MLB's 25 Under 25- The Finale!

Down to the final eight best young players in the big leagues. So far there have been plenty of shortstops and strong pitching. Will it be more of the same? Lets find out.

#8 Manny Machado 3B Baltimore Orioles
Last year the fighting Buck Showalters took the MLB by surprise last year and are contending in the AL East again, a major part of this is Machado. He was always projected to be a plus hitter, but in his first full season he is exceeding expectations. Currently, he leads the majors in doubles and is hitting .318. At only 20 years old, he has a WAR of 2.6 and has earned his way in the top of the Baltimore order quickly.

#7 Stephen Strasburg RHP Washington Nationals

Strasburg has stuggled
since being shelved
last season.

One of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory, Strausburg has all the tools to become an ace. A fastball that can touch triple digits, a two-seamer with late bite, and a 12-6 curve that falls in the low 80's. He gets tons of strikeouts and ground ball outs. Theres just one problem this year. He's only 2-5 this year. The Nationals wer criticized for sitting him at the end of last season for health reasons, and he has not been the same since sitting out. While still having loads of potential, it seems he still hasn't reached his ceiling.

#6 Clayton Kershaw LHP Los Angeles Dodgers
As long as Kershaw has been around, it seems like a surprise that he is still just 25. He has already racked up a record of 66-39 and its only gotten better as he progresses. Since 2011, he has been one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball, but hasn't gotten the attention he deserves. Kershaw has excellent stuff, a dominant fastball and a nasty curve that just falls off the table. Those tools are why he's been a 200+ strikeout pitcher since 2010.

#5 Paul Goldschmidt 1B Arizona Diamondbacks

Goldy has powered Arizona
to the top of the NL West

If you don't know about Paul Goldschmidt yet, do yourself a favor and look at some highlights. He's putting up numbers like nobody's business right now. In the NL he ranks 3rd in RBI's, 2nd in HR's, and 1st in OPS. Hes a throwback to the old school power hitting first baseman, but what sets him apart is that he also hits for a high average. Currently he has a a .323 average and an on base percentage of .408, which is rare for a power hitter.

#4 Matt Moore LHP Tampa Bay Rays
Many think that Kershaw or Strasburg are the top young pitchers, but they are both being outperformed by Matt Moore down in Tampa. Moore tore through the minors with his fastball in the upper 90's, tight spinning curve and changeup, as well as excellent control. After an average rookie campaign, he's now tearing through major league hitters. He's currently 8-0, best in the majors, with an ERA that slowly moved up to 2.29. Every game Moore has started this year, hes gone over 100 pitches, and the Rays have gotten the win.

#3 Justin Upton OF Atlanta Braves

2/3 of the outstanding Atlanta Outfield

Probably the biggest acquisition this off season, a move away from Arizona was in the cards for Upton, and reuniting with his brother in Atlanta made for a perfect situation. Now part of the best outfield in the Majors, Upton is hitting .273, which is the mark for most of his career. The big difference this season however is the power. He currently leads the NL with 14 homeruns, and is halfway to his career high of 31 in less than 1/3 of the games.

#2 Bryce Harper OF Washington Nationals

Somedays you just hit a wall

Harper has all the physical tools, he was by far the most talented prospect when he was drafted. The thing keeping Harper from the top spot is questions about his mental abilities and maturity. At just 20, it should be expected that it should improve. Combine that with his
power and speed and you could have a franchise player on your hands. Until then, you get moments of greatness, and moments where he runs into a wall. Literally.

#1 Mike Trout OF Los Angeles Angels

Trout has all the tools to be a star

If it wasn't for Miguel Cabrera winning the triple crown, Trout would have won both the rookie of the year and the MVP. The 21 year old has played less than 200 big league games and is already the complete package in centerfield. He has excellent defensive ability, plenty of power and stole 49 bases last season. He's only hitting .293 as it seems all of the Angels are struggling this season, but that hasn't stopped him from racking up 34 RBI's and 9 stolen bases.

Some thoughts on the list.

-I was surprised by the amount of shortstops that were deserving of being on this list. 6 of the 15 position players were shortstops, and 5 of those were in the NL.

-Speaking of the NL, they had 18 of the 25. The NL East led the way with seven players. Equalling the entire AL.

-While most of the players were pushing 25 years old. The top of the list was much younger, the three players under 21 were all in the top 7.

-Just missing the list were players like Will Middlebrooks from Boston, Mat Latos in Cincinnati, Dustin Ackley in Seattle and Eric Hosmer in Kansas City

-Some of the best players that missed the list due to age were 26 year olds Andrew McCutchen and Yu Darvish, those two would've certainly taken the top two spots had they qualified.