We’re just far enough into the MLB season for statlines to begin to steady. It’s still early, but it’s just late enough to start trusting what we’ve been seeing. So here are five hitters who have surprised so far—in ways good and bad.
1. Brent Rooker (.313/.431/.657, 10 HR, 207 OPS+)
Bright spots have been (very) few and (extremely) far between this year for the A’s. There’s certainly been none anywhere near as bright as Rooker. After three middling, partial seasons with the Twins, Padres and Royals, he was selected off waivers by Oakland in November. And he’s … suddenly the best hitter in baseball? Rooker leads MLB in slugging, OPS and OPS+. He’s mashing in a way that few other hitters this year have. (His 10 home runs are just one behind the American League lead.) The 28-year-old is displaying incredible plate discipline: His 16% walk percentage is among the top 10 in baseball. Rooker’s rep as a prospect was that he had serious power, and, at every level of the minors, he’d shown what that could look like. But he hadn’t shown that at all in his previous brief stints in the big leagues. Now? Rooker has seemingly put it all together.
