Pretty soon, we’ll be seeing All-Star vote totals and will be able to argue over whether the leaders deserve their spots, but in general, the best players in baseball are who we thought they would be. Names like Manny Machado, Mike Trout, Kris Bryant, and Clayton Kershaw are already among the best in baseball yet again. Even so, there are plenty of players worthy of recognition who may not have been on the collective’s RADAR going into this season.
C: J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins
I know we all predicted before the season started that the Marlins would be one game over .500 two months in and fighting for the NL East lead, but I’m pretty sure we didn’t pick Realmuto to be one of the top catchers in the league. He’s batting .289/.312/.386 in 45 games and, while he doesn’t have much power, his defensive work hasn’t gone unnoticed as Fangraphs has him as the top defensive catcher in the NL, second to only Salvador Perez in all of baseball.
1B: Steve Pearce, Tampa Bay Rays
Pearce has played ten Major League seasons and never once batted .300, something he’s doing right now for the Rays. In addition, he’s knocked in 20 (career high 49) hit eight home runs and slugged .541 compared to a career mark of .440. To help further, he’s played a little at second and third as well and done all this in just 36 games all at the age of 33.
2B: Jean Segura, Arizona Diamondbacks
Of all the moves by the DBacks this off-season, sending Chase Anderson to Milwaukee for Segura may have been the most universally panned, yet it may also be the one that works out the best (losing Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte for Shelby Miller obviously the early favorite for worst). So far, Segura is outplaying each of his previous seasons significantly with 2013 being the only one not beaten by his 1.0 fWAR. He’s batting .308/.335/.467 and has been a great table setter for Arizona.
3B: Travis Shaw, Boston Red Sox
We could probably make an all Red Sox all surprise team after their hot start, but the first player worth noting is Shaw in his first full Major League season. He played just 65 games last year and, while he wasn’t necessarily expected to repeat his numbers from 2015, he has already surpassed most. He’s the #5 third baseman in all of baseball in fWAR and batting .293 with seven home runs and 35 RBI. He’s even stolen three bases to make his all around play look a little more impressive.
SS: Jonathan Villar, Milwaukee Brewers
The man who replaced Segura at shortstop in Milwaukee is having himself quite the season as well. Batting over .300 while getting on base more than 40% of the time, Villar’s 18 steals to lead the NL are his most impressive stat. He’s already set career highs with 31 walks and 15 doubles in addition to his steals and all three major rate stats.
ARLINGTON, TX – MAY 15: Ian Desmond #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates his three-run homerun with Rougned Odor #12 in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Park in Arlington on May 15, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
LF: Ian Desmond, Texas Rangers
Desmond has been a Silver Slugger shortstop for the Nationals, so his bat is not that surprising especially given the bonus of playing in the dry heat of Texas, but his glove has been. Despite never playing left field in the Majors and only playing 7.1 innings in the outfield in his first two seasons and none since, he’s the American League’s best defensive left fielder in runs saved. Don’t forget the .298 average, 38 runs scored, and ten steals either.
CF: Jackie Bradley, Jr. Boston Red Sox
This is a close one as Odubel Herrera of the Phillies has been one of baseball’s best in center in just his second season, but Bradley turned from being essentially a defense only player for the past three seasons into one of the most consistent offensive performers at any position. His 29 game hitting streak was the talk of baseball for about a week and he wasn’t just doing it with a hit per game as he already has 13 doubles, four triples, and nine home runs and will likely set career highs in all these within the next few weeks.
RF: Mark Trumbo, Baltimore Orioles
Trumbo has been an all or nothing hitter his whole career, so it isn’t too surprising to see him leading the AL with 15 home runs, but that he is doing it while batting .289 is incredible, especially considering his career .253 average. That he’s only cost the Orioles about six runs more than the average right fielder is also a surprise.
DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
How Ortiz can even manage to walk to second on a double anymore is incredible, yet, after two down seasons (for him), he currently leads the AL in doubles, RBI, OBP, SLG and OPS. Most of the other AL designated hitters are either playing at their expected capacity or below, so for Boston to get this kind of year out of their 40 year old in his final run is more than the best they could have asked for.
BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 7: Rich Hill #18 of the Oakland Athletics pitches in the third inning during game one of double header baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 7, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
SP: Rich Hill, Oakland Athletics
Much has already been said about the veteran left hander who already looks to have a hold on this year’s comeback player of the year award. At 36, this is already Hill’s best season since 2007 and by the end he will have far surpassed that. With a 2.25 ERA, 74 K’s in 64 innings, two home runs allowed, and a 2.66 FIP that says it might not all be smoke and mirrors, Hill is the ultimate surprise in baseball this year.
SP: Drew Pomeranz, San Diego Padres
When he was traded for Ubaldo Jimenez in 2011, Pomeranz was a top prospect, but since then he has bounced from team to team. While he never found great success, he improved from year to year and now has emerged as a dominant force for the Padres. In ten starts, he’s struck out 69 in 58 innings with a 2.48 ERA.
SP: Steven Wright, Boston Red Sox
Knuckleballers haven’t really been popular in baseball in decades, but the Red Sox won’t let them die out for good and for good reason. After Tim Wakefield’s lengthy career, Wright is off to a good start of his own with a 2.45 ERA, 61 strikeouts, and just three home runs allowed after giving up 12 in three more innings last season.
RP: David Phelps, Miami Marlins
Relievers have a tendency to vary wildly from year to year and the Marlins’ Phelps may have had the biggest positive variance over previous seasons. After three years with an ERA well above 4.00, he currently holds one at 1.93 with an impressive 10.9 K/9 and a slightly less impressive 3.2 BB/9.
CP: Jeanmar Gomez, Philadelphia Phillies
Many of these surprise players have come from teams not expected to play well in 2016 as those are the teams that can take chances with players who might not be expected to play well. Gomez is the perfect example of this as he won the closer job out of Spring Training without much of a pedigree and has since dominated. The Phillies starting pitching staff has been surprisingly good as well, giving him quite a few leads and he currently leads baseball with 17 saves.
