Post by Philadelphia Phillies on Apr 13, 2017 22:28:09 GMT -5
Ranking (Previous Ranking). (Record) (Total Points) – I am using Total Points going into the off day of April 13th. The total points counted as double during double headers in the standings area, so I am using the Season stats here as I think it is more reflective of the team performance. I don’t want to overreact to the first week and a half, so it might take a while for me to adjust to the realities after my poor initial rankings, but things have changed quite a bit.
Biggest Rise: Padres (+14)
Largest Fall: Angels (-11)
1(3). Cardinals (9-3) (342.67): Pleasant Surprises - J.T. Realmuto leads the league by a healthy margin in points by a Catcher and is batting over .400 through the first week and a half. Kendall Graveman’s 2-0 start is definitely a pleasant surprise for St. Louis. Biggest Disappointment- Adam Wainwright has been shelled in his two early starts and his decreased velocity are going to make his nearly $20M salary over the next two years tough to swallow if he can’t turn it around.
2(5). Giants (8-4) (326.64): Pleasant Surprise - Wil Myers clearly heard the doubters and is completely destroying the baseball, scoring more points than his next 3 hitters combined. Biggest Disappointment – Injury Bug. The Giants have lost their starting Catcher and Shortstop to injury. If the Posey concussion takes a Sidney Crosbyesque time to heal, it could be devastating, but it looks like he should be back soon. Otherwise, the Giants have not had much to complain about early on.
3(2). Astros (8-4) (267.58): Pleasant Surprise - Salvador Perez has 4 homeruns very early and is leading all Astros hitters in total points. Biggest Disappointment – The Astros offense has a few people underperforming, but Francisco Liriano is the clear choice. He went a mere 1/3 of an inning in his first start getting a whopping -6.17 points.
4(11). Braves (7-5) (306.527): Pleasant Surprise – Marcus Stroman is only 1-1, but he has one of only 2 Complete Games thrown on the young season if it was a loss. Stroman was not picked to be an ace, but he has certainly pitched like on so far. Biggest Disappointment – Eric Hosmer has gotten off to a sluggish start, hitting under .200 with an OPS under .500. I expected a breakout year for him, so this start is not encouraging.
5(4). Mets (5-7) (268.133): Pleasant Surprise – Manny Margot is batting .325 with 3 dingers and I was not expecting much from him this year. The rotation is also off to a good start with 3 starters averaging over 20 points per start. Biggest Disappointment – O’Day is in the negatives from the set-up role, but Nelson Cruz is hitting under .200 with a strikeout in over a third of his ABs. He should heat up as the weather gets warmer, but with his age, this could be a concerning start.
6(9). Indians (9-3) (283.447): Pleasant Surprise – I wouldn’t necessarily call this a surprise, but Aaron Nola pitched well in his first start. Based upon his awful end to 2016 and spring training, it was nice to see him settle in and go 7 strong. Biggest Disappointment – Gerrit Cole is not off to a great start, but I am going to go with Austin Hedges. He is being given a chance to prove himself in the majors and has started 1-27 with 9 Ks. With 4 catchers on the 25 man roster, his playing days may be limited soon.
7(1). Rangers (7-5) (249.647): Pleasant Surprise – Adam Duvall is killing for the Reds. He’s hitting .353 with 3 homers. He has also driven in a run per game on an offense that inspires little confidence. Biggest Disappointment – the Rotation. I expect the Rangers rotation to be one of the best in the league, but they are averaging under 10 points per start. The Donaldson move has yet to pay dividends, but it should make the Rangers stronger.
8(14). Red Sox (7-5) (303.547): Pleasant Surprise – Marcell Ozuna has been great, but the biggest surprise is Wily Peralta. A seemingly 5th starter, Peralta is 2-0 with more than a K per inning. Biggest Disappointment – Jose Abreu has gotten gradually worse each year since winning the ROY, and his 2017 start won’t help buck that trend. With only 2.6 points through 7 starts, Abreu has a lot of work to do.
9(23). Padres (8-4) (316.713): Pleasant Surprise – The Padres have gotten off to a great start and there are a too many reasons to name just one. Suarez, Andrus, Bruce, and Scooter are all off to great starts on the offense and somehow Mike Leake has been a top 10 starter so far this year – Mike Leake! Biggest Disappointment – Eddie Rosario is doing his best to lose his starting job by hitting .161 with only 1 extra base hit.
10(7). Twins (5-7) (220.847): Pleasant Surprise – Jake Lamb is hitting .342 with 10 RBIs here in the early going. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts, but he is showing a lot of promise that the beginning of his age 26 season. Biggest Disappointment – There are a few to choose from, but I have to go with the bullpen duo of Oh and Dyson. Dyson has managed to give up more earned runs than every starter not named Steven Wright, which I pretty damn amazing.
11(22). Marlins (6-6) (308.803): Pleasant Surprise – It turns out Chase Headley may not have died after 2012 when he led the NL in RBIs. He is hitting almost .400 and is slugging .643. Biggest Disappointment – Ian Desmond hasn’t played yet, but that was expected. Javier Baez is off to a pretty terrible start at the plate and only getting 19 at bats in 8 games. I’m sure the Marlins were hoping for consistent production from Baez and he has not provided it yet.
12(8). Rays (6-6) (252.133): Pleasant Surprise – The Rays are underperforming to start the season, but they should be happy to see Billy Hamilton getting on base and batting over .300. If he can keep that up, he will add great value from the center field position. Biggest Disappointment – The Starters outside of Scherzer have not pitched well, but Choo has to be the biggest disappointment. The Rays gave up some pieces and Choo has an awful contract. Combine that with the fact he has yet to get an extra base hit, and I’m sure he would be hearing the boo birds in Tampa, if they had any fans.
13(25). Pirates (9-3) (309.58): Pleasant Surprise – The bullpen. I haven’t paid close enough attention to who he has played when, but Archie Bradley has over 20 points, Alex Colome has 3 saves, and Danny Faruquar has put up 18 since being not even being drafted I think. Biggest Disappointment – The Jon Jay/Albert Almora combination in Center has not given the Pirates much, but overall there are very few disappointments on this squad.
14(12). Orioles (7-5) (257.033): Pleasant Surprise – I’m gonna go with Taylor Motter because no one else has really played beyond my expectations on this team. Odor hit it out in his first Abs, but hasn’t done much since. Motter, in a bench role, has more hair than the rest of the team combined and is hitting .357. He hasn’t given the Orioles many active points however. Biggest Disappointment – Kevin Gausman is capable of being an ace, but hasn’t been able to get through the 6th inning in his first 2 starts.
15(16). Phillies (6-6) (288.12): Pleasant Surprise – Chris “Who?” Devenski helped me squeak a win out and has pitched 8 innings out of the pen with 14 Ks. He has only pitched in two games, but also allowed for openings for other relievers to pitch since it was known he would be out for a few days. Biggest Disappointment – Betts, the #1 pick, still doesn’t have an extra base hit, but Edwin Encarnacion with his .172 average and 12 Ks has been very disappointing and has scored negative points since opening day.
16(6). Cubs (4-8) (178.307): Pleasant Surprise – Not a huge surprise, but Adam Eaton is hitting .333 with 9 runs and 2 steals in the Nation’s capital. He should continue to be a big run producer as the season progresses. Biggest Disappointment – The rotation could have played better, but Anthony Rendon is the clear disappointment. He has gone 4 for 30 with 4 singles and is below the equator. For a top tier talent, it doesn’t get much more disappointing than that.
17(18). Rockies (7-5) (262.38): Pleasant Surprise – I assumed Mark Reynolds’ days as an everyday player were long gone, but he has had a resurgence in Colorado. With 4 homeruns and 10 RBIs to go along with a .313 BA, Reynolds has been a force to be reckoned with. Biggest Disappointment – Jon Gray only went 4 in his first outing and despite pitching well, only went 5 and a third in his second start with just 1 K. I had high expectations for Gray and he has not lived up to them so far this season. He definitely needs to be more efficient.
18(15). Reds (5-7) (263.673): Pleasant Surprise – Yasiel Puig has been a spectacular disappointment for the past couple seasons, but Puig has gotten off to a good power start to 2017. He has 3 home runs and 2 doubles through the first 9 games and may be finally getting his head straight. Biggest Disappointment – Tyler Skaggs has put up decent Ks, but has an ERA through 9 after 2 starts. He’s running the risk of losing that ever-coveted rotation spot.
19(17). Diamondbacks (5-7) (254.1): Pleasant Surprise –Mitch Haniger has 3 homers and a .925 OPS through ten games. He’s showing that he can hit big league pitchers and that is a great sign. Biggest Disappointment – Yovani Gallardo hasn’t gotten into the 6th inning in either of his starts or cracked 3 points. I wasn’t expecting a lot, but a 1:1 BB:K ratio is not going to help him keep his job.
20(13). Royals (5-7) (224.627): Pleasant Surprise – If you told me that Jason Castro would be the second highest scoring Catcher during any 1 ½ week stretch I’d have been pretty damn surprised. He is riding a very impressive 9:2 BB:K ratio. Biggest Disappointment – There are a couple disappointments, but Raul Alcantara started one game, got -9.5 points and immediately lost his rotation spot. It doesn’t get much more disappointing than that.
21(10). Angels (4-8) (153.733): Pleasant Surprise – On a team full of huge disappointments, Sandy Leon is probably the only person outplaying expectations. He is hitting .348 with a dinger. Biggest Disappointment – Almost the entire team? Miguel Cabrera has 1.5 points, Reyes hasn’t cracked 0, Soler got injured, Price got injured, and Glasnow is at -5.83. The Angels have good pieces, but they have put up the least amount of points to date and they are the most surprisingly disappointing start on this list.
22(19). Mariners (5-7) (188.373): Pleasant Surprise – John Lackey is only 1-1 but he has pitched great. With 17 Ks in only 12 innings, he has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise poor pitching staff. Biggest Disappointment – This is a tough one given the plethora of options, but I am going to go with Victor Martinez. The man has been raking for years, but has managed 0 extra base hits and 10 strikeouts. It thought he was steal at the draft, but he has not played like one to date.
23(24). Brewers (6-6) (258.073): Pleasant Surprise – The Brewers have been playing well and that has a lot to do with several players playing well. I am going to go with the Travis D’arnaud because it looks like he is back. This could be a huge development as a former top prospect that could be a top 5 catcher for years to come. Biggest Disappointment – Byron fucking Buxton, nuff said.
24(20). Nationals (5-7) (220.02): Pleasant Surprise – Andrelton Simmons has been a terrible hitter for his entire career, but he’s off to a hot start batting .343 and actually hitting a home run. Biggest Disappointment – Greg Bird came into the season flying high and looking like a future perennial All-Star. He’s striking out in half his ABs and he has only gotten one hit so far. He still has adjustments to make.
25(21). Tigers (3-9) (199.347): Pleasant Surprise – This wasn’t exactly a surprise, but Frankie Lindor has been spectacular. He’s only 23, but has 4 homers and is hitting .324. His start is just solidifying the confidence in him being a future MVP. Biggest Disappointment – There are a few choices, but Denard Span has been the most disappointing to me. He fits the point system well, but just has not hit well to start the season. His age and fragility have shown as well, which will slow him down and hurt his trade value this year.
26(28). Yankees (5-7) (245.787): Pleasant Surprise – Gio Gonzalez has really kept his control issues in check through 2 starts to make him one of the best starters in baseball in the early going. He has 13 Ks in 13 innings, with only 2 walks. Biggest Disappointment – Trevor Story’s strikeouts are starting to become an issue. He can still hit for power, but has yet to leave the yard and he will need to start doing that if he doesn’t cut down on the Ks.
27(27). Athletics (6-6) (177.207): Pleasant Surprise – Bryce Harper looks like he has gotten over whatever the hell his problem was last year and has come out mashing, which is great for the A’s that have little depth. Biggest Disappointment – Jhonny Peralta has been a good hitter for a long time, but he is deep in the negatives at this point and with the Cardinals’ depth, may have lost significant playing time.
28(29). Blue Jays (5-7) (219.157): Pleasant Surprise – Brandon McCarthy is 2-0 with 2 quality starts. He may be back to his old self, but even a percentage of that would give him a ton of trade value for the Jays. I also want to mention Nomar Mazara as well with 11 RBIs, he is among the league leaders in RBIs and he is batting close to .400 as a 21 year old – the Jays couldn’t ask for a better start. Biggest Disappointment – Leonys Martin has been clinging to a starting job for years, but his days may be numbered. He has struck in a third of his ABs without any extra base hits to show for it.
29(26). White Sox (5-7) (162.847): Pleasant Surprise – Brandon Phillips is really helping his trade value for the Sox. He’s batting .300 and avoiding the strikeouts for now and could land a nice prospect or two at the trade deadline. Biggest Disappointment – I expected Justin Bour to play much better than he has. He has been given a chance to hold the sole starting job at first for the Marlins, but has squandered the opportunity by batting .133 with no homers.
30(30). Dodgers (3-9) (168.157): Pleasant Surprise – Chase Anderson has 2 Quality Starts on the season and a WHIP and ERA under 1 on the young season. He may not be a star, but he could be solid contributor for the next couple years. Biggest Disappointment – Mark Melancon has not looked great in his first few games with the Giants. He has a bad contract that will be unmovable if he doesn’t pitch like a top-tier closer.
Biggest Rise: Padres (+14)
Largest Fall: Angels (-11)
1(3). Cardinals (9-3) (342.67): Pleasant Surprises - J.T. Realmuto leads the league by a healthy margin in points by a Catcher and is batting over .400 through the first week and a half. Kendall Graveman’s 2-0 start is definitely a pleasant surprise for St. Louis. Biggest Disappointment- Adam Wainwright has been shelled in his two early starts and his decreased velocity are going to make his nearly $20M salary over the next two years tough to swallow if he can’t turn it around.
2(5). Giants (8-4) (326.64): Pleasant Surprise - Wil Myers clearly heard the doubters and is completely destroying the baseball, scoring more points than his next 3 hitters combined. Biggest Disappointment – Injury Bug. The Giants have lost their starting Catcher and Shortstop to injury. If the Posey concussion takes a Sidney Crosbyesque time to heal, it could be devastating, but it looks like he should be back soon. Otherwise, the Giants have not had much to complain about early on.
3(2). Astros (8-4) (267.58): Pleasant Surprise - Salvador Perez has 4 homeruns very early and is leading all Astros hitters in total points. Biggest Disappointment – The Astros offense has a few people underperforming, but Francisco Liriano is the clear choice. He went a mere 1/3 of an inning in his first start getting a whopping -6.17 points.
4(11). Braves (7-5) (306.527): Pleasant Surprise – Marcus Stroman is only 1-1, but he has one of only 2 Complete Games thrown on the young season if it was a loss. Stroman was not picked to be an ace, but he has certainly pitched like on so far. Biggest Disappointment – Eric Hosmer has gotten off to a sluggish start, hitting under .200 with an OPS under .500. I expected a breakout year for him, so this start is not encouraging.
5(4). Mets (5-7) (268.133): Pleasant Surprise – Manny Margot is batting .325 with 3 dingers and I was not expecting much from him this year. The rotation is also off to a good start with 3 starters averaging over 20 points per start. Biggest Disappointment – O’Day is in the negatives from the set-up role, but Nelson Cruz is hitting under .200 with a strikeout in over a third of his ABs. He should heat up as the weather gets warmer, but with his age, this could be a concerning start.
6(9). Indians (9-3) (283.447): Pleasant Surprise – I wouldn’t necessarily call this a surprise, but Aaron Nola pitched well in his first start. Based upon his awful end to 2016 and spring training, it was nice to see him settle in and go 7 strong. Biggest Disappointment – Gerrit Cole is not off to a great start, but I am going to go with Austin Hedges. He is being given a chance to prove himself in the majors and has started 1-27 with 9 Ks. With 4 catchers on the 25 man roster, his playing days may be limited soon.
7(1). Rangers (7-5) (249.647): Pleasant Surprise – Adam Duvall is killing for the Reds. He’s hitting .353 with 3 homers. He has also driven in a run per game on an offense that inspires little confidence. Biggest Disappointment – the Rotation. I expect the Rangers rotation to be one of the best in the league, but they are averaging under 10 points per start. The Donaldson move has yet to pay dividends, but it should make the Rangers stronger.
8(14). Red Sox (7-5) (303.547): Pleasant Surprise – Marcell Ozuna has been great, but the biggest surprise is Wily Peralta. A seemingly 5th starter, Peralta is 2-0 with more than a K per inning. Biggest Disappointment – Jose Abreu has gotten gradually worse each year since winning the ROY, and his 2017 start won’t help buck that trend. With only 2.6 points through 7 starts, Abreu has a lot of work to do.
9(23). Padres (8-4) (316.713): Pleasant Surprise – The Padres have gotten off to a great start and there are a too many reasons to name just one. Suarez, Andrus, Bruce, and Scooter are all off to great starts on the offense and somehow Mike Leake has been a top 10 starter so far this year – Mike Leake! Biggest Disappointment – Eddie Rosario is doing his best to lose his starting job by hitting .161 with only 1 extra base hit.
10(7). Twins (5-7) (220.847): Pleasant Surprise – Jake Lamb is hitting .342 with 10 RBIs here in the early going. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts, but he is showing a lot of promise that the beginning of his age 26 season. Biggest Disappointment – There are a few to choose from, but I have to go with the bullpen duo of Oh and Dyson. Dyson has managed to give up more earned runs than every starter not named Steven Wright, which I pretty damn amazing.
11(22). Marlins (6-6) (308.803): Pleasant Surprise – It turns out Chase Headley may not have died after 2012 when he led the NL in RBIs. He is hitting almost .400 and is slugging .643. Biggest Disappointment – Ian Desmond hasn’t played yet, but that was expected. Javier Baez is off to a pretty terrible start at the plate and only getting 19 at bats in 8 games. I’m sure the Marlins were hoping for consistent production from Baez and he has not provided it yet.
12(8). Rays (6-6) (252.133): Pleasant Surprise – The Rays are underperforming to start the season, but they should be happy to see Billy Hamilton getting on base and batting over .300. If he can keep that up, he will add great value from the center field position. Biggest Disappointment – The Starters outside of Scherzer have not pitched well, but Choo has to be the biggest disappointment. The Rays gave up some pieces and Choo has an awful contract. Combine that with the fact he has yet to get an extra base hit, and I’m sure he would be hearing the boo birds in Tampa, if they had any fans.
13(25). Pirates (9-3) (309.58): Pleasant Surprise – The bullpen. I haven’t paid close enough attention to who he has played when, but Archie Bradley has over 20 points, Alex Colome has 3 saves, and Danny Faruquar has put up 18 since being not even being drafted I think. Biggest Disappointment – The Jon Jay/Albert Almora combination in Center has not given the Pirates much, but overall there are very few disappointments on this squad.
14(12). Orioles (7-5) (257.033): Pleasant Surprise – I’m gonna go with Taylor Motter because no one else has really played beyond my expectations on this team. Odor hit it out in his first Abs, but hasn’t done much since. Motter, in a bench role, has more hair than the rest of the team combined and is hitting .357. He hasn’t given the Orioles many active points however. Biggest Disappointment – Kevin Gausman is capable of being an ace, but hasn’t been able to get through the 6th inning in his first 2 starts.
15(16). Phillies (6-6) (288.12): Pleasant Surprise – Chris “Who?” Devenski helped me squeak a win out and has pitched 8 innings out of the pen with 14 Ks. He has only pitched in two games, but also allowed for openings for other relievers to pitch since it was known he would be out for a few days. Biggest Disappointment – Betts, the #1 pick, still doesn’t have an extra base hit, but Edwin Encarnacion with his .172 average and 12 Ks has been very disappointing and has scored negative points since opening day.
16(6). Cubs (4-8) (178.307): Pleasant Surprise – Not a huge surprise, but Adam Eaton is hitting .333 with 9 runs and 2 steals in the Nation’s capital. He should continue to be a big run producer as the season progresses. Biggest Disappointment – The rotation could have played better, but Anthony Rendon is the clear disappointment. He has gone 4 for 30 with 4 singles and is below the equator. For a top tier talent, it doesn’t get much more disappointing than that.
17(18). Rockies (7-5) (262.38): Pleasant Surprise – I assumed Mark Reynolds’ days as an everyday player were long gone, but he has had a resurgence in Colorado. With 4 homeruns and 10 RBIs to go along with a .313 BA, Reynolds has been a force to be reckoned with. Biggest Disappointment – Jon Gray only went 4 in his first outing and despite pitching well, only went 5 and a third in his second start with just 1 K. I had high expectations for Gray and he has not lived up to them so far this season. He definitely needs to be more efficient.
18(15). Reds (5-7) (263.673): Pleasant Surprise – Yasiel Puig has been a spectacular disappointment for the past couple seasons, but Puig has gotten off to a good power start to 2017. He has 3 home runs and 2 doubles through the first 9 games and may be finally getting his head straight. Biggest Disappointment – Tyler Skaggs has put up decent Ks, but has an ERA through 9 after 2 starts. He’s running the risk of losing that ever-coveted rotation spot.
19(17). Diamondbacks (5-7) (254.1): Pleasant Surprise –Mitch Haniger has 3 homers and a .925 OPS through ten games. He’s showing that he can hit big league pitchers and that is a great sign. Biggest Disappointment – Yovani Gallardo hasn’t gotten into the 6th inning in either of his starts or cracked 3 points. I wasn’t expecting a lot, but a 1:1 BB:K ratio is not going to help him keep his job.
20(13). Royals (5-7) (224.627): Pleasant Surprise – If you told me that Jason Castro would be the second highest scoring Catcher during any 1 ½ week stretch I’d have been pretty damn surprised. He is riding a very impressive 9:2 BB:K ratio. Biggest Disappointment – There are a couple disappointments, but Raul Alcantara started one game, got -9.5 points and immediately lost his rotation spot. It doesn’t get much more disappointing than that.
21(10). Angels (4-8) (153.733): Pleasant Surprise – On a team full of huge disappointments, Sandy Leon is probably the only person outplaying expectations. He is hitting .348 with a dinger. Biggest Disappointment – Almost the entire team? Miguel Cabrera has 1.5 points, Reyes hasn’t cracked 0, Soler got injured, Price got injured, and Glasnow is at -5.83. The Angels have good pieces, but they have put up the least amount of points to date and they are the most surprisingly disappointing start on this list.
22(19). Mariners (5-7) (188.373): Pleasant Surprise – John Lackey is only 1-1 but he has pitched great. With 17 Ks in only 12 innings, he has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise poor pitching staff. Biggest Disappointment – This is a tough one given the plethora of options, but I am going to go with Victor Martinez. The man has been raking for years, but has managed 0 extra base hits and 10 strikeouts. It thought he was steal at the draft, but he has not played like one to date.
23(24). Brewers (6-6) (258.073): Pleasant Surprise – The Brewers have been playing well and that has a lot to do with several players playing well. I am going to go with the Travis D’arnaud because it looks like he is back. This could be a huge development as a former top prospect that could be a top 5 catcher for years to come. Biggest Disappointment – Byron fucking Buxton, nuff said.
24(20). Nationals (5-7) (220.02): Pleasant Surprise – Andrelton Simmons has been a terrible hitter for his entire career, but he’s off to a hot start batting .343 and actually hitting a home run. Biggest Disappointment – Greg Bird came into the season flying high and looking like a future perennial All-Star. He’s striking out in half his ABs and he has only gotten one hit so far. He still has adjustments to make.
25(21). Tigers (3-9) (199.347): Pleasant Surprise – This wasn’t exactly a surprise, but Frankie Lindor has been spectacular. He’s only 23, but has 4 homers and is hitting .324. His start is just solidifying the confidence in him being a future MVP. Biggest Disappointment – There are a few choices, but Denard Span has been the most disappointing to me. He fits the point system well, but just has not hit well to start the season. His age and fragility have shown as well, which will slow him down and hurt his trade value this year.
26(28). Yankees (5-7) (245.787): Pleasant Surprise – Gio Gonzalez has really kept his control issues in check through 2 starts to make him one of the best starters in baseball in the early going. He has 13 Ks in 13 innings, with only 2 walks. Biggest Disappointment – Trevor Story’s strikeouts are starting to become an issue. He can still hit for power, but has yet to leave the yard and he will need to start doing that if he doesn’t cut down on the Ks.
27(27). Athletics (6-6) (177.207): Pleasant Surprise – Bryce Harper looks like he has gotten over whatever the hell his problem was last year and has come out mashing, which is great for the A’s that have little depth. Biggest Disappointment – Jhonny Peralta has been a good hitter for a long time, but he is deep in the negatives at this point and with the Cardinals’ depth, may have lost significant playing time.
28(29). Blue Jays (5-7) (219.157): Pleasant Surprise – Brandon McCarthy is 2-0 with 2 quality starts. He may be back to his old self, but even a percentage of that would give him a ton of trade value for the Jays. I also want to mention Nomar Mazara as well with 11 RBIs, he is among the league leaders in RBIs and he is batting close to .400 as a 21 year old – the Jays couldn’t ask for a better start. Biggest Disappointment – Leonys Martin has been clinging to a starting job for years, but his days may be numbered. He has struck in a third of his ABs without any extra base hits to show for it.
29(26). White Sox (5-7) (162.847): Pleasant Surprise – Brandon Phillips is really helping his trade value for the Sox. He’s batting .300 and avoiding the strikeouts for now and could land a nice prospect or two at the trade deadline. Biggest Disappointment – I expected Justin Bour to play much better than he has. He has been given a chance to hold the sole starting job at first for the Marlins, but has squandered the opportunity by batting .133 with no homers.
30(30). Dodgers (3-9) (168.157): Pleasant Surprise – Chase Anderson has 2 Quality Starts on the season and a WHIP and ERA under 1 on the young season. He may not be a star, but he could be solid contributor for the next couple years. Biggest Disappointment – Mark Melancon has not looked great in his first few games with the Giants. He has a bad contract that will be unmovable if he doesn’t pitch like a top-tier closer.