50 Biggest Shockers of the Early MLB Season

The 2012 MLB season is a month and a half over, and the season already looks nothing like what many imagined, even if it is likely to change later on.

Teams that were written off as jokes are in first place, teams expected to take over divisions are struggling and players who are usually sure things are playing horribly.

There are also players having great or terrible luck this year, such as Matt Cain, and those not named Cain will be looked at (since his terrible luck is not shocking in the slightest).

The 50 biggest shockers of the MLB season are certainly that, with some statistics and records that almost defy logic. All stats are through May 12.

Albert Pujols' Slump

Need I say more? For the past decade, if there was one sure thing in baseball, it was Albert Pujols. Even if he had a slump, he could bounce back for 35 home runs and 100 RBI that year like nothing happened, and he did pretty much that last year.

This year, I don't know what's going on, but he's playing horribly. A .195 average, one home run and 11 RBI are not good first baseman numbers, let alone Pujols numbers. His OPS of .514 is half of what it usually is for him in a given year.

He's hitting .146 in May to make an already poor season even worse for him.

Derek Jeter's Hot Start

While Albert Pujols seemed to be in his prime, Derek Jeter was starting to slow down after a .270 average in 2010 and shrinking numbers. It looked like he would be in his final couple of years.

Instead of riding off into the sunset, Jeter has taken charge of the Yankees and is second in the AL with a .376 batting average. He leads the AL with 53 hits, and his five home runs so far almost equal last year's total.

It's safe to say that he's not looking to slow down just yet. His average is roughly the same as it was at this time in 1999, when he had a career-high .349 average.

Troy Tulowitzki's Awful Defense

Troy Tulowitzki is struggling a bit offensively, with a .267 batting average so far, but it's nothing too concerning; there are people hitting the ball far worse than him. His defense, on the other hand, is scary.

In 11 games, he had six errors, equaling the number of errors he had all last season, and he seemed to collapse mentally.

He now has seven and seems to be bouncing back, but for a Gold Glove shortstop who usually saves games for his team, he was costing his team games for a while.

David Wright's Career Year

Perhaps there's something in the water over at Citi Field. Last year, Jose Reyes had a career year and suddenly looked like an MVP candidate. This year, David Wright's doing the same thing.

Aside from having more walks than strikeouts, Wright is hitting .402, which leads the majors, as well as an OBP of .489.

He already has 21 RBI, and the only nitpick you can find in his game is an equal number of stolen bases and times caught stealing, with three each.

Mark Reynolds: Playing Bad Even by Mark Reynolds Standards

Mark Reynolds is one of those types of players that you need to modify your expectations on. Of course, he's hitting under .200, striking out a lot and playing horrendous defense. As long as he's hitting home runs and driving in runs, it's all good.

Well, he's the weak link on the Orioles right now (which normally says a lot, but not this year; more on that later). He only has two home runs and nine RBI and will now be on the disabled list for a time.

Maybe when he comes back, he'll hit some home runs to go with his strikeouts.

Carlos Beltran's Comeback

When Albert Pujols left the Cardinals this past offseason, the player set to take over the team, both on the field and off, looked to be Matt Holliday. He's struggled at the plate this year though—not bad enough to land on this list, but far from great.

Carlos Beltran, on the other hand, is looking like an MVP candidate once more. He's hitting around .300 and is tied with Matt Kemp for the NL lead in home runs with 12. His addition has meant that the Cardinals have not lost a step and continue to lead the NL Central.

Jose Bautista's Slump

Jose Bautista emerged in 2010 as an elite hitter, and for the past two seasons, he's been the face of the Blue Jays franchise with his hitting. In 2012, he seems to have hit a snag.

His eight home runs and 22 walks are solid and show he can still hit and avoid striking out too much, but he's only hitting .197. He's not playing terribly, but it's a far cry from where he was last year and the year before.

Brett Lawrie's Defense

Brett Lawrie is emerging as a great player in his second season for the Toronto Blue Jays. His offensive numbers are solid, and his defense has sabermetricians and the guys at SportsCenter practically drooling.

His defensive WAR is already 1.7, far above anyone else, and advanced stats confirm that he has already emerged as an elite defensive player, let alone as a third baseman.

Kevin Youkilis' Struggles

Kevin Youkilis has been a rock for the Red Sox for many years, and even if he's not hitting great like in 2011, he walks enough and does enough to be valuable to the team.

That's why I not only couldn't figure out his major struggles this year, but also couldn't figure out Bobby Valentine going after him.

A .219 average, five walks, 20 strikeouts and two home runs is bad especially for Youk, but given that he's spent the past couple weeks on the disabled list, he may now be able to turn it around.

Josh Hamilton's Insane Numbers

Josh Hamilton has already won an MVP award, so for him to be on a list of shocking performances, his numbers would have to be through the roof.

Sure enough, they are. Here is what he leads the majors in: batting average (.402), home runs (18), RBI (41), WAR (2.9), total bases (107), runs (30), slugging percentage (.877) and on-base percentage (.457).

Even staying remotely close to those numbers would guarantee a second MVP and an insane contract if he's not re-signed by the Rangers before the end of the season.

Mariano Rivera's Injury

Mariano Rivera has been such an elite reliever for so long that really the only thing left for him to do was end his career on his own terms.

Unfortunately, he may not be able to do that. He tore his ACL while catching pop flies before a game and will at least miss this season. He'll be 43 next year, but if anyone can come back and silence any doubters, it's Mo.

Ervin Santana's Terrible Luck

On the surface, Ervin Santana has been having a terrible year. He's 1-6 and just got his first win in his last start, and he has an ERA of 5.09 and has allowed 12 home runs. However, all is not as it seems.

Anyone would be 1-6 with the way the Angels played with him on the mound. In five straight starts, the Angels scored zero runs, the only time in major league history that's happened.

Even his eight-inning, 10-strikeout gem against Toronto was a loss since he allowed three runs.

Jake Peavy's Comeback

Jake Peavy has struggled quite a bit since he became a member of the Chicago White Sox after being traded from the San Diego Padres. Maybe his success this year is just him trying to live up to his contract, or maybe he's finally found himself.

In seven games, he's 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 44 strikeouts. With the struggles of John Danks and the departure of Mark Buehrle, he's what's keeping the White Sox afloat right now.

Clay Buchholz's Terrible Numbers, Great Luck

I want to be a pitcher on the Boston Red Sox. I can't pitch at all, but apparently I don't have to and I can still win a couple games. Such is the case for Clay Buchholz.

He's 4-1, but that's where the good numbers end. His ERA is 8.31, he has more walks than strikeouts (22 to 20) and he leads the league in hits and earned runs allowed.

He's pitching horribly in spite of his record, and he has yet to have a good start.

Johnny Cueto's Elite Numbers

The Cincinnati Reds were hoping to have an ace on their staff by trading for Mat Latos. He has not lived up to expectations, but Johnny Cueto has emerged as a true ace.

Cueto is 4-0 with a 1.12 ERA and 31 strikeouts. He leads the league with five hit batsmen, which is his only concerning stat. The Reds have a chance to take over the NL Central if he keeps pitching like that.

Francisco Liriano's Slump

The Minnesota Twins have a confusing pitcher in Francisco Liriano, who is either really good or really bad over the course of a season. The good news is that this year he's breaking that mold.

The bad news is that it's in the wrong direction. He's 0-5 with a 9.45 ERA and has been painful to watch. Only once has he passed five innings, and he has yet to allow fewer than four earned runs.

Lance Lynn's Emergence

When Rookie of the Year candidates were being discussed before the season began, players such as Yonder Alonso and Devin Mesoraco were the front-runners, among others.

One that's appeared out of nowhere due to the Chris Carpenter injury was Lance Lynn. He's 6-0 in six starts with a 1.40 ERA and is suddenly in the running for Cy Young discussion, let alone Rookie of the Year.

Adam Wainwright's Struggles

When Chris Carpenter went down to injury for the St. Louis Cardinals, I wasn't too worried about them since Adam Wainwright was coming back in full force for the 2012 season.

Well, it's taking him a while to get back into the swing of things, as he's 2-4 with a 6.16 ERA.

He was great in four seasons before, and normally players returning from Tommy John surgery are fine when they make it back to the mound, which makes this more shocking.

Ryan Dempster's Great Pitching, Terrible Luck

Everything I said about Clay Buchholz a few slides back can be completely reversed for Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, who may be having worse luck than even Ervin Santana.

In five starts, he has a league-leading 1.02 ERA. Despite his elite numbers, he only has an 0-1 record, due to a lack of run support by the Cubs.

The Cubs need to improve so they aren't squandering a bright spot in their rotation.

Drew Smyly's Emergence

After Justin Verlander, the Tigers needed a second guy to step up and really have a nice season, especially after Doug Fister ended up missing some time. That ended up being Drew Smyly.

He's only 1-0 in six starts, but he has an ERA of 1.59, leading the AL. If he can start pushing himself past the sixth inning, then he should become even better, as he suddenly looks like a top Rookie of the Year candidate.

Baltimore Orioles in First Place

This past offseason, I kept saying that the Baltimore Orioles were a joke. They don't have much in the farm system or their starting 25, so how can they compete in the AL East?

I'm still not sure how they're doing it, but they are. They are 22-12 and first in the AL East, and most of the success is thanks to the bullpen. Their five main relievers each have an ERA under two, with Jim Johnson in particular being lights-out as closer.

The fact is they still have major issues both at the plate and on the mound (Mark Reynolds and Brian Matusz to start), but they're still managing to win, which shows a lot of heart and makes Buck Showalter an early Manager of the Year candidate.

Milwaukee Brewers: Embarrassing Pitching

The Milwaukee Brewers are holding their own in a crowded NL Central, wedged between first and last with three other teams. They could be a lot more competitive if their pitching wasn't awful.

It's a good thing they acquired Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum one offseason ago because they're the only two pitching well.

Yovani Gallardo, Randy Wolf, John Axford, Francisco Rodriguez—the list goes on of pitchers who seem unable to perform for Milwaukee this year.

Washington Nationals: Incredible Pitching

There are some out there that had the Washington Nationals as a surprise team to win the NL East, despite a very tough division. So far, they're showing they can do that thanks to their pitching.

All five starters are pitching well, and all except Edwin Jackson are at an elite level right now. They also have no weaknesses in the regular bullpen group, and once Drew Storen comes back, they'll be even better.

Oakland Athletics: Terrible Hitting, Good Record

With two of their three starting outfielders gone, as well as a good chunk of their pitching staff, no one expected the Oakland Athletics to do much. Their pitching has been solid, however, and it has exceeded expectations.

The hitting, despite the addition of Yoenis Cespedes, has been a joke. They are hitting .221 as a team, dead last in the majors. Even the Seattle Mariners are hitting better. If it wasn't for Josh Reddick emerging as a very good player at right field, the Athletics would be even more of a joke on the hitting side.

Despite the horrendous hitting, they are somehow 18-16. How they've managed that, I have no idea.

Philadelphia Phillies in Last Place

The Philadelphia Phillies had a slew of injuries this offseason to worry about, but given that they still had an elite pitching staff, they could easily compete in the NL East. After all, the Athletics have managed a winning record so far.

Despite a great pitching staff, the Phillies are last in the NL East, and at 15-19 they're the only team in the division with a losing record. Even the Mets are off to a better start.

If they don't want their pitching to go to waste, the Phillies lineup needs to improve fast.

Los Angeles Dodgers Have Best MLB Record

If I were to have guessed who would have MLB's best record at this point, my guess would've likely been the same as many, like the Rangers, Angels or perhaps the Yankees or Cardinals.

I certainly did not expect the Dodgers to come storming out of the gate. At 22-11, they have the best record in baseball thanks to a monster year from Matt Kemp, as well as solid performances by many others working as a team.

Minnesota Twins Have Worst MLB Record

No one expected the Minnesota Twins to rebound and run away with the AL Central. That doesn't mean they weren't supposed to bounce back now that they have a healthy Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

Instead, they are somehow even worse than last year. Their starting pitching is absolutely atrocious (their bullpen is fine, though), and their starting lineup is terrible as well, with Josh Willingham being the only player who's doing much of anything.

Boston Red Sox in Last Place

I didn't think that with the addition of Bobby Valentine the Boston Red Sox would suddenly be back to normal and tearing apart the AL East. That being said, I didn't think they would be close to dead last either.

Sure, someone has to be now that the Orioles somehow aren't, but it's still shocking that it's the Red Sox. At 14-19 they are easily in last, and while their hitting is very good, their starting pitching is bad, and their bullpen isn't much better.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Struggling

The AL West seemed easy to figure out in the offseason. The Rangers and Angels would be battling it out for the division while the Athletics and Mariners fought for third place.

Instead, the Angels only recently escaped from the cellar and are now in third with a 15-19 record. Their pitching has been mostly good, but their hitting has been very inconsistent, and it's kept them from getting things going.

Cleveland Indians in First Place

The AL Central seemed to be another easy division to predict: The Detroit Tigers would win the AL Central, and it didn't really matter where the other four ended up, as it would likely be under .500.

So far, the Cleveland Indians have kept ahead of everyone with an 18-15 record. This is the result of a mostly unimpressive lineup whose best stat has been walks, along with rather mediocre pitching.

Tim Lincecum Falling Apart

To the surprise of no one, the San Francisco Giants have four great starters this year and one bad one. To the surprise of everyone, the bad one is not Barry Zito, but Tim Lincecum.

In seven starts, Lincecum is all over the place. He's 2-3 with a 5.89 ERA, and while he has 41 strikeouts, he already has 19 walks and four wild pitches.

He's only had one great start, and he needed 121 pitches in eight innings to get through it.

Orlando Hudson Leads Majors in Triples

Let's move to a few stats that somehow defy logic. Orlando Hudson was a speedy guy earlier in his career and had nine triples twice, but he only notched three last year.

Despite being 34, he's somehow still improving in those categories. He's only hitting .200, but he already has five triples, which leads the league.

Melky Cabrera is close behind at four, but for a guy who has been in the top five in triples only once, it's rather shocking.

Emilio Bonifacio Leads Majors in Stolen Bases

Emilio Bonifacio finally managed to make himself an everyday player in 2011 and looked good in the process. This year, he's blowing up the basepaths, and he already has 17 stolen bases, while those in second place only have 12.

He stole 40 last year, so it doesn't seem that shocking. However, once you factor in that he has yet to be caught stealing, suddenly he looks that much more dominant on the basepaths.

Ubaldo Jimenez Leads Majors in Walks Allowed

The Cleveland Indians gave away their farm system to bring in Ubaldo Jimenez to lead the Cleveland Indians. Drew Pomeranz is playing all right in Colorado, but compared to Jimenez, he looks brilliant.

In seven starts, Jimenez has a 5.18 ERA and already has 30 walks to only 24 strikeouts. He's struggled with walks before, but he's never led the league in them.

What's worse for Cleveland is that fellow Indian Justin Masterson is in second place; at least one of them has to snap out of it.

Henry Rodriguez Leads Majors in Wild Pitches

Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised by this, considering that he led the NL in this category last year. However, I'll explain why his wild pitch count is shocking.

Henry Rodriguez has pitched 14.2 innings in 16 games. He already has six wild pitches. Last year, he led with 14 in nearly 60 innings.

First off, a reliever should not be anywhere near leading that category. Second, he's on pace to easily have 20 this year. It's ridiculous.

Nearly Every Closer Is Ineffective

I'm not sure what's going on this year, but it seems that while some closers are really stepping up and showcasing their talents, virtually every established closer has struggled.

Jose Valverde, Francisco Cordero, John Axford, Alfredo Aceves, Javy Guerra and many others can't seem to get it going. Fernando Rodney, Brett Myers (somehow) and a couple others who are dominating are the exception rather than the rule this year.

Heath Bell Playing Horrendously

When I noted that list in the previous slide, you may have noticed that I left out Heath Bell, who was closing for the Miami Marlins. Well, he's pitching so poorly that he gets his own slide.

As of May 4, Bell had an 11.42 ERA, four blown saves, three saves and a 0-3 record, and he lost his closer job as a result.

He's turning the corner the past week with a win and an ERA down to 9.28, but it's going to take a lot of time to bounce back from this one.

Brian Wilson's Injury

With Mariano Rivera out for the entire season and most of the closers struggling, surely we would be able to enjoy the consistency of Brian Wilson and his beard, right?

Actually, he was put out of commission even before Rivera. After only two appearances, he was sidelined and needed Tommy John surgery, knocking him out for the year.

This year more than any, Wilson could have shined, but it was not to be.

Aroldis Chapman and Logan Ondrusek's ERAs

For as much as I liked the Baltimore Orioles' bullpen earlier, it has nothing on the Cincinnati Reds' bullpen. Sean Marshall has just been all right, but Aroldis Chapman and Logan Ondrusek have been better.

Chapman (13 G, 17.2 IP) and Ondrusek (16 G, 14.2 IP) both have ERAs of 0.00. Neither has allowed a run, earned or unearned, and having two relievers with that stat line a month and a half in is shocking.

Cole Hamels Beaning Bryce Harper

The Philadelphia Phillies-Washington Nationals game on May 6 was ripe with shocking moments. In the first inning, Bryce Harper came up to face Cole Hamels. Hamels took the time to bean him and completely admitted it.

Hamels got suspended for the pitch, though given his admission, I would have been fine with him not getting suspended at all.

Besides, Harper did get his revenge shortly afterward...

Bryce Harper Steals Home

After Cole Hamels beaned Harper on purpose, Bryce Harper made his way to third base in the first inning. That's when he got his revenge.

Harper stole home on Hamels, the first time we've seen that in a while. It's something that's so rarely done, even though it used to be more common, that it's shocking in its own right.

Mark Melancon: Painful to Watch

The Boston Red Sox brought in a couple relievers this offseason to bolster their bullpen. Andrew Bailey is injured, but he should be effective when he arrives. Mark Melancon, meanwhile, was hard to watch.

In four games, Melancon allowed at least a run in all four appearances and six earned runs without getting anyone out on April 17. That made his ERA 49.50, and needless to say, he was demoted.

Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles Use Hitters as Pitchers

The May 6 matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox was a complete mess. Neither starter did well, and it went all the way to 17 innings.

Both sides had a pitcher or two left they could've used, but instead the Red Sox used outfielder Darnell McDonald, and the Orioles used first baseman Chris Davis. It was the first time since the 1920s that two teams used position players as pitchers.

Davis actually did well and got the win, while McDonald allowed three runs and got the loss.

Bryan LaHair's Emergence

The Chicago Cubs, as part of their rebuilding, got Anthony Rizzo from the San Diego Padres. The first baseman has been tearing it up in the minors, but he can't be promoted, since Bryan LaHair has emerged.

LaHair has a .354 average in 30 games with eight home runs and 18 RBI, and he and Starlin Castro have kept the Cubs lineup going during their rebuilding process.

Freddy Garcia's Struggles

The New York Yankees have a potent offense as usual and with the addition of Hiroki Kuroda have an improved starting rotation. However, pieces of it have performed poorly, and by pieces I mean Freddy Garcia.

Garcia was 0-2 with a 12.51 ERA in four starts, and then he lost his job rather quickly and was moved to the bullpen. He has been fine in two games there, but it looks like he will be used infrequently nonetheless.

Yoenis Cespedes' Hot Start

When the Oakland Athletics shockingly acquired Yoenis Cespedes, it seemed like it would take him some time to get going after he struggled in winter ball.

Instead, as of April 25, he already had five home runs and 18 RBI. He's struggled since then, only hitting .205 with no home runs, but for a while it looked like he was suddenly the real deal.

Bryce Harper Debuts

It's not all that shocking that Bryce Harper made his debut this season. It is shocking, however, that it came so early given how great the Nationals have been so far.

Harper made his debut on April 28 and has played 13 games. He's only hitting .213 so far, but it's going to take him time to get adjusted to the majors, given that he's only 19.

Jamie Moyer Wins a Game

Jamie Moyer had Tommy John surgery and ended up missing the 2011 season. At the time, it seemed safe to assume he was done.

However, he tried to make the Rockies roster and actually managed to make it into the starting rotation at age 49.

On April 17, he became the oldest pitcher in MLB history to get a win. He still has just the one in seven starts, but he's pitching well enough that he'll get another soon.

Josh Hamilton Hits 4 HRs in One Game

I've already mentioned how amazing Josh Hamilton has been this season. What makes it even more amazing was that on May 8, he hit four home runs against the Baltimore Orioles.

He is only the 16th player to do that, and most on the list are either Hall of Famers or great hitters in their own right. It was the first of two multi-HR games in four days and his second game with at least five RBI this year.

Philip Humber Throws Perfect Game

It really was not that long ago that we had the last perfect game in MLB. Suddenly it feels like they are a bit commonplace. At least I can see that coming from Roy Halladay; it's a lot more shocking from Philip Humber.

On April 21, Humber took the Seattle Mariners to the cleaners, retiring all 27 to notch the 21st perfect game in MLB history.

The fact that he has a 6.83 ERA and it is his only win on the year just makes it even more shocking.