In a countdown of the 100 "Names You Need to Know," Texas Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish took the No. 1 spot in USA Today's yearly look at young players likely to make a splash in the big leagues in 2012.
The Thursday online edition put the 25-year-old's name at the top of the list of those it expects to shine, saying if "Darvish is truly ready to embrace the rock-star image he could project on a championship-caliber team, there's no telling how good he could be."
The article said that possibly the only roadblock to Darvish achieving stardom at the top of the rotation could be adjusting to a new culture, but added that those who are familiar with the Osaka native believe he has the right temperament to handle it.