I had a great opportunity to get to see some of the future stars of major league baseball last night and I have to tell you that the future is bright in the league. The likes of Mike Montgomery, Eric Hosmer, and Dustin Ackley flashed some of their talents and proved the hype they are getting are nothing short of accurate. Yankees left hander Manuel Banuelos impressed and Ben Revere also showed off his skills, but two players I had my eyes on were none other than our own outfielders, AJ Pollock and Marc Krauss. I must tell you both of them impressed me quite a bit.

AJ Pollock didn't get to play in the field, but he was in the starting lineup as the team's designated hitter. First thing I noticed was that he had a very poised composure at the plate. He looked cool and calm didn't seem to be fazed at all by playing in his first nationally televised game like some players do. Good bat speed and very compact swing with good pitch selection pretty much described his at bats. Although he didn't have any hits, I could tell he's a hard working player who doesn't give up on plays because he was racing down to first base bag even when he hit obvious outs. He reminds me alot of Conor Jackson and also little bit of Grady Sizemore with less power. He'll hit around .280 to .300 with 30 doubles, 10 triples, 15 homers, and 25 stolen bases in his good seasons in my opinion.

Marc Krauss in the other hand impressed me with something that a lot of us are not to fond with when it comes to his game, his defense. Marc got a start in left field and boy does he have an arm. He is relatively slow (although you'll be surprised how quick he is for that size) and does not have the greatest range, but he has an above average arm. He saved his team a run by gunning down a runner with his weapon. He is definitely a polished hitter as well and I think he has a potential to start for some teams out in left field. He can hit for power, but it's not as good as say, of Paul Goldschmidt. He hits in the gap very well as well and he had some good pitch selection in his three at bats in that game. He hit a double and drew a walk to sum up his stat line. His comparison should be more like Jack Cust or Lyle Overbay as opposed to Adam Dunn since I believe his power is not at the level of Dunn's. I believe he is capable of providing .250 to .270 batting average mark with 30 doubles and 25 homers a season. I think he'll sneak in few triples and stolen bases and could be a useful regular if all works out.

Overall, I was very pleased with the display these two players have put on and I believe they could be key components of Arizona Diamondbacks' future in the outfield. Also, as a quick note, it truly is our priviledge to be able to see these young stars here in the valley in AFL. When you get the chance, make sure to check these games out.