The Young Batters AL Central Fans Will Grow to Hate

The Kansas City Royals have held firm their place in the AL Central basement for several years now and because of it have been able to pick up some prime young talent—most notably, first baseman Billy Butler.

Butler, 23, is in his third year in the league and has already made his presence known, as each year he has increased his home runs, RBI, and batting average. He currently sits on 19 home runs, 87 RBI, and a batting average over .300.

This kid is country strong and has yet to completely mature. He already has his detractors in the crowds of opposing stadiums. Give him a few more seasons, and if he can continue on his recent development, he could be a household name not only in the AL Central, but across the league as well.

The Chicago White Sox seem to fluctuate between stellar seasons and seasons they would like to forget. But some good can, and has, come from those down years; for the Sox, that good has come in the form of Gordon Beckham.

The White Sox shed third baseman Joe Crede in lieu of their new prospect. That should tell you something right off the bat how much they think of Beckham—and with good reason.

Beckham, 23, has played just 95 games for the big league team this year and is solidly in the conversation for Rookie of the Year with his outstanding stats.

Beckham currently stands with 13 home runs, 56 RBI, and a .266 batting average. For a rookie who is supposed to be learning the ropes in the big leagues for a year, he has come out swinging, and despite his early struggles he has begun to show his full potential.

Beckham is already an above average fielder, and once he gets his first full season under his belt, he will become one of the premier players in the division.

This may be a bit premature, but looking into the future, the Cleveland Indians' Matt LaPorta, 24, could become one of the most hated men in the AL Central.

The Indians acquired LaPorta from the Milwaukee Brewers in the deal for CC Sabathia. They did their homework, because this kid is going to be great.

In his 45 games at the major league level, LaPorta has posted some good numbers: six home runs, 18 RBI, and a .266 batting average.

With our next upcoming star having a stranglehold on center field for the Indians, LaPorta looks to have his name in left field in the near future. Look for him to explode onto the scene in the upcoming season.

The Cleveland Indians have already had this man on display for six seasons, but it has only been in the last few that he has really hit his stride.

Grady Sizemore, 27, is a big left-handed bat in the Indians lineup and is one of the best center fielders in the entire league. In his six seasons, Sizemore has averaged around the high 20s in home runs, the low 80s in RBI, and has a career batting average of .275.

But Sizemore's biggest value comes when he puts down the bat and picks up the glove. There is almost nowhere to hit a ball in center field where Sizemore won't be able to track it down. He sacrifices his body climbing walls, and slamming into them, all to make the out.

His dedication and work ethic are what make him one of the despised players already.

The Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera is another one of those players who has been around for a while, yet is not as well known as he should be across the league.

Cabrera, 26, was acquired by the Tigers in 2007 as the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade that sent the slugger and teammate Dontrelle Willis to Detroit and sent notable Tigers prospects Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin to Florida.

Cabrera is one of the league's biggest power hitters, yet he is never a big name. All he has done for the last three seasons is hit 30 home runs and rack up at least 90 RBI, and he is on his way to breaking 100 RBI for the sixth straight year.

With a career .312 batting average, Cabrera is a force to be dealt with in the Tigers lineup. If he is doing this at age 26, there can only be upside from here.

Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila, 22, may only be known to fans in the Detroit market, but it won't be long before the rest of the division—and league, for that matter—knows his name well.

Avila is the son of Tigers Vice President Al Avila. When the decision to bring his son up from the Tigers' Double-A club was being made, the Vice President was barred from the room by general manager Dave Dombrowski to avoid obvious favoritism.

Since making the Tigers, Avila has not disappointed. He has posted five home runs, 14 RBI, and a .286 batting average in just 25 games.

His offense is not his only feature; he is an above average catcher with a good arm and will only improve under the tutelage of starting Tigers catcher Gerald Laird, one of the best defensive catchers in the league.

The Minnesota Twins are one of the scrappiest teams in the league and continue to crank out great players from their farm system. Their latest prospect is left fielder Denard Span.

Span, 25, has taken on the identity of his team and has become one of the toughest outs in the division. Span can hit most pitchers very well and in his first full season in the league is currently sitting at eight home runs, 60 RBI, 66 BB, and a .305 batting average.

Not only can he hit, but he can work a walk too and can lay down a bunt successfully on the drop of a hat. As he continues to mature in the Twins system, he will develop into a fantastic well-rounded player and one to be feared.