There was a time when seniority was existent in baseball. You had to wait your chance even if you possessed superior skills to the older player. Some coaches really believed the freshman needed to watch and learn.
Those coaches needed to go.
Fortunately, the majority of coaches subscribe to the theory that the best players must be on the field. In 2016, there will be a tremendous amount of freshmen that will pay pivotal roles for their teams.
Here is a countdown of the top 10 that could determine how far their teams go…
10. Aaron Glickstein, Stony Brook:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCVR4hdv_MA]
He would be higher on this list but he is coming off Tommy John surgery and it is not clear how the coaching staff will implement him back into the pitching staff. In 2014, he was undefeated for Half Hollow Hills West at 10-0. He touches 90 MPH with the fastball and is the type of pitcher that doesn’t allow innings to get out of hand–he can buckle down and limit the damage. I would imagine that Coach Senk will ease him into a role by using him in low-leverage situations out of the bullpen. Eventually, he will see more important relief appearances and will be the bullpen’s ace. He will be a starter as soon as his stamina is up because he’s that good–but for purposes of this list, he won’t have as much of an impact as the other guys because of the limited workload in the early portion of the season.
To read the rest of the countdown, click here.
