#3) Grady Sizemore - Sure, he's Grady Sizemore, but the perception of Grady coming into the season was, at best, cautiously optimistic. I myself only hoped for about 80% of the Sizemore that we had come to know and love. Instead, we have been treated to a hitting show that is everything that it ever was and might be more. After two doubles and his 3rd dinger against KC last night, Grady is hitting .406 with a 1.332 OPS. He is raking in a way that no one, no one could have predicted. Sadly, it seems that, coming back from microfracture surgery, Sizemore has lost a step off of his once blazing speed. I'm not drawing this conclusion from one failed steal attempt, but, rather, from his general unwillingness or inability to take the extra base. It remains to be seen if he can return to former glory on the basepaths, but, wherever he lands in the lineup, his hitting is the sort of rare treat that it is simply a joy to behold.
#2) Justin Masterson - Masterson is now 5-0. In 2010, Justin started 0-5, didn't win his 5th game until the end of August and finished 6-13. In fact, six is the highest win total that he has accumulated in any of his three previous MLB seasons. While his last two starts have not been as stellar as the first three, Masterson's ERA still sits at 2.18 and his WHIP at 1.12. All five of his starts have been quality. In the off-season, I suggested that Justin's future success would be found at the back end of the bullpen, that he simply did not have the type of consistency to become a front line starter. So, what changed? I have previously discussed how he has shown excellent command of all of his pitches, especially within the strike zone. How has he made the leap? As is the case with every pitcher, repetition of delivery is paramount to Masterson. At a lanky 6'6" with a funky arm slot, it had always been difficult for him to utilize the same mechanics pitch after pitch. Justin seems to have solved that problem in 2011. Although he has more work ahead of him (on, say, avoiding clusters of hits) the production he has provided this April has been the cornerstone of a pitching staff that has led the Tribe to the top of the division.
#1) Jack "Mother E'ffing" Hannahan - Again, I was not a fan during spring training. I could, perhaps, be described as the furthest thing therefrom. Then on opening day his home run sliced through my haze and turned by bold prediction prophetic. Since then, Jack has done nothing but play the best third base I have seen from an Indian in my lifetime and hit at a level that he has never even approached in the bigs. Following a game that featured two solo blasts off of Luke Hochevar, Hannahan is hitting .286 with an .872 OPS. His four homers are tied for the team lead. His 13 runs scored are tied for the team lead. His 11 RBI are tied for third. The guy bats 9th and plays about five times a week. Of all of the things that had to go exactly right to push the Indians into first, none was an unexpected or unlikely as this boon from a dude who hit .237 at AAA last year. During March, I wrote that he could never be the next Casey Blake. I stand by that. Instead, Jack is carving out a niche all his own that will make taking his starting job away nearly impossible. Put succinctly, the Jack attack is back, baby.
Oh, and Vinnie Pestano? N to the asty! Unreal.
Cheers.
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