BATTERS: Early-season surprises, 2015

Let's continue our analysis of early-season surprises by taking a closer look at a bunch of bats in each league who are off to noteworthy starts, both on the surface and beneath it.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

José Bautista (RF, TOR) has an ugly .149 BA after 59 PA, a mark that could lead some of his owners to shop him on the trade market. Smart owners will blame that mark on a tiny .097 BABIP, the lowest BABIP of any batter in MLB so far. With steadily strong plate control (19% bb%, 0.92 Eye), good hard contact (111 HctX), and excellent power skills 185 xPX, hold Bautista and enjoy the upswing, assuming his shoulder is sound.

Lorenzo Cain (CF, KC) has been a multi-category contributor so far in April (2 HR, 5 SB), and he is posting the highest...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Batters

No batter powered up more in June than Hunter Goodman, and he did so while also inching his contact rate forward.
Jul 6 2026 3:10am
With Sam Antonacci and Miguel Vargas hitting first and second, the White Sox have surged. Plus, Kody Clemens hitting third in the Twin Cities and Esmerlyn Valdez at cleanup in PIT?
Jul 3 2026 3:06am
The White Sox have one of the youngest and most productive lineups in the majors thanks to Miguel Vargas' growth and Munetaka Murakami's emergence.
Jun 29 2026 3:10am
Colson Montgomery's elite batted ball quality with the bases empty suggests he hasn't reached his ceiling yet.
Jun 22 2026 3:07am
Bryce Eldridge has ridden a hot streak into the second spot in the batting order. A prime place for a rookie with the runway for more playing time.
Jun 19 2026 3:07am

Tools