There has been more than a few standout performances early on in the 2017 season. While we expected Mike Trout to deliver at an MVP level before his injury, there were some performances that we simply didn’t see coming. Nobody would have guessed that Mike Leake would have Cy Young-caliber numbers through the first couple of months of the season. Meanwhile, the breakout performances from Scott Schebler and Yonder Alonso have been just as surprising. Here is a look at the top MLB fantasy performances we didn’t see coming heading in to the 2017 season.
OF: Scott Schebler, Cincinnati Reds
Who is Scott Schebler? That question has been asked a lot over the past couple of weeks in MLB fantasy circles as the 26-tear-old outfielder continues to hit the long ball. Schebler is tied for the league lead with 16 home runs this season, matching the production of Trout, Aaron judge and Khris Davis. Schebler hasn’t been the most consistent hitter at the plate, but his .249 average isn’t terrible considering he has 16 home runs and 30 RBI. All eyes will be on Schebler to see if he can continue to rank among the league leaders in home runs. All signs point towards an inevitable regression for one of the biggest early season surprises of 2017.
1B: Yonder Alonso, Oakland Athletics
Justin Bour, Logan Morrison and Eric Thames have all been surprises at first base. However, none of those players has been as surprising as Alonso. The 30-year-old looked like he was running out of time when he hit just seven home runs in 532 plate appearances last season. He was off the MLB fantasy radar. Fast-forward to this year and he has already hit a career-high 13 home runs with 31 RBI through just 134 plate appearances. Alonso’s home run pace is more than likely to slow down. However, the fact that he is batting .291 with an improved hard-contact rate could indicate his breakout season is legitimate.
SP: Mike Leake, St. Louis Cardinals
Leake has been the biggest surprise among many on the mound so far this season. The veteran pitcher has produced a sparkling 2.24 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP while going 5-3 so far this season. While his strikeout totals still aren’t anything special, Leake has cut his ERA by more than half compared to the 4.69 mark he registered last season. Leake has always been capable of pitching out of the middle of a rotation. However, he has taken his game to another level in 2017 with Cy Young-caliber numbers throughout the first couple of months of the season.
OF: Aaron Altherr, Philadelphia Phillies
Altherr flashed his immense potential as a rookie in 2015 when he posted an .827 OPS with 20 extra-base hits in just 161 plate appearances. Injuries and inconsistent play limited his opportunities last season but he has bounced back big time in 2017. Altherr is hitting .299 with eight home runs, 28 RBI and three stolen bases through his first 144 plate appearances this season. At 26-years-old, Altherr’s breakout season is definitely legitimate.
The Phillies are still one of the worst teams in baseball, though. They are dead-last in the National League East, which isn’t a good look. That’s the worst division in baseball. The Phillies have just 17 wins and are the only team in the majors that’s yet to hit the 20-win mark on the season. They have been pathetic.
1B/2B/3B/OF: Marwin Gonzalez, Houston Astros
Considering all of the talent on the Houston roster, who would have thought Gonzalez would be leading the club in home runs and RBI throughout the first couple of months of the season? Not MLB fantasy general managers, that’s for sure. Gonzalez doesn’t have a defensive home on the Astros’ stacked roster, but his play has forced their hand in terms of getting him in the lineup. Gonzalez has hit .308 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI so far this season. He has produced a 1.039 OPS. It will be very interesting to see if Gonzalez can keep up his production over the course of a full season. He will need to continue to excel at the plate in order to earn at-bats in a stacked Astros lineup.
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