Young pitchers can give owners an edge

It’s why owners were falling all over themselves to grab Felix Hernandez last summer, why Twins fans are pleading with management to put Francisco Liriano in the starting rotation, and why Fenway Park becomes electric when Jonathan Papelbon trots out of the bullpen in the ninth inning.

Upside. It’s that seemingly unlimited potential that gives us that extra giddy-up. You hear rumblings of dominance in the minor leagues. Then rumors of a call-up. Then it happens. By the time Hernandez made his big-league debut last August, Mariners fa[an error occurred while processing this directive]ns were already calling him "King" and penciling him in for Cooperstown.

New Englanders were exposed to some of this excitement in 2001 when a pitcher named Josh Beckett went 8-1 with a 1.82 ERA for the Portland Sea Dogs, striking out 102 batters in 74 innings. Even then, some owners were salivating over the prospects of a call-up so they could add Beckett to their rosters.

The same routine played out with the Cubs’ Mark Prior in 2002 and the A’s Rich Harden in 2003. Guys who had never seen them throw were convinced that the pitching phenoms could be the final piece to a fantasy championship. And you know what? They might have been right.

Given the way they can affect your hopes of a title, it’s important to keep tabs on the young pitchers already in the majors — and also the ones not far behind. These are some of the names to learn if you haven’t already done so:

Francisco Liriano
Twins, age 22
Some in Minnesota are already calling him the next Johan Santana. Despite a 1-2 record and a 5.70 ERA in six games with the Twins last season, fantasy owners saw the upside: 33 strikeouts in 23 innings and a WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) of 1.10. Currently stuck in the Twins bullpen, Liriano has 12 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He’s yet to allow a run.

Matt Cain
Giants, age 21
Cain got the attention of fantasy owners everywhere by going 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in seven starts with the Giants last season. He allowed 24 hits in 46 innings, and it wasn’t a fluke. In 26 starts with Triple-A Fresno, Cain struck out 176 in 145 innings and gave up 118 hits. He’s 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts with the Giants this spring.

Justin Verlander
Tigers, age 23
Armed with an upper-90s fastball, Verlander pitched seven shutout innings at Texas in his first start this season, limiting the powerful Rangers to two hits. Of course, he was rocked for seven runs in two-plus innings his next time out, so consistency isn’t quite there. He allowed 11 hits in 32 innings for Double-A Erie last season and had a 0.28 ERA in seven starts.

Scott Baker
Twins, age 24
By Friday night, Yankee fans knew who this guy was. Baker toyed with the mighty Bombers, throwing seven innings of three-hit ball in a 5-1 Minnesota victory. He won the fifth spot in the Twins rotation this spring after a successful 10-game stint last season (3-3, 3.35 ERA).

Brian Bannister
Mets, age 25
Savvy owners picked up on Bannister after he beat out highly regarded Aaron Heilman for a rotation spot in spring training. Bannister might have learned a thing or two from his father, Floyd, who won 134 games in a 15-year career that ended in 1992. After two starts, the younger Bannister is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA.

Brandon McCarthy
White Sox, age 22
If anyone in the stacked White Sox rotation gets hurt, expect McCarthy to do a nice job filling the void. The lanky, 6-foot-7 righty was roughed up in his first five starts with Chicago last season, going 0-1 with an 8.14 ERA. His next seven games produced slightly better numbers — a 3-1 record with a 1.69 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. McCarthy is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in four games out of the bullpen this season.

Scott Olsen
Marlins, age 22
The Marlins’ prized left-hander lost in his season debut Saturday night against Washington, allowing four hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked six as well. Olsen started four games for Florida in 2005, going 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA. He struck out 21 in 20 innings. Control isn’t Olsen’s strong point, so expect some rough patches. He was 6-4 with a 3.92 ERA at Double-A Carolina in 2005.

Chad Billingsley
Dodgers, age 21
If Grady Little’s club continues to have pitching problems, it won’t take long for Billingsley to crack the Dodgers’ rotation. The right-hander went 13-6 at Double-A Jacksonville last season, striking out 162 in 146 innings. Now at Triple-A Las Vegas, the former first-round pick is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two starts. He’s struck out 11 in 10 innings.

Jon Lester
Red Sox, age 22
Here’s something to chew on, Sox fans: Many scouts think Lester has better stuff and a brighter future than Papelbon, who has allowed two baserunners in six innings while going 5-for-5 in save chances this season. Boston refused to include Lester, a 6-foot-3 left-hander, in the Josh Beckett trade. With David Wells going on the disabled list Saturday, expect fans to clamor for Lester, who was 11-6 with a 2.61 ERA at Double-A Portland last year.

Jeremy Sowers
Indians, age 22
Here’s one on the fast track. The 6-foot-1 lefty started last season in Single-A and finished at Triple-A Buffalo. If Cleveland suffers any injuries in its rotation, expect Sowers to get a look. The team’s minor-league Pitcher of the Year in 2005, Sowers went 14-4 with a 2.37 ERA in 27 starts. In two games with Buffalo this season, he’s yet to allow an earned run in 12 innings.

Frank Coppola is the assistant sports editor for Seacoast Media Group in Portsmouth, N.H. He can be reached at fcoppola@seacoastonline.com.