JV's ALL FIRST HALF SURPRISE TEAM

Catcher- Joe Mauer, MIN

.412, 13 HR, 39 RBI, 35 R, 0 SB

Before the season I laughed at the idea of anyone taking Mauer early in drafts and made the comparison that he was Placido Polanco's equal at catcher.  Mauer has made a complete mockery of me and AL pitching for the month and a half he has been healthy.  He already has matched a career high in homers and looks like he could hit .370 with 30 homers.

First Base- Mark Reynolds, ARI

.277, 16 HR, 42 RBI, 40 R, 13 SB

Wily fantasy gurus were pegging Reynolds as a poor man's David Wright before the season (think 30 homers, 10 bags, but a drain on the BA).  It looks like they underestimated the Sheriff a little bit.  Sheriff's average has been awesome by his standards and he looks like a legit 30/30 candidate.

Second Base- Aaron Hill, TOR

.313, 14 HR, 44 RBI, 36 R, 2 SB

I loved Hill as a filler at middle infield in deeper leagues before the season started.  But seriously, I did not see this coming.  After a lost season in 2008 where he was derailed by injuries, Hill is making the most of 09.  A .280 average with 100 runs and 25 bombs would be disappointing at this point.

Third Base- Russell Branyan, SEA

.319, 15 HR, 30 RBI, 36 R, 2 SB

Branyan was undrafted in a lot of leagues and has proven to be a gem of a find this season.  He always has displayed massive power but has not gotten consistent playing time and could not hit for average.  I don't expect it to continue (the batting average anyway) but he has been a pleasant surprise playing in the Pacific Northwest.

Shortstop- Jason Bartlett, TB

.373, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 32 R, 14 SB

I've owned Bartlett for a couple reasons because he is what he is.  A .290 hitting shortstop that can chip in 20 or 30 steals.  He has been on the DL and even if he does nothing for the rest of the season, he already is the surprise of the year in my mind.  He has never has hit more than a few homeruns and has 7 in just two months this season.  We make apologies to Barlett's teammate, Ben Zobrist, who was also considered for this spot.

Outfield- Raul Ibanez, PHI

.325, 21 HR, 58 RBI, 50 R, 4 SB

Ibanez is finally playing in a good lineup and in a good hitter's ballpark.  That has catapulted him to the NL's best player at this point and a legit MVP candidate.  He is hitting everything in sight and is showing very little sign of slowing down.  I predict his final numbers will be around .300-35 HR-120 RBI.

Outfield- Justin Upton, ARI

.316, 12 HR, 37 RBI, 39 R, 9 SB

Congrats to those of you who took a shot on Upton's potential as he is delivering big time here in 2009.  He will continue to grow as a player and could even blossom into a 40/40 player by the time he hits his statistical peak.  That is unreal to think about.

Outfield- Nelson Cruz, TEX

.284, 17 HR, 42 RBI, 38 R, 10 SB

Cruz has erased the AAAA player label from his resume by absolutely crushing for the first half of the season in 09.  His hitting in what I believe is the best ballpark to hit in and is going to chip in 20 steals.  We make apologies to Adam Jones and Adam Lind, who were also considered as outfielders.

Starting Pitcher- Edwin Jackson, DET

88.1 IP, 6-3 REC, 65 K, 23 BB, 68 HA, 2.24 ERA, 1.03 WHIP

I did not believe the hype before the year.  I saw a pitcher that struck out too few and walked too many.  Jackson has righted the ship by cutting down the walks and by developing a new pitch, a curveball.  The Bob Gibson comparisons were obviously a stretch, but I love Jackson's make-up and demeanor and hope he continues his string of good fortune and quality pitching.

Closer- Trevor Hoffman, MIL

17 IP, 0-0 REC, 15 K, 1 BB, 7 HA, 0.00 ERA, 0.47 WHIP, 15 Saves

Hoffman has been unbelievable here in 2009.  He has walked 1 batter and has not yeilded a run in 17 innings.  Every season, everyone predicts that he is finished, yet he has never had 1 poor season as a closer.  I hope he saves 40 games and has an ERA under 1.  That would be awesome.

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written by Patrick DiCaprio, June 18, 2009

there were a few rough patches in this article, especially too much use of "I." In a commentary-type article the cavalier approach is OK but not in an analytical one, at least IMHO. plus, Upton is not THAT much of a surprise, though I suppose he is a reasonable pick.

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Justin Upton a surprise?!
written by EricGehman, June 16, 2009

How does a player who's been considered a breakout prospect over the past year or so qualify as a surprise? He was a first round draft pick pegged for superstardom... he made the majors before he could legally drink... his brother has had success in the majors with an inferior scouting profile and a smaller build. Justin's doing exactly what experts and scouts predicted he would do, which is hit for power and contribute across the board.

Otherwise, I like your picks for Pitchers... Jackson and Hoffman have been dominant and I don't think anyone saw Edwin Jackson becoming such a success after his move to Detroit. Good call.

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