Earlier today, Dayn gave you the American League's "All-Surprise" team, but surprises aren't just for the junior circuit, the National League has players surpassing expectations as well. This, of course, is all relative -- my expectations for a player may have been higher or lower than yours, so one man's surprise is another's disappointment.
C - A.J. Ellis, Dodgers
Ellis spent the bulk of his last four years in Triple-A, but this season he's not only the Dodgers' starter, but he's excelling, hitting .287/.413/.426 with six home runs and 27 RBI. Ellis has been one of the reasons Los Angeles has kept its head above water without Matt Kemp.
1B - Bryan LaHair, Cubs
Labeled a four-A player, LaHair hit a couple homers last September, but the Cubs were so convinced he could be an every day player that they went out and got Anthony Rizzo. But even with Rizzo, the Cubs decided they had to keep LaHair in the lineup, so he's moved to the outfield. But he's spent the bulk of the season at first, so he and his .284/.364/.526 line and 13 homers are here.
2B - Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks
Hill's always had the talent, but after his All-Star campaign in 2009, he struggled in 2010 and 2011 before the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks agreed to make a change-of-scenery trade, sending Hill to the desert and Kelly Johnson north of the border. Hill seemed revived last season in the National League and he's continued it this season, hitting .300/.360/.512 with 11 home runs so far.
SS - Jed Lowrie, Astros
In 256 games over his first four years in the big leagues, Lowrie hit 19 home runs. In 71 games this season, he has 14.
3B - Pedro Alvarez, Pirates
The second pick of the 2008 draft, the expectations have been sky-high since the Pirates selected him. After hitting just .191/.272/.289 last season, there were questions of whether he would ever make the adjustments he'd need to be a productive player. While his .231/.303/.479 slash line still leaves much to be desired, he does have 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 70 games. He had just four homers in 74 games last season.
LF - Melky Cabrera, Giants
Is it fair to call someone a surprise after hitting .305/.339/.470 with 18 homers a year ago? Considering the Royals seemed to think his value was at an all-time high this winter and traded him to San Francisco this past winter, the answer would be yes. Or at least I'm saying yes. Cabrera leads the big leagues with 111 hits and is hitting a cool .352/.394/.514.
CF - Dexter Fowler, Rockies
Just when it seemed the Rockies and everyone else were ready to give up on Fowler, he's putting it all together. Still just 26, Fowler is hitting .289/.383/.544. He has 10 home runs, five shy of his career total coming into the season.
RF - Bryce Harper, Nationals
Nobody's surprised Harper is good -- it's just how good he's been and how quickly. When he was called up at the end of April, it caught just about everyone by surprise. Since then the 19-year-old has seemingly done everything right on and off the field and has put up a .274/.348/.471 line with eight home runs.
SP 1 - Wade Miley, Diamondbacks
Miley has said he expected to start the season in Reno, home of Arizona's Triple-A affiliate. Instead, he's headed to Kansas City as an All-Star and owner of an 8-4 record and 2.85 ERA.
SP 2 - R.A. Dickey, Mets
Again, Dickey's shown signs of being a productive starter in the past, but he'd never been mentioned as a Cy Young candidate. At 37, Dickey is dominating like no knuckleballer has ever done before. He's 12-1 with a 2.15 ERA and a WHIP of 0.885.
Setup man - Brad Lincoln, Pirates
Last season Lincoln had 29 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings, he's matched that inning total through Sunday and has 49 strikeouts. He's 4-2 with a 3.21 ERA. None of the eight runners he's inherited this season have scored.
Closer - Santiago Casilla, Giants
The Giants lost Brian Wilson early in the season, but Casilla has stepped right in and has been as good as Wilson. He owns a 2.61 ERA and has 21 saves.
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