Another year is underway in baseball. There are new rosters, injuries paving the way for youngsters and veterans looking to jump start their career again. Each year, there are always guys who take it to a new level or perform more quickly than anticipated. Last year we saw Chris Davis, Jose Fernandez, Josh Donaldson, Matt Carpenter, and Carlos Gomez. All these players stepped their game up to a new level, and were worth all stars, or put their names in the awards lists at the end of the season. Once again, this season will have players who will put their names on the map and make a name for themselves. This year I have 3 guys who I think will take it to the next level.
1. P MADISON BUMGARNER (San Francisco Giants) - Bumgarner has shown strides each year and has got significantly better each season improving in all categories. If it weren't for Clayton Kershaw, would be considered in my mind the top lefty in the game today. Bumgarner comes to pitch every game with the same poise and determination. Giants struggled mightily last season finishing 76-96, but Bumgarner managed to finish with a 13-9 record. 13 wins is still a good season, but the numbers Bumgarner put up don't justify those 13 wins. Giants are a team that wins with their defense and pitching, and score only the necessary runs to win a game. Bumgarner finished the 2013 season with a 13-9 record, 199 k's, 1.03 WHIP, and a 2.77 ERA. With those numbers, you would've thought he would've finished on another team with 17-18 wins. With a lack of run support on a consistent basis, Bumgarner has to pitch at his best and he has continually shown progression over the past 3 seasons. After having an outstanding spring, you'd expect Bumgarner will go into his first start Monday with confidence and relaxation. Bumgarner is a guy who has already shown break out performances in the past, but I feel 2014 will be a year in which he takes it to a new level, and proves he is a top 5 pitcher in the game today. Although 20 wins for a Giants pitcher sounds out of play, I predict Bumgarner will pitch like a 20 game winner this season.
PREDICTION: 17-7 207 K's 2.75 ERA 1.09 WHIP
2. P ALEX COBB (Tampa Bay Rays) - Sad end to his 2013, Alex Cobb was having a productive and solid year. A shortened season due to a head injury from a come-backer, Cobb put up great numbers: 11-3 134 K's 2.76 ERA 1.15 WHIP. Cobb plays in the American League East which is clearly a hitters division and has to see and extra bat as opposed to a pitcher in the National League. To keep a low ERA and low WHIP at age 25 in a loaded offense league, this guy is surely the real deal. With a new season ahead and cloudy future for David Price (in a whirlwind of trade rumors), I see Cobb over Matt Moore to be established as the face of Rays pitching staff by season's end. Cobb made over half his starts at Tropicana Field last season and finished with a 7-0 record, 2.81 ERA, 1.12 WHIP. At age 26 now, Cobb is starting his prime and now is a good time to do so. I see Alex Cobb finishing this season with the most wins on the Rays.
PREDICTION: 18-5 192 K's, 2.93 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
3. 1B ANTHONY RIZZO (Chicago Cubs) - Acquired after the 2011 season for the San Diego Padres, he was brought in to be a future for the Cubs. Since 2003, the Cubs have been abysmal and have shown no signs of positive change. Times are changing with a young batch of kids: Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant, and Albert Almora. They will all be up soon in a few years to help the future of this team. The starting block before these young hitters was the acquisition of Anthony Rizzo. He possesses a patient approach, built up power, and a good defensive glove. Last year, we saw signs of Rizzo's ability to drive the ball out and his patience at the plate (23 HR; 74 BB). Last season, Paul Goldschmidt had a stellar breakout and was worthy of an MVP (.302 BA, 36 HR, 125 RBI, 182 H, 99 BB, 103 R). The year before his break out year, Goldschmidt had similar stats to that of Anthony Rizzo. I am making my comparison of Rizzo to Goldschmidt because the numbers do line up. Goldschmidt (2012 BA: .285) has the better contact numbers in regards to Rizzo (2013 BA: .233), but they do share similar numbers in doubles, home runs, and RBI's. Not saying Rizzo is going to have identical numbers to Goldschmidt next year, but Rizzo at age 24 is going to show signs of improvement and show why he is one of the good hitting first baseman in this league. While the strikeouts will be high like Goldschmidt, I expect to see an eye-popping boost in performance out of Anthony Rizzo this season.
PREDICTION: .281 BA, 163 H, 98 R, 42 2B, 3 3B, 29 HR, 102 RBI, 88 BB, 138 K's, 9 SB
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