Top 20 Young Pitchers in MLB

[sturg1dj]

SI.com made a list of the top 20 pitchers 25 or younger in baseball

here is the link http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mul...content.1.html

here is the list
1. Justin Verlander, 25, Tigers
2. Fausto Carmona, 24, Indians
3. Cole Hamels, 24, Phillies
4. Scott Kazmir, 24, Rays
5. Felix Hernandez, 22, Mariners
6. Francisco Liriano, 22, Twins
7. Joba Chamberlain, 22, Yankees
8. Jered Weaver, 25, Angels
9. Tim Lincecum, 24, Giants
10. Jon Lester, 24, Red Sox
11. Phil Hughes, 21, Yankees
12. Homer Bailey, 22, Reds
13. Jeremy Bonderman, 25, Tigers
14. Clay Buchholz, 23, Red Sox
15. Chad Billingsley, 23, Dodgers
16. Matt Garza, 23, Rays
17. Yovani Gallardo, 22, Brewers
18. Matt Cain, 23, Giants
19. Tom Gorzelanny, 25, Pirates
20. Ubaldo Jimenez, 24, Rockies



thoughts?

[Sean Ryan]

SI.com made a list of the top 20 pitchers 25 or younger in baseball

here is the link http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mul...content.1.html

here is the list
1. Justin Verlander, 25, Tigers
2. Fausto Carmona, 24, Indians
3. Cole Hamels, 24, Phillies
4. Scott Kazmir, 24, Rays
5. Felix Hernandez, 22, Mariners
6. Francisco Liriano, 22, Twins
7. Joba Chamberlain, 22, Yankees
8. Jered Weaver, 25, Angels
9. Tim Lincecum, 24, Giants
10. Jon Lester, 24, Red Sox
11. Phil Hughes, 21, Yankees
12. Homer Bailey, 22, Reds
13. Jeremy Bonderman, 25, Tigers
14. Clay Buchholz, 23, Red Sox
15. Chad Billingsley, 23, Dodgers
16. Matt Garza, 23, Rays
17. Yovani Gallardo, 22, Brewers
18. Matt Cain, 23, Giants
19. Tom Gorzelanny, 25, Pirates
20. Ubaldo Jimenez, 24, Rockies

thoughts?

Hughes, Buchholz, Gallardo, Cain, Billingsley, and possibly Bailey should be higher than Lester and Weaver. Especially Weaver, guy is already 25, Hughes is 21 and I would say he's head and shoulders better than Weaver.

[Dalkowski110]

I agree. Weaver is disproportionately high on the list.

[Imgran]

Now now, we're not talking about prospects, we're talking about young pitchers. There's a difference and it boils down to the discussion of current level vs. upside. I agree that Lester is overrated, Hughes probably is as well since whatever upside he might have isn't quite here yet. Weaver absolutely belongs right where he is if not higher, in fact I'd put him at 7, ahead of Joba but behind Francisco Liriano -- he's out there right now proving that he is what most of the rest of these guys aspire/dream to be.
'
Also speaking of Joba I object to his ranking. He belongs in the top 20 Joba does not belong in the top 10 until he's actually taken at least one major league start -- he's all alone as the only reliever on the list so putting him ahead of players who have done so and struggled because of it, like Lincecum, Lester, Weaver, Hughes or Hamels is absurd. And why the heck is Chad Billingsley below Homer f'n Bailey? Billingsley's numbers blow Bailey's to heck and back again all the way across the board, and at a higher level to boot.

Can we break up the Church of Upside just a bit? The whole purpose of upside is to predict that eventually a player will perform at a high level. Players who already ARE performing at a high level take precedence over all the upside in the known universe even if it were condensed into one incipient super-messiah of the diamond.

[Jermz]

This list looks ok. I agree with Verlander being #1, but I would rank Liriano #2. Another thing, I didn't realize Gallardo was so young. He is going to be awesome very soon.

These are good young pitchers, who does everyone think is going to have the best career out of all these guys? If we jumped ahead 15 years, what would this list look like? Any HOF caliber players here? I want to make a guess that Verlander, Liriano, Lincecum, Cain & Gallardo will be the best of this bunch.

[sturg1dj]

what people have to realize about Joba is that when he starts games he can't let 'er rip like he did as a reliever.



what I like about this list is #13 Bonderman. For the last 3-4 years on the detroit tigers mlb.com board there have been people whining about how Bonderman is a flop and should be traded always forgetting how young he is.

[Imgran]

what people have to realize about Joba is that when he starts games he can't let 'er rip like he did as a reliever.

Or that if he does, he'll wind up blowing his arm out by age 32

[Old Sweater]

I'm happy with Ubaldo being in the 20 slot considering he was 4-4 last year. Maybe they threw him some Coors Field love to make up for all the hate that the Rockies hitters get.

[Old Sweater]

Oh yeah, BTW I think the hard luck Matt Cain deserves to be higher on the list.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

This list looks ok. I agree with Verlander being #1, but I would rank Liriano #2. Another thing, I didn't realize Gallardo was so young. He is going to be awesome very soon.

Liriano at #2 is too high given he is coming back from Tommy John surgery. I'm a big Liriano fan but it is quite possible that the '06 version of Liriano is gone forever. We see see how he pitches in '08.

[Colorado Express]

Hughes is 21 and I would say he's head and shoulders better than Weaver.

Gee, no Yankee bias here!!??

A) I don't think the relevance of this current age has anything to do with the ranking, other than the fact that they are under 25. They are not predicting who will have the better career.

B) At this time Hughes is NOT better than Weaver (he might eventually be and could even be as soon as next season, but not right now)
73 IP, 5-3 W/L, 4.46 ERA
284 IP, 24-9 W/L, 3.33 ERA

[Wade8813]

The page about Homer Bailey is funny. The blurb says he's "intimidating just to look at", but that picture makes him look goofy .

[Erik Bedard]

SI.com made a list of the top 20 pitchers 25 or younger in baseball

here is the link http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mul...content.1.html

here is the list
1. Justin Verlander, 25, Tigers
2. Fausto Carmona, 24, Indians
3. Cole Hamels, 24, Phillies
4. Scott Kazmir, 24, Rays
5. Felix Hernandez, 22, Mariners
6. Francisco Liriano, 22, Twins
7. Joba Chamberlain, 22, Yankees
8. Jered Weaver, 25, Angels
9. Tim Lincecum, 24, Giants
10. Jon Lester, 24, Red Sox
11. Phil Hughes, 21, Yankees
12. Homer Bailey, 22, Reds
13. Jeremy Bonderman, 25, Tigers
14. Clay Buchholz, 23, Red Sox
15. Chad Billingsley, 23, Dodgers
16. Matt Garza, 23, Rays
17. Yovani Gallardo, 22, Brewers
18. Matt Cain, 23, Giants
19. Tom Gorzelanny, 25, Pirates
20. Ubaldo Jimenez, 24, Rockies



thoughts?

Billingsley should be higher, he had a 138 ERA+ last season. Chamberlain is probably too high, he needs to prove more. Verlander shouldn't be #1, Kazmir should. I'd actually put him #4, behind Hamels and Carmona as well. Lester is a bit high. Buchholz and Chamberlain should be closer together. Bonderman has done very little in his career, only one year with an ERA+ above 100. Jonathan Broxton should definitely be on there somewhere. Not bad, though.

[slugger33]

Billingsley should be higher, he had a 138 ERA+ last season. Chamberlain is probably too high, he needs to prove more. Verlander shouldn't be #1, Kazmir should. I'd actually put him #4, behind Hamels and Carmona as well. Lester is a bit high. Buchholz and Chamberlain should be closer together. Bonderman has done very little in his career, only one year with an ERA+ above 100. Jonathan Broxton should definitely be on there somewhere. Not bad, though.

Verlander is better than Kazmir. Kazmir has a career WHIP of 1.393! Huston Street should be on this list. He is better than Lester IMO, but they play different roles.

[Zagi-CRO]

SI.com made a list of the top 20 pitchers 25 or younger in baseball

here is the list
1. Justin Verlander, 25, Tigers
2. Fausto Carmona, 24, Indians
3. Cole Hamels, 24, Phillies
4. Scott Kazmir, 24, Rays
5. Felix Hernandez, 22, Mariners
6. Francisco Liriano, 22, Twins
7. Joba Chamberlain, 22, Yankees
8. Jered Weaver, 25, Angels
9. Tim Lincecum, 24, Giants
10. Jon Lester, 24, Red Sox
11. Phil Hughes, 21, Yankees
12. Homer Bailey, 22, Reds
13. Jeremy Bonderman, 25, Tigers
14. Clay Buchholz, 23, Red Sox
15. Chad Billingsley, 23, Dodgers
16. Matt Garza, 23, Rays
17. Yovani Gallardo, 22, Brewers
18. Matt Cain, 23, Giants
19. Tom Gorzelanny, 25, Pirates
20. Ubaldo Jimenez, 24, Rockies
thoughts?

So, my list is /according 2007./:

1. Verlander
2. Carmona
3. Kazmir
4. Hamels
5. F.Hernandez
6. Gorzelanny
7. Bonderman
8. Jer.Weaver
9. Cain
10. Lincecum
11. Gallardo

Liriano (DL) could be #2 or #3.