The Class of 2008

It's hard to believe Joba Chamberlain is technically a rookie. Seems like we've been debating the New York Yankee's future (starter or reliever?), his antics on the mound (youthful exuberance or bad sportsmanship?) and his place in pinstriped lore (great Yankee or greatest Yankee?) for years.

Despite the plethora of back-page headlines and sports talk radio rants devoted to him, it's easy to forget the guy hasn't yet pitched 50 big league innings and has only begun reaching his potential. Still, the mastery he's already shown as a setup man (2.28 ERA, 12 holds, more than a strikeout an inning) has been valuable in the fantasy game, and his stock only rises as the Yanks continue converting him into a starter.

Chamberlain's just one of many in the Class of 2008 who are already helping fantasy teams or who will be in the near future:

HERE TO STAY

Evan Longoria already looks like a polished pro and is a cornerstone of the surprising Tampa Bay Rays at third base. When he figures out how to hit lefties (.154 average) and cuts down on his strikeouts (44 Ks vs. 19 walks) he'll enter David Wright territory.

Joey Votto has the Cincinnati Reds' first base job all to himself now that Scott Hatteberg is out of the picture. And rightfully so - double-digit homers and an average around .300 are more than adequate from a corner infielder.

Reds center fielder Jay Bruce may have an even higher ceiling than Votto in the long run, as he showed in his debut last week (3-for-3, two RBIs, stolen base, two runs scored). There's a reason he's baseball's top prospect.

If you didn't know who Geovany Soto was at the start of the year, you do now that the Chicago Cubs rookie leads all major league catchers in RBIs.

Jacoby Ellsbury is well on his way to a 40-steal campaign, but the Boston Red Sox outfielder is holding his own at the plate, which justifies a starting fantasy spot.

MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Chris Perez has been virtually unhittable since his call-up two weeks ago and has yet to allow a run. It's only a matter of time before the righty is closing out games, so keeper leaguers and Ryan Franklin/Jason Isringhausen owners take note.

Clayton Kershaw just turned 20 years old, but the Los Angeles Dodgers have already put him in their rotation, at least for the time being. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound lefty will experience some hiccups, but his reputation as a strikeout artist can't be overlooked.

Speaking of hiccups, Johnny Cueto's had a few lately for the Reds after setting the league on fire his first few starts. Relegate him to your bench for now, but don't give up on his long-term potential.

Injuries opened a spot for lefty Aaron Laffey in the Cleveland Indians' rotation, but effective pitching (1.59 ERA, 0.89 WHIP) is keeping him there.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have used righty Max Scherzer as both a starter and a reliever. Either way, he's getting batters out (29 Ks in 25 2/3 innings, 2.10 ERA).

Jair Jurrjens fills the Atlanta Braves' quota of Curacao natives now that Andruw Jones is gone, but he's also given them a more-than-capable (5-3, 2.86 ERA) starting pitcher.

Former Red Sox farmhand David Murphy is one of several Texas Rangers mashing the cover off the ball (.291, 21 RBIs in May).

COMING SOON

Rays lefty David Price, the top overall pick in last year's draft, recently outpitched Pedro Martinez when the New York Mets star was making a rehab start in a Single-A game. The polished Price could be on the fast track to a big league call-up by the end of the year.

Switch-hitting third baseman/outfielder Chase Headley is tearing up Triple-A pitching and could make a cameo any day now for the sinking San Diego Padres.

The Dodgers, plagued by injuries and a lack of offense, could soon turn to third base prospect Andy LaRoche (career .900 OPS in the minors) for some help

Photos by The Associated Press

All we need is just a little patience

We live in a world of instant gratification.

We watch on-demand TV and fast-forward through commercials.

We don’t just have high-speed Internet … We have Internet 5,000 times faster than DSL.

A two-minute zapping in the microwave seems like an eternity.

And we want our rookies to produce NOW.

I’ve heard lots of people are bummed that super prospects Cameron Maybin, Evan Longoria and Jay Bruce are starting the season in the minor leagues.

Do they realize Maybin is just 21years old? Or that he’s had only 69 at-bats above the Class-A level?

Or that by keeping Longoria (above) in the minors, the cost-conscious Rays can keep him under contract for an extra season when he’s entering his prime?

Or that Reds manager Dusty Baker hates kids?

OK, maybe that last part isn’t true. But it is true that fantasy players are an impatient bunch. Everybody’s looking for the next David Wright or Jonathan Papelbon or Ryan Braun, a kid who can step into the league and dominate, and post big stats in the process.

We’ve been spoiled these past few years with some awesome rookie talent. Mining those first-year gems has helped a lot of folks win a lot of fantasy titles. But it’s foolish to think every touted rookie will magically morph into an All-Star as soon as he hits the majors. A lot of people laughed at Fausto Carmona when he bombed as the Indians’ rookie closer in 2006 – and you may have noticed what he did last year as a starter.

If you took a flier on Bruce or Maybin or Longoria, don’t do something rash and drop them just because they’re beginning the year as farmhands. There’s a good chance you’ll see all of them contributing in the majors at some point this year – in Maybin’s case perhaps sooner than anyone thought after Alejandro De Aza’s injury Saturday night.

Until then, treat your rookies as luxuries. You can’t really count on them as everyday starters or build your team around a bunch of them, but keep one or two stashed on your bench as an investment. I seriously doubt anybody drafted Braun or Hunter Pence last year with the intention of using them as a full-time starter, but when it became clear those two were ready to produce at the major league level, some prescient owners were ahead of the game and didn’t have to put in a waiver claim or get involved a bidding war.

So be patient for a change. Go get some fast food to pass the time. And give the kids some time to grow up.

Photo by The Associated Press.