20 of MLB's potential breakout stars in 2017

The Red Sox are loaded with a seemingly perfect mix of veterans and young talent, and Andrew Benintendi has the as much potential as any of the young talents. He gave us a taste of what to expect at the tail end of the 2016 season, and expectations are sky high for the lefty outfielder.

The Houston Astros are a hot pick to make a run for October baseball this season, and if those predictions come to fruition then Alex Bregman (a member of the 2017 World Baseball Classic champions) will be a big reason why. He showed plenty of promise over a brief stint in 2016, and his name will be on the tip of every baseball fan's tongue if the Astros are playing deep into this year's postseason.

The Brewers are in the process of rebuilding, and Keon Broxton figures to be one of the most important figures for Milwaukee in that process. He's got all of the tools to be successful, and if he puts it all together in his first full season, then Ryan Braun won't be the only big name you think about when it comes to Milwaukee.

The reason why the Cubs are poised to have a long reign at the top of baseball is because the defending champions have amassed an incredible collection of talented young players. Willson Contreras may fly under the radar when compared to the likes of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, but a breakout season could see him reach those heights.

There aren't too many reasons to watch the Oakland Athletics right now, but everybody likes home runs and Khris Davis hit plenty of them last season — even in a cavern like Oakland's home stadium. If he takes his power to the next level and approaches the 50-dinger mark, then he'll get some more eyes on himself and the A's.

The Mariners currently hold baseball's longest postseason drought, but one major factor in breaking that drought will be the performance of Edwin Diaz in the bullpen. When your statistical comparisons include the likes of Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman, that means that the sky is the limit for this reliever.

Every once in a while, the Rockies seem to find a pitcher who can handle the stress that comes with pitching at Coors Field. That's the case with Jon Gray. If he has another season like he did in 2016, then the Rockies' best-kept secret will no longer be known just to the fans in Colorado.

Cesar Hernandez had a shockingly good 2016 season, but he'll be hard-pressed to repeat that performance in 2017. However, if he manages to pull it off, then both he and the Phillies could buck a lot of expectations for this upcoming season.

It's hard to say that a player who's won two consecutive Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove has been flying under the radar, but that's one of the drawbacks that comes with playing with the Tampa Bay Rays. However, Kevin Kiermaier recently signed a contract extension to stay in Tampa, and the team may actually be decent this year, so his defensive exploits may have more eyeballs on them this year than in previous years. 

The Mets have one of the strongest rotations in baseball (when healthy), as they have a handful of pitchers who would be at the top of nearly any other team's rotation. Steven Matz is a prime example of this. When healthy, he's one of the game's most talented pitchers. He won't start 2017 healthy, but if he can recover and reach his potential, he'll throw himself into the spotlight by season's end.

After toiling in obscurity for a couple of years in Minnesota, Eduardo Nunez was thrown into a playoff race when the Twins traded him to San Francisco. It may not be an even year for the Giants, but all eyes will definitely be on Nunez. If San Francisco makes it back to the postseason, he'll play a big role in making that happen.

He may be best known for delivering the hit of the 2016 season (when it comes to punches) to Jose Bautista, but the 23-year-old second baseman will soon be known for his baseball skills. He'll be the face of the Texas Rangers sooner rather than later.

The Marlins have tons of talent in their outfield. Two of their outfielders represented Team USA at the 2017 WBC in a major fashion, but Marcell Ozuna is no slouch either. He rebounded in 2016 from a down year in 2015, and if he can take his game to the next level in 2017, he could help the Marlins have one of the elite outfields in all of baseball.

Fans across Canada known all about Kevin Pillar and his highlight reel of catches that he's compiled during his time with the Blue Jays. If Toronto continues to play near the top of the AL East and appear in the postseason, then we'll keep on seeing Pillar flying across the outfield making zany catches. 

Chris Sale is going to make Boston Red Sox fans very happy after the White Sox traded him there. The same could be said for fans of the lucky team that acquires Jose Quintana. He's almost surely going to be traded this year, and if he gets dealt to a serious contender, he'll explode onto the scene of pitchers you should make sure to watch every five days.

Francisco Lindor may be the face of the Cleveland Indians right now, but Jose Ramirez has to be the hair. The man's excellent hairstyle fits in with his energetic style of play, and if Cleveland manages to defend its AL pennant, then Lindor won't be the only man considered a superstar for the Indians.

The Yankees are rebuilding their empire from within, and the face of that rebuild is Gary Sanchez. He exploded onto the scene last year, and a replication of his 2016 campaign over a full year in 2017 will make him the most popular player on baseball's most popular team.

Dansby Swanson is technically still a rookie despite immediately becoming the starting shortstop with the Braves upon his debut in the big leagues. That means he's already got a leg up on this year's Rookie of the Year race, and if he realizes his potential in a hurry, fans all over the country will see why Braves fans are falling head-over-heels for this guy.

If it wasn't for Corey Seager having an amazing season for the Dodgers, we'd be talking about Trea Turner as the Rookie of the Year in the NL last season. He could still fly under the radar with the collection of talent that the Nationals have under their employ. Still, Turner should not be ignored, and a return to the playoffs would make sure that nobody would overlook him. 

He may not be starting the 2017 season in the majors, but Julio Urias will be on the mind of every baseball fan by the end of the year. He made it to the big leagues at age 19 last year, and his stuff is so exciting that if he keeps on improving then he's in for an extremely long and interesting career.