As fantasy owners, pre-season predictions often prove helpful when assembling our lineups for Opening Day. However, every season without fail, players will either underperform - or outperform - the expectations of even the most in-depth statistical analysis. The following five players have begun 2013 on a tear, much to the surprise of fantasy owners and great baseball minds alike.
Jean Segura, Shortstop, Milwaukee Brewers
Only one game under his belt as a big leaguer, Segura was traded from the Los Angeles Angels to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the Zack Greinke deadline deal. He won the starting shortstop job out of Spring Training, and hasn’t looked back since. While the 23-year-old rookie was expected to rack up his fair share of steals, his early-season power surge - seven home runs through his first 146 at bats - has come to the surprise of everyone. Patience at the plate was an issue last season, though Segura has clearly matured and shown a knack for getting a hold of pitches he can hit.
Torii Hunter, Right Field, Detroit Tigers
Hunter’s torrid beginning isn’t so much a surprise because of his performance alone - it is the fact that in his thirteenth year of major league service, at age 37 and with a new team, he continues to produce. A .274 hitter from 1999 through 2011, Hunter finished 2012 well above .300. This season, batting second in front of the likes of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, he is batting .318 with an On-Base Percentage of .364. While his long ball power has yet to surface, Hunter has contributed 11 doubles - and even legged out a three-bagger at Oakland - to arguably the most formidable offense in the league.
Josh Donaldson, Third Base, Oakland Athletics
Donaldson, now in his second season as a full-time third baseman, has claimed the hot corner in Oakland as his own, and been arguably the most consistent member of a largely inconsistent Athletics lineup. The former catcher has displayed extra-base power, leading the team with 14 doubles and topping the Athletics Runs Batted In leaders with 26 - a number of which have come in dramatic fashion. After starting off slow, Donaldson’s slash line and production numbers have been on the rise, where he is now at .316/.390/.520 Batting Average/On-Base Percentage/Slugging Percentage for the season, and continuing to produce though treacherous times for the Oakland ballclub.
Vernon Wells, Left Field, New York Yankees
Anaheim fans had every reason to be disappointed in Wells after dealing Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to Toronto for the left fielder. In 2011 and 2012, Wells hit .218 and .230 respectively, with an abysmal .258 On-Base Percentage over his two seasons in Anaheim. In an effort to clean house, and with a logjam in the outfield, the Angels parted ways with Wells in the offseason, agreeing to pay a large portion of his salary with the New York Yankees. The change of scenery has done wonders for the 34-year-old left fielder, as he has hit ten home runs and driven in 23 runs with New York. More encouraging yet, Wells’ batting average has hovered around the .300 mark the entire season, he is getting on base at a .354 clip, and he’s proven to be nimble at his age, contributing four stolen bases.
Jeremy Guthrie, Starting Pitcher, Kansas City Royals
By this point, fantasy owners know to be wary of pitchers who play their majority of games at Coors Field. Luckily, Guthrie’s tenure in Colorado was short-lived, and it has proven to revive the 34-year-old’s career. With a 3-9 record and 6.35 Earned Run Average through 15 starts with the Rockies, the deal that sent the struggling right-hander to the Kansas City Royals was just what the doctor ordered. He finished the 2012 season 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 14 starts, however nobody expected Guthrie to be atop the league leaders in so many pitching categories coming into 2013. While he is prone to giving up the long ball - as Los Angeles Angels fans can attest after he served up five in one game - Guthrie is an innings-eating winner who limits damage.