Bert Blyleven

At any position in baseball the cream of the crop is well known. But each year there are some players that emerge as key cogs in their team’s success who are not mega stars. They may not even be stars or highly-prized prospects. And in some cases, they are virtual unknowns. Here’s my sneak peak at a group of pitchers who could burst on the scene next season.

David Price
Tabbing Tampa Bay’s young left-hander as the most notable of this group was an easy choice. After all, his performance in the postseason is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Price, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, got called up by the Rays from Triple-A on Sept. 12. But it wasn’t until the playoffs that he came into the spotlight.

Used out of the bullpen in the postseason, Price pitched in five games, throwing 5.2 innings and striking out eight while posting a 1.59 ERA. He’s headed for the rotation next season and has the potential to one day become the ace of the Tampa Bay starters.

What impresses me the most about Price is his demeanor. He’s just 23 but he doesn’t get rattled on the mound no matter how great the pressure of the moment. He has outstanding velocity on his fastball, a killer of a hard slider and he throws strikes.

The key unknown with Price next season will be what kind of workload he can handle. In college at Vanderbilt, his high for innings pitched in a season was 133.1. And his combined minor league and major league work last season added up to 120.2 innings. The Rays will have to watch him closely in 2009 to see when the innings start to wear on him.

Besides endurance, another test for Price will be how well he handles his first full season in the majors after making such an outstanding first impression. The media has already put him on a pedestal but he’s got to realize that he is just starting to climb the mountain and that by no means is he near or at the top of it -- no matter how much glowing praise comes his way.

Price has to try and find a happy medium in his approach to the game. He can’t get too high or too low. He can’t believe everything he reads and he has to be careful not to get caught up by the hype that surrounds talented young players who are starting to make their mark in the major leagues.

Jose Arredondo
It’s looking like the Angels closer of last season, Francisco Rodriguez, who is a free agent, will sign elsewhere. If Rodriguez leaves, Arredondo, who was one of a pair of right-handed setup men for the team last season, could assume the closer’s role if the Angels don’t go after a finisher in free agency or by trade.

Arredondo is 24 and he was 10-2 last season. His two biggest weapons are his aggressiveness in the strike zone and his explosive fastball. He also has a great ability to consistently get the ball over the plate and pick up some strikeouts along the way. He likes to let it all out and not hold anything back so pitching in relief suits him better than being in the rotation, something he experienced while pitching in the minor leagues.

Brandon Morrow
The Mariners chose to draft him ahead of Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum in 2006 and they are hoping that he moves into the rotation next season. It appears he is more suited to be a starter than a reliever at the major-league level.

Things to like about Morrow include his overpowering fastball and the fearless approach he has to pitching, especially in big spots. There’s not too much to be concerned about but topping that list is his arm strength – at least when it comes to next season and a place in the rotation. Primarily a reliever in the minors, Morrow never pitched more than 63.1 innings at that level. Last season between his stops at Double-A, Triple-A, and the majors, he logged 95.1 innings.

Phil Hughes
With the Yankees’ 22-year-old right-hander it’s looking like a question of mentality rather than one of ability. In both 2007 and 2008, Hughes missed major time due to injury. The reasons for him being sidelined were reported to be a hamstring two seasons ago and a right oblique muscle strain last season.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Rough play on the ice, killing giants on the hardwood, a wild boat ride, and more. more photos

I know injuries come into play and I’m not passing judgment on Hughes but whether he has that higher pain tolerance that pitchers need is probably at this point in his career a legitimate question. To come into his own, he needs time on major-league mounds. His injuries have kept him off the big-league bump too much. If nothing else, his mission for next season should be to take his regular turn should he make the Yankees’ rotation or always be available if he ends up working out of the bullpen. Bottom line: he needs to get out there and pitch.

Jon Adkins
The Reds badly need pitching help. On Sept. 8, they purchased the contract of Adkins, who led the International League with 30 saves while posting a 3.48 ERA in 62 innings. He got into just four games with Cincinnati but he does have a resilient arm and at 31 could be one of those pitchers who gets better with age and experience.

Adkins was drafted by Oakland in 1998 and the Reds are the fifth big league team he has pitched for. He’s been around long enough to show he can provide solid middle relief. I don’t see him closing games in the majors but he should get a look out of the bullpen in spring training. There are many teams in need of relief help so if Adkins performs well, he won’t lack for work.

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Smoltz reportedly on verge of joining Red Sox   Hoffman, Brewers close to agreement Blyleven: Ranking an elite class of closers Dodgers calling Boras' Giant bluff on Manny Mets talk free agents with Boras at Citi Field Giambi returning to his roots, in Oakland At Bat: Don't deny Rice the Hall of Fame Rumors: Orioles could pursue Pudge Hot stove report: Team needs, player tracker, more Sporting News Radio: Longoria discusses his rise Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: