Breaking Down Hot Starts by MLB's Next Group of All-Stars

The prospect wave that has taken over Major League Baseball for the last eight years has made the game a lot more fun and exciting to watch. Instead of watching players in their mid- to late-30s get all the attention, it's the young stars who will lead the game into the next generation. 

In 2012 alone, we have seen the debut of arguably the most hyped prospect in baseball history, the re-debut of one of the most exciting five-tool stars, and the best Japanese pitcher of this era. 

We are going to take a look at all of the young stars off to sizzling starts who will make up the next wave of MLB All-Stars. 

Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

2012 MLB Stats: .316/.369/.561, 3 HRs, 8 RBI, 11 Runs, 57 at-bats

Trout, the No. 1 prospect in MLB coming into the year by ESPN, has made a much better impression in his second tour of duty with the Angels than in his 40-game showcase last year.

Part of the problem Trout dealt with last year, besides being a 19-year-old in the majors, was the sporadic nature in which Mike Scioscia used him. 

After a sizzling start in Triple-A this season—.403/.467/.623 in 77 at-bats—the offensively challenged Angels did the right thing by bringing him up to take the place of the soul-sucking abyss that is Vernon Wells. 

Things are likely to calm down for Trout eventually—his batting average on balls in play is .385, and he has struck out 17 times in 57 at-bats this season—but he is so gifted and his approach is so advanced far beyond his 20 years, that he should be able to hit for a respectable average and put up good power numbers. 

While most of Trout's value will come when he moves to center field, the Angels like Peter Bourjos in that spot right now, so Trout must keep his offensive numbers up this season by playing in a corner spot to maximize his value. 

Even if Trout goes through growing pains—and he will—the Angels are far better off with him than with Wells. 

Bryce Harper, OF Washington Nationals

2012 MLB Stats: .233/.309/.433, 2 HRs, 5 RBI, 9 Runs, 60 at-bats

I'm not sure if you have heard of this guy, but word on the street is he will turn out to be pretty good. 

Harper's overall stats don't look great, albeit in an incredibly small sample size, but as a 19-year-old who was prematurely called up to The Show, he is showing all the tools we expected to see from him. 

Even if the BA/OBP/SLG don't look great, understand that Harper has had at least one hit in 10 of his 16 games played. He is starting to see the ball better and turning those doubles he was hitting when he first came up into home runs. 

Harper is making more contact than anticipated, which will help bring those offensive numbers back to more respectable levels with time if he can keep up that pace. As pitchers learn to throw him more breaking pitches, I anticipate the strikeout numbers will go up. But he has such incredible bat speed that he can hit for enough power to make up for his low average this season. 

Defensively, Harper has showcased his cannon of an arm on multiple occasions already. He has the speed and range to play center field, which would also be his most valuable position, with the arm and accuracy to play right field. 

If the Nationals wanted to keep Harper in center field the rest of the year, he could end up being worth two or three wins on defense alone. 

Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals

2012 MLB Stats: 3-1, 48 IP, 56 K, 12 BB, 2.25 ERA, 1.02 WHIP

It seems odd to think that Strasburg has yet to be an All-Star, simply because it feels like he has been around a lot longer than he really has. Everyone knew about him coming into the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, and he burst onto the scene with one of the greatest single-game debuts in 2010 with 14 strikeouts in seven innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Of course, Tommy John surgery has a way of delaying greatness with pitchers. After a brief re-introduction to the big leagues last September, Strasburg has come back this season better than ever. 

The biggest adjustment that Strasburg appears to have made is being more efficient on the mound to keep his pitch counts low. Instead of throwing 98-100 heaters all the time with that knee-buckling curveball and changeup that drops off the table, he is using more two-seam fastballs with movement to get hitters to beat the ball into the ground. 

But when you throw as hard as Strasburg does, with the kind of stuff he has and the control of all his pitches, the strikeouts are always going to be there. 

The Nationals might talk about an innings limit for Strasburg, but if he keeps going at the rate he is and the team remains in contention all season, it will be incredibly hard to sell anyone on not having their best pitcher in the rotation down the stretch. 

Yu Darvish, SP, Texas Rangers

2012 MLB Stats: 5-1, 44.1 IP, 39 Hits, 51 K, 24 BB, 2.84 ERA, 1.42 WHIP

Fans and analysts who were talking about the Rangers overpaying for Japanese ace Yu Darvish had no idea what the 25-year-old was capable of. He wasn't just another Daisuke Matsuzaka or Hideki Irabu. 

Unlike previous Japanese imports, Darvish has everything you look for in a No. 1 starter—size, stuff, presence, feel for pitching, command and control—though that last part has been spotty at times this season. 

Even with the control issues Darvish has had in seven starts, his stuff is so good and he has such a good feel for all of his pitches that he is going to miss a ton of bats, as evidenced by his 10.35 K/9 IP. 

When he gets more comfortable with the lineups and starts being economical with his pitches, the sky is the limit for Darvish in the Rangers rotation. Unless he collapses in the next five weeks, it would be a shock not to see him make the All-Star Game this season.

He has the hype machine behind him, and his strikeout numbers are going to get him a lot of attention. 

Jason Heyward, RF, Atlanta Braves

2012 MLB Stats: .252/.348/.463, 5 HRs, 19 RBIs, 20 Runs,123 at-bats

Heyward was on his way to becoming the next great superstar in Major League Baseball in his rookie season two years ago. He hit a three-run home run in his first career at-bat and did not let up the entire year, making the NL All-Star team, hitting .277/.393/.456 and drawing 91 walks as a 20-year-old. 

Everything fell apart for Heyward in 2011, as he slumped down to .227/.319/.389 in just 128 games. His swing completely broke down because of a shoulder injury, and there was some concern that it would have serious long-term implications. 

Given the way that Heyward has performed so far in 2012, it is safe to say those fears were all for naught. His approach at the plate looks as good as, if not better than, it did in his rookie year. His swing is back to where it was pre-shoulder injury, and he is working counts in his favor, putting together long at-bats and squaring up his pitches. 

If that isn't enough, Heyward looks more confident on the basepaths, too. He already has nine stolen bases in 35 games played this season, just two short of his career-high. 

Oh, by the way—Heyward's defense in right field has been nothing short of spectacular already. He reads the ball so well off the bat, covers a lot of ground in right field, and has a rocket arm to control baserunners. 

Even though Heyward has already been an All-Star, his stock dropped precipitously after last season. He is back on track now and proving that he is going to be a mainstay in the Midsummer Classic for a long, long time to come. 

Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles

2012 MLB Stats: .274/.357/.540, 8 HRs, 20 RBIs, 21 Runs,124 at-bats

Wieters had his breakout season in 2011 when he made the All-Star team, hit .262/.328/.450 with 22 home runs, and was the best defensive catcher in all of baseball (yes, even better than Yadier Molina, Cardinals fans).

That was just an appetizer, as the soon-to-be 26-year-old has taken his game to another level in 2012. Through 34 games, Wieters is hitting .274/.357/.540 with eight home runs, 16 extra-base hits and an OPS-plus of 146, and he's playing his usual stellar defense. 

When the Orioles brought Wieters up in 2009, he was the best prospect in baseball and had the unenviable task of being the savior for a franchise that has needed a lot more help than one individual player can possibly provide. 

The Orioles have been the surprise of baseball so far this season, leading the AL East with a 23-14 record. Wieters' performance has been a big reason for that success.

They are going to come back down to earth eventually, because they don't have the depth in their lineup or the pitching to hang around all year. But at least fans can take comfort in seeing this team play well right now and knowing they have one of the best players in baseball. 

Honorable Mention

Starlin Castro, SS, Chicago Cubs

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals

Yonder Alonso, 1B, San Diego Padres

Jarrod Parker, SP, Oakland A's

For an overload of information on all things happening in Major League Baseball every day, be sure to follow me on Twitter. 

Follow @adamwells1985