Given the evolution over the past decade that has changed the way front offices value young players, it's not all that surprising that we seem to be in an unprecedented era of baseball with regard to how many young players are dominating the game.
A recent Fangraphs article analyzed cumulative WAR totals over recent years and concluded this year's was the highest for players 25 and under. In 2017, that group, at age 24, compiled the fourth-highest total ever, and in '15 and '16, the 22- and 23-year-olds, respectively, had the highest WAR for that age bracket.
"I think we're in the golden age of talent across the board, but our entire approach as an industry has changed, our entire belief system has changed, that it's OK to have your youngest players be your best players," Astros manager AJ Hinch said. "I think teams are starting to trust the talent and youthful exuberance, in addition to wanting veterans sprinkled across the field, and the platform is there for the younger players to be the biggest stars."
On the cusp of the postseason, with the pool of 10 teams set, clearly, the kids -- all under the age of 25 -- are all right:
Yankees: Miguel Andujar, 3B, age 23 (born March 2, 1995)
Entering play Sunday, Andujar led all rookies in hits, doubles, RBIs and multihit games, and he's proven time and again that not only is he talented, he's clutch. Of his 27 homers, four have tied the game and nine have given the Yankees the lead. Andujar is one of three Yanks rookies to hit at least 27 homers in a season, joining Aaron Judge, who hit 52 last year, and Joe DiMaggio, who recorded 29 homers in 1936.
Notable: Andujar, according to Statcast™, had 81 hits off breaking/offspeed pitches heading into Sunday's game, the fourth most of any hitter in baseball. Forty of those are extra-base hits, third most in baseball.
Cubs: Albert Almora Jr., CF, age 24 (born April 16, 1994)
Almora's defensive wizardry in center has overshadowed offensive lapses from the second half. He's set career-high marks in hits, runs, doubles and walks, but his star power rests with his superior play in an outfield he shares with Gold Glover Jason Heyward. That's not to say Almora is a one-dimensional player. He hits well at Wrigley Field, and his walk-off base hit in the 10th inning last Wednesday, which kept the Cubs a hair ahead of the Brewers in the National League Central race, was as clutch as they come.
Notable: Almora ranks seventh among all outfielders and fifth in the NL with +12 Outs Above Average, a Statcast™ range-based metric of fielding skill that accounts for the number of plays made, and the difficulty of making them.
Dodgers: Walker Buehler, SP, age 24 (born July 28, 1994)
Buehler has been one of the top pitchers all year and has been nails in the past two months. He posted a 0.99 WHIP in August, only to top that in September with a 0.80 mark. Buehler's WHIP as a starter is the lowest among rookie pitchers with 20 or more starts in more than 100 years (1913), and through his most recent outing on Sept. 25, Buehler has limited opponents to a .197 average. The right-hander has provided stability on an often injury-riddled pitching staff, and he's the leading candidate to slide in behind Clayton Kershaw in a postseason rotation.
Notable: Buehler's 96.1-mph average four-seam velocity is tied for seventh-highest among starters, and his 2,414 rpm average four-seam spin rate ranks 10th in that group. The MLB average is 2,263 rpm.
Brewers: Josh Hader, RP, age 24 (born April 7, 1994)
What Hader has done this year, especially as a reliever, is historic. He owns the franchise record for strikeouts by a reliever, and he's been flirting with a 50 percent strikeout rate, something that's only been done twice before -- by Albertin Chapman for the Reds and Craig Kimbrel for the Braves. Hader doesn't bounce back like some other, more established relievers, so the Brewers have developed a unique usage pattern where they pitch him in extended stints with multiple days of rest in between. How that translates through the postseason will make Milwaukee one of the more interesting teams to watch.
Notable: Entering Sunday, Hader's 37 percent whiff rate on swings vs. his four-seamer was the best among relievers, according to Statcast™, and the 54.6 percent whiff rate vs. his slider is the sixth best in baseball.
Astros: Alex Bregman, 3B, age 24 (born March 30, 1994)
Chants of "M-V-P!" from Astros fans, normally reserved for Jose Altuve in the past couple seasons, shifted to Bregman in 2018, and for good reason -- the third baseman had a breakthrough year that was also historic. Bregman is the first player in Major League history to have 30 homers and 50 doubles in a season while playing the majority of his games at third base, and at 24, he's the youngest player in club history with a 30-homer season. The only other players in history who have had 50 doubles and 30 homers before turning 25 years old are Jose Pujols (2003-04), Alex Rodriguez (1996) and Lou Gehrig ('27).
In a year when a trifecta of All-Stars -- Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa -- missed ample time with injuries, Bregman was healthy and a stable force in an Astros' lineup that would have struggled to stay afloat without him.
Notable: Via Statcast™, through Saturday, Bregman had 150 hard-hit fly balls and line drives, tied for the most of any American League hitter, and tied for third in the Majors. Bregman has a .601 average and is slugging 1.432 on hard-hit fly balls and line drives.
Red Sox: Andrew Benintendi, OF, age 24 (born July 6, 1994)
Benintendi, who debuted a mere three years out of high school, has proved to be a mainstay in a steady lineup that has contributed mightily to Boston's historic season. Benintendi, the Red Sox's first-round pick in 2015, has set career highs in hits, runs scored, doubles and stolen bases, and he's also tied for the Major League lead in outfield assists.
Notable: Benintendi has 60 opposite-field hits, the second most of any hitter in baseball.
Indians: Francisco Lindor, SS, age 24 (born Nov. 14, 1993)
It's rare to talk about a player with so much postseason experience who is not yet 25, but if the Indians reach the World Series, it'll be a repeat performance for the Lindor, who was 22 two years ago when the Indians and Cubs met in an epic Fall Classic. Presumably, Lindor's star is still rising, though given what he's already accomplished, it's staggering to think he may be just getting started. Lindor, along with the Rockies' Trevor Story, is the first shortstop in history with 35 or more homers, 40 or more doubles and 20 or more stolen bases in the same season.
Notable: According to Statcast™, heading into Sunday, Lindor had 223 hard-hit balls overall, tied for third most in the Majors. He's also tied for third on hard-hit line drives and fly balls, with 150, and he's tied for fifth with Mookie Betts with 36 extra-base hits vs. breaking/offspeed pitches.
Braves: Ronald Acuna Jr., LF, age 20 (born Dec. 18, 1997)
If there is anyone who defines why the Braves may have been just a tad ahead of schedule in returning to playoff contention, it's Acuna, a 20-year-old up-and-comer who should be in the center of Atlanta's core for years to come. Acuna is one of five players to reach 26 homers in a season prior to his 21st birthday, and he's the 10th player to have 25 homers and 15 steals in his rookie season, and the first since Michael Trout in 2012. Acuna moved into the leadoff spot coming out of the All-Star break and took off, tying a franchise single-season record with eight leadoff homers.
Notable: Acuna's 46.6 percent hard-hit rate is fourth-best among NL hitters, according to Statcast™, and his average sprint speed is 29.6 feet per second, tied for 17th best in the Majors.
Rockies: German Marquez, SP, age 23 (born Feb. 22, 1995)
In his start against the Phillies last Wednesday, Marquez tied a modern Major League record by striking out the first eight batters he faced -- and in doing so, also broke the club's single-season strikeout record. He has 221 on the year, and he has, in recent times, proven to be a force at Coors Field. In his past seven home starts, Marquez has allowed 10 earned runs over 47 1/3 innings, for a 1.90 ERA, and he's been one of the top pitchers in baseball since the All-Star break. Over his past 16 starts, he's 9-2 with a 2.41 ERA, holding opponents to 29 earned runs over 108 1/3 innings.
Notable: Marquez has recorded 125 strikeouts on curveballs, second most of any pitcher.
Athletics: Matt Olson, 1B, age 24 (born March 29, 1994)
Olson became the 11th player in Oakland history to appear in every game in a single season, and the first since Miguel Tejada did so in 2003. Olson, playing a traditional power position, has become a major part of the conversation among AL first baseman, with 29 homers and 84 RBIs. His home run total is the highest by an A's first baseman since Jason Giambi hit 32 in 2001.
Notable: There's no shortage of Statcast™ facts to illustrate Olson's value. His 93.0 mph average exit velocity is tied for sixth in the Majors, and his 51.6 percent hard-hit rate ranks fifth. Olson ranks seventh with 215 hard-hit balls, and he has hit nine homers at 110 mph or more, which is tied with Bryce Harper and Gary Sanchez for the fifth most of any hitter.