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| "Who would you take, the Mets' Jose Reyes and David Wright or the Phillies' Ryan Howard and Chase Utley?" Without giving the topic much thought, I responded, "Howard and Utley." The scout then said, "OK, Howard and Utley or the Twins' Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau?" Poll Hmmm ... My response was Mauer and Morneau, but the comparisons were so fascinating, it inspired me to conduct an unscientific poll. Over the several days, I asked 19 baseball people — mostly scouts and executives, but also a manager and a sabermetrician — to select their top young dynamic duo. I promised anonymity in exchange for candid responses, and the answers, as you might imagine were fascinating. Wright and Reyes got nine votes. Mauer and Morneau received eight. Howard and Utley — incredibly, or as we shall see, maybe not so incredibly — were shut out. The sabermetrician cast his own ballot, nominating the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera and Hanley Ramirez. An executive also veered off course, initially selecting the Indians' Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner. Another exec declined to even vote, saying, "I don't have the mental bandwidth to distinguish between them." The consensus, naturally, was, "I'd love to have any or all of 'em." Young players don't always progress steadily — Sizemore and Victor Martinez might have topped this list a year ago, but Martinez has regressed as a catcher and appears destined for first base. Before racing to your favorite water cooler — or entering your favorite chat room - consider the pros and cons of each duo: Reyes and Wright Start with their ages — both are 23. The younger the player, the higher his ceiling. Power generally increases with age, and Reyes and Wright already are All-Stars in the game's most demanding market. David Wright and Jose Reyes have led the Mets to the best record in baseball. (Nick Laham / Getty Images) "I'd take the cats who are great players in the great arena," one scout says. The positions that Reyes and Wright play also are an attraction; shortstops and third basemen are more difficult to find than first basemen, and both Howard and Morneau play first base. Reyes' speed and leadoff skills make him that much more unique. And since both Reyes and Wright are excellent defenders — "Wright plays third base like he's a shortstop," a scout says — they can contribute even when they're not hitting. Athletic players tend to hold their peaks longer. And Wright, in particular, shows leadership qualities. One qualifier: Reyes and Wright are surrounded by other terrific hitters in the Mets' dynamic lineup, while Mauer and Morneau are the Twins' centerpieces and Howard and Utley are equally prominent with the Phillies now that Bobby Abreu is gone. Another question: Reyes and Wright just signed lucrative contract extensions, prompting one executive to speculate that the money might diminish their hunger. Good as Reyes and Wright are, the case for the Marlins' Cabrera and Ramirez eventually could be even stronger — assuming that Ramirez builds on his outstanding rookie season. Cabrera, 23, is one of the game's top offensive performers. Ramirez, 22, has been nearly as good as Reyes. Mauer and Morneau Morneau, 25, is on a 40-homer, 136-RBI pace — and he's the afterthought in this discussion. Justin Morneau has had an impressive season for the Twins, along with AL batting leader Joe Mauer. (Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images) Mauer, 23, is the game's most coveted young player, a gifted, athletic defender who could become the first catcher since Ernie Lombardi in 1942 to win a batting title. If quality shortstops and third basemen are relatively scarce, catchers at Mauer's level are once-in-a-generation. Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, Ivan Rodriguez ... Mauer. "Compare him to others at his position — no one is even in the same galaxy," one exec says. "He's so much better in every way, shape or form, except for power. And Joe Mauer absolutely will hit for power." Adds a scout: "Mauer will be the best player in the game at some point." And finally, this from an opposing manager: "He has no holes at the plate, none." The only way Mauer's value will drop is if he moves to another position, a possibility later in his career. Morneau is a fine complement to Mauer, but this is his first big season, and some are skeptical of his limited track record. Still, an AL manager says of Morneau, "If you make a mistake to him, it's not a single. It gets pummeled." Howard and Utley These two bums, how are they even in the conversation? Let's see, Howard leads the majors with 49 homers and 128 RBIs — a 60-homer, 157-RBI pace. Utley merely ranks first among major-league second baseman in on-base percentage and second to the Giants' Ray Durham in slugging. "It's not a question of the other guys being better," one executive says. "It's just age." Well, age and athleticism, but mostly age. Utley is 27, Howard 26. They're on the verge of entering their primes. Their upsides aren't quite as high. The other rap on Howard and Utley is that they aren't gifted defensively, particularly when compared with Reyes, Wright and Mauer. Both Howard and Utley are improving as defenders — "for a big guy, he doesn't play big," one exec says of the 6-foot-4, 252-pound Howard — but their far greater impact is on offense. Howard is sixth in the majors in on-base/slugging percentage, Utley 36th. Morneau is 15th, Mauer 19th. Wright is 30th, Reyes 61st. Howard's power is "easy," scouts say, and to all fields. He might be game's next David Ortiz. Heck, he might be Ortiz right now. Utley, besides offering superior offensive skills, is a relentless, scrappy player; his intangibles enhance his value. Then again, the Indians' Hafner, 29, is only 18 months older than Utley, and his OPS is the highest in the majors. In fact, Hafner and Sizemore, 24, boast a higher average OPS than any of the other duos. Their drawback: While Sizemore plays center field, Hafner is a designated hitter. Take your pick, then: Reyes and Wright. Mauer and Morneau. Howard and Utley. "I don't think you can whiff on that question," one executive says. "There's no wrong answer." |