[DJ's left nut]

I think a very good comparison for who Starling could end up is Bobby Abreu.

He doesn't have that awe-inspiring power that Bryce Harper has; he's not terribly likely to be the annual 40 HR threat that people are predicting of Stanton, Harper or Bruce. And from what I've read, he's not the burner or projected defender that Trout is.

I've considered him the happy medium between the raw slugger in Harper and the top of the order threat w/ Trout. Where Harper is a prototype #4 hitter and Trout could be a latter-day Ricky Henderson from the #1 hole, Starling projects as an absolutely ideal #3 hitter; a kid that will probably threaten a 30/30 season here and there, but probably never hit 40 or steal 40.

Bobby Abreu languished away in the high minors for a couple of years that he probably shouldn't have, then he spent 2 more years being wasted at the big league level while Derek Bell stole millions from the Astros before being exposed in the expansion draft (Hunsicker really really dicked that up).

As soon as he landed in Philly and got the ABs, he was a .900 OPS guy. By his second year as a starter, he was entrenched as the 3 hitter.

Over his 9 prime years in Philly, he averaged 22 HRs, 28 SBs, and a .303/.416/.513 slash line (OPS+ of 139), with 2 30/30 seasons.

Now take that player and give him the potential to play premier CF defense (as opposed to Abreu's slightly above average corner OF defense), and you have a legitimate perennial AS candidate and superstar.