Boston Red Sox infielder Dustin Pedroia was named American League Most Valuable Player this afternoon by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. I really do not have a problem with it at all, though Kevin Youkilis was my pick in a recent awards article.

Pedroia had a great all-around season, playing excellent defense and providing plus offensive production for a second baseman. He tied for the league lead in hits (213) and paced the circuit in doubles (54) and runs scored (118). He also ranked second in batting average (.326) and 11th in on-base percentage, which enabled him to add another trophy on the award shelf next to his Rookie of the Year.

Pedroia came on strong in the second half as well, batting .345/.402/.547 to help guide the Red Sox to the A.L. Wild Card. As a 5-foot-7 slugger who swings out of his shoes, it was fairly easy to predict him as the eventual winner. The story, which has infatuated writers, came close to matching the on-field production. His excellent stretch in August, when Mike Lowell and David Ortiz were on the disabled list, also helped his case.

According to Jay Jaffe at Baseball Prospectus, Pedroia was the right winner.

Youkilis, the Hank Aaron winner, was more valuable offensively, though. He finished with a higher OBP and slugging percentage, and was also the most productive hitter with runners in scoring position out of the candidates who collected votes. In addition, he ranked among the majors' most effective defensive first baseman and filled in at third base admirably when Mike Lowell was on the disabled list.

Youkilis, though, finished a distant third, behind runner-up Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins.

Morneau finished second in the league with 129 RBIs, but also came up to the plate with runners on base more frequently than any hitter in baseball. In reality, he was not even the most important player on his own team. That would be Joe Mauer, who provided top-notch defense at a premium position, catcher, won his second batting title and finished second in the league in OBP. He collected a pair of first-place votes, ending up fourth.

There was not a slam dunk case in the A.L, however, and I understand the arguments for the aforementioned position players. It was an interesting year, as two of the four playoff-bound teams lacked legitimate candidates and there was not a clear-cut player from a non-contending team. The best team in the league, the Tampa Bay Rays, did not have one player who stood out above the rest. Tampa Bay rode its excellent run prevention to a division title.

Carlos Pena finished ninth for the second consecutive year, but missed a lot of time and had a poor first half—.778 OPS before the All-Star break. Evan Longoria, the Rookie of the Year, finished 11th, but began the season in Triple-A and missed almost of month with a wrist fracture.

Heck, the local chapter of the BBWAA even selected Jason Bartlett as the Rays’ Team M.V.P. Bartlett anchored the most efficient team defense in baseball at shortstop, but posted an anemic .690 OPS and produced just 29 extra-base hits. (Quite amazingly, he even collected a fifth-place vote for league M.V.P., finishing ahead of Ichiro and Mark Teixeira in points.)

If Pena hit 46 home runs like he did in ’07 and posted a 1.000-plus OPS, perhaps things would be different. But the Rays did not have a real individual superstar performance.

The Los Angeles Angels won 100 games, but actually had a fairly middling offense. Teixiera had a great run, but came over to the team in a mid-season trade with the Atlanta Braves.

Fransisco Rodriguez received a few first-place votes, thanks to his 62 saves. Rodriguez, in reality, was not even the most valuable relief pitcher in the league (Mariano Rivera). His lofty saves total was the function of opportunity; he had 69 chances, also a record. He actually had one of his worst seasons, as his K/9, W.H.I.P. and average fastball velocity all dropped to career lows.

The Central champs, the Chicago White Sox, had a potential winner in Carlos Quentin. Quentin was perhaps the front-runner until an injury ended his season five weeks early.

Which leads us to Boston. And, yes, Pedroia is really a nice pick, though he hit only 17 homers and did not rank in the top 10 in OPS. Youkilis was as well, but he did have 100 fewer at-bats than his teammate, which helped his slash stats line.

All in all, there were not any egregious errors in the voting for the major awards. There was some faulty thinking behind some decisions, but the right winner won in every award category.

Longoria and Geovany Soto were the right picks for R.O.Y and Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum deserved their Cy Young awards. Ditto for Pedroia and Albert Pujols.


—Seriously, though, how did Bartlett receive more points than Ian Kinsler?

—Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News left Pedroia off his ballot completely. Grant is pretty open minded in his analysis, but what was he thinking here? As expected, he has drawn the wrath of Red Sox nation; even Rob Dibble ripped into him, calling him a “####” on The Show on XM Radio. He apologized today, and offered his explanation. Apparently, Pedroia’s low home run total, the smallest number for an M.V.P. winner since the days of Nellie Fox, guided his thinking.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The managers and coaches made some pretty big gaffes in the Gold Glove balloting this year. Granted, it is difficult to quantify defensive value; there have been advancements in new metrics, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

When it comes to handing out offensive awards, on the other hand, the process is considerably easier. At least it should be.

Well, the Silver Slugger awards were handed out this afternoon, and there were once again some serious snubs.

In a chart that I put together, I listed the winner of the Silver Slugger Award at each position in the American League. For several important offensive categories—from batting average to OPS—I listed each winner’s stats and league positional rank in the respective metric.

This makes it pretty easy to see which players deserved to win, and which players simply did not.

Morneau did not deserve to win the award at first base. He had a fine season—.300/.374/.499—but the voters apparently selected him for his RBI total, 129. This is unfortunate, because RBIs are a function of opportunity, and are thus a poor tool on their own for comparing hitters. In the stats that really have a direct impact on scoring runs and winning (OBP, OPS), he ranked third and fourth, respectively, at his position.

Kevin Youkilis should have won instead; he ranked higher in every category except RBIs. Youkilis simply had fewer RBI chances, and actually had a better slash stats line with runners in scoring position than the winner. The Boston infielder batted .374/.445/.708/1.091 OPS with RISP. Morneau, though he was excellent with men on second and third in his own right, ended up at .348/.443/.602/1.045 OPS; essentially, he only had more opportunities.

Carlos Pena, of the Tampa Bay Rays, would also have been a better choice here.

Clearly, then, the Morneau M.V.P. discussion is fairly misguided, especially considering his position and defensive indifference.

At second base, one could make the case for Texas Rangers star Ian Kinsler. Kinsler missed a large chunk of time with a season-ending injury in August, though. Pedroia had an excellent offensive season, anyway, and will garner serious consideration for M.V.P. He nearly won a batting title, hitting .328. But he finished second at the position, behind Kinsler, in nearly every other category. He was more valuable overall than his second base counterpart from Texas when defense is factored into the equation, but offensively—the criteria for this award—he was not the best candidate.

Rodriguez was an easy choice at the hot corner. He had a down season by his standards, but led the position in nearly every category except RBIs. Although he took some flack, it is hard to criticize any player who posts a.573 slugging percentage, .965 OPS and ranks in the top 10 in the majors in V.O.R.P. His partner on the left side of the infield, Jeter, was justified in winning at shortstop. He is no longer that great in the field, but he is still a productive hitter; .300/.363/.408 is exceptional at the position.

Hamilton, the majors’ RBI leader and Quentin, the frontrunner for M.V.P. until his season-ending injury, are each deserving of the honor. They each finished in the top three among A.L. outfielders in OPS. Quentin broke out in his new surroundings in Chicago, ranking first in home runs and OPS, second in OBP and fourth in RBIs.

Sizemore is one of the best all-around outfielders in the majors and has great on-base skills, but he only finished in the top five in two categories: home runs (tied for third) and slugging percentage (fifth).

Jermaine Dye (.885 OPS), Vladimir Guerrero (.886), Nick Markakis (.897) and Magglio Ordonez (.869) all could have been selected for the third spot.

Mauer at catcher was perhaps the easiest choice at any position. He is a true rarity—a strong defensive catcher who can hit. He won his second batting title while getting on base at a plus-.400 clip; he is not only the best-hitting catcher in his league, but all of baseball.

Huff was a force in Baltimore. He had one of the best single-season performances of his career—even better than his 37-home run campaign with Tampa Bay—finishing with 32 homers, a .912 OPS and 108 RBIs.

But the DH silver bat should have gone to Milton Bradley, who hit .321/.436/.563, with a DH-best .999 OPS.

There were not any major, major blunders, but again the managers and coaches erred in a few of their selections.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

In my opinion, choosing award selections is one of the most enjoyable parts of writing about baseball (click here to compare my mid-season award picks). And I just could not help myself,  so I decided to update my picks back  from September. Throughout the week, I will offer my analysis on the actual winners as the awards are announced, with the R.O.Y awards coming on Monday. Here are my final picks.

American League

Most Valuable Player:

Justin Morneau is a name commonly being thrown around in the discussion for MVP. Traditional voters are infatuated with one statistic above all others—RBIs—and Morneau finished second in the league, behind Josh Hamilton, with 129. In fact, his high RBI total was the biggest reason why he won the award back in 2006, when there were several stronger options—including his teammate, Joe Mauer. Still, he was a key cog in a Twins’ offense that was tremendous with runners in scoring position (even if some pundits dismiss it as a statistical fluke), hitting .302/.375/.502, with 21 homers. But I still do not think that he deserves the award this year, as Mauer once again was more valuable to his team; Morneau does not even rank in the top 30 in the league in OPS.

Regardless of how you feel about OPS as a stat, an MVP candidate at a corner infield position should at least rank in the Top 10. Period.

Mauer, who won his second batting title, finished the season hitting .328/.413/.451, with 44 extra-base hits, 85 RBIs and 84 walks. When you consider that he also ranks among the premier defensive catchers in the game and has received plus scores on how he has helped handle and worked with a young group of Minnesota pitchers, it makes it all the more impressive. At such a defense-first position, his offensive output was outstanding, though, at 25, he still has room to continue to hit for more power.

To put into simple terms: finding 20-homer, 120-RBI, sub-.900 OPS production from a first baseman like Morneau is much easier to find than a catcher who fields his position well and can post a .400-plus on-base percentage and .864 OPS like Mauer.

Cleveland Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore put together a fine season as well, but will be hurt by the weak underperformance of his teammates. Sizemore, playing an excellent center field, hit .268/.374/.502, with 33 home runs and 90 RBIs. Although he will not get many votes because his team finished so far out of contention, he added as much value to the Indians as any of the aforementioned players. Is it his fault that Trafis Hafner got hurt? Or Victor Martinez? Did he make Fausta Carmona regress so severely? No, all he did was perform, providing top-notch defense and an .876 OPS and 101 runs scored. The young star places fourth on my make-believe ballot, and perhaps deserves to be ranked higher.

Dustin Pedroia, the diminutive second sacker for the Boston Red Sox, is a fine candidate as well. Although he is generously listed at 5’9—he is closer to 5’6— Pedroia, who finished second in the league in hitting, performed like a 6’4, 220-pound slugger, posting a line of .326/.376/.493 and bashing 17 home runs.

Pedroia also made tremendous improvements in his defense at a keystone position in every defensive metric out there, even winning his first Gold Glove. And when the injury bug bit the Boston lineup, he picked up the slack to help the Red Sox hold their strong lock on the AL Wild Card, delivering several huge hits down the stretch while playing his excellent defense at second base. Like Mauer, he posted an impressive OPS number (.869) considering his defensive position. Although he would not get my vote, he seems like the likely winner, since his on-field production comes close to matching the story.

Still, in my opinion, another Boston player is more deserving—Kevin Youkilis.

Youkilis’ .958 OPS was good for fourth in the AL. Unlike the players who finished ranked ahead of him—Milton Bradley (only 414 at-bats), Quentin and Alex Rodriguez), he has a realistic chance to take home the honors. Justifiably so, too. He finished the year hitting .312/.390/.569, with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs, adding to the legend of the “Greek God of Walks.” Not only did he post strong offensive numbers, he played excellent defense at first and third base (filling in when Mike Lowell went down) and was a constant presence in the Red Sox’s lineup when several of his teammates were on the disabled list. When compared to Morneau, he added substantially greater real value offensively while giving his club better glove work and actually hit better with RISP.

Honorable mention also goes to Bradley, who led the league in OBP and OPS but missed too much time due to injury, Hamilton, who paced the circuit with 130 RBIs, and Rodriguez.

My picks:

1. Kevin Youkilis

2. Joe Mauer

3. Dustin Pedroia

4. Grady Sizemore

Cy Young:

Unlike the MVP race, this was a pretty easy choice here. Cliff Lee went from a demotion to the minors to the best pitcher in the league in less than a calendar year. Lee was truly brilliant, posting a 22-3 W/L mark, the lowest ERA (2.54) in the AL and a ridiculous 170-to-34 K/W ratio. The Cleveland Indians left-hander proved that his early-season success—he went 12-2 with a 2.31 ERA before the All-Star break, earning the start at Yankee Stadium—was not a fluke. He was nearly perfect in the second half by winning 10 decisions as Cleveland played its way to a respectable finish. To sum up his slam-dunk case: he finished the season ranked first in the league in ERA, winning percentage (.880) and wins, second in complete games (4), innings pitched (223.1) and WHIP (1.11), and ninth in strikeouts.

Although Lee is the clear-cut winner, there is a decent case to be made for Roy Halladay as well. Halladay, one of three pitchers in the league to win 20 games, anchored a Toronto Blue Jays pitching staff that finished with the lowest group ERA on the circuit. As he does every year, it seems, he continued to put up zeroes on the scoreboard in Toronto, posting a 2.78 ERA in a league-leading 246.0 innings pitched.

While CC Sabathia threw his share of complete games for the Milwaukee Brewers, Doc Halladay has him beat. Quite amazingly considering how few starters go a full nine innings these days, he finished the season with nine complete games on his own. There are a lot of teams that would be happy to have that total dispersed among the entire starting rotation, let alone one pitcher. Pitching in the ridiculously competitive East division, he also led the league in WHIP (1.05), using his excellent control and command to shut offenses down every fifth day.

Jon Lester had an outstanding season for Boston, going 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 152-to-66 K/W ratio. Lester, who threw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals in May, finished fourth in the league in ERA and winning percentage and seventh in innings pitched while limiting opponents to a .256/.318/.368 line. The 24-year-old southpaw, who emerged as the new ace of the Red Sox’s staff, has a chance to take home some votes.

Credit also must be given to Mike Mussina, who joined the 20-win club for the first time of his potentially Hall-of-Fame career. Mussina had one of his best seasons ever to anchor a New York rotation decimated with injuries, going 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA for a defensively challenged Yankees team.

Lester’s teammate, Daisuke Matsuzaka, should garner some votes as well, after finishing 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. Matsuzaka, however, consistently struggled with his command, walking 94 in 167.2 innings, and does not deserve to be seriously considered.

Closer Francisco Rodriguez picked up 62 saves in 69 chances for the Los Angeles Angels, breaking Bobby Thigpen’s previous single-season mark of 57. Lost in the media hype, though, he also set the benchmark for save chances, a function of opportunity. Due to the Angels’ weak offense and emphasis on small-ball, the right-hander was given a greater number of opportunities to hold a lead in low-scoring games than any other pitcher in baseball history.

Among major league relievers who registered more than 40.0 innings pitched, Rodriguez did not finish in the top 15 in ERA (19th) or K/9 (19th), top 40 in opponents’ OPS (42), top 60 in WHIP (69) or top 100 in K/W ratio. The flame throwing right-hander, who posted an opponents’ line of .216/.314/.316, led the league in only two statistics, saves and save opportunities. While he grabbed headlines for breaking the record, it is worth mentioning that he was the only pitcher who was given enough chances to even come within four saves of the previous all-time mark—Jose Valverde finished second in SVO with 52. for these reasons, there are about four relievers who should be considered ahead of him.

My picks:

1. Cliff Lee

2. Roy Halladay

3. Jon Lester

4. Mike Mussina

Rookie of the Year:

Evan Longoria is perhaps an easier choice than Lee in the Cy Young category. After Longoria was promoted to the Rays in early April, he quickly emerged as one of the best young third baseman in the game. Although he missed some time on the disabled down the stretch, he put up excellent numbers for a rookie in only 131 games: 27 home runs, 85 RBIs, .874 OPS. Not to mention, he played excellent defense at third base, allowing Akinori Iwamura to move across the diamond to second. His arrival, combined with a few other defensive changes, enabled the Rays to make the move from worst-to-first in team defense. The Rays’ run prevention efforts, in fact, are the ultimate reason why the Rays won the AL East for the first time in their 11-year history.

Longoria’s play at third base was a major reason why the club converted more balls put into play into outs than any other team in the majors, as the Rays finished the regular season with the best defensive efficiency rating. Throw in a slash stats line of .272/.343/.531 and a lot of big hits along the way, and you get Tampa Bay’s real MVP—with apologies to Jason Bartlett—and the easy choice for top rookie.

Fans in Chicago probably have a different take, though, as Alexei Ramirez has exceeded all expectations with his first-year performance for the White Sox. Ramirez, a nifty defender in his own right and a sensational athlete, belted 21 homers, including a rookie record five grand slams, and 77 RBIs However, he struggled to get on base enough (.317 OBP, only 18 walks ) and was not nearly as productive as Longoria.

Armando Galarraga deserves some love here, too. While Dontrelle Willis was seemingly walking nearly ever hitter, Gary Sheffield was sitting near replacement-level, the Tigers’ pitching staff was in shambles, Carlos Guillen showed that he could not handle either corner infield spot defensively, Brandon Inge played out of position and Justin Verlander was busy dropping 17 decisions, the disappointing version of the 2008 Tigers had one pleasant surprise in Galarraga. The rookie right-hander went 13-6 with a 3.68 ERA, 126 punchouts and a 1.19 WHIP in 28 starts.

Staying in the Central, rookie infielder Mike Aviles had a fine debut season for the Royals. Aviles batted .325//354/.480, with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs in 419 at-bats, providing one of the few offensive bright spots in Kansas City. At 27, he, is obviously old for a rookie and is unlikely to turn into a superstar. Still, an .834 OPS for a shortstop is quite impressive, and will be difficult for some voters to overlook.

A case could be made for Joba Chamberlain and Jacoby Ellsbury, pre-season favorites, as well, in addition to Minnesota speedster Denard Span and Oakland Athletics reliever Brad Ziegler, whose scoreless innings streak provided one of the year’s highlights.

My picks:

1. Evan Longoria

2. Alexei Ramirez

3. Armando Galarraga

4. Joba Chamberlain

Manager of the Year:

Ron Gardenhire did a tremendous job, yet again, getting the Twins to play hard day in, day out, helping his team exceed all expectations with the departure of Torii Hunter and Johan Santana. My pick, though, is Joe Maddon, who instituted a culture of winning into the Rays’ clubhouse. Every move, it seems, worked out for Maddon during the regular season as the Rays went from the joke of the league to AL East champions. He did a heck of a job, really, and was able to motivate his players to buy into the 9=8 concept—nine players play together as a team to become one of the eight playoff teams. Well, though he received some tremendous help by a front office that provided him with a much-improved roster designed to shine at run prevention, he did exactly that.

My picks:

1. Joe Maddon

2. Ron Gardenhire

3. Terry Francona

4. Mike Scioscia

National League:

Most Valuable Player:

The term valuable is interpreted loosely when it comes to baseball, and many people think that a player must play for a contending team to garner attention for the award. After all, a last-place club could still finish last even if their star first baseman did not mash 50 homers, right? I do not necessarily agree with that mindset, though, as often times too many legitimate candidates miss out on winning awards like this because of the poor performances of their teammates.

With that being said, it is hard not to seriously think about naming CC Sabathia the MVP in the National League after his masterful performance in the second half. Although Sabathia did not spend even half of a season in the league, he was sensational (insert hyperbolic word here) in his new surroundings, going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA. Not only that, he practically resurrected the Brewers’ quest to reach the postseason for the first time since 1982 on his own. If Sabathia did not provide so many quality innings for Milwaukee, it is hard to imagine the Brew Crew even sniffing the Wild Card down the stretch. Sure, he was only with his team from July on, and was only able to pitch every (for him, third perhaps) fifth day, but the larger-than-life lefty was otherworldly.

Although the Brewers parted ways with top hitting prospect Matt LaPorta, the return on investment—just by ending the playoff drought—was well worth it, as Sabathia turned in one of the best post All-Star break runs in baseball history. I would not vote for him, but he deserves to at least be in the discussion.

Ditto for Manny Ramirez, who had a similar effect on the Los Angeles Dodgers. After coming over from Boston at the trade deadline, Ramirez singlehandedly transformed Los Angeles’s lineup from average to dynamic. He posted Nintendo-like numbers in L.A., hitting .396/.489/.743, for a whopping 1.232 OPS, with 17 homers and 53 RBIs. As ugly as his departure from the Red Sox was, he was also reportedly a much better teammate, too, helping to add a new sense of calm in the Dodgers’ clubhouse.

Ramirez made the difference as the Dodgers' young talent began to flourish, helping Joe Torre’s club win the weak N.L West division with 84 wins. However, Man-Ram simply did not play in enough games in the N.L. to get my vote, as even Sabathia practically had a month on him. Unfortunately, his insane postseason performance does not count for consideration in this award, which obviously hurts his case.

My choice, then, is Albert Pujols, the best all-around player in the majors all year. Pujols helped the Cardinals remain in contention until around 10 days left in the season, which exceeded all pre-season expectations for the organization. In perhaps a typical Pujols year, he finished with a .357/.462/.653 line, 37 home runs, 116 RBIs and 104 walks to pace the game with a 1.114 OPS. Not only that, he played great defense at first base, which enabled him to win his third consecutive Fielding Bible Award at the position. Without his bat in the lineup for 148 games, St. Louis would have fallen out of contention by July. He will lose out on votes because his team missed out on the playoffs, but, as the most productive offensive contributor in the game, he made more of an impact for his team. Period.

Ryan Howard led the league with 48 home runs and 146 RBIs, getting hot at the right time (1.274 OPS in September) to help the Philadelphia Phillies to their second consecutive NL East championship (and eventual World Series championship). But, the games in the first half count too, and I have a difficult time voting for a player with a .339 on-base percentage. Pujols has the edge in the stats that really count, played much better defense and would be the slam dunk pick if he had better teammates.

While I am a big Howard guy, he, like Morneau in the other league, did not rank in the top 10 in the league in OPS or VORP, and was not even the most valuable member of the Phillies.

That honor goes to Chase Utley, who played sensational defense at second base and hit .292/.380/.535, with 33 home runs and 104 RBIs. He finished with one of the highest VORP—Value Over Replacement Player, which is certainly not a perfect stat and does not account for defense—totals ever by a second baseman, 62.2, which was nearly 30 points higher than Howard’s mark. He also ranked as the most effective defensive player in the majors, at any position, in John Dewan’s plus/minus system.

Still, Pujols added the most real value on the diamond, and gets my vote.

My picks:

1. Albert Pujols

2. Chase Utley

3. Manny Ramirez

4. CC Sabathia

Cy Young:

Again, though he only made 17 starts in the NL, Sabathia will garner some votes for carrying the Brewers on his back and pitching them into the postseason.

Brandon Webb, because of his high wins total, is perhaps the favorite. Webb, Mr. Consistency, put up another fine year on the mound: 22-7 record, 3.30 ERA, 183-to-65 K/W ratio, 1.20 WHIP. The 2006 Cy Young struggled at an inopportune time down the stretch, though, which may hurt his case. Yet, along with Dan Haren, he deserves credit for helping the Arizona Diamondbacks stay competitive, even when things got ugly for that offense.

Although either pitcher cannot match the win total belonging to Webb, Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants and Santana of the New York Mets are more deserving of the award, in ’08. Again, this proves why wins/loss record is a misleading, ineffective method for judging a pitcher’s overall effectiveness. Seriously, it is 2008, and we know better.

Lincecum, pitching for the lowly Giants, went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA, second to Santana, and a league-best 256 strikeouts. Scouts may fear that he will break down eventually, as his mechanics are certainly unorthodox. But since he has come into the league, he has been one of the most successful starters in the majors, and it all came together for him this season as he struck out 10.35 batters per nine innings and limited opponents to a .223 batting average and .614 OPS. For the traditionalists who are infatuated with wins, because baseball is a “team game” they say, consider this: Lincecum left the game with the lead on five different occasions, destined for a win, yet saw his bullpen fail to hold it. Team game, indeed.

Still, my pick is Santana, who came over to the Mets in the blockbuster trade this offseason and then went on to sign a huge deal to stay in New York. Boy, did he earn his paycheck, for year one at least? While New York missed out on the playoffs, again, by blowing a late-season lead, do not point any fingers at the dominant southpaw. He finished with the lowest ERA (2.53) on the circuit, striking out 206 in 234.1 innings pitched. While his 16-7 record is nothing too sexy, go back and read the preceding paragraph. The man pitched well enough to win 20 games, easily, and saw a mediocre bullpen, featuring the likes of Luis Ayala, Scott Schoenweis and Brian Stokes, blow several of his leads.

Even though the New York media was calling Santana’s first year in Queens a bust at the break—despite his 2.84 ERA—he shut them up with a great second half, going 7-0 with a 2.37 ERA and .231 opponents’ batting average in his final 14 starts. He delivered in big spots, too, like on the final Saturday of September, when he saved the Mets’ season (at that point) by putting together a complete game victory on three days’ rest. So, with sincere apologies to Lincecum, Santana gets my vote, as he did not have the benefit of pitching in the weak-hitting West.

An under-the-radar candidate deserving of honorable mention is Brad Lidge, who was by far the most dominant closer in the league. Lidge was invaluable to the Phillies, going a perfect 41-for-41 in save opportunities and posting a 1.95 ERA. K-Rod may be getting the press, but Lidge had the better campaign—he just had fewer save chances. Just ask the Mets how valuable a stud relief pitcher can be. When Billy Wagner went down, it seems, so did the season for the Metropolitans. So, though he is a dark horse, do not be surprised when he gets some votes.

My picks:

1. Johan Santana

2. Tim Lincecum

3. Brad Lidge

4. Brandon Webb

Rookie of the Year:

Geovany Soto has a better chance of winning this award than Vincent Chase has of getting some in the next episode of Entourage. Soto, the first rookie catcher to start the All-Star game for the National League, was perhaps the most valuable player for the team that posted the best regular season in the N.L. Playing a defense-first position, he batted .285/.364/.504, with 23 bombs, an .868 OPS and 86 RBIs. For that production, while putting on the mask for 131 games at catcher and handling the Cubs’ staff at a premium spot on the field, he deserves some MVP consideration as well. The best years area head for the 25-year-old stud as he continues to establish himself as the best offensive catcher in the league.

Like Longoria in the other league, Soto is the clear-cut pick here. But Joey Votto comes in second, in my opinion. Despite receiving less fan fare and attention than his fellow rookie teammate on the Cincinnati Reds, Jay Bruce, Votto put together a nice first campaign: .297/.368/.506, with 24 homers and 84 RBIs. The 25-year-old first baseman, with Bruce, is one of the key pieces of a nice young nucleus that the Reds have to build around for the future.

Jair Jurrjens had a nice debut season on the mound for the Atlanta Braves, going 13-10, with a 3.68 ERA.

Soto is the only pick for this award, though, and perhaps has a chance to win the award unanimously.

My picks:

1. Geovany Soto

2. Joey Votto

3. Jair Jurrjens

4. Jay Bruce

Manager of the Year:

Part of me wants to give this award to Joe Torre, who left New York for the West Coast and helped guide a diverse group of youngsters and veterans to the NL West title. But, it is exactly that: the Dodgers, who gave up so many prospects in pre-deadline deals, absolutely needed to win the inferior West. If not, the season would have been labeled an absolute failure. To their credit, they did what they had to do, ending up as the best of the worst after acquiring Ramirez, who helped them unseat Arizona for the title in the majors' weakest division.

My pick, though, goes to Charlie Manuel, who led the Phillies to another division championship. Manuel may not come off as the most intellectual baseball manager, but he did the most important thing that a manager can do: earn his players’ respect. And, from making an example out of Jimmy Rollins after he failed to run out a ground ball earlier this summer to keeping the clubhouse loose, he got the best out of his players in 2008. If the voters, who had to turn in their ballots in before the playoffs started, could account for playoff performance, the World Series-winning manager would easily take home the honor.

Fredi Gonzalez and Manny Acta are also excellent managers, though they were not exactly left with talented rosters to work with. A manager really needs the proper players—as a carpenter needs supplies—to ever have a chance of competing at this level. Which is why bad teams can have great managers sometimes, and great teams can have bad managers.

In Chicago, the Cubs have both in Lou Piniella. While the Cubs have a huge payroll, a great market, and a talented club, Piniella once again did a fine job, steering Chicago to the best record in the NL through 162 regular season games.

Still, Manuel gets my vote. (Note: he was my selection on September 29 as well.)

My picks:

1. Charlie Manuel

2. Lou Piniella

3. Fredi Gonzalez

4. Joe Torre

To voice your disagreements with my picks, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com

Carlos Pena on Thursday was selected as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at first base in the American League. Pena, a first-time selection, posted a .998 fielding percentage in 1,099 chances, which was tied for first among qualifying first baseman in the majors. In John Dewan’s plus/minus rating system—perhaps the most effective metric used to evaluate defensive value—he rated out fifth in the majors at the position, and second his league, with a +14.

The Rays’ excellent run prevention efforts were the biggest reason for their remarkable worst-to-first turnaround in the American League East. Tampa Bay only allowed 671 runs, nearly a 300-run improvement from its total a season earlier. The team defense ranked first in the majors in defensive efficiency, the rate at which batted balls hit into play are converted into outs. The defensive excellence coincided with dramatic improvements in the bullpen and starting rotation, helping guide the Rays, with a middling offense, to the A.L. pennant.

Pena was an important part to an outstanding defensive infield, which featured above-average defenders at each position—Jason Bartlett (shortstop), Akinori Iwamura (second base) and Evan Longoria (third base). The left-handed hitting slugger’s defensive contributions normally get overshadowed by his offensive output—31 home runs, .861 OPS—but he is a solid glove man at the position and not a bad choice by the managers and coaches.

Longoria was a legitimate candidate to win his own Gold Glove as well, but lost out to a more deserving candidate, Fielding Bible Award winner Adrian Beltre of the Seattle Mariners.

Here are the full winners. In a future article, I will offer my criticisms about some of the undeserving winners (Michael Young, anyone?) in the American Leauge.

P – Mike Mussina, New York Yankees
C – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
1B – Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays
2B – Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
3B – Adrian Beltre, Seattle Mariners
SS – Michael Young, Texas Rangers
OF – Torii Hunter, Minnesota Twins
OF – Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
OF – Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The headline of a Rocky Mountain News article today reads, Hernandez becomes possible pitching help for Rockies.

Does it make sense to refer to Livan Hernandez as a pitcher who can actually help a baseball team at this point?

While Francisco Liriano was making a mockery of the International League, the Twins continued to run the reliable innings eater, Mr. Hernandez, out there every fifth day. The reason, it seems, is because of the veteran right-hander's misleading 10-8 record.

It is 2008, though, and we now know that there are much better tools for judging a pitcher's overall effectiveness, even the traditional ERA. Yet fans, and even some within the industry, continue to put too much emphasis on wins and losses, causing some to defend Hernandez's performance.

Sure, the Twins were 14-9 in his starts. After all, a pitcher is supposed to keep his team in the game, giving them a chance to win, right?

Hernandez, however, was the ultimate benefactor of the Twins' tremendous stretch of hitting with runners in scoring position and received his fair share of, well, luck.

He has given his club 139.2 innings pitched, living up to his reputation as a "battler." During that span, though, he posted a 5.48 ERA, one of the highest totals for qualifying starters in the American League, 54-to-29 K/W ratio and 1.63 WHIP.

Wow, he really did have some luck, huh?

To be blunt, hitters have feasted on the man, posting a line of .333/.368/.505 with 18 home runs. Heck, Minnesota could use that kind of offensive production (.873 OPS) in its own lineup.

Seriously, he has not only been bad, he has been terrible.

Liriano, who won his first start on Sunday, will improve the Twins' chances of reaching the postseason by default. Even if he cannot replicate his tremendous All-Star run in 2006, when he was unhittable alongside Johan Santana, he ended the Hernandez days in the Twin cities, forcing the club to designate the mediocre old man for assignment. Plus, they are no longer hook for the remaining $1.5 million left on his contract.

While Hernandez was leading his team in victories when they finally reached their senses, that was not going to last once the record began to fall into place with the other factors at hand.

Pitching in the thin air at Coors Field will certainly not help matters for him, though he will potentially provide the bullpen with some necessary rest. The innings-eating factor is the only reason why a team should debate pursuing his services ever again. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but do not expect a repeat of the Rockies' magical run to the playoffs, and then World Series, from a year ago.

Colorado, which could not decide to become buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, is eight games back in the lowly National League West. Not to mention, they have scored 54 fewer runs than they have allowed, sitting with a 52-63 record.

Hernandez, or plan B Josh Fogg, may only make matters worse.

Help? I do not think so.

This article was originally posted on Scout.com.

The roster for the USA Olympic Team was announced earlier this week. The following minor leaguers will travel to Beijing to represent their country at the 2008 Olympic Games. The group is filled with an interesting mix of stud prospects and career minor leaguers, all of whom have one goal: to take home the gold.

To find out more on a certain prospect, click on the corresponding scouting reports from Scout.com. Each prospect is listed next to the organization that they play for.

Brett Anderson: LHP, Oakland Athletics—

Anderson, 20, came over to the Oakland Athletics in the deal that sent Dan Haren to the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason. The southpaw, one of two Oakland prospects headed to Beijing, threw a scoreless inning in the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. He has been effective since joining the deep Oakland farm system, going 9-4 with a 4.14 ERA, 80-to-18 K/W ratio and opponents’ batting average of .238 in 13 starts in the California League before getting promoted to Double-A. He is now pitching for Midland in the Texas League, where he is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four starts.

Anderson, selected by the Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2006 First-Year Draft, has shown strong command over a fastball that sits in the low-90s, in addition to a slow curve ball, his strongest offering, and a changeup. He is the son of Oklahoma State head coach Frank Anderson, who has an excellent track record of developing college pitchers.

Click here for a full scouting report on Anderson, courtesy of Melissa Lockard, who ranked him the third-best prospect in the Athletics’ farm system in her pre-season rankings.

Jake Arrieta: RHP, Baltimore Orioles—

Arrieta, 21, was selected in the fifth round of the 2007 draft out of Texas Christian University, where he went 23-7 over his final two seasons and was twice named an All American. As a Scott Boras client, he scared off several organizations with his high asking price, dropping him several rounds. He has produced in the minors for Baltimore, though.

Arrieta, in fact, is enjoying a fine campaign in his first professional campaign, earning an invitation to the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. In 20 starts for the Frederick Keys in the Carolina League, he is 6-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 120-to-51 K/W ratio. The right-hander, who has earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Week twice already this season, is leading the circuit in innings pitched (113.0) and WHIP (1.16). For his stellar first half, he was elected to the league All-Star team. He has a fastball in the 88-91 range, topping out at 93, which he can paint the corners with.

Arrieta is no stranger to international competition. While in college, he posted a 4-0 record and 0.27 ERA for the Gold-Medal winning national team in the ’06 World Championships in Cuba.

Click here for a Q&A with Arrieta, courtesy of Michael Hollman of InsideTheWarehouse.com.

Brian Barden: INF, St. Louis Cardinals—

Barden was one of two players selected from the St. Louis farm system, though top outfield prospect Colby Rasmus will miss the Olympics due to a knee injury. The 27-year-old shortstop has been a key offensive player for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, batting .292/.358/.436 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs in 95 games. He was acquired off of waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, who selected him out of Oregon State in the 2002 draft, last August.

Barden is clearly too old to be considered a “prospect,” and actually made the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster out of spring training in 2007. The veteran minor leaguer, who has a career OPS of .804 in seven professional seasons, also has the versatility to play three infield positions. He had an excellent May, earning organizational player of the month after hitting .377 with a .460 on-base percentage in 27 games.

Click here for an old scouting report on Barden.

Matthew Brown: INF, Los Angeles Angels—

The Los Angeles Angels have struggled to score runs at times. Angels’ third base prospect Matthew Brown, though, has done nothing but hit this season, posting a line of .331/.381/.603 with 20 homers, 63 RBIs and a .985 OPS at Triple-A Salt Lake City in the Pacific Coast League. The 25-year-old infielder, who has played nearly every position on the field, is ranked by Scout.com as the seventh-best third base prospect in the minors.

Trevor Cahill: RHP, Oakland Athletics—

Cahill is a polarizing prospect. He has posted strong numbers since the Athletics selected him out of a California high school in the 2006 draft, but does not have an overpowering fastball. In fact, the young right-hander, who gave up an academic scholarship to Dartmouth to sign with Oakland, relies more on his pitching intelligence and excellent command.

Cahill was a force in his first full campaign in ’06, going 11-4 with a 2.73 ERA and 117-to-40 K/W ratio in 105.1 innings pitched in the Midwest League. He picked up where he left off this spring after beginning the season in the California League, where he went 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA, 103-to-31 K/W ratio and .174 opponents’ batting average in 87.1 innings pitched. Cahill, selected a CAL Mid-Season All-Star, was then promoted to the Texas League, where he has flourished alongside Anderson in the Midland starting rotation. The 20-year-old has continued to impress, posting a 5-1 record and 2.25 ERA in his first six starts.

Overall, Cahill, who also was added to the US roster for the Futures game, is 10-5 with a 2.64 ERA and .178 opponents’ batting average in 119.1 innings pitched.

Click here for a scouting report on Cahill, courtesy of Melissa Lockard.

Jeremy Cummings: RHP, Tampa Bay Rays—

Cummings, a career minor leaguer, has one goal left in his professional career—to reach the majors. Cummings, who began the 2008 season in Taiwan, is perhaps inching closer to that dream with every start. After signing with Durham as a minor league free agent in May, he has been one of the most effective starting pitchers in the International League over the past two months, going 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA and 63-to-20 K/W ratio in 76.1 innings pitched.

Cummings has come a long way since the St. Louis Cardinals selected him out of West Virginia University in the 1999 draft, but if he can continues to pitch effectively, his dream of the reaching the majors may just come true after all; if not with Tampa Bay, an organization stacked with pitching prospects, then perhaps another franchise in the future.

Jason Donald: INF, Philadelphia Phillies—

Jason Donald (AP)

After a solid but unspectacular collegiate career at the University of Arizona, Donald has shown some surprising power since the Phillies selected him in the third round of the 2006 draft. He has built off a nice performance in the Florida State League—.300/.386/.491—at the end of last season, proving that he is a legitimate prospect by performing in Double-A. He has perhaps exceeded expectations with Reading in ‘08, posting an .884 OPS with 14 homers and 53 RBIs through his first 84 games in the Eastern League.

It remains to be seen if Donald—who has a rocket arm—is athletic enough to remain at shortstop at the highest level, because his range is below-average. Nonetheless, he is an intriguing prospect who has made marked improvements to his game and may turn into more than just a utility player in the majors if he can continue to produce.

Click here for a scouting report on Donald, courtesy of Chuck Hixson, who named him the 11th-best prospect in the Phillies’ farm system.

Brian Duensing: LHP, Minnesota Twins—

Duensing is command specialist who does not blow scouts away with his stuff. He has effectively gotten hitters out, though, since the Twins selected him out of the University of Nebraska—where he missed two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery—in 2005. Although he has been consistent at nearly every stop along the way, he had his finest campaign in '07, going 15-6 with a 3.07 ERA and 124-to-37 K/W ratio combined between Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester.

Duensing is 5-10 in 22 International League starts in ’08, as opposing hitters are batting .270 against him. The record is still a bit misleading, however. The crafty southpaw has registered a 4.18 ERA—while not spectacular, it would perhaps be good enough to put him among league leaders in wins in the IL if he was afforded Livan Hernandez’s run support—and has posted a high BABIP and a decent K/W ratio.

Duensing has battled through several up and downs already, at 25 years old. So, although he does not have a high ceiling and profiles more of a back-end starter in the majors, it would not be a surprise to see him make his debut in the near future.

Brad Weiss ranked him as the 33rd-best prospect in the Twins’ organization in his pre-season top prospect list this November. Here is an old scouting report on him, courtesy of Weiss.

Dexter Fowler: OF, Colorado Rockies—

Fowler broke his wrist last year, ending his campaign 65 games into his season in the California League. The speedy outfielder, who has plenty of tools but needs needs to cut down on his strikeouts, has made a full recovery and is enjoying a fine campaign in the Texas League. He is batting .331/.427/.505, for a .933 OPS for the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate, the Tulsa Drillers. The 22-year-old Atlanta native has even flashed some surprising power—he had combined to hit only 14 homers from ’05 through ’07—by hitting nine balls into the seats. He currently ranks second on the circuit in walks, third in on-base percentage, fifth in batting average, sixth in OPS and ninth in stolen bases.

Fowler, who was elected as Mid-Season All-Star by Baseball America, is a potential star who will benefit from playing in Coors Field when he reaches the show. Like many of his teammates on the US roster, he played in the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium.

John Gall: OF, Florida Marlins—

Gall is 30 years old, so the prospect label clearly does not apply to him. In fact, he was a College World Series hero at Stanford before the turn of the century. A Triple-A mainstay, he was elected to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team following an excellent first half at Albuquerque. He is currently batting .313/.370/.496 with 12 home runs. The journeyman has been clutch as well, posting a .384 batting average and .987 OPS in 112 at-bats with runners in scoring position. With his prolific production and the opportunity to hit with runners on, it is no surprise that he is among circuit leaders with 74 RBIs.

While Gall is a nice organizational bat, he is most likely not going to have an impact on the Marlins’ march towards the postseason.

Mike Hessman: INF, Detroit Tigers—

Mike Hessman (AP)

Hessman is a big, burly third baseman who is having a monster season for the Toledo Mud Hens. The 30-year-old infielder, in fact, is leading the International League with 30 homers, sitting fourth in the circuit with a .958 OPS as well. He is batting .264/.394/.567, was elected to the league All-Star team and is coming off an ’07 campaign in which he won the league’s Most Valuable Player. Regardless, it is unlikely that he will stick in the majors for good—he has eight career homers in the bigs in a brief cup of coffee with the Atlanta Braves and Tigers— in the future, though he will get a shot if he continues to mash.

Mark Anderson of TigsTown.com decided to give Hessman another look in this article.

Kevin Jepsen: RHP, Los Angeles Angels—

Drafted out of a Nevada high school in the 2002 First-Year draft, Jepsen was one of the most effective closers in the Texas League before earning a recent promotion to Triple-A. The 24-year-old right-hander racked up 11 saves, striking out 35 while posting a 1.42 ERA in 25 appearances. For his performance, he was named to the league’s All-Star team.

With Salt Lake City, Jepsen has limited hitters to a .211 batting average, posting a 2.79 ERA in 12 appearances. However, he did not even crack the top 20 in nearly every Angels’ pre-season prospect list.

Brandon Knight: RHP, New York Mets— Knight is another journeyman, hanging onto the dream at 32 years old. He nearly retired at the end of 2006, has spent three seasons in Japan and was drafted (’95) long before steroids were on the radar as a major issue in baseball. Through it all, though, he has remained effective at the minor league level, currently sitting with a 5-1 record and 1.60 ERA in 39.1 innings since he signed with Triple-A New Orleans on May 21. Still, his claim to fame is perhaps being included in a trade for former major leaguer Chad Curtis, making it unlikely that he will ever latch onto to a consistent role in the majors. However, a Gold Medal in the Olympics will make all of the struggles worth it, he says.

Knight can fill any role, writes Gillian Rich.

Mike Koplove: RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers—

Koplove is a reliever for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s. The 31-year-old has posted a 3.26 ERA and 40-to-16 K/W ratio in 37 appearances so far, using his unique arm angle to fool keep hitters off balance. He had a few effective stints in a six-year tenure with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2001-’06, going 6-1 with a 3.36 ERA in 55 games as one of the strongest setup-men in the game back in his career-best campaign back in ’02. He spent most of last year at Triple-A Buffalo in the Cleveland organization, before signing with Los Angeles in December.

Matt Laporta: INF, Cleveland Indians— LaPorta will forever be linked to CC Sabathia. The former University of Florida star was the key prospect involved in the deal that sent Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers for three months, the blockbuster deal of the ’08 trade deadline season. LaPorta has the offensive skill set, though, to reach a point where that tidbit becomes just a site note on his player profile page on the Indians’ website.

The seventh overall pick of the 2007 draft after a standout career for the Gators, some scouts compare him to a right-hander version of Travis Hafner. At the time of the deal, he was among Double-A leaders with a .978 OPS, batting .288/.402/.576 with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs in the Southern League. Moving to Cleveland, he may have the opportunity to switch back to the infield, where is expected to play with Team USA. He has the skills to turn into a plus defensive first baseman. The 24-year-old also has strong enough arm strength—he was once clocked at 88 MPH in the Cape Cod League All-Star game a few summers ago—to remain in the outfield, but will hit enough to remain at first base.

In his first 10 games with the Indians’ Double-A affiliate in Akron, he is batting .237/.250/.342/ in a small sample size. Some scouts project him to hit for 30-plus homers in the majors. Although the Brewers were criticized for selecting him, as a college senior, so early back in the ’07 draft, he has truly emerged into a legitimate hitting prospect. Look for him to make his debut in Cleveland when rosters expand in September.

Click here for a scouting report on LaPorta and the rest of the prospects included in the Sabathia deal, courtesy of Chuck Murr.

Lou Marson: C, Philadelphia Phillies—

Marson, one of two catchers on the USA roster, is one of the premier young backstops in the minors. His name has surfaced in trade rumors, but do not expect Philadelphia to move him.

Marson, 22, has been a key cog in the Reading Phillies’ lineup, batting .322/.438./.431 with five home runs and 46 RBIs in 89 games. He is a solid defensive catcher with an above-average arm as well, making it likely that he will turn into a capable major league catcher by century’s end.

Click here for a scouting report on Marson, courtesy of Chuck Hixson.

Blaine Neal: RHP, Detroit Tigers—

Neal is the closer for the Toledo MudHens, for whom he has picked up 24 saves for while posting a 1.31 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched this season. The 30-year-old journeyman has posted a 5.08 ERA in 113 career appearances in the majors.

Neal and a teammate will be heading to Beijing, writes Paul Wenzer.

Jayson Nix: INF, Colorado Rockies— Nix batted .125 in a brief stint with the Rockies earlier this season. The former sandwich pick has spent the majority of the year at Colorado Springs, though, where he has posted a line of .300/.371/.583 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs. He was a key producer for Team USA at the World Baseball Cup in November, helping the US end their 33-year championship drought at the event. The 24-year-old second baseman was awarded with the Richard W. “####” Case Award given to the USA Baseball Athlete of the Year.

Nate Schierholtz: OF, San Francisco Giants—

Schierholtz is enjoying a nice season in the Pacific Coast League, where he has posted a line of .309/.355/.552 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. The former second-round pick also is among league leaders with a .908 OPS. Schierholtz took the roster spot belonging to Rasmus, who is expected to be out for at least a month with a knee injury. He batted .304/.316/.402 in 39 games in two stints in the majors in 2007. While he has flashed excellent power, he needs to cut down on his strikeouts and improve his plate discipline.

Click here for a scouting report on the San Francisco prospect.

Jeff Stevens: RHP, Cleveland Indians— Stevens went 5-1 with 2.51 ERA with one save in 17 appearances with Double-A Akron before earning a promotion Triple-A. In 25.0 innings in the International League, he is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA, 36-to-13 K/W ratio and .182 opponents’ batting average. The 24-year-old was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, who sent him to Cleveland as the player-to-be-named later in the Brandon Phillips trade. The organization thinks that he can make an impact in the bullpen at the major league level, making it likely that he will make his debut in the majors sometime in the near future.

Stephen Strasburg: RHP, San Diego State—

Strasburg was the only amateur player selected to the US team. He is coming off a dominant season in which he captivated the nation with a 23-strikeout performance against Utah on April 11. The sophomore right-hander was dominant on the mound all spring for the Aztecs, going 8-3 with a 1.57 ERA, 133-to-16 K/W ratio and opponents’ batting average of .181 in 13 starts. The local San Diego product, who turned 20 this week, is a lock to go in the first round in 2009, thanks to a devastating four-seam fastball that has hit 100 MPH on the radar gun.

Taylor Teagarden: C, Texas Rangers— Teagarden is an excellent defensive catcher with plus arm strength, which will allow him to stick in the majors even if he does not turn into even a league-average hitter. He was drafted out of the University of Texas in 2005, falling to the third round. He then missed a large chunk ’06 season following Tommy John surgery, which hindered his development offensively. He had solid bounce back year in ’07, finishing the season with a line of .294/.357.529 in 115 plate appearances at Double-A. He was tearing up the California League before his promotion, making the jump after posting a 1.054 OPS with 20 homers in 81 games.

In 2008, Teagarden has spent most of the year at Triple-A Oklahoma, where he has struggled at the plate. He is batting only .235/.349/.404 with six homers. While he needs to cut down on his strikeouts—241 strikeouts in 214 career minor league games—the local product is still one of the premier defensive catchers in the minors. In what he referred to as a “whirlwind of a week,” he went from the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium to playing in the Metrodome, where he made his major league debut. In his brief stint with Texas—which also has rookie catcher Max Ramirez—he went 1-for-6, breaking up Minnesota starter Scott Baker's bid for a no-hitter with his first career home run, before getting shipped back down to Triple-A on Monday. The demotion allowed him to be included on the USA roster.

Click here for a report on all of the catching prospects in the Texas organization, including Teagarden.

Terry Tiffee: INF, Los Angeles Dodgers— Tiffee made his major league debut four years ago with the Minnesota Twins. He has bounced around the minors since then, as he has does not hit for any power and has struggled to get on base consistently enough in the past. The 29-year-old has been a force for Las Vegas this year, though, hitting a league-leading .378 with a .415 OBP and .567 slugging percentage. For his performance, he earned an invitation to represent the Pacific Coast League at the Triple-A All-Star Game in Louisville last week. With Blake DeWitt blocking Andy LaRoche until recently—despite DeWitt’s .688 OPS—Tiffee will most likely not make an impact at the majors in the Dodgers’ organization.

Casey Weathers: RHP, Colorado Rockies— Weathers is perhaps the highest-profile prospect making the trip to Beijing. The Rockies selected him with the eighth pick of last June's draft out of Vanderbilt University, which produced two first-round pitchers, including number one overall pick David Price. As a senior and a relief prospect, many predicted him to make a fast track to the majors, but he is still pitching in Double-A Tulsa. In 39 appearances with the Drillers, the 23-year-old converted outfielder is 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 45-to-24 K/W ratio.

Weathers consistently sits in the 95-97 range with his fastball, even reaching triple digits on occasion. If he can continue to miss bats and improve his command, look for him in the next few years to turn into a high-impact closer for the Rockies, who are currently dangling soon-to-be free agent Brian Fuentes on the trade market.

To contact Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.