The Testing Era can only be viewed as a success. In an industry as corrupt and top heavy as any other, baseball’s belated drug testing policy has restored a pure environment on the field, which had become as skewed as team payrolls. When attempting to somehow quantify the impact performance enhancing drugs have had on the game, the usual thought is of Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire, sluggers who went from great to otherworldly at about the midpoint of their careers. Or maybe Roger Clemens, who racked up Cy Youngs after his athletic prime. What we must also consider is the pitcher who wasn’t juicing having to face Bonds, or the hitter who was playing it straight facing Clemens or Pettite. Every player’s performance was impacted during the decade-long Steroid Era. Now that players are tested and suspended for doping, talent rules once again, and whether it’s a direct result or not, this is the most talent-rich period in baseball history.
101. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B – AZ. Everything changed for the D-backs on August 1st, 2011 when they brought Goldschmidt up from double-A. Everyone noticed on August 2nd when he took Tim Lincecum deep for his first major league homer. An 8th round pick out of Texas State University, Goldschmidt is a diamond in the rough for the snakes. He clubbed 30 HR in the pitcher-friendly Southern League before his callup, launched 8 in August-September, and hit .438 with 2 HR and 5 RBI against the Brewers in the playoffs. Paul and Justin Upton will form one of the better duos in the National League; owners who take Upton early will do well to hold off on 1B and take Paul late.
102. Dustin Ackley, 2B – SEA. If you’re asking yourself why this guy reminds you of a lefthanded Pedroia, maybe it’s because his name is Dustin. Or maybe you’re on to something. The Mariners’ choice with the 2nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Ackley is already here and in a big way. Dustin west heads into the 2012 season with the second base job all to himself after a strong rookie half season. Ackley is a line drive hitter with 20-20 potential and the ability to hit well above .300 as a 2B.
103. Adam Wainwright, SP – STL. Adam Wainwright is all the way back from Tommy John surgery and is currently on track to be the Red Birds’ Opening Day starter. From 2008-2010, Wainwright dominated opposing hitters, holding them to a batting average while averaging wins and Ks.
104. Tommy Hanson, SP – ATL. Tommy’s amazing journey began in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1986. He didn’t become a rock musician, but moved to California and was a sensation at his high school. All extended Tommy metaphors aside, after getting caught looking too many times a rival college team made t-shirts about Hanson’s curveball that said “we’re not gonna take it.”
105. Drew Storen, RP – WAS. The Nationals selected Drew Storen 10th overall in the 2009 draft, the same year they drafted Strasburg number 1. Since that day, Strasburg amazed us, went away, then amazed us again. In that same time, Storen experienced the same meteoric rise in the Washington system, only without the injury. Drew was 43/48 in save situations last year, and a rotation with Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson and John Lannan will provide even more chances in 2012.
106. Andre Ethier, OF – LAD. Andre has been less than giant over the past two seasons, tallying 23 HR in 2010 and just 11 in 487 at bats in 2011. Now totally healthy following knee surgery, dinner with Andre should taste a lot better in 2012.
107. Josh Johnson, SP – MIA. With JJ it’s pretty simple. If he’s healthy, he’s an ace. Josh was on a Cy Young pace in 2011 before a shoulder injury shut him down after just nine starts. He’s now had 10 months to rehab and is looking strong early in camp, much to the delight of new skipper Ozzie Guillen.
108. Jesus Montero, Util – SEA. Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda and Doug Fister would have made a nice front three in pitcher- friendly SafeCo. Instead, Mariners’ GM Jack Zduriencik (pronounced Za-ren-sik) sent Mr. Fister to Detroit for Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush, Chance Ruffin and Francisco Martinez, and parleyed Pineda into the Yankees’ top prospect Montero. The other players involved in the deal notwithstanding, a Pineda-for-Montero swap was great for both clubs. The Mariners are in desperate need of legitimate thump in their lineup and the Yankees have come up short in recent years due to pitching, not offense. Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said of Montero, “he may turn out to be the best player I’ve ever traded.” The Mariners plan to use Jesus at catcher once or twice a week, so he should gain eligibility behind the dish before May.
109. David Freese, 3B – STL. Mr. Freese got hotter as the year went on in 2011 and by the time he was done a World Series was in the cards. Freese knocked in a record 21 runs in 63 postseason at bats while hitting a cool .397 with 5 HR and sent LaRussa and Pujols out with a bang. At 28, David is a zygote compared with teammates Berkman, Beltan and Furcal, and is the best bet among them for a full and productive season.
110. Cameron Maybin, CF – SD. The Marlins loaded up in the offseason adding Reyes, Buehrle and Bell, but we can only wonder how stacked they might be if they had gotten any return for Miguel Cabrera. At the risk of sounding like someone saying “the Marlins got nothing back for Miguel Cabrera,” the Marlins got super-prospects Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller for Miguel Cabrera. Andrew Miller defined the term bonus baby and was ultimately shipped to Boston for farmhand Dustin Richardson, and after falling short of expectations Cameron was dealt to San Diego for Edward Mujica and minor leaguer Ryan Webb. A pessimist would say the 2012 Marlins only have Mujica to show for Miguel (and Dontrelle Willis), and an even more negative view might be that given the fact that they were traded away due to their poor performances, the Marlins got less than nothing for Miguel. That’s the prospect game. They scored when they got Hanley and Anibal Sanchez for Beckett and Lowell and they bricked on Miguel. Meanwhile, after 3 years of Cameron Maybi in Florida, he had Padres fans saying yes, with a .264 average and 40 steals in 2012.
