth never played that role in Philly.

The free spirited right fielder resided more in the supporting cast behind big name stars such as Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge, and Cole Hamels.

This is not to say that Werth is incapable of stepping up to be “The Man,” but placing a nine figure bet on that happening makes a former, round, Philadelphia hoops star’s gambling look like child’s play.    

Lastly, the Nats have been accumulating some nice young talent, but still appear to be a year or two away from serious contention.

The return of Stephen Strasburg from Tommy John surgery and the development of fellow phenom Bryce Harper seem to point to 2012 or 2013 as the season for Washington to emerge from the bottom feeder depths.  

The signing of Werth does not quite align with that timeline. 

And, importantly, despite now being financially set for life, Werth loses a lot by inking this contract. The next seven years will likely never rival the fun and excitement that he experienced while in red pinstripes. 

It all starts with the chemistry in the clubhouse, created by a rare mix of talented, selfless, and winning ballplayers. The Phillies have the intangibles to go with the skills that translates into an enjoyable environment and ultimately success. 

As for today’s Nats—not so much. 

When he steps out of the clubhouse onto the field, it is highly unlikely that Werth will experience the same electric atmosphere that was a constant throughout his stay in Philly. 

Philadelphia’s NL-leading attendance last season was more than double the numbers in Washington.

Nat’s fans occupied 53.9 percent of the stadium each game, while Phillies fans over-stuffed Citizen’s Bank Park at 103.5 percent of capacity. 

Perhaps an even more important difference can be found in the DNA of each set of fans.

Washington fans don’t exactly come to mind when terms like “passionate,” “knowledgeable,” and “vocal” are thrown around the baseball world— but are almost synonymous with those residing in the City of Brotherly Love.  

Werth’s switch of red uniforms also brings a ramped up set of expectations and pressure. It remains to be seen how he will respond to it, but history suggests that those two elements often rob some of the joy of playing a kids game as your everyday occupation. 

Wrapped around all of this is the fact that the Phillies are still built to win now.

No matter how much money is sitting in a bank account or portfolio, winning is always a lot more fun.  

Washington might have a bright future. But, if the Phillies can figure out how to patch the gaping hole left by his departure, it may be a tortuous couple years for Werth watching his former teammates strive for historic excellence. 

Some have reacted to Werth’s contract with anger and disdain, incensed that he would choose money over winning.

Although it is disappointing to see one of my favorite and most admired Phillies players leave town, it is virtually impossible to begrudge him accepting a deal the magnitude that was offered. 

If recent reports have been true, the Nationals offer was three or four years longer and $62-78 million greater than what Ruben Amaro extended to Werth. 

That goes way beyond the range of a hometown discount and vaults into the category of “an offer that can’t be refused.”

Its sad, but true that Werth is no longer a Philly and is now a National. As a result, it will be a little bit less fun for Phillies fans when they head to the park next season.  

And, I suspect, the same will hold true for Werth—perhaps even more-so.   

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Sunday former Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth signed a seven year, $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals.  Monday, Werth is already receiving criticism for not only signing with a rival team, but also for going to a non-contendor. 

$126 million isn’t too shabby for a player who is already 32 years old.  Werth faced a long struggle last year hitting with runners in scoring position.  However he brings speed, a strong arm, great glove, and a hot bat to a team who has finished last in the National League East the past 6 of the last 7 seasons (including when the club was still in Montreal). 

Washington is going through an obvious rebuilding process within the organization.  With the top draft pick in the MLB draft the past two seasons, the club has been able to pick up two outstanding young phenoms in Steven Strasburg and Bryce Harper.  The team also has decided to part ways with catcher Will Nieves with the signing of Jesus Flores. 

Strasburg is expected to miss this season as he is recovering from Tommy John surgery, but should be back alongside of Bryce Harper in 2012.  The team should also receive a high draft pick again this year and should be able to add even more young talent to the club. 

With Adam Dunn also leaving the team, watch for Werth to be put in the 3 or 4 spot in the lineup, a position where he will be able to utilize his speed, power, and run producing abilities.  Even if Werth hits 50 homeruns, drives in 150 runs, and steals 40 bases, don’t expect Washington to make a run at the Division title just yet.  Bryce Harper should make his major league debut about halfway through this season if everything goes as planned which will add another power source and player who can drive in runs.  Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond also should compliment Werth and Harper by driving in runs as well. 

Offense is not the only key to the Nationals success.  If Strasburg returns in 2012 and continues to dominate hitters as he did in his rookie season, he should become the number one man in the rotation and has the potential to win 20 games a year.  Livan Hernandez led the team with 211.2 innings pitched this season, finishing with a record of 10-12.  Hernandez’s record does not reflect the quality of his pitching.  His posted a 3.66 ERA with 114 strikeouts.  Lack of offense plagued the 35 year old pitcher.  John Lannan also had a productive season and should be able to have even more success this season if the offense picks up.  The team also had 14 different pitchers start a game this season.  If the team has a core of starting pitchers, and a core offense, they should be able to make some noise in the division and could make a run in the division in the next few years.

So Phillies fans, don’t throw Werth totally under the bus.  While he is not with a contender now, the Nationals could be a contender in the next few years. 

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There are prospects, and then there are mega-prospects.

When each new baseball season rolls around, teams and fans evaluate the talent that each organization holds. Each organization has its gems, some of whom get compliments as the next Alex Rodriguez or Roger Clemens. 

In recent years, players like Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, the Upton brothers, and Jason Heyward have been the league’s biggest attention-getters. Over the course of the last 30 or so years, there has been seemingly more and more attention given the apparent superstars of tomorrow.

Well hyped does not necessarily mean the future stars, just the players that were put under the microscope from a young age. Some players thrive in the spotlight and become superstars, while others wilt under the intense pressure and become busts.

But who are the most hyped prospects of the last three decades? And how does a mega-prospect from 20 years ago like Ben McDonald go up against a modern-day phenom like Stephen Strasburg? Take a look inside, where the most hyped prospects of recent memory are evaluated.

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Adrian Beltre will be the third-most sought-after free agent position player this offseason, but may provide the best value to whoever signs himt.

Beltre declined his player option for 2011, after a 2010 season in which he made $10 million while delivering 7.1 WAR. On top of his defense, which is always stellar at third base, Beltre has rediscovered the batting stroke that eluded him during his entire five-year tenure in Seattle.

In 2004, after a season in which he hit 48 home runs and was worth 10.1 WAR, Beltre inked a five-year deal worth $64 million to play for the Mariners. His time there was miserable, however, and Beltre fled to Boston last winter.

The decision was a good one: Beltre should now receive a deal in excess of four years and $45 million. Still, given his undervalued and unmatched defense at the hot corner, the team who signs him will be getting a bargain.

Which team will that be? It’s impossible to say right now, but here are all 30 teams, ranked in order from least to most likely to sign Beltre.

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With the announcement of the National League Rookie of the Year due on Monday, baseball fans find themselves in a place they did not expect to be.

In spring training, prior to the 2010 season, two rookies commanded the attention of the baseball world. One was a 20-year-old man-child in Atlanta, the next Ken Griffey Jr. or perhaps even Frank Robinson, whose five tools were already self-evident and whose place in the starting lineup on opening day was all but guaranteed.

The other rookie phenom was slated to be, perhaps, the greatest pitching prospect we’ve ever seen, and while he was not due to make his team out of spring training, there were those who thought that once he did join his team, he would be the best pitcher in the National League.

Remarkably, surprisingly, unbelievably, neither Jason Heyward nor Stephen Strasburg will be announced as the National League Rookie of the Year tomorrow. While they both enjoyed very good seasons, and both matched the hype surrounding their emergence, the best rookie in the National League was nevertheless a World Series winning catcher from San Francisco named Buster.

Buster Posey, that is.

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With the San Francisco Giants relishing the glory of winning their first World Series since arriving in the Bay Area in 1958, that leaves only eight franchises that have yet to experience the emotional release of becoming World Champions.

As the final chapter is closed on the 2010 season, we take a look at the remaining Empty Eight and analyze their chances at escaping the purgatory that comes from not giving their city a day off to celebrate with a downtown parade.

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Months before Stephen Strasburg‘s name (and elbow) was mentioned in the same sentence as Tommy John, the hype surrounding him and the anticipation of his arrival into Major League Baseball rivaled fans consumption of Fernandomania in the 1980s.

Strasburg set the bar so high for the 2010 rookie class that most casual fans missed out on a handful of first-year talent making their mark prior to K-Burg’s grand entrance in June.

In the National League, you had the amazing start for Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mike Leake, Atlanta’s Jason Heyward made the All-Star team and Buster Posey helped lead the Giants to the playoffs. In the American League, Detroit’s Austin Jackson made possibly the catch of the year and the Rangers’ Neftali Feliz was lights out in the closer’s role.

Thanks to Whatifsports.com’s MLB Dream Teams feature we were able to create a 2010 All-Rookies team, based on the statistical output and notoriety of the players, to face a collection of Rookies of the Year. We drafted ROY award winners over the past 15 years to construct a full roster.

Using our MLB simulation engine, we welcome the spirit of the playoffs and created a best-of-seven series to determine which team would win, the 2010 All-Rookies or past Rookies of the Year.

Stephen Strasburg had no issues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in his major league debut. He quickly learned in Game 1, this series wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

The kid with a rocket for an arm only lasted 2.2 innings giving up three runs before they pulled the plug on him. Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run bomb in the second inning to push the Rookies of the Year up early. Baltimore’s Alfredo Simon would inherit one of Strasburg’s runners and allowed him to score to put the Rookies in a 3-0 hole.

Strasburg had a 1.35 K/IP in 2010, the highest in majors for rookie pitchers. Hideo Nomo was not impressed. The former Dodger ROY handcuffed the All-Rookies, going eight innings, allowing one run on six hits and struck out 15.

Ichiro and Dustin Pedroia each had an RBI in the fourth inning and an Albert Pujols RBI single in the seventh added insurance the ROY would not need.

The All-Rookies’ lone run came in the seventh inning off the bat of Neil Walker, who hit 12 dingers for the Pirates in 2010, a solo shot on this night.

It didn’t take long for the scoreboard to light up in Game 2 as current teammates squared off in the first.

Detroit’s Brennan Boesch cracked a two-out, two-run single to give the All-Rookies an early lead against current Tiger Justin Verlander.

Verlander lasted only five innings.

The ROY would cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first when Albert Pujols followed up Ryan Howard’s triple with a double, driving in the Phillies’ franchise player.

With the ROY trailing 3-1 in the third, Howard would lead the offensive charge again. A solo dinger in the inning would cut the All-Rookies’ lead to one and then a fielder’s choice in the fifth would tie the game up at 3-3.

Hanley Ramirez continued to swing a hot bat and gave the ROY the lead for good with his second home run in as many games.

AL Rookie of the Year from 2009, Andrew Bailey, pitched a hitless 2.1 innings and got the win. Former Mariners closer, Kaz Sasaki got the save.

Down 2-0 in the series, the Rookies made some lineup changes to help wake up their offense. Alcides Escobar replaced Ian Desmond at SS and batted eighth. Brennan Boesch was bumped up to fifth in the lineup, and Danny Valencia started at 3B replacing Pedro Alvarez.

These changes paid off as the 2010 All-Rookies got their first win of the series, breaking out for nine runs on 14 hits. The Rookies also received a much-needed solid seven innings on the mound from Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia.

The Rookies found their power in this game hitting three homeruns—Buster Posey, Brennan Boesch and Neil Walker (his second of the series) all went deep.

Posey’s HR came in the first inning and was part of a 3-4, three RBI performance for the Giants catcher. Austin Jackson added three hits for the Rookies.

Former ROY, Jason Jennings, got rocked allowing six ERs on seven hits in 2.1 IP.

This was a much-needed win for the 2010 All-Rooks who now trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Mike Leake faced Kerry Wood in this pivotal Game 4. The connection between these two is they both debuted with Dusty Baker as their manager. Baker has had to answer a lot of questions about pitch counts throughout his career and perhaps hurt Wood’s arm due to overuse in Chicago. He was very cautious with Mike Leake in 2010 keeping his innings and pitches under strict watch.

Leake would not get any help in the second thanks to an Alcides Escobar throwing error allowing the ROY to take the early lead.

The Rookies would come back in the third when Jason Heyward crushed a Kerry Wood fastball to center field allowing Austin Jackson and Alcides Escobar to score giving the 2010 All-Rookies a 2-1 lead.

That lead quickly vanished with a solo homerun by the ROY’s Ryan Braun who made up for his two errors in this game.

Later, in the sixth inning, with Ryan Braun on second base, Kerry Wood helped out his own cause with a single to left allowing Braun to score to give them a 3-2 lead.

Leake ended up throwing 90 pitches through 5.1 in this game only allowing two earned runs.

The game would remain 3-2 until the ninth inning. Kaz Sasaki came in for the save. Boesch and Valencia went down swinging for two quick outs as the Rookies of the Year seemed poised to take a 3-1 series lead. However, Sasaki would walk Neil Walker and Escobar followed up with a bloop single that advanced the tying run to third base. Pedro Alvarez came in to pinch hit for the pitcher and drew a walk.

Huston Street would come in to replace Sasaki with two outs and the bases loaded.

It was Austin Jackson’s turn to play hero as he hit a line-drive single into center. Walker scored easily from third. Escobar was waved around from second, Ichiro’s throw was not in time and the 2010 All-Rookies walk off to victory and even the series at 2-2.

After losing two straight, the Rookies of the Year bounced back in a big way scoring 10 runs on 12 hits. Madison Bumgarner started for the 2010 Rookies and was rocked as was Hisinori Takahashi, who took over in the fifth. The two combined for five IP, nine hits and seven runs (six ERs). Not a great performance in a crucial Game 5.

On the other side, the Rookies of the Year’s pitching staff performed just as poorly. Dontrelle Willis started, but could not get out of the fifth inning either. Their bullpen struggled as well. Tim Worrell gave up a three-run bomb to the Marlins’ Gaby Sanchez in the eighth inning. All three runs were charged to reliever Andrew Bailey. Gaby’s homer tied the game at seven.

Orioles closer Alfredo Simon came on in the ninth for the All-Rooks and served up a three-run dinger to the Brewers’ Ryan Braun to hand the ROY a 10-7 lead.

Kaz Sasaki then entered redeeming himself with a lock-down ninth to pick up his second save of the series.

Buster Posey had his second three-hit game of the series going 3-6 with three RBI. In fact, the top four hitters for the 2010 All-Rookies (Jackson, Heyward, Posey and Sanchez) combined to go 10-19 with seven RBI, all of which comes in a losing effort.

The Rookies of the Year lead the series 3-2 heading into Game 6.

When it mattered the most, Hideo Nomo delivered for the Rookies of the Year.

The ROY received another phenomenal pitching performance from for the Dodgers ace. Nomo struck out 15 in Game 1 and followed that up with 12 Ks in Game 6.

Stephen Strasburg was a late scratch due to a shoulder injury. Arizona’s Daniel Hudson struggled in the spot-start situation. He allowed three runs in three innings of work.

Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols each hit a home run to help out the ROY’s offensive cause.

Nomo’s stuff was too much for the 2010 Rookies to handle. He was Player of the Game for Game 1 and Game 6 and also earns MVP of the series.

The Rookies of the Year win the best-of-seven series 4-2.

Hard to believe all this was accomplished with a talent like Evan Longoria spittin’ seeds on the bench.

Make sure you give this matchup a whirl—just click any of the Simulate Game links located inside the box scores.

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