Ten to watch in the National League

Continuing my countdown to Opening Day, here are ten players you simply must keep an eye on in the National League

Norichika Aoki (Milwaukee Brewers) – For every Ichiro there’s a So Taguchi, a Kaz Matsui, a Tsuyoshi Nishioka and a Kosuke Fukudome. The success rate of Japanese imports in the Majors has been patchy at best, with the obvious exception of the Mariners outfielder. Aoki, however, could be a gem. The 30 year old outfielder holds a .329 NPB career average, along with seven All-Star appearances and six Gold Gloves and certainly has the skills to succeed in America. A .321 Spring Training average, along with just four strikeouts in 53 at-bats suggests as much.

Kevin Correia (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Correia was an All-Star last season, leading the Pirates to a first half of the season that hasn’t been seen by the Pittsburgh faithful for two decades. At the end of June, Correia was boasting a 3.79 ERA, but injuries and a lack of form saw him go 2-5 with a 7.09 ERA before being shut down mid-August. Pittsburgh have a real and genuine chance of breaking their losing duck, but a great deal will depend on the form of their pitchers and with A.J. Burnett due to miss the opening few weeks, it will be imperative that Correia gets off to a lightning start.

Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) – There’s a chance, although admittedly a small one, that Harper doesn’t even see big league action this season, but it shows how great a prospect the teenager is considered to be that he is a must watch. The first pick of the 2010 Draft was signed to a $9.9 million contract, the highest ever given to a draft pick. He has raw power, hitting 17 homers in his debut Minor League season last year, but has a nasty streak that has seen him ejected on too many occasions. After batting .286 in limited game time, he was reassigned to the Minor Leagues where he will start the season, but expect him to be tearing up the Majors sooner rather than later.

Jamie Moyer (Colorado Rockies) – How often has a Major League pitcher undergone Tommy John surgery at the age of 47, taken a year out rehabbing and then returned one year shy of his half century? The answer is just one. Jamie Moyer. In line for the no.2 slot in the Rockies rotation, Moyer is a must watch for several reasons. Should he win a game this season, he will be the oldest Major League pitcher ever to win a game in what will be a genuine feel good story. A 2.77 ERA during 13 innings in Spring Training suggests that he hasn’t lost much of his skills either. Among a slew of incredible stats on the veteran is that he has pitched in 49 different Major League ballparks.

Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants) – The 25 year old is possibly the top of a batch of young, impressive catchers in the Majors, but is coming off a season that saw him suffer a horrendous leg break that cut short his sophomore season having come off a World Series championship and being voted NL Rookie of the Year. After a sluggish start to Spring, he’s batting .324 which is a clear sign that his injury is well and truly in the rear view mirror, but will it be different once the games count?

Jose Reyes (Miami Marlins) – The face of the ‘new’ Miami franchise, Reyes enters the first year of a gargantuan $106 million, six year contract coming off the first batting title of his career. With the speed and power in the Marlins line-up, expect there to be a base stealing frenzy in Florida this summer, led by the affable Dominican. Although, with the aggressiveness comes the increased risk of injury to a player that has a history of being somewhat fragile. The Marlins as a team are going to be fun to watch this season, and Reyes will be the catalyst.

Johan Santana (New York Mets) – There was a time, not so very long ago, that Santana was the most feared pitcher in the game. Since becoming a full-time starter in the 2002 season, Johan’s worst season was in 2007 when he had an awful 3.33 ERA. Yep, his worst season was a 3.33 ERA. If that’s not outstanding then I don’t know what is! Unfortunately, he has been injury prone while in the Mets uniform, and missed the entire 2011 campaign. Can he return to the pre-injury form that has seen his record a 2.85 ERA since joining New York prior to the 2008 season? While being slightly erratic, his Spring Training performances would suggest that he can.

Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals) – Strasburg was once described as ‘the most hyped pick in draft history’ by ESPN, although only for a year until the Nats selected Bryce Harper. The phenom underwent Tommy John surgery late in an impressive rookie season that had seen him go 5-3 with a 2.91 in 12 games with 92 strikeouts in 68 innings. He made a brief return last season following a year of rehab, going 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in five starts, suggesting he hadn’t lost any of his breathtaking stuff. 2012 will mark, all being well, his first full season in the Majors and for that reason he is undeniably a must watch.

Adam Wainwright (St. Louis Cardinals) – Like many players on this list, Wainwright is a bona fide All-Star calibre player who is coming off an injury ravaged season. The 30 year old missed the entire 2011 campaign that saw the Cards ultimately win the big prize. As with any player coming off such a severe injury, there are concerns about how they will return. Does a 1.45 ERA in five Spring Training starts sound like he’s doing alright? The return of Wainwright is even more crucial since his teammate Chris Carpenter is out for an undetermined amount of time.

Jayson Werth (Washington Nationals) – Like Carl Crawford at the Red Sox, Werth was entering the first year of a mammoth contract with a new team and massively failed to live up to expectations. Despite hitting 20 homers, he batted just .232 and struck out far too many times (160). Considering he is inside the top 15 highest paid players, it would be fair to suggest that such a return was not up to the standards needed. This will be a crucial year for the big man as he looks to live up to the money that has been thrown his way, but a .207 Spring Training average doesn’t bode well.