View Full Version : MLB: Which Team Has the Best Young Core?
TheImpossibleMan
06-20-2009, 02:37 AM
Use whatever criteria you want to answer the question. Explain below.
Of the listed choices I think it has to be Rays/Red Sox. Royals and Marlins each have a case as an 'other'. Rays/Red Sox big guys 28 or younger:
Rays: Navarro (though he's sucking this year), Upton (ditto), Zobrist, Longoria, Crawford, Shields, Garza, Kazmir, Price, Sonnanstine (also came back to Earth this year)
Red Sox: Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lester, Daisuke (though I told you he was going to suck, and not because of the WBC but simply how he pitches), Papelbon, Ramon Ramirez, Masterson
I would take the Rays young pitching over the Sox (Kaz/Lester is close, but Garza/Price/Sonnanstine > Dice-K/Paps/Ramirez/Masterson IMO) and their offensive players win clearly.
TheImpossibleMan
06-20-2009, 01:15 PM
I don't know if I'd count guys like Daisuke and Papelbon as 'young', they're both 28 and Dice-K has a lot of mileage on his arm.
mongo
06-20-2009, 01:18 PM
you forgot to put the tigers up there.
Phil Theehor
06-20-2009, 01:26 PM
Two criteria for my choice:
1) I am an unabashed homer
2) One of these young cores has won a world series
Taking my homer glasses off and viewing this objectively, I'd have to go with the D-Rays. Their young core is ridiculously good.
Rays. It's not even close. Between the young talent they have had, and currently have. If they can get the team to continue to gel, they'll be competitive for many years. Of course, this should come with the territory if you suck for a decade plus and aren't the Nationals/Expos or Orioles.
TheImpossibleMan
06-20-2009, 01:55 PM
I'd say Rays right now, Orioles next year.
CrazyCarl
06-20-2009, 02:04 PM
you forgot to put the tigers up there.
does dead weight on the payroll count towards a good core?
Tigers have a few good young guys, but they're also really old otherwise and don't have much depth in the farm system
Verlander, Cabrera, Granderson, Porcello. Edwin Jackson was blind luck.
CrazyCarl
06-20-2009, 02:11 PM
If the Pirates weren't cheap and horrible at drafting, they should be up there
If the Pirates weren't cheap and horrible at drafting, they should be up there
That's too funny. They can draft, they just have a hard time signing their picks on account of being cheap, or they take someone else because they're cheap. Sometimes it can work (ask the Twins), but other times, not so much.
Genius
06-21-2009, 12:45 PM
Volquez, Cueto, Phillips, Votto, Bruce.
And Homer. Not Homer Bailey, he sucks. I'm just a Homer.
Le Goat
06-21-2009, 01:02 PM
Rangers by far.
They have the best Farm System and between Andrus, Kinsler, Saltalamaccia(sp), Davis (when he's hot), Hamilton and Byrd, ya can't get much better.
Just overlook the Pitching please
mongo
06-21-2009, 01:04 PM
we should have put this in the first post:
goat-rangers
tim-orioles
snatch-orioles
draven-orioles
phil-redsox
ninja-brewers
etc...
Le Goat
06-21-2009, 01:11 PM
CLEVELAND ROCKS!
Draven X 23
06-21-2009, 01:33 PM
we should have put this in the first post:
goat-rangers
tim-orioles
snatch-orioles
draven-orioles
phil-redsox
ninja-brewers
etc...
Thanks. But I think right now the Rays have the best young core.
27 and younger:
Sheilds
Garza
Kazmir
Sonnanstine
Howell
Longoria
Crawford
Upton
Hard to argue with those young All Stars.
Orioles have a solid future though with:
Markakis
Jones
Reimold
Wieters
Johnson
Bergeson
Berken
And minor league pitching
Patton
Matusz
Arrieta
Tillman
Hernandez
mongo
06-21-2009, 01:42 PM
half of those o's will be yanks. ;)
POO POO CANNON
06-21-2009, 01:53 PM
Toronto?
TheImpossibleMan
06-21-2009, 03:07 PM
Berken doesn't really have a future in the majors, I think, and Bergesen is at best a #4 who eats innings.
I meant to vote Rays but was stoned and reflexively clicked "Orioles".
Toronto?
Best young core in Canada. For sure. No debate.
ShitBreak
06-21-2009, 09:35 PM
Arizona doesn't have too bad of a young group as well.
ninja33
07-02-2009, 07:56 PM
sorry to bump this, but....
Rangers by far.
They have the best Farm System and between Andrus, Kinsler, Saltalamaccia(sp), Davis (when he's hot), Hamilton and Byrd, ya can't get much better.
Just overlook the Pitching please
you realize Marlon Byrd is like 32 years old, right?
and i voted for the Rays.
but i do think youre extra gay for not putting the brewers as a choice...but i guess it depends on what you define as young. Their core is 25-27 years old
Snatch
07-02-2009, 08:07 PM
Too early to tell. I voted the Rangers, but it depends on what you view as "young." Could be the Rays or Orioles.
Snatch
07-02-2009, 08:08 PM
We can revisit this after the trade deadline of course. If the Orioles trade Sherrill for Coghlan and Luke Scott for Yuniel Escobar or something wild like that, then it's not even close.
wild12
08-15-2009, 01:04 AM
Definately gonna have to go with the rays
Em C. Murdah
08-16-2009, 04:54 PM
I voted for the Rangers:
A. Because I am a homer;
B. Because the anchored position players are young--Andrus, Kinsler, Salty (admittedly, a disappointment so far), Cruz (low mileage although in 30s), and Murphy;
C. Because the pitching is emerging with youth and improvement--Holland, Hunter, Nippert, Feliz, and Wilson; and
D. Because they have one of the best farm systems right now--Ramirez, Smoak, Davis, and your Mom.
BooBooBear
09-24-2009, 10:36 PM
SF Giants
azngzus
09-24-2009, 10:56 PM
I went Rangers:
They've got a young offensive line up that is developing and maturing, in many people's opinions, a year before expected. Andrus, Kinsler, and Salty are all great offensive weapons who with time will get even better. Their young pitching is solid and improving. The Mark Texiera trade they made for young prospects has yielded great returns and Nolan Ryan is running this team in the right direction.