5 AL Players to Watch in 2012

There can be no ying without the yang, no Cheech without the Chong, no.... alright, you get the picture. I already profiled 5 NL players to keep your eye on in 2012 yesterday. The time has come to check out their AL counterparts and see what talent is out there. With no further adieu:

Austin Jackson - Detroit Tigers

When the Tigers decided to let Curtis Granderson go after the 2009 season, many people wondered if perhaps they should have considered picking up another center fielder "just in case" the young Jackson would not be able to handle the pressure of the big leagues.

Handle the pressure he did indeed. He came in 2nd in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 posting a .293 batting average with a .345 OBP and an even .400 SLG to give him an OPS of .745... pretty impressive for a rookie. He played in 154 games and offered the Tigers a player who could get on base and provided some speed on the base paths (stealing 27 bags in 2010, 22 in 2011.)

What I like the most about Jackson is the fact that he seems to have filled in for Granderson without missing a beat. This says a lot considering they are two different styles of baseball player. The best part for Detroit? Jackson is under team control until 2016, and not arbitration eligible until 2013.

Matt Weiters - Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have themselves a blessing behind the plate. While most teams fight for quality catchers, the O's have developed their own in Matt Weiters. While only 25 years old, Weiters has played in 3 seasons and has already made his first All-Star team (2011) with a shiny Golden Glove to match.

Weiters has been on the radar of many baseball insiders since his minor-league days. While many teams have tried to lure the O's in to trading him away, ownership has seen the value that the young catcher has to offer their team. In his short career, Weiters is showing glimpses of brilliance. The numbers he has put up in his first three seasons remind me incredibly of Pudge Rodriguez - a little bit of power, dependability at the plate and a decent batting average. Sure, Pudge would go on to be a career .296 hitter, but in his first three seasons he posted a .265 BA, while Weiters is on the same path, with an identical .265 career BA.

Now, I'm not saying that Weiters is going to be the next Pudge, but he sure could be. Like Pudge's breakout 1994 season, I think Weiters will share the same success in 2012.

Michael Pineda - Seattle Mariners

If you've been reading me for a while you know that Pineda was my mid-season selection to be the AL MVP. I think the man is a beast. Pitching behind King Felix is no easy task, especially in a win-deprived Mariners organization.

Sorry Seattle, I know you're a baseball town. It's just been awhile.

However, Pineda is a bonafied Major League Pitcher and all I needed for proof was how well he handled his game in 2011. He posted a 3.74 ERA and a WHIP of only 1.099, which to me negates his 9-10 record. It is worth mentioning that his WHIP was good enough for 14th overall in 2011, behind a laundry list of 13 All-Stars and some future Hall of Fame players. No other rookie ranked higher. That says a lot to me.

The man is only 22 years old and proved in his first year he could pound the cheese. 2012 will allow him to prove his dominance in a week AL West.

Mike Moustakas - Kansas City Royals

Mike Moustakas was wildely considered to be the best third base prospect in Major League Baseball going into the 2011 season. While many (myself included) thought perhaps the Royals would use him as trade bait, they wisely decided to hold on to this young stud and ended up utilizing him in 2011 for 89 games.

While his numbers were less than impressive in 2011, all scouting reports indicate that this kid has the stuff to be a solid Major League third baseman. By many accounts, this may be my longest of shots as far as young talent goes. While in the minors, Moustakas was dominant. He showed excellent defensive flashes with an ability to get on base with a little bit of power.

Sure, playing in Kansas City might make it a little difficult to tangibly see the numbers to back up the development of this particular player. However, he is one to use your eyeball test on. From what I have seen on him play, the kid has a bright future. He is only 23 and still very wet behind the ears. It looks (doesn't it always) as though the Royals are trying to be competitive again in 2012, making a couple of minor moves that included trading away Melky Cabrera for pitching. Perhaps they think players like Moustakas will provide the offense their lineup would otherwise be missing with Cabrera's departure. Time will tell.

Last but not least....

Ivan Nova - New York Yankees

Look, I really didn't want to talk about any major market teams for this particular article, but looking at what Nova did for the Yankees in 2011, it is hard NOT to take a look at him.

As a Red Sox fan, I sat back at the start of the 2011 season and scoffed at the Yanks, rolling out "this Nova kid" in their rotation against the formidable offenses in the AL East. Yet, "this Nova kid" managed to put up a 16-4 record with a 3.70 ERA and a 1.331 WHIP. Last I checked, that worked out to be better than the Red Sox starting 5. While sure, Lester may have had a lower ERA and Beckett might have had a lower WHIP - that stat line would have been GLADLY accepted from any of the Boston starting five in 2011.

Nova has me very curious as to what he can do moving forward. Realistically, the man only has 38 games of service in the Majors, but his numbers have been out of this world. By all indication he will continue on the same path in 2012, making the Yankee search for a solid #2 starter behind CC Sabathia null and void. Realistically, they should be seeking a #3, as Nova, in my mind, has the stuff to be called an ace on most staffs, definitely #2 on the Yankees.

Who's Your Rookie of the Year?

In an effort NOT to talk about the Boston Red Sox or the Texas Rangers (no easy task today, considering they are about to embark on what I believe to be a very crucial series in Texas) I have decided to take a look at some of the rookies that have impressed me this year and give my two-cents as to whom (as of this point) I believe should be given the distinct honor of being Rookie of the Year.

In my last post I mentioned Atlanta's Freddie Freeman. Freeman would be a fine choice. He has played in 124 games thus far and is hitting for a nice .293 batting average. (134h/457ab) He has driven in 62 runs and has managed 45 extra base hits (17 of which being the long ball.) He leads all rookies in doubles, with 28. He is not just an offensive player though. This season his ranger factor is a 9.21 while his fielding percentage is at .995. What all of these statistics are telling me is that Atlanta has found their first baseman for many years to come.

For fielders, I find the (no pun intended) field to be a bit short. I look at Freeman's numbers and I am very impressed with what he has accomplished in his young career. There are a couple of other young studs that have played markedly well that deserve some mention here, and still may close out the season strong enough to change my mind. There is second baseman Danny Espinosa in Washington for example. He is more of a defensive liability than Freeman. He posts a 4.77 range factor with a .982 fielding percentage; by no means bad for a rookie, just not as good as Freeman's numbers. At bat, his average is low at .231 (which is still better than Jayson Werth) but he has pop in his swing. He's belted 18 homers this season with 57 RBI's. Needless to say, Washington fans would love to see that type of production coming from Werth.

One last individual that has caught my attention has to be Angels first baseman, Mark Trumbo. Offensively he is putting up the closest numbers of any rookie to Freddie Freeman. Currently he is batting .260 (110h/463 ab) with 23 home runs and 69 RBI's. It is clear to me now why the Angels were not big spenders in the off-season, or rather, felt they could take the hit. It is evident that Trumbo is a major league stud. At first base this season he has a range factor of 9.30 with a fielding percentage of .993 - pretty excellent numbers for a rookie as well.

Now, in case you didn't notice I had some criteria for those players that I felt were worthy above, and it was basic - games played. If a rookie had not played over 100 games this season, I did not even consider them... unless they were a pitcher. Which brings me to my final two names. Of all rookie pitchers, it would be very easy to point out that the New York Yankees, Ivan Nova leads the way with 13 wins and 4 losses. He is posting a 3.97 ERA in the toughest division in baseball and is a vital piece to that Yankee rotation right now. But the problem I have with him is that, well, other than the fact he is a Yankee, is the fact that he is a Yankee. Let me explain. If a rookie pitcher from the Yankees or Red Sox, the two deepest pockets in baseball, were posting those numbers, there is an obvious point that can be made - they have a superior team surrounding them. This idea does not fall deaf on me. I buy it. Which is why I think, though Nova is admittedly having a great season, there is one rookie that remains that I think absolutely deserves the American League Rookie of the Year honor.

The Seattle Mariners Michael Pineda has been dominant. That is a hard thing to be when you play in King Felix's park, but he has been. His 9-7 record with a 3.73 ERA is no indication of the type of pitcher he is. Much like Felix Hernandez - the body of work and the team you are on has to take some consideration. Pineda is in no-mans land, Seattle. He has started 24 games and has pitched 147 innings already - the most for any rookie pitcher. By the way, he also has 148 strikeouts, 28 more than the next rookie in that category. He also maintains a 1.11 WHIP, 15th in all of the majors, first for rookies. Pineda hs been a beast, pure and simple. It is a shame in my eyes to see such a talent on a ballclub that will not give him a shot of winning anything.

Given my argument, I think you already know, but my NL Rookie of the Year would have to be Freddie Freeman. AL Rookie of the Year would be Michael Pineda. Thoughts?