My personal list of big league superstars

As a baseball fan who ends up objectifying players' careers through collecting baseball cards and autographs - it's fun to consider who are the baseball guys who have achieved some sort of national prominence in the game.

On a larger scale, it does make my head hurt when I stumble upon certain discussions on whether guys are superstars or not - there maybe a divide between the guys who account for more of the 'it' factor [does a guy look like a star, does he play the part of just kind of shies away from the attention] to qualify a player as a superstar vs. the experts who just throw out all the fancy, new age stats that are supposed to win the conversation.

MLB players seem to be more conservative, less flashy and because of how the game is structured around traditional values, there might not be that in-you-face guy that is going to be a household name - there is a big consideration as far as the guys who put up the numbers.

I'm just spitballing things out, maybe making this as a glorified slideshow to see which players capture my attention - which current guys I'd continue to collect or generally look for as far as cards go, even if most of these guys don't play for my 'home team.'

Mike Trout - Trout is definitely not going to create notoriety for himself so he's a little basic, but he's the All-American, metronomic 5-tool guy seemingly putting up historic numbers every year.

Bryce Harper - he's obviously a once in a generation talent, though I'm iffy on him because his counting numbers tend to fluctuate year to year for a supposed superstar.

He's also kind of arrogant, which probably rubs some people the wrong way at times - but because he's been the next great hope ever since he was in high school, he gets a pass otherwise for the occasional tantrums he throws.

For the numbers guys, his stardom has rested on his age and his OPS/WAR totals compared to legends and icons - he has the fame, but it's going to be interesting to see if can maintain an elite level of performance for a prolonged period of time.

Kris Bryant - he maybe the best the sport can do as far as down to earth, no frills player who maybe the people's choice, whether you want him hitting home runs or doing set-up pranks.

Max Scherzer - he is probably the most dominant pitcher in the game, though he needs be part of a championship team to sort of top off his accomplishments.

Justin Verlander - he might have been on the decline as far as being a No. 1 ace for a contender, but the trade to the Houston Astros last summer reinvigorated his career.

Verlander won a World Series championship in 2017 and this year, has been as good as he's been since his prime years with the Detroit Tigers - it doesn't hurt he is married to a supermodel and can be quite the Twitter personality.

Albert Pujols - as long as he is an active MLB player, his accomplishments can't be denied, while all the work he has done off the field, being a face for developmentally disabled individuals in particular.

Jose Altuve - at 5′ 6,″ his improbable story as a professional baseball player and high level of performance makes him a superstar; he maybe the guy that takes the title from Ichiro as a universally loved player since people can sort of identify with the height thing.

Clayton Kershaw - though he's 30 now and has gotten dinged up in recent years, he's been pitching golden boy of a longtime franchise for a decade; his 'faith based' humanitarian work humanizes him quite a bit.

Joey Votto - he's toils for a bottom feeder MLB baseball team, but he's the only pro athlete who can be petty enough to disrespect the achievement of his own country's athlete and still continue to be bulletproof.

Smart, right baseball fans love this guy and it's got to be more than the fact his on-base percentage is well north of .400 - I personally see some of his antics as a bit boorish, though at least he is a very good player.

Aaron Judge - focusing on the good things he did in 2017 and playing in New York, he's a superstar but I want to see if how things play out at the end of the year before really going all in on the idea that he's elite.

Not quite there, but just about, knocking at the door

Shohei Ohtani - checked all the boxes as a superstar in Japan, but the Angels have been almost too careful about his usage, so the hype seems relatively muted among MLB fans.

Francisco Lindor - has the personality, the ability but the only Cleveland player I know is Lebron James.

Manny Machado - puts up the numbers but it may hurt that he's going to be seen as more of a high priced mercenary and perhaps fans still ding him for flair ups in his career.

Nolan Arenado - probably the best third baseman in baseball but gets dinged for playing half is games in Coors Field and not being Kris Bryant.

Mookie Betts - this guy has improbably put up superstar numbers and plays for a big market team.

It helps that he is very athletic and is probably quite strong - despite being listed at only 5'9" and 180 pounds.

Pelotero recap

On YouTube, I stumbled upon the 2012 documentary about a couple of players from the Dominican Republic back in 2009 - the documentary follows the paths Miguel Sano and Jean Batista take leading up to to the July 2 international signing deadline.

There are a lot of issues at play in this documentary - but the focus is squarely on getting paid and the stakes involved as each player is scrutinized with regards to their abilities as well as their ages / identities.

It is strongly implied, no matter how great the potential - Major League Baseball will dick around and do what it takes to keep bonuses paid out to Dominican players from getting out of control since it's been that way since the first group of players were signed.

Still, young Dominican players each year have big, confident dreams as they are cultivated and showcased for MLB teams by trainers - whose livelihood depend getting a cut of the bonus they expect their players to get.

MLB teams are looking for the youngest players possible [16 is when players can officially sign with a MLB teams] - so players lie about their ages to appear heads and shoulders other players while supposedly still having potential to grow.

In response, if a MLB team is going to pay a player - they are going to make sure that the player isn't lying about his age and/or his identity.

Sano, who looks like he is on the way to the major leagues [despite not playing in 2014 due to injury], was the top international talent in the Dominican back in 2009 - but his family felt a prominent Pittsburgh Pirates scout [Rene Gayo] had a role in holding up the MLB investigation of his identity / age, so there was no bidding war and Gayo was essentially blackmailing the family to sign with the Pirates.

In the end, Sano signed a $3.15 million bonus with the Minnesota Twins - the movie shows his entire family's frustrations when they weren't sure things were ever going to get resolved.

While the doubt over Sano's age might have derailed the start of his pro career, there was no doubt he was a prodigious talent - but for Batista, the other pelotero, things got worse.

Instead of being considered a top talent, Batista got less money and became just another guy - his story maybe actually be more interesting, since we see the relationship with his trainer [Astin Jacobo Jr.] got worse.

When Jacobo Jr. finds out Batista and his mother lied about his age, it knocks the wind out of him - Jacobo Jr. felt betrayed and has some harsh words, because he put so much time into taking Batista under his wing, only to have his reputation smeared when the truth was found out.

Batista, who seemed determined and confident at the beginning of the documentary, looked deflated - he signed with the Houston Astros, but not for the millions he was anticipating to get from some MLB team.

Because Batista was found to be a year older, it meant he was suspended by MLB for a year - his last professional season in the Astros' system was in 2013 and after playing in the independent leagues this past year, is looking for another opportunity in affiliated baseball.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Los Angeles Dodgers #2 of 30

I respect the Dodgers' history and casually check out what current Dodgers teams are doing - though my rooting interests sticks with the Angels.

In recent years, outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have been banged up [especially Kemp] and have not played as good as expected - now either one maybe trade bait this off-season, though each is still owed a lot of money.

I don't always watch the Dodgers, but when I do, I prefer Yasiel Puig - I love the energy Puig plays with whether he is at bat, on the bases, on defense and in the dugout when he is goofing with his teammates.

The caveat however is for better or for worse, he really looks like he isn't in the same planet - it's hard to watch him when he looks like a Little League player who doesn't know quite know where he is at the plate, on the bases or on the field.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Tampa Bay Rays #3 of 30

He doesn't put up the greatest individual numbers but third baseman Evan Longoria makes this team relevant - I like how his batting stance seems so simplistic, but he's able to generate double after double and has the HR pop to 'clutch up' in crucial situations.

It seems like ever since his rookie year, Longoria has been involved in every Rays postseason run - the guy is a money player.

On the mound the Rays have gotten lucky with the pitchers that have come up through their system - but I don't know if Matt Moore or Jeremy Hellickson are ace quality types if David Price is traded, though they have other guys like Alex Cobb and Chris Archer looking to step up.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - St. Louis Cardinals #4 of 30

It's impressive how the Cardinals turn out players to contribute to winning teams - it doesn't mean they are going to win the World Series every year, but they are going to be in position to go far in the playoffs in most years.

I remember being in St. Louis in 2006 when they won the World Series - I may recall vague memories of scrubs like Ronnie Belliard and Preston Wilson seemingly having the time of their lives because they were on a team that had won the World Series.

That year's Cardinals team was pretty scrappy all around and even though they weren't as talented - they just ran past everyone else.

When the Cardinals won the World Series in 2011, that was the last time Albert Pujols was ever heard from - I remember marveling at how huge his forearms looked and what a dominant player this guy was, especially after he'd hit three home runs in Game 3, just a day after baseball writer Jeff Passan dogged him in a scathing column.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Oakland Athletics #5 of 30

It seems like GM Billy Beane has found a formula for building a MLB team in Oakland that can contend for the playoffs - even if they aren't as good as other teams when they get into the postseason.

The A's are a division rival of the Angels and I don't particularly care for their recent success - still 10 or 11 years after Moneyball came out, it's impressive how bit players as well as natural talents [as far as pitching is concerned] have been cobbled together by Beane and his staff to help the A's win two consecutive American League West titles.

I didn't know much about Sonny Gray except having a few of his cards and thinking he might be just another midlevel pitching prospect - but after having a fine debut season and a postseason start to remember, the slightly built flamethrower will dictate where the A's will go in 2014.

If he gets hurts and/or is ineffective, the A's might not get as far as they've been the past two seasons - if things falls into place however, Gray might be the type to light the league up on fire and might be my dark horse candidate to win the 2014 American League Cy Young.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Texas Rangers #6 of 30

In recent years, the Angels are still looking up at the Rangers, so I can't really talk smack - I do feel like the Rangers have had it tough between losing the 2011 World Series, committing a choke job in losing the American League West title in 2012 and losing the Wild Card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Rays this past season.

It seems like manager Ron Washington can't get a break - it seems like he is the one put on the firing line rather than be considered one of the main guys who is responsible for the team's overall success, regardless of their shortcomings.

Yu Darvish might be the best pitcher in the American League with the potential to throw a no-hitter every time he is making a start - my in-person autograph white whale, I think he'd be the bees knees if he actually acknowledges and signs for me sooner than never.

Adrian Beltre's numbers have stayed consistent playing with the Rangers and besides his bat, he continues to be a great defender as he enters his mid 30's - he is making a late career push towards the Hall of Fame, something that didn't seem quite possible when he is a just an OK player and quite a disappointment in Seattle.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Detroit Tigers #7 of 30

Prince Fielder has been knocked around in recent years - the narrative is he's all sorts of overrated because he's fat and getting paid $24 million a year until 2020.

He's not a good defender because he's fat, he is a base clogger and worst yet - he's going to turn into Cecil soon enough.

For a number of reasons, I don't think he's never been as lovable as his girth has suggested - he's no teddy bear and while might be a decent guy, he seems like he's all business.

Is he ever going to hit 40 or 50 home runs again [?] - seems like he really took a step back this past year, even if he was dealing with an apparent divorce.

It's going to be compelling to see how Prince does next season - after the Tigers' postseason failures in recent years, Tigers fans are wondering what they are going to be getting from Fielder going forward.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - New York Yankees #8 of 30

The Yankees will always be relevant and I'm not going out on a limb to say some Yankees team in the future will win another World Series sooner than never - but how long has it been since they've been the No. 1 destination for a big money free agent?

It seems like all their moves in recent seasons have been to sign replacement quality players - instead of going bonkers and signing a handful of All-Star talents in the prime.

Even if they are able to re-sign second baseman Robinson Cano - the Yankees seem to be just another MLB team at the moment unless they get back to their old ways of either developing impact players that aren't merely trade bait and/or going after the top two or three free agents in the market in any given off-season.

Closer Mariano Rivera has retired and though re-signed for 2014, A-Rod seems toast and Derek Jeter is facing baseball mortality - which seems so hard to imagine just several years ago.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Atlanta Braves #9 of 30

It's been impressive how they've turned out players to contribute to winning teams - but maybe they just don't have the means to get a few more impact players to get them further in a playoff run.

The Braves have me feeling a little meh - first baseman Freddie Freeman has developed into a young star at 23, but guys like Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and B.J. Upton leave something to be desired.

Some of their established veterans have moved on or may not be with the team in 2014 - Chipper Jones retired after the 2012 season, Tim Hudson got hurt in 2013 and may need to prove himself on another team for next year while catcher Brian McCann maybe someone else's big free agent signing.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Boston Red Sox #10 of 30

The 2013 World Series was won on the back of MVP David Ortiz and it seems like he has been the one constant in Boston over the last 10-11 years - he maybe have been a PED guy at some point and several years ago his bat had slowed down as he entered his mid 30's.

There have been rumblings and grumblings about whether he is a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate - his postseason performances [in 2004, 2007 and 2013] help his case a lot and if I was betting on it, he's probably going to be in Cooperstown.

I do think he is going to need a couple of more 'nice' seasons to round out his career - being a designated hitter for the majority of his career and other warts [PEDs] probably has him waiting at least three to five years after he is eligible to be voted in.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - San Francisco Giants #11 of 30

Buster Posey's numbers at the plate fell off a bit after having an MVP season in 2012 - maybe he was a bit hurt or banged up, but a healthy Posey obviously goes a long way in dictating how the Giants do in the next few years.

Even when the Giants crashed in 2013, their front office has proven they can make some savvy moves with the money to make up for any mistakes in signing particular free agents that go bust - so they'll probably retool the pitching staff and try to contend with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014.

Starting pitcher Tim Lincecum was re-signed and has extended his stay in San Francisco - but may never get back into the superstar form that made him 'The Freak' and his numbers as he turns 30 maybe 'as is.'

Lincecum overpowered hitters in his prime - now it's about battling himself, battling his control and trying to keep things in check on a start by start basis.

The seemingly metronomic Matt Cain had an off year - though his numbers besides his wins/losses and overall ERA seem to indicate he didn't have such a terrible season, especially in the second half.

Out of some of the pitching woes the Giants suffered, soft spoken Madison Bumgarner emerged as their ace this past season - putting together a fine year with just over 200 innings pitched, with just about the same number of batters struck out while allowing only 146 hits.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Washington Nationals #12 of 30

I've always liked how Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has carried himself as a professional baseball player - even though he has been overshadowed by the likes of Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg in recent years.

Zimmerman has been with the Nationals ever since their first season in Washington back in 2005 - hopefully he can get his throwing problems straightened out as the Nationals look to bounce back from a season where they were expected to reach the World Series.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Pittsburgh Pirates #13 of 30

On the strength of his all-around skills, center fielder Andrew McCutchen won the 2013 National League MVP and led the Pirates to their first winning season since 1992 - while rookie starting pitcher Gerrit Cole wasn't the only guy carrying the load on the mound for the Pirates this past season, the former No. 1 pick was legit.

With these two in the mix, maybe the Pirates of right now can establish a winning, contending culture - to make fans forget the hell they went through between 1993-2012.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Cincinnati Reds #14 of 30

Is Joey Votto is the most overrated player in baseball [?] - all the numbers guys think poor Votto is unfairly persecuted in Cincinnati because he is just infinitely better at the plate than anyone else on the roster, posting some nifty on-base percentages over the course of his career.

All the perceived digs from presumably the old school way of baseball thinking wouldn't mean a thing if votto was hitting 40 home runs and driving in 130 runs a year - I don't see a problem with Votto's somewhat passive approach at the plate, but for the contract he is being paid as franchise player, he might not be a guy capable of carrying a team on his back when he is content to take a walk.

Maybe he can't do it in a practical sense and/or his body maybe breaking down - but a little aggressiveness and swing for the fences mentality probably wouldn't hurt Votto's production, even if his on-base percentage slips just a little.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Baltimore Orioles #15 of 30

Chris Davis, Manny Machado and Adam Jones make this team go round and round - though it remains to be seen whether Davis can duplicate his monster season, whether Machado can recover from the leg injury he suffered and whether Adam Jones can continue to be a center fielder with the ability to hit with some pop.

I do wonder what happened to Nick Markakis - he bounced back to play 160 games this past season but isn't the rising star he once was in his mid 20's, especially when he had a .356 slugging percentage.

Is the corpse of Brian Roberts still haunting the team ?] - it's been suspect that he hasn't been able to play a full season since 2009.

I'm sure he is still a fan favorite with the Orioles, even though he has only gotten to play on a sporadic basis - but I wonder if he was doing something in his mid 20's that caught up with him in his 30's.

Has Matt Wieters' star dimmed [?] - once annointed a future superstar at catcher, he's been a decent player who hasn't quite lived up to the massive hype and had a down season with the bat in 2013.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Colorado Rockies #16 of 30

The Rockies have a pair of All-Star performers in Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki - CarGo is one of the best all-around outfielders in the National League when healthy while Tulo is probably the best shortstop in the National League.

Both offer a wide range of skills though it remains to be seen whether either one will be moved to get Rockies perhaps some prospects that will help the team in several areas - the Rockies may have to go out in the free agent market and give some mid level pitchers crazy money just so they have can something resembling a Major League pitching staff.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Arizona Diamondbacks #17 of 30

The Diamondbacks faded in the second half of the season even with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt emerging as an All-Star talent - I see how the team is built on scrappiness, toughness and playing the game the Kirk Gibson way, but it's hard to see how they are going to win with C-level talent.

Maybe the team is tweaked and better players and/or coaches are added, but no matter how they improve on paper - it maybe a daunting challenge to compete against the big money Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Toronto Blue Jays #18 of 30

The Blue Jays laid an egg in 2013, unable to really get on a good run to get back into contention - it was just a big, jumbled run on mess as Jose Reyes got hurt, Jose Bautista got hurt, R.A. Dickey didn't start the season well, Josh Johnson was terrible, Mark Buehrle was Mark Buehrle, Ricky Romero got the Steve Blass disease, J.P. Arencibia hit 21 home runs but had 18 walks and struck out 148 times, Brandon Morrow got hurt, Melky stopped juicing, Brett Lawrie underperformed, Emilio Bonifacio was a bust, Sergio Santos was decent but he was working his way back from injuries, being hurt for much of 2012, yadda, yadda, yadda.

The Jays were much maligned and will have to go back to the drawing board - Edwin Encarnacion had a fine season, Adam Lind sort of bounced back from a terrible 2012 and Colby Rasmus was quite decent.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Chicago Cubs #19 of 30

I could care less about the Cubs, their curses and their heartbreaks but they have some nice prospects that maybe worth watching sooner than later including - Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, C.J. Edwards, Albert Almora, Jorge Soler, et al.

I didn't really know who Bryant was a year ago [at the University of San Diego], but while he's not the 'official' Cubs No. 1 prospect entering the 2014 season - he looks like the next great hope for Cubs fans he's on the fast track to get to the Major Leagues sooner than later with a polished approach at the plate and power potential.