Top 15 MLB Names You Will Learn in 2012

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

Last year Philadelphians got acquainted with some players for all the wrong reasons. David Freese, Chris Carpenter, Clayton Kershaw just to name a few.

They may be players that are already well known in their home cities, but because of their performance in 2012 these names became common knowledge for the Philadelphia baseball fan base.

So who will it be in 2012? Whether it is because they are rising stars in the Philadelphia Phillies' division, the National League East, or because they will grab the headlines nationally, the average baseball fan from the City of Brotherly Love will be familiar with them by season's end.

So without further adieu - Philadelphia, I'd like you to meet...

15. Bryce Harper (Nationals) - I assume the majority of above average baseball fans already know Harper, fore he has been tagged the best thing to come out of high school since the NBA's Lebron James. Good luck taking the road trip to Washington this year without hearing how Harper and Stephen Strasburg are going to take over the East.

14. Brett Lawrie (Blue Jays) - It's very possible that the Canadian Club (not the whiskey, but the Jays) is going to be in a dog fight during the dog days of summer this season. Young pitchers will emerge, but the name you will hear the most about is the Canadian born third basemen. Lawrie should have a great first full season in Toronto and the Nation will clench tight to the hometown boy does good story.

13. Ike Davis (Mets) - Jose Reyes is still hated, but from a further distance as he made the move to South Beach this offseason. There has to be a most hated Met. David Wright has too much of the ladies' affection, so I'll give it to the emerging first basemen who should be a tough out whenever the Phils square off with New York.

12. Julio Teheran (Braves) - Every year it seems like another Brave starting pitcher takes the training wheels off and becomes a nightmare for the Phillies' lineup. By now most Phillies fans know Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson, so now it's this Dominican fireballer's turn to frustrate a Philadelphia fan base searching for 2008's offense.

11. Eric Hosmer (Royals) - I feel like he's the second coming of Joey Votto the year he took off and won MVP for the Reds. This may be a tough sell to the nation because he plays in Kansas City, but if the Royals have any sustained success this big boy will be behind it.

10. Jason Heyward (Braves) - This is more of a remember me. He did not deliver right away two years ago like people though he might, but now in his third season at the age of 22 this kid is bound to give Philadelphia headaches.

9. Heath Bell (Marlins) - I would like to welcome the new loud mouth closer of the Miami Marlins to the N.L. East. I'd be surprised if he made it out of Spring Training without a comment that got under Philadelphia's skin. He might deserve to be higher on this list as he will become one of the most hated men in Philadelphia next to Sidney Crosby, Eli Manning and Andy Reid.

8. Matt Moore (Rays) - The nation got a taste of the Rays newest prized starter in the first round of the playoffs, but how many Philadelphians were actually watching the Texas-Tampa series? Moore will join David Price and Jeremy Hellickson in the next big thing out of Tampa. We're looking at a Rookie of the Year no-brainer.

7. Jesus Montero (Mariners) - Whether it's because the Mariners are still awful or Montero is blowing up, one of the biggest trades of the off season will be in the news all season.

6. Michael Pineda (Yankees) - The other part in the Montero deal is young fireballer Pineda, who is now decked out in pin stripes. Whether Pineda can and or cannot handle the Bronx pressure will be a story line all season.

5. Dustin Ackley (Mariners) - A teammate of Montero (no, not by trade), the 2nd pick behind Bryce Harper two years ago is ready to take off. People are calling him the next Chase Utley. Soon as Philly gets a whiff of Utley's name, they will have to see what the Mariners' second basemen is all about.

4. Michael Trout (Angels) - For the first few months all the focus will be on the Angels and how Albert Pujols is adjusting to his new digs out west. But once they realize King Albert is the same ol' King Albert they will turn to the lead-off man scoring at an unheard-of pace for a rookie. Trout is speedster that could grab the headlines quickly and make the Angels' offense dynamic.

3. Andrew McCutchen (Pirates) - Some of you may know McCutchen as he enters his fourth full season with the Pirates. But the average fan may not - until this year. McCutchen has all the tools to put together a 30 homerun, 30 steal season. While right now Matt Kemp is the easy answer for best center fielder in the game, McCutchen won't make that answer so easy to spit out.

2. Gio Gonzalez (Nationals) - I wonder how many people remember Gio when he was a Phillie? Probably not many because he was traded with Gavin Floyd to the White Sox for Freddy Garica (ouch) before he could make it out of Reading. Now, Gonzalez returns to the division as a National and he gives the Nats a healthy 1-2 punch with Stephen Strasburg. Gonzalez is a nightmare the Phillies won't be able to wake up from for at least the next five years.

1. Yu Darvish (Rangers) - Remember the hype Daisuke received when he joined the Red Sox a few years back? Well take that hype and add it with he is actually the real deal and you have the story of 2012. Darvish is better than Matsuzaka in every way. He's younger, stronger, taller and more accomplished. He may even lead the Rangers to their third straight World Series. I'm sure Philadelphia is hoping it's against their Phightins'.