STARTERS: Early surprises 2013

When it comes to starting pitchers, there is no common definition for an early-season surprise. A surprise in one league could be an expected result in another.

The easy way to identify surprises is to look at surface stats like ERA and WHIP and compare them against our pre-season expectations. But those marks do little to tell us if a SP's strong start can be sustained.

A SP's skills and pitch velocity/mix are better measures to identify and validate early-season surprises.

As such, let's look for surprises worth buying using the following thresholds:

Many of the guys that we'll list and discuss here won't be surprises to our readers,...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Starting Pitchers

In August, Cade Cavalli showed what he can do when he's healthy.
Aug 29 2026 3:09am
Troy Melton's elite stats and skills against righty bats confirm his rotation-anchor upside.
Aug 22 2026 3:06am
Kyle Harrison's big step forward in 2026 can be traced to some excellent stats and skills during his home starts.
Aug 15 2026 3:05am
Gavin Williams has become the game's best starting pitcher in the second half, among those with 30+ IP.
Aug 8 2026 3:07am
Payton Tolle's mediocre results in July hid an excellent foundation of skills, putting him in position to be a difference-maker down the stretch.
Aug 1 2026 3:05am

Tools