It is that time again as the week 12 surprise major leaguers list drops. This list features a big name hitter and fantasy stud who strikes out at a high rate but manages to dominate. Along with some low-key names who had interesting weeks.

Jay Bruce,  Right Fielder, Cincinnati Reds

Bruce might not be the most surprising of players to make this list but his numbers are super interesting. He was drafted in roughly the third to fourth round of most drafts and has not disappointed. He is batting .282 on the year with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs. He is a big key to this Reds offense. His numbers for the week were also good as he hit six home runs which is the most of any player in the seven game span. Even though he hit six home runs, somehow this only amounted to seven RBIs, which isn’t the strangest stat yet. He had seven strikeouts which should not be surprising to many people at all.

For those who aren’t aware Mr. Bruce has the fourth most strikeouts of any player in Major League Baseball at 91. The fact that he strikes out this much and still manages to hit for average is very impressive. Of the top five strikeout leaders Bruce has the best average of them all. In fact only one other hitter in the top, or in this case bottom five is batting above .200 along with 50 runs driven in and that is Boston’s Mike Napoli.

Pedro Alvarez,  Third Basemen, Pittsburgh Pirates

The skilled third basemen for the Pirates is my next pick for surprise of the week. He is owned in roughly 95 percent of leagues and should make his way up to 100 percent by Monday morning. Alvarez has hit four home runs in his past four games! This should come as a surprise to most because lets be honest, no one is expected to hit a homerun in four consecutive games. Taking a deeper look into Alvarez’s stats shows an interesting pattern of power yet a low average. He has hit 18 home runs on the year but has a below average batting average of .234. This is what he does. He will go on big power streaks then sizzle out for a while. For the time being enjoy the power and snag him up if he is still available in your league.

Pedro Ciriaco,  Shortstop, San Diego Padres

The ex-shortstop for the Boston Red Sox is performing very well since his trade to the Padres. He is batting .348 on the week with a homerun and three RBIs. The biggest threat that Ciriaco holds is his speed. He had three stolen bases which was tied for third on the week. This guy is owned in nearly zero percent of leagues which makes sense because he hasn’t proven himself enough yet. He also failed to get a hit in his last six at-bats but that isn’t exactly horrible. Keep your eye out for this kid but don’t go picking him up unless you are in desperate need for a shortstop.