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The American League’s Untouchables

This week’s version of Major League Baseball’s untouchables focuses on the American League, where two teams made big moves over the weekend by calling up two of the game’s best young prospects. The Minnesota Twins called up prized outfielder Byron Buxton, while the Cleveland Indians called up shortstop Francisco Lindor. Both players could emerge into All-Star caliber players. As trading season continues to approach, who will not be changing teams?

Boston Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia

Pedroia has been the heart and soul of the Red Sox since making his debut late in the 2006 season. He won the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year Award, the same year the Red Sox won the World Series. A year later, he won the AL MVP Award. Pedroia has battled injuries over the past few seasons, which has significantly affected his numbers at the plate. This year, however, Pedroia has been putting up amazing numbers in what has been a trying season for the Red Sox. As of Wednesday, Pedroia is hitting .313 with 9 home runs. He has not hit double-digit home runs since the 2012 season. Pedroia is signed through the 2021 season. It would be shocking to see him don another MLB uniform at any point of his career.

New York Yankees: P Masahiro Tanaka

The Yankees made news over the 2013 offseason by signing Tanaka to a record-breaking contract for an international player. Tanaka has not disappointed one bit ever since arriving in the States. Tanaka was limited to only 20 starts in his rookie season in 2014 due to injury, but he did not disappoint. He went 13-5 with a 2.77 ERA, which led to an All-Star berth. Tanaka has been battling an elbow injury over the past year, and has only made six starts this season. In these seven starts, he is 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA. When healthy, Tanaka is one of the game’s best pitchers and will be for a long time.

Baltimore Orioles: CF Adam Jones

It is hard to believe that Jones is still only 29 years old. He has been nothing short of phenomenal in the majors, and is one of the game’s best outfielders offensively and defensively. Jones has made three straight All-Star games and figures to make a fourth this July. He is in MVP discussions year in and year out. What makes Jones even more valuable is his durability. From 2012-2014, Jones played in 162 games, 160 games, and 159 games, respectively. He has played in 60 of the 62 games for the Orioles this season. Jones figures to be an All-Star for the years to come. He is signed through the 2018 season. Expect Baltimore to lock him up for good over the next year or two.

Toronto Blue Jays: 3B Josh Donaldson

Donaldson is one of the best-kept secrets in all of baseball. After putting up two amazing seasons for Oakland in 2013 and 2014, Donaldson was traded to Toronto this past offseason, after Oakland opted for major reconstruction of its roster following a late season collapse. Donaldson has far lived up to the hype thus far in 2015. As of Wednesday, Donaldson is hitting .305 with 17 home runs and 45 RBI, in a lineup that also features sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Donaldson is also a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman. Much of Toronto’s success this season lies on the play of Donaldson. Donaldson is locked up in Toronto through the 2018 season.

Tampa Bay Rays: P Chris Archer

Over the past few seasons, Archer has been overlooked in Tampa Bay by pitchers such as David Price, James Shields, and Jeremy Hellickson. Now, with all three pitchers gone, Archer became the ace of the Rays pitching staff and has not disappointed one bit in 2015. Over his first 14 starts of the season, Archer is 7-4 with a miniscule 2.00 ERA. Archer is still only 26 and is signed through the 2021 season. Expect him to lead the Tampa staff for the years to come.

Detroit Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera

Outside of perhaps Albert Pujols, Cabrera is arguably the best hitter of my lifetime. He won the Triple Crown in 2012, to go along with MVP honors in 2012 and 2013. He is on his way to his 10th All-Star game. And remember how he won the World Series as a Marlin in 2003 during his Rookie season as a 20-year old left fielder? The guy is flat out amazing. By the time all is said and done, Cabrera will have well over 3,000 hits, and perhaps 600 home runs. He is still only 32 years old and has plenty of baseball left ahead of him. He is signed through 2024, so he should remain a Tiger for the rest of his career. Playing in the American League should work in Cabrera’s favor, as he figures to eventually mold into a full-time designated hitter.

Cleveland Indians: 2B Jason Kipnis

Kipnis turned some heads over his first few seasons in the Majors, putting up great numbers as a second baseman, which is very rare nowadays. In 2014, Kipnis put up a disappointing year at the plate, hitting only .240 with 6 home runs, considerably down from the 17 home runs, 84 RBI, and 30 stolen bases, to go along with a .284 batting average, that he put up in 2013. Kipnis is back to his true form now in 2015. As of Wednesday, Kipnis is hitting .333 atop the Indians batting order, to go along with 5 home runs, 28 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. Kipnis, signed through the 2019 season, figures to form a double-play combination with Francisco Lindor that should thrive for the years to come.

Kansas City Royals: C Salvador Perez

This was a tough pick, as the majority of the Royals nucleus is untouchable, and they figure to be buyers in the trade market as mid-season is approaching. But, I decided to give the nod here to Perez, since elite catching is hard to find these days, especially in the American League. Perez is the American League equivalent of Yadier Molina. His game calling and defense are so valuable, and it led the Royals within one game of winning the World Series in 2014. He is also putting up great numbers at the plate, and is a career .286 hitter. Perez is still only 25 years old, and figures to continue improving. Signed through 2019, Perez will surely obtain a long-term contract offer soon from Kansas City, and should be a Royal for the years to come.

Chicago White Sox: P Chris Sale

Sale, at 26 years old, is one of the few true aces in all of Major League Baseball. He has finished at least 6th in Cy Young voting each of the last three seasons, and should only get better with age. The White Sox lineup has improved this season, and the presence of Sale should only boost the offense’s production over the years to come. In 2015, Sale is 6-3 with a 3.01 ERA. Outside of perhaps Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw, there are not many pitchers in the league I’d take as my ace other than Sale.

Minnesota Twins: CF Byron Buxton

All the hype in Major League Baseball at the moment revolves around the heralded Buxton, who has been receiving attention ever since getting drafted #2 overall in the 2012 draft. Houston shortstop Carlos Correa was taken #1 overall. Buxton has the skills to put up Ken Griffey Jr. numbers, both offensively and defensively. In his first full season in the minors, Buxton hit .322 with 15 home runs, 85 RBI, and 57 stolen bases. Buxton’s season was cut short in 2014 due to injury, but had put together great numbers in AA to start 2015, which earned him his promotion just a couple days ago. Expect to see Buxton as one of the stars of the Majors for the years to come.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: CF Mike Trout

Trout is undeniably the best player in Major League Baseball right now at the ripe age of 23. Already signed through the 2020 season, Trout has finished in second place in MVP voting (including the year he won Rookie of the Year), and won the award in 2014. In his rookie season in 2012, Trout hit .326 with 30 home runs, 83 RBI, and 49 stolen bases. Trout continues to pound the ball each and every night, and the prime of his career is still five years away. Could he eventually be the best ever–quite possibly. Thus far in 2015, Trout is batting .298 with 18 home runs, 38 RBI, and 8 stolen bases.

Seattle Mariners: P Felix Hernandez

Hernandez is entering his 11th season in the league, and he is still, remarkably, only 29 years old. He has put up some amazing numbers throughout his career in Seattle, where offense is usually hard to fine. Hernandez has five All-Star births and a Cy Young Award on his resume, and he only figures to add more to it over the next several years. Seattle is continuing to improve year in and year out, and Hernandez, along with Robinson Cano, is anchoring this team. Hernandez already has 134 career wins and a 3.09 career ERA. In his first 13 starts of 2015, Hernandez is leading the Majors with 9 wins, to go along with a 3.38 ERA, which is only high (for King Felix’s standards) because of an 8 ER outing last week against the Astros.

Houston Astros: 2B Jose Altuve

Standing at 5’6”, Altuve, one of the smallest players in Major League Baseball history, makes a huge impact night in and night out for the Astros. Altuve is still only 25 years old, and has already made two All-Star games. Baseball is relevant again in Houston, and Altuve is a big part of that. In 2014, Altuve put up MVP-caliber numbers for the Astros, leading the league in hitting with a .341 batting average to go along with 7 home runs, 59 RBI, and a Major League-leading 56 stolen bases. Thus far in 2015, Altuve has picked back up where he left off. He is currently hitting .290 with 5 home runs, 27 RBI, and MLB-leading 17 stolen bases. Altuve figures to land a nice contract extension any day now, and should form one of the best double-play duos in the majors with phenom SS Carlos Correa for the years to come.

Texas Rangers: P Yu Darvish

Darvish is out for the entire 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery during Spring Training. The Rangers need Darvish to return to pre-surgery health in 2016. The Rangers have always struggled to maintain a quality pitching staff. Darvish had been the constant over his first three seasons in the United States. Darvish has made the American League All-Star Team in all three of his first seasons, including finishing in second place in American League Cy Young voting in 2013, in a season where he went 13-9 with a 2.83 ERA. Darvish is still only 28 years old, so a return to full health is very likely.

Oakland Athletics: P Sonny Gray

Gray burst onto the scene in 2013, and has led the A’s pitching staff ever since. Gray is perhaps the front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award this season, in a season where Oakland finds themselves dead last in the American League West Division. Gray has been one of the only bright spots all season long. Through his first 14 starts, Gray is 8-3 with a 1.60 ERA. He is nearly unhittable. The A’s are no strangers to making an influx of roster moves both during and after the season, but do not expect Gray to switch teams any time soon.


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ESPN

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