[Lefty Noob]

Keep an eye on San Francisco starting pitcher Matt Cain this season. The 21-year-old is a star on the rise. After going 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA and 30 Ks in 46 1/3 innings during the end of the 2005 season, Cain opens this year as the Giants' No. 4 starter.

I expect big things from him, and so does Felipe Alou.

"With time, we look to him to be a No. 1-type guy," Alou told the Associated Press on Feb. 25. "If he's healthy, there's no question he's in the rotation. He won't be overwhelmed by an opening day start at home. That's why it was important for him to get his feet wet last year."

[Lefty Noob]

This kid Cain is one of the hottest pitching prospects in baseball, but you probably wouldn't know it from his 2-9 record in 2007. Fact is, he has a 3.67 career ERA and has been drawing praise from the likes of Greg Maddux.

"He's pretty good," Maddux told reporters after facing Cain in a game earlier this week. "He's pitched a lot better than his record shows. It seems like there are always one or two guys who kind of have to go through this in the league. You're kind of glad it's not one of your teammates."

"As soon as you stop worrying about the outcome and worry about pitch selection and how you throw it, the stuff you can control, that really goes a long way," he said. "Today, he pitched great and had nothing to show for it but a loss. You can't control the outcome of a game in the first five, six, seven innings."