Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie is a gamer. The hard-nosed 23 year old was acquired by Toronto in the Shaun Marcum deal with the Brewers, which was a heavily lopsided trade that favored the Jays.
Lawrie proved himself to be one of the toughest players in all of baseball last season, sprinting after balls he had no chance of getting, diving into the stands, and the occasional confrontation with umpires and opposing players.
Brett hit a solid .273 with 11 homers and 18 stolen bases. He's also regarded as one of the best fielding first baseman with a plus arm and glove.
4. Doug Fister, Tigers Starting Pitcher
The 2012 season for Detroit Tigers pitcher Doug Fister was interrupted by two early stints on the disabled list. In fact, Fister didn't register his first victory until June 16. But from then on Fister was solid, posting a 10-10 record with a 3.45 ERA.
In 2011 after being acquired by Detroit at the all-star break, Fister ended up going 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA in the second half. With much of the focus on Verlander and Scherzer, look for 29 year old Fister to be a legitimate candidate for a spot on the AL all-star team.
3. Will Middlebrooks
When the Boston Red Sox traded Kevin Youkilis to the Chicago White Sox last season, promising prospect Will Middlebrooks immediately stepped in—and stepped up.
Middlebrooks got off to a fast start, hitting .331 with a .960 OPS through his first 40 games. While his numbers tailed off before a broken wrist ended his season in August, his rookie year was nonetheless impressive, ending up with a .288 average, 15 home runs and 58 RBI.
This year, Middlebrooks returns fully healthy and with the goal of becoming a main cog in the Red Sox offense for the foreseeable future.
The only flaw to Middlebrooks' game at this point is plate discipline; he drew just 13 walks in 286 plate appearances. However, the power and ability to produce is certainly there and could easily see him become an All-Star as early as this season.
2. Desmond Jennings
Now that B.J. Upton has moved on to greener and richer pastures in Atlanta, the Tampa Bay Rays will be looking to fill his shoes with another young rising star.
Now that B.J. Upton has moved on to greener and richer pastures in Atlanta, the Tampa Bay Rays will be looking to fill his shoes with another young rising star.
Desmond Jennings debuted for the Rays in September 2010, but he really made his presence known the following season.
Jennings was called up in July 2011 and chipped in mightily down the stretch as the Rays stormed into the playoff race. He hit .259 with 10 home runs, 25 RBI and an .805 OPS, giving the Rays an idea of what to expect from the youngster in the future.
Jennings went through some growing pains in 2012, hitting just .246 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI. He also contributed 31 stolen bases and was a finalist for a Gold Glove Award with his stellar defense in left field.
Now moving to his more natural spot in center, Jennings will not only aid Tampa Bay with outstanding outfield coverage, he could also continue his development as a hitter and find his way to Citi Field in July with a hot start.
1. Kyle Seager
The Seattle Mariners again found themselves at the bottom of the American League last year with their offense, scoring the fewest runs of any team for the fourth consecutive season.
Lost in the shuffle, however, was the production provided by third baseman Kyle Seager.
Seager hit 20 home runs with 86 RBI in his first full season. With the Mariners loading up their offense this offseason with Kendrys Morales, Raul Ibanez, Jason Bay and Michael Morse, Seager won't have the pressure of being the go-to guy.
Taking that pressure off could help Seager as he continues his development. Whether it results in an All-Star selection remains to be seen, but Seager is definitely a youngster on the cusp.
