A third-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2014 Cameron Maybin Jersey , Brian Anderson wasn't popping on too many star radars heading into the season.The 25-year-old got an opening with one of baseball's most aggressively rebuilding teams, though, and he's made the most of it.With a .284/.366/.420 slash line and the ability to play capable defense at third base and in right field, Anderson leads all rookies in fWAR.The fact he plies his trade for a Marlins team that is years away from contention and wasn't a sparkling prospect dims his light a bit, but results are results.The Fish reeled in a keeper.No. 6: RHP Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals3 of 8Dilip Vishwanat/Getty ImagesThe St. Louis Cardinals hold only a slim chance of making the postseason in 2018 in a National League Central that's dominated by the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers and a Senior Circuit that features a bevy of postseason contenders.What the Cards dohave going for them is a stable of young stud pitchers, led by right-hander Jack Flaherty.In 90.1 innings, the 22-year-old has struck out 111 while posting a 3.49 ERA. On Sunday, he twirled six scoreless frames against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates and earned warranted praise from his rival skipper."That's the best game we've seen him pitch," Bucs manager Clint Hurdle said, per MLB.com's Jennifer Langosch. "The slider played the best we've seen it, and that made everything else tougher to hit. The fastball was tougher to hit, but the slider played extremely well, especially to left-handed hitters."The 34th overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft, Flaherty's ceiling may not reach the stratosphere. But he should be the next St. Louis prospect to make good and deliver significant results at the highest level.No. 5: 3B Miguel Andujar, New York Yankees4 of 8Julie Jacobson/Associated PressSo we arrive at the first of two New York Yankees on this list.Miguel Andujar didn't trail as much hype as other Yanks youngsters heading into 2018, but all he's done is hit .292 with 14 homers and 48 RBI at the hot corner in the Bronx."I think we're kind of witnessing the continued emergence of what's going to be a really good hitter in this league for a long time," manager Aaron Boone said, per Newsday's Owen O'Brien. "He's a tough out for us wherever we put him in the order."Few, if any, penciled in the 23-year-old Dominican as the immediate answer at third for New York. There are cautionary flags, including a .325 batting average on balls in play that outpaces his Steamer projection by 26 points.On the other hand Lewis Brinson Jersey , Andujar is posting All-Star-quality production in pinstripes and marching toward the postseason. What's not to love?No. 4: Of Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves5 of 8Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesThe Atlanta Braves are blossoming ahead of schedule, and Ronald Acuna Jr. has been an exciting part of the overachieving youth movement.The burgeoning Venezuelan, who won't turn 21 until December 18 and tantalized this spring, has hit 11 homers with an .830 OPS in 56 games for the Braves. He's also hit .364 with a 1.053 OPS in August.There's always room for backsliding with players his age. The Braves, in general, feel like they may be burning a tad brighter than they're capable of and setting their fans up for some mild temporary disappointment.That's just a hunch, though. According to the standings, Atlanta is in the thick of the NL playoff hunt. And according to the stats, eyeball test and big league output, Acuna is a scintillating soon-to-be star.No. 3: INF Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees6 of 8Julie Jacobson/Associated PressGleyber Torres has failed to find his stroke since returning from a strained hip. He's suffered some missteps in the field."Sometimes I try to make plays and I don't," Torres said, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. "I've missed a couple plays and I feel bad. I just try to be professional, but I'm human and I'm trying to get better."Torres has already been pretty dang good, though. Injuries and fleeting lapses aside, he's hitting .279 with 17 home runs in 73 games and has appeared, for significant stretches, like a generational stud.Keep in mind, he's 21 years old.Even as they push to win their 28th title, the Yanks will exhibit patience. As they ought to. Torres is young, but he's deployed the tools and results to suggest he's the heir apparent to a Bronx infield that's produced more than a few current and future Hall of Famers.No. 2: OF Juan Soto http://www.marlinsfanproshop.com/authentic-jt-riddle-jersey , Washington Nationals7 of 8Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesWith Bryce Harper's foray into free agency fast approaching, the Washington Nationals have two palatable options: Go all-in to re-sign their franchise player or anoint an heir apparent.Option two sounds a lot more plausible in light of Juan Soto's 2018 bust-out.In 65 games with with the Nats, Soto is hitting .313 with a .984 OPS and 13 home runs. Did we mention he's 19 years old?Does this mean Soto will replace Harper in the hearts and minds of D.C. baseball fans and lead the Nationals to the promised land? Not necessarily.Should the fact that a teenager is doing what he's doing while posting a .962 August OPS pique your interest and inspire dreams of a generational stud in the offing?Absolutely.No. 1: RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels8 of 8Tony Dejak/Associated PressAh, Shohei Ohtani. How you confound.The two-way Japanese star was the most intriguing prize of the offseason before agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels, a big-market-adjacent squad.Then he had a rough spring and there was talk of a bust. Then he got off to a strong start on the mound and with the bat in the regular season and the Babe Ruth comparisons returned. Then an elbow issue put him on the shelf for a bit and derailed his pitching until further notice.Here's what we know: Ohtani posted a 3.10 ERA and averaged 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 49.1 frames. He's also posted an .858 OPS and 11 homers in 209 plate appearances.The 24-year-old has the tools and, now, the early results to be a front-line starting hurler anda force with the lumber.Will he hold up? Will his elbow and other body parts ultimately betray him and either force him to pick a gig (hitter vs. pitcher) or hang it up prematurely?That's possible.If we're looking at the intersection of ability, early results, location (yeah, it'd be better if he were on the Los Angeles Dodgers, but still) and intangibles, no 2018 rookie has a higher ceiling for stardom than Ohtani, and it's not especially close. All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference and current as of Sunday. SAN FRANCISCO — Paul Goldschmidt and Madison Bumgarner will continue their eight-year rivalry Tuesday night when the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants meet on the second day of an important three-game series.The Giants kept their flickering playoff hopes alive Monday night when the shutout pitching of Chris Stratton and home run hitting of Steven Duggar combined to give San Francisco a 2-0 win in the series opener.The win was more rewarding for the Giants than the loss was damaging for the Diamondbacks.Article continues below ...Fourth-place San Francisco (66-67) gained a game on first-place Arizona (72-59) in the National League West, moving within seven with still 29 to play. The Giants also picked up a half-game on Milwaukee (73-59) in the chase for the second NL wild-card spot, with the Brewers retaining a 7 1/2-game advantage.“You still have to get on a nice roll,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after his team’s third straight win. “Yeah, it’s an uphill climb, but you look at the history of the game, crazier things have happened. You never quit.”The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, were able to hold onto first place in the West because the second-place Colorado Rockies (71-60) were beaten by the Los Angeles Angels. Arizona leads Colorado by one game and the third-place Los Angeles Dodgers (70-61) by two.Bumgarner (5-5 http://www.marlinsfanproshop.com/authentic-j.-t.-realmuto-jersey , 2.88 ETA) will attempt to get the Giants another game closer to the Diamondbacks when he duels Arizona right-hander Clay Buchholz (7-2, 2.25) on another scoreboard-watching night for both teams.Bumgarner has split decisions in two starts against the Diamondbacks this season, allowing a total of just three runs in 11 innings. His career record in 32 games, including 31 starts, against Arizona now stands at 10-11 with a 2.58 ERA.The 11 losses are the most the four-time All-Star has against any team.Much of the blame for that falls upon Goldschmidt, who has faced Bumgarner more times in his career than any other pitcher.The head-to-head advantage has gone to the Arizona slugger, who has 21 hits, five doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, 10 walks, a .333 batting average and a 1.006 OPS in 74 plate appearances.The 21 hits and 10 walks are the most Bumgarner has allowed to any opponent, while the 10 RBIs rank second and the three homers tied for third.Goldschmidt also has left his mark on AT&T Park, where he ranks first among all active Giants opponents in home runs (11) and RBIs (48), and second in doubles (21). He’s hit .329 at the ballpark.Stratton held Goldschmidt without a hit in Monday’s series opener, but the Arizona clean-up hitter drew a ninth-inning walk to extend his streak of reaching base at least once to 39 straight road games.Like Bumgarner, Buchholz has pitched well in two outings against the Giants this season, giving up just four runs in 12 innings. He got a win and a no-decision in the games, leaving him with a 1-0 record and 2.77 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco.
