MLB Surprises

Top 5 surprises of the 1^st half of the MLB Season

By: Corey Donetz

5: Jose Reyes; .354 AVG (1^st) , 124 hits (1^st), 22 doubles, 15 triples (1^st), 32 RBI, 30 stolen bases (2^nd).

Reyes couldn’t have picked a better time to have an MVP type season. In a contract year, Reyes leads the Major Leagues in batting average, triples, and hits, while ranking second in stolen bases and third in runs scored. Reyes has led the Mets to an above .500 record, and is widely regarded as the best/most exciting player in the league this year. Good play from Reyes isn’t a surprise, but not many could’ve predicted these types of numbers from Reyes.

4: Josh Beckett; 7-3, 106 IP, 2.12 ERA (2^nd), 0.906 WHIP (2^nd), 91 K’s.

If I were to tell you Beckett would have the 2^nd best ERA on his own team before the season started, you probably wouldn’t have believed me, let alone have the 2^nd best ERA in the American League. Beckett has allowed just 5.5 hits per nine, which ranks best in the American League.  He has been the constant for the shaky Boston rotation so far. Beckett’s play has kept the Red Sox within striking distance of the New York Yankees for 1^st place in the A.L. East, and to lead the Wild Card race. He was named to the 2011 All-Star team for his play. Beckett has relied heavily on his 2-seam fastball, which has been a key to the strikeout totals, and limiting base runners, allowing less than one per inning (0.906 WHIP). Staying healthy will be key for Beckett as the season continues following the all-star break.

3: Freddy Garcia/Bartolo Colon;

Garcia: 7-6, 92 IP, 3.13 ERA, 1.271 WHIP, 57 K’s.

Colon: 6-3, 84.1 IP, 2.88 ERA, 1.055 WHIP, 78 K’s.

Coming into the season one of the biggest question marks for the New York Yankees was the back end of their rotation. Colon and Garcia have combined to go 13-9, with more consistency than anyone could’ve imagined. The two pitchers have found the fountain of youth and have given the Yankees a solidified rotation behind ace C.C. Sabathia leading them to a first place record. Aside from a short D.L stint from Colon, the two have stayed healthy for the most part, which is another added surprise to Yankees fans. If Colon and Garcia can keep this up, along with stellar play the Yankees have gotten around the diamond, a 1^st place finish seems pretty evident for New York.

2: Cleveland Indians; 1^st Place, 45-39, 25-15 (Home), 20-24 (Road).

The Tribe has led the A.L. Central for essentially the entire season thus far, and has succeeded greatly and appears to be a playoff contender during a time when many thought the team would be rebuilding. Cleveland’s offense is anchored by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, and the resurgence of DH Travis Hafner. Cabrera is hitting .292 and leads the team with 14 homeruns, 49 RBI, 100 hits, 22 doubles, three triples, and 12 stolen bases. The MVP caliber season led to Cabrera being named to the A.L All-Star team. Cleveland’s bullpen has been a pleasant surprise as well; led by closer Chris Perez who is 20 for 21 in save opportunities posting an impressive 2.30 ERA. Josh Tomlin leads the tribe with ten wins, while Justin Masterson has a 2.85 ERA, going 6-6 through season’s 1^st half. Cleveland has a slim lead over Detroit in the A.L Central, it will be interesting to see if they can keep it up after the all-star break and close out the division as the season winds down.

1: Pittsburgh Pirates; 2^nd Place, 45-41, 21-20 (Home), 24-21 (Road).

The Pirates are led by a plethora of young talent, with the spotlight on centerfielder Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen has a .291 average, 12 homeruns, 46 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. He leads the team in average, homeruns, runs scored, stolen bases, and is second in RBI. Perhaps the biggest surprise within the Pirates has been their pitching as a whole. All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan has gone 25 for 25 in save opportunities, posting an incredible 0.93 ERA. Jeff Karstens has gone 7-4 with a 2.55 ERA, while Kevin Correia and Charlie Morton have won 11 and 7 games, respectively. Pittsburgh is 45-41, just 1.5 games behind the Cardinals for 1^st place. It’s been quite some time since the Pirates were relevant, and with the N.L Central still wide open, they have a chance at winning the division if their young players can keep winning. The second half story for the Pirates will be if their pitching can remain as consistent as it was in the first half of the season.