Pleasant surprises from first month of season
by PATRICK GALLEN/Bleacher Report, Special to FOXSports.com
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Joe Saunders is 6-0
Last season was a back-and-forth for Saunders. Continually up and down from the minors, the strapping young lefty put together solid numbers in the bigs, going 8-5 in 18 starts with an ERA in the mid-fours. Those numbers were actually better than his minor league stats as he went just 4-7 down on the farm. This year is slightly different.
Saunders has not yet lost a decision.
He is now up to 6-0 and has a 2.61 ERA. His stuff has been solid, and he has more than made up for the gaping hole in the Angels rotation caused by injuries to John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar.
Pairing with Ervin Santana, Saunders has anchored the staff through the first month of the year and looks to be a guy who could be key in September for the Angels.
Pat Burrell not getting booed
What a turnaround from say, oh, the last five years. Burrell hasn't quite lived up to the potential that has been put on him since becoming the first selection in the 1998 draft. His numbers have been average overall, but his run-producing skills are apparent in that he has had over 90 RBIs in four seasons.
He has great power when he is on too, something he has shown early in the '08 season. In 32 games this year, he has nine bombs and has knocked in 32 runs, second in the majors behind only Josh Hamilton of the Rangers.
Fans in Philadelphia are notoriously hard on everyone, Burrell included. They expected greatness from him after he signed a six-year, $50 million deal before the 2003 season.
What might be most important in all of this is the lack of boos he has accrued this season.
Are the Phillies faithful finally accepting the underachieving Burrell and his new potent swing? Only time will tell, but it sure seems that way.
Marlins not yet floundering
Everyone expected a 100-loss season by a young team still a few years away from showing its promise. However, the Florida Marlins are giving the nay-sayers something else. Through one month, Florida has been hanging with the big boys behind the bats of Hanley Ramirez (24 years old), Mike Jacobs (27), Dan Uggla (28), and Josh Willingham (29). The pitching staff has been adequate, allowing 156 runs this year, 11th in the NL.
The big story of the team, however, is the young talent throughout the roster. They are loaded with prospects, including Cameron Maybin, who has not yet seen the majors this season because of a logjam in the outfield.
While a losing season is still very much a possibility in Miami, the team's progress looks to be a lot quicker than first expected. The franchise is in good hands with guys like Ramirez and other youngsters like Scott Olsen and Andrew Miller.
Don't forget, the Marlins have two championships since 1997. They know how to win...somehow.
Josh Hamilton for Edinson Volquez ... everybody wins
Normally, trades may take time to round out, especially when two young players are involved.
Josh Hamilton showed a ton of promise last year after getting out to a nice start with the Reds before eventually succumbing to various injuries that slowed his season.
Edinson Volquez had a live arm for the Rangers last year, but failed to find the groove in the majors.
The Reds thought they needed pitching and the Rangers believed they needed more hitting, so the two were traded for each other in December 2007.
Needless to say, both teams should be extremely happy with what they have received.
Hamilton leads the major leagues in RBIs with 33. Volquez has been lights out, going 4-1 with a 1.27 ERA in six stars.
It is one of the few trades you will ever see that works out stunningly for both franchises.
Cardinals in first place
No Chris Carpenter, no Mark Mulder, no problem for the Cards. Both men have had beautiful careers as starting pitchers and both have missed the entire season so far. The Cardinals have been just fine without them.
Behind the pristine swing of Albert Pujols, St. Louis has not missed a beat this season, jumping out to a 19-12 record. It hasn't been all Pujols, however, as most teams have pitched around him.
What has worked well for the Cards has been their makeshift starting pitching, which has more than made up for the losses of Carpenter and Mulder. Adam Wainwright has been the star, but names like Lohse, Wellemeyer and Looper have glued this staff together and somehow made it work.
The offense, centered around Fat Albert, is never anything to go nuts over. They love to generate runs via the small ball stuff.
However, Rick Ankiel has given them some power out of the pitcher, I mean, centerfield position, and Troy Glaus can still drive in some runs. Basically, Tony LaRussa still knows what he is doing.
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