Early Surprises

Sure it's still early in the season, but we have seen some slumps and some quick starts that definitely warrant some attention.  I, for example, am stuck watching the top draft pick of my fantasy team, Prince Fielder, squander away with a mild 4 homeruns on the year so far (teammate Rickie Weeks has 5). Ryan Howard is posting equally lonesome numbers, as is Mark Teixeira, who batted .136 through the month of April.  There are those players who tend to get off to slow starts, but there are then those that have fans pulling at their hair waiting for a little sign of life. On the other end of the spectrum however, there are a few new names, and a couple old ones, making some waves early on.  Is it all smoke and mirrors? Only a 162 game season will provide the answer, but here are some notables from early on:

1. Andre Ethier, OF, LA Dodgers

Sure he hit 31 homeruns last year, but who expected him to be leading the majors in batting average (.385) and RBIs (37), as well as the National League in dingers (11).  In fact, only one other player in baseball has hit more round-trippers this season, and he's #2 on this list.  Now if only the rest of the Dodgers can pull up their boot straps.

2. Paul Konerko, 1B, Chicago White Sox

Sure it's a contract year, but nobody expected this 34 year-old to be leading the league with 13 homers, not to mention a 1.115 OPS (still a little shy of Ethier's whopping 1.182). Add in a .710 slugging percentage, (again, second to Ethier who is batting a .738) and Konerko should be in line for a raise from his measly *cough* 12 million a year if he keeps these numbers up.



3. Ivan Rodriguez, C, Washington Nationals

Like Konerko, Pudge is another member of the 30-and-over club making news this year at the prime age of 38. With all the talk of Strasburg and Heyward bringing a strong youthful wave of talent to the majors, maybe the older guys are motivating themselves to assert their place in baseball history. Rodriguez is batting a whopping .383 through the first month and a half, and sure most of them have been singles, but with 19 years in the majors under his belt, it's still somewhat of a feat.

4. Mike Leake, P, Cincinnati Reds

A lot has been made this season not only about Strasburg, but the Reds' ace Aroldis Chapman also. Well, while both of these guy work their way through the minors, another young pitcher has made the jump directly to the majors, the first player to do so since Xavier Nady in 2000. Mike Leake was drafted 8th overall last year and most scouts thought he had the goods to start playing immediately. With solid control of 5 pitches, Leake has proven that he deserves the job, going 3-0 in his last 4 with 20 strikeouts through 27 innings and an era of 3.10 for the year. Not a bad start.

5. Alex Gonzalez, SS, Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are getting production from some unexpected places this season. With their two stars from last season, Aaron Hill and Adam Lind batting a collective .203 (I have both these players on my fantasy team by the way), the Jays have managed to maintain an above .500 record thanks to a comeback year from Vernon Wells (batting .309 with 9 homeruns), and then this guy. Gonzalez has smacked 10 homeruns and accumulated 27 RBIs to help keep the Jays in the hunt. An unexpected breakout in his 11th season in the majors.


6. Ubaldo Jimanez, P, Colorado Rockies

Sure Tyler Clippard has more wins (more on this joke later), but 6 wins ain't bad, especially when combined with both an era and a whip that are resting in the sub-one area (0.93 era and 0.99 whip). Add in a no-hitter earlier this season and 49 strikeouts in 48.1 innings and it looks like Lincecum and Halladay might have even more competition for an already brutal National League Cy Young race.

7. Phil Hughes, P, New York Yankees

Continuing with the pitching theme, who expected Phil Hughes to become the ace in the stacked Yankees bullpen? 5 wins already and a 1.38 era, Hughes just makes a tough team even tougher. Factor in 39 strikeouts in as many innings and a whip below 1 (.92), and Hughes is making an early case for the American League Cy Young award, especially with Halladay out of the picture.

8. Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees

Why does everyone hate the Yankees? Well, not only do they buy up most of the talent already out there, but this season they've scouted a couple of the best young guys out there too. First Hughes is proving to be one of the best young pitchers in the league in only his fourth year, and now they have a talented young outfielder filling in for the absence of Curtis Granderson. Gardner, currently in his third year for the Bronx Bombers, is not only second in the league with 16 stolen bases, but has been hitting .330 while doing so, with a .805 OPS. I guess it's easier to steal bases if you're averaging almost a base per at bat.

9. Alex Rios, OF, Chicago White Sox

And all of us Jays' fans are wondering... where the hell was this guy last year? The combined slumps of Wells and Rios had fans booing all of 2009, but now both are proving why they were considered stars at one point in their career. Rios is back in form, averaging .322 for the year with 6 homeruns and 11 stolen bases. Factor in a .947 OPS so far and it's definitely an improvement over his horrible season last year.


10. Tyler Clippard, RP, Washington Nationals

Strasburg may make bigger waves for the Nationals later this year, but right now this relief pitcher is making headlines, funnily enough. Clippard has yet to start a game this season but has somehow amassed 7 wins (leading the majors) to go along with his 7 holds. A fluke stat for sure, based on late comebacks from the Nationals, but the numbers to really pay attention to are his 30 strikeouts through 25 innings and 1.80 era. I doubt he'll lead the league in wins the entire season, but it's a strange game sometimes...