Player comparisons are a lot of things. They're a fun exercise. They're a way to picture what a player looks like and what his role could be, using a name fans already know and love as shorthand for what might be. They can also be dangerous, hanging hefty, sometimes unrealistic expectations on young players. So before we get into it, it's worth defining what these comps are trying to accomplish, and what they're trying to say.
First, nobody's getting compared to a Hall of Famer without good reason. These comps lean conservative.
Second, each comp is a blend of the player's style and his projected role. They won't often be one-to-one, but they're meant to be a framework for what this kind of pitcher has tended to look like at the next level, in the modern game.
Third, we're sticking to big leaguers, though we'll mention similar profiles from recent …