Previous Player Profiles: Future of Franchise and MVP

Old, possibly outdated, Future of Franchise and MVP players by teams. And yes, these were some of the (cough cough) better players these teams had... Remember, hindsight is always 20-20, and at one point, these players were in their prime and worth the contract....

Steven Souza

TEX- Future of Franchise

"What Souza was doing after games left him drained. Drinking, chasing women, little sleep, poor eating habits. Then he’d wake up to play another game and do it all over again." This is the only description of the Texas slugger that interested the owners. Who could pass up on this guy.....

A little known pill-popper back in 2010, has blossomed into one of this franchises leading young talents. Back in 2010, Souza was busted for 50 games for using Concerta, normally used to treat ADHD.

The suspension however, was only the beginning of his troubles. After an altercation with the manager of the Nationals AA affiliate, Souza walked out on his team and quit.

Souza was forced to apologize to the organization before he was let back on the field in 2012, being assigned to the A team.

But for all his troubled past, such is baseball, and Texas has vowed to look past this troubled young man's daemons, and hope for better days ahead.

Jose Reyes

TEX- MVP

Reyes is a career .291 hitter, and posted similar numbers in 2014, batting .287. And with his splits vs R/L being almost equal, this guy can bat at the top of the lineup and stay there.

Without mentioning that he is a perennial 550+ at bat player, his 76 year old knees haven't quite given up on him yet. He doesn't steal quite as much as he used to, and his total bases are slightly down from his glory years, but the nice soft grass at the Ballpark in Arlington should help.

What's that Reyes??? Oh, your AARP card finally arrived??? Good deal, make sure to keep that in your back pocket for me would ya......

Joe Panik

NYY- Future of Franchise

Some might say that being compared to a lesser Marco Scutaro would be a negative, but not Joe. He embraces it.

So how about a little personal reflection and inner critique from Joe: "I don't want to say I'm Steady Eddie, but I'm a guy who is going to do the little things and try to play the right way. I take pride in that." Nothing screams Hall of Fame caliber pride like that. Some people are motivated to be the best in the game; some people are motivated to see the sights and enjoy a nice bag of peanuts. Neither is wrong.

So when the Yanks saw this pedigree, they signed up as soon as they could.

In 2012, he wasn't even ranked inside the Giants top 10 prospects. But ESPN did have this followup tag: "Joe Panik remains in the system as a potential utility infielder."

So bring it on future. Joe Panik is waiting for your best shot.

(And did you see how there were no jokes where the Yanks were panicked by this pick?)

Carlos Gomez

NY- MVP

They say that every coin has a cool other side of the pillow, and that for every dog there is a blind squirrel eating a nut. None epitomize that sentiment more so than the enigma himself, Carlos Gomez.

At times, he is a beast of a player. At other times, he's just a beast of a wasted contract. Will he be the lightening rod that makes others around him better, or will he be lightening storm that knocks out the power to your house?

Can the, um, adrenaline-inducing extra help from a bottle... is that the way to say it? (and even though nothing has been technically proven, come on, seriously.... have you seen his bursting blood vessels when he gets mad, you don't want to see him when he gets mad....) can it be a boost, or will it just bust?

His reputation precedes him wherever he ends up however.

In a game facing Gerrit Cole, he hit a towering shot. He trotted around the bases gallivanting. Turns out however, it wasn't a homerun, even though he did flip his bat, which is the universal signal for long homerun.... Unsurprisingly, Cole took offence. And, like any good sportsman would do when faced with being wildly wrong and disrespectful, Gomez started yelling at Cole, threw his helmet, then started throwing punches.

But it was probably just Cole right.... Oh, wait, then there was the incident with Brian McCann. Again, Gomez was taunting the pitcher after a homerun, showing up Paul Maholm this time. McCann took exception and didn't let him cross home plate. Punches were thrown.

But maybe it was just Maholm and Cole. Unless you take into account, that after he struck out against Pittsburgh, after the scrum with Cole, he slammed his bat into the dirt, then snapped it over his thigh. Maybe its something to do with Pittsburgh then....

He is an enigma, and is a player to watch. But for the Yanks, you gotta ask, what exactly are you going to be watching???

Devin Mesoraco

TB- Future of Franchise

Who doesn't love a good Johnny Bench comparison. Mesoraco, known to his friends and colleagues as Meso, was brought through the Reds system much like Bench. Many have fond memories of one of the all-time great catchers Johnny Bench, and look forward to Meso reaching that same status.

By the time Bench was 26, he had a NL ROY, was a 2-time MVP, home run and RBI leader with 48 and 145 in 1970, and was already Hall of Fame Bound. Meso broke into the league at age 26.

Bench had a defensive WAR of over 2.0 for three season, Meso has a career dWAR of about 1.0.

But they are both Reds, they do have that in common I guess......

Tampa Bay is hoping some of that magic though rubs off on Meso soon. He is still destined for greatness, but of course, at what level will be debatable.

Andrew Heaney

MIN- Future of Franchise

Heaney was born on June 5, 1991, majored in PE at OSU, has two sisters, and likes to golf and go to the movies. His favorite team is the Oklahoma City Thunder and his favorite player is Kevin Durant. In college, he had aspirations to play professional baseball. Andrew Heaney, this is your life.....

In 2009, Tampa Bay selected Andrew in the 24th round, however he declined the offer. Instead, Andrew was a first round draft pick in 2012 by Miami and made his MLB debut in 2014. Entering the 2013 season, he was ranked as the 5th best prospect in the Miami organization. Heading into the 2014 season, he was said to have the best slider in the Miami organization and was their number 1 left-handed prospect.

Over the 2014 off season, Heaney was traded from Miami to LA and now to Minnesota, where he will try and anchor the staff in the coming years.

Corey Dickerson

BAL- Future of Franchise

Dickerson spoiled a perfect game by Clayton Kershaw with a well struck, well designed play that only a master of this sport would be capable of. And with that miraculous feat of personal triumph, he burst onto the scene of national stardom and launched his reputation as a monster killer.

His reputation however is not squeaky clean. In some circles, he is known as an instigator and antagonistic. His actions led to a wild and sordid series of events that lead to multiple ejections. While batting against Atlanta, he viciously attacked Gerald Laird with his bat, which lead to bench clearing brawls, and Laird being taken to the hospital. It was Dickerson which instigated the battle, it was Dickerson that was in the middle of the chaos.

So for better or worse, Baltimore has attached themselves to this catalyst of a young man even though his future has not yet been writ in the stars.

Felix Hernandez

BAL- MVP

It is whispered between friends, under their breath, in the still of the night, known only through myth and legend, that The King himself, at an incomprehensible age, merely 13 years of age, The King had a major league fastball, and was set onto a track of fame and glory.

He was destined to be a star. He had inhereted his father's baseball sense, his work ethic, and his arm. By age 14, scouts were already following him, tracking him, clocking his fastball at 94 mph.

A Cy Young in 2010, runner up in Cy Young voting in '09 and '14, and 10th in MVP voting in 2014.

Long live The King.

Buster Posey

OAK- MVP

Buster broke into the league as a potential part time first and third baseman, and a catcher. He was meant to slowly adjust. Instead, he began his MLB career with two three hit games, a 10 game hitting streak, and a full time starting job only a month in. His pitching battery mates loved how he called games. Opposing pitchers couldn't match the adjustments he made against them at the plate. This is the A's man, this, is Buster Posey. The first rookie catcher to bat cleanup for a World Series team since the great Yogi.

The next year however, he got railroaded during a collision at the plate and tore his leg and ankle all to pieces.

Buster however was not to be denied. When he returned, he led both the AL and NL with a .336 batting average, destroying leftes at a clip of .433 against. Monster.

He hits for power, average, can go to either field, and his ability to drive the ball sets him apart. As far as catchers go, this guy is a franchise, once-in-a-generation player.

Dallas Kuechal

HOU- Future of Franchise

In a game against the A's, Kuechel tossed a ball into the stands for a heckler. It thanked him for paying a portion of his salary, regardless whether the fan liked him or not. Keuchal is a maverick, a renegade, a no-holds-barred true rebel.

He looks at the painting on the wall, and thinks to himself, "that Mr. Van Gogh could have used a little more paint over there..."

While most pitchers are working on cutters and hiding their off speed pitches, he thinks about defense. He won the Gold Glove award in 2014 for flashing his leather, something all strong GMs hope for from their pitchers.

Here is how the Astros GM views this emerging star: "He was the best fielding pitcher in the league, hands down. My guess is he'd probably be a pretty good hitter too if he had a chance to hit."

So here's a ball tossed back to you Mr. Kuechal, and on it, it reads: "Thank you for not falling in line like other pitchers, keep Dallas weird."

Yup, Mr. Astro plays good defense and could swing the bat a little if needed to from the bench. Now that is what a good starting pitcher is made of.

Josh Donaldson

HOU- MVP

Josh Donaldson took the scenic route to the majors. When he was just kid, his dad was convicted of a bunch of charges and sentenced to 15 years in jail. So he was largely raised by his mother and other various male figures. The lesson he remembers the most from his mom?

"One thing my mom always told me is, 'There’s always somebody out there that’s going to probably be better than you. There’s always somebody out there that’s probably going to be outworking you.' "

True stuff there, keeping it real. So when he spent three years playing college ball, and five and a half years in the minors, he kept these words in the back of his mind.

But once he did break onto the scene, he never slowed down. In 2013, when he was given a full year's worth of at bats, he drove in 93 runs with 24 homers, with a .301 batting average. He is a true power hitter that can drive it into either gap. So look for him to continue this trend in Houston. He's a legitimate cleanup guy that can sit back and rake. Power on Josh.

Jorge Soler

CLE- Future of Franchise

There's many who look at him and think he's an infielder. And when pressed to explain why: "if his loopy power swing develops as expected, he'll hit like one too." Fingers are crossed over here.

Critics will point to his lack of patience and lack of a great contact rate as an indicator that his impact in the majors will be limited. However, he is recorded as having a great and electric personality. I hope Cleveland buys in to chemistry being important to a team's success.

In his first at bat, Soler homered. And with the other 88 major league at bats he accrued in his break-in season, .292 average with a .330 obp and .573 slugging, so maybe big league projections aren't always accurate.

Joe Mauer

MIA- MVP

In a three year period between 2008-2010, Mauer won an MVP, three Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and three straight All-Star appearances. In 2012 and 2013, he began a minor renaissance with two more All-Star appearances.

And while most of his counting stats have been on the decline, he still offers stability and production for the coming years. In 2014, Mauer was only 31 years old, so there is still plenty of time for another renaissance from the once mighty Mauer Power.

Xander Bogaerts

STL- Future of Franchise

A Xander quick hit: What does Xander Bogaerts, Starlin Castro, Tim Raines, and Billy Goodman have in common? They are a part of a group of only eight players, aged 22 or younger, to ever hit .300 with five or fewer homers, with enough at bats to qualify for a batting title.

How about a few more: He has an older brother. Although he's only one minute older.... He has a twin. His favorite cookie is chocolate, and he loves his grandmother very much.... Oh, and he speaks four different languages: English, Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamento. .... Papiamento is the official language of Aruba, of which he is only the fifth Aruban born player to make it to the MLB.

The last set of quick hits: These seem less reliable, but the internet says so, so it must be true. Xander was the first player to ever hit a 5 run home run. He was likewise the first player to ever hit back to back homers, in the same at bat. He once stole home, then was allowed to take first base as well when he appealed to the umpire, citing a little known rule in the unabridged rule book.

As for what he actually does on the field though, he is perennially a top tier prospect, has 20 plus homer potential, and can easily hit .300 with a .400 OBP. And with a decent skill set at Shortstop, he could end up being an MVP caliber player for a very long time.

Matt Wisler

CHI- Future of Franchise

As a freshman in High School, Wisler only threw his fastball in the low 70's and was drafted in the 7th round. Scouts were not overly impressed with him.

However, don't let him sneak up on you. Once in the system, he was promoted through the ranks quickly, as one scout notes: "with an advanced feel for pitching that belies his age, a sneaky bulldog demeanor and, this is most important, an arsenal of pitches that he's honed for years; pitches he developed early because he had no other choice."

Without overpowering stuff, this young prospect developed into a pitcher. He's now described as crafty, and cerebral. He's a pitcher that uses good mechanics and quality of pitches to get guys out. He won't blow anyone away, but he will still put them down. And an out is still out, whether it's on a soft grounder to short, or down on three strikes. So pitch on Wisler, embrace your style.

Jung Ho Kang

SD- Future of Franchise

Fangraphs has an article which outlines that Kang should be considered the best SS in baseball. They do include Correa in this evaluation.

Best. Short. Stop. In. Baseball.

They liken his second half of 2015 to Josh Donaldson and Chris Davis at a more premium position. Hitters like Kang don't pop up very often at Short.

Fangraphs goes into some detail. His ground ball rate dropped from 55% down to 45% in the second half, as well as his pull rate, from 51% to 39%. The article cites this as a major contributor for Kang being able to adjust to big league pitching and drive the ball up the middle and to the right consistently.

His hard hit rate increased from 25% to 40% and his contact rate in general went up from 75% to 81%. He started adjusting to the pitches he was seeing and learned to use the whole field while making a great amount of contact.

This guy hits. And has learned to hit hard. Fangraphs says he is the best Shortstop in baseball. and San Diego tends to agree.

Adam Wainwright

SD- MVP

Waino is a bonafide ace, a stud who has shown he can carry and anchor a rotation. He had an explosive beginning to his career, which in 2009 saw him win 19 games and was third in NL CY award voting. The following year saw him best those statistics. In 2010 he won 20 games and was second in NL CY voting. Both years saw him strike out over 200 batters.

But his road to success was derailed in 2011 with Tommy John surgery. And while his return in 2012 was less than stellar, his 2013 and 2014 saw him return to form with a third place finish, then second place finish in the NL CY award again.

So if your keeping track, that's four top 3 Cy Young finishes in five season's pitched. Match that track record up against any other pitchers not named Kershaw and see how he stacks up.

But like with any post TJ players, there are concerns. He had a bout of arm fatigue at the end of 2014, which led to a surgery in October in the same year to "trim cartilage" in his elbow. So if he's healthy, he's one of the best in the game; if he's not, then cross your fingers.

Giancarlo Stanton

MIL- MVP

Stanton has broughten the boom.

Did you know, in high school, he was a bona fide, three sport, varsity caliber player in football, basketball, and baseball? UCLA and UNLV both offered Stanton a full ride as a wide receiver. He obviously turned them down..... Then set about to bring the boom.

On April 4, 2014, Stanton hit the second longest home run of the year, 484 feet. Of his 37 home runs in 2014, he averaged a distance of 415 feet, had an average speed off his bat of 107.7 mph, and 11 of them were "no doubters".

To say that Stanton is the a beast is an understatement. Better believe in him.

Ender Inciarte

LA- Future of Franchise

Ender is not afraid of the people standing around him, and it's that kind of killer attitude he takes towards the other buggers he is in direct competition with. His killer, ruthless, "I'm going to be the best" attitude has caught the attention of numerous dignitaries in his wake, including a prominent scout Hyrum Graff. Graff had been following Ender throughout the lower levels, in specific a competition Ender was in with one of his friends, Stilson. But as the story goes, he beat him out and won the job outright. Killer attitude.

Ender however, understands the power of practice, and how it relates to the real game. He practices like he is playing for real, the world of batting cage and exhibition games turning from a simulation into reality.

Things took a turn for Ender when a hitting coach named Mazer Racham took him under his wing. They worked together, Mazer showing Ender how to be the best he could be. He put Ender into positions of responsibility within the team, and made him captain. Ender blossemed under his tutelage.

Ender has a bright future in the game, and can do some tremendous things. Whether it's for good or evil, whether he is sacrificing himself for the team, Ender is going to be something Earth changing and special.