Heading into the Major League Baseball season, even the casual fan knows who the best players in the game are. Alex Rodriguez is going to hit 50 home runs, Jake Peavy is going to win more than 15 games and Ryan Howard is going to drive in 120 runs and probably strike out 175 times too.

Some players though come out of nowhere and put up numbers no one thought possible. The same goes for the teams themselves. The 2006 Cardinals were basically a .500 team the whole season, but caught fire in October and won the World Series. Surprises happen a lot in baseball and the start of the 2008 season has been no different.

 OF Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks
Upton is on a tear this season. He has five home runs and 12 RBI in just 14 games. He is batting .370 and already has 20 hits this year. Oh, and Upton is yet to turn 21 years old. He is the youngest player in baseball and is one of the main reasons the Diamondbacks are the hottest team in the majors.

 OF Angel Pagan, New York Mets
Pagan, who is filling in until Moises Alou returns from injury, is showing manager Willie Randolph that he still deserves to play when Alou returns. Pagan is batting .381 and has scored nine runs and knocked in 10. He adds a .462 on-base percentage and can help fantasy teams in a variety of ways by batting in front of or behind David Wright and Carlos Beltran.

OF Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates
While many people in Pittsburgh have caught hockey fever, the Pirates are actually winning and McLouth is a main reason why. He’s hitting .391 and slugging .656 while racking up nine doubles and 14 RBI in 14 games. He only had 38 RBI in 137 games last season. If McLouth keeps these numbers going, he just may lead the Pirates to their first winning season since Barry Bonds was in left field. 

OF Pat Burrell, Philadelphia Phillies
I’m as shocked as anyone, Pat Burrell included, that this guy is batting .349 in April. Regardless, Burrell has been carrying the Phillies while Jimmy Rollins recovers from an ankle sprain. He has five home runs and 15 RBI already and has even drawn 12 walks. If he can keep these numbers up, Burrell may find himself at the All-Star game with Rollins, Utley and Howard in July. 

1B/3B Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox
Youkilis has always flown under the radar on the Red Sox because of Manny and Big Papi, but his hot start deserves recognition. Not only is he with six doubles and 11 runs, he’s also been more than adequate in moving across the diamond to fill in for injured third baseman Mike Lowell. A fan favorite in Boston, Youkilis is bringing in his steady, gritty game to the yard every day and swinging a hot bat in the early going. 

3B Joe Crede, Chicago White Sox
After having season-ending back surgery last June, some in the organization wondered if Crede could come back and stay healthy. He has answered all questions by batting .313 with four home runs and 16 runs batted in so far in April. All this in addition to the reputed defensive skill he brings to the left side of the White Sox infield. Crede already looks to be back in the form that helped him hit 30 home runs and drive in 94 runs in 2006; a very encouraging sign for Chicago. 

SP Micah Owings, Arizona Diamondbacks
I’ve previously written that Owings should make a permanent move to the outfield because for a pitcher, he hits better than some position players. Not sure if he read the article or not, but he has proven me wrong. He belongs on the mound and his 3-0 record and 2.29 ERA are certainly evidence of that. He is also averaging close to a strikeout per inning and has only allowed five runs. 

SP Braden Looper, St. Louis Cardinals
Looper killed my Mets when he was a closer/set-up man for them. It felt like he blew a save every other night back in 2005. As a starter for the Cardinals, Looper has won his first three decisions and posted a 2.70 ERA. Looper, who went 12-12 last season, has been efficient in his starts and has allowed five earned runs while striking out 11. 

SP Gavin Floyd, Chicago White Sox
Yes, you’re reading that correctly, it says Gavin Floyd. The same Gavin Floyd who had an ERA of 7.29 in 2006 and 5.27 last season. I’m not sure what Floyd has changed, but it’s working. He’s 2-0, with a 2.03 ERA. Both wins have come against the Tigers, and he even took a no-hitter into the eighth last Saturday. Whether or not he can keep this up is questionable, but if your starting pitching is struggling, he’s an upside guy worth a look in deeper leagues. 

SP Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets
Pelfrey did very little to earn the fifth spot in spring training, but with Pedro Martinez out and Johan Santana struggling a bit, the Mets are relying more and more on the young gun. He is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts, having allowed just two runs in his first 12 innings. If Pelfrey can keep the Mets in games and go deep into his starts, the team’s offense will reward him and his fantasy owners with run support and a pile of wins. 

Top 5 Team Surprises

Kansas City Royals
The Royals started the season by sweeping three games in Detroit and that they aren’t the same Royals of the past. Starting pitchers Zack Greinke, Brian Bannister and Gil Meche are pitching well and fueling the resurgence. With a little more bullpen help for closer Joakim Soria, who has been brilliant in the ninth inning, Kansas City could make a run at 80 wins. 

Detroit Tigers

Well, things certainly could have started better. The Tigers started the season with losses in 10 of their first 12 games and were shutout four times in that span. Manager Jim Leyland told reporters he didn’t think the team would be shutout that many times all season, let alone in the first twelve games. They have won their last two games, improving to 4-10, but may have too many question marks in their starting pitching and bullpen to overcome the rocky start. 

Florida Marlins

I’ll admit I wasn’t sure the Marlins would win eight games all year, but they are 8-5 and lead the NL East. They’ve gotten good hitting from their young players and the pitching staff has been pretty good. Now I don’t think they are going to do anything crazy like win the division, but if they can remain formidable throughout the season, the race between the Mets, Phillies and Braves will be a lot more interesting. 

St. Louis Cardinals

How many baseball fans can name five St. Louis Cardinals players? After Pujols, Glaus and Ankiel, I had to look myself. This is certainly not the team that won the 2006 World Series and yet, they lead the NL Central and Tony La Russa looks like a genius. The Cubs will be around all year, but after that, it’s a toss-up. La Russa’s unparalleled managing skill is a big part of it, as the roster is built to maximize his ability to get the most of each player. 

Colorado Rockies

Last year’s National League champions have been slow out of the gate. Having to play the Diamondbacks six times early doesn’t help (they’re 1-5 against them), but the way the Rockies are losing games is most troubling. They aren’t scoring runs and six of their eight losses have been by five runs or more. If the offense doesn’t wake up, it could be a long summer in the Mile High City.