There is a Whole Lot of CarGo

Gonzalez showed signs of a superstar in
the 2009 postseason.

The Colorado Rockies have a young core of players that seem to have them set up for the future.

Yes, the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up, Troy Tulowitzki, is the face of the franchise, but it's another young player on the rise that caught the attention of the baseball world in 2010. Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is coming off a breakout season in '10 which was filled with a ton of individual accolades.

Gonzalez won both his first career Silver Slugger and Gold Glove, deeming him one of the three best outfielders in the NL with the bat and glove. Despite Gonzalez not being named to the All-Star Game in Anaheim, California he sure played like it.

This past season was the first chance Gonzalez got to be an everyday player in the big leagues and rewarded manager Jim Tracy's decision. Gonzalez played in a career-high 145 games, topping his previous mark the year before, appearing in only 89 games.

The native Venezuelan recorded 636 at-bats this past season, doubling any amount his previous two seasons. In those 636 at-bats, Gonzalez knocked out 197 hits, 34 of those leaving the ballpark. Gonzalez won the NL batting title, posting a .336 average and finished third in the NL Most Valuable Player voting. He also led the entire major leagues with 351 total bases. Gonzalez is the real deal and looks to have a real bright future ahead of him.

Gonzalez was original signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2002 as an amatuer free agent. He was then shipped to the Oakland Athletics for right-hander Dan Haren. He made his Major League debut in May of 2008, but his career in Oakland was short lived, playing in only 85 games for the A's that season. That winter he was dealt to Colorado for the power hitting left fielder Matt Holliday.

Some regard Gonzalez as a once upon time cast off after being traded twice in his career and still only 25.

Look at it this way, Gonzalez has to be highly revered throughout his career even despite being dealt twice. Between Haren and Holliday there is seven All-Star appearances, 183 home runs and 94 career wins. Every team that has traded for Gonzalez has seen his potential and he is finally reaching it in Colorado.

In the 2009 postseason, Gonzalez gave us a glimpse into the future by recording 10 hits in only 17 at-bats which accumulated to a .588 batting average. The Rockies would lose to the eventual NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies, ending his remarkable postseason run five games in.

Gonzalez was rewarded this offseason with a seven-year extension worth about $80 million. The future looks bright in Colorado with Gonzalez and Tulowitzki locked up for the long-haul. Gonzalez wears the No. 5, the number of their beloved former outfielder Matt Holliday, Gonzalez has done his best to put Hollday in the past and capture the love of the fans in Denver.

As his teammates call him, 'Cargo' has finally found a home and it should be a "Rocky Mountain High" soon for the five-tool player.

Lester Could Win First Cy Young in 2011

We may have not seen the best of Jon Lester.

Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester has already accomplished so much in his short career with the best yet to come.

Lester was diagnosed with lymphoma back in 2006 and beat it. In the 2007 World Series, Lester won the series-clinching Game 4 in Colorado against the Colorado Rockies. In May of 2008, the two-time All-Star pitched the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history in front the of Fenway Faithful. In 2010, Lester was among the games best pitchers winning a career-high 19 games and struck out 225 batters.

Lester has no question been the workhorse of the Red Sox staff the last couple of years, pitching 200-plus innings each of the last three seasons.

With such high expectations in Boston this season, Lester seems to be in the center of it. Manager Terry Francona has already said that Lester will be their Opening Day starter in Texas, something that Josh Beckett has done each of the last two seasons.

Even though Lester has been a good starting pitcher in the big leagues, winning at least 15 games the last three seasons, it could be a breakout season for the young man from Tacoma, Washington.

With right-handers Beckett and John Lackey coming off sub par seasons in '10, Lester will need to get out of the gate quickly and avoid another slow start like he has the past two years. His last two Aprils, the lefty has posted a 5.40 and 7.20 earned run average, respectively. Most people around baseball feel that Lester possessions the best stuff from the left side in baseball.

Lester will look to put it all together in 2011 and add his first Cy Young to his laundry list of accomplishments at the young age 27.