With the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals eliminated in the Division Series, it's officially curtains on the season for Bobby Witt Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. Still, it's never been a better time to be the son of a professional baseball player. The current crop of juniors includes MVP candidates Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuna Jr., and the previously mentioned Tatis and Witt, but who are the best juniors ever? Two stand out from the crowd.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Jr. was a living legend in his day. Kids wanted to be him, and his trademarked backward cap embodied his effortless swagger. He was on SportsCenter every night; if he wasn't hitting homers, he was robbing them. Watching him swing the bat was poetry in motion; set with a tight coil, he unwinds so fast that you'd expect to hear BOING when he connects. His simplified mechanics, smooth bat path, and ability to open up his hips and turn on the ball were all textbook for a left-handed power hitter.
When the Seattle Mariners won their first playoff series against the New York Yankees in 1995, it was on the back of his Division Series record of five home runs. For a long time, it looked like he might eclipse his godfather, Willie Mays, as the greatest center fielder ever.
Sadly, injuries slowed Griffey down during the second half of his career, and he never achieved that lofty accomplishment. Still, he finished with 630 home runs (seventh all-time), over 1800 RBI, over 1600 runs scored, and an on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) percentage over .900.
Cal Ripken Jr.
Watching Cal Ripken Jr. play shortstop was like watching a ballerina dance Swan Lake. He was an immaculate fielder who soaked up ground balls like a sponge soaks up water in the ocean. Ripken Jr. made an immediate impact with the Baltimore Orioles, winning the Rookie of the Year award, then Most Valuable Player honors the following year en route to an Orioles' World Series title. He would not miss one game from May 30th, 1982, to September 20th, 1998, becoming baseball's Iron Man and bypassing Lou Gehrig.
Cal was the prototype, the first heavy-hitting shortstop since Ernie Banks, but at 6'4", 200 pounds, he was even bigger and taller than Banks. He paved the way for guys like Corey Seager and Alex Rodriguez. It wasn't just his play on the field that made him great; it was how he carried himself, his toughness, professionalism, desire to win, and passion for the game. Ripken was ejected three times during his career, all for arguing about balls and strikes. After one ejection in 1989, Drew Coble, the umpire who threw him out, "likened it to throwing God out of Sunday school." He finished his career with 431 home runs, over 1600 RBI and runs, and 3,184 hits.