by Jimmy Patrick

Created on: June 02, 2008

With the steroids era in baseball seemingly coming to a close and stars like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens waving farewell to their playing days, Major League Baseball seems to be pushing their young stars more than ever, as if to say, "Please forgive us, baseball fans, here are a new crop of stars guaranteed not to be on steroids. Enjoy."

Some of the brightest stars are the ones toeing the rubber, and why wouldn't they be; with no more steroid use, the pitchers should return to dominance.

All kidding aside, here are some of the top young pitchers in the American League:

1. Jonathon Papelbon: I know he isn't a starter and I was reluctant to put him number one on my list, but when I think dominant, young, American League, Papelbon's face is first to pop into my head.

Papelbon is only 27 years old, but he has established himself as one of the best, if not the best closer in baseball. He became the Red Sox closer in 2006. He had 35 saves that year with an ERA of an unbelievable .92; his WHIP was just as mind boggling at .78; he struck out 75 batters in 68.1 innings and walked only 13 men.

In 2007, Papelbon picked it up right where he left off. He finished with 37 saves, a 1.85 ERA and a .77 WHIP. He was also very prominent in the Red Sox march to World Series Championship over the Colorado Rockies.

The statistics are mind blowing, but if you get a chance to see him pitch, the live performance may be even more impressive. He has a dramatic stare he gives the plate before each pitch he throws. He has a fastball that sizzles and a curve ball that snaps like a whip. You have to see it to believe it, so watch him any time you get a chance.

2. and 3. are James Shields and Scott Kazmir or the Tampa Bay (don't say Devil) Rays. Shields throws from the right and Kazmir throws from the left providing a nice one-two punch that the Rays hope to keep around for years to come.

Kazmir is 24 years old and probably is the better of the two pitchers. He has a great fastball and a wicked slider that one might say is reminiscent of Randy Johnson. He is proving to be nearly unhittable so far in 2008 with an ERA of 1.22 to back up his 5-1 record. No fluke wins in that handful. His career record is 40-30 with a 3.50 ERA, so perhaps he is showing signs of improvement as he develops.

Shields pitches with a bit more attitude than Kazmir. More fiery on the mound than the stoic Kazmir, the 26-year-old seems to lose his focus at times and give up some hard-hit balls, yet he seems to regain focus

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