MLB's All-Surprise Team for April and May
Stan McNeal - SportingNews.com
Jun 01, 2011
You can call them surprises, you can call them turnarounds. Or if you want to get wordy, you can call them players enjoying-far-more-productive-than-expected seasons.
Whatever you call them, now comes the tough part: keeping it going.
This season's early All-Surprise Team:
1B: Gaby Sanchez, Florida Marlins
Given his .322/.401/.520 stat line, Sanchez deserves heavy consideration for the All-Star team. He likely will have to settle for this list because of an overload of superstars at his position. Only Joey Votto has a better batting average and on-base percentage among NL first basemen, and Sanchez has more homers and RBIs than Votto.
Staying power (1 to 10 scale): 8. Sanchez showed his promise last season when he hit 19 homers. This season, he has taken his offense to the next level.
2B: Darwin Barney, Chicago Cubs
The Mets' Justin Turner deserves a mention but no way could a name like Darwin Barney be excluded, especially considering he is the only rookie at any position hitting .300. The Oregon State alum also is the only two-time NCAA champion on this team.
Staying power: 7. "He doesn't do any one thing great but he does everything good," a scout says. "A solid player who should play a long time."
SS: Brendan Ryan, Seattle Mariners
He spent more time in manager Tony La Russa's doghouse than on the field in St. Louis but has found a home in Seattle. Ryan has been the catalyst in plenty of rallies during the Mariners' rise to 28-26, raising his average from .200 to .282 during his 11-game hitting streak.
Staying power: 5. Regardless of how hot Ryan's bat is, at least one scout wouldn't want him. "Anyone who has to go to one knee to field a grounder shouldn't be a shortstop in the major leagues," the scout says. Take heart, Mariners fans. Ryan hit .292 two seasons ago.
3B: Ryan Roberts, Arizona Diamondbacks
Until recently, Roberts was better known for all his tattoos. Given a chance at third base, he has emerged as the Diamondbacks' on-base percentage leader (.385). Now manager Kirk Gibson can't figure out where to bat him; Roberts has batted everywhere but cleanup this season.
Staying power: 5. A 28:27 strikeout-to-walk ratio indicates that Roberts might have matured into a major league hitter at 30. But there must be a reason he spent at least parts of the previous five seasons in the minors.
C: Russell Martin, New York Yankees
After his disappointing 2010 season, no one knew what to expect from Martin. He might not have won the starting job this spring if Francisco Cervelli had been healthy, but Martin has shown that last season's struggles were because of injury. He leads catchers with nine homers, and his .354 on-base percentage is back in line with his good years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Staying power: 7. He is healthy.
LF: Laynce Nix, Washington Nationals
Logan Morrison and Alex Gordon have superior numbers, but they had starting jobs coming into the season. Nix was no better than fourth on the Nationals' left-field depth chart and still doesn't play every day. But he is tough to sit because of a team-best .305 average. And his eight homers are one reason Washington has become a power threat. Despite playing in a pitcher's park, the Nationals have more homers than the Philadelphia Phillies.
Staying power: 7 (against righthanders). His .182 average against lefthanders will keep Nix in a platoon role.
CF: Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians
The player to be named in the trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers is only 24 and in just his first season as a regular. But Brantley has caught the eye of at least one opposing manager. "He is starting to come into his own," said Texas Rangers skipper Ron Washington. "He was just a (punch-and) Judy (hitter), now he's starting to learn how to stretch out. He can do a lot of other things, too." With a .287 average and .354 on-base percentage, Brantley has settled into the leadoff role for the first-place Indians.
Staying power: 8. He has the tools to be a star.
RF: Matt Joyce, Tampa Bay Rays
Coming into the season, Joyce was no better than the fifth choice to lead his own team in hitting. So to see him hitting a major league-best .370 is every bit as surprising as teammate James Shields lowering his ERA to 2.15 from 5.18.
Staying power: 3 (to lead the majors in hitting; to hit .300, a 7). Joyce, 26, long has been well regarded by scouts for his sweet lefthanded swing. "I never knew why the Tigers gave up on him so soon (he was traded for Edwin Jackson)," says one scout.
SP: Charlie Morton, Pittsburgh Pirates
After 10 starts last season, Morton was 1-9 with a 9.35 ERA and headed to the disabled list. But he remade his delivery in the offseason to mimic Roy Halladay's and the results have been Halladay-ish. Morton ranks just ahead of Halladay with a 2.51 ERA, is 5-2 and has allowed only two homers in 68 innings (fewer than Halladay allowed in one game against the Nationals on Monday).
Staying power: 5. Unless he can start getting out lefthanders (.347 average against).
Closer: Fernando Salas, St. Louis Cardinals
The 26-year-old rookie was called up six times last season and didn't make the club out of spring training this season. After Ryan Franklin lost the closer job, Salas was just the third choice to succeed him. Even after Salas' first few saves, La Russa refused to call Salas the closer. La Russa doesn't need to say anything now. Salas is 10-for-10 in save chances with a 1.52 ERA and a 25:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 23 2/3 innings.
Staying power: 6. As sharply as he has pitched, Salas is no lock to have the job in two months. Whether the Cardinals stick with Salas down the stretch, go back to Franklin (three consecutive scoreless outings) or look to trade (Heath Bell will be available) promises to be create great intrigue in coming weeks.
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