Fansided

Each MLB team’s most surprising player from April

By Joshua Sadlock

Apr 3, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Eric Thames (7) hits a double to drive in two runs in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Eric Thames (7) hits a double to drive in two runs in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 30
Next

The first month of the MLB season is in the books, and there were surprises all around the league. Who stood out from each team?

April is a strange month in Major League Baseball. Most hitters slump the first two weeks of the year while they figure out their swing and adjust to seeing pitchers who are no longer working on locating specific pitches in specific counts. When the gloves come off and sing training turns into the regular season, there is no surefire way to predict which pitchers and hitters will start out hot. The MLB leaderboards at the end of April have always had a few names that make you scratch your head and wonder when the regression train will pull into the station.

Teams and players around MLB will begin to stabilize as the calendar turns to May. Some of these hot starts may stick, just as the cold starts will disappear. Which player stood out as the biggest surprise from each of the 30 MLB teams? Read on to find out.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Robbie Ray

As they battle the Colorado Rockies for first place in the NL West, the Diamondbacks are one of MLB’s biggest April surprises as a whole. They were expected to hit and pile up runs, but would only go as far as their starting pitching could take them. Zack Greinke has made the necessary adjustments to pitch well with diminished velocity. He looks closer to what the Diamondbacks thought they were getting for $206 million.

In a rotation that has surpassed expectations, Robbie Ray stands out as the biggest surprise. The left-hander went 8-15 last year with a 4.90 ERA. Through five starts this season, he is 2-1 with a 3.56 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. Ray is having great success with his slider this season, and has not allowed a single hit to a left-handed batter when using it.

The Diamondbacks have had one of the National League’s best starting rotations in the month of April. If the trend continues for the rest of the season, paired with their dangerous offense, Arizona might walk into the playoffs.

Home/MLB