But, breaking through that traditional belief can be difficult. After all, who really wants to see things like VORP, BABIP or WAR on a screen while watching a game? It just doesn’t quite feel right. Because statistics like ERA and won-loss record are continually used, they become a ingrained and form a perception about a player. That’s why a pitcher with a 10-11 record along with a 4.72 ERA is thought of as nothing more than, at best, a league average pitcher.

The Toronto Blue Jays, however, decided to give their 27 year old starting pitcher Brandon Morrow a two year contract worth $20 million. Morrow is guaranteed $4 million for 2012 and $8 million in 2013 and 2014. The Blue Jays hold a club option for $10 million in 2015. Morrow, the starter turned reliever turned back to starter again, is that pitcher with the 10-11 record and 4.72 ERA. The Blue Jays would never be confused with the Yankees or other big market teams. While the organization has systematically locked up their talent such as Jose Bautista and Rickey Romero, the idea of throwing $20 million to a pitcher who has some injury history and hasn’t produced anything more than league average results seems a bit of a stretch.

Except, that it really isn’t.

The Toronto Blue Jays may just be getting themselves quite a bargain. Brandon Morrow will enter his age 27 season and just his third season as a full-time starting pitcher. Once the Seattle Mariners’ top prospect, Morrow was used out of the bullpen during his first two seasons, even closing games during the 2008 season. The Mariners were a bit scared of his injury trouble during the 2009 season. The organization evidently refused to admit that shifting pitching roles multiple times with a such a young pitcher is dangerous business. They shipped him to Toronto in exchange for reliever Brandon League. League did prove valuable as a reliever, but the Blue Jays have reaped the benefits of making Morrow a full-time starter and continuing to give him the ball.

Morrow compiled a record of 10-7 during the 2009 season in 26 starts. He was shut down in late September to preserve his innings count. In 146.1 innings, he allowed just 8.5 H/9, 4.1 BB/9, and 10.6 K/9. Had Morrow pitched enough innings to be considered a league leader, his 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings would’ve led all of Major League Baseball. He was the only pitcher to average over 10 strikeouts per nine. His walk total was obviously too high, but he made up for it by eliciting swings and misses closes to 15 percent of the time on pitches within the strike zone. In other words, he might put himself into stressful situations, but he is more than capable of getting out of them. While he is not a ground ball pitcher, he did compile a 0.97 ground ball to fly ball ratio.

The strikeouts were impressive, as was the August 8th 1 hit shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays during which he struck out 17 batters. But, that 4.49 ERA screamed mediocrity. That’s where the advanced metrics come in to give a more complete picture. His 2010 BABIP was .342. That’s indication of some bad luck. With the league average hovering around .315, it means that when batters did make contact in 2010, a few more balls found holes in the defense. Then, one can look at his 3.16 FIP, a measure of how well a pitcher succeeds when defense is taken out of the equation. The difference between his ERA and FIP are great, meaning that his defense really hurt him. The 2010 Blue Jays defense certainly wasn’t good. They ranked 9th in the American League in terms of UZR at minus-2.5. That coincides with Morrow’s high BABIP.

2011 was quite similar for Morrow. While building his innings count, Morrow compiled that 10-11 record with the 4.72 ERA. In 179.1 innings, he allowed 8.1 H/9,  1.1 HR/9, 3.5 BB/9, and 10.2 K/9. Obviously, there are quite a few positives. First, he built his innings appropriately. The Blue Jays have been careful with him after having many of their young pitchers go down with injuries in the past decade. He cut his walk total while not sacrificing his strikeouts. His 10.2 strikeouts per nine led all American League starters and trailed only Zack Greinke for the Major League lead.

But, that ERA got worse. His BABIP even fell back down to a more normal .299 so even luck couldn’t be a cause. One cause is that his homerun rate did jump from 0.68 in 2010 to 1.05 in 2011. That will cause an ERA spike. But, his FIP was a more than solid 3.64 for season. That is still a huge disparity. But, then, you look at the defense and it starts to make sense again. The Blue Jays ranked 10th in the American League with a minus-10.4 UZR, meaning their ground covered was less than the season before. And, unlike 2010 when the defense didn’t make many errors, the 2011 club had the fourth highest total in the league with 110 errors. While those errors don’t add to the ERA, they do indicate a terrible defensive team that didn’t get to many balls and didn’t handle them well either.

ERA aside, Brandon Morrow has put together two very credible seasons befitting of a number two or three pitcher. His team has hurt him in terms of the traditional statistics. But, given his improved walk rate, his elite level strikeout rate, and that the Blue Jays are handling him properly, there is every reason to believe that Morrow can be one of the top pitchers in the sport. Even more exciting is that Morrow has compiled those numbers in the American League East, the most offensive division in the sport. The Red Sox knocked him around in four starts, but Morrow dominated the Yankees (2-1, 1.74 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 20 innings) and the Rays (2-2 3.38 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 24 innings). In two starts against the American League Champion Rangers, Morrow struck out 17 batters in 13 innings along with a 2.77 ERA.

There are still obstacles in front of Morrow as he heads into the 2012 season. His flyball rate cannot increase, especially when he pitches in the East. He will have to continue to decrease his walk total to avoid those possible bad luck scenarios. And, he will have to hope that the Blue Jays are a better defensive club in 2012. With essentially the same club returning, that may prove difficult. But, the stuff is there and it has been succeeding for the past two seasons. With some improved luck, improved command, and an improved defense, Morrow may just turn out to be the most surprising pitcher of 2012.

He has been a secret over the past two seasons for a couple of reasons. First, he is playing in Toronto which has really experiences Jose Bautista mania. Secondly, his traditional statistics aren’t all that special. But, hiding under the Bautista frenzy and the elevated ERA is a pitcher who has the stuff to dominate. Entering his third year as a full-time starter, it may just be time for Brandon Morrow to show just how dominant he can be.

Due to overwhelming response, here is an extended list, 11-20 top MILB players to follow.

A few things. A lot of these guys were considered for the top ten. The selection process is difficult because, whether you know it or not, there are numerous minor league players using Twitter. That led to adding an Honorable Ten list.

Reminder about how this was decided: frequency, interaction, humor, overall just compelling feed. Interacting with their fans/followers was big in deciding. Tweet frequency counted a lot as well. Humor matters. Every single guy that made these lists had a way with a joke or making fun of themselves. When their personalities shine through, the flow of the content is fun and interesting to read. For guys trying to make it to the big leagues, they experience a lot of transition and adversity. Every player named in the Twitter Ten and Next Ten shares a fascinating look into the unique life of baseball.

Starting with #11, a player whose use of Twitter gives him an important connection to fans. After being so protected by his team, that connection has been meaningful.

11. Bryce Harper @BHarper3407 – Washington Nationals
12. Cody Decker @Decker6 – San Diego Padres
13. Tyson Gillies @TysonGillies21 – Philadephia Phillies
14. Thomas Neal @TdaddyNeal – Cleveland Indians
15. Will Middlebrooks @16WMBrooks- Boston Red Sox
16. Mike Trout @Trouty20 – Anaheim Angels
17. LV Ware @LV_Ware – Atlanta Braves
18. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire – Toronto Blue Jays
19. Ryan Tatusko @RyanTatusko – Nationals
20. Michael Crouse @_crouse_ – Blue Jays

Honorable Ten Mentions:

1.Bryan Harper @BHarp45 – Nationals
2. Chris Swauger @cswag8 – St. Louis Cardinals
3. Matt den Dekker @UpperDekker – New York Mets
4. Bryan Longpre @BryanLongpre- Blue Jays
5. Jack Murphy @JackMurphy219 – Blue Jays
6. Justin Fitgerald @jfitgerald31 – Giants
7. Trent Mummey @trentmummey7 – Baltimore Orioles
8. C.J. Cron @CCron24 – Angels
9. Jordan Comadena @Funky2414 – Houston Astros
10. Kellin Deglan @keldegs – Texas Rangers

Consistency – Like their game on the field, this was of the highest importance. Consistent, fairly frequent content…

Content – Sharing updates and engaging with followers is what baseball fans are looking for from their team’s rising stars.

Humor – All the guys chosen get high marks in that area.

Finally, Personable – Sounds silly, but I see plenty of guys completely ignore compliments, recommendations, and questions. That’s not good Twitter etiquette.

These ten players utilize the social media tool to reach baseball fans, relating their unique experiences, and making even more of a name for themselves off the baseball field.

I also decided to include independent baseball players, despite not being affiliated with the major leagues, indy league has become more important to major league teams. And certainly more popular. And had I not allowed them, I would’ve had to omit the number one pick. And that would’ve been impossible.

1. Michael Schlact @michael_schlact Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Atlantic League)

2. Ryan Westmoreland @RWesty25 Boston Red Sox

3. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire Toronto Blue Jays

4. Jiwan James @jiwan23 Philadelphia Phillies

5. Justin Jackson @JaxChillinONE Toronto Blue Jays

6. Richard Giannotti @JustMeGee Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

7. Brandon Douglas @BrandonDouglas5 Detroit Tigers

8. Ian Kadish @BearJew36 Toronto Blue Jays

9. Zack Wheeler @WheelerPro45 New York Mets

10. Kevin Rath @KRath702 Chicago White Sox

Twitter has been a source of controversy and debate in connection with athletes, but those ten players have successfully reached baseball fans on social media. It’s an interesting concept. Athletes, particularly young ones, are hotly protected by their teams and agents. But there’s a way to be themselves and socialize, as well as increasing their visibility, without embarrassing themselves or those invested in them.

In the future, more minor league players will surely join with the hope of creating a following before they’ve made it to the majors. They can look to these ten to know exactly how it’s done and the value of the experience.

All players were listed with team they were with in 2011. Free agency wasn’t taken into account.

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

The offseason outlook for the Toronto Blue Jays is one of the toughest to predict of any team in baseball, and the reason for this is that team management has a policy of not commenting on players, trade rumours or anything that may give fans a hint of what to expect until it actually happens.  As a result of this you will see every free agent in the market linked to the Toronto Blue Jays at one point or another as agents have figured out that they can create a false demand for their players by attaching their names to the team without any threat of denial.   Already the Toronto Blue Jays have had supposed interest in everyone from David Ortiz to Ivan Rodriguez to every potential closer without a contract.  Don’t believe any of it.

This is not to say that we can’t make an educated guess as to what they might do this offseason, or try to read between the lines of what the team does say, however what we do know is the following:

Blue Jays Free Agents
Key free agents the team will likely offer arbitration:

• Frank Francisco
• Kelly Johnson
• Jose Molina

Free agents that likely won’t be back:

• Jon Rauch
• Shawn Camp

Non-tender candidates:

• None

Key Areas in Need of Improvement
1^st Base – Outside of the team surprising everyone and signing Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder or trading for Joey Votto (all unlikely) Adam Lind will most likely be back as the teams regular 1^st baseman.  However, he will need to improve on his horrendous .295 on-base percentage from 2011.

2^nd Base – Aaron Hill had his second consecutive poor season and was eventually dealt out of town and incoming Kelly Johnson receive mixed reviews in his limited time at the position.  I think there is a good chance Johnson will be back, that is unless revisions are made to Type A compensation in the new collective bargaining agreement and other teams will no longer be required to give up a 1^st round draft pick by signing him.

Centerfield – Rajai Davis started out the season as the team’s centerfielder, however he lost his job after poor results and a mid season trade for Colby Rasmus.  Unfortunately Rasmus didn’t fare much better than Davis after he took over.  Expect Rasmus to be given every opportunity again in 2012

Left Field – Juan Rivera and Travis Snider traded turns of mediocrity before eventually handing the starting job to Eric Thames who should reprise his role in 2012.

Starting Pitching – Outside of Ricky Romero and 10 decent starts from Henderson Alverez there wasn’t really anyone who didn’t disappoint.

Closer – Injuries to Frank Francisco and a miss-cast Jon Rauch resulted in a season to forget and a league leading team total for blown saves.

Pieces That Are In Place
The 2012 season will likely begin with positions filled by the following players:

Position Players

Catcher – J.P. Arencibia

1^st Base – Adam Lind

Shortstop – Yunel Escobar

3rd Base – Brett Lawrie

LF – Eric Thames

CF – Colby Rasmus

RF – Jose Bautista

DH – Edwin Encarnacion

Starting Rotation

1. Ricky Romero

2. Brandon Morrow

3. Brett Cecil

4. Henderson Alvarez

Bullpen

Casey Janssen

Carlos Villanueva

Jesse Litsch

Joel Carreno

Potential Trade Pieces
The Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has stated that the team’s preferred method of acquiring players this off-season will be through the trade route and in any trade they will deal from areas of strength, which for this team means prospects.  The Blue Jays top prospects include:

CF – Anthony Gose, Jake Marisnick

C – Travis D’Arnaud

1B – David Cooper

SS – Adeiny Hechavarria

SP  – Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchison, Chad Jenkins, Deck McGuire and Nestor Molina

There is also a bit of a logjam in left field with Travis Snider and Eric Thames, and one of them may be dealt this off-season.

Moves Already Completed
Adam Loewen and Jessie Carlson have been outrighted off the 40 man roster and declared free agency.

Minor Leaguer to Make an Impact in 2012
In 2011 the Toronto Blue Jays gave regular playing time to several of their top prospects including; Brett Lawrie, Kyle Drabek, Eric Thames, David Cooper, Henderson Alvarez, Joel Carreno, and Luis Perez.  Also, the few remaining elite prospects in the high levels of the minor league system include Adeiny Hechavarria and Anthony Gose, who both need work on their strike zone judgement, and Travis D’Arnaud who is currently blocked by J.P. Arencibia from regular playing time in the major leagues. All three have been slated to spend the entire season in the minor leagues and therefore there is no obvious choice of someone that will make an impact in 2012.

With that being said, my surprise pick minor leaguer to make an impact with the Blue Jays in 2012 is Deck McGuire who has only pitched in 4 games above single A.  McGuire was selected 11^th overall in the first round of the 2010 rule 4 baseball draft and has compiled a 3.02 ERA in 125 minor league innings with a strike out rate of 8.9 per nine innings pitched.

Deck McGuire, 22, is a strike thrower with a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup.  His fastball has been clocked consistently between 90-94 mph and his slider is said to be his strikeout pitch and he has a good feel for his curveball and changeup.  Some scouts believe that his upside is limited because he is not overpowering, however they also believe he is capable of being a mid rotation major league starting pitcher right now, and the Blue Jays just happen to need help in that area right now.

Peter DeMarco
Some Thoughts on Baseball

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

Toronto Blue Jays President Paul Beaston and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos made no secret of the fact that 2011 would be a transitional year for the team.  Expectations were tempered as the team was more interested in adding pieces, developing the future core group of young players and finding out exactly what this team had, and if all went well maybe 2012 would be the year they went for it.

The result was a mixed bag of ups and downs for the Toronto Blue Jays 2011 season and the end result was a 4^th place finish and an 81-81 record for season.  The positives included the emergence of Brett Lawrie, the continued development of Ricky Romero as a staff ace and the surprising success of Henderson Alverez.  Some of the negatives included Travis Snider’s continued inability to live up to his potential, an ominous beginning to the career of Kyle Drabek who was the key piece sent in return for Roy Halladay, and a Jekyll and Hyde season from Adam Lind.

Rotation: Grade C
The obvious bright spot of the rotation was Rickey Romero who finished the year with 225 IP, a 2.92 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  Things kind of fell apart from there as Brandon Morrow couldn’t build off his second half success from 2010 and did his best A.J. Burnett impression by looking unhittable one night and awful the next.  Jo-Jo Reyes was released after 20 horrendous starts, Kyle Drabek was sent down to Las Vegas after an unremarkable half season, Brett Cecil’s fastball disappeared and it took 12 starts in the minors for him to find it again, and a revolving door of Carlos Villanueva, Luis Perez, Brad Mills, Jesse Litsch, and Zach Stewart didn’t fair much better.

It was not all bad however as fans witnessed a remarkable comeback from Dustin McGowan, who hadn’t pitched in 3 years as a result of injuries, and even though his results were mixed just seeing him on the mound again was all that seemed to matter.  Additionally, Henderson Alvarez opened some eyes with an impressive 10 start performance with the big club to close out the season.

Bullpen: Grade C
Frank Francisco the teams’ closer started the season on the DL and just didn’t seem right until after the All-star break.  He lost his role as closer to Jon Rauch who was equally unsuccessful, then regained the role and finishing the season strong.  It was also a tale of two seasons for the rest of the bullpen as Marc Rzepczynski, Jason Frasor and Octavio Dotel were traded mid season which left the team without any reliable options in the pen other than Casey Janssen.

BD Report Cards brought to you by Seamheads

Catchers: Grade B-
Rookie catcher J.P. Arencibia immediately played himself into the starting role and performed admirably in his 129 games.  His defensive abilities, which were identified as a weakness to begin the season, steadily improved although he still needs to work on blocking balls in the dirt. Arencibia who is known for his power didn’t disappoint knocking 23 home runs and coming one short of setting a team record for most home runs by a rookie, and for most this was enough to overlook his pedestrian .282 on-base percentage.  Back-up Jose Molina had what may have been his best season, posting a stat line of .281/.342/.415.

Infield: Grade B-
Going around the horn beginning with first base, Adam Lind was given the Blue Jays everyday job in spite of not having played there since college.  The big concern going into the season was how he could handle the position defensively, however he played the position like he had been doing so for years, consistently scooping throws out of the dirt and committing only 4 errors all season.  Lind also got off to a strong start offensively putting up a pre all-star break stat line of .300/.349/.515, however his second half was historically bad leading many to question how healthy he really was and some fans suggesting the team should find an alternative solution in 2012 at 1^st base.

At second base incumbent Aaron Hill put up a second consecutive disappointing season offensively, and this year his power also disappeared. Hill was eventually dealt along with John MacDonald to Arizona for Kelly Johnson.  At shortstop Yunel Escobar dazzled on defense and also had a strong year offensively leading to a season of 4.4 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

The 2011 season at Third base for the Blue Jays didn’t start off with a bang as Edwin Encarnacion received more playing time than anyone expected, or wanted, then Jayson Nix started to receive regular playing time before getting released, then the team had to move Jose Bautista to third base from RF temporarily.  On August 4^th,  Langley, British Columbia’s Brett Lawrie was called up from Las Vegas to take over the 3^rd base position permanently and an instant sensation was born.  Before going down with a broken bone in his hand in the final week of the season, Lawrie in 150 at bats slugged 8 doubles, 4 triples and 9 home runs on his way to a stat line of .293/.373/.580.

Outfield: Grade B+
The shining star of the Toronto Blue Jays was once again right fielder Jose Bautista.  After signing a 5 year contract extension in the off season, Bautista followed up with a second consecutive Hank Aaron award given to the top hitter in the American league and Silver Slugger award for the best hitter at his position.

In centerfield the season began with Rajai Davis manning the position and although he continued to steal bases at an impressive rate, he just didn’t get on base at an acceptable rate.  Then Alex Anthopoulos pulled off what was deemed the deal of the century, acquiring Colby Rasmus for what was thought to be very little.  Rasmus was immediately identified as a core piece of the teams’ future, however after much turmoil with Tony LaRussa in St. Louis he never got his head straight and struggled mightily in his brief time with Toronto.

In left field Travis Snider started the season in what many expected would finally be his break out season.  Unfortunately it was more of the same from previous season which saw his continued inconsistent play lead to multiple demotions.  Rookie Eric Thames was then given the everyday job in the second half of the season and put up respectable numbers in 95 games, including hitting 24 doubles, 5 triples and 12 home runs.

Top Offensive Player
Since I voted for Jose Bautista for first place in my Stan Musial Award ballot here…

An award given out by the Baseball Bloggers Alliance for the Top Player in the American League, I think it is safe to say that I also think he was the top offensive player for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011.

Top Pitcher
This one is fairly easy call as well, as Ricky Romero season was far better than anyone else on the team in 2011.  Although some advance statistics suggest that if it weren’t for bad luck, Brandon Morrow would have been the best pitcher on the team, however I’m not buying it.

Peter DeMarco
Some Thoughts on Baseball

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

Fans voted for the award on MLB.com, and for the second straight year, a special panel of Hall of Fame players led by Hank Aaron joined fans in voting for the award. The Hall of Fame panel included two new members – personally selected by Hank Aaron – Roberto Alomar and Joe Morgan. They joined panelists from last year, which included Tony Gwynn, Paul Molitor, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams and Robin Yount, forming a group comprised of some of the greatest offensive players of all-time who combined for 23,536 hits, 11,445 RBI and exactly 2,800 home runs.

“I congratulate Jose Bautista and Matt Kemp on being this year’s recipients of the 2011 Hank Aaron Award, named for one of the true pillars of our game,” Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said. “Jose has repeated as the American League winner after another brilliant season at the plate, leading Major League Baseball in home runs, slugging and walks. Matt enjoyed an extraordinary year, vying for the National League Triple Crown in the season’s final days and stealing 40 bases on the year. The best is yet to come for both of these young men. I look forward to watching Jose and Matt continue to emulate Hank’s example in the years ahead.”

“It is a real privilege to have my name on the award that recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each League,” said Hank Aaron. “I want to congratulate Jose and Matt on their fantastic seasons and express my gratitude to the Hall of Famers and fans who helped select this year’s winners.”

Bautista batted a career-best .302 and led the Majors with 43 home runs. The 31-year-old outfielder added 103 RBI and also led the Majors with a .608 slugging percentage and 132 walks to go along with a .447 on-base percentage (second in Majors), 24 doubles, two triples, 105 runs scored (sixth in the A.L.) and 312 total bases (sixth in the A.L.). The Dominican native became just the fifth player in Major League history to record at least 40 home runs, 130 walks and nine stolen bases in the same season, becoming the first American Leaguer to do so since Babe Ruth in 1930. In addition, the two-time A.L. All-Star was the only player in the Majors to record at least 40 homers, 100 runs scored, 100 RBI and 100 walks with a .600 slugging percentage in 2011, marking the second consecutive season that he has accomplished the feat and making him the first to do so in consecutive seasons since David Ortiz in 2005-2006. The 20th round selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft reached base safely in 136 of his 149 games played in 2011. Dating back to September 1, 2009, Bautista leads the Majors with 107 home runs, 22 more than Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, who ranks second during that span.

Kemp, 27, batted .324 (third in the N.L.) with 39 home runs and 126 RBI in 2011, leading the National League in homers, RBI, runs scored (115) and total bases (353). The 2011 N.L. All-Star also finished among league leaders in multi-hit games (57, tied for first), hits (195, second), slugging percentage (.586, second), extra-base hits (76, second), stolen bases (40, tied for second), on-base percentage (.399, fourth) and walks (74, tied for eighth). Kemp became the seventh player in Major League history to finish the season ranked in the top three in homers, batting average, RBI and stolen bases in their respective league, joining Hall of Famers Ty Cobb (1907, 1909-11), Honus Wagner (1908), George Sisler (1920), Chuck Klein (1932), Willie Mays (1955) and Hank Aaron (1963). In addition, the sixth round selection in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft was the first Dodger to lead the N.L. in home runs and RBI since Dolph Camilli in 1941 and the first Dodger in history to lead the N.L. in homers, RBI and runs scored. Kemp, who hit .335 on the year with runners in scoring position, is one of five players all-time to eclipse 30 homers, 35 stolen bases, 100 RBI and a .310 average, joining Ken Williams (1922), Barry Bonds (1992), Alex Rodriguez (1998) and Vladimir Guerrero (2002).

Past winners of include: Jose Bautista and Joey Votto (2010); Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols (2009); Aramis Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis (2008); Alex Rodriguez and Prince Fielder (2007); Jeter and Ryan Howard (2006); David Ortiz and Andruw Jones (2005); Manny Ramirez and Barry Bonds (2004); Rodriguez and Pujols (2003); Rodriguez and Bonds (2001-02); Carlos Delgado and Todd Helton (2000) and Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa (1999).

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

As we enter the end of the season and look forward to the playoffs for some teams and towards 2012 for others, it is time that the rookies of this season start getting some recognition and find the spotlight falling on them.

Here are three offensive players and three pitchers in the American League that qualify for the Rookie Of The Year award.  If you are not watching these guys by now, it is time to start.

The offensive rookies in the American League are a bit more clear cut.  The Royals own Eric Hosmer is putting together a solid season with a balanced attack and showing Royals fans that first base is a position they can get behind.  Angels fans would tell you that first base is definitely the position of the future for them as well as Mark Trumbo is killing the ball in Anaheim.  Toronto, on the other hand, has a catcher that is showing the he can handle the bat as well, and J.P. Arencibia is getting noticed quickly.

The Odds On Favorite For Rookie Of The Year
Sorry Royals fans, it is hard to argue with what Mark Trumbo is doing for the Angels.  He leads the American League rookies in Games Played and At Bats but there is a reason for that.  His .261 batting average and .301 on base percentage leave some room for improvement, but his power numbers are nothing to sneeze at.  With 20 doubles, 22 home runs, 63 runs batted in, and a .495 slugging percentage have him well in place to grab the Jackie Robinson Award in the American League this year.

The Runner Up
Royals fans can relax a little bit as Eric Hosmer is not too far behind Trumbo.  Hosmer is posting a .282 batting average while knocking 10 home runs and driving in 47 runs batted in.  Add in 19 doubles and a total of 93 hits and you can bet that the future has arrived in Kansas City and the future looks bright.

He Deserves A Look
Toronto’s young backstop, J.P. Arencibia may not be hitting for a good average, his is only .216, but what he is hitting is going a long way.  He is second to Trumbo for the most home runs by a rookie in the American League with 18 and pairs that with 52 runs batted in.  The drop off from there is tremendous, however, as he only posts 13 doubles and 3 triples, leaving him with a .452 slugging percentage.  His on base percentage plunges below .300 and he is striking out at an alarming rate.  The Blue Jays have a solid power hitter on their hands, they just hope he can learn some patience.

If it seems the offensive rookies are a bit sparse in the American League, the pitching prospects across the league are enough to get any baseball fan excited about the future.  The Royals put their share of pitchers into any conversation with Aaron Crow, Danny Duffy, and Tim Collins.  Jeremy Hellickson and Ivan Nova are both posting double digit wins for the Rays and Yankees, respectively.  Jordan Walden, meanwhile, is closing games at a solid pace for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Up north in Seattle, Michael Pineda is racking up the innings, and strikeouts, at a rapid pace.

The Odds On Favorite For Rookie Of The Year
Speaking of Michael Pineda, he is running away with this category in 2011.  He leads all rookies with 130 innings pitched and 133 strikeouts.  He has only walked 43 batters and given up 12 home runs.  He is posting a 3.53 earned run average and has won 9 games for a team that is struggling to win games as it is.  Pineda is showing some dominance at times and not showing any signs of slowing down, at least until his pitching arm falls off.

The Runner Up
It is Jordan Walden of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that is equally as impressive as Pineda.  Walden has posted 25 saves in 32 chances, posted a 3 wins, 3 losses record.  Over the course of 45 innings pitched, he has struck out 48 hitters and only walked 18.  With only one home run allowed and a 2.80 earned run average, the Angels have a closer they can count on for a long time to come.

He Deserves A Look
Call me old fashioned, but I still like a pitcher that wins games without giving up a ton of runs, even if he is not striking out everyone he faces.  For that reason, take a look at the Rays’ pitcher Jeremy Hellickson who has won 10 games  over 7 losses while posting a 3.15 earned run average.  He is going deep into games with 122.2 innings pitched and has struck out 79 hitters while walking 45.  He will not bring home any hardware, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Around the league there are pitchers and hitters that will look to capitalize on solid rookie seasons and avoid the Sophomore Slump.  While these players are showcasing themselves around the American League, it is important to take a look at one player that is not on this list that will mean something more to our i70baseball fans.  Here is our honorable mention.

i70baseball Honorable Mention
The honorable mention here goes to a player that is pitching impressively despite not being in a key role, which will keep him out of discussions based on stats.  Aaron Crow may be the closer of the future in Kansas City after pitching his way to an earned run average below 2.00 and striking out 49 hitters in 51.1 innings pitched.  Crow has allowed five home runs this season.  He has scattered 37 hits over his innings of work and taken the mound 43 times.  Crow will keep fans excited to see the bullpen doors swing open in Kansas City for many future seasons.

As the season comes to an end, keep an eye on these seven players and their impact on their teams and the league when the dust settles.  One of these players will take home a Jackie Robinson Award and etch their name into the history books.  The rest will attempt to build on a solid rookie campaign and make a career out of it.  Time will tell how well these names will become known.

Bill Ivie is the editor at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Done Deals

Boston – Kansas City: The Red Sox have added to their depth by picking up Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder Yamaico Navarro and pitcher Kendal Vez. In Aviles, the Red Sox get a player who can play 2B, SS, and 3B, all positions that have seen players banged up this season. He also swings a decent stick. Aviles fell victim to the youth movement in KC and was sent to the minors at one point this season. He could face a demotion again when Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie returns from the DL.

Texas – Baltimore: The Rangers spoke with a number of teams about relievers and were hoping to land the Padres’ Heath Bell.  But the asking price was too high for the pitchers that Texas most coveted. So instead, the Rangers went a cheaper route by sending corner infielder Chris Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for Koji Uehara.

It’s a low risk move for both teams. Uehera is good, but not outstanding. He’s a strikeout pitcher despite not having overpowering stuff, but also can’t be used on back-to-back days due to his tendency to get banged up. Davis has been a productive hitter in the minor leagues, but hasn’t been able to put it together in “The Show”. He strikes out way too much and can’t hit left-handed pitching. Unless the Orioles deal Derrek Lee, Davis will probably only see occassional playing time at DH and 1B.

Hunter is a #4 starter at best. He pitches to contact and isn’t going to blow anyone away.  The Rangers’ number one pick in 2007, Hunter got off to an 8-o, 2.31 start last season, but went 5-4, 5.07 in his final 14 starts plus one relief appearance. Hunter is also an injury risk and missed a good chunk of this season with a groin injury.

Detroit – Seattle: The Tigers wanted to shore up their starting rotation for the stretch run and feel they did so by picking up Doug Fister from the Mariners. Fister can’t be judged by the 3-12 record he amassed with a bad Mariners club. In 21 starts, Fister allowed less than a hit an inning and walked just two hitters per nine innings while he struck out 5.5 batters. He also allowed just four home runs and had a 2.8 WAR with the Mariners.

Reliever David Pauley accompanied Fister to give the Tigers some depth in their bullpen. In return, Seattle received pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later.

Furbush is a 25-yr old left-handed strikeout pitcher that was used as both a starter and reliever by the Tigers. No word yet if he’ll replace Fister in the rotation or Pauley in the pen. Wells is a fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield spots, but doesn’t hit much.  Martinez is a highly touted third baseman, but only the second best hot corner man in the Tigers organization. The 20-yr old Venezuelan is still developing his power, but had pretty good splits (.282/.319/.405) for Single-A Erie.

Arizona – Washington: The Diamondbacks added to their rotation by sending infielder Zach Walter, a former 9th round draft pick, to the Nationals for veteran starter Jason Marquis. The soon-to-be 33-yr old joins his sixth organization after 1+ seasons in the Nation’s capital. Marquis was 8-5, 3.95 in 20 starts this season and averaged six innings each time out. With a WHIP over 1.4 and 0.8 WAR, Marquis is a shaky back-end-of-the-rotation starter. He missed most of last season with elbow surgery.

Rumors

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Rockies have reportedly lowered their demands since they have yet to make a deal.  The Red Sox, Reds, and Indians are said to be negotiating the most, while the Yankees are still in play.

Hiroku Kuroda: The Dodgers right-hander really doesn’t want to leave LA, but has reportedly told the cash-strapped team that he’d be willing to accept a trade to the Rangers, Red Sox, or Yankees.

Josh Willingham and Ryan Ludwick: The A’s and Padres outfielders are still being talked about and are expected to be moved at some point this weekend. Right now it appears A’s GM Billy Beane is asking too much for Willingham.

Heath Bell: Unless the Padres lower their demands, the team’s closer won’t be going anywhere.

Denard Span: The Nationals have been working for days to try to land the Twins’ outfielder. A rumor spread earlier this afternoon that the Twins were trying to get the Yankees involved in a possible three-team deal.

Rafael Furcal: The shell-of-himself shortstop is close to being sent from the Dodgers to the Cardinals.

Update 7:20 PM

Hiroki Kuroda has refused to waive his no-trade clause and will remain an LA Dodger. The ramifications of Kuroda off the market is that the Rockies can now boost their asking price back up for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Chicago has sent pitcher Edwin Jackson, acquired at least year’s deadline, and IF/OF Mark Teahen to Toronto for reliever Jason Frasor and prospect Zach Stewart. The Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly working on a swap that would send Jackson to LaRussa-land for outfielder Colby Rasmus.

Rasmus and manager Tony LaRussa have not seen eye to eye during Rasmus’ time in St. Lou and even some fans have been annoyed at Rasmus’ perceived inconsistency. The deal also is said to involve cash above the $1MM ceiling and would have to be approved by the Commissioner’s office.

Jackson was 7-7, 3.92 in 19 starts for Chicago after going 4-2, 3.24 in 11 starts after he was acquired from Arizona last July. He’s due the remainder of $8.35MM for this season. Frasor will help bolster a shaky White Sox pen after spending his entire 7 1/2 year career with Toronto. He was 2-1, 2.98 in 44 appearances for the Blue Jays this season.

Stewart moves to his third organization in three years. He was the centerpiece of a deal that sent Scott Rolen to Cincinnati in 2009. He was 0-1, 4.86 in three starts for the Blue Jays this season, with 10 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched. after an outstanding season at Double-A New Hampshire, the 24-yr struggled at Triple-A this season, going 5-5, 4.20 in 16 starts.

The 29-yr old Teahen played five season for Kansas City before joining the White Sox the last two seasons. He was hitting .203 with 3 HR and 11 RBI in 51 games.

Update 1:25 pm

Blue Jays and Cards have reportedly agreed on deal; waiting on Commisioner’s approval of cash involved.

Update 1:58 pm

ESPN’s Buster  Olney is reporting the deal would send Colby Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters to the Blue Jays with  Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel, Marc Rzepczynski and Corey Patterson going to St. Louis. Olney also reports that Miller will be sent to the White Sox to complete the deal made  earlier today.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Dayan Viciedo, RF, Charlotte Knights, International League, White Sox – Viciedo has raised his average every month since the start of the 2011 season. He finished June hitting .371, 43 hits, nine of them doubles. He’s begun July at an excellent pace. He’s gotten nine hits in his last ten games, hitting .325. July also saw him being selected to play in the Futures Game. Overall, he leads the league with 62 RBI and 16 home runs. Highlight: Hard to choose between the July 1st two-home run-game or the July 7th three-RBI-game.

Michael Maness, RHP, Batavia Muckdogs, New York Penn League, St. Louis Cardinals – Maness has a 0.32 ERA in three starts in July, allowing just 2 earned runs in 28 innings. In four innings of relief he had a 0.oo ERA. Since June 19th he’s walked just three batters. Highlight: On July 1st he went six innings, allowing a run (unearned) a hit, and a walk.

Darin Gorski, LHP, St. Lucie Mets, Florida State League – Gorski has dominated the league all season. He has not had a loss yet and collected 9 wins. He’s also leading the league in strikeouts with 102 and his 1.82 ERA is the FSL lowest. Between June 12th and mid-July he has been a revelation: 9 hits, 10 earned runs, 29 strikeouts in 37 innings. He finished June with a 0.79 ERA. Highlight: A one-hitter on June 27th against the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Tyler Townsend, 1B, Frederick Keys, Carolina League, Baltimore Orioles – Townsend is on the 7-day DL, but before July 13th he was on an offensive tear. Between June 1st and July 11th he put together a seven-game hit streak. He leads the league with 50 RBI. He’s also collected 23 doubles and 13 home runs. Highlight: On July 9th he had a 3-hit, 4-RBI game. He also hit a home run and drew a walk.

My eye on… Anthony Gose, CF, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Eastern League, Toronto Blue Jays

Gose is putting up good numbers for the Fisher Cats, hitting .256, with 39 RBI and 9 home runs in 88 games this season. 

“I think he’s definitely gotten himself in place to be a better player,” said Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano. “Defensively he’s doing ok. I think he’s got the potential to be Gold Glove caliber in the outfield. If he can consistently bring it on a day to day basis it can be.”

In a a game in early July, Gose exhibited quick thinking and feet on the bases, laying a bunt down, as well as getting a hit off of Phil Hughes. His speed and ability to use it smartly showed improvement. He appears to be translating his tools into skills.

“He’s gotten better on the bases. I think his getting caught percentage is a lot better than last year,” Fasano said.

Gose is in his first season at the Double-A level and exhibiting good pitch recognition and even better patience at the plate than earlier in the season.

He took a few minutes to talk to Baseball Digest about the program, his career, and life after baseball.

BBD: Tell me about the your new book, “The Way of Baseball: Finding Stillness at 95 MPH,” and what inspired you to write it?  I understand it’s not as much about baseball as it is about life.
SG:  Thanks for asking.  The book is about how I implemented my philosophy in baseball.  There are bumps along the way, and life lessons, and baseball is really a metaphor for life, applicable to what people do in their lives.

BBD: I think when fans look back now and look at your numbers, they might be surprised how consistent and how productive you were for more than a decade, right up through your last year with the Mets… Do you think you were a little overlooked as a player?
SG: I’ve always been kind of the quiet and skinny guy.  There were a lot of users of PEDs and what not; the numbers definitely skewed higher in the eara I played in.  But I’m not worried about that — I had a great time playing, and though I wasn’t partaking in PED’s, it was definitely motivating trying to keep up with those big power hitters.

BBD: What were your feelings when you were traded near home with the Dodgers, and do you think of yourself mainly as a Dodger?
SG: Probably both… I always wanted to end my career as a Dodger, but things changed, they overhauled the organization, but looking back, I enjoyed my time everywhere I played.  I was just in Toronto for the book, and the fans were still very supportive; they love their Blue Jays.  I look at my career as a mix between those two cities.

BBD:  What would you consider your career highlight moment?
SG: The pinnacle would have to be the week when I hit all those home runs [nine, setting a major league record, in May 2002], at least the peak from the perspective of all the philosophies employed.  To be able to make that last for a long time, allow it to happen, that was a week where I accepted things I never thought possible.

BBD: How did you get involved with the SUBWAY Baseball DeSIGNS program?
SG: It sounds funny, but I was excited because in Toronto, my apartment was above a Subway shop, and we used to get 10-12 foot subs in the clubhouse all the time as well.  And of course little league hold some of my fondest memories.  We were on a great team, at 12 years old we went all the way to the finals in Williamsport.  I still joke around about that time, and it makes me excited to be a part of the program.

BBD: If you had the chance to design your SUBWAY Baseball DeSIGNS ball, what would you want to put on there?
SG: Probably an ‘Enso’ line – it represents an Eastern philosophy – the circle of full attention.  I have one on the cover of my book.

“Big Game James” or James Shields as he is most commonly referred to is a pitcher who does not have overpowering velocity, nor does he have otherworldly talent. Shields strength is in his control, having only walked 244 batters in almost 1,100 innings pitched during his career.

The 29-year-old was only in his second full season as a starter for the Rays during their playoff run. His teammates gave him the moniker of “Big Game James” for his clutch pitching throughout the regular season against some of the tougher lineups the Major Leagues has to offer, including those of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

It wasn’t that he was dominant, but he was serviceable in those starts, pitching better than the Major League average of a 4.50 ERA, finishing the year with a 3.85 ERA. It made those wonder why was this moniker placed upon a pitcher that was not dominant.

During the national October broadcasts, a playoff run that ended at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, analysts would mention the moniker and regular fans back home wondered: How can a pitcher earn a moniker in less than two years of service time. Their inquiries seemed to be proven over the next three seasons in which Shields did not perform up to previous levels.

It culminated into a miserable campaign last season in which Shields posted an unsightly 5.18 ERA. Throughout the season, Shields struggled with his trademark control, leaving pitches over the plate and hitters had field days. Shields surrendered 246 hits in only 203 innings pitched while batters hit a robust .294 against him, one of the highest marks in the majors.

No one knew what to expect of Shields this season, in fact many thought his spot in the rotation could be in jeopardy with all of the young guns within the Rays farm system. However, Rays ownership showed some form of support to their embattled righty by trading Matt Garza to the Cubs, guaranteeing Shields a spot in the rotation.

Shields has since run away with the opportunity, being the veteran leader on a young staff and becoming one of the elite pitchers in the Major Leagues. The right hander has not magically developed more velocity on his fastball, it sits around 88 to 92 mph, but instead has become a pitcher.

Pitchers mature at different rates, some make the big leagues by just sheer talent, blowing fastballs at unheard of speeds past batters who have no chance at making contact. Others, like Jamie Moyer, had to defy doubters and prove they can retire hitters.

Shields is not on either extreme end of the spectrum — he does not have the high 90s heat of an Aroldis Chapman nor does he have to be as precise as a Moyer — instead he falls within the middle.

After taking such a beating last season, Shields learned that he needed to mix up his pitches, not only changing speeds but location as well, making the hitters see the ball up, down, inside and outside.

Hitters no longer see a first pitch fastball on the outside corner then a change-up, but instead can see a first pitch curve, two-seamer in on the hands, cutter on the outside corner or a change-up, leaving the hitters guessing and flailing at what they will see next.

Shields may not be a household name like his flame-throwing counterparts, but he has pitched his way amongst the elite and has finally earned the moniker, “Big Game James.”

Around the Division:

Baltimore Orioles: One Orioles acquisition has played up to his previous standards — shortstop J.J. Hardy. Major League baseball fans from across the county have also taken notice and have given Hardy some respect by voting for him to be a member of the All-Star team. His .293 average and eight home runs put him in the upper tier of shortstops in terms of statistics and he has been well worth the money he is being paid.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox Adrian Gonzalez is having the type of impact Mark Teixiera had on the Yankees during his initial campaign. Perennially searching for another impact bat, the Sox finally acquired Gonzalez, a former N.L. All-Star, who has adapted well to the pressure of playing for Red Sox nation. His .353 average and 15 home runs are more than the Sox expected, but the returns are welcome.

New York Yankees: Ivan Nova had been handed a starting job right out of Spring Training and has only impressed. Privately the organization had hoped that Nova would pitch to a league average ERA, and he has surpassed that to be the winningness rookie pitcher in the Majors.

Toronto Blue Jays: Star pitcher Ricky Romero made some startling comments after another hard-luck loss which prompted him to have a closed-door meeting with his teammates. In Romero’s nine losses, the Jays offense has only scored 13 runs, making his frustrations inevitable. The Jays offense needs to wake up if they want to win games in the tough Eastern division.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer covering the A.L. East for BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

However, in 2011, the check book of the Steinbrenners has hardly been utilized, except for a disastrous signing of a reliever named Rafael Soriano. Instead, it has been Cashman scouring the free-agent market, the waiver wire and other team’s minor leaguers, all in an attempt to find a hidden gem.

This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be for a team with a payroll upwards of $200 million, but it’s the scenario they are currently in with the amount of injuries that have struck the club. Prior to the Opening Day the Yankees were counting on receiving innings from either Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia in the fifth spot, but injuries forced them both into the rotation.

Both starters were not expected to give the Yankees much more than innings and a chance to win — by no stretch of the imagination did they think the two veterans would pitch to the level they are. Garcia is only 5-6 on the year, but holds a 3.63 ERA and has the ability to make the perfect pitch in the most dire of circumstances.

Colon on the other hand has magically found the velocity he once had while in his 20s, except this time, it has a twist. Instead of blowing a straight four-seam fastball by hitters, the 38-year-old utilizes a devastating two-seam sinking fastball that can reach 96 mph. His 3.10 ERA is lowest on the staff, but a hamstring injury forced him to DL.

To replace Colon and fill-in for his scheduled start last Thursday, Cashman looked under rocks for anything promising, anyone who could give his team a chance to win. While scouring the free-agent market, Cashman encountered a pitcher who opted out of minor league deal, one that saw him post a miniscule 1.87 ERA for the Philadelphia Phillies Triple A affiliate.

Brian Gordon, a 33-year-old career minor leaguer, received a call from Cashman who said he wanted Gordon to take the hill in the Bronx for a Thursday matinee. Gordon, a former outfielder, switched to pitching full-time while in the Texas organization and was tutored by Nolan Ryan.

In front of a sold-out crowd, some of which his own family members, Gordon twirled a gem, justifying all the work he put in throughout his life. Cashman must of been smiling throughout, noting that another one of his bargain-basement acquisitions were making a positive impact on the field.

Cashman has showed that he doesn’t need to just go out and buy whatever former All-Star is available, but instead is able to critically evaluate talent that others may have overlooked. It is a trait that shined during the off-season when Cashman decided to take a chance on Russell Martin, a former N.L. All-Star whose production had dropped precipitously. On top of the lack of production, management complained about Martin’s attitude within the clubhouse, but Cashman saw enough positives to take a chance.

After a hot start to the season by blasting nine home runs, Martin’s bat has since cooled down, but his defense has been otherworldly and its specifically helped one Yankees starter turn in a good season — A.J. Burnett.

Burnett’s curveball is his best pitch, but it’s also one that has such tremendous movement that wild pitches could occur. However, with Martin behind the dish, Burnett is no longer afraid to throw his best pitch — even with runners on base because of the confidence he has in Martin.

The confidence Burnett has in Martin should mirror what the Yankees and their fans should have in Cashman. Sure, he has made mistakes during his tenure, but he has proven that he has learned from them, acquiring players who will make the team better — and for less money.

Cashman may have a boatload of money at his disposal. but his keen eye for talent has and will continue to keep the Yankees afloat during the march for title No. 28.

Around the Division:

Baltimore Orioles: One cannot help but be impressed with the way Orioles righty Jeremy Guthrie has thrown the ball thus far on the year. His low to mid 90s fastball has always been impressive and he has seemed to finally found the command of it this season, walking only 17 batters while holding a 3.56 ERA. Unfortunately, he also holds a 2-8 record.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox continued their winning ways with a weekend sweep of the Brewers. If the Red Sox had not suffered through their early April swoon, then at this point of the season, they could have been running away with the division.

Tampa Bay Rays: James Shield continues to make his mark as one of the elite pitchers in the American League. His complete game, one-run gem yesterday against the Marlins was his fifth complete game of the season, three of which shut-outs. Shields has one of the lowest ERA’s in the league, standing at 2.40, no doubt making his case for an All-Star game start.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays made wave this weekend by extending Yunel Escobar’s contract for another two seasons, the deal totaling $10 million. Escobar is currently the place holder for Jays top prospect Adeiny Hechavarria who is also a shortstop by trade.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer covering the A.L. East for BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

Francona holds a record of 684 wins and only 505 losses during his tenure, but his biggest wins, including one that ended a curse and gave Boston their first World Series title since 1918, occurred in October of 2004.

It was his inaugural season as manager of the Red Sox, a team that has a fan base like no other. In fact, because of their antics, they are referred to as “Red Sox Nation.” Francona had been out of the managerial workplace since 2000 when he was fired by the Philadelphia Phillies, yet he was able to guide a ball club, not lacking in character, to the postseason.

This historic Red Sox team included the likes of Manny Ramirez, Kevin Millar, Johnny Damon and David Ortiz. Each player added a certain spice to the clubhouse, spices that without the right manager at the helm could combust and turn into flames.

However, Francona cooly handled his rowdy bunch, even when faced with an improbable circumstance — down three games to none in the American League Championship Series. Instead of panicking, he guided his team to four straight wins, stunning the Yankees, shocking Major League baseball and ending a curse.

With his very first season in the books, Francona was already a Beantown legend, but he has continued to add to his sparkling resume. Three seasons after effectively ending the curse, the Red Sox won again, sweeping the overmatched Colorado Rockies aside in four straight during the 2007 World Series.

The Red Sox, once the perennial little brother to their fiercest rivals, The New York Yankees, have now moved to the top of the chart. Prior to the beginning of this season, prognosticators had the Sox, not the Yankees, as the American League East favorites.

Sure, the favorite label could be trickled down to the acquisitions that were made in the off-season, but the games are not played on paper — instead they are played in between those white lines.

Entering as favorites seemed to put added pressure on the Sox to begin the season as they dropped their first eight contests. In fact, they were below .500 until mid May, a stretch that could essentially end a teams’ hopes of making the postseason.

However, once again it was Francona at the helm, delivering the same guided speech — The results will come, play hard, make sure to follow the fundamentals, this team is too good to continually lose. And once again, he was right.

Ironically their turn around also started against the Yankees as they swept them aside to reach .500 for the first time on the season and a month later swept them again, both times in the Bronx.

One of the biggest compliments that can be given to a manager is the assessment of pushing the right buttons, meaning he puts his players in positions where they can best succeed. This is where Francona excels, much like a four-time World Series winning former manager of the Yankees, Joe Torre.

Torre and Francona manage with their guts, they don’t just rely on the stats which could be from a small sample size, but instead have a great feel for the game, seeing the players who are excelling and who has the heart to win the game.

Torre and Francona also had to manage teams full of superstars, players who may think they are above their manager because of their on-the-field success, but both have meshed with their teams perfectly. Torre’s laid-back style fit the business attitude of the Yankees and Francona’s outsized personality fits the Sox.

Maybe another 10 seasons down the line, Sox fans will look back and reminisce on a managerial run that included multiple World Series victories and change in the balance of power within the East. Then, Red Sox players and fans alike will know how lucky they are to have had Francona at the helm.

Around the Division:

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles, in an effort to limit the innings of their top-pitching prospect, Zach Britton, decided to skip his start through the rotation. The O’s hope by limiting Britton’s innings now, while they are not competitive within the division, it will keep him healthy when they are fighting for the crown a few years down the line.

New York Yankees: The story surrounding the Yankees revolves around Derek Jeter who is closing in on 3,000 hits. He will be the first Yankees player to reach the plateau, but his recent calf strain and DL stint will make those wait longer to see the legend reach the 3k mark.

Tampa Bay Rays: Newest Ray team member, Johnny Damon broke a franchise record this week. Damon reached base for the 38th consecutive game, eclipsing the previous high of 37 set by Ben Grieve.

Toronto Blue Jays: Struggling rookie righty, Kyle Drabek, was option to Triple A this week after his struggles during his past three starts. The rookie had been struggling with control after starting the season off by impressing those who faced him.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer covering the A.L. East for BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

Chamberlain, the one-time can’t miss phenom who came up breathing fire in 2007, had seemed to find his niche in the bullpen this season, but this injury will hinder the progress he made. The Yankees tried a formula to make sure arm problems would not plague their young righty, but to no avail.

During his time in the Minors, along with fellow former top prospect Phil Hughes, innings were limited, pitch counts enforced and everything was monitored closely. Once in the bigs, the Yankees enforced the “Joba Rules,” partly because they wanted to protect him and partly because of then manager Joe Torre’s penchant for overusing his relievers.

The rules stated Chamberlain could not throw more than a certain number of pitches per outing nor pitch on back-to-back days. It was the Yankees way to make sure they did everything within their power to protect their investment.

They did the same with Hughes, limiting his innings and only slowly increasing them to prepare his arm for the long haul of a Major League season. However, no matter what the Yankees did, it has not worked.

Hughes has found himself on the disabled list this season following a noticeable drop in velocity — 95 mph to 90 mph — and complaints of arm soreness. Chamberlain suffered a tear in his elbow requiring the elbow reconstruction surgery known as Tommy John, which has a rehab period of 10 to 14 months.

Two top prospects with above average stuff, both following the same plan, yet they both suffered the same fate — arm problems. The Yankees followed a philosophy that is the norm for numerous organizations when it comes to developing arms, but one particular organization has been entirely different and largely successful.

The organization is the Texas Rangers. Once Nolan Ryan, the author of seven no-hitters during his MLB career, took over the reigns as team president, the Rangers had a new philosophy.

Ryan comes from the school of thought that for a pitcher to be successful, they need to pitch — a lot. He does not understand how a pitcher can only be trained to throw six or seven innings a game and then teams wonder why they often suffer injuries.

He says that it’s the equivalent of training a horse to only complete half of a race but then expect him to finish it easily — it won’t happen. Therefore, the Rangers began their transformation in the Minors and slowly implemented their changes on the Major League level.

Thus far the Rangers have seen great results — none of their pitchers have suffered arm injuries and they have been able to throw more pitches and thereby pitch deeper into the game.

Derek Holland, the team’s top lefty, has developed under the system Ryan implemented and has thrived. The 25-year-old has completed almost 300 innings in only 44 career starts, showing the importance of allowing pitchers to throw enough pitches.

However, the Yankees have not changed their philosophy, and down on the farm are the Killer B’s — Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos — who have yet to throw more than five innings in any start for Double A Trenton.

Yet, the Yankees will expect the both of them to not only be top-of-the-rotation starters, but be able to pitch deep into games. Maybe it is time the Yankees learn from their prior mistakes and let the kids pitch.

The Killer B’s have all the promise in the world, both possessing mid 90s fastballs and devastating hooks, but none of that will matter if they suffer arm problems.

There is no tried and true formula for developing arms, but analyzing in simplistic terms — The only way to prepare for a race is to run the equivalent of one. The only way to prepare for pitching in a grueling MLB season is also to throw the equivalent of one.

Perhaps, the Yankees way will finally work out and the Killer B’s will fulfill their promise, or they will be another sobering reality of the volatile world of developing pitchers.

Around the Division:

Baltimore Orioles: Brian Matusz made his return off the disabled list yesterday and suffered through a rough outing. To the average viewer, things did not seem right for the once top prospect. His fastball had lost roughly five miles per hour prior to his injury.

Boston Red Sox: The Sox continued their dominance over the Yankees with yet another sweep in the Bronx. This season is very reminiscent of the 2009 season when the Yankees failed to win a game over their rivals until August.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays won two of three during their series against the Orioles over the weekend as they try to close the gap between them and the first-place Red Sox who have been on a tear as of late.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays pitching staff ran into a well-oiled offensive machine over the weekend as they could do nothing to stop the vaunted Red Sox attack. Surrendering games of 16 and 14 runs in the series, the staff will look to rebound once they face the Orioles tomorrow.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com covering the A.L. East. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

Vladimir Guerrero, Mark Reynolds, Derek Lee and J.J. Hardy were added to mainly be stop gaps for the youngsters who are still developing in the fruitful Oriole farm system, but also to increase the numbers in the win column — a column that has only seen a high of 70 wins since 2006.

After firing their manager three-fourths through the 2010 season, the Orioles hired Buck Showalter to help turn this once proud franchise around. Showalter immediately had an effect on the young team, becoming a dreaded opponent for the bullies of the American League East to play during the latter stages of the 2010 season.

However, after an off-season in which the front office splurged — by their standards — on free agents and through trades, they expected better results from their acquisitions. Every player, aside from the clutch play of Hardy, both defensively and offensively, has underperformed.

The perennial basement dwellers acquired Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks primarily for his ability to hit the ball out of the yard. The feeling among scouts and analysts was the O’s received a middle-of-the-order hitter, but he has yet to live up to his reputation.

The former 44-home run hitter has never hit for a high average, his career .237 batting average speaks for itself, but he always made up for it with his ability to hit the long-ball. However, Reynolds has struggled in the normally hitter-friendly Camden Yards, blasting only nine home runs, five of which in his home ballpark.

His .188 average through the seasons first 57 games would even make Mario Mendoza blush — the player most notably known for his ability to hit near the .200 mark, earning the moniker, The Mendoza Line.

Lee, formerly of the Chicago Cubs, arrived in Baltimore with the hopes of resurrecting a career sliding downwards because of injury. Unfortunately, the injury-bug has found him again, already limiting him to only 43 games in which he has not produced.

The former No. 3 hitter of the Cubs barely resembles the premier National League first basemen he was only two seasons ago when he blasted 35 home runs. This season, his RBI has only reached 15, a mere shadow of his career-high of 111.

Even Guerrero, the Texas Rangers main power threat from their DH spot last season, has not taken to the friendly confines of Camden Yards. In his one season playing in Texas, Guerrero seemed to have found the jet stream almost every time he connected, blasting 29 home runs, 16 of which in Texas.

These three men were signed to add to the win total, something they have failed to do with their limited amount of production within the lineup. They have underperformed while clogging up positions for the young players who could use the valuable experience of playing on the Major League level.

Players such as Manny Machado — the O’s first round pick in the 2010 Amateur First-Year Player draft — Mycal Givens and Tyler Townsend could take their current spots and fill in admirably.

For the O’s to once again compete in the East, they need to develop their top prospects. In a season that seems destined to continue their playoff-less streak, giving the kids a chance is the way to set the clock in motion, setting them up for a date in October soon enough.

Around the Division:

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox opened their pivotal three-game set in the Bronx with a win behind Jon Lester and closed out by the recently suspended Jonathan Papelbon. The Sox have once again tied the Yankees for first place and are eyeing a possibility of another sweep.

New York Yankees: The Yankees Mark Texiera was hit in the knee-cap by an errant pitch in the first inning of last night’s game. The sound was awful, a cling that made fans and management fear the worst, but X-Rays were negative and for now Texiera is listed as day-to-day.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays were busy on the first night of the 2011 MLB Draft, holding 10 picks throughout the first night. Already known for their strong farm system, the Rays added plenty of quality players including Taylor Guerrieri, a high school student who has top-of-the-rotation potential.

Toronto Blue Jays: After being stated as the best player no one knows about, Jose Bautista — he of the Major League leading 20 home runs — is the AL’s leading vote-getter through the first two rounds. It seems as if baseballs newest hitting threat is receiving the attention he rightfully deserves.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com covering the A.L. East. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

It is enough cause for celebration for fans and team members alike after beginning the marathon season with a 34-year-old Venezuelan with diminished stuff holding down the No. 5 spot in the rotation and a rookie holding the No. 4.

Freddy Garcia won the No. 5 spot in the rotation after fending off a very impressive Bartolo Colon during the Spring even though the portly righty had actually out-pitched Garcia. Yankees management said the decision came down to who had the stamina to pitch an entire season and Colon had not stepped on a Major League mound for a two years.

However, after ineffectiveness and then an undiagnosed injury to Phil Hughes, the former 18-game winner from last season, Colon stepped into the rotation. The righty has turned back the clock and is pitching better than his Cy-Young season in 2005.

After not pitching last season and undergoing a controversial elbow procedure, Colon is once again firing the ball in the mid 90s, except this time it is accompanied with otherworldly movement. It can be argued that Colon, who has threw the Yankees first complete game shutout since 2009, has been ace 1A.

Garcia, too, has outperformed expectations. His 3.34 ERA is second on the staff, but he has only four wins to show for his great work on the mound. Even Ivan Nova, the neophyte, has showed enough promise that the Yankees see him as an integral piece for the future.

It helps that the 23-year-old has great poise on the mound to go along with good stuff. His mid 90s fastball is tough to hit in the air, but he does go through some rough patches just like any other young starter. Patience will be a virtue for him and the Yankees.

The question for the Yankees is how long can their good fortune last? Colon and Garcia are not the type of pitchers you expect to count on prior to beginning the season. Except, now the Yankees can not afford them to fall on their face. They need to continue to get exceptional efforts from their staff or else things could get ugly for the 27-time World Series champions.

Concern over how long their pitchers can last has already reached the mind of general manager Brian Cashman. He recently made a statement that he is not comfortable with the team he currently holds, noting areas that could use some improvement.

None of the improvements will occur to the offense, unless it comes from within — the promotion of top hitting prospect Jesus Montero. However, the pitching, if need be, will be scoured for during the next month before the trading deadline.

The trade market looks bleak thus far with only uninspiring options such as Jon Danks — 0-8 thus far on the season — are available. None would be difference makers for a team looking to contend for a championship.

Cashman may need to look no further than down on the farm at his two most prized pitching prospects in Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos. Betances, standing at 6-foot-9, is currently 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA for the Yankees AA affiliate, The Trenton Thunder.

The Grand Street Campus product has been plagued by control issues since he was drafted at 18 years of age in 2006, but has showed an increasing ability to pitch out of trouble. With a blister issue limiting his innings earlier this season, he would not have an innings limit on him if the decision to promote would be in order.

Banuelos, the 20-year-old Mexican native, has also impressed, pitching to a 3-0 record. His control has been spotty, something that has not plagued him before, but his 2.12 ERA speaks for itself. The Yankees would love to see him develop one more season in the Minors before promoting him, but his performance may dictate otherwise.

With Colon and Garcia exceeding expectations and the possibility of them breaking down at any moment, the Yankees need to explore their possible replacements.

The Killer B’s are ready to sting Major League hitters — however, the Yankees hope the old goats can continue to defy father time and help steer the Yankees to the postseason.

Around the Division:

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles promising start to the season is almost a distant memory now after they have dropped to five games below .500. Manager Buck Showalter knew he was taking over a rebuilding team and the pieces are in place for that to happen.

Boston Red Sox: In his first start off of the DL, John Lackey completed six innings while allowing three runs — a quality start and the Red Sox defeated the Athletics to keep pace with the Yankees. They now are ready to face their rivals in a three-game set that will decide first-place in the division.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays have fallen by the way-side after their climb to the top of the division. After dropping two of three over the weekend to the Seattle Mariners, they are only one game above .500 and are striving to straighten out their current slide.

Toronto Blue Jays: After a series victory over the Orioles, the Jays are now tied with Tampa for third place in the division. They next visit the Kansas City Royals and look for Brandon Morrow to get back on track.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.