MLB 1st Month Stat Leaders, Blink Twice If You've Heard Of Edinson Volquez

Did you know I lead the NL in ERA?

Between the NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs, Olympic hotties, and the NFL draft, I haven't kept my eye on baseball stats at all. I was not prepared for the surprises that awaited me when I checked out the AL and NL stats leaders. Yes, I know it is only one month into the season and we shouldn't overreact, but look at some of the names atop the MLB leaderboard. Who are those guys?

Hey, the Rangers Josh Hamilton and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's (LAAsOA?) Casey Kotchman are 3 and 4 in AL batting average! Hamilton, who's hitting .333, is the uber-talented centerfielder who was featured on Sportscenter (or Baseball Tonight? or Outside the Lines?) last year because he overcame a big drug problem. Kotchman has only played in more than 50 games a year once in his career, and is hitting .259 in April for his career including this year's .326.

Don't White Sox fans hate Joe Crede? Wasn't he on the trading block for awhile? After one month, he's tied with teammate Carlos Quentin for the AL lead in home runs. Who? Exactly, I vaguely remember that Quentin was a hot prospect with the Diamondbacks. He's already two home runs away from tying his single season best. How soon is too soon for Berman to do some "San Quentin" jokes?

The venerable Emil Brown, who escaped to Oakland from Kansas City (that doesn't sound like much of an escape), is second in the AL in RBIs with 25 to Hamilton's 32. Joe Crede lurks 3 back tied with Justin Morneau. In the NL Xavier Nady sits atop the RBI leaderboard with 26. Yes, Cecilio's Scribe and your Mets fan brethren, that Xavier Nady. The D-backs Conor Jackson and the Bucos Nate McLouth are tied for fourth. Not exactly household names.

The pitching stat leaders are even more surprising than the hitters. Do you know the Angels Joe Saunders? Me neither but his 5 wins are good enough for a first place tie in the AL, one win ahead of Tampa Bay's Andy Sonnanstein, another gentleman I've never heard of. And speaking of guys I've never heard of, the Giants Brian Wilson (resisting bad Beach Boys joke....resistance is futile) is tied for the NL lead in saves with 9, and Oakland's Dana Eveland is fifth in the AL with a 2.43 ERA.

In case you were wondering, the Indians Cliff Lee is leading the majors with a 0.96 ERA. Lee's 2007 numbers? He was 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA. Edinson Volquez leads the NL with a 1.23 ERA. On the chance that you didn't know, Volquez toils for the Cincinnati Reds.

If even 3 of these guys are still in the Top 5 in their respective categories come June 1st, I'll be shocked. If any of them are there on July 1st I'll be suspicious. By August I'll start demanding an investigation.