Breakout seasons for these players
Posted: Friday, April 03, 2009 3:27 PM
Another rite of late spring is to project which players will come into their own and burst forth with huge years. Here’s my top 10 for 2009:
MATT CAIN, SAN FRANCISCO: This will be a pivotal year in Cain’s development. Everything is in place for him to come up big. He has the stuff, the health, and the pitcher-friendly ballpark -- and now with a proven Tim Lincecum and the addition of Randy Johnson providing rotation cover, there is limited pressure on Cain. He must prove this year that he can win the 2-1 and 3-2 games that he has previously lost.
JOHNNY CUETO, CINCINNATI: A close look at his 2008 suggests reasons for optimism. His walk-strikeout ratio was good. His home run total was poor, which could be because of a combination of the home ballpark and late-season fatigue. Now that he has a full big league season under his belt, Cueto, who just turned 23, could be this year’s Edinson Volquez.
JAY BRUCE, CINCINNATI: Like his teammate Cueto, he showed enough in his first major-league season to hint he could be special.
The power is unmistakable. He turns 22 today so the Reds know they have to show some patience with him, especially as he makes the adjustment to hitting big-league southpaws, who last season clearly got the better of him. That wasn’t the case in the minors.
JOSH JOHNSON, FLORIDA: Elbow surgery cost him nearly all of the 2007 season, and over three months of last season. But once back in action, he looked excellent. His 2008 late-season numbers were terrific, 7-1, 3.61 ERA, and he had 11 quality starts in 14 outings. Also, he had a good walk-strikeout ratio. Healthy now, he could be poised to become the ace of a surprisingly strong Marlins staff.
JEREMY HERMIDA, FLORIDA: More optimism for the Fish comes from their young outfield. Cameron Maybin in center field is a candidate for this list, but Hermida has had a terrific spring. Last year was a total disappointment, losing nearly 50 points off his average, and too many strikeouts (138). But watch early to see if Hermida is able to finally combine his talents.
SHIN-SOO CHOO, CLEVELAND: The World Baseball Classic proved that the South Koreans can play at an elite level, and are physically stronger than their Japanese neighbors. In 370 plate appearances last season, Choo had a .946 OPS, and 47 percent of his hits were for extra bases.
ADAM JONES, BALTIMORE: The young outfielder had a breakout first half last year, but suffered a broken foot in August, and wasn’t the same when he returned from the injury. Now he is significantly stronger, and the lone question will be whether the bulk impacts his superior defense (see: Jones, Andruw). Experience should help improve his walk-strikeout ratio, and the muscle should bring more power.
DANIEL MURPHY, NEW YORK METS: This defies some logic -- a young man asked to change positions, playing in the most intense spotlight for a team that is expected to win and crush the memories of searing failure. Not exactly the best setup for a breakout year. But there were some special things about watching Murphy last year. They were his advanced patience that generated remarkable at-bats, and his poise under pressure. Mets manager Jerry Manuel has faith as well, granting Murphy full-time status in left field before a spring game was played.
JOAKIM SORIA, KANSAS CITY: Somewhat strange to find him on this list because he had a tremendous 2008, but it was in complete anonymity (42 saves and a filthy 0.86 WHIP, the lowest in franchise history). Now he is known, and the Royals are hoping to continue last season’s growth spurt and push their record above .500. If that happens, Soria will be a huge reason, especially if his innings increase from 67.1 of last year – and they should.
JAIR JURRJENS, ATLANTA: The starting pitcher’s answer to Soria, and the blueprint for Cueto all appears in Jurrjens. Atlanta’s fade into mediocrity last year obscured a strong rookie season (13 wins and a respectable 1.3 WHIP). Jurrjens just turned 23 so everything should improve. Cincinnati would be thrilled if Cueto’s 2009 efforts mirrored Jurrjens’ 2008 season.
