10 Young Pitchers You Need to Know

I consider myself to be an old-school baseball fan. I actually consider myself to be an old-school fan of almost all sports, but really, none moreso than the national pastime. I love great pitchers, cerebral catchers, and great run manufacturing. If a baseball game featuring a great pitcher is on TV, I will always watch the man do work. As guys like Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Roger Clemens have all hung up their cleats, we need a new generation of great pitchers to fill the void. I decided to pick 10 guys who will certainly make an impact in the league (and my TV watching) for years to come. I’m going to leave off Tim Lincecum because he has 2 Cy Youngs already; let's put some guys looking for some hardware on the list.

Stephen Strasburg, Nationals- If you don’t know who this guy is, you may need to emerge from your rock. Strasberg is surely the most hyped pitcher coming out of college since Mark Prior, with a fastball occasionally clocked at 102 miles per hour. To be honest, I don’t know what 102 miles per hour looks like in a batter’s box; I’m a bit scared. The 21-year old complements that absurd heat with a big build (6’4’’, 220 pounds) and a good curveball clocked around 80 mph. Everyone in the baseball world wants this guy playing in the majors as soon as possible; it’s easy to see why.

Felix Hernandez, Mariners- King Felix is quite the specimen. Coming onto the scene as a 19-year old teenage in 2005, Hernandez had an ERA of 2.67. Now 24, Felix had his most impressive season yet in 2009, going 19-5 with an ERA of 2.49 and coming second in Cy Young voting. Trying to take the crown of best Venezuelan pitcher from Johan Santana, the King hit a grand slam off Santana in 2008; he’s on his way to doing so.

Yovani Gallardo, Brewers- Already the best Mexican pitcher in the league (I dig it, even though there’s not a lot of Mexicans pitching nowadays), Gallardo is a beast on the pound and at the plate, with a .227 average and 4 career homers already at the age of 24. Yovani (the name seems unisex) has already established himself as an efficient power pitcher, striking out 204 batters in 185 innings in 2009. He recently signed a $30 million extension over the next 5 years; good for the financially strapped Brew Crew for locking him up.

Jair Jurrjens, Braves- The 24-year old Jurrjens has the coolest name on this list, along with three solid pitches: a fastball in the low 90s, a great changeup, and a slider to boot. Jurrjens led the league with 34 games started and also had an ERA of 2.60. He and Tommy Hanson will make a great 1-2 punch in Atlanta for the next decade, perhaps for longer.

Rick Porcello, Tigers- Fredrick Alfred Porcello III was drafted right out of high school by Detroit, receiving a total contract worth $11.1 million. He went 14-9 with an ERA of 3.96 in 2009, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. The only drawback about Porcello is that he’s from New Jersey. (Just kidding.) But the 21-year old who stands 6’5’’ will be an intimidating force in the American League for a long time.

Neftali Feliz, Rangers- Feliz is filthy. At 21 years old, he has a fastball that hovers near 100 miles an hour along with a delicious curveball. Because of his lack of a third pitch, he may be forced to “stay” as a reliever for his career. But I’m sure the Rangers wouldn’t mind having a closer who posted 39 strikeouts in 31 innings last year with a WHIP of .677 and ERA of 1.74.

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers- The 6’3’’ lefty is the great-nephew of Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer credited with discovering Pluto; it’s no surprise Dodgers fans have other-worldly expectations of this guy. The 22-year old Kershaw has a great mid 90s fastball, a looping curve, and a developing circle changeup. He led the major leagues last season with a .200 opposing batting average. Good luck hitting this guy.

Brad Bergesen, Orioles- A guy who hasn’t received as much hype as the other guys on this list, Bergesen is a great finesse pitcher built in a Maddux-type mold. The 24-year old utilizes a good sinker and slider despite his fastball maxing out around 89 to 90 mph. Beresen had a 50.1% ground ball rate last season in 2009 to complement a 3.43 ERA; you can expect him to improve exponentially in Baltimore.

Tommy Hanson, Braves- The Braves continue to churn out lofty pitching prospects, keeping their tradition along. Hanson, 23, had an excellent rookie campaign in 2009, going 11-4 with a 2.89 ERA. Standing 6’6’’ tall, Hanson possess a mid 90s fastball, a solid slider, and a curveball evaluated as “narsty.” Yes, narsty. (Actually, that’s my word. But you’ve gotta see it).

David Price, Rays- The 24-year old lefty from Vanderbilt has great potential, to say the least. One of a couple good young arms down in Tampa, Price stands 6’6’’ and has a low 90s fastball and changeup. However, his best pitch is his slider, which is known to break very late and sharp. Straight dirty. The first overall draft pick in 2007, Price went 10-7 last season and will grow considerably as he continues to pitch against the stiff competition in the AL East.