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in hopes of avoiding a familiar fate this season.1. Daniel Hudson, SP, Diamondbacks Not the same Mr. Hudson heard alongside Jay-Z on “Young Forever,” despite bursting onto the scene simultaneously, but the young gun made some noise of his own in 2010. Sure, the 2008 5^th round pick out of Old Dominion lacks the pedigree of your Strasburg-types, but going forward few pitchers have shown similar promise at the ripe age of 23. After arriving in Arizona as a part of the Peavy deal, Hudson started 11 games for the Diamondbacks, posting an otherworldly 1.69 ERA through 79.2 innings, while striking out a respectable 70 batters in that span. For the year, Hudson notched an 8-2 record, a 2.45 ERA, 84 Ks, and a 1.00 WHIP in 95.1 innings (all but 1 of his 14 starts came after the break). Batters will certainly adjust as Hudson enters his first full slate as a major league starter, but on the heels of a 14-5 minor league record with a 2.32 ERA, there’s no reason to write the kid off as a one-year wonder. Overall, Hudson is worth a mid-to-early round reach, while leaguemates are preoccupied with the middling, albeit more established, Ted Lillies and John Dankses of the world.2. Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pirates There’s still not much to like about the Pirates, but Alvarez offers some semblance of hope for wayward Pittsburgh fans, especially considering the dearth of relevant names manning the hot corner. After a slow start to the year, Alvarez powered 13 HRs and 53 RBIs, while hitting a Costanza-esque .270 in the second half right in that meaty part of the curve, not showing off, not falling behind. Looking ahead to 2011, Alvarez would likely produce serviceable numbers were he a 1^st basemen, limited by an anemic Pirates offense. But the relative scarcity at 3B makes him much hotter commodity, as once you get past the A-Rod/Bautista/Zimmerman plateau there are few, if any, third basemen with more upside. At just 24 years old and entering his first full season as a starter, Alvarez could easily project to 25 HRs this year, with a high-end 35 looming in Stretch Armstrong striking distance. In the spirit of full disclosure, buyers should beware of an alarmingly strikeout rate that could place him dubiously among the league leaders in whiffs.3. Jhoulys Chacin, SP, Rockies 2010 was “Year of the Ubaldo,” particularly through the first 4 months of the season, but Chacin quietly had a praiseworthy season while stuck in Jimenez’s shadow (9-11, 3.28 ERA, 9.04 K/9 and a 1.27 WHIP) . The danger Coors Field presents to pitchers is overrated in the humidor era, as Jimenez effectively proved through better home than road splits. As a result, Chacin, like any Colorado hurler, is criminally undervalued in in the fantasy community. Entering the Rockies’ rotation last May, Chacin delivered a mixed bag of results that culminated in a July move to the bullpen. However, a brief stint in relief seemed to fix Chacin’s inconsistency on the mound. He returned to the rotation in August in top form, compiling a 2.13 ERA and striking out 49 batters over 55 innings in his final 9 appearances. Over his final 8 contests, Chacin allowed no more than 2 earned runs in any start, including 4 of 7 innings or more. Worst case scenario: A sophomore slump that sets Chacin back to an ERA in the mid-high 3′s. Best Case: Chacin joins Ubaldo among the league’s elite to create a formidable 1-2 punch in Colorado for years to come (with De La Rosa serving as a strong 3^rd arm admittedly poor word choice to boot). 4. Mike Stanton, RF, Marlins Read the rest of this entry »