21-30


Lorenzo Cain
Prior to last season, Cain was good player whose defense and baserunning drove his value. In 2015, though, Cain's plate production took a big step forward, as he started hitting the ball much harder (he added more than 20 feet to the average distance of his home runs and fly balls). That elevated him from good to MVP candidate.



Jake Arrieta
22. Chicago Cubs | SP
The stuff is for real, and in 2015 the results proved it. Since coming to Chicago, Arrieta's evolved into a sinker-slider pitcher, and as a result he's become an ace. Since the start of the 2014 season, he's put up an ERA+ of 186.




Jason Hayward
23. Chicago Cubs | RF
He's the best defensive corner outfielder in baseball and a plus baserunner, and he's got a career OPS+ of 113. It's the broad base of skills that makes him one of the most valuable commodities in the game today.




Dallas Keuchel
24. Houston Astros | SP
The reigning AL Cy Young winner gets by without elite velocity by keeping the ball on the ground (he's induced almost 800 ground balls over the last two seasons), fielding his position incredibly well, and limiting walks. The spike in his strikeout numbers last season took him to the next level.




Jose Fernandez
25. Miami Marlins | SP
Fernandez didn't miss a beat after returning from Tommy John surgery. He's 23 and has an ERA of 2.40 after 47 career starts. So long as he stays healthy, multiple Cy Youngs may be in his future. Consider this a conservative ranking.




Mookie Betts
26. Boston Red Sox | CF
The 23-year-old Betts has a standout glove, is valuable on the bases, and has a 120 OPS+ after 197 career games. He's small of stature, at least as major-league ballplayers go, but the power is legit. Don't be surprised if he settles in as a perennial All-Star.




Madison Bumgarner
Mad Bum is a playoff legend already, but in the regular season he's been “merely” very good thus far. That said, his excellent stamina and upward-trending command indicators suggest that he may take the next step in his age-26 season.




Starling Marte 
Since becoming a regular at the highest level, Marte has been a valuable performer. Over the last three seasons, he's put up a 120 OPS+, and in each of those seasons his OPS+ has hovered around that overall average. He's also a threat on the bases and an excellent fielder. He understandably gets overshadowed by McCutchen, but Marte's a good one.



Chris Archer
29. Tampa Bay Rays | SP
Archer's fastball-slider-changeup approach has been refined over the years, and now he's an ace. Last season, he made 34 starts, struck out 252 batters, put up an FIP of 2.90 en route to finishing fifth in the AL Cy Young vote. At age 27, Archer should bring more of the same for at least the next handful of seasons.



Alex Gordon
Gordon's 32, so decline can't be far off. That said, he's still productive in the field and at at the plate. As well, his dedication to training and conditioning should serve him well as he ages.
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