Over the past couple of weeks the steroid controversy has been on the front page of every major paper/web site (including our own). So, maybe it is time to start looking to the future. If the steroids are really gone, and the MLB is ever going to get past this they have to focus on something new. Homerun totals are down (in terms of guys hitting 50+), and there is no signs that they will be back anytime soon. We have seen some great pitching over the past couple of years, but people seem to like offense over pitching. So, what is the "New Era" of baseball going to be??
In my opinion, it is going to be the versatile youth movement. We are seeing teams trying to get younger, and have more 5 tool players. We saw the kind of effect this can have last year when the Rays surged past the Red Sox and Yankees by being more athletic and young. Don't believe me? Here is a quick list of the players that will be making headlines for the next couple of years.
- Jimmy Rollins
- B.J. Upton
- Grady Sizemore
- Hanley Ramirez
- Matt Holliday
- Ian Kinsler
- Brandon Phillips
- Carl Crawford
- Jose B. Reyes
The list goes on and on. Gone are the days of sluggers hitting 50+ HRs, but it is being replaced by guys who could hit 30 HRs, steal 30 bases, and hit above .300. Basically... "real baseball players". There will always be a place for a big slugger, but overall teams want guys who can play the field, get on base, steal a base, and when needs still hit it out of the park. So everyone welcome to the "Versatility Era". I love it.
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