3 young phenoms join Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani in Marlins legend's elite excitement list

Former Miami Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis has named his top 5 most exciting players in the MLB, which was unsurprisingly topped by Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge.

However, the Marlins legend picked three youngsters alongside two of the biggest stars in the game. The three young phenoms that Willis backs to take over the MLB are Fernando Tatis Jr., Elly De La Cruz and Bobby Witt Jr.

In fifth place in his list, Willis names Bobby Witt Jr., calling him the future of the Kansas City Royals franchise after his long-term deal with the club. According to Willis (via mlbonfox):

"He's the cornerstone, he can do anything he wants to offensively as well as defensively."

In fourth place in his list, Dontrelle Willis names Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz, saying:

"Elly De La Cruz is the most electric baseball player on the planet. He can do it all."

Next on the list is Fernando Tatis Jr. in third place. The San Diego Padres star has been impeccable this season, and Willis says:

"Top 3 in average, slug, RBI, you name it... Everything circles around this man especially if the Padres want to be successful. There is nothing he can't do on a baseball field."

Coming in at number two is New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge, who is widely considered the best slugger of his generation. Willis says:

"Two of the last three years, he's the MVP and the Hank Aaron award winner. This big man, when he is locked in he can carry a team single-handedly... He's on his way, if he stays healthy, to win another MVL in the AL."

Finally, at number one on Dontrelle Willis' list is Shohei Ohtani.

"Coming off a season where he went not 40-40 but 50-50. And listen, he's healing up to get back on that mound and be that two-way player that we know and love. No one has more power than this man in baseball and when the lights are brightest, it's when he's at his best."

While there are several big names missing from the list, it does represent an enormous amount of young talent. While Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are at the peak of their careers, several young players are coming up who will become the superstars of tomorrow.

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Shohei Ohtani and wife Mamiko announce the birth of their daughter

Soon after being placed on paternity leave by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani announced the birth of his first child, a daughter, on Saturday. The reigning NL MVP announced on his Instagram page, in a message that said:

"I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter. To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents."

Alongside the warm message, Ohtani included a picture of the newborn baby's feet and also his dog, Decoy. Thousands of congratulatory messages poured in from around the world as the Ohtani family grew by one over the weekend.