Franklin Gutierrez

Franklin Gutierrez, Seattle Mariners (OF): Gutierrez is entering his third full Major League season a much richer man as he signed a four-year extension worth $20.5 million. The speedy, athletic centerfielder’s sore knees have healed and he expects bigger things in 2010. Despite the sore knees in 2009, he hit .283 with 18 homeruns and 70 RBIs. 2009 was a much better showing than in 2008 when he only hit .248 with 8 homeruns and 41 RBIs. Gutierrez credits the better offensive numbers to a slight shift in his stance that allows for a better use of his legs for power. “A centerfielder that can hit 20 homeruns is pretty special, and can play the kind of defense that he plays,” GM Jack Zduriencik said. “…maturation is going to work to his favor, because he’s going to get stronger just because of the maturation process.” Gutierrez plays everyday (153 games in 2009) and is getting more familiar with the pitching.

To go with his 18 homeruns and 70 RBIs, Gutierrez contributed 24 doubles and 16 stolen bases. He walked 46 times compared to 122 strikeouts. The biggest knock on Gutierrez is his suspect plate discipline as evidenced by his high strikeouts totals.

Gutierrez is a key component to the hope that the Mariners can compete for the            American League West title. His all-around skills help him deliver solid numbers. His gap power played well at spacious Safeco Field. “On paper, you can look like the best team in the world,” Gutierrez said about the 2010 Mariners. “But when you go out there you have to do you job. Because it’s baseball. Anything can happen.” He knows from experience as his 2007 Cleveland Indians were one win away from the World Series only to fall flat in 2008 with higher expectations. Gutierrez is hoping that is not the case for the 2010 Mariners.

David Aardsma

David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners (RP): Aardsma jumped onto the baseball scene in 2009 with 38saves. He dominated in the games using 87 percent fastballs (which led the majors). Skeptics claim that relying on the fastball could be dangerous, but why should he change? Aardsma is a fastball pitcher and trying to be anything else for variety’s sake would be riskier. He averaged 10.09 strikeouts per nine innings in 2009. “Until the hitter show you something, then you don’t change on them,” Aardsma said. If the hitters cannot hit the fastball, keep throwing it. It makes sense as the closer to go after hitters with your best pitch until it is not working.

The 95 mph fastball has been working for Aardsma. After taking over as closer in May, he held opponents to just a .196 average and posted an ERA of 2.52 to go with 80 strikeouts. He has been working with Mariners bullpen coach John Wetteland, one of the most successful closers of the 1990s, on throwing his fastball with conviction that his best stuff is good enough to get hitters out.

Everyone knows that in the ninth inning Aardsma is going to throw fastballs. However he pointed out that everyone knows that NY Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is going to throw a cutter yet hitters still cannot hit it. Aardsma is working on his secondary pitches in spring training just to keep hitters off balance. “…but if the hitters have that 5 percent in the back of their mind, then it makes it easier to do what I have to do,” Aardsma said about throwing a slider or split. What the Mariners need Aardsma to do in 2010 is to have another breakout year for the Mariners to overtake the LA Angels.

Tags:

AL West, David Aardsma, Franklin Gutierrez, Seattle Mariners

Elvis Andrus

Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers (SS): Coming in second place in the Rookie of the Year voting and forcing a move of All-Star shortstop Michael Young to third base in your first year is considered a breakout. However the Rangers need more from Andrus in 2010 for them to overtake the LA Angels reign in the division. In 2009, Andrus hit .267 with 17 doubles, 8 triples, 6 homeruns, and 40 RBIs. He showed patience at the plate as a rookie as he walked 40 times to 77 strikeouts.

His strength as a rookie was situational hitting. With the team’s focus on situational baseball, he should benefit. “I’ve got to keep doing those little things,” he said. Andrus is excited to work with the Rangers new hitting coach Clint Hurdle (the former Colorado Rockies manager). Andrus is expected to be the number 9 hitter again this year so doing the little things to turn the lineup over will be huge. “…it’s going to be a little of what I did last year, like bunt, hit-and-run and try to get a stolen base. I think that will help this team a lot,” Andrus said. He stole 33 bases in 2009.

Defensively he should feel more comfortable as he has a year under his belt of working with second baseman Ian Kinsler as his double-play partner. He made 22 errors in 2009 so he will need to be more accurate in the field.

With all the potential power in the Rangers order (Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, Kinsler, Young, Nelson Cruz, and Chris Davis), Andrus will be counted on at the bottom of the order to get on base and provide RBI opportunities for the middle of the order.

Julio Borbon

Julio Borbon, Texas Rangers (OF): Borbon, who is expected to be the Rangers leadoff hitter, needs to get on base in front of the powerful run producers. This will lead to even more runs being scored by the Rangers potent offense. With Borbon at the top of the Rangers lineup, it would not be crazy to think he could score more than 100 runs.

With Triple-A Oklahoma City, Borbon hit .307 in 96 games with 12 doubles, 7 triples, 2 homeruns, and 34 RBIs. His .367 on-base percentage was due in large part to his 33 walks (compared to 40 strikeouts). He also stole 25 bases. During his Major League promotion to Texas, Borbon became a favorite. He hit .312 in 46 games with 4 doubles, 4 homeruns, and 20 RBIs. He had a higher on-base percentage (.376) and walked 15 times while striking out 28 times. He also stole 19 bases. All of his numbers should play out well in 2010 as the leadoff hitter.

Borbon is just 24 years old and figures to profile as a Carl Crawford or Kenny Lofton type outfielder. Not re-signing Marlon Byrd in the offseason meant that the Rangers are committed to Borbon in centerfield everyday. The Rangers will have two young, athletic players book ending their 2010 lineup. The key for the Rangers will be on the success of both Borbon and Andrus (along with the health of all their sluggers).

Tags:

AL West, Elvis Andrus, Julio Borbon, Texas Rangers

The American League West has been a hot bed for young talent for quite a few years. To win the World Series in 2002, the LA Angels relied on Francisco Rodriguez in the bullpen and John Lackey in the rotation. The Oakland A’s have been known to develop young pitching from the Big Three (Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito) to Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill to their two Rookie of the Year closers (Huston Street in 2005 and Andrew Bailey in 2009). The Seattle Mariners had Ken Griffey Jr, then Alex Rodriguez and now ace Felix Hernandez. The Texas Rangers have begun to develop young pitching through Nolan Ryan. The AL West figures to be a division up for grabs so young breakout players figure to be the reason one team wins the division and the others three teams don’t. Here’s a look at some AL West breakout players:

Maicer Izturis

Maicer Izturis, LA Angels, (utility man): Most Angels fans remember his throwing error to end Game 2 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium. However one errant throw does not explain the magnitude of how much Izturis means to the Angels. That is why they rewarded him with a three year, $10 million contract. The contract is something Izturis is happy about. “…they want to have me around,” he said. “I hope to play a lot, and I’ll do whatever they want me to do.”

Former teammate Chone Figgins was envious of Izturis’ relaxed approach to the game. He called him “The Natural”. “He can do anything,” Figgins said. “It’s like he came out of his crib playing baseball. That’s why I call him ‘The Natural’.” The soft-spoken infielder would smile at Figgins’ comments, saying that his father taught him (and his Major League brother Cesar) to play the game right.

Manager Mike Scioscia, who is an Izturis fan, plans on getting him at least 97 starts, which is how many starts he received in 2009. While primarily diving time with Howie Kendrick at second base and getting some time at shortstop and third base, Izturis hit .300 with a .359 on-base percentage. Scioscia said “we are a much stronger team with his versatility…and he has the ability to lead off or hit down in the order.” He is expected to share Figgins’ leadoff duties with shortstop Erick Aybar. In recent season, Izturis has hit everywhere but fourth in the order. Scioscia said that “Izzy developed that part of his game, as far as being patient, earlier in his career…It’s not just taking pitches, it’s fighting off pitches, fouling them off, keeping an at-bat alive.”

Izturis is a rare player that is gifted enough to handle second base, shortstop, and third base at close to a Gold Glove level. “As long as I’m on the field, I’m happy,” he said. In 2009, he made 68 starts at second base, making just two errors (.993 fielding percentage). In 28 games at shortstop, he made two errors (.977 fielding percentage) and he made five errorless starts at third base. Figgins said that Izturis “has the best hands and most accurate arm you’ll see.” Now Figgins will have to watch him as an opponent.

2009 was the first season that Izturis spent zero days on the DL. “Staying healthy is the most important thing for me.” Being healthy showed in his overall numbers. In 114 games, he had 22 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homeruns, and 65 RBIs. He also walked 35 times compared to 41 strikeouts. Izturis stole 13 bases in 2009 but could steal more in 2010 if he is leading off and batting in front of the patient Bobby Abreu. Izturis has always hit in the clutch as he is a career .327 hitter with runners in scoring position (he hit .302 in 2009).

Izturis is close to indispensable in the Angels lineup and in the field on defense. For the Angels to continue their dominance in the AL West, they will need Izturis to fill the gap that Figgins’ signing with Seattle left.

Tags:

AL West, Chone Figgins, LA Angels, Maicer Izturis

Alex Gordon

Alex Gordon, KC Royals (3B): Many believe that 2010 is the make or break season for Gordon. Over the past 16 years, no Royals draft pick has had more pressure to perform than this third baseman. Gordon was selected second overall in the 2005 draft as a sweet-swinging, left-handed hitter who hit .373 as a junior at the University of Nebraska. The Golden Spikes winner as the top collegiate players was seen as the Royals savior, the next George Brett. Unfortunately things have not gone as planned for the hometown kid.

He was rushed to the majors in 2007 and only hit .247 with 15 homeruns in 151 games. It was an average season but he did not receive a single Rookie of the Year vote. In his sophomore season of 2008, Gordon hit .260 with 16 homeruns and 66 walks (25 more than 2007) despite playing in 17 fewer games (134). The expectations were high for 2009 and maybe it was a little too much. He hit just .095 in his first seven games and looked lost at the plate. On April 17^th he went on the DL which led to right hip surgery that cost him the first half of the season. He returned in July to hit .281 but struggled in August (.186 average with 13 strikeouts in 11 games) and was sent back to Triple-A Omaha. When he returned as a September callup, the 2009 season was lost.

On his return to Omaha, there were record crowds as many wanted to see the hometown hero work his way back to the majors. He did not disappoint the Omaha Royals fans, hitting .313 in 18 games with two homeruns and 10 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .435 as he walked 13 times to just 16 strikeouts. However he could not equate the minor league numbers to the majors in 2009.

Overall, he hit .232 in 49 games with 6 doubles, 6 homeruns, and 22 RBIs. He walked 21 times and struck out 43 times. If Gordon is healthy, 2010 should be the breakout season Royals fans have been waiting for. The Royals need him to produce in the middle of the lineup with Billy Butler and become a leader in the clubhouse. If Gordon struggles, the bust label will circulate as he was drafted before young studs Ryan Braun, Jay Bruce, Troy Tulowitzki, and Ryan Zimmerman. Tulo has been to a World Series (2007) with the Colorado Rockies. Zimmerman is a perennial All-Star at third base for the Washington Nationals and just won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. Braun is also a perennial All-Star that won a Silver Slugger with the Milwaukee Brewers. Bruce is expected to lead the upstart Cincinnati Reds to the playoffs soon.

Gordon just needs to relax and ignore the hype. He needs to go out and play the game and have fun. For the Royals to compete in the wide open AL Central, they will need Gordon to produce and play good defense at third base.

Tags:

AL Central, Alex Gordon, KC Royals

Gordon Beckham

Gordon Beckham, Chicago White Sox (2B): When Beckham was drafted out of the University of Georgia in 2008, White Sox fans were anxious for him to make his Major League debut. Those anxious fans got louder throughout spring training as Beckham made it hard for the White Sox to send him back to the minors. Despite being sent to the minors, he quickly made his Major League debut on June 4 as a third baseman, a very new position for him. He started out his career going 0-for-13 and then he went 2-for-28. However as time progressed and he became more comfortable, his average rose towards .300. When asked about his upcoming sophomore year in the big leagues, Beckham said that nothing could be worse than how his rookie year began and that helped him prepare for the future (it was really the only time he struggled). Beckham went on to hit .270 with 28 doubles, 14 homeruns, and 63 RBIs in 103 games. He also took in the Rookie of the Year award that was voted on by the players.

Now Beckham will be the White Sox second baseman and fans expect bigger and better things from him. Everything he does makes news in Chicago. “From the beginning, I wanted to be a good player on the field and be the guy that people love to watch playing,” Beckham said. White Sox fans love Beckham and want him to bring a World Series trophy back to the South Side.

Matt LaPorta, Cleveland Indians (OF/1B): People have been doubting LaPorta since he was in school when a counselor told him playing professional baseball was not a realistic option for the future. Now with the Indians’ signing of first baseman Russell Branyan, the doubters are back, saying that LaPorta will not make the 2010 club. Before the signing, LaPorta was expected to be new manager Manny Acta’s starting first baseman. Now he may be competing for the left fielder’s job with Michael Brantley, Trevor Crowe, Jordan Brown, Shelley Duncan, and Austin Kearns. LaPorta had hip and toe surgery this offseason but has been cleared for full workouts. “I don’t think I’m going to be limited to what position I can play,” LaPorta said. “I think I’ll be stronger than I have been in the past just because of the rehab I’ve been through.” The signing will probably provide more motivation for LaPorta to shine during the spring in Goodyear, Arizona.

The Indians have mentioned platooning Branyan and LaPorta at first base with LaPorta facing lefties (though he only hit .211 against them in 2009). In Triple-A Columbus, he hit .299 with 23 doubles, 17 homeruns, and 60 RBIs. With Cleveland in 52 games, he hit .254 with 13 doubles, 7 homeruns, and 21 RBIs. However he hit .273 after the All-Star break and .372 in August before the injuries. LaPorta has a good eye at the plate as his 42BB/56K in Columbus attests. For a power hitter, patience is an added bonus. If LaPorta makes the Indians, he will be an impact player in the middle of the order.

Tags:

AL Central, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Gordon Beckham, Matt LaPorta