Aroldis Chapman

eyward had made the big league roster, it made headlines in part because both Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman were being assigned to the minors.  However, after winning the starting right fielder’s job in Atlanta, the 20-year-old phenom wasted no time before impressing the baseball world by launching a three-run home run in his very first major league at-bat.  Batting seventh in the lineup behind Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, and others has limited the pressure on the 14th overall pick in the 2007 draft, but before long, you can expect to see Heyward taking his hacks in the cleanup spot.

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2) The debuts of promising young pitchers Stephen Strasburg (21) and Aroldis Chapman (22), who enter the season as the top NL Rookie of the Year candidates, despite the fact they could both start the season in the minors.  Strasburg played for Tony Gwynn at San Diego State before the Nationals chose him with the first overall pick in the 2009 draft and signed him to a record contract worth $15.1 million.  His college resume includes a 23-strikeout game, a no-hitter, and a 1.32 Earned Run Average in his final (junior) season.  Chapman, a southpaw, defected from Cuba just before signing a huge $30.25 million, six-year deal with the Reds.  He played on the Cuban team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

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