Adam Jones: On His Way...

A few days ago, James wrote about Adam Jones and his potential leadership abilities as member of the Baltimore Orioles. While Adam was an All-Star last year, a Gold Glove winner and has become a fan favorite, the center fielder has a bit more work to do to take his game to the next level.

His numbers in 2009: 19 homers, 70 RBI's, .277 avg, .335 OBP, .792 OPS.

Right now, Jones is an incredible talent for the Orioles; however, his 2009 season was a tale of two halves.

In the first half, he just lit it up and looked to become of the elite young players in the game; alas, in the second half, whether due to a long funk or whatever, his numbers sunk and injuries finished him off. Despite some of my criticisms of Jones, most of the time he looked like a ten-year veteran in the field, rather than a 'young' player.

Now 24, I expect Jones to take the next step in 2010 and become a 'true cornerstone' of the franchise. The man works hard for sure and wants to be a winner, but some areas of his game definitely could be improved -- much like everyone else (unless your name is Albert Pujols).

>>> Read More