Three Biggest (happy) Surprises this Year

[bosoxmal]

For me, in order of how big it was, an not its importance, I have to go with

 

Hanley,

JBJ,

Porcello

 

Shaw would be in there for some folks, but I believed what I say last year

 

I thought Hanley and JBJ were history! How dumn can one get?

Edited May 7, 2016 by Youk Of The Nation

[Kingface]

For me it was Hanley.........Hanley.......and Hanley........ since I thought moving him to 1B was the stupidest idea ever.......

[bosoxmal]

Yes, I thought it was replacing one has-been with another.

[sk7326]

Porcello - although I was absolutely optimistic he would establish himself as a dependable rotation guy ... but so far this is better than that

Shaw - I knew he'd be starting caliber but again he's been better than that

Wright - a knuckleballer on a streak is not a surprise, but still

 

Really that is it for true surprises ... Ramirez we knew would be solid if he got healthy and in a position which fit his eye better. Scientists will be confounded how one of the easiest positions on the diamond vexed him so, but no matter. He is clearly an adequate 1B and the bat is starting to come around. Pedroia we knew is still an All-Star level force if healthy.

[Dojji]

For me, it's Travis Shaw, followed by Wright and Porcello.

[devildavid]

Porcello is the one for me. I really didn't think he had this in him. Very happily surprised.

[Palodios]

#1 has to be Wright. If you told me one of the sophmore pitchers was putting up ace-like numbers to start the season, who would have thought it would be a knuckleballer?

 

Shaw and Porcello definitely are right behind him.

[Kimmi]

Travis Shaw, followed by Hanley's defensive play, followed by Wright.

[mvp 78]

1. Porcello

2. Wright

3. CV's health/Ortiz (tie)

 

I expected Shaw to play well and for Hanley to be good at 1b.

[Station 13]

Porcello - pitching like Price is suppose to. Nobody saw this coming, especially after a poor spring training.

 

Pedroia - doing better than expected.

 

Ortiz - great as ever. Should put retirement on the back burner.

[sk7326]

Not sure how surprising Petey is - the surprise is that his body has not fallen apart yet

[royf19]

I'd say Travis Shaw is the biggest surprise, but this goes back to last year too.

 

I was more surprised at how bad Porcello was last year than as good he's been this year. I don't expect him to have a sub-3.00 ERA, but I'm not surprised that he's pitching well. In 2015, he had a 3.45 ERA and had been improving each year. So at worst, I expected him to have no worse than a 4.10-4.20 ERA last year and expected him to be around 3.60 to 3.80.