Things To Watch for in 2008: Good Young Players Not From Boston or New York

Things to watch for in 2008 is, well, FanHouse's attempt to keep track of what's worth keeping your eye on as we roll into the 2008 season, be it good, bad, or ugly.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that every good young player in baseball was a member of the Red Sox or Yankees. All of the hemming and hawing associated with the Johan Santana trade was about how the two teams didn't want to give up Joba Chamberlain, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy because of how bright a future they had ahead of them. Well, as the Mets package made clear, there are good young players on other teams. Here's a quick primer on potential Rookie of the Year winners.

Evan Longoria - It's fitting that Longoria will never play for a satanically associated club because his talent is a gift from the heavens. He's going to hit for average, power, draw walks and play sound defense that will be a cornerstone of the first Tampa team to ever reach .500, be it this year or in the next few. And no, he's not Tony Parker's brother-in-law.

Jay Bruce - The name most often associated with Bruce is Larry Walker. Since he plays for the Reds he'll be putting up those numbers at sea level, which should make him a strong candidate for awards as a rookie and well beyond.

Homer Bailey - You might recall the man with the most American name in baseball from his brief foray into the bigs last summer. This time around he'll be in the Reds rotation from day one and unless Dusty Baker gives him the Mark Prior treatment should be a star for years to come.

Franklin Morales - When we last saw him, Morales was getting lit up by the Red Sox in the World Series but the hard-throwing lefty should be better for the experience this season. He had a 2.05 ERA outside of Coors last summer, if he masters altitude the NL should watch out.

Andy LaRoche - The Dodger third baseman is a sabermatrician's dream, matching plus power with a discerning eye. He also has to beat out back problems and Nomar Garciaparra to get a regular spot in the lineup.

Carlos Gonzalez - Thanks to Billy Beane's wheeling and dealing, Oakland is going to struggle to win games this year. Thanks to his acumen, they'll rebuild with the toolsy Gonzalez holding down a spot in the everyday lineup.

Daric Barton - Of course, Gonzalez might not even be the best rookie in the A's lineup. Barton hit a ton during a cup of coffee in the big leagues last summer and should be a hitting machine at first for the next decade.

That's just scratching the surface of the young talent about to make their names at the big league level. That should make for an exciting Rookie of the Year race and plenty of reasons to be excited about the year ahead.