The All Playing-Over-Their-Heads Team

Is Dan Uggla really Babe Ruth disguised as a skinny little second baseman?

And is Ryan Ludwick better than Albert Pujols?

The answers are obvious: Heck no. But it seems like it right now, doesn't it?

This happens every year. Guys that come out of nowhere to perform like superstars or guys that have monster years out of the blue that nobody could have predicted (think Brady Anderson circa 1996).

Sure, Dan Uggla is a good player. We already knew that. But he isn't THIS good. He's performing way above expectations. It's fun to see which players do it each season. So let's take a look at who these players are at this point in the year, position-by-position.

Editors Note: This entry is rather long, so pitchers will be done in a separate blog entry in the near future. Also, look for the opposite of this list (i.e. the All Disappointing Team in the coming days).


CATCHER:

• Ryan Doumit (PIT) and Jesus Flores (WAS)

Dioner Navarro and Bengie Molina were considered, but Navarro was once a top prospect and Molina has always been a strong offensive catcher -- plus his ridiculous average has come back to normal at .308. Geovany Soto has been terrific, but he was highly touted coming into the season, as well, and his impressive offensive numbers have come down the past few weeks.

But Doumit (.341 AVG, 9 HR, 22 RBI) and Flores (.306 AVG, 4 HR, 27 RBI) have simply come out of nowhere on bad teams to impress offensively.

Doumit has always had the pop (21 HR in 632 AB's entering 2008) but he entered the season with a career batting average of .251. Not only that, but he's drastically cut down his strikeouts -- he has 19 in 138 AB's this year compared to 59 in just 252 AB's last season. Doumit is slugging over .600 right now and his OPS is just shy of 1.000. This is very unlikely to continue.

Speaking of unlikely to keep it up, take look at Flores...

Before Flores got called up, he wasn't exactly tearing up AAA. How about four extra-base hits and a (ahem) robust .153 AVG in 59 at-bats.

OK, so maybe he was slumping. It happens, especially in such a small sample size. Well, 2007 wasn't much better: .244 AVG, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 48 K, .310 OBP %, .361 SLG % in 180 at-bats.

So where is this .300+ average and run production coming from right now? You got me.


FIRST BASE:

• Lance Berkman (HOU)

Let me get a few things straight first.

1. I am well aware that Berkman is an absolute monster.
   
2. Nobody should be all that surprised he's been the best hitting first baseman in baseball.
3. Pretty much every other first baseman in baseball has been HORRENDOUS.

I thought about taking a few different guys...

Jason Giambi - He struggled last season, but that was because of injuries and distractions. We know if all is well with him, he will hit homers, drive in runs and get on base. And he's done just that this year.

Mike Jacobs - Thought about him for a second...he does have 17 HR in 221 AB's while last year he hit 17 HR in almost double the at-bats (426). But I can't pick him for one reason: His OBP% is, well, NOT good. More like flat awful, at .272.

This my friends, leads us to Berkman. Who is having one of the best seasons you will ever see. Let's compare his numbers this year to last.

Note: 2008 numbers are his projected pace.
.
2007: .278 AVG, 34 HR, 102 RBI, 95 R, 156 H, 24 2B, 7 SB, .386 OBP%, .510 SLG %
2008: .356 AVG, 43 HR, 130 RBI, 143 R, 208 H, 50 2B, 26 SB, .438 OBP, .683 SLG %

Need I say more?


SECOND BASE: 

• Dan Uggla (FLA)

Apoligies to the terrific season that Ian Kinsler is having -- don't worry Ian, I certainly have taken notice. But have YOU taken notice to what Mr. Dan Uggla is doing right now?

My god.

Anyone have any explanation how that guy (a 5-foot-11, 200-pound second baseman) leads the entire world in home runs?

He's on pace for 51 home runs (which would be a record for a second baseman), 126 RBIs, 126 runs and 53 doubles.

Yes. That's over 100 extra-base hits.

Yes, I'm talking about THAT Dan Uggla -- the guy who hit .245 last year with 167 strikeouts and a OPS of .805.

Heck, his slugging percentage this year is practically .800.

I can't take this anymore, let's just move to the next position please.


THIRD BASE:

• Chipper Jones (ATL)

Similar situation to first base, but let me explain.

I considered two other options: Jorge Cantu and Mark Reynolds. Both are doing well, but both have low averages (Reynolds especially, at .252). Cantu is actually at a solid .281, but his numbers aren't too eye-popping -- and he did have a monster season before in 2008 with Tampa Bay.

My main argument here is how eye-popping Chipper's numbers are.

Look at his projections for this season, and in particular, look at how they compare with his career highs in each category.

AVG: .393 (career high: .337)
HR: 36 (45 in 1999)
RBI: 103 (111, only 100+ once in last four seasons)
Runs: 107 (123, only 100+ once in last four seasons)
Hits: 221 (189, 32 less than what he's on pace for now)
OBP%: .485 (.441 in 1999)
SLG%: .631 (.633 in 1999)
OPS: 1.116 (1.074 in 1999)

Sense a common theme here? This guy was at his peak in 1999, at the age of 27 -- like most other ballplayers. He's certainly been good since then, but this good? Not close.

This makes little sense. The guy is 36-years-old, and you are NOT supposed to have your best season now - especially battling an assortment of injuries. But he's doing it now.

And that's certainly more amazing to me than Cantu or Reynolds.


SHORTSTOP:

• Cristian Guzman (WAS)

As of a few years ago, I didn't even know this guy was still alive.

Jokes aside, I'm serious.

2005? Guzman had a .219 AVG (and a .260 OBP % and .314 SLG %) in 456 at-bats for the Nationals.

2006? Wasn't in the big leagues, and I don't know where the heck he was.

2007? Played in just 46 games for Washington and played fairly well.

But this year, he has been pretty good. And I dont know how. He's hitting .310 and is on pace for 11 HR, 55 RBI, 95 R, 215 H and 46 2B.

210 hits! 46 doubles! WOW. Guzman is back with a vengeance!


OUTFIELD:

• Ryan Ludwick (STL), David Murphy (TEX), Carlos Quentin (CHW), Nate McLouth (PIT)

This should be fun. Let's add the home run and RBI totals from these four guys last year, and compare it to this season -- which isn't even half done yet.

Ludwick+Murphy+Quentin+McLouth = 34 HR and 135 RBI in 964 AB in 2007
Ludwick+Murphy+Quentin+McLouth = 58 HR and 214 RBI in 1,084 AB in 2008

Ludwick in 2007: .267 AVG, 14 HR, 52 RBI, .479 SLG% in 120 G and 303 AB
Ludwick in 2008: .297 AVG, 36 HR, 125 RBI, 47 2B, .606 SLG% (on pace for)

Murphy in 2007: ..340 AVG, 2 HR, 14 RBI in 43 G and 103 AB
Murphy in 2008: ..274 AVG, 21 HR, 109 RBI, 45 2B
 
Quentin in 2007: .214 AVG, 5 HR, 31 RBI, .298 OBP%, .349 SLG% in 81 G and 229 AB
Quentin in 2008: .280 AVG, 38 HR, 124 RBI, .392 OBP%, .533 SLG%

McLouth in 2007: .258 AVG, 13 HR, 38 RBI, 62 R, 21 2B, 22 SB, .351 OBP%
McLouth in 2008: .292 AVG, 32 HR, 110 RBI, 125 R, 52 2B, 19 SB, .375 OBP%

A few notes...

Ludwick was pretty solid last season, but nobody talked about him coming into the season -- everyone was expecting a different St. Louis outfielder (Rick Ankiel) to break out. Nobody expected this from Ludwick. He is a HUGE reason why they are doing so well with Pujols injured.

Murphy performed VERY well in limited time last year, but everyone thought that was just an abberation. He was essentially a throw-in in the trade that landed Eric Gagne to the Red Sox last season. Texas sure looks smart now, don't they?

Quentin is an interesting case. He was once a very highly-touted prospect in the Arizona organization, but for various reasons didn't perform well when he was on the field. Much of that can be attributed to his injury (shoulder) problems. He did get 229 at-bats last year, though, and was downright bad. This year he has been a monster and the best hitter in a White Sox lineup filled with talent and proven hitters.

People were talking about McLouth entering this season. They thought he would break out. He did. But 30+ HR and 110 RBIs for a leadoff man? NO ONE expected that.