Big second halves can be nice indicators for the following season, especially for young players.  In young players, it shows that they have made adjustments to the competition.  Without further ado, here are some big second half players who could be in for big 2008 seasons:

Alex Gordon, 3B, KC: This former second overall draft choice is showing his ability in the second half.  After a slow start, he is hitting .291-9-31 after the break.  His 11/55 BB/K ratio leaves something to be desired, but that is to be expected from a rookie.  The Royals are starting to get what they hoped for from the youngster, as he is starting to catch up with fellow 2005 third base draftees Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Braun.  His average has really taken off since his review two weeks ago.

Jeremy Hermida, OF, FLA: One of the most frustrating young players in the game missed the beginning of the year due to injury, but he has joined teammates Miguel Cabrera and Hanley Ramirez to make one of the most impressive young trifectas in the game for the Marlins.  Since the break he has shown his minor league ability, hitting .335-9-28.  Hermida is somewhat risky going into next season after two injury-riddled seasons, but he will likely also be undervalued since his second half has come under the radar.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B, SD: The Morgan Ensberg acquisition seemed to really start a fire under this rookie.  He is hitting well above .300 since the All-Star Break with six home runs.  Since the break, Kouzmanoff is hitting .314-10-29.  He showed all the ability in the world in the minors, and it is finally coming to fruition at the next level.  Keep in mind that Kouzmanoff was an injury risk in the minors, but he could still be a nice buy on draft day next season.

Nate McLouth, OF, PIT: This is a long-time favorite of mine who may be winning himself a starting spot in 2008 with his strong second half.  McLouth is more of a leadoff-type, but he has 11 home runs after the break.  With 13 steals and a .351 OBP after the break, he is really showing great ability for the Pirates and fantasy owners.  A new front office regime could look to spend some money this offseason, and clearly the best place to spend it this offseason is in the outfield.  Still, it would be a shame of McLouth fails to get an opportunity next season. 

Troy Tulowitzki, SS, COL: 2007 has been the year of the shortstop, with Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins putting in first-round fantasy pick performances.  Tulowitzki may also have that potential after what he has shown during his rookie season. While his first half was not too shabby, Tulowitzki really pressed on the gas after the break by hitting .305-12-48.  He compares favorably to Michael Young at his best because of all the plate appearances he sees near the top of the Colorado lineup.  A .300-30-100, 100 run 2008 season seems well within reach.

Chad Billingsley, SP, LAD: Tell me again why this guy was not good enough to start the season in the rotation.  In 14 starts since the break, Billingsley is 6-5 with a 2.85 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 85.1 innings.  He was a clear case coming up through the minors, and he is becoming the best pitcher on a team known for its pitching.  Young pitchers are always injury risks, but Billingsley has a clean past bill of health.  Pick him next season.  Then watch and drool.

Fausto Carmona, SP, Cleveland: Talk about a great first season as a starter.  Carmona was terrific in the first half, and he has been even better after the break by going 7-4 with a 2.19 ERA.  Carmona has a solid K/BB ratio for an extreme groundball pitcher, and that statement explains all you need to know about his success.  In fact, he compares well in that respect to the two most extreme groundball pitchers in the game - Brandon Webb and Derek Lowe.  He is as safe a pitcher as there is for fantasy owners going into 2008.

Dustin McGowan, SP, Toronto: Think about how long we waited for this guy to breakout.  McGowan's career is mirroring that of Roy Halladay, as he had a great minor league career but took longer to show something in the majors than expected.  During the second half he is 6-5 with a 3.18 and a 76/25 K/BB ratio in 87.2 innings.  The Blue Jays are a huge sleeper in the AL East next season, especially considering that B.J. Ryan will be returning and Vernon Wells can't possibly play any worse than he did this season.  With Shaun Marcum also breaking out this season, the Jays have four formidable starting pitchers.

Adam Wainwright, SP, STL: Wainwright has been one of the National League's top pitchers during the second half, going 6-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 12 starts.  His velocity was down and his curveball was flat in the first half, as Wainwright was adjusting to starting in the majors.  Still, there is reason to tread carefully here going into next season.  Wainwright's three home runs allowed in the second half seems like an outlier considering that he is not a groundball pitcher, and he has a history of wearing down in the minors.  I still think Wainwright will be hard-pressed to post an ERA much under 4.00 next season.

Royals third baseman Alex Gordon has certainly failed to live up to the hype this season after being the second player taken in the 2005 draft and becoming the 2006 Baseball America Player of the Year after posting a gaudy line of .325-29-101 at Double-A Wichita last season.  The good news is that there are signs he is getting the hang of the majors.

After hitting two home runs Sunday, he is now hitting .278-8-22 in 169 at-bats since the All-Star Break.  His 9/42 BB/K ratio leaves something to be desired, but progress is progress.  He has been nice protection in the five hole for the Royals, now protecting designated hitter Mike Sweeney - until Sweeney gets hurt again.

Most fantasy owners who paid for Gordon's services are probably disappointed with what he has produced this season, but he is starting to look like a viable option in all leagues for the final stretch.  Gordon is well on his way to a 15-15 season in his rookie season with 14 home runs and 13 steals with almost a full month left to go, and the power is finally coming around.

Fellow third basemen Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Braun were taken fourth and fifth overall in the same 2005 draft, respectively.  They have each made quicker progress at the major-league level than Gordon.  Still, we see plenty of cases when eventual stars struggle out of the gate, and many other cases when great, young players level off and never produce much more than they did in their first year or two (Jose Cruz Jr., anyone?).  That is not to suggest that Zimmerman or Braun are in for big declines anytime soon, but it would be foolish to sour on Gordon just because he has not matched the early-career performance of his 2005 third base draft-mates.

Impressed with the early-career debuts of Red Sox top prospect Clay Buccholz and Yankees top prospect Ian Kennedy?  New Rangers call-up Edinson Volquez may trump both of them.

Volquez has been bustling between the minors and the majors for a couple years.  The Rangers have considered him a top prospect because of his upper-90s mph fastball, but he has had problems developing an out-pitch and keeping his confidence up in the majors.  The Rangers moved him all the way down to High-A to start the season, and he posted a horrific 7.14 ERA in seven starts.  Then he woke up.

Volquez posted an ERA near 3.00 upon his call-up to Double-A, before getting back to Double-A.  There he posted a 1.41 ERA in eight starts, forcing his way back to Texas. 

Rangers GM Jon Daniels has received his share of criticism since taking over in Texas, and much of it is warranted after receiving very little in return after trading Alfonso Soriano, Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez.  Still, he deserves plenty of credit for his handling of Volquez this season.  The 24-year-old Volquez had one of the best major-league starts of his career upon his September call-up, and he is beginning to look like a formidable front of the rotation starter again.

Volquez had well over a strikeout per inning at both Double-A and Triple-A this season, and he didn’t allow a home run in more than 50 innings at Triple-A.  That statistic is particularly important in a small ballpark like Arlington.

Keep a close eye on Volquez for the rest of the season.  He is not receiving the press that he deserves because of his team and smaller market baseball region, but Volquez could be a nice immediate buy in AL-only leagues and huge sleeper going into 2008.