Around the AL: Seven year plan

My colleague, Charlie Miller, wrote a National League Seven-Year Plan column last week so I thought it was only fitting to hold up my end of the bargain as well for the American League. The parameters are that the players must have been born in 1982 or later, meaning they were age 25 or younger at the beginning of 2007. The tricky part, we feel, is that we’re projecting these players as not only valuable commodities now, but also seven years from now. Tell us what you think about this roster or Charlie’s NL roster at diamondupdate@athlonsports.com

Catchers:
Joe Mauer, Minnesota
Young Twins catcher already has one batting title under his belt and is on his way toward an MVP.

Kurt Suzuki, Oakland
Suzuki was recently called up to the majors and thrust into the A’s starting lineup after the Jason Kendall trade. Only hitting .200 in 16 games but has bright future by the bay.

Infielders:
Casey Kotchman, Los Angeles
Unlike the NL, the AL does not possess a strong first-base crop but we’ll still take Kotchman, who’s flirting with .300 this year and should ultimately be a 20 home run guy.

Robinson Cano, New York
Often a lost man in the high-dollar world of the Yankees, but Cano is one of their brightest stars. Will be hitting .300 year-in and year-out with around 15 home runs.

Dustin Pedroia, Boston
Another .300 hitter in the Northeast, Pedroia has been a nice fit for the Red Sox, who struggled mightily to find a second basemen in recent years. We like his .400 OBP

Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles
A good all-around prospect for the Angels. Should be among the best second basemen in the game in a few short years. Needs to learn a little more patience.

Ian Kinsler, Texas
The power has been a nice surprise but the average has been a disappointment. If he can stay healthy, we look for Kinsler to be a 20-20 guy with a .280 average.

B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay
A big time five-tool prospect, Upton has shown every element except the defense. We can’t ignore the stick, however. Should be a 25-25 infielder consistently.

Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland
Put Peralta in the “players with odd spellings of common first names that can flat out play” category with Chone Figgins. Peralta has been a consistent part of the Indians success this year even though he isn’t a big-name shortstop — yet.

Alex Gordon, Kansas City
So what did you expect of Gordon in his rookie season? He’s only carrying an entire franchise on his shoulders. Give the kid time. That .235 average and lowly 6 home runs will increase with his experience.

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
We at Around the AL are high on the kid from Long Beach State. Longoria could be called up as early as September but one of the best hitting prospects in the minors will be making major waves for the next seven years.

Outfielders:
Delmon Young, Tampa Bay
As long as Young stays out of trouble, he’ll be one of the best outfielders in the game. The former No. 1 overall pick has all the tools.

Grady Sizemore, Cleveland
One of the game’s blue chippers. Sizemore could be a 30-30 outfielder consistently and could even push the 35-35 boundary.

Nick Markakis, Baltimore
Though this list doesn’t possess overwhelming power, the amount of speed is quite impressive. Like Sizemore, Markakis does a little of both. Could be a big RBI man on the right team.

Travis Buck, Oakland
Though not a dominating outfielder yet, Buck has proved he can hit in the big leagues. We look for that .275 average to increase with his age.

Billy Butler, Kansas City
KC’s outfielder has been touted as a better pure hitting prospect than Alex Gordon. We can see why. He’s hitting .444 since the All-Star Break.

Starting Pitchers:
Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay
Kazmir might not discover his full potential until he lands on a contending team. We’ll take his strong arm from the left side and deal with the nagging injury questions later.

Fausto Carmona, Cleveland
After a failed experiment in the bullpen last year, Carmona’s efforts as a starter in 2007 have been so good that the Indians simply couldn’t send him back to the minors again. We’ll stick with him as well.

Justin Verlander, Detroit
Verlander showcased his potential during the Tigers’ World Series run and is following it up again this season. The kid throws gas and gives his team a chance to win every time out.

Andrew Miller, Detroit
The youngest of the Tigers’ pitching staff still has a little work left before he becomes a dominant starter, but the fact that he made it to the majors only three months after being drafted speaks volumes about his potential.

Jeremy Bonderman, Detroit
Yes, Detroit is stocked with live young arms. Bonderman has been getting better during each of his three years in the bigs. As soon as he lowers that WHIP, his ERA will follow.

Francisco Liriano, Minnesota
The much-needed backup to Johan Santana, Liriano should be ready to go in 2008 after Tommy Johns surgery kept him out this year. Had 144 Ks in 121 innings in 2006.

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles
Hasn’t shown as much flash as when he was originally called up last year but Weaver fits in the Angels’ staff nicely. Needs to keep the walks down.

Felix Hernandez, Seattle
Eventually, this kid’s going to figure it out. He’s seen some big highs (one-hit complete game in Boston) and some big lows (3 runs in 1/3 innings against Minnesota). But lest we remember, he just came of legal drinking age this year.

Phillip Hughes, New York
What a tease. Hughes gave us a glimpse of why he’s the Yankees’ highest-rated prospect before injuring himself during a no-hit bid. We can’t wait til he comes off the DL

David Price, Tampa Bay
A fun name to throw out there. Price was the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft after dominating the college ranks at Vanderbilt. We look for his contribution in a year or two.

Relief Pitchers:
Joel Zumaya, Detroit
This guy brings the heat in the setup role. Anyone that can register triple digits on the gun has our attention.

Chris Ray, Baltimore
A solid closer that gets lost in the fracas that is Baltimore, Ray has a promising future at the end of the bullpen.

Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles
He fits the description of this team by seven days. K-Rod burst onto the scene in the 2002 playoffs and remains one of the most reliable closers in the game.

Huston Street, Oakland
We like his upside but Street needs to stay healthy in order to reach his true value. A nasty slider makes Street tough to hit in the ninth inning.

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