Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are leading a new group of future stars

This week I thought I would do something a little different. While playing in my daily fantasy leagues, I started to notice that most of my points are coming off young budding stars like Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge and Corey Seager. We continue to hear it, but baseball has been taken over by the youngsters. I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the best young stars in the MLB and rank them against each other. To make this list a player must have logged at least one inning in the major leagues, and players are arranged by their current and potential value to a major league ball club. You may be surprised by some of my picks, but do not worry I will explain some of my more controversial picks at the end.

Now lets jump right into to it!

Top 25 Position Players 25 or Younger

1. Mike Trout, CF, Los Angeles Angels
2. Bryce Harper, RF, Washington Nationals
3. Manny Machado, 3B, Baltimore Orioles
4. Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs
5. Mookie Betts, RF, Boston Red Sox
6. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians
7. Carlos Correa, SS, Houston Astros
8. Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
9. Cody Bellinger, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
10. Aaron Judge, RF, New York Yankees
11. Christian Yelich, CF, Miami Marlins
12. Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston Red Sox
13. Miguel Sano, 3B, Minnesota Twins
14. Andrew Benintendi, CF, Boston Red Sox
15. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians
16. Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros
17. Nomar Mazara, RF, Texas Rangers
18. Gary Sanchez, C, New York Yankees
19. Yoan Moncada, 2B, Chicago White Sox
20. Trea Turner, SS, Washington Nationals
21. Trevor Story, SS, Colorado Rockies
22. Joc Pederson, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers
23. Carson Kelly, C, St. Louis Cardinals
24. Kyle Schwarber, LF, Chicago Cubs
25. Joey Gallo, 1B, Texas Rangers

Just Short: Brandon Drury, Ian Happ, Javier Baez, Rougned Odor, Nicholas Castellanos, Orlando Arcia, Dansby Swanson, Michael Conforto, Bradley Zimmer, David Dahl

Next In Line: Jorge Alfaro, Francisco Mejia, Gleyber Torres, Franklin Barreto, Willy Adames, Nick Senzel, Austin Meadows, Elroy Jimenez, Clint Frazier, Jake Bauers

Top 25 Pitchers 25 or Younger

1. Noah Syndergaard, RHP, New York Mets
2. Lance McCullers, RHP, Houston Astros
3. Carlos Martinez, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
4. Julio Urias, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Marcus Stroman, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
6. Michael Fulmer, RHP, Detroit Tigers
7. Aaron Nola, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
8. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
9. Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
10. Alex Reyes, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
11. Robbie Ray, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Jose Berrios, RHP, Minnesota Twins
13. Jon Gray, RHP, Colorado Rockies
14. Chris Devenski, RHP, Houston Astros
15. Luis Severino, RHP, New York Yankees
16. Robert Osuna, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
17. Sean Manaea, LHP, Oakland Athletics
18. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, Boston Red Sox
19. Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Colorado Rockies
20. Felipe Rivero, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
21. Sean Newcomb, LHP, Atlanta Braves
22. Archie Bradley, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
23. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pittxburgh Pirates
24. Josh Hader, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers
25. Edwin Diaz, RHP, Seattle Mariners

Just Short: Michael Wacha, Jharel Cotton, Joe Ross, Antonio Senzatela, Carlos Rodon, Jordan Montgomery, Carl Edwards, Dan Altavilla, Michael Lorenzen, Francis Martes

Next In Line: Michael Kopech, Brent Honeywell, Mitch Keller, Erick Fedde, Sean Reid-Foley, A.J. Puk, James Kaprielian, Justus Sheffield, Stephen Gonsalves

Explanations

Position Players

19. Yoan Moncada- Even though the 22 year old has only played in 8 major league games, he is possibly the most valuable asset to the rebuilding White Sox. He is absolutely killing AAA pitching by hitting .285/.385/.439 through 270 plate appearances this season. You may be asking yourself why he was ranked in front of guys like Odor and Baez, and that is because his plate discipline is much more advanced than fellow second basemen. Opposing pitchers have taken advantage of their poor plate discipline, and if you do not believe me go back and watch Baez in last year’s playoffs. I am not at all saying that Odor or Baez are bad players, but Moncada’s speed, power and plate discipline will ultimately make him one of the most valuable players in the A.L.

23. Carson Kelly- Kelly made the list for one reason and that one reason is his defense. The fact that he has some offensive potential is just an added bonus. A catcher’s job is very difficult, and it is even more difficult for teams to find one that can help make their pitching staff better. Kelly is one of these rare breads as he is the best defensive option out of anyone in the minor leagues right now. With his ability to command the running game and above average offense, Kelly should become a top tier catcher for the Cardinals within the next couple of years.

Pitchers

14. Chris Devenski/ 22. Archie Bradley- You may be asking yourself why guys like Bradley and Devenski made it in front of someone like Diaz. The reason comes down to innings. Diaz has the best stuff out of the three, but his limited innings will make him less valuable for major league ball clubs. Devenski and Bradley have gone to the Andrew Miller school of pitching, and are used in many different situations. These two can be used to throw 4 innings when a starter leaves the game with an injury, or they can be used to close down a game against the opposing team’s best hitters. Their flexibility and continued success make them a very valuable commodity for any team’s bullpen.

20. Felipe Rivero- Rivero has quietly been one of the best relievers in baseball. In the 38.1 innings he owns a 9.63 K/9, 1.88 BB/9, and a 0.47 HR/9. Did I mention that he has been known to hit 100 mph, or that his change-up has a SwStr above 20%? Rivero’s deadly fastball/change-up combination makes him one of the deadliest relievers in the game.