Most surprising MLB players at the quarter mark of the 2017 season

Alonso reworked his swing in the offseason after hitting just .253-7-56 last season. He's already set a career high in home runs with 11 through 32 games, and he's been an all-out offensive force with a 1.076 OPS.

Altherr's recent tear has made him an elite offensive player in 25 games after missing most of last season due to injury. He's hitting .351-7-21 in those 25 games.

Anderson has been markedly better than last season, when he posted a 4.39 ERA in 151.1 innings. He's 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA in seven starts, doing a much better job of keeping the ball in the park for the Brewers.

While the O's had high hopes for Bundy this season, he's shattered their wildest expectations. He's now 5-1 with a 2.17 ERA in seven starts. A subpar 5.5 K/9 shows that he will probably come back down to Earth eventually.

San Diego's rotation looked awful on paper heading into the year, but Cahill has solidified his role as their ace. He posted a 2.97 in 30 starts with the A's in 2010 and is back as a fine starter after a few seasons in relief. Cahill has a 3.06 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.

A good player before this season, Castro has been playing at another level early this year. He's hitting .351-6-21 for the upstart Yanks.

Garnering a rotation spot when Clay Buchholz got injured, Eflin has taken full advantage. He has a 2.81 ERA in 32 innings, with only four walks allowed.

A Denver native and the eighth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, Freeland has been exactly as advertised in his rookie debut. The extreme ground ball pitcher has struggled with his command but has a 2.93 ERA in seven starts.

Gallo has been a savior for the Rangers, who have been without Adrian Beltre due to a calf injury. He leads the AL in strikeouts (54) and a putrid average (.200), but he has 11 home runs and 24 RBI through 36 games.

A former top prospect, some had given up on Garcia after his last two seasons of struggles. He's finally found his footing at age 26, hitting .342-5-24 in 31 games.

Hahn failed to make Oakland's rotation out of spring training, but he's made up for lost time. He has a 3.03 ERA in 35.2 innings for Oakland, regaining the form he showed in 2014-15.

A strong power prospect, Judge has been the talk of baseball through the first quarter of the season. He leads the AL with 13 home runs, a .738 slugging percentage and 1.146 OPS through 30 games played. He's really cut down on his whiffs after fanning 42 times in his 95 plate appearances last season.

Showing additional velocity and nearly perfect control, Kahnle has been nearly untouchable as a middle reliever for the White Sox. He has a 0.77 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 11.2 innings.

After struggling in his first season with the Cardinals, Leake is an early NL Cy Young candidate. He leads the league with a 1.79 ERA through six starts, allowing only one home run in 40.1 innings.

Morrison last hit 20 home runs in 2011, but he's well on his way to doing it again. He's hitting .252-9-23 in only 34 games.

Norris was just hoping to make the Angels in spring training. Now he finds himself as the team's closer due to the long list of injuries. The veteran hurler has six saves and a 3.00 ERA in 17 appearances.

Nova showed masterful control when he was acquired from the Yankees last year at the trade deadline, walking three batters in 64.2 innings. He's back at it again early this season, with just three walks in 48.1 innings and a league-leading two complete games. His 2.23 ERA makes him a clear Cy Young candidate.

Reynolds waited until very late in the offseason to sign, and he's run with the first base job in Colorado. He's hitting .339-12-31 in only 124 at-bats after hitting .282-14-53 in 393 at-bats last season.

Sano showed incredible power before this season, but his awful contact rate prevented him from hitting for average. He's still fanning a ton, but Sano is hitting .304-9-29 in 30 games.

Santana continues to make up for a PED suspension in his first year with Minnesota back in 2015. He had a 3.38 ERA in 30 starts last season and has been a legitimate Cy Young candidate this season going 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA in seven starts.

Along with fellow rookie Kyle Freeland, Senzatela has helped the Rockies stay in contention. He's 5-1 with a 2.86 ERA in seven starts.

Thames has carried over his incredible hitting from Korea to Milwaukee. He leads the NL with 13 home runs through 33 games and is hitting .331 with 25 RBI and a 1.173 OPS.

Triggs finished last season well in the rotation and has continued to dominate. He's 5-2 with a 2.21 ERA in seven starts, showing very good control with only 10 walks in 40.2 innings.

Vargas couldn't be pitching much better than he has in the early going this season. He doesn't even touch 90 miles per hour anymore, but the lefty is 5-1 with a 1.01 ERA in seven starts for an awful Royals team.

The Washington offense has been tearing MLB apart, and Zimmerman's resurgence is a big reason. After fixing his swing in the offseason, he leads the NL in all three Triple Crown categories (.393-13-34), along with hits (48) and doubles (13).