Earlier in the week, COED took a look at the “Top Five Future Superstar Hitters Of The MLB,” and now it is time to preview the future of the sport on the mound.  With Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Mike Mussina, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine sipping on some tea, kicking back and counting retirement money, we’ll take a look at the top five starting pitchers that are 25 years or younger who are sure to be the next generation of staff aces.

(Note: We are ignoring any pitchers who haven’t been around for at least one full season, so sorry David Price fans!)

5.  Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners – 23 years old

King Felix came up to the Big Show back in 2005 at the age of 19 and has shown flashes of brilliance ever since.  While his 43-38 career record may not turn heads, consider that fact that he’s been playing for an awful Seattle team that has shown penchant for losing more than 90 games.  His stuff dominates at times, as evidenced by his career 8.11 strikeouts per nine innings ratio.

4.  Zach Greinke – Kansas City Royals – 25 years old

Greinke was supposed to be the next big thing when he came up as a 20 year old in 2004.  However, he struggled with injuries and emotional problems and never fully realized his potential for super stardom. Now, he is building on his positive 2008 season and has been as strong as they come this year.  In his first 7 starts, he has a 6-1 record, a 0.50 ERA, 4 complete games, 2 shutouts, and 59 strikeouts in only 53 innings.  His one loss was a 1-0 complete game loss in Anaheim.  Wow.

3.  Jon Lester – Boston Red Sox – 25 years old

Jon Lester is quickly becoming the staff ace for the Boston Red Sox. His journey began in 2006 where he posted a respectable 7-2 record, but was later diagnosed with lymphoma.  Two years later, he pitched a no-hitter against the Royals, won the final game of the 2007 World Series, and has been dominant with a career 29-11 record.

2.  Cole Hamels – Philadelphia Phillies – 25 years old

If you want to look at the one person who was most responsible for ending the championship drought for the city of Philadelphia last year, look no further than the lanky lefty California native, Cole Hamels. Hamels was electric in the postseason, being named MVP of both the NLCS and the World Series to go along with his perfect 4-0 record.

1.  Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants – 24 years old

Tim Lincecum won the 2008 NL Cy Young award in only his second year, becoming the first to do so since Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen accomplished the feat back in 1985, a year after he was born. Lincecum is nicknamed “The Freak” for his long stride, crazy mechanics, and ability to wear out the radar gun despite his small frame.  He led the majors in strikeouts in 2008, posting an 18-5 record to go along with his 265 strikeouts.  This year, he is continuing where he left off with a 3-1 record and 58 strikeouts in his first 44 innings.

Honorable Mention:
Josh Johnson – Florida Marlins – 25 years old
Chad Billingsley – Los Angeles Dodgers – 24 years old
Joba Chamberlain – New York Yankees – 23 years old
Francisco Liriano – Minnesota Twins – 25 years old
Edison Volquez – Cincinnati Reds – 25 years old

Stop kissing Josh Hamilton’s ass. He doesn’t deserve all the praise and he certainly doesn’t deserve to be called a hero or a role model or a good influence. He was a complete f**k up, but because he’s can still play baseball better than almost anyone else alive we should praise him? No.

Yes, he was addicted to cocaine and crack for years. Yes, the fact that he seems to have made a full recovery is impressive (overcoming any addiction that overwhelms a person like that is impressive), but he’s not a great guy because of it. He should be working his way back to being an OK guy. Half a season of good baseball doesn’t clear him of all the bad sh*t he did before. (more…)

All-Star rocker Bon Jovi will be performing a free concert at New York’s Central Park on July 12th at 8PM to kick off Major League Baseball’s 2008 All-Star game celebrations taking place at Yankee Stadium on July 15th.

“All-Star Summer is set to hit New York City in a few weeks, and the lineup of festivities just added another future Hall-of-Famer in Bon Jovi,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“The free concert in Central Park is going to help make this year’s All-Star Summer a celebration to remember. The 2008 All-Star Game will pay tribute to the storied history of Yankee Stadium, and Bon Jovi will help us ensure it goes out in a blaze of glory — hopefully a blaze in late October.”

Tickets for this free event become available on Wednesday July 2nd at MLB.com.

If CNBC can project presidential primary winners with only 3-percent of the vote totals in, then we can also take advantage of mathematical impossibility. Thanks to the updated vote tallies released, we can announce the position players who will appear in the 2008 MLB All-Star game taking place at Yankee Stadium on July 15th.

Yesterday we gave you the Projected AL All-Star Team team and today we present the NL All-Star Team.

After the jump check out the 2008 AL All-Star Team! (more…)

If CNBC can project presidential primary winners with only 3-percent of the vote totals in, then we can also take advantage of mathematical impossibility. Thanks to the updated vote tallies released, we can announce the position players who will appear in the 2008 MLB All-Star game taking place at Yankee Stadium on July 15th.

Check back tomorrow for the NL All-Star lineup. (more…)

In every circle of friends there is a whore. Eric Clapton and Geroge Harrison had Patty Boyd, 80’s metal stars Tommy Lee and Bret Michaels had Pam Andreson (they have the homemade porn to prove it) and MLB in general has Alyssa Milano. To be more specific LA Dodgers Brad Penny and Russell Martin have Alyssa Millano. Brad Penny and Alyssa were dating over the last 2 years until that relationship ended and she moved onto Russell…. mmm sloppy seconds! (more…)

Lenny Dykstra stood at a staggering 5′10 and weighed in at 167lbs at the peak of his career. A small man to some, but a leader to all. Often referred to as “Nails”, Lenny entered Major League Baseball in 1985 and joined on with the New York Mets. It was evident he would be a force to be rekoned with and wouldn’t let his small size effect his level of play. This is a tribute to Leonard Kyle Dykstra, a true American hero. (more…)