Top Ten Fun and Exciting Major League Baseball Players

Nick Kangadis | April 7, 2016
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A lot of people will say football is now America’s pastime, but for almost a century, baseball laid claim to that title.

Fans say baseball is too slow, and at times, it can be downright boring. The argument in favor of baseball being America's pastime is that there is always something going on during the game that can impact the outcome.

As it turns out, the sport with the least amount of actual action is football.

From the Wall Street Journal:

“According to a Wall Street Journal study of four recent broadcasts, and similar estimates by researchers, the average amount of time the ball is in play on the field during an NFL game is about 11 minutes.”

An influx of youth into Major League Baseball in the form of raw, five-star talent and a brash style of play has brought excitement and fun back into the old ballgame.

One of those players is Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals who recently grabbed media attention for sporting a hat with a phrase very similar to GOP front-runner Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

As seen in the picture above, Harper donned a hat that reads, "Make Baseball Fun Again."

In honor of the new baseball season that has begun in the last week, here is a list of the top 10 fun and exciting young players in the game of baseball.

Requirements for to be on the list:

  • Must be 27 years of age or younger
  • Has to either be a current star player or a rising star player, although it helps if the player is already a major star
  • Have fun!

Sorry, Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh from Bull Durham did not make the list. 

On with the top 10 most fun and exciting players in Major League Baseball 27 and younger:

10. Andrelton Simmons (26), Shortstop, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

While Simmons may not be setting the world on fire with the bat, he is certainly very exciting to watch play defense. Simmons is so good at playing the shortstop position, where agility comes into play more than probably any other position, that the Angels decided to trade away some offense to the Atlanta Braves for Simmons' glove.

Between his laser arm and his "like glue" glove, Simmons' defense is a sight to behold.

 

9. Kyle Schwarber (23), Catcher/Left Fielder, Chicago Cubs

Schwarber doesn't even have a full major league season under his belt, and yet people clamor to watch this guy hit batting practice. Although with the current young lineup of mashers the Cubs have, who wouldn't want to watch the young guys tee-off? During the playoffs last year, Schwarber hit a home run so high and far that it landed on top of Wrigley Field's right field scoreboard. The Cubs left the ball up there for the remainder of the playoffs and even had the ball encased in glass.

If you like power, Schwarber is one of the brightest up-and-coming long ball hitters in the game.

 

8. Xander Bogaerts (23), Shortstop, Boston Red Sox

Bogaerts was the seventh ranked defensive shortstop in all of baseball for 2015 in just his second full season in the majors. As impressive as that is, what he did what at the plate was even more spectacular. Bogaerts improved his batting average a full 80 points in 2015 (.320) as compared to the 2014 season (.240). He finished second in the American League in batting average, and placed 27th in runs batted in (81) despite only hitting seven home runs.

Bogaerts all-around game has the Red Sox Nation buzzing over what he might do for an encore.


7. Noah Syndergaard (23), Starting Pitcher, New York Mets

At 6'6,'" 240 pounds, Syndergaard has definitely earned the nickname of "Thor." Plus, he throws nearly 100 mph on a consistent basis. Syndergaard struck out batters at a pretty good clip in 2015, striking out 166 batters in just 150 innings pitched!

With their trademark long, flowing locks Syndergaard and teammate Jacob deGrom pack a young, one-two punch that Mets fans will be clamoring for in the years to come.


6. Giancarlo Stanton (26), Right Fielder, Miami Marlins

If you like baseball players that look like they are built from granite, Stanton is your statue. Marlins fans were bummed last year as Stanton struggled through an injury-plagued 2015 season. He didn't struggle with the bat when he was healthy, hitting 27 home runs in just 279 at-bats. That's right. Just about every 10 at-bats Stanton would hit a home run. The ball jumps off his bat quicker than just about anyone in the game. Stanton is also known for his strong arm. The man throws absolute bullets from the right field position.

Fans in Miami, and baseball fans in general, are hoping that Stanton can avoid the "injury-prone" label in 2016.

 

5. Carlos Correa (21), Shortstop, Houston Astros

Correa has been most often compared to a young, pre-steroid Alex Rodriguez. He made his major league debut at just 20 years-old! Correa is one of those rare five-tool players (five-tool = hit for average, hit for power, has speed, a strong arm and can field his position) that do not come around often. Just because he exhibited great power in his 2015 rookie season, do not pigeon-hole Correa as a pull hitter. He can hit to all fields with authority. His rocket arm also lends him to being one of the most exciting shortstops in the game, and he hasn't even played one full season in the majors!

Houston fans got a taste of Correa can do. What the phenom has in store for the rest of his career only time will tell.

 

4. Manny Machado (23), Third Base, Baltimore Orioles

Machado burst onto the major league landscape in 2012 at only 19-years-old! In the 2015 season, Machado came into his own as one of the premier players in all of baseball. While he is notorious for making ridiculous plays in the field, it was Machado's bat that left an indelible impression on fans across the country. Machado played in all 162 games last season, and hit a career-highs in batting average (.286), runs scored (102), home runs (35), runs-batted-in (86) and stolen bases (20).

Machado is another one of those five-tool players that do not come around very often. Only a few players in all of the majors can lay claim to the five-tool projection.


 

Tie-3. Kris Bryant (24), Third Base & Anthony Rizzo (26), First Base, both of the Chicago Cubs

(Image: Snapshot/YouTube, Pictured from left to right: Kris Bryant & Anthony Rizzo)

The Cubs have an overabundance of young talent on their roster (11 players 27-years-old or younger), so it is only fitting that two of the Cubs three biggest stars share a spot on the list. We met Schwarber earlier, and while he has a ton of promise, Bryant and Rizzo have already achieved super-stardom. In just his first big league season in 2015, Bryant met the lofty expectations of being the biggest prospect in major league baseball. Bryant made the All-Star team in his rookie campaign, and was also selected to participate in the All-Star weekend's biggest attraction, the Home Run Derby. Rizzo made his second All-Star team last season, and he was also selected to partake in the Home Run Derby.

While we have seen great highlights of some amazing young players so far, here is a very funny recently released commercial that Bryant and Rizzo did together for the 2016 season. Cubs fans might actually have something to cheer about, for once, in October and possibly November.


2. Bryce Harper (23), Right Fielder, Washington Nationals

These final two players on this list need no introduction. Bryce Harper's career in baseball has been chronicled since he was in high school. The brash young player from Las Vegas High School stormed into the public consciousness in 2009 when he left school early, got his GED, and enrolled into a community college so that he could get drafted into the majors at age 17. Harper made his major league debut just after turning 19 and promptly began bashing baseballs out of the yard. Last year, Harper elevated his game into another stratosphere, and won his first National League Most Valuable Player award at age 22.

Fans in Washington are more than happy to have the "no fear" youngster on the roster, but rumors are floating that Harper could be sporting Yankee pinstripes when he becomes a free agent in 2019. Here's another commercial to show why the young players of today are bringing fun back to the game.

 


1. Mike Trout (24), Center Field, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Was there ever any doubt? Mike Trout has been the best player in baseball since he first stepped into the bright lights of Major League Baseball in 2011 at 19-years-old. Trout has drawn comparisons to possibly the greatest player to ever play the game, Mickey Mantle. "The Millville Meteor" (he's from Millville, N.J.) has been so consistent the entire time he has been in the majors, all while playing the difficult position of center field. In his four full seasons in the major leagues Trout has averaged 33.5 home runs, 95.25 runs batted in, a staggering 114 runs scored and 27 stolen bases. Trout is also a whiz in the field where he makes spectacular plays look routine. If Trout maintains his consistency throughout most of his career, he will end up as one of the all-time greats in the history of baseball.

Trout has already accomplished so much, but at his young age, and being signed to play for the Angels through 2021, the fans in Los Angeles will be able to enjoy his spectacular play for years to come.

Honorable Mentions: Jose Fernandez (23) Miami, Nolan Arenado (24) Colorado, Maikel Franco (23) Philadelphia, Michael Wacha (24) St. Louis, Francisco Lindor (22) Cleveland, Yordano Ventura (24) Kansas City, Christian Yelich (24) Miami, Marcus Stroman (24) Toronto, Addison Russell (22) Chicago Cubs, Gregory Polanco (24) Pittsburgh, Miguel Sano (22) Minnesota, Corey Seager (21) Los Angeles Dodgers, Carlos Martinez (24) St. Louis, Adam Eaton (27) Chicago White Sox, Joc Pederson (23) Los Angeles Dodgers.

So how did we do? Who would you have included in the honorable mentions or the list itself? Let us know in the comments below. 

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