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The 20 most intriguing players in baseball for 2018
Patrick Smith/Getty Images

The 20 most intriguing players in baseball for 2018

 
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There's always next year

There's always next year
Patrick Smith/Getty Images

While there is still plenty to sort out on the 2017 Major League Baseball slate, it is not too early to take a sneak peak ahead to next summer and some of the attractions it may hold. As is the case in every year, there are breakout stars, veterans that go to the next level and prospects that begin to make a name for themselves. And while the ink is still drying on the 2017 regular season slate, it is not too early to look ahead at who has a chance to make headlines in the year to come. Here is a look at a handful of players (as well as a familiar face making his return to the game) who could play a big part in shaping the next year in baseball.

 
Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Everything changed for Arrieta after winning the NL Cy Young award back in 2015, but the jury remains out on if he is truly an ace-level pitcher. But regardless of that indecision, Arrieta is preparing to become one of the most handsomely rewarded pitchers in the game this winter. Some team will be taking on a sizable risk by rewarding him the type of contract he seeks, which is rumored to be in the neighborhood of the $206 million pact Zack Grienke landed two years ago. Whether he departs Chicago or not, will carry increased expectations to live up to in the new year.

 
Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers
Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

Another date with history potentially awaits Beltre in the new year. After joining the both the 600 double and 3,000 hit club this summer, the ageless Ranger is now just 38 home runs short of 500. It would require his highest season total since 2010, but it will be a pursuit worth keeping an eye on, especially as the Rangers look to get back into gear after a frustrating step backwards in 2017.

 
Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

What will Bellinger do for an encore after one of the biggest breakout seasons of all time? A 40-home run season could be in the cards, as Bellinger fell just short of the mark this summer despite spending much of the first month of the year in the minors. If he equals his rookie level of home run proficiency, Bellinger would pass Ralph Kiner’s NL record of 74 homers over his first two seasons.

 
Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Although he was positioned as a leadoff hitter, Blackmon swung the bat with the type of intensions that many cleanup hitters would be jealous of. Blackmon truly moved into the realm of superstardom this season, driving in an MLB-record 103 runs as a leadoff hitter, while landing the NL batting title as well. Blackmon is now only eclipsed by Mike Trout in the MLB center field hierarchy. ‘Chuck Nazty’ is a captivating player and personality who will do nothing but grow in the MLB conscious as the Rockies continue to rise.

 
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The long-awaited breakout from second overall pick back in 2012 finally took place this year, as the multi-skilled center fielder became one of the driving forces in returning the Twins to the postseason. After July 1, Buxton hit .300 with 13 home runs, including a three-homer breakout performance in August. Besides finding his form at the plate, the 23-year-old led the AL in defensive WAR in centerfield and swiped 29 bases.

 
Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Blue Jays expect to compete again next season and are not expected to make a wholesale changes after a wildly disappointing decline this season, the bait that could be dangled to make a deal around Donaldson could be too tempting to pass up. Donaldson is expected to be aggressively pursued by several teams this winter, headlined by the Cardinals and Giants. Expect for his name to be a popular one over the winter and into the next season, as the 2015 AL MVP is headed towards free agency next winter.

 
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Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds

Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The most hyped prospect in the game since Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper will embark on his first full season as a pro, after being taken second in last June’s amateur draft. All eyes will be on the versatile teenager who is expected to get a shot to make an impact both on the mound and potentially as an everyday presence as well. As a 17-year-old, he hit .233 in 30 at-bats, while striking out six of 4.1 innings on the mound. The development of Greene will be a much-watched and hyped occurrence as he begins his climb towards the majors.

 
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Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of hype, it is the summer we all have been waiting for, as Bryce Harper plays his final audition year before hitting the open market next winter. And while he is a virtual lock to rewrite the record books on biggest contract in baseball history, it will be interesting to watch just how much an emphatic statement he puts on affirming his place in the baseball hierarchy. Until a freak knee injury took the majority of the final two months of this season, Harper was on pace to take a second MVP home in three years. And regardless of where his future may lie, expect for him to do everything within his considerable power to pull the Nationals up to the top of the National League yet again.

 
Matt Harvey, New York Mets
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With his fall from his former greatness completed after a horrific 2017, what exactly lies ahead for Harvey is a complicated picture to perceive. Despite posting a 6.70 ERA over 92.2 innings, a near two run rise in the same amount of innings worked from an also disappointing 2016, Harvey is in line for a raise via arbitration again. Could it be feasible that with a new manager coming in, the Mets opt to not issue him a contract and the former ‘Dark Knight of Gotham’ is headed to a new home next season? And more, does he have anything left to draw on for a turnaround season, regardless of locale? Tough horizons ahead for once-great hurler.

 
Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

So, can I get an encore? Expectations will be sky high after the historic, out of the blue debut of slugging outfielder/first baseman in Philly. Hoskins needed only 50 games to connect for 18 home runs and 48 RBI, a pace that placed him among the likes of Albert Pujols and Joe DiMaggio for greatest starts to a career ever. Yet, a late decline in which he hit only .220 in over the final month of the season could lend to some skepticism about what he can do once National League pitching gets more comfortable with him. But regardless of that, he will have every chance to be a vital everyday part of the young and retooling Phillies lineup yet again.

 
Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

With a major payday ahead of him, which likely will see his days as a Royal end this winter, Hosmer will be entering next season as a newly-minted man with an accompanying climb in responsibility as well. The soon-to-be 28-year-old is coming off his finest all-around season and could be in line to ink a $100 million deal to become the core of a new organization. 2018 will be a pivotal year in the debate about if Hosmer is a standalone star worthy of that type of big time contract (or not).

 

 
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Arguably the biggest debut in baseball history has set the table for what will be seismic expectations next spring to do the same thing all over again next season. Judge has become the biggest star in New York sports since Jeter, and will have a much different life ahead of him from here on. How he responds to the increased spotlight will be telling, as he continues to affirm himself among the titans of the game. After a year of being maybe the best rookie performer in the Bronx since Joe DiMaggio, Judge has a chance to better the Yankee Clipper yet again. After his 52-homer rookie barrage, Judge needs only 24 homers next season to top DiMaggio’s record for most home runs over the first two seasons.

 
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Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians

Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Despite winning the Cy Young award in 2014, Kluber truly stepped onto the biggest stage of the game last October as he put on one of the most dominant postseason pitching runs in recent memory. After a dominant encore performance a year later which included a 15-2, 1.69 ERA, 211 Ks in 154 innings after returning from the disabled list on June 1, Kluber has proven himself as one of the best pitchers in the game. It is time to begin to view him in the same light as the Kershaws, Scherzers and Sales of the world.

 
Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Much as is the case with Bryce Harper, the next year of Machado’s life will be spent looking past the season at hand and instead towards where the next 10 years of his career could take place. Machado is headed towards free agency at the end of the season, and unlike the case with Harper, there is legitimate potential for him to be traded before he reaches the open market. As one of the inner circle of young talents in the game, he will be in line for a contract of historical level as well – and could potentially fetch a similar haul in trade value beforehand.

 
Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

McCutchen sprung back to life this year after a career-worst showing in 2016. As a result, there could be renewed interest in the outfielder on the winter trade market. With the Pirates continuing to regress this year, and potentially headed towards a rebuilding stint, the time to move on from McCutchen is more imminent than ever. As a result, McCutchen could become one of the most sought-after additions for any number of competitors around the game – cheaper to land than Stanton, and still able to clear his contract from the books before the ‘Winter of Bryce’ next year.

 
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Shohei Otani, Nippon Professional League (Japan)

Shohei Otani, Nippon Professional League (Japan)
Masterpress/Getty Images

The two-way Japanese superstar is as enticing of a talent that has ever emerged from the ranks of Nippon Professional League, as capable of being a frontline starting pitcher (102 mph fastball), as he does as an everyday presence with his bat (22 home runs, .322 average in 2016). Over 20 MLB clubs sent representatives to see the 23-year-old perform last month, and the bidding for his services will span far and wide. However, that interest becoming reality could hit a potential snag, as the MLB and NPB have yet to agree to new terms on a posting system that complies with baseball’s new caps on international spending.

 
Tommy Pham, St. Louis Cardinals
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

On the heels of one of the most unforeseen breakout performances of the year, in which he posted the fourth highest WAR in the National League, Pham has changed the entire trajectory of his career. He became the first Cardinal since 2003 to post a 20 home run/20 stolen base season, and capped it by hitting .306 and playing a game above replacement level in center field as well. It was a performance that has forced the Cardinals to juggle their entire expectations of what their outfield would be just a year ago, and could even see Dexter Fowler moved to left field just a year after signing an $82 million deal to be the club’s center fielder

 

 
David Price, Boston Red Sox
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Price’s second season in Boston was one he’d likely be okay with forgetting. After starting the year on the disabled list with a elbow troubles, he struggled both on the mound and with the media before ultimately ending up working out of the bullpen in the postseason. It is not what is expected of a man that made $30 million for only six wins on the year. The challenge for Price is clear: become the frontline arm he was inked to be again, or else the Red Sox face a long run with over $150 million still due over the five years.

 

 
Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into the year, Swanson was all but coronated as the superstar the Braves would build their resurgence around. But after hitting just .232 over 551 at-bats, Swanson will be looking for a reboot to his career as he enters his second season. The talent is clear, but it the learning curve proved to be rough. And with turmoil hitting the Braves' front office, they will need Swanson to figure out his way more than ever.

 
Derek Jeter, Miami Marlins
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Captain has been officially retitled as owner and CEO as his career has officially shifted into the driver’s seat of the Miami Marlins organization. And while he has already made waves with the acquisition of the team and the subsequent removal and remodeling of many of its inner workings, the next year will be an intriguing one for the future Hall of Famer. Will he look to trade off many of its talent assets such as Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon and Marcell Ozuna? Could the idea of trying to convince the biggest fish of them all, Giancarlo Stanton, to waive his no-trade clause and be traded off? Or will Jeter reverse course and begin adding to the team and usher in an immediate turnaround in the standings instead? It will be an interesting rookie year at the helm for one of the most established names in the history of the game, as he takes on a considerable new challenge as an executive.

Matt Whitener is St. Louis-based writer, radio host and 12-6 curveball enthusiast. He has been covering Major League Baseball since 2010, and dabbles in WWE, NBA and other odd jobs as well. Follow Matt on Twitter at @CheapSeatFan.

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