Buster Posey is the first champion on our list. While some might think that should push him up higher in the rankings, I think it is a little difficult to do that given his very small sample size. Last season was his first look at the bigs and he didn't even start the year in San Francisco. That being said, his production was tremendous and by all accounts he should be a middle of the order run producer for years to come.
Posey has been on the baseball radar for some time, dating back to his freshman season at Florida State. He played Shortstop at the time and was among the best at his position in the collegiate ranks. At the suggestion of an assistant coach Posey switched to Catcher for his sophomore season and instantly became a hot prospect at the very thin position. By the time he was a junior Posey showed good ability behind the plate and was named the collegiate player of the year. He was also the Golden Spikes award winner, another player of the year award.
With a full trophy case Posey left FSU for the MLB draft and was selected 5th overall by the San Francisco Giants. While everyone raved about his ability to put the bat on the ball, there were some that questioned if he'd have enough power at the next level. Posey answered those questions by raking at every stop along the way to San Francsico. The young catcher is a line-drive hitting machine with a great knack for taking what the pitcher gives him and driving the ball to all fields. He showed plenty of competence behind the plate as well, and looks plenty good enough to stick at the position. He was finally called up for good on May 29, 2010 and has been producing ever since. Despite the limited at-bats Posey managed 18 home runs and 67 RBI all while hitting a robust .305 as a rookie. Those numbers were good enough for the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year award.
Posey's biggest impact, however, came in the post-season where he helped the Giants capture their first World Series since they were the New York Giants in 1954. In the World Series he hit .300 with a home run and two RBI.
The sample size may be small, but it isn't hard to see why people expect Posey to play this way for the next decade or so. He's a very quiet, modest guy and seems to be very driven. He doesn't quite have the notoriety or star power to be much higher on this list, but that could change in another year's time.
(Kanye - I didn't make this video...don't sue me.)
At just 23 years of age it seems like baseball and the Giants in particular are in good hands as they try to move baseball into the next era.
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