MLB's 50 Most Shocking Overachievers for April

One month doesn't make a season, but it can sure set the tone for it.

How players get out of the gate can go a long way towards how they'll perform over the rest of the season.

Start off hot and the game seemingly slows down. The ball suddenly looks as big as a beach ball and you can do no wrong.

On the other hand, a slow start can speed things up, and the ball, which is already small and difficult to pick up off the bat or out of a pitcher's hand, becomes nearly invisible.

Of course, a hot start does not guarantee future success

For 50 players who have gotten off to sizzling starts, there's nowhere to go but down from here. Maintaining the numbers that they produced in April would take a Herculean effort and some divine intervention.

Let's take a look at the players who have surpassed even the loftiest expectations one month into the season.

Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees

April Stats: .389/.433/.579, 4 HR, 13 RBI

Around this time last season, most of the baseball world had the opinion that Derek Jeter was done. He was no longer a useful player and needed to be moved down in the New York Yankees lineup, as he was unable to get on base.

This year, most of the baseball world has been taken aback by how youthful the 37-year-old Jeter looks, both at the plate and in the field. He looks lighter and quicker on his feet than he has in years, and his swing is reminiscent of Derek Jeter circa 1999. The 37 hits that he accumulated in April led all of baseball.

Being a high-profile player always brings with it high expectations, but it's fair to say that Jeter has surpassed even the loftiest of those expectations thus far.

Jason Hammel, SP, Baltimore Orioles

April Stats: 3-1, 1.97 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 32 IP, 30 K

Acquired in the trade that sent Orioles ace Jeremy Guthrie to the Colorado Rockies, expectations were low for Jason Hammel, and with good reason. Over a six-year career, Hammel sat with a 4.99 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and a 34-45 lifetime record.

But the 29-year-old has emerged as the ace in Baltimore, going six innings or more in four of his five starts and holding the opposition to a .200 batting average.

His only loss came against the New York Yankees on April 30, a game that saw him only allow two runs over six innings.

Bryan LaHair, 1B, Chicago Cubs

April Stats: .390/.471/.780, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 8 2B

It's no secret that Cubs GM Jed Hoyer and team president Theo Epstein have a love for Anthony Rizzo, having drafted him in Boston, acquired him in exchange for Adrian Gonzalez (when Hoyer was in San Diego) and then traded for him again this winter.

While Rizzo may eventually be the Cubs' first baseman, 29-year-old Bryan LaHair is going to make it a difficult decision if he can produce like he did in April.

LaHair, a potent bat in the minor leagues, has shown an ability to drive the ball all over the field while leading the Cubs in multiple offensive categories for the month.

Ryan Sweeney, RF, Boston Red Sox

April Stats: .373/.394/.567, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 11 2B 

When the Red Sox acquired 27-year-old outfielder Ryan Sweeney as part of the trade that bought injured closer Andrew Bailey to Boston, GM Ben Cherington said that he thought Sweeney's excellent defense and skill set on offense fit well in Fenway Park.

But even Cherington couldn't have expected this. Sweeney, a career .283 hitter coming into this season, recorded at least one hit in 16 of the 18 games in which he came to the plate. His 11 doubles led all of baseball, and for the moment he's put to rest any questions about right field in Boston.

Joe Saunders, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks

April Stats: 2-1, 0.90 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 30 IP, 19 H, 7 BB, 18 K   

After he turned down a two-year, $12 million deal from Arizona in December, the Diamondbacks non-tendered Joe Saunders, making him a free agent. He would re-sign with the team in January, agreeing to a one-year, $6 million deal.

Saunders, 30, was thought to be only keeping a spot warm for one of Arizona's top pitching prospects, whether it be Trevor Bauer, Tyler Skaggs, Wade Miley or Patrick Corbin.

Instead, Saunders has cemented himself in the middle of the rotation, leading all starting pitchers in ERA and ranking among the leaders in WHIP.

Jake Westbrook, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

April Stats: 3-1, 1.30 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 21 H, 7 BB, 15 K

Back in December, the St. Louis Cardinals were willing to deal Jake Westbrook:

"

Source: #STLCards willing to trade Lohse or Westbrook. Confirms report by @Buster_ESPN. #MLB

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal)

"

What a difference a few months makes.

While no pitcher in baseball received more run support than Westbrook did in April—30 runs in four starts—he didn't need it.

The 34-year-old went seven innings in three of his four starts, with his lone loss coming against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he allowed a season-high two earned runs in 6.2 innings pitched.

Lance Lynn, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

April Stats: 4-0, 1.33 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 27 IP, 16 H, 6 BB, 24 K   

Lance Lynn was supposed to be a setup man for the Cardinals in 2012, just as he was towards the end of 2011 and throughout the playoffs.

Instead, with Chris Carpenter unable to pitch due to a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder and the team in no rush to promote über pitching prospect Shelby Miller, Lynn not only found himself in the rotation, but he's solidified himself there as well, leading the league with four wins.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny can relate to Lynn having to replace a superstar in St. Louis:

"

I haven't been talking about it very much because I don't want him to think about it. To keep belaboring that point -- I know a little something about that (replacing Tony La Russa) -- is just not productive.

"

Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros

April Stats: .360/.404/.547, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 7 2B, 3 3B, 4 SB  

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve spent the month of April proving that size means nothing when it comes to swinging a bat.

Standing 5'5" and weighing 170 pounds, the 21-year-old had 12 multi-hit games in 22 games played. He's already either surpassed or is close to surpassing the numbers he put up in more than 200 at-bats last season, including doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, walks and stolen bases.

While the Astros expected Altuve to contribute with his bat in 2012, nobody expected this sort of production this early.

Josh Willingham, LF, Minnesota Twins

April Stats: .347/.447/.681, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 SB

While Josh Willingham set career highs with the Oakland A's last season in home runs (29) and RBI (98), he also set a career-worst marks with a .246 average and .332 on-base percentage.

So to see him hit over .340 while getting on base more than 40 percent of the time is both impressive and surprising.

It's entirely possible that Willingham will set career highs again this season in home runs and RBI, as a 30/100 season is not out of the question, but expecting him to continue hitting over .300 may be asking too much from a 33-year-old who was a career .262 hitter entering the season.

Barry Zito, SP, San Francisco Giants

April Stats: 1-0, 1.67 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 27 IP, 19 H, 6 BB, 14 K

Apparently Barry Zito is under the impression that it's 2002 again, because that's the only way to explain his start to the season.

This is the same Barry Zito who, since joining the San Francisco Giants for the 2007 season, has gone 43-61 with a 4.55 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and been called one of the worst free-agent signings in history, right?

A shocking start to say the least.

Ted Lilly, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

April Stats: 2-0, 0.90 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 20 IP, 9 H, 8 BB, 11 K   

It's tough to decide what part of Ted Lilly's April was more surprising—that his 4.5 hits allowed per nine innings led the league (and was basically half of what he's allowed over the course of his 14-year career), or that the man who allowed 286 home runs from 1999 through 2011 didn't allow one at all.

Matt Kemp, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers

April Stats: .417/.490/.893, 12 HR, 25 RBI, 24 R

Matt Kemp is good, but his April was ridiculous.

If he was able to keep this pace up, Kemp would finish the season with 78 home runs and 162 RBI.

His 12 home runs led all of baseball, while his 24 runs scored and 25 RBI left him tied with two members of the Texas Rangers, Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton, respectively.

Josh Hamilton, LF, Texas Rangers

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

The Texas Rangers are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

On one hand, they want Josh Hamilton to play like he played in April for the entire season because he's helping them win games.

On the other hand, they want him to slow down so they can hopefully re-sign him to an affordable contract after the season.

Josh Hamilton had himself a ridiculous April to kick off his contract year, and with each big hit, you have to imagine that Pink Floyd's "Money" was playing in his head.

Hamilton's 25 RBI were tied with Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the lead in baseball.

David Ortiz, DH, Boston Red Sox

April Stats: .405/.457/.726, 6 HR, 20 RBI

It's fair to say that over the course of his career, David Ortiz has been a slow starter. His average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage are all lower in April than in any other month.

Yet Ortiz was amongst the league leaders in nearly every offensive category for April—even with the tumultuous start to the season in Boston.

Adam LaRoche, 1B, Washington Nationals

April Stats: .329/.415/.549, 4 HR, 17 RBI

Pushed into regular action due to injury, Adam LaRoche's April already propelled him past most of his numbers in 2011.

A career .267 hitter coming into 2012, the 32-year-old, nine-year veteran seems to have learned from his past mistakes to not press when things aren't going well, something that manifested itself with his excellent April: "That’s the mental part of this game, not going out and trying to hit a three-run homer with nobody on base."

Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles

April Stats: .310/.359/.563, 4 HR, 12 RBI

Thought of as a chronic underachiever in parts of four seasons with the Texas Rangers, Chris Davis seems to have found a home with the Baltimore Orioles.

That being the case, Davis still strikes out a ton—25 percent of the time in April, and over his career, for every walk he draws, he strikes out five times—so it's very unlikely that he'll be able to keep his average anywhere near the .300 mark.

Omar Infante, 2B, Miami Marlins

April Stats: .323/.344/.726, 5 HR, 7 RBI

Only once in his 11-year career has Omar Infante reached double digits with his home run total at the end of the season, back in 2004 when he hit 16 for the Detroit Tigers.

His production in April puts him on pace to hit 34 long balls by season's end, an unlikely number.

Overachieving in the power department? You betcha.

Jordan Schafer, CF, Houston Astros

April Stats: .276/.351/.356, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 9 SB, 17 R

Once a highly touted prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, Jordan Schafer, a career .228 hitter, had himself a career month with the Houston Astros in April.

Whether this is Schafer finally putting it all together or a fluke month remains to be seen, but it's fair to call him an overachiever a month into the season.

Octavio Dotel, RP, Detroit Tigers

April Stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 10 K   

It's been nine years since Octavio Dotel finished a season with an ERA under 3.00, so to say that it's surprising that the 38-year-old went nine games in April without allowing a run would be an understatement.

While the number 13 is generally thought of as unlucky, it may be the lucky number for Dotel—the Tigers are the 13th team that he's pitched for over his 14-year career.

Jake Peavy, SP, Chicago White Sox

April Stats: 3-1, 1.67 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 37.2 IP, 21 H, 5 BB, 33 K

We all know that Jake Peavy is a talented pitcher, but who saw this resurgence coming?

Throwing the ball just as well, if not better, as he did in 2007, when he won the National League Cy Young award with the San Diego Padres, Peavy's April was so good that he's put the White Sox in a difficult position.

Do they hold on to him, giving serious consideration to picking up his $22 million option in 2013, and risk that the oft-injured pitcher could get hurt again?

Or should they look to move him now instead of at the trade deadline, striking while the iron is hot?

Jim Johnson, Closer, Baltimore Orioles

April Stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 6 K, 7 SV

A solid but unspectacular middle reliever (and part-time closer) for the Baltimore Orioles since 2008, Jim Johnson has thrived in the role of full-time closer in April, converting all seven of his save chances while not allowing a run.

How he's accomplished that feat while walking nearly as many batters as he's struck out is amazing—he's not a strikeout artist (career 5.8 K/9 ratio), and sooner or later, you have to figure that his penchant for issuing free passes is going to catch up to him.

Robert Andino, 2B, Baltimore Orioles

April Stats: .311/.338/.419, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 9 R

While his stats would have you believe that the Orioles will have a tough decision to make once Brian Roberts returns to action, the fact is that Andino, a career .245 hitter entering the season, is doing this with smoke and mirrors.

He drew only three walks in April while striking out 18 times—that's six strikeouts for every walk.

Eventually, that sort of ratio is going to catch up to him and negatively impact both his production and playing time.

Andino will have to show far better plate discipline to make his April carry over to the rest of the season.

Edwin Encarnacion, DH, Toronto Blue Jays

April Stats: .322/.376/.678, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 8 2B, 15 R

Heading into the 2012 season, an average year for Edwin Encarnacion was .260/.336/.453 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI.

While the Toronto Blue Jays are an improved, up-and-coming team, Encarnacion is crushing not only the ball, but expectations as well.

Juan Pierre, LF, Philadelphia Phillies

April Stats: .318/.357/.348, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 3 SB

Juan Pierre had to settle for a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason when nobody would offer him a major league deal, and that generally signals that a player's career is near the end of the road.

Thanks to an underperforming John Mayberry Jr., the 34-year-old Pierre has played well with semi-regular at-bats in the Phillies lineup.

Of his 21 hits in April, only one went for extra bases, and that's a concern. While he's getting on base, he has been thrown out twice in five stolen base attempts—a major red flag for someone whose entire game is predicated on his speed.

Luke Scott, DH, Tampa Bay Rays

April Stats: .266/.319/.594, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 6 2B

Coming off a putrid 2011 with the Baltimore Orioles where he hit .220 with nine home runs and 22 RBI, Luke Scott started off hot and cooled off towards the end of the month.

That being said, his April numbers almost eclipsed what he did in 2011, and if he can keep this pace up, he will set new career highs in home runs and RBI.

Alex Rios, RF, Chicago White Sox

April Stats: .311/.361/.446, 1 HR, 8 RBI

After hitting .227 for the White Sox in 2011, Alex Rios was considered dead weight in the outfield and a contract that would hang like a stone around the team's proverbial neck.

Yet the 31-year-old seemed revitalized in April, hitting the ball with conviction and getting on base more often than he ever had previously.

Whether he can keep this up remains to be seen, but a productive Alex Rios is a big part of why the White Sox, considered to be the doormats of the AL Central entering the season, are battling for the division lead to start the season's second month.

Jason Kubel, LF, Arizona Diamondbacks

April Stats: .333/.400/.528, 3 HR, 12 RBI

A career .271/.335/.459 hitter with the Minnesota Twins, 30-year-old Jason Kubel has taken his game to the next level during his first month in Arizona.

Batting cleanup between Justin Upton and Miguel Montero, Kubel could be in the perfect situation and poised to have the best season of his career, one that would shed him of the label of "April overachiever."

Brandon Beachy, SP, Atlanta Braves

April Stats: 2-1, 1.05 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 25.2 IP, 18 H, 7 BB, 20 K

One of the Braves' highly touted young arms, everyone knew that Brandon Beachy was a talented pitcher with a boatload of potential.

Nobody thought he was this good, though.

Only Arizona's Joe Saunders had a lower ERA amongst all starting pitchers in baseball than Beachy did in April, and Beachy is giving Tommy Hanson a run for his money as the "ace" of the Braves rotation.

Kyle Lohse, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

April Stats: 4-0, 1.62 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 33.1 IP, 22 H, 6 BB, 21 K

Thankfully for the Cardinals, things didn't turn out quite the way that they envisioned this winter in regards to their pitching rotation:

Source: #STLCards willing to trade Lohse or Westbrook. Confirms report by @Buster_ESPN #MLB

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 6, 2011

As with the majority of his fellow Cardinal starting pitchers, the 33-year-old Lohse had an outstanding April, allowing 5.9 hits per nine innings, the lowest number he's ever had during his 12-year career.

Some of that is due to the defense behind him, but much of it has to do with the way he pitched in April.

Derek Lowe, SP, Cleveland Indians

April Stats: 4-1, 2.27 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 35 H, 10 BB, 9 K

The Atlanta Braves were so happy to be able to unload Derek Lowe that they picked up $10 million of the 38-year-old's $15 million salary for 2012.

Lowe was either very good or pretty mediocre in his five starts for Cleveland in April. Three starts saw him go six innings or more, allowing only one earned run and 16 hits over 20.2 innings pitched, walking four and striking out seven.

His other two starts were not quite as impressive: 11 innings, 19 hits, six walks and two strikeouts.

Sooner or later, his penchant for getting hit is going to catch up to his ERA and win-loss record. Lowe needs to buckle down if he wants to continue his overachieving ways.

Johnny Cueto, SP, Cincinnati Reds

April Stats: 3-0, 1.39 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 32.1 IP, 27 H, 7 BB, 22 K

Two arguments could be made about Johnny Cueto.

You could argue that his performance in April was simply the result of his continued development and confidence, proving that his 2011 season, where he went 9-5 with a 2.31 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, was not a fluke.

Or you could argue that Cueto has been on a hot streak, but sooner or later he's going to revert to the pitcher who had a career 3.83 ERA and 1.29 WHIP heading into 2012—and those are pretty solid numbers regardless.

I fall somewhere in the middle. Cueto is a better pitcher than he was a few years back, but he's not as good as his April numbers would lead you to believe.

Drew Smyly, SP, Detroit Tigers

April Stats: 1-0, 1.23 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 22 IP, 18 H, 8 BB, 22 K

Drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft by the Tigers, 22-year-old Drew Smyly burst onto the scene this year for the Tigers, making the team as the fifth starter.

In 23 minor league games, Smyly went 11-7 with a 2.26 ERA and 1.13 WHIP and averaged 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

Can we really say that he's overachieving based on his minor league numbers?

Considering that he's only had eight starts above High-A in the minor leagues, I'd say we can.

Wandy Rodriguez, SP, Houston Astros

April Stats: 2-2, 1.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 26 H, 8 BB, 22 K

Wandy Rodriguez's performance in April sure made me look silly.

Last summer, I wrote on more than one occasion how he was overpaid, underperforming and simply not worth acquiring for any team.

So much for the underperforming part.

Rodriguez, 33, has always pitched better in April than in any other month over the course of his career, so we shouldn't be too surprised by his performance.

Then again, he's never pitched quite this well before—to the point that we can safely say that he's overachieving.

Chad Billingsley, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

April Stats: 2-1, 2.64 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 30.2 IP, 22 H, 7 BB, 25 K

Chad Billingsley has been a solid, serviceable starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2006, but he's never thrown quite like this before.

Over the course of his career, Billingsley has posted a 2.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio—which essentially means that for every two strikeouts he records, he issues a free pass. He finished April with a 3.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio, by far the best of his career.

Should he keep this up, Billingsley is on pace to finish with 45 walks on the season, which would be the lowest total he's ever had by far.

Steve Cishek, RP, Miami Marlins

April Stats: 2-0, 0.96 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 9 K

It was just the other day that we briefly discussed the possibility of Steve Cishek supplanting Heath Bell as the closer for the Miami Marlins, and his overachieving April is what thrust him into the discussion.

A 25-year-old righty, Cishek had an excellent 2011 as a setup man for the Marlins, posting a 2.63 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, numbers that are more along the lines of what to expect from him.

Carlos Gomez, CF, Milwaukee Brewers

April Stats: .318/.348/.545, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 SB, 8 R

The knock on Carlos Gomez has always been his hitting—entering the 2012 season, Gomez had a career batting line of .243/.291/.357. He's never hit over .260 in a season or had an on-base percentage over .300.

So when you look at his numbers in April, you're taken aback for sure—and you wonder where this production has been throughout his career.

Alex Burnett, RP, Minnesota Twins

April Stats: 0-0, 1.42 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Alex Burnett made 107 relief appearances for the Twins in 2010 and 2011, posting a 5.40 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP.

Yet somehow in April, even though the 24-year-old has walked nearly as many as he struck out and allowed a hit an inning, Burnett kept opposing offenses at bay, starting the month with 8.1 innings of scoreless relief before surrendering an unearned run to the Tampa Bay Rays in a 4-1 loss on April 21.

Overachieving? Without a doubt.

Boone Logan, RP, New York Yankees

April Stats: 0-0, 0.96 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 13 K

The lefty specialist in the Yankees bullpen, Boone Logan has been mediocre over the course of his career, posting a 4.77 ERA and 1.56 WHIP from 2006 through 2011.

After allowing a solo home run to Jeff Keppinger of the Tampa Bay Rays on April 8, Logan went the rest of the month—10 appearances—without allowing an earned run.

Kevin Correia, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

April Stats: 1-1, 2.42 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 15 H, 8 BB, 9 K

As recently as the last week of spring training, the Pirates were said to be entertaining offers on 31-year-old righty Kevin Correia.

You can bet they are happy that they decided to hold on to him after a strong April that saw him give the Pirates a chance to win each of the four starts he made. Unfortunately for Correia, the Pirates offense couldn't help him out, and he sits with a .500 record and two no-decisions on the month.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, history shows us that Correia isn't nearly this effective, with an ERA of 4.61 and a WHIP of 1.43 from 2003 through 2011 while averaging 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Therein lies the problem. Correia averaged only 3.63 strikeouts per nine innings in April, and as we just saw, his career numbers show that he's not nearly as effective as he was in April.

A.J. Burnett, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

April Stats: 1-1, 1.38 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 13 IP, 9 H, 5 BB, 15 K

If you've been following baseball over the past few years, you know the struggles that A.J. Burnett had while pitching for the New York Yankees from 2009 through 2011.

Burnett, 35, has always had good stuff, but he's failed in the execution part of the equation. A move to Pittsburgh was expected to revitalize him, but nobody expected the results to be as good as they were in April.

As we've seen this week, his April success has not carried over into May, only proving the point that Burnett overachieved in his first two starts with the Bucs.

Bartolo Colon, SP, Oakland A's

April Stats: 2-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 34.2 IP, 31 H, 5 BB, 20 K

Bartolo Colon was thought to be an overachiever last season for the New York Yankees when he posted an 8-10 record, 4.00 ERA and 1.29 WHIP after not pitching in the major leagues in 2010.

We may want to re-think how we labeled his time in New York, as Colon has clearly overachieved with the A's in April.

After giving up seven earned runs in only 4.1 innings pitched to the Seattle Mariners to start the month, Colon has gone no less than seven innings in each of his next four starts, allowing no runs in half of them and two runs in his other starts.

Rafael Furcal, SS, St. Louis Cardinals

April Stats: .315/.384/.427, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 8 2B, 1 3B, 3 SB, 14 R

Whether his production at the plate or the fact that he's been able to stay relatively healthy for a month is the more overachieving part of his April is up for debate, but one thing is sure—nobody expected much of anything out of Rafael Furcal.

After hitting .231 in 87 games split between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, it looked like Furcal's days of being a productive player had finally reached their end.

Yet the 34-year-old shortstop came through with an excellent April batting leadoff for the upstart Cardinals, getting on base more often than he has since his injury-shortened 2008 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Fernando Rodney, RP, Tampa Bay Rays

April Stats: 1-0, 0.87 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 9 K, 7 SV

Owner of a decent but unspectacular career as a relief pitcher, 35-year-old Fernando Rodney entered 2012 with career numbers that included an ERA of 4.29 and WHIP of 1.46—and no expectations other than getting the ball to Rays closer Kyle Farnsworth.

With Farnsworth injured, Rodney has stepped in and picked up the slack as Tampa's closer, converting all seven of his save chances while only allowing one earned run in the month of April.

Wade Davis, RP, Tampa Bay Rays

April Stats: 0-0, 2.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 11 K

To his credit, Wade Davis has handled his move to the bullpen with class and dignity, especially when you consider how adamant he was that he was a starting pitcher and he wanted to start.

Entering the 2012 season, Davis had started 64 games for the Rays, posting a 25-22 record with a 4.22 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and averaging 5.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

As a reliever, Davis has upped his game, averaging 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings in April while giving Rays manager Joe Maddon another weapon to use in the bullpen.

Alexi Ogando, RP, Texas Rangers

April Stats: 0-0, 0.84 ERA, 0.38 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 11 K, 1 SV

We knew Alexi Ogando could pitch well out of the bullpen, having done so for the Rangers in 2010.

But nobody expected him to be this good.

Ogando, 28, was arguably the best setup man in all of baseball in April. The four hits he allowed came in a three-game stretch from April 9 to April 13.

In his other eight April appearances, Ogando left opponents bewildered, hitless and without an answer.

Colby Lewis, SP, Texas Rangers

April Stats: 3-0, 1.93 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 30 H, 4 BB, 29 K

After C.J. Wilson left for the Los Angeles Angels, everyone assumed that Japanese import Yu Darvish would take the reins as the ace of the Rangers staff.

Not so fast.

Colby Lewis, who himself spent two seasons pitching in Japan, stepped up his game in April to stake his claim to the title, a surprise when you look at his numbers heading into 2012: 38-38 with a 4.99 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.

The 32-year-old certainly overachieved in April, and the Rangers and their fans would like nothing more than to see an encore performance this month.

Kyle Drabek, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

April Stats: 2-2, 2.40 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 30 IP, 23 H, 15 BB, 26 K

A ballyhooed prospect who happens to be the son of a former Cy Young award winner, people had questions about whether Kyle Drabek could cut it in the major leagues or not.

Over 21 games during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Drabek posted a 4-8 record with a 5.83 ERA and 1.73 WHIP—those questions were totally justified.

Perhaps this is Drabek finally coming into his own and living up to the considerable hype that has surrounded him throughout his minor league career. But until he puts together a full season of excellence, we can label him an overachiever.

Jordan Zimmermann, SP, Washington Nationals

April Stats: 1-1, 1.33 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 27 IP, 17 H, 2 BB, 16 K

Now three years removed from Tommy John surgery, Jordan Zimmermann is pitching better than anyone ever expected that he would.

Always thought of as a potential front-of-the-rotation arm, Zimmermann pitched like an ace in April, going seven innings in three of his four starts and never allowing more than one earned run in any of them.

Ross Detwiler, SP, Washington Nationals

April Stats: 2-1, 1.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 22 IP, 16 H, 6 BB, 19 K

Entering the 2012 season, Ross Detwiler was thought of as an interchangeable piece for the Washington Nationals.

With John Lannan in the minors and Chien-Ming Wang injured, it was only a matter of time before the 26-year-old would find himself back in Triple-A.

Instead, with a phenomenal April that saw him pitch more like a front-end pitcher and less like a back-of-the-rotation piece, Dewiler's overachieving has created a logjam of starters for the Nationals—a problem any team would love to have.

Gio Gonzalez, SP, Washington Nationals

April Stats: 2-1, 1.82 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 29.2 IP, 16 H, 12 BB, 34 K

It was never a question of whether Gio Gonzalez was a good pitcher; his last two seasons in Oakland proved that he was, as he went a combined 31-21 with a 3.17 ERA and 1.31 WHIP.

The question was, did Washington pay too much to acquire the talented 26-year-old lefty?

After a month of the 2012 season, the answer to that question is a resounding no.

Gonzalez was one of four Nationals starters to finish April with an ERA under 2.00, and his 34 strikeouts were tied with teammate Stephen Strasburg for sixth in all of baseball.

Chris Young, CF, Arizona Diamondbacks

April Stats: .410/.500/.897, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 4 2B, 2 SB

On the disabled list with a shoulder injury since April 18, I would be remiss if I didn't include Young as an April overachiever.

Always blessed with power and speed, Young has always struggled with his average and getting on base—two things he put behind him to start the season.

A career .240/.319/.437 hitter, the Diamondbacks hope that the 28-year-old can pick up where he left off upon his return to action.