Big things were seen in James McDonald's (RHP, PIT) future when he was a prospect in the Dodgers' farm system. But it is only now, at age 27 and in his third year with the Pirates, that he's finally delivering on the expectations with a 2.19 ERA and 0.95 WHIP through his first 14 starts.

With 16 wins and an ERA slightly north of 3.00, Dan Haren (RHP, LAA) had a successful year in 2011. Much was expected going into this season, but he’s not met those expectations.

Many of the pre-season questions about Hanley Ramirez (3B, MIA) were focused on his co-existence with new teammate Jose Reyes (SS, MIA). But while he seems to have taken to the positional switch and has remained healthy, his numbers are now the concerning thing.

We looked through MLB batters for those who have more or fewer RBI than their abilities and team contexts suggest.

To this point in his career, Elvis Andrus (SS, TEX) has distinguished himself with his strong speed and defense. Yet in 2012, Andrus is impacting games in Texas at the plate as well. Can Andrus stay hot all summer?

Jake Arrieta (RHP, BAL) owns a 5.83 ERA and has a tenuous hold on a rotation spot in the BAL rotation. But if you're in a deep league with a reserve list and you're leaving him on the free agent wire, you're making a mistake.

Remember all those players we talked about? We do. So let's review some of the recommendations from earlier in the year to see if we've changed our minds.

It appeared in mid-May that the wheels had finally fallen off for Alfonso Soriano (OF, CHC). The former All-Star was batting .230 with nary a home run. But something apparently clicked, and he has been among the NL's hottest bats since then with 12 HRs and a near-.300 average.

Back in the halcyon days of 2010, it was often noted that if Curtis Granderson (OF, NYY) could only hit left-handed pitching, he would break out with a banner campaign. That happened in 2011, and Granderson’s power onslaught continues this year.

Volatility in reliever results are driven by small data sets. Here is a look at some reasons to consider.

Hard to believe that the midpoint of June has passed and Cliff Lee (LHP, PHI) still sports a zero in the win column. Unlike some of his Phillies teammates, there are no concerns about Lee from a skills perspective.