5. Baltimore P Zach Britton » He’s allowed 23 earned runs this season, but 11 have come in two games. In his other nine starts, he’s given up just 12 earned runs. And five times he’s surrendered one run or less in an outing. He’s not a big strikeout pitcher, but he is 5-3 with a 2.93 ERA so he’s clearly effective.
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4. Seattle P Michael Pineda » In 10 starts, the 22-year-old has allowed two runs or less six times. Pineda did not pitch in the majors before this season, but has yet to pitch less than five innings in a game and nine times has gone at least six. He’s 6-2 with a 2.42 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
3. Cleveland SS Asdrubal Cabrera » He’s been a starter since the 2007 season, so it’s easy to forget that he’s only 25. And he batted .308 with 68 RBI two years ago. Still, his early-season play is MVP worthy. He’s hitting .298 and already has a career-high 10 homers to go with 35 RBI. Plus, he’s improved defensively.
2. Oakland P Gio Gonzalez » He emerged as a starter in 2010, posting a 3.23 ERA and winning 15 games. But he’s emerging as a potential ace this season. The left-hander is 5-2 with a 2.17 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 621Ú3 innings.
1. Texas P Alexi Ogando » The 27-year-old might have starred earlier, but was denied entry to the United States for five years for his involvement in a human trafficking ring. The hard-throwing Ogando is 5-0 with a 2.33 ERA, but he’s also a converted reliever — all 12 appearances in 2010 came in relief — so there could be a concern with innings later this season.
