Rankings/List

Baseball is a sport that transcends time. It is one of the few activities in America that a Civil War veteran, if he was miraculously raised from the dead, would understand.

And the uniforms have changed a bit, but are still generally recognizable. The socks and stirrups get a little longer or shorter depending on the era, and the clothes are not as baggy now since they are made out of super-duper high tech sweat absorbent space age materials now, but the overall look is the same.

Some uniforms have stood the test of time. The Dodgers, with their classic script, comes to mind.

We all know the names of guys like Pujols, Fielder, Howard, Teixeira, and Rodriguez. They've been the league leaders in power numbers for most of this past decade.

But now that 2010 is here and a new decade has dawned, who is poised to step into the limelight? Who among the nameless, faceless masses is ready to become the next HR king?

My criteria is as follows:

Player must be no more than 23 years old.
Player must have no more than 500 MLB at bats.
Player must not be a Buffalo Bills fan.

Earlier this week, I asked a question on my twitter account: “Is there a better young pitcher/hitter combination in baseball than Tommy Hanson and Jason Heyward?”

Jordan from OriolesProspects.com, and @oriolesprospects on twitter, responded with Matt Wieters and Brian Matusz. The question and answer sparked both of our interests, so we decided to construct an article in which Jordan would make the argument for his Orioles, and I would make the argument for the Braves.

We both made our arguments a bit differently.

Last week we took a look at pitchers who were lucky (click here) and unlucky (click here) based on BABIP.

After looking at this past week’s success and failures, I think you will find that using an early pick on a “stud” closer could have been a waste. The “other” closers seem to be the ones picking up the slack this year. It is still early in the season, but if you look at the top saves guys I think you would be surprised.

With Josh Beckett sidelined for yet another start due to back issues, it’s time to take a look at 10 current pitchers in the majors whose backs SHOULD be hurting them.

Carrying the load for a MLB team can be a burden, and aces such as right-handers Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals) and Roy Oswalt (Houston Astros) know that all too well.

Today, we’re going to quickly glance at 10 guys who are doing everything in their power to carry the team, but in most cases it’s to no avail.

And with the Astros leading the charge from the cellar, we’ll begin today’s slideshow

Is speed more important than power? Is experience more valuable that youth? If you had to pick one man to lead your franchise, who would you choose?

In this special Would You Rather: MLB Edition I take a look at some of the burning questions in the game. Would you rather have Doc Halladay or Tim Lincecum? A-Rod or Evan Longoria?

What about anchoring your rotation for the next decade: King Felix or Zack Greinke? Is Jose Reyes a better leadoff hitter than Ichiro? Can anyone other than Mariano Rivera claim to be the game’s best closer?

Prior to the season, Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum were easily the top candidates for the National League Cy Young award.

Lincecum has won the previous two, and perennial AL Cy Young candidate Roy Halladay was moved from the Blue Jays to the Phillies, and the movement from AL to NL almost always benefits the player.

With that said, somebody else has joined the picture.

Ubaldo Jiminez has made a name for himself this year by dominating nearly every start he has made.

Andre Ethier is a beast. That much we know. In a core outfield consisting of Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp, Ethier is the one which shines brightest. Each season he continues to get better at the batters' box, and in what is his best season so far, he has many speaking of a triple crown bid.

At 28, Andre is at his peak and could pull a triple crown off. However, there has not been a triple crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

We see it in every sport, a once great player hangs on too long, refusing to accept that his time has passed. It's hard to watch our heroes become mere mortals right before our eyes, and many fans seem to take it personally.

It's no great mystery why it happens. All these athletes know is the game they have dedicated their lives to, given their blood, sweat, and tears for.