9 surprising players leading their teams in hitting

At the start of every season, teams may think they have a good idea of who their best hitters are going to be. But each year brings its share of surprises.

With the end of May approaching, a number of players have emerged as unexpected hitting stars for their clubs, including the nine players below.

In fact, each of these players is currently his team's leading hitter^, which is surely something no one saw coming on Opening Day.

^Rankings based on wRC+ -- a rate statistic that measures a hitter's overall offensive value in terms of run creation while adjusting for league and park effects (a 100 wRC+ is considered league average) -- among hitters with at least 125 plate appearances this season. All stats below are through Tuesday.

Alec Bohm, 3B, Phillies
After providing roughly league average production from 2020-23 (99 wRC+), Bohm has a .333/.391/.533 slash with five homers, 19 doubles and 44 RBIs over 48 games in 2024, slightly outperforming two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper (155 wRC+) for the team lead with a 160 wRC+. In terms of Statcast’s run value metric, which takes the result of every pitch thrown and measures its impact on run scoring, Bohm (+24) has been the second-most valuable hitter in MLB, behind only the Astros’ Kyle Tucker.

Ryan Jeffers, C, Twins
After showing his offensive prowess (138 wRC+) in a part-time role a year ago, Jeffers has been a lineup staple for the Twins in 2024. The 26-year-old has produced 10 homers, 31 RBIs and an .888 OPS over 42 games, splitting his time between catcher and designated hitter. His 150 wRC+ is tied for fourth best among players with at least 125 PAs who have played at least half of their games at catcher this season.

Connor Joe, 1B/OF, Pirates
Joe (130 wRC+) is the only Pirates hitter with at least 125 PAs to produce a wRC+ above 109 this season, which speaks to the team’s offensive struggles. The 31-year-old also ranks second on Pittsburgh in homers (six), third in doubles (10) and first in RBIs (22), slashing .277/.345/.466 in 165 PAs. Joe entered 2024 with a lifetime .247/.343/.400 line and a 98 wRC+, so his performance this season has been surprising to say the least.

Dylan Moore, UTIL, Mariners
Seattle overhauled its lineup in the offseason, but the team’s offense actually has been worse than it was a year ago. Four of the Mariners’ offseason additions -- Mitch Garver, Jorge Polanco, Mitch Haniger and Luis Urías -- have struggled mightily, as have holdovers Julio Rodríguez, J.P. Crawford and Ty France. Meanwhile, Moore has posted a 145 wRC+ to lead the team, hitting .243 with six homers, six steals and an .855 OPS. Five of Moore’s six homers have come in May, and he has a 1.064 OPS during the month.

Joc Pederson, DH, D-backs
The D-backs signed Pederson to a one-year, $12.5 million deal in the offseason to provide some pop from the left side at the DH spot. He’s done that and then some, slashing .321/.418/.571 with six homers and a 179 wRC+ over 135 plate appearances, 128 of them coming against right-handed pitching. The veteran’s performance has been crucial for Arizona’s lineup with reigning NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll slumping badly (62 wRC+).

Jurickson Profar, OF, Padres
Profar is far removed from his days as MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect, entering this season with a lifetime 92 wRC+ over 10 seasons. This year, though, he has performed like the star he was projected to be so long ago, hitting .339 with seven homers, 31 RBIs and a .942 OPS over 51 games for the Padres, who signed him to a one-year, $1 million deal in late February. With a 176 wRC+ on the season, the 31-year-old not only leads San Diego but also has outproduced the superstar slugger the team traded away in the offseason -- Juan Soto, a leading American League MVP candidate with a 171 wRC+ for the Yankees.

Davis Schneider, INF, Blue Jays
A 28th-round Draft pick in 2017, Schneider burst onto the scene late last season with eight homers and a 1.008 OPS over 35 games for Toronto. The 25-year-old has continued to produce in 2024, giving a lift to the scuffling Blue Jays, who have gotten just four homers from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a combined 71 wRC+ from Bo Bichette and George Springer. Over 137 plate appearances, Schneider has popped five homers and produced a 130 wRC+ thanks in part to an elite 18.3% barrel rate, which ranks in the 98th percentile.

Josh Smith, 3B, Rangers
The Rangers' lineup has Corey Seager and Marcus Semien and Adolis García and Nathaniel Lowe, plus a pair of highly touted rookies in Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford. However, it's Smith who is currently leading the way for the defending World Series champions with a 124 wRC+, up from 76 over his first two seasons. The 26-year-old has filled in admirably as Texas’ regular third baseman since Josh Jung fractured his right wrist on April 1, hitting .276 with a .364 on-base percentage and 12 doubles over 165 PAs.

Mike Tauchman, OF, Cubs
Tauchman began this season hitting toward the bottom of Chicago’s lineup, but he has worked his way up while making an impact with his strong on-base skills (14.1% walk rate, .373 OBP in 2024). The 33-year-old owns a 131 wRC+, giving him a slight edge over Cody Bellinger (125 wRC+) for the team lead.