First Team, All-Pleasant-Surprise

The polar opposite of this team, these guys enjoyed unexpected levels of success in 2007, and so did their lucky fantasy owners. Chances are, the guy in first place has several of the following players.

Catcher - Jorge Posada (.331, 16, 77)
Somebody forgot to tell this guy 36-year-old catchers don't post career highs in batting average. And even if they do, they don't hit 55 points above their career average. Six more doubles will give him 41 for the season, which would also be a career best. He's having an anti-Johnny-Damon year.

First Base - Carlos Pena (.272, 30, 86)
I'll admit, I didn't think Prince Fielder would be doing what he's doing this year, but at least with Cecil Junior, the handwriting was on the wall. With Pena, the wall handwriting was in Japanese, because that's where his career was heading (emphasis on the was part). With Mark Teixeira in Atlanta, Pena and Justin Morneau are about all the AL has to write home about at first base this year.

Second Base - Brandon Phillips (.284, 25, 77, 25 steals)
He still doesn't walk enough for as much as he strikes out, but methinks the Reds will live with it, provided he keeps going 30-30. Like Pena, he's not that far removed from being a can't-miss prospect. He's grown up since his days in Cleveland and his production is finally catching up with his hype. Has or will set new career bests in every category this year.

Shortstop - Hanley Ramirez (.332, 23, 65, 41 steals)
It's hard to call the 2006 Rookie of the Year a pleasant surprise in 2007, but here me out. Raise your hand if you thought HR would be (a) top-5 in the league in batting average, (b) top-20 in the league in homeruns, (c) top-2 in the league in runs scored, (d) top-5 in stolen bases, and (e) the third most valuable fantasy player overall, and most valuable shortstop in the game. Didn't think so. He'll go first, second, or third in just about every draft in 2008.

Third Base - Ryan Braun (.334, 25, 66)
You could make a pretty good case for A-Rod here, but at least people had heard of him before the season started. Braun should be the unanimous pick for ROY and is doing things very few first-year players ever have. He's hitting over .460 against lefties, is a better hitter on the road, and his first half looks a whole lot like his second half. The strikeouts (one every 4.4 at-bats) are a little high, and the 20 errors in 81 games could be a sign that corner outfield is in his future. But with those numbers, who cares?

Outfield #1 - Magglio Ordonez (.355, 25, 116)
With all due respect to Pena, Magglio is probably the most pleasant surprise of the year. The MVP race in the AL could be a dead heat between him and A-Rod, and with good reason. He's leading baseball in hitting, number two in RBI, and number three in OPS. Now bad for a guy picked, on average, 116th in ESPN drafts.

Outfield #2 - Eric Byrnes (.298, 18, 71, 37 steals)
If "looking smooth" was a category, Byrnes would be in trouble. But he sure would get plenty of points if "playing hard" was included too. He too will probably put up career bests in every offensive category and is a major reason why the D-Backs are in first in the West.

Outfield #3 - Aaron Rowand (.314, 21, 73)
Yes, these really are Aaron Rowand's numbers. You, like me, probably didn't realize this because he plays on the same team as Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Pat Burrell. Can you imagine if the Phillies had a few starters and a closer?

Designated Hitter - Jose Guillen (.295, 19, 81)
It's funny how a season or two in DC can make everybody forget that you used to be a pretty good player. Guillen is returning to his 2003 and 2004 days where he was a legitimate, dangerous hitter. And like Byrnes, he's a big reason why Seattle has been such a nice surprise out West.

Starting Pitcher #1 - Erik Bedard (13-5, 3.16 ERA, 221 K's)
I seriously laughed out loud on opening day when O's color man Jim Palmer said Bedard was a "sleeper Cy Young candidate." Five months later, it's no joke.

Starting Pitcher #2 - Kelvim Escobar (15-6, 2.77 ERA)
For years, Angels fans have been wondering what kind of numbers Escobar could put up if he actually stayed healthy for a full season. Well, here you go. He's a close second to Dan Haren for the AL ERA crown, and trails the league leader in wins by just one. Speaking of that guy...

Starting Pitcher #3 - Tim Wakefield (16-10, 4.16 ERA)
There are plenty of pitchers who warrant mention here: Brad Penny, Fausto Carmona, Tim Hudson, James Shields to name just a few. But why not go with a 41-year-old knuckleballer? He's tied with teammate Josh Beckett for most wins in baseball. And in case you're wondering, it's been just 4 years since a 40-year-old won 20 games. Jamie Moyer won 21 in 2003. Before him, fellow flutter-baller Phil Neikro won 21 in 1979. It's only happened a total of 7 times, though (a 40-year-old winning 20).

Closer - Jose Valverde (40 saves, 2.65 ERA)
He's baseball's first to 40 this year after a simply awful 2006. The difference hasn't been control or homeruns. He's lowered his opponents' batting average against by a full 76 points this year, primarily because he's been getting ahead of people. Like Byrnes, he's been a major contributor to Arizona's success.