I recently put out my five biggest surprises through the first 2 & half months. I realized that they were all hitters (minus Ohtani). So today, I am going to be going through the five biggest surprises this year and cover only the pitchers.
1. Kevin Gausman
Gausman has been a huge addition to a hot San Francisco Giants team. Gausman has had an average career up until he started playing for the Giants last season. The season he is having so far is the best in his career. Through his first 14 games, Gausman is 8-1 with a 1.51 ERA, a 0.77 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 259. As far as per 9’s are concerned, he has a career-best 5.0 H/9, 1.9 BB/9, and a very solid 10.3 K/9. The Giants have the best record in baseball and Gausman’s ace-like play is a huge factor in the Giant’s success this season.
2. Trevor Rogers
Rogers started his MLB career during the shortened 2020 season and showed some flashes of talent. That talent is showing in full force very early in his MLB career. Through 14 starts, Rogers is 7-3 with 1.87ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 215. His per 9’s are excellent as well. Rogers has a 6.3 H/9, 10.5 K/9 and has the second-best HR/9 in the league with a 0.44. Not to mention he is 5th in the MLB in FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) with a 2.51. The 23-year-old was taken in the first round by the Marlins back in 2017. Now, four years later, Rogers is breaking out in a big way and in contention to win the NL Rookie of the Year.
3. Taijuan Walker
Has Taijuan Walker found himself on the Mets? It certainly seems like he has right now. Walker underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2018 when he was a part of the Diamondbacks. Ever since then, he bounced around between the D-Backs, Mariners, and Blue Jays doing alright for himself during that time but never made a huge statement. Now with the Mets, he is making that statement. So far this year through his first 12 starts, Walker is 6-2 with a 2.12 ERA and a solid 1.00 WHIP. Walker has been known to walk people a little more than the league at 8.2% however, with a 1.00WHIP, it is clear he is making improvements.
4. Zack Wheeler
As a Phillies fan, when they signed Zack Wheeler I was a bit skeptical of the move. Now, I couldn’t be happier. Wheeler has solidified his spot as the Phillies ace so far this season putting up a 5-3 record with a 2.15 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. To go along with those great stats, he is a workhorse. He leads the MLB in innings pitched with 96.1 innings so far through 14 games and has the 3rd best FIP in the league. I expected Wheeler to be good this season, but not this good. I am excited to see him pitch the rest of the season.
5. Carlos Rodon
Rodon might be the biggest pitching surprise in the entire MLB this year. The expectations for Rodon were not too high considering he has only had one season below a 4.00 ERA. He was non tendered by the White Sox’s last year but ended up resigning with them on a 1-year deal. This year, he is thriving beyond expectations. Rodon is 6-2 with an AL-best 1.83 ERA with a 0.83 WHIP and a MLB best FIP 2.40 and 228 ERA+. Oh yeah, he also threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. The White Sox’s might have the best rotation in baseball.
Bonus: Jacob DeGrom
Where do I even start? How do I even start? We haven’t seen this dominant of start since Bob Gibson in 1968. DeGrom is 6-2 with a 0.54 ERA. 0.51 WHIP and a 0.80 FIP through his first 11 starts! His per 9’s are unreal as well. DeGrom has a 3.5 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 2.4 BB/9, and a 14.9 K/9. That is outstanding. Unfortunately, he missed a few starts due to injury but he will be back on the leaderboards soon enough. With these numbers at this pace, DeGrom could be on his way to not only a Cy Young but an MVP trophy and Triple Crown as well. Is a World Series ring a possibility too?
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