April Report Cards for MLB's Top 50 Superstars

After the first month of the year there have been a number of surprises in baseball. Teams and players have gotten off to great starts that no one expected, while some players and favorites to win their division have struggled.

It is still very early in the year, but looking back on the month of April, we can evaluate the performance of some of the best players in the the game.

The list of players used for this top 50 comes from the preseason top 100 that I published in early March. A number of players on the top 50 on that list would not make the top 50 right now.

Players are being evaluated not only on how they played, but also on the expectations that were on them going into the season.

Note: Stats are as of all games completed on April 29.

50) Madison Bumgarner

Stats: 4-1, 2.53 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 17 K

With the way that Madison Bumgarner has pitched to begin the 2012 season, the San Francisco Giants must feel really good about the extension that he signed with the team.

Bumgarner started off poorly with a rocky first start of the season, but after that he has been basically lights out.

Grade: A

49) Alex Rodriguez

Stats: .253/.359/.430, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB

The New York Yankees have gotten off to a bit of a tough start, and one of the reasons why is because of the struggles of Alex Rodriguez.

However, he has shown signs that he is heating up. Rodriguez could put up much better numbers in May.

Grade: B-

48) Alex Gordon

Stats: .232/.337/.427, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB

Last season was finally the breakout season that people were expecting from Alex Gordon. However, it is starting to look like that may have been a slightly lucky season.

Things have not gone according to plan for Gordon early this year. His power numbers are there, but his batting average is not.

Grade: C+

47) Giancarlo Stanton

Stats: .246/.288/.348, 1 HR, 9 RBI

It appears as if the new ballpark the Miami Marlins are playing in may be zapping some of Giancarlo Stanton's power.

The Marlins were counting on him to hit for a lot of power this season, but that has not been the case through Stanton's first 20 games.

Grade: C-

46) David Price

Stats: 4-1, 2.67 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 23 K

To compete in the American League East, a team needs to have a great starting rotation. Having David Price at the top of their rotation is a huge plus for the Tampa Bay Rays.

While it may be early in the season, it looks like Price could be heading to his third consecutive All-Star game if he keeps this up.

Grade: A

45) Andrew McCutchen

Stats: .305/.360/.378, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 5 SB

The only thing that has been disappointing about this season for Andrew McCutchen is his lack of power thus far.

Otherwise, McCutchen is putting up great numbers and will be looking for the second 20/20 season of his career.

Grade: B

44) Matt Cain

Stats: 1-1, 2.37 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 26 K

Matt Cain's win-loss record does not reflect how well he has pitched at the beginning of the year.

Cain has thrown gems in two of his four starts and already has thrown a one-hitter this season.

Grade: A

43) Shane Victorino

Stats: .230/.280/.391, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 7 SB

Shane Victorino has gotten off to a fairly good start to the year, but he has struggled to get on base. His .280 on-base percentage is more than 60 points below his career average.

If Victorino is able to figure things out, which he should be able to do, he could have a very good season since he has already slugged four home runs and stolen seven bases.

Grade: B-

42) Yadier Molina

Stats: .316/.369/.592, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 2 SB

The St. Louis Cardinals gave Yadier Molina a huge five-year, $75 million extension this offseason, and he is proving so far that he deserves every penny of that deal.

Molina has gotten off to a blazing start to the year, and his production has been absolutely outstanding in April.

Grade: A

41) Brandon Phillips

Stats: .254/.302/.407, 2 HR, 7 RBI

Brandon Phillips is yet another player that signed a big extension this winter. With a big deal come big expectations.

There have been some up and downs for Phillips to start the year, and he has been unable to perform consistently through this part of the season.

Grade: C+

40) Stephen Strasburg

Stats: 2-0, 1.13 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 34 K

There was a lot of hype surrounding Stephen Strasburg when he was drafted, and he has proven that he deserves the attention whenever he steps on the mound.

Strasburg has been incredible in his first five starts of the year and has looked very difficult to hit. The Washington Nationals got off to a great start, and Strasburg has helped lead them.

Grade: A+

39) Jon Lester

Stats: 1-2, 4.65 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 23 K

Jon Lester began the year with two good starts and then ran into the juggernaut that is the Texas Rangers offense.

He followed that up with a poor start against the Minnesota Twins before turning things around in his final start in April.

Lester is going to be key to the Boston Red Sox's success this year.

Grade: C

38) Dan Haren

Stats: 1-1, 3.34 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 30 K

While there have not been too many positives for the Los Angeles Angels in April, Dan Haren has been a bright spot for the team.

Haren has done what is expected of him, and without the blip on the radar that was his first start of the year, he has performed very well.

Grade: B

37) Brett Gardner

Stats: .321/.424/.393, 3 RBI, 2 SB

Brett Gardner has only played nine games so far this season because of an elbow injury that landed him on the disabled list.

The Yankees have certainly missed Gardner for the latter part of April, and they will play better once he is back in their lineup.

Grade: Incomplete

36) Mark Teixeira

Stats: .229/.278/.386, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB

While the 2012 season has certainly not begun the way that Mark Teixeira hoped it would, he has been very productive when it comes to driving in runners.

After seeing his average fall during the past two seasons, the fact that Teixeira has been struggling to get base hits thus far has to be some cause for concern.

Grade: C+

35) Mike Napoli

Stats: .273/.355/.606, 7 HR, 14 RBI

The Texas Rangers have really been driven by their offense during the past few seasons, and it looks like that will be the case again in 2012.

Mike Napoli has gotten off to a good start for the Rangers and has shown that he should be a 30-home run threat once again this year.

Grade: A

34) Cole Hamels

Stats: 3-1, 2.73 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 30 K

Cole Hamels is trying to make it difficult for the Philadelphia Phillies to potentially let him hit free agency after the season.

Hamels has done what he has in the past and is continually proving why he is one of the better pitchers in all of baseball.

Grade: A

33) Hanley Ramirez

Stats: .205/.311/.385, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 4 SB

Hanley Ramirez has to be one of the most difficult players on this list to grade. He has shown that his power is back, and he is near the top of the NL RBI leaderboard, but his average is barely above the Mendoza line.

Ramirez has also had some struggles at third base. While his grade may seem a little bit low, Ramirez's low batting average is a concern.

Grade: C+

32) Ryan Zimmerman

Stats: .224/.324/.345, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB

The Washington Nationals thought that Ryan Zimmerman was worth $100 million, but he has not played like that to begin the year.

To make matters worse, Zimmerman has gone on the disabled list with inflammation of his right AC joint.

Grade: C-

31) Paul Konerko

Stats: .383/.444/.679, 5 HR, 15 RBI

Paul Konerko has been absolutely outstanding for the Chicago White Sox once again this year. He has been a leader for the team throughout his career.

He has been dominant through the first month of the year; pitchers have had an incredibly difficult time getting Konerko out in April.

Grade: A+

30) Jose Reyes

Stats: .205/.276/.321, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 SB

This is not what the Miami Marlins expected when they signed Jose Reyes this winter. Reyes was supposed to be a dynamic player at the top of their lineup.

While Reyes does have four stolen bases, he has also been caught three times. The Marlins and their fans are hoping that Reyes can figure things out soon.

Grade: F

29) Pablo Sandoval

Stats: .311/.361/.500, 4 HR, 14 RBI

Pablo Sandoval has continually proven that he can hit. He got off to an outstanding start this season.

Sandoval is going to look to continue to build on his success from the past few seasons. Since he is just 25 years old, he should continue to get better.

Grade: A

28) Carlos Gonzalez

Stats: .288/.358/.534, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 4 SB

There is not much that Carlos Gonzalez is not able to do. He is one of the most promising young players in the game.

Gonzalez has gotten really hot in the last week and a half, and his numbers from that time period have really helped boost his overall stats.

Grade: A-

27) Jered Weaver

Stats: 3-0, 2.02 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 36 K

After finishing in the top five in the American League Cy Young voting each of the past two years, Jered Weaver is looking for his first Cy Young award.

He has gotten off to a great start in 2012 and is certainly one of the favorites to win the award this year. Weaver has not allowed a run in three of his first five starts.

Grade: A+

26) Curtis Granderson

Stats: .272/.385/.617, 8 HR, 16 RBI

Any time a player has a month in which they have an OPS of over 1.000, they deserve an A for their production.

Curtis Granderson has a 1.003 OPS and has been outstanding. The eight home runs Granderson has hit are near the top of the American League leaderboard.

Grade: A

25) Felix Hernandez

Stats: 2-1, 2.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 33 K

Since he reached the major leagues at the young age of 19 in 2005, Felix Hernandez has been incredibly impressive.

Hernandez has gotten better and better as time has gone on, and 2012 has looked like it will be another strong season for King Felix.

Grade: A

24) Adrian Beltre

Stats: .303/.341/.513, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB

Adrian Beltre is another Texas Rangers player that has gotten off to a torrid start this season.

If Beltre and his teammates can keep up this level of production throughout the year, the Rangers will remain the team to beat.

Grade: A

23) Tim Lincecum

Stats: 2-2, 5.74 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 29 K

The beginning of the 2012 season was certainly not pretty for Tim Lincecum, as he got lit up in his first three starts.

Things have gotten better for Lincecum since then, but his first few starts caused him to get a very poor grade for April.

Grade: F

22) Matt Holliday

Stats: .215/.277/.376, 4 HR, 13 RBI

Matt Holliday is another player that has gotten off to an interesting start. The power has been there for Holliday, but his batting average has not been.

The St. Louis Cardinals were hoping that Holliday could help fill in for Albert Pujols, but he has not been able to do it very effectively so far this year.

Grade: C+

21) Cliff Lee

Stats: 0-1, 1.96 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 18 K

Cliff Lee was off to an outstanding start for the Philadelphia Phillies before he was placed on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his left side.

Despite the injury, Lee gets an outstanding grade due to his dominant performance when he was on the mound.

Grade: A

20) Evan Longoria

Stats: .325/.432/.563, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 2 SB

Evan Longoria has been very impressive to start the 2012 season, and he looks comfortable at the plate.

Longoria has been locked in recently, and the Tampa Bay Rays have benefited a lot from his hot start.

Grade: A+

19) Josh Hamilton

Stats: .395/.438/.744, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 2 SB

Josh Hamilton will be able to get a huge paycheck this offseason if he is able to produce at a level like this all season.

This torrid start just goes to show that when Hamilton manages to stay on the field, there are few players in the majors better than him.

Grade: A+

18) Justin Upton

Stats: .230/.351/.328, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 SB

Justin Upton hit 31 home runs and stole 21 bases in 2011, which meant that there were very high expectations for him this season.

However, Upton has not lived up to those expectations during April. He was one of the favorites for the NL MVP award going into the year, but he is a ways away from that at this point.

Grade: D-

17) Ian Kinsler

Stats: .297/.390/.582, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 2 SB

Ian Kinsler wants to make sure that his name stays in the discussion about who the best second baseman in the American League is.

With his hot start to the year, Kinsler is showing some consistency with his power, which has been an issue for him in the past.

Grade: A

16) Robinson Cano

Stats: .264/.323/.391, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB

There is consistently a debate about who the best second baseman in the American League is—and Robinson Cano is often regarded as the best.

However, Cano did not play like the best second baseman in the AL during April. Cano struggled a decent amount at the plate and was not a run producer.

Grade: C

15) Dustin Pedroia

Stats: .295/.340/.477, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB

Dustin Pedroia has been a pretty steady producer for the Boston Red Sox during his career, and nothing has changed at the start of this season.

Laser Show has gotten off to a hot start; his production in April is right in line with what should be expected from him.

Grade: A-

14) Clayton Kershaw

Stats: 2-0, 1.78 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 28 K

Clayton Kershaw took home the National League Cy Young award in 2011 and is looking to defend his award this year.

A strong April has been the first step in this process for Kershaw; he has done everything right through the first month of the year.

Grade: A+

13) CC Sabathia

Stats: 3-0, 4.58 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 38 K

Even though CC Sabathia has had some struggles in April, he has still managed to pick up three wins.

Having the support of the New York Yankees' powerful offense has really benefited Sabathia so far this year.

Grade: C-

12) Roy Halladay

Stats: 3-2, 1.95 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 24 K

The most amazing thing about Roy Halladay's April is the fact that he has lost two games this year while he has been dominant.

Halladay is showing once again that he is the class of the National League, and hitters have been baffled when he has been on the mound.

Grade: A+

11) Prince Fielder

Stats: .309/.387/.444, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB

After the Detroit Tigers found out that Victor Martinez would be out for the year with a torn ACL, they went out and signed Prince Fielder.

That signing has paid off for the Tigers, as Fielder has gotten off to a hot start to the year.

Grade: A

10) Adrian Gonzalez

Stats: .284/.344/.420, 2 HR, 15 RBI

Adrian Gonzalez has been good in April, but the Boston Red Sox were expecting a bit more from him.

Gonzalez has done a great job of driving in runners, but having his batting average drop under .300 is a little disappointing.

Grade: A-

9) Troy Tulowitzki

Stats: .284/.344/.457, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB

Troy Tulowitzki has gotten off to a good start in April, but his triple-slash line is actually below his career averages.

Even with that being the case, Tulowitzki has looked like he will be in for a very good year this season.

Grade: A-

8) Jacoby Ellsbury

Stats: .192/.300/.269, 0 HR, 3 RBI

Following his power surge in 2011, Jacoby Ellsbury was hoping to get off to a good start to prove that it wasn't a fluke.

Unfortunately, Ellsbury has not done much of anything—he has only played in seven games and is currently on the disabled list with a shoulder injury.

Grade: Incomplete

7) Justin Verlander

Stats: 2-1, 2.41 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 35 K

After winning the American League MVP and Cy Young awards in 2011, expectations for Justin Verlander were very high this year.

He pitched very well in the opening month of the season, but believe it or not, he did leave something to be desired with two starts in which he gave up four earned runs apiece.

Grade: A-

6) Joey Votto

Stats: .289/.439/.500, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 1 SB

The most impressive thing about Joey Votto's first month of the year is that his on-base percentage is just under .440.

Votto has also been a run producer for the Cincinnati Reds in April. There was a lot to like about his first month of the year.

Grade: A-

5) Ryan Braun

Stats: .263/.322/.500, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 3 SB

After his tumultuous offseason, Ryan Braun has gotten off to a solid start to the 2012 season.

Without Prince Fielder in the Milwaukee Brewers lineup this year, Braun is going to need to try to repeat his fantastic 2011 season.

Grade: B+

4) Jose Bautista

Stats: .190/.333/.329, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB

After two fantastic seasons, Jose Bautista has hit a bit of a bump in the road at the beginning of the 2012 season.

Bautista's struggles should not last much longer. The Toronto Blue Jays have been able to have success even with Bautista going through his rough patch.

Grade: D-

3) Matt Kemp

Stats: .425/.495/.888, 11 HR, 24 RBI, 2 SB

Matt Kemp has come out of the gates swinging this year. He has had one of the best Aprils in MLB history.

Not much needs to be said about Kemp's start to the year since his numbers speak for themselves. Kemp is the best player in baseball right now

Grade: A+

2) Miguel Cabrera

Stats: .298/.368/.571, 7 HR, 20 RBI

The addition of Prince Fielder to the Detroit Tigers lineup has been helpful for Miguel Cabrera in the first month of the year.

Cabrera has shown why he is one of the best pure hitters in the game. His production has been everything that the Tigers could ask for.

Grade: A

1) Albert Pujols

Stats: .216/.266/.295, 0 HR, 4 RBI

Albert Pujols is in the midst of one of the worst stretches of his career. He has not hit a home run in his first 88 at-bats and has struggled to get on base.

The transition to the American League has certainly not been easy for Pujols, but he should turn things around soon.

Grade: F