Everyone and their dog is giving their rankings for the 2008 season.
First up is Dugout Central's ranking of the 1-2 starters for teams in the NL.
It's kinda hard to fault the guy who did rankings given how the two pitchers performed last season. Especially since his system is probably heavily weighted towards last year's stats.
I would have flipped the two, with Olsen being the number one and Mitre the number two, but that really doesn't matter.
Olsen's decline in performance was completely expected. The first time a young pitcher is extended in the number of innings thrown, the player normally experiences a sub-par season the following year. In 2006 Olsen threw 187 innings well exceeding his previous high of 136.1 in 2004 in A-Ball.
Olsen should rebound this season.
Mitre last year threw a combined 158 innings which was 116 more than he threw in the previous year. Meaning, the second-half of the season drop off, due to a tired arm, was just part of the package, and also expected.
Mitre is a bit of a coin flip. Last season was a dramatic increase in the number of innings pitched, but when he was shutdown for a tired arm at the beginning of September he was still healthy.
The rankings go on. Now to the outfield.
LF Josh Willingham, CF Cameron Maybin, RF Jeremy Hermida. Reserve: Cody Ross.
Hermida showed more power in his second season. Maybin, 20, had 21 strikeouts in 49 at-bats with the Tigers last season, but the Marlins can afford to let him grow in the majors.
It is possible Maybin will be the starting center fielder, but that isn't guaranteed in the least. The club will give him every chance in spring training, if you no other reason than to see what he can do.
The part about "...Marlins can afford to let him in grow in the majors" just irks me. I know it is fashionable, and with some justifiable reasons, to call the Marlins the farm team to the Majors. And especially after the last round of trades, but the team is not the instructional leagues. The Marlins players take the field to actually try and win the games. And if Maybin wins the center fielder's job in spring training and starts out hitting like he did for Detriot (.143, 49 AB, 21 SO) he won't be learning the game in the Majors he will be down in the Minors sporting his wares.
But speaking of the young, talented, Mr. Maybin, The Sporting News ranks him third in their Top 50.
The key player in the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade, Maybin went from the Florida State League to the majors at age 20. The stud center fielder possesses power and speed, while flashing some nice defense. Think of a young clone of Andruw Jones.