Early 2012-13 NBA Predictions

     The NBA schedule was released a mere two hours ago, which got me pretty excited. I was grateful that we actually had a season last year that really was intriguing. Think about it. The Miami Heat, the league's villain, won the championship by overcoming a lot of adversity that included defeating the old, veteran Boston Celtics who just nearly completed one last run with the big three by heading back to the NBA Finals. In the Western Conference, a changing of the guard officially took place with the young and energetic Oklahoma City Thunder defeating the established San Antonio Spurs. Heading into this upcoming seasons, many headlines remain while some new ones will cause most of the stir in the league. For starters, how will Miami handle winning their first championship, will they be more dominant this year or will they take a step back? How will the Thunder rebound after a somewhat disappointing conclusion to last year? Will the Lakers return to the NBA Finals after acquiring Steve Nash? Which New York team will garner the most attention and have the most success, the new look Brooklyn Nets or the Jeremy Lin-less New York Knicks? Can Derrick Rose return in time to turn the Bulls back into a legitimate championship contender? Here are my predictions for the upcoming season.

Note- These were made before Dwight Howard was traded, obviously some of these predictions would change because of the recent trade

Eastern Conference

1  Miami- 66-16

     Looking past the big three for a moment, the Heat are now one of, if not the deepest team in the NBA with supporting guys like Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen and Shane Battier. The key question will be whether Dwyane Wade can stay healthy and continue his play at a superstar level. 

2  Indiana- 52-30

     Indiana comes out on top in the Central division due to Derrick Rose's recovery. But let's give credit where credit is due, Indiana is deep with many good players on their roster and there is no doubt they can take that next step this year and appear in a conference finals. 

3  Philadelphia- 49-33

     Philadelphia was lucky that Derrick Rose got hurt, but it wasn't luck that pushed the Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination. The 76ers are up and coming and they can certainly play with any of the teams in the East besides Miami. 

4  Boston- 46-36

     The Celtics lost Ray Allen. Believe it or not, it is no big deal at all. Allen was breaking down and he really wasn't of that much help to them in the regular season. The team is becoming more and more in the hands of Rajon Rondo, one of the game's most dynamic players. The Celtics are still in very good position to make another run at a conference title because their starting five is nearly as good as any other team in the league, the only problem is whether the Celtics can bring it night in and night out to get in as good a position as possible to make their road easier in the playoffs.

5  Brooklyn- 45-37
     As constituted, the Nets have enough in place to certainly be a playoff team. But wait until Dwight Howard comes to Brooklyn midseason. The Nets will become a legitimate threat to the Miami Heat with the trio of Howard, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. Brooklyn will immediately have a team to root for that will compete and probably be better than the New York Knicks.

6  Chicago- 43-39
     The Bulls are perfectly capable of making the playoffs without Derrick Rose, but they will go nowhere without him. The good news is Rose is expected to return by midseason and give the rest of the East a run for their money.

7  New York- 43-39
     The very short Jeremy Lin era is over and now the Knicks will try their luck with Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd at point guard. I like the Felton move because the only consistency the Knicks have had the past three years besides the short Lin era was when Felton and Amare Stoudemire were together in New York. However, the Knicks are what they are. They are an up and down, just over .500 team because Carmelo Anthony will shoot you into and shoot you out of games. The Knicks are always dangerous, but they haven't proved anything yet.

8  Detroit- 38-44
     I like the Pistons to break out this year namely because of Greg Monroe. Monroe is a stud and is one of the best big men in the game to watch because of the way he sees the floor at his position. The Pistons have other young players like Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight and that combination of youth will see them make a surprise playoff appearance.

9  Atlanta- 35-47
     The Hawks no longer have the face of the franchise in Joe Johnson, so the key question will be how do they recover from that loss. The Hawks will rely on Josh Smith and Al Horford, which can certainly be enough to make the playoffs as long as both are content in trying to win in Atlanta.

10  Milwaukee- 32-50
     The backcourt is deadly with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. Unfortunately, you can't just have a great backcourt and expect to automatically make the playoffs. Without any big men of note, the Bucks will be a borderline playoff team but end up missing out.

11  Cleveland- 31-51
     Kyrie Irving should continue to get better and better. But the Cavaliers don't have any other solid supporting players to build around Irving due to some poor drafting besides the selection of Irving last year. The Cavaliers will have another long season.

12  Orlando- 29-53
     The Magic are almost certain to lose Dwight Howard, right? Well I am going to assume Howard is eventually shifted to the Nets midseason, sending Orlando into a downward spiral.

13  Toronto- 24-58
     The Raptors are the definition of a listless basketball team. Another year, another year of lottery selections.

14  Washington- 23-59
     The Wizards are the least disciplined team in the NBA and they are terrible to watch. There is hope with the overrated John Wall though I guess.

15  Charlotte- 12-70
     The Bobcats have nowhere to but up, right? Well, they are going to be just as bad unfortunately because Kemba Walker and rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist won't have that much of an impact.

Western Conference

1  Oklahoma City- 62-20
     How are the Thunder going to respond after falling a little bit flat in the Finals last year? I think they will respond just fine as long as they stay healthy. They are too talented not too. They have the scoring and enough defense to be one of the top seeds next year almost for certain.

2  San Antonio- 59-23
     Every year is always the year that San Antonio is supposed to fade. Well, the trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili has continued to stay healthy, so why are they going to fade now? The youth is starting to emerge which will help Duncan, Parker and Ginobili rest up for the playoffs as the Spurs grab one of the top seeds once again.

3  Los Angeles- 58-24
     I love the Steve Nash acquisition offensively. Defensively, the Lakers are still in the same position they were last year, if not worse. That being said, the Lakers will certainly be explosive enough to contend in the West, although they have some depth concerns.

4  Los Angeles- 55-27
     The Clippers were a bit of a disappointment last year, bowing out in unimpressive fashion against the Spurs last year. Chris Paul will be healthier than he was last year and he will be in the MVP conversation once again. The Clippers are one of the deeper teams in the NBA and they will be more of a threat in the West this year.

5  Memphis- 50-32
     Memphis has enough in place to be a team that could sneak into serious contention if one or two of the top teams slip up. Memphis will always be dangerous, but they just don't quite have enough to get over the hurdle of the second round.

6  Denver- 49-33
     Denver is one of the more interesting teams to watch because they don't have one star player, yet they pushed the Lakers to 7 games last year. I can't see them advancing past the first round this year, but they are a near certain playoff team.

7  Minnesota- 44-38
     The Timberwolves were rolling until Ricky Rubio went down with a torn ACL. Assuming Rubio comes back and he returns to form, the Wolves will surprise and make the playoffs behind Kevin Love and just enough depth behind him.

8  Dallas- 43-39
     No more Jason Kidd and Jason Terry in Dallas, so it will be squarely on the shoulders on Dirk Nowitzki (as if it wasn't in the first place). The Mavericks will struggle to get in will almost certainly not make it out of the first round just because they are not as deep as they were a couple years ago.

9  Portland- 41-41
     The Blazers disappointed last season, falling short of playoff expectations. I would not be surprised at all if they made the playoffs this year, but at this point, they are the odd man out once again.

10  Golden State- 39-43
     I like Stephen Curry a lot and the Warriors front court is much improved. That being said, they are another year or two away from making the playoffs because they lack the necessary depth to consistently win enough games in the regular season.

11  Utah- 36-46
     The Jazz were a surprise playoff team that was bounced immediately by the Spurs. I could see them getting back their this year because they have a few good players, but a drop off is what I predict because they did nothing in the offseason to improve while a few other teams did.

12  Sacramento- 32-50
     The Kings are improving, there is no doubt. But there is something missing with this team that I can't put my finger on. It will be another long season in Sacramento, but not quite as long as some of the ones in recent years.

13  New Orleans- 31-51
     Anthony Davis is a stud, but he will not make enough of an impact to lead the Hornets to the playoffs just yet. However, the future is bright and the Hornets will have their moments this upcoming season.

14  Houston- 27-55
     The Rockets will miss out on the playoffs because they made too much of an effort of acquiring Jeremy Lin and not enough of an effort of retaining players like Luis Scola who almost made Houston into a playoff team last year. The Rockets got worse this offseason and Jeremy Lin won't do enough to get them into the playoffs.

15  Phoenix- 24-58
     The Suns tried to make amends for letting Steve Nash go by acquiring Goran Dragic, Luis Scola and Michael Beasley, but I feel that Nash's presence will truly be missed after they realized how much he did for the Suns organization. 

Playoffs

Quarters

1)Miami over 8)Detroit 4-1- Not much of a surprise here, the Heat will walk all over the Pistons although I'll say the Pistons grab one game for the hell of it. 
Game 1- MIAMI 111-94
Game 2- MIAMI 116-87
Game 3- Miami 91-81
Game 4- DETROIT 100-97
Game 5- MIAMI 105-89

7)New York over 2)Indiana 4-2- Upset number one of my postseason predictions. The Pacers made the second round last year and made Miami sweat a little, yes. But beating the Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic wasn't that impressive. The Knicks will finally produce, beating the Pacers in a thrilling six game series. 
Game 1- INDIANA 107-101
Game 2- New York 98-84
Game 3- NEW YORK 112-91
Game 4- Indiana 109-108 OT
Game 5- New York 101-97
Game 6- NEW YORK 105-94

6)Chicago over 3)Philadelphia 4-1- Philly upset Chicago last season when Derrick Rose went down with his knee injury, but Chicago will upset Philadelphia in impressive fashion.
Game 1- Chicago 101-89
Game 2- PHILADELPHIA 106-102
Game 3- CHICAGO 111-100
Game 4- CHICAGO 87-83
Game 5- Chicago 91-75

5)Brooklyn over 4)Boston 4-2- Too much Dwight Howard as the Celtics have no answer down low for Howard. In a highly competitive series, especially at the guards between Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo, Brooklyn wins their first ever playoff series. 
Game 1- Brooklyn 85-78
Game 2- BOSTON 89-86 OT
Game 3- BROOKLYN 104-101
Game 4- BROOKLYN 114-107
Game 5- BOSTON 93-92 OT
Game 6- BROOKLYN 121-117 2OT

1)Oklahoma City over 8)Dallas 4-0- Dallas doesn't have nearly enough firepower to hang with Oklahoma City as the Thunder roll the Mavericks.
Game 1- OKLAHOMA CITY 104-91
Game 2- OKLAHOMA CITY 97-83
Game 3- Oklahoma City 100-98
Game 4- Oklahoma City 107-102

2)San Antonio over 7)Minnesota 4-1- In the playoff debut of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, they exit very quickly at the hands of the Spurs in five games.
Game 1- SAN ANTONIO 114-102
Game 2- SAN ANTONIO 93-87
Game 3- MINNESOTA 87-80
Game 4- San Antonio 93-90 OT
Game 5- SAN ANTONIO 104-99 OT

3)Los Angeles over 6)Denver 4-1- In a rematch of last year's Western Quarters, the Lakers don't have nearly as much trouble with the Nuggets, advancing in five games behind the duo of Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant. 
Game 1- LOS ANGELES 104-102
Game 2- LOS ANGELES 99-72
Game 3- Los Angeles 106-87
Game 4- DENVER 97-93
Game 5- LOS ANGELES 110-100

4)Los Angeles over 5)Memphis 4-2- Another rematch from last year, the Clippers defeat the Grizzlies in a hard nosed series behind Blake Griffin elevating his performance to get the better of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. 
Game 1- LOS ANGELES 101-98
Game 2- Memphis 106-93
Game 3- Los Angeles 106-103
Game 4- MEMPHIS 84-73
Game 5- LOS ANGELES 112-110 OT
Game 6- Los Angeles 94-80

Semis

5)Brooklyn over 1)Miami 4-3- In perhaps the biggest upset of the postseason, the Nets knock off the defending champion Miami Heat behind another stellar performance from Dwight Howard, taking advantage of Chris Bosh down low to shock the Heat.
Game 1- Brooklyn 102-97
Game 2- MIAMI 96-91
Game 3- Miami 111-97
Game 4- BROOKLYN 127-98
Game 5- MIAMI 92-91
Game 6- BROOKLYN 87-83
Game 7- Brooklyn 98-94
6)Chicago over 7)New York 4-0- Just when New York Knick fans thought their team was turning the corner, they get destroyed by a deeper, hungrier Bulls team. 
Game 1- CHICAGO 104-102 OT
Game 2- CHICAGO 112-86
Game 3- Chicago 97-82
Game 4- Chicago 103-88

1)Oklahoma City over 4)Los Angeles 4-3- In a terrific matchup at the point between Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, Paul does all he can working with Blake Griffin to push the Thunder to the brink, but Kevin Durant elevates his game once again to lead the Thunder to their third straight Western finals. 
Game 1- Los Angeles 98-88
Game 2- Los Angeles 102-87
Game 3- Oklahoma City 101-95
Game 4- LOS ANGELES 87-85
Game 5- OKLAHOMA CITY 115-98
Game 6- Oklahoma City 121-104
Game 7- OKLAHOMA CITY 93-88
3)Los Angeles over 2)San Antonio 4-2- The matchup brings back memories of the good old Western Conference back in the mid-2000's and in this one, the Lakers, the slightly more dynamic team offensively and the more powerful team down low sneak by the Spurs to get back to the Western Finals. 
Game 1- SAN ANTONIO 97-94
Game 2- Los Angeles 102-93
Game 3- LOS ANGELES 95-90
Game 4- San Antonio 103-83
Game 5- Los Angeles 97-95
Game 6- LOS ANGELES 107-102

Conference Finals
6)Chicago over 5)Brooklyn 4-2- The memorable ride for the Brooklyn Nets ends at the hands of Derrick Rose who gets the better of Deron Williams to will the Bulls back to their first NBA Finals since the Jordan Era.
Game 1- BROOKLYN 87-80
Game 2- Chicago 134-130 2OT
Game 3- CHICAGO 107-103
Game 4- Brooklyn 109-93
Game 5- Chicago 111-106
Game 6- CHICAGO 105-98

1)Oklahoma City over 3)Los Angeles 4-2- The Lakers acquired Steve Nash so they can contend with and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. But the plan fails as the Thunder get the better of the Lakers once again behind a great series from Russell Westbrook.
Game 1- OKLAHOMA CITY 108-103
Game 2- OKLAHOMA CITY 114-97
Game 3- Oklahoma City 101-99
Game 4- LOS ANGELES 107-100
Game 5- Los Angeles 96-87
Game 6- Oklahoma City 89-83 

NBA Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder over Chicago Bulls 4-2
Finals MVP: Kevin Durant
     The Thunder get the better of the Bulls, officially washing out the taste of losing in last year's finals by defeating the Bulls in six games. Kevin Durant averages over 30 a game and steps up in two clutch situations to outshine Derrick Rose and win his first NBA title. 
Game 1- OKLAHOMA CITY 109-107
Game 2- OKLAHOMA CITY 103-95
Game 3- CHICAGO 97-94 OT
Game 4- CHICAGO 102-91
Game 5- OKLAHOMA CITY 99-97 OT
Game 6- Oklahoma City 88-84

Ranking the Best Young Players from Each MLB Team to Build Around

1- Mike Trout, CF Age: 20- Trout can do it all. As a 20 year old, he is very much in the hunt to win AL MVP. He is leading the AL in batting average along with stolen bases. Trout is on track to be one of the biggest names in the game and he will be the face of the Angels franchise for a long time.
2- Mark Trumbo, LF Age: 26- Trumbo has been overshadowed a bit by what Mike Trout has been doing, but Trumbo is putting together a terrific season. He is only in his second year, so Trumbo should be expected by the Angels to be in the top half of their order for some time. 





1- Justin Upton, RF Age: 24- I don't know why the Diamondbacks would consider unloading Upton. Though he hasn't been great this year, he is only 24 and has shown in the past that he is capable of being an MVP caliber player. 
2- Trevor Bauer, SP Age: 21- Bauer has pitched as you would expect from a rookie, but there is no doubt that he could become the next Tim Lincecum and headline a young and deadly Diamondbacks rotation for the future.
3- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B Age; 24- After a slow start this season, Goldschmidt as picked it up, batting around .300 with a solid amount of home runs. Goldschmidt should be a consistent hitter in the top half of the Diamondbacks lineup for the next few years.



1- Jason Heyward, RF Age: 22- Heyward hasn't produced like many thought he would, but give him time because it is only his second season in the majors. Heyward has the potential to be as good as fellow youngsters Justin Upton and Andrew McCutchon, but he does need to begin to prove something or else he might be labeled as a very overhyped player. 
2- Craig Kimbrel, RP Age: 24- Kimbrel has been lights out in what his now his second season in the big leagues. Kimbrel looks like he should be the ninth inning man for the next decade with the Braves.
3- Freddie Freeman, 1B Age: 22- At only 22 years old, Freeman has shown that he should be a productive first basemen for the Braves in the future. We'll see if Freeman can take bigger steps toward becoming an all-star level first basemen in the near future. 





1- Dylan Bundy, SP Age: 19- Bundy is the prized possession in the Orioles farm system and he is poised to become the ace of the staff within a matter of years. Bundy could easily become a Clayton Kershaw/Felix Hernandez like pitcher for the Orioles and give the O's pitching stafff much needed stability.
2- Adam Jones, CF Age: 26- Jones is having a career year for the Orioles and he is truly proven to be the face of the franchise that the Orioles expected him to be. 
3- Matt Wieters, C Age: 26- He hasn't exactly been quite the catcher the Orioles thought he would be, but Wieters has still been productive. He is one of the better catchers in the game and although he isn't quite Joe Mauer, he will continue to produce for the next decade. 





1- Will Middlebrooks, 3B Age: 23- Middlebrooks has been good enough for the Red Sox this year that they felt it was necessary to get rid of fan favorite Kevin Youkilis. Middlebrooks is one of the only bright spots the Red Sox have with their youth right now. 





1- Starlin Castro, SS Age: 22- Though Castro might have focus issues and isn't always the hardest worker, he is still the best young building block the Cubs have. He was an all-star this year, so it should be a sign of things to come for the Cubs. 
2- Anthony Rizzo, 1B Age: 22- Rizzo was recently called up and has been doing big things for the Cubs. The Cubs are a couple years and a couple players away from getting back into the thick of things in the NL Central, but count on Rizzo to certainly be a focal point of the Cubs at that time. 
3- Josh Vitters, 3B Age: 22- Vitters still hasn't been called up, but he is one of the better Cubs minor leaguers who is probably the closest to getting called up. He is another one of the Cubs young players who might turn into a star over time. 





1- Chris Sale, SP Age: 23- Sale has been nothing short of sensational this year and he is a huge reason why the White Sox are contending. His ERA is tops in the American League and he is only 23 years old. As long as he stays healthy, Sale should be the ace of the Sox staff for many years. 





1- Jay Bruce, RF Age: 25- Bruce has been in the league a few years now, but he is still considered a young building block because he is only 25. Bruce has shown consistent power for the Reds dating back to 2009. 
2- Aroldis Chapman, RP Age: 24- Chapman is pretty nasty. He might have the best stuff for a reliever in baseball, so he will be a mainstay for the Reds. The question will be whether Chapman stays in the bullpen or makes a move to the starting rotation. 
3- Billy Hamilton, 2B Age: 20- Billy Hamilton is lighting up minor league baseball with his speed. He is stealing 100 bases over the course of a year like it is no big deal. Hamilton should be an instant impact once he joins the Reds in the near future. 
4- Mat Latos, SP Age: 24- Latos is still a little erratic, but is very capable of putting together elite seasons like he did in San Diego two years ago. 





1- Jason Kipnis, 2B Age: 25- Kipnis is emerging as one of the best second basemen in baseball and he is only in his second season. Kipnis is one of the few bright spots for a mediocre Indians club. 





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1- Austin Jackson, CF Age: 25- Jackson has broke out in 2012, putting together a career year sort to speak. Though he still can improve, Jackson is showing that he will be a key player for the Tigers in the near future. 





1- Giancarlo Stanton, RF Age: 22- Stanton is one of the most dangerous hitters in the game and he is only 22, that is all you need to know. 
2- Jacob Turner, SP Age: 21- Turner was recently acquired from the Tigers last week. Hyped to be a young star in the Tigers rotation, he now could get an early opportunity in Miami with things heading the wrong way for them in the NL East. 





1- Jose Altuve, 2B Age: 22- Altuve was the lone All-Star for the Houston Astros this year. Altuve is a nice player who at 22 years old could turn into a consistent and reliable player for the Astros. Unfortunately for Altuve, the Astros have a ways to go before contending. 





1- Mike Moustakas, 3B Age: 23- Moustakas is putting together a nice season at third base for the Royals. He is one of the few marquee young players just starting to emerge for the Royals. 
2- Eric Hosmer, 1B Age: 22- Hosmer was great last year but he is having a sophomore slump this season. Expect Hosmer to return to form in the coming years, becoming one of the better first basemen in the game. 
3- Will Myers, RF Age: 21- Myers is very close to heading to the big leagues as he is getting tremendous praise in the minors. Myers will join a potent lineup that features nearly all players under 28 years old in the coming future. 
4- Salvador Perez, C Age: 22- Since returning from injury, Perez has added a much needed boost to the Royals lineup. He should continue to improve as he is already one of the best young catchers in the game. 





1- Clayton Kershaw, SP Age: 24- 24 years old and one Cy Young already under his belt. That is enough said, as the Dodgers remain in contention this season with Kershaw as the teams' ace. 





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1- Ike Davis, 1B Age: 25- The Mets are a middle of the pack team with not a ton of young talent, but Davis is certainly a player that has produced over the past two years who is only 25 years old. 





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1- Josh Reddick, RF Age: 25- In his first year with the Athletics, Reddick is having a career year as the focal point of the A's offense. With not a lot of talent around him, Reddick's performance has been greatly appreciated in Oakland as they continue to hold on to that last wild card spot. 
2- Jarrod Parker, SP Age: 23- Parker is a young gun who is in line to become the next great Oakland A's pitcher in the Billy Beane era. He has been very good this year and is one of the main reasons Oakland is in position to make the playoffs. 
3- Yoennis Cespedes, CF Age: 26- Though sidelined with injuries for part of this year, Cespedes is currently batting .301 with 13 home runs. Not bad for a rookie not expected to do a whole lot this year. Cespedes is a superb talent who soon could become the face of the franchise. 
4- Tommy Millone, SP Age: 25- Millone had his best start of his young career last week against the Yankees, tossing seven shutout innings in an eventual A's win. Millone should be the future along with Jarrod Parker in the Oakland rotation. 





1- Vance Worley, SP Age: 24- Worley is not given much credit, but he has stayed healthy and provided the Phillies at least some modicum of stability. 





1- Andrew McCutchon, CF Age: 25- There is nothing negative you can say about McCutchon. The NL MVP is his to lose and he is only 25. 
2- Pedro Alvarez, 3B Age: 25- Alvarez was miserable last season where the expectations were high, but now this season, the expectancy was lower and he has produced, expecting to surpass 25 or so home runs in only his second season. 
3- Sterling Marte, CF Age: 23- Marte made his much anticipated debut last night hitting a home run on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues. The future is bright all of a sudden in Pittsburgh. 





1- Yonder Alonso, 1B Age: 25- People rave about Alonso, but I look at his poor slugging percentage and don't get what all the hype is about. He is only 25 though, so he has plenty of time to pick things up. 





1- Madison Bumgarner, SP Age: 22- Bumgarner is now solidified as the teams second best pitcher after Matt Cain. He is only 22 years old surprisingly yet has plenty of experience in big games such as the World Series. 
2- Buster Posey, C Age: 25- Posey has recovered nicely after last season's leg injury. He is one of the brightest young faces in baseball. 
3- Brandon Belt, 1B Age: 24- Belt still has too much hype around him for someone who hasn't been consistent at the plate. However, I like his approach and expect him to evolve in to a productive player for the Giants. 
4- Brandon Crawford, SS Age: 25- Crawford is very good defensively and although he has a ways to go at the plate, Crawford will be a solid shortstop for the Giants in the future. 





1- Felix Hernandez, SP Age: 26- Like Clayton Kershaw in Los Angeles, Felix Hernandez is only 26 and with a Cy Young under his belt. I can't imagine the Mariners trading this guy in the near future. 
2- Jesus Montero, DH Age: 22- I would like to think Montero would have been better if he was still in Pinstripes, but he is only 22 years old and will turn into a great hitter over time. 
3- Dustin Ackley, 2B Age: 24- Ackley went from being a top prospect to a weak hitter in just over three months. That being said, I wouldn't give up on this guy quite yet. 





1- Shelby Miller, SP Age: 22- Miller has yet to reach the big leagues yet, but when he does, I expect him to take over the void left by Chris Carpenter's eventual departure and become the ace of the staff. 
2- Lance Lynn, SP Age: 25- Lynn is the real deal it looks like. He is one of the reasons why St. Louis continues to hang around in the NL Central race. 





1- Jeremy Hellickson, SP Age: 25- Like the other Rays young "stars" featured below, Hellickson has been a disappointment this year. He still has shown that he can be a very good pitcher in the American League, so I'm going to say this is just a down year. 
2- Matt Moore, SP Age: 23- The hype started when Moore shut down the Rangers in Game 1 of last year's ALDS. Unfortunately for the Rays, they haven't seen any start by Moore this year be as good as that one. 
3- Desmond Jennings, LF Age: 25- Jennings has been woeful this year for Tampa, confirming notions that he may never turn into a good hitter at all. 





1- Yu Darvish, SP Age: 25- Darvish has 11 wins this year for the Rangers and nabbed his first all-star selection this year. Not bad at all for the 25 year old. 
2- Elvis Andrus, SS Age: 23- Andrus is an underrated player. He is excellent defensively and is a threat every time he is on the bases. 
3- Jurickson Profar, SS Age: 21- Profar is the top prospect in the Rangers farm system so it will be interesting to see where he fits in with Andrus already at shortstop. 





1- Brett Lawrie, 3B Age: 22- Lawrie is a solid young player for the Blue Jays, but I don't really see anything spectacular about him. 
2- Travis d-Arnaud, C Age: 23- Time will tell as to whether d'Arnaud is a better option at catcher than J.P. Arencibia. 





1- Stephen Strasburg, SP Age: 24- The man is deadly and if he stays healthy, there is no doubt he will win a Cy Young award or three. It will be interesting to see what the Nationals do about his inning limit. 
2- Bryce Harper, RF Age: 19- I hate it when people try to compare Harper's year to Mike Trout's because Harper hasn't been nearly as good as Trout, but that doesn't mean that Harper isn't going to turn into a super star within the coming years. 


Top 20 Young Players to Build Around
20 Billy Hamilton, 2B Age: 20

19 Trevor Bauer, SP Age: 21

18 Dylan Bundy, SP Age: 19 

17 Anthony Rizzo, 1B Age: 22

16 Aroldis Chapman, RP Age: 24

15 Jay Bruce, RF Age: 25

14 Starlin Castro, SS Age: 22

13 Mike Moustakas, 3B Age: 23

12 Buster Posey, C Age: 25


11 Mark Trumbo, LF Age: 26

10 Madison Bumgarner, SP Age: 22

9 Chris Sale, SP Age: 23

8 Justin Upton, RF Age: 24

7 Giancarlo Stanton, RF Age: 22

6 Andrew McCutchen, CF Age: 25

5 Felix Hernandez, SP Age: 26

4 Clayton Kershaw, SP Age: 24

3 Bryce Harper, RF Age: 19

2 Stephen Strasburg, SP Age: 24

1 Mike Trout, CF Age: 20