Player – Delmon Young
Position – OF
Born – September 14, 1985   
Home – Camarillo, California
Height – 6-foot-3
Weight – 205 lbs.
Bats – Right   
Throws – Right
High School – Camarillo High School (Camarillo, CA)
Drafted – Selected by Tampa Bay Devil Rays number one overall in the 2003 amateur entry draft

Delmon Young is a 20-year-old, five-tool phenom on the verge of breaking out with the Devil Rays. He’s cruised through the lower levels of the minor ranks, and is expected to arrive in the bigs sometime this season – most likely, for good. Two full years removed from high school, he’ll contend for a spot with the big league club during Spring Training, although, it’s more likely he’ll start at Triple-A Durham and be called up around the mid-season point. One thing that is for sure is he’s a rotisserie monster in the making – making the 20/20 club each season in the junior ranks, while averaging 107 RBI and 93 runs to go along with a strong .317 batting average.

Delmon is the brother of 10-year major league veteran Dmitri Young. He’s grown up around major league clubhouses and exudes confidence beyond his years. Some would even label it as brash arrogance. But the kid backs it up. He’s got the all the power and ability to hit for average like his older bro, but also is blessed with amazing speed that Dmitri has always lacked. The term five-tool is overused when describing baseball players’ talent levels. However in Delmon’s case, it’s right on the money. The kid isn’t even old enough to drink alcohol, but he’s already got the combination of pop and speed virtually unmatched in the game. In 267 minor league games, he’s ripped 51 long balls and is 53-for-71 in stolen base attempts. In a 162-game season, that works out to about 31 home runs and 32 home runs. It’s a rarity for a player of his age to enter the league with that caliber of talent. Players usually develop over time and hit that prowess in their prime later in their careers. "He has the type of power that can change games," former general manager Chuck LaMar said. "There are very few players with power that can be felt from the on-deck circle. Delmon has a chance to be that type of player."

During his brief professional career, his resume is already quite impressive. After being selected first overall in the 2003 amateur draft, he’s already notched the 2004 Most Outstanding Major League Prospect in the Class A South Atlantic League, the 2005 Most Valuable Player in the Double-A Southern League and two All-Star appearances. Baseball America even named Young the top prospect in the Southern and International Leagues recently. It’s just a matter of time before he starts his assault on major league hurlers.

In 2005, Young blew away the competition at both the Double-A and Triple-A ranks and was expected to get the call to the Devil Rays when rosters expanded to 40 on September 1. However, the phone never rang, and that was very frustrating for him. After all, Young is one of the top prospects in the game and posted worthy enough numbers for at least a cup of coffee with D-Rays. Tampa Bay finished dead last again, tied for the second worst record (67-95) in the game, so it remains a curious decision why the team’s leaders didn’t bring him up. A few games in the big show definitely wouldn’t stunt his growth. Young publicly bashed the franchise for not giving him a chance, calling them “cheap” and even vowed to leave the club once he was eligible for free agency.

Following their dreadful season, the Devil Rays were sold and now have completely new ownership and management. Some of the club's brass met with the prospect earlier in the offseason and gave the kid a better taste at how the team is running things. Young elected to pass on the Arizona Fall League this autumn. Been there, done that. When he was 18 years old – fresh out of high school – he led the Mesa Solar Sox in batting average with a .417 mark (20-for-48) with a .625 slugging percentage. This offseason, he elected to get some much needed rest and relaxation to come back strong for a possible breakout 2006 campaign. He’ll be a top holdover candidate because of his tremendous upside and is worth taking in the mid to late rounds in all keeper leagues.

If you have any questions or comments, you can contact me at Matt@CREATiVESPORTS.com.