Taking a look around baseball one thing is clear, younger is better. Baseball is not a game dominated by older, experienced teams. It has become a game that is about youth, athleticism, energy and excitement. This is an extremely exciting time in baseball as there is a brand new fresh crop of youngsters who are taking the game by storm. Every team that is leading their division or contending for a playoff spot has a lot of youth and enthusiasm. They are ready to take the torch from older players like Ken Griffey Jr, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, and John Smoltz. With players like Jay Bruce, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Hanley Ramirez, Jon Lester, Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Braun, and Evan Longoria the league looks like its in good hands.
This youth movement is right on the heals of the Mitchel Report. Older players can no longer use use steroids to keep them at peak performing levels at older ages. Players are now declining as players had for almost 80 years before the steroid ERA. Also a bigger impact is the lack of greanies and amphetamines that are available in the clubhouses. It sounds like this area has been completetly cleaned up and players can no longer get illegal pick-me ups. This would affect older players who cant get a lot of energy to return to play a day game after a night game after traveling 3,000 miles on a plane and getting in at 4 AM. This has given the younger players an edge.
No where is this change in the guard more evident than in the pitching. There was a huge gap the last few years where teams were not developing dominant star pitchers. That seems to have changed. When looking at the pitching staffs of both allstar teams, the youth of the staffs jumps out at you. Young guys like Tim Lincecum and Edinson Volquez both have legitimate arguments to start for the National League in the Mid-Summer Classic in the Bronx. Both are putting up sparkling numbers as they rank in the top 5 in Wins, Strikeouts, and ERA. These young flame throwers do not act their age. They are refined with their secondary pitches, they are poised and they believe that they belong. They are not scared of vetarans and want to go out and dominate. The National League will have guys like Klayton Kershaw, Andrew Miller and Johny Cueto to join them in the future years.
The American League has young pitchers to look forward to carrying the torch as well. Young guys like Joba Chamberlian, Dustin McGowan, Fausto Carmona and Clay Buckholz will be the future in the American League. They will look to join Scott Kazmir in the youth movement. The best pitching prospect in the American League might still be in Single A. He is David Price, a lefty who throws almost 100mph. He could be a big factor in the Rays playoff run.
Teams are begining to take note on the youth movement as they are more willing to go with youth as opposed to signing older more expensive players. They do not want to sign a Mike Piazza for a year when they can develop a young catcher like Ryan Doumit or Kurt Suzuki. Most teams are seeing dividends from their faith in the youth. This is an exciting time and it looks like Yankee Stadium will be the coming out party for these young players to announce their taking over of the League.
