Top 5: Promising starts in major leagues

Published April 17, 2011 4:00am ET



5. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon » He was supposed to be the next George Brett. Instead, he served as a cautionary tale to those with high expectations. But the oft-injured Gordon is finally producing. After 15 games, Gordon is batting .365. He has just one homer but eight doubles and 11 RBI.

4. Cleveland P Justin Masterson » He excelled as a reliever in Boston but always wanted to start. But many wondered whether he had enough consistent pitches to do so. The answer this season? Yes, he does. Masterson is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA and only four walks. And in eight of his last nine starts dating to Aug. 15, Masterson has allowed two runs or less.

3. Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki » Do people realize how good he is? It would help if he played in a larger market or in the east. In the past two years, he’s hit 59 homers and driven in 187 runs. So far he’s batting .364 with a league-leading seven homers and 14 RBI. His OPS is a staggering 1.322.

2. Los Angeles Angels P Dan Haren » He’s been good for a while, but he’s also coming off a 12-12 season in which he had a 3.91 ERA. But he’s been fantastic in his first season with the Angels. Haren is 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA and only 18 hits and two walks allowed in 31 innings.

1. Los Angeles Angels P Jered Weaver » He’s started four games, and he’s won four games. But that doesn’t show his full dominance. In 27 2/3 innings, he’s allowed just 13 hits. Weaver has never won more than 16 games, but he should eclipse that total this season.

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