Just over a month into the season, we look at some of the pleasant surprises from the Senior Circuit and examine if they are sustainable.
Rowdy Tellez / First Base (Brewers)
Rowdy Tellez has already squeezed a two-home run, 8-RBI night under his belt, but the body of work (no pun intended) is pretty impressive. The former Blue Jay has banged out seven home runs for the Brew Crew this season and has driven in 24 runs.
Back in 2019, Tellez did smash 21 round-trippers, and it stands to reason he will beat that mark in 2022. Thus far, the 27-year-old has played solid defense at first base, so it stands to reason he’ll be in the lineup on most days.
Josh Bell / First Base (Nationals)
Josh Bell did have a fantastic start to his breakout 2019 season, and it seems as though he’s finally getting comfortable in the Nation’s Capital. This season, Bell is hitting a stout .343 and has more walks (17) than whiffs (12).
The Nationals are unlikely to be competitive this year, and it stands to reason they will have to decide whether or not to extend Bell or trade him at the deadline. Clearly, his strong start is a welcome development in an otherwise lousy start to the Nationals season.
Daulton Varsho / Catcher & Outfield (Diamondbacks)
Daulton Varsho is famously one of the most versatile players in the National League, serving as Arizona’s catcher and centerfielder. His numbers have been very impressive thus far, with six home runs to go along with a .330 On-Base Percentage. Varsho is striking out at an unsustainable rate (28 K in 28 games), but he seems to be finding his way as a featured member of the lineup.
Varsho gives us shades of Craig Biggio here with his ability to excel behind the dish and elsewhere.
Pablo Lopez / Pitcher (Marlins)
Pablo Lopez is currently the NL ERA leader posting a 1.00 Earned Run Average through six starts. To go along with his 35 whiffs, Lopez also has four wins which tie him for the NL lead. While he has had success at the big league level, it’s never been quite this good.
If the Venezuelan righty can stay healthy for an entire season, something he has yet to accomplish as a big leaguer, this could be a special year in Miami.
