Surprise, Surprise

It seems every year a player of previous mediocrity bursts onto the scene with a remarkable year. The kind of year that will warrant an 8-digit contract extension and a 5th round pick in your fantasy draft next year. Last year it was Ryan Ludwick or Matt Kemp or Evan Longoria. This year we had a handful yet again.

But on the contrary, every year there are elite players in the game who falter seemingly yearlong. Mired in slumps that us writers love to highlight, point out and slap “Bust” labels on as the 0-fors tally up. We saw awful seasons from Justin Verlander, Robinson Cano and Jeff Francoeur in 2008.

As the year winds down, we’ll take a look at those who broke out and those who showed what may be their true colors in 2009.

Rising Up

Jason Bartlett – Tampa Bay Rays

• Delmon Young was supposed to be the future for the Rays, but when they decided to trade the struggling outfielder, they got Matt Garza from the Twins. The throw-in of that trade was Jason Bartlett, who is making Tampa’s front office personnel look like a chapter of Mensa members. In 2008, Bartlett had a modest year in his first as a Ray. In 454 ABs, he hit for a modest .286 and just one home run. That set him up perfectly for his breakout this year: .327 avg, 14 HRs and 63 RBI in 120 games, thus far. His 24 stolen bases during that span have added on to his appeal and propelled him to his first All-Star season.

Kendry Morales – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

• The best player you don’t know about. Anaheim backed off in the Teixiera sweepstakes pretty early during the offseason, a move many thought would leave them barren at first base. Despite a slow start filling those shoes, Morales has come through in a big way in the 2009 season. And let’s be real, Teixiera wouldn’t have put up good numbers for the Angels in April and May, anyway. Here are the numbers Morales has put up to help all but lock up the AL West for the Angels: .307 avg, 30 HR, 98 RBI in 504 ABs coming into September 14th’s game. The breakout star has improved his career highs in every notable statistic.

Justin Upton – Arizona Diamondbacks

• He’s been on scouts’radar for years, ever since his high school days in Chesapeake, VA. On the major league field, though, his skills always looked raw. His five tools hadn’t developed and he struck out every third at-bat in 2008. It all clicked in May this year for Upton though, as he stepped out of his brother B.J.’s shadow and made a name for himself. Despite battling a few injuries midway through the season, Upton put up remarkable numbers through 121 games: .303 avg, 24 HR, 75 RBI and 19 SB. He’s no longer B.J.’s brother; and at this rate, B.J. will just be Justin’s brother.

Zack Greinke – Kansas City Royals

• The Royals deserve a lot of credit for the developing Greinke into a Cy Young candidate. He was on his way to a Matt Bush or Todd Van Poppel-like career, but has prevailed this year after beating bouts of depression, which started in 2006. Thank God he didn’t follow through with his threats to quit the game. His 2009 campaign has yielded a 13-8 record, 216 strikeouts and a 2.19 ERA, with a few starts left on his docket.  His potential came through in a big way in 2009, and considering there is not runaway Cy Young candidate, don’t be surprised if the Royal’s ace takes the cake.

Falling Off

Russell Martin – Los Angeles Dodgers

• Widely considered a Top 5 MLB catcher, Martin hit the skids this season. His .258 avg ranks 9th amongst catchers. As a matter of fact, the only stat in which Martin leads at the position is steals (10). Martin is a career .279 hitter with decent power, but his run production this year (48 RBI) has dropped off significantly. Despite his struggles, don’t be surprised if Martin winds up being a large contributor for the Dodgers in the postseason run this year.

David Ortiz – Boston Red Sox

• His age is really catching up with him, or maybe it’s those “supplements” he dropped from his daily routine. Regardless of the excuse, Big Papi has been abysmal in 2009. Unable to catch up to the fastball and never a very good offspeed hitter, Ortiz hasn’t brought any consistency to the Red Sox lineup. His .231 batting average looks about as good as a bald Britney Spears and completely negates his 81 RBI. It’s looking like Big Papi is quickly becoming Big Abuelo.

B.J. Upton – Tampa Bay Rays

• He’s a talent that many people predicted would actually breakout in a big way in 2009. His postseason numbers en route to the Rays’AL Championship gave America a glimpse of what he’s made of: 7 HR, 16 RBI, 6 SB n 16 games. With that said, his 2009 has paled in comparison: .235 avg, 9 HR, 42 RBI. His 37 stolen bases shine light on what he could do if he reached base with more regularity. More than any other player on this list, Upton has the chance to turn these numbers around in 2010.

Ervin Santana – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

• Santana began the 2009 year on the disabled list with elbow issues. Since his May 14th return to the mound, Santana has accumulated a 7-8 record with a 5.52 ERA and only 89 strikeouts. Given his 16-7 campaign in 2008, the expectations were high for the Angels’number 2 starter. No one should be too surprised by his downfall, he’d never had a sub-4 ERA before his outlier year of 2008.