What A Lovely Gift! Seven Pleasant Surprise Performances

Now that we are in the final month of the season, it is safe to say which players have performed better than expected or disappointed their fan bases. Even during a year where pitching clearly has the upper hand and batting averages have dropped to their lowest levels since the Year of the Pitcher in 1968, there are quality stat lines to be found in the batter’s box and on the mound. Here are three batters and three pitchers who have pleasantly surprised baseball fans and observers in 2021.

OF Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles

The short speedster leading off has come out of nowhere to compete for the league lead in hits. Mullins could reach as high as third in MVP voting with a high average, great defense and good power. The two frontrunners in SP/DH Shohei Ohtani and 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are also playing better than expected, but they have been hyped up for years. Mullins was a 13th rounder who played so badly in 2019 he got demoted two levels.

After dropping switch-hitting during spring training, Mullins the Entertainer looks like a different player. He hit more home runs in the first half than he had in his career, and he beat his previous WAR totals in April alone. In 2019, his OPS+ was an unfathomable -9, where 100 is average. Now he is up to 142 and started the All-Star Game. With a chance at a 30/30 season, Mullins has been fascinating on a team that is often hard to watch.

LHP Robbie Ray, Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays lineup usually grabs the headlines because they hit so many home runs, but the rotation has been sneaky good lately. Blockbuster additions LHP Hyun Jin Ryu and RHP José Berrios have both been good, but they have been outplayed by Ray, a genuine bargain find. Last year his career looked like it might be over with an ERA close to eight pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the Jays took a flyer on him at the 2020 deadline.

It is safe to say the move worked. Ray improved to a 4.79 ERA in September 2020, and he resigned with Toronto for $8 million. He might be the best deal of the offseason after SP Carlos Rodón’s $3 million contract as both are now Cy Young award candidates. Ray has a 2.71 ERA and leads the majors with 202 strikeouts. However, Ray was not an All-Star because he has been on an absolute tear in the second half. He has an ERA of 1.99 in nine games since the break, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.

OF Jesse Winker, Cincinnati Reds

Winker has been hurt lately, but that does not ruin his impressive breakout. Most people did not expect the Reds to compete this year after losing a lot of production in the offseason, but Winker and teammate OF Nicholas Castellanos are leading them to a Wild Card spot. 

Winker had a great stat line last year with a .932 OPS, but that was split up into a scorching hot August and a floundering September. Many expected some regression, but instead, he has been even better. His OPS is up to .955 in 2021, and he has two, three-homer games this season. Voted in by the fans to start the All-Star Game, Winker was teary-eyed in his press conference talking about his selection. So if you don’t think accolades matter to the players, think again.

LHP Jordan Montgomery, New York Yankees

Montgomery has had quite the turnaround this year in an otherwise volatile rotation for the Yankees. After two lost years pitching to a combined ERA of 5.25 in 12 games, Montgomery has a 3.52 ERA in 2021. Unfortunately, part of the intrigue surrounding him is nothing he does stands out. Montgomery throws a good curveball that gets hitters to chase, but his stuff is not eye-opening.

What Montgomery does have is pitch ability. Scouts often throw around the term to mean a prospect can’t strike out hitters on velocity and movement alone, but it is still an essential trait for all starters. Montgomery often throws first pitch breaking balls with middle-of-the-pack stuff and varies his fastballs, earning him a 3.2 WAR this year. In a division filled with power, this guy is a nice change of pace.

3B Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves

After two seasons filled with strikeouts, post-hype Riley was the centerpiece return in every theoretical Braves trade. However, instead of being shipped out of town, he has taken a star turn of his own. Despite a super-hot debut in May 2019, he slumped to an OPS+ of 86 in both ’19 and ’20. This year, his OPS+ is a stellar 137. With a more confident approach at the plate, he has raised his average from .231 to .305. Additionally, due to his increase in hits, he is driving the ball more and has improved his OPS from the low .700’s to .912.

Riley is a big part of why Atlanta is winning the NL East. On a team decimated by injuries, he has been both a stabilizing force and a sparkplug for an offense that underperformed for much of the year. Despite looking like sellers at the deadline, the Braves are now a balanced team with Riley as their anchor.

RHP Phil Bickford and LHP Alex Vesia, Los Angeles Dodgers

These two go together because they both provide some much-needed middle relief for another team dealing with injuries. Both pitchers are rookies who were far down team prospect lists to begin the year, but now they will be key bullpen arms in the playoffs. Bickford was a first-round pick who slogged through the Milwaukee Brewers system for five years before making one MLB appearance this year and being put on waivers. The Dodgers claimed him, and he has a 2.38 ERA in 44 games since then. The Brewers make many savvy moves (hello, SS Willy Adames), but they messed up here.

Vesia had a different route to the majors, as the Miami Marlins drafted him in the 17th round. They traded him to the Dodgers in February for RHP Dylan Floro, and he has already made a good return on investment. In 29 games, he has a 2.59 ERA. It is rare for relief prospects to produce immediately, but that is precisely what Vesia has done.

These are just a handful of big leaguers who have made the most out of modest expectations. So who do you think we missed on the list?

All statistics are through Aug. 31.

Cover photo courtesy of Sarah Stier/Getty Images