New guys on the block

So far into the 2012 season we have seen some new names in the leagues make some big differences.  Who do you think has done the best for their team, who can keep it up and be consistent, and who will the big piece that helps their team go far later in the season. I'm going to name them off, with a little statistics and then give you my opinion.

 

REC ERA SO WHIP

 9-4   3.45  96  1.43

Yu Darvish has been successful with the Texas Rangers and a big piece of their early domination in the AL West. Darvish has shown himself to be a good quality pitcher that can last a good amount of innings, that is if he is on his game. He has had his rough starts and his good six innings 2 run games, but he has filled in for C.J. Wilson very well. With the Rangers offense, he has plenty of support to give his record positive.

                                                                                         AVG HR RBI SB

                                                                                          .289   7    29  10

I decided to throw Lawrie into the mix though he had some playing time with the Blue Jays last year. The Blue Jays are obviously in a tough division, so a strong offense is necessary against the big arms among the Yankees and Rays. Lawrie provides that no matter where he bats in the lineup. With Bautista and Encarnacion in that lineup, Lawrie is a great piece to make sure the big bats are not pitched around and to come through with the clutch swing late in the game. So far on the season he has kept his average up, unlike a few of his teammates but has not been as productive with the clutch hitting as hoped for. We will see if his power increases and his clutch can come through more frequently as the season goes on.

   AVG HR RBI SB

   .270    7   30     4

Yoenis Cespedes has been a productive bat for the Oakland Athletics as he has shown his power and has become a strong and much needed contribution to their lineup. My only worry about Cespedes is his lack of connection. Now soem may consider me wrong, but from what I have been seeing it is not to much of a challenge to punch him out on just a few pitches. He is a big part of the A's offense though, as he comes through with clutch offense and I expect him to get that RBI total up into the 90's by the end of the season as long as injuries don't get in the way.

                                                         
                 REC ERA SO WHIP                                                                            4-5   4.13  85  1.37

Matt Moore had a small appearance in the 2011 season, but he has come into the 2012 season ready to show the league what he can do. The Rays already have a very strong rotation, but he just makes it stronger. Moore has had a slower start than some were expecting, but he should have no problem turning it around. Facing the big names often such as Arod and Big Papi is a big challenge to start your baseball career, look for Moore to be a dominant starter for years to come and have a big second half of the season as the Rays look to fight the Yankees for the lead.

AVG HR RBI SB  

.286   7     20    7

The 19 year old Bryce Harper has made a big impact in his 50 games with the Washington Nationals. The NL East looked to be one competitive division coming into the season with all the new players on the Marlins, injuries on the Phillies and youngsters on the Nationals.  The Mets and Braves decided to make it even more interesting as they have had hot starts to the first few months of the season, but it is Harper and the Nationals currently sitting on top. He has been mocked and made fun of as he has had his off games with strikeouts being a common occurrence at times. But this kid has been clutch, his numbers are amazing for the little amount of experience he has and if the Nationals are to hang on to their lead, he will be a big part of it.

                                                                                 AVG HR RBI SB

                                                                                 .326   9     34   2

One of the biggest talked about guys in MLB right now, Will Middlebrooks has recently been granted the starting position at third base for the Boston Red Sox after the big trade of Kevin Youkilis. Can you really blame them though? Just take a look at Middlebrooks stats. The man has showed the Sox that he can hit for average and sent it over the height of the Green Monster. Some people may look at the trade as a bad move by Boston with their current standing at the bottom of the AL East, but he recently should be a big piece to any hope of a comeback they plan to make over the second half of the season.

REC ERA SO WHIP 

3-3    2.70  49  1.23

One of the prospects the A's picked up off the big Cahill trade with Arizona has been paying off very well for Oakland. Jarrod Parker has been keeping his opponents quiet and off the scoreboard. He has run into the difficulty of lack of offensive support and a bit of an inconsistent bullpen to keep his wins from piling up. A 2.70 ERA is very impressive and is something the A's need to build off of to get more wins and make an attempt to catch up to the Rangers and Angels.

                                                                                AVG HR RBI SB

                                                                                .338   7    29    21

Mike Trout has entered his second season with the Angels and has been on fire. There was high expectations placed on the Angels after the signing of Pujols, but the Rangers quickly shot that down with their hot start and Albert's slumping. Trout has been a huge bat in the lineup all season and has been any part of the so far disappointment in southern California. He has shown his consistency with the stick and speed on the bases all season. Trout is a huge part of the Angels future as they enjoy watching Hamilton, Young, and Cruz get older on the other side of the division. If the Angels are to make a comeback with their amazing pitching rotation of Weaver, Wilson, and Santana along with their big name bats, no doubt Trout will be there to be a big supporter for their offense.

So far on the year, I have to say Middlebrooks has done the best for his team. Though the Red Sox are looking up at the rest of their division, he has shown them that you can't always rely on the veterans and that this early slump is a sign to look to the young guys in the franchise to make a difference. When it comes to consistency, I have to say look at Mike Trout to continue being the reliable bat on the Angels lineup. He has done an amazing job keeping them close to the Rangers as the rest of his lineup was tripping to start the season off. Now that they are beginning to heat up, look for Trout and the Angels to fight the Rangers like people were expecting them to. The big name to be there for their team when it comes to getting into the postseason and even through it, look to Bryce Harper to be the guy to help the Nationals fight in the NL East and surprise all the pitchers he is facing for the first time with the great skill and clutch he has with that bat he carries.