Carlos Quentin has been a huge surprise. 

Month two for the MLB season has come to a close and we see the opening day streaks dwindling, and the real surprises continue to surprise such as Josh Hamilton, who continues to tear up major league pitching and was recently named AL Player of the Month, for the second month in a row. Justin Upton, meanwhile continues to scuffle after a torrid month of April. The Tigers are still struggling, and the Rays are still impressing. And for the first time since 1908, the Cubs are the best team in the league in June. Just had to throw that in there, here are my Risers and Fallers for the month of May.


Risin'

Carlos Quentin (OF - CWS) – Ozzie Guillen didn’t even know who this guy was when the Sox traded for him. Quentin’s got a .293 average to go along with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs for the first place Pale Hose. Not bad for a guy who hit five homeruns in 81 games for the D-Backs last season. He’s hitting in a lineup with a lot of pop around him, so his numbers should remain consistent. He’s also the top AL All-Star write-in candidate, since he’s not even on the ballot.

Milton Bradley (OF - TEX) – We all know about Josh Hamilton, but what about his outfield counterpart? Bradley has come back with a vengeance since his knee surgery, with 9 jacks, and 34 steaks, to go along with a .322 batting average. His career high is .321, which he hit back in 2003. He’s on pace for career highs in homeruns (19) and RBIs (67). If only the Rangers had some pitching…

Alfonso Soriano (OF - CHC) – Call me biased, but the particularly streaky Soriano has been on fire since his return from the DL. It took a little bit but he’s been lighting that ivy on fire, bringing his average up to .287 and whacking 13 home runs. He only has 35 RBIs, but he’s hitting in the leadoff spot so not many runners are going to be on before he comes to the dish. Being in the leadoff spot, that average may dip a little bit but he’s still managed to hit for power. If the Cubs stay hot, expect the Fonz to do the same.

Fallin'

Victor Martinez (C - CLE) – He’s hitting .292, but no homeruns and only 18 RBIs to this point in the season. He had 25 round-trippers last year, and never hit less than 16, but that streak may come to an end. His numbers show that the average won’t go away, but with little power in the lineup outside of him, the Tribe cannot afford a power outage from V-Mart. If he can pick it up, they might have a chance to take over a struggling AL Central.

Robinson Cano (2B - NYY) – Cano was supposed to be a top second baseman in a relatively shallow position. As a rookie, Cano hit .297 and hasn’t hit under .300 since. This season he’s hitting .220 with only four homers and 19 RBIs. This may be an effect of the team struggling, but the Bombers appear to be picking things up. Does that mean that Cano may be on his way up as well?

Paul Konerko (1B - CWS) – Over the last couple of seasons, Konerko’s average has fallen off somewhat, but his batting average has become atrocious. He’s hitting a meager .205, his lowest average since 2003 in which he hit .234. Only six homeruns and 19 RBIs for a guy who tends to be good for about 30 jacks and 100 ribbies year in and year out. Ozzie is barking for changes on the Southside. Could Konerko be one of those changes?