Numerous American League rookies emerged from anonymity in 2005 to impact the pennant race.
Bobby Jenks, the new fireman for the Chicago White Sox, came up in July of 2005 and ultimately became a major force behind his team's World Series win. The Oakland Athletics had two difference-makers in first baseman Dan Johnson and Rookie of the Year closer Huston Street.
This week, Inside MLB takes a look at a few players who could emerge in a similar fashion over the course of the 2006 season. At the moment, these players aren't exactly household names, but by season's end they could be October heroes.
1. Francisco Liriano, LHP, Minnesota Twins.
Liriano is just 22 years old, but he has already pitched briefly in the major leagues. Baseball America ranked Liriano the top prospect in the AA Eastern League and the No. 2 prospect in the AAA International League.
This lefty from the Dominican Republic throws in the mid-90s and sports a hard slider that sits in the high-80s. The one concern surrounding Liriano is that he missed parts of 2002 and 2003 with shoulder problems. But if he can remain healthy, Liriano has to be considered an early favorite for AL Rookie of the Year.
Of all of the players on this list, Liriano is the most likely to make the most immediate impact (he's projected to start the season in Minnesota's rotation). He posted a 1.78 ERA in 91 innings at AAA last year, and he struck out an incredible 33 batters in 24 major league innings while only walking seven.
2. Jonathan Lester, LHP, Boston Red Sox.
Like Liriano, Lester is a 22-year-old lefty; however, Lester is not nearly as advanced as Liriano, and probably won't make any impact until July at the earliest. But he has improved his velocity in each professional season, and there is no reason to think he won't stop getting better.
Like many young pitchers, Lester has to improve the command of his secondary pitches, but if he can do that, he could become a part of Boston's rotation for years to come. He posted a 2.61 ERA in AA while striking out 163 batters in 148 innings. Lester could certainly play a similar role to Jon Papelbon's last year with Boston.
3. Justin Verlander, RHP, Detroit Tigers.
A slim ray of hope for the Tigers is 21-year-old Verlander, their top draft choice in 2004 who has put up excellent minor league numbers.
He's tall and lanky, his fastball sits in the high-90s, and he also has an excellent curveball. In 33 AA innings, Verlander posted a 0.28 ERA. With that kind of dominance, he should spend significant amount of time in the Tigers' rotation in 2006.
4. Brandon Wood and Howie Kendrick, Middle Infield, Anaheim Angels.
The big question with these guys is whether they will be able to find playing time behind Anaheim's regulars at second base and shortstop, but Wood and Kendrick have put up unbelievable numbers in the minor leagues.
Wood hit 43 home runs in high class A, and then jumped all the way to AAA, where he batted .316 with a .526 slugging percentage in 19 at-bats. He also tore up the Arizona Fall League in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Kendrick slugged his way to a 1.059 OPS in 279 high class A at-bats and a .961 OPS in 190 AA at-bats.
Wood may end up at third base for Anaheim in order to get his bat in the lineup, while Kendrick may only get some at-bats if the Halos have injury problems.
5. Andy Marte, 3B, Cleveland Indians.
Marte has been shuffled from the Atlanta Braves to the Boston Red Sox to Cleveland this offseason, where he will likely stay for many years, as the Indians are in desperate need of help at the hot corner.
Baseball Prospectus ranked Marte the best prospect in baseball in 2004, and he followed that with a solid campaign in 2005. Marte put up a .878 OPS in AAA in a pitchers' park before faltering in 57 major league at-bats. A poor performance in this winter's Dominican League has worried some, but Marte is still projected to have a solid major league career.
6. Craig Hansen, RHP, Boston Red Sox.
Hansen is another player who should add some depth to Boston's bullpen later in the season. A first round pick of the Red Sox in the 2005 draft, many scouts rated him as the best pitcher in the draft, but he fell because of his high bonus demands.
Hansen throws in the mid-90s, and Baseball America rated his slider the best off-speed pitch in the 2005 draft. Despite struggling with the pitch after signing with Boston, Hansen allowed zero runs in 13 minor league innings split between AA and AAA. He struggled a bit in the majors, but he only pitched three innings.
If Hansen can gain control of his slider, he could be to Boston in 2006 what Street was to Oakland in 2005.
