As the 2008 MLB season begins we all wonder who will be the next Ryan Braun to come up and make a splash. Who will be the next Tim Salmon and be a big time player for one MLB franchise? Who will be the next Ben Grieve who makes a splash one year and now he is the answer to a trivia question? Who will be a Rookie of the Year and future Hall of Fame Player? I will leave Hiroki Kuroda, Kosuke Fukodome, Yasuhiko Yabuta, and other Japanese players off this list because I feel they should not be eligible for the Rookie of the Year award but that is for a different argument and article. And now for the list of candidates:
NL:
Obvious choices:
Jay Bruce: The Reds have a crowded outfield. But they also have an aging outfield. While Bruce has no timetable set for a call up, there is no doubt he will get it soon. The moment Ken Griffey Jr. goes down with another hamstring injury or the rumors of an Adam Dunn trade materialize, Bruce will jump from Triple A and up the depth chart over Norris Hopper and Ryan Freel. Both of those guys are not everyday players, they are great role players. Jay Bruce could in fact enjoy another season in Triple A if none of these players get injured or traded which is unlikely but possible. Jay Bruce can make an impact and has a great power potential. Ultimately his chances for Rookie of the year depend on when he gets his opportunity.
Cameron Maybin: He is the next Marlin to make a splash and get traded in his contract year. He will follow footsteps of Willis, Miguel Cabrera, and the basically entire World Series Roster. He will stay and be the star of the team once Dan Uggla and Hanley the Manly Ramirez are traded. The Marlins are a revolving door of talent. A fast food chain in a career game. Maybin has star potential and can hit with a little power and steal a lot of bases. He is in competition with Cody Ross in center field. Once he runs the course of being in the minors long enough to extend his contract and avoid arbitration, look for the Marlins to promote this kid. If the Marlins do well and so does Maybin look for votes to come his way. But the problem he has is playing for the lackluster fan base of the Florida Marlins. No one will recognize his contributions when he is not on T.V. and only 500 fans are cheering him on.
Johnny Cueto:
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