A third-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2014 Authentic Greg Joseph Jersey , Brian Anderson wasn't popping on too many star radars heading into the season.The 25-year-old got an opening with one of baseball's most aggressively rebuilding teams, though, and he's made the most of it.With a .284/.366/.420 slash line and the ability to play capable defense at third base and in right field, Anderson leads all rookies in fWAR.The fact he plies his trade for a Marlins team that is years away from contention and wasn't a sparkling prospect dims his light a bit, but results are results.The Fish reeled in a keeper.No. 6: RHP Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals3 of 8Dilip Vishwanat/Getty ImagesThe St. Louis Cardinals hold only a slim chance of making the postseason in 2018 in a National League Central that's dominated by the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers and a Senior Circuit that features a bevy of postseason contenders.What the Cards dohave going for them is a stable of young stud pitchers, led by right-hander Jack Flaherty.In 90.1 innings, the 22-year-old has struck out 111 while posting a 3.49 ERA. On Sunday, he twirled six scoreless frames against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates and earned warranted praise from his rival skipper."That's the best game we've seen him pitch," Bucs manager Clint Hurdle said, per MLB.com's Jennifer Langosch. "The slider played the best we've seen it, and that made everything else tougher to hit. The fastball was tougher to hit, but the slider played extremely well Myles Garrett Jersey Elite , especially to left-handed hitters."The 34th overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft, Flaherty's ceiling may not reach the stratosphere. But he should be the next St. Louis prospect to make good and deliver significant results at the highest level.No. 5: 3B Miguel Andujar, New York Yankees4 of 8Julie Jacobson/Associated PressSo we arrive at the first of two New York Yankees on this list.Miguel Andujar didn't trail as much hype as other Yanks youngsters heading into 2018, but all he's done is hit .292 with 14 homers and 48 RBI at the hot corner in the Bronx."I think we're kind of witnessing the continued emergence of what's going to be a really good hitter in this league for a long time," manager Aaron Boone said, per Newsday's Owen O'Brien. "He's a tough out for us wherever we put him in the order."Few, if any, penciled in the 23-year-old Dominican as the immediate answer at third for New York. There are cautionary flags, including a .325 batting average on balls in play that outpaces his Steamer projection by 26 points.On the other hand, Andujar is posting All-Star-quality production in pinstripes and marching toward the postseason. What's not to love?No. 4: Of Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves5 of 8Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesThe Atlanta Braves are blossoming ahead of schedule, and Ronald Acuna Jr. has been an exciting part of the overachieving youth movement.The burgeoning Venezuelan, who won't turn 21 until December 18 and tantalized this spring http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/myles-garrett-jersey , has hit 11 homers with an .830 OPS in 56 games for the Braves. He's also hit .364 with a 1.053 OPS in August.There's always room for backsliding with players his age. The Braves, in general, feel like they may be burning a tad brighter than they're capable of and setting their fans up for some mild temporary disappointment.That's just a hunch, though. According to the standings, Atlanta is in the thick of the NL playoff hunt. And according to the stats, eyeball test and big league output, Acuna is a scintillating soon-to-be star.No. 3: INF Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees6 of 8Julie Jacobson/Associated PressGleyber Torres has failed to find his stroke since returning from a strained hip. He's suffered some missteps in the field."Sometimes I try to make plays and I don't," Torres said, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. "I've missed a couple plays and I feel bad. I just try to be professional, but I'm human and I'm trying to get better."Torres has already been pretty dang good, though. Injuries and fleeting lapses aside, he's hitting .279 with 17 home runs in 73 games and has appeared Authentic Myles Garrett Jersey , for significant stretches, like a generational stud.Keep in mind, he's 21 years old.Even as they push to win their 28th title, the Yanks will exhibit patience. As they ought to. Torres is young, but he's deployed the tools and results to suggest he's the heir apparent to a Bronx infield that's produced more than a few current and future Hall of Famers.No. 2: OF Juan Soto, Washington Nationals7 of 8Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesWith Bryce Harper's foray into free agency fast approaching, the Washington Nationals have two palatable options: Go all-in to re-sign their franchise player or anoint an heir apparent.Option two sounds a lot more plausible in light of Juan Soto's 2018 bust-out.In 65 games with with the Nats, Soto is hitting .313 with a .984 OPS and 13 home runs. Did we mention he's 19 years old?Does this mean Soto will replace Harper in the hearts and minds of D.C. baseball fans and lead the Nationals to the promised land? Not necessarily.Should the fact that a teenager is doing what he's doing while posting a .962 August OPS pique your interest and inspire dreams of a generational stud in the offing?Absolutely.No. 1: RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels8 of 8Tony Dejak/Associated PressAh, Shohei Ohtani. How you confound.The two-way Japanese star was the most intriguing prize of the offseason before agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels, a big-market-adjacent squad.Then he had a rough spring and there was talk of a bust. Then he got off to a strong start on the mound and with the bat in the regular season and the Babe Ruth comparisons returned. Then an elbow issue put him on the shelf for a bit and derailed his pitching until further notice.Here's what we know: Ohtani posted a 3.10 ERA and averaged 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 49.1 frames. He's also posted an .858 OPS and 11 homers in 209 plate appearances.The 24-year-old has the tools and, now, the early results to be a front-line starting hurler anda force with the lumber.Will he hold up? Will his elbow and other body parts ultimately betray him and either force him to pick a gig (hitter vs. pitcher) or hang it up prematurely?That's possible.If we're looking at the intersection of ability Jarvis Landry Jersey Elite , early results, location (yeah, it'd be better if he were on the Los Angeles Dodgers, but still) and intangibles, no 2018 rookie has a higher ceiling for stardom than Ohtani, and it's not especially close. All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference and current as of Sunday. For many years, the Chicago Cubs had to look up to find their rival St. Louis Cardinals in the standings.Times have changed.Chicago (94-66) has a chance to secure its fourth consecutive National League Central title against the Cardinals during the final weekend of the regular season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs’ magic number is two to clinch the division over the second-place Milwaukee Brewers, who are hosting the Detroit Tigers this weekend.Article continues below ...“Our destiny is in our hands,” Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant told the Chicago Tribune. “If we (pick each other up), we’re going to be in a good spot.”Meanwhile, St. Louis (87-73) is in a much more difficult spot with two games to go.The Cardinals emerged as a legitimate playoff contender after replacing ex-manager Mike Matheny with Mike Shildt, who has led the team to a 40-27 record since taking over just before the All-Star break. But a late-season stumble has pushed St. Louis to the outside looking in when it comes to the wild card.“Clearly, the back is completely against the wall http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/jarvis-landry-jersey ,” Shildt said to reporters after an 8-4 loss in Friday’s series opener.The Cardinals’ task will not get any easier as they go up against Cubs left-hander Cole Hamels on Saturday afternoon.The 34-year-old Hamels is 4-2 with a 2.47 ERA with Chicago and 9-11 with a 3.87 ERA including his time with the Texas Rangers earlier this season. Hamels has allowed two earned runs or fewer in nine of 11 starts with the Cubs.In 13 career starts against the Cardinals, Hamels is 4-4 with a 2.79 ERA. He has struck out 87 batters in 84 innings.St. Louis will send out right-hander Miles Mikolas (17-4, 2.94 ERA), who has taken over the role of ace and earned a selection to the All-Star Game this summer. The 30-year-old is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his last three outings.Mikolas is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in five games (three starts) against the Cubs during his career. He is the Cardinals’ first pitcher to win 17 or more games in his first season with the club since the late Darryl Kile won 19 games in 2000.Cubs manager Joe Maddon is trying to lead the team to its fourth straight appearance in the NL Championship Series and its second World Series title in the past three years.“It’s a very alert time of the year,” Maddon said. “You’re always on alert. You don’t really let your guard down, ever. …“It’s always good to be able to hold a lead. But when you get to this time a year against really good teams like St. Louis and whomever else we’re going to play, you have this heightened state of alert about your mind and your observations and trying to piece things together. I’d rather you get more mentally alert as opposed to trying to do more physically.”The Cubs are 50-29 at home. The Cardinals are 44-35 on the road.St. Louis holds a 9-8 edge in the regular-season series. Both teams have scored 89 runs against one another.