#5 MIGHT BE THE BEST CALL, CERTAINLY THE BEST NAME:

Who Wants To Be The Next K-Rod? (Bryan Tsao, August 09, 2006, Hardball Times)

Every season there seem to be at least one rookie who comes from out of nowhere and gives his team a boost down the stretch or in the postseason. Last season, Bobby Jenks didn't pitch in his first Major League Baseball game until July 6, but ended the season pitching in 32 of Chicago's last 80 games, racking up six saves and a 2.75 ERA along the way. During the playoffs, he served as White Sox closer, saving four of the White Sox's 11 wins en route to a World Series title.

Four years ago that player was Francisco Rodriguez, who came up in September, pitched in just five games in the regular season, and ended up winning five games in the playoffs as the Angels surged to their first ever World Series victory.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, calling up prospects will be the only practical way for teams to potentially add an impact player; see the Andruw Jones saga for a primer on the folly of trying to pass a star through waivers. As I noted in last week's column, projecting minor leaguers and prospects is an iffy proposition, but nonetheless, here are five young guys whom you might not have heard of (so no Jered Weaver, who's a victim of his own early success, in this case) who could be one of this season's breakout rookies.