The 2021 MLB season has been full of surprises, especially for the Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago White Sox.
Each one of those teams has been carried by one specific player who has greatly exceeded expectations.
Here are three MLB players that have been early-season surprises.
3 Players That Have Surprised With Their Early-Season Performance
1. Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers
If you consider that Milwaukee Brewers’ right-hander Corbin Burnes pitched well enough in 2020 to be seen as a Cy Young award candidate, then the fact that he is off to a fast start shouldn’t be all that surprising.
However, the surprise element comes from the fact that he has been so absurdly dominant in the early going that he is leaving all projections behind and smashing all expectations.
People expected Burnes to slow down after finishing the 2020 shortened season with a 2.11 ERA in 59.2 frames and a 13.27 K/9 mark (strikeouts per nine innings.)
However, he doubled down and so far, in three starts, he has pitched 18.1 frames of a minuscule 0.49 ERA, with a 0.91 Fielding Independent Pitching, or FIP.
Corbin Burnes, 96mph Cutter and 97mph Two Seamer, Overlay. pic.twitter.com/PyoIlFa4S5
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 14, 2021
Burnes has also increased his K/9, from 13.27 to 14.73, in 2021.
So, yeah, the Brewers have themselves an ace to pair with fellow star pitcher Brandon Woodruff.
If he keeps this up, Burnes will not only be in the Cy Young award conversation, but he will most likely win it.
2. Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
The oft-injured outfielder has always had the talent, but had a very difficult time staying healthy throughout his career.
For his career, the Minnesota Twins outfielder has a .244/.295/.445 line with a 93 wRC+, or weighted Runs Created Plus.
The wRC+ stat allows us to determine a player’s offensive production relative to his peers.
Any number over 100 is above-average, and any number below 100 is below-average production.
In his seven-year MLB tenure, Buxton has been 7% below-average offensively, although he was above-average in both 2019 (111 wRC+) and 2020 (118 wRC+.)
In his first nine games of the 2021 campaign, Buxton has hit .469/.528/1.094 with five homers and a 334 (!) wRC+.
Buxton has been the most important offensive contributor for one of the best units in the league.
Byron Buxton just hit a rocket double while breaking his bat in half…
He's now hitting .500 with a 1.777 OPS pic.twitter.com/h6Kb9rg0N6
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 13, 2021
He has eight runs scored and nine RBI, plus one steal.
If he manages to stay healthy, Buxton can finally have that breakout season we have been expecting for years.
3. Yermin Mercedes, Chicago White Sox
Yermin Mercedes has been one of the most pleasant surprises on the Chicago White Sox’s roster in the early days of the season.
Eloy Jimenez’s injury opened up some playing time for the “Yerminator”, who had dominated the Minor Leagues in years past.
Mercedes hasn’t disappointed and has definitely taken advantage of his opportunity.
Yermín Mercedes holy crushed 😱 pic.twitter.com/jv9ZSalCVk
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) April 15, 2021
He offers no defensive value, but with the bat, he has shown he belongs in the show with a .485/.541/.758, two home runs and a 262 wRC+.
Even though he isn’t good with the glove and profiles more like a designated hitter going forward, he has the 7th best Wins Above Replacement (WAR) mark among major league batters, with 0.8 in just nine games.
Mercedes is here to stay, and will be a fixture in the White Sox’s lineup.
NEXT: 2 MLB Players Off To Slow Starts In The 2021 Season