Clayton Kershaw (SP--Dodgers) If you were given the task of picking a pitcher, one pitcher, to build your team around not only now but for the future, there might be a pretty heated debate. Names like Strasburg, Verlander and King Felix may be part of the conversation. But Clayton Kershaw, at 23, makes a very compelling case to be that centerpiece. Finishing the year with 20 wins is a rare feat these days and doesn't everyone need a talented left-hander on there team who is still growing and maturing and will probably get better? He pitched over 200 innings for the second year in a row and his 4.57 K/BB shows control and power as he's struck out better than a batter per inning. With a career ERA of 2.88, Kershaw this year as vaulted into elite status as a top tier pitcher for 2012.
Emilio Bonifacio (2B, SS, 3B, OF--Marlins) It's a short list of players who have the versatility at as many positions as Emilio Bonifacio. Was anyone really looking at this guy at the start of the year to produce anywhere close to the output he had in 2011? Let's put this into perspective. Bonifacio was seventh in hitting amongst all shortstops with a .289 average and first in stolen bases at 39. Yes, even eclipsing speedsters like Jose Reyes and Elvis Andrus. He was fourth in OBP at .357 and doing all of this at a weak position and as an afterthought. Bonifacio biggest flaw is his wide strike zone as he struck out 120+ times. But he's established himself this year as a solid contributor of speed, which doesn't slump, and hitting. Bonifacio will need to work on some plate discipline to be a true impact player, but his value has already made him one of the attractive shortstops come draft day. Bonifacio certainly won't be one of the first shortstops to go in next year's draft, but he could provide alternative options to Andrus and Jeter.
Dee Gordon (SS--Dodgers) If we are looking at strong finishes to the year, a guy who made some waves the last month was the Dodgers' Dee Gordon. Gordon led all N.L. players in batting average going into Friday over the last 30 days with a .384 average. He had had a .418 OBP during that and swiped eleven bases. Overall Gordon is batting .299 with 23 steals and has shown good contact with an 89.2%. With his speed, Gordon is doing a good job of keeping the ball on the group at a rate of 58%. He still has much to learn with plate discipline (EYE at 0.28) but with a little seasoning, he could be an exciting player next year but with little extra base hit potential as his primary value will be tied up in speed.
Stephen Strasburg (SP--Nationals) In his final outing of the season Friday, and probably his least effective, Stephen Strasburg threw 75 pitches which represented the most he had thrown in a game this season. His 75 pitches got him through four innings against the Braves, allowing three runs of which two were earned. His control was spot on as he walked no one and struck out three. Despite the mediocre outing, Strasburg will finish with an ERA of 2.00 this season in just 18 innings of work. But probably most impressive is that he hasn't allowed a base on balls in his four starts. Hardly a workhorse season, but who can blame the Nationals for treating their most prized player with a "Handle with Care" approach? Going into next year, while the Nats will be sensitive to every ache and pain Strasburg might have (yes, even including a stuffy nose), the reins will be let out somewhat and we should see some impressive numbers from Strasburg next season. He'll enter 2012 as a pitcher that owners will be targeting near the top of their lists--as he should be.
Madison Bumgarner (SP--Giants) There was a point at the very beginning of the year, in April, when I had my doubts about Madison Bumgarner. He was getting knocked around pretty good and looked like your everyday run-of-the-mill minor league call-up who is just doing a spot start before he is back on a bus to Triple-A. But he began to smooth things out and by the All-Star break, he looked about as sharp as some of the best pitchers that throw off a major-league mound. Since the break, Bumgarner compiled an 8-4 record and a .279 ERA in 13 starts. He managed almost a strikeout an inning and allowed just 12 home runs on the entire year. Having logged almost 200 innings, he'll finish the season with an ERA at around 3.32. But more encouraging is that his FIP is about half a run lower at 2.73. With a K/BB at almost 4.00, Bumgarner is a rising talent who shows some serious promise of really taking off in 2012.
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