DUGOUT: Five eye-popping stats worth a closer look

Early in the season, glancing at baseball statistics is almost always a futile exercise. It’s impossible to evaluate players based on just a few weeks’ worth of data.

Once the season progresses into June, though, stats start becoming worthwhile, albeit sometimes very bizarre. Here are five numbers that are worthy of a double-take.

No 1. Ubaldo Jimenez, 0.93 ERA.

Last year it was Zack Greinke. One of the most enjoyable guys to watch this season has been Ubaldo Jimenez.

With an extremely low ERA (the lowest mark this far into a season since Dutch Leonard in 1914), WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), and a very high strand rate, Jimenez has done wonders with the Rockies this season.

Jimenez isn’t striking out as many as Grienke did last year, but he’s been just as dominant.

It seemed as though Colorado’s ace had his breakout season in 2009 as a 25-year old with a 3.47 ERA, but he certainly appears to be a better pitcher than that. Some advanced pitching stats show that Jimenez’ early-season success may be a fluke, but he may not necessarily regress all the way to his career average.

To expect a 2.50 ERA on the season wouldn’t be unrealistic at all.

No 2. Dan Haren, 1.76 HR/9 IP, second in NL.

For Arizona, Dan Haren’s early-season struggles have been extremely puzzling. Throughout his career, Haren has been much better in the first half of the season as opposed to the latter half.

With a 4.83 ERA through his first 12 starts in 2010, Haren has Diamondbacks’ fans worried.

Even though he is getting hit hard (a .342 BABIP indicates some amount of bad luck), most of Haren’s peripheral stats (strikeouts, walks, and missed bats) look the same as they did last year; if anything, they’re better.

Haren is on pace, however, to give up around 44 home runs this season, which is way more than his previous seasonal high.

While Haren’s struggles have put the Diamondbacks in a tough spot so far this season, there’s no reason to believe he can’t benefit from some better luck later this season.

No. 3. Jose Bautista, 18 home runs, tops in ML.

Continuing a power surge that started in the last few months of last season, Bautista is on pace for about 50 home runs this season.

Before this year, his highest annual home run total was just 16. At 29 years of age, he isn’t a prime candidate for an increase in power, though his two-month rampage has been one of the more interesting stories so far this year.

Bautista has been a large part of why the Blue Jays have a record above the .500 mark, though he hasn’t shown an ability to hit for average.

In fact, while Bautista leads the league in home runs, he also leads the league in isolated power (slugging percentage minus batting average), as he is hitting only .250.

No. 4. Justin Upton, 35.7 strikeout percentage, second in NL.

Arizona teammate Mark Reynolds has long been the owner of the strikeout title, but seeing Upton at the top of that leader board, as well, is concerning for Diamondbacks fans.

Reynolds is on pace to provide his usual home run total, but Upton hasn’t been his usual self so far this season.

While his abundance of strikeouts is perhaps most concerning, each of his triple-slash stats (BA/OBP/SLG) are way below what he has shown in the past. Hitting just .249/.324/.437, Upton will need to improve if Arizona wants to get out of the NL West basement and start earning that big contract he inked in the offseason.

No. 5. San Diego Padres, 2.68 bullpen ERA, first in NL.

Collectively, the San Diego Padres have been one of the most entertaining stories so far this year.

One season removed from finishing 20 games back in the NL West, the Padres have the best record in the National League.

A major contributing factor: Their bullpen.

Possessing the best bullpen ERA since the 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers, the Padres have held on to practically every lead handed to them from their starters. Behind the stellar arms of Heath Bell, Tim Stauffer, Ryan Webb, and Luke Gregerson, the Padres have taken the baseball world by storm.

Whether or not their bullpen can maintain this dominance will play a large role in determining whether or not San Diego will be able to stay atop their division.

With the sixth overall selection in the 2010 MLB Draft this past Monday, the Diamondbacks selected Barret Loux, a 6-foot-5 righty out of Texas A&M.

Last season for the Aggies, Loux posted an 11-2 record with a 2.60 ERA while striking out nearly 12 opposing batters per nine innings.

He probably wasn’t the sixth-best talent available to the Diamondbacks at that position in the draft, but his high floor and signability could make him a good pick.

Loux succeeded in the Big 12 primarily because of his offspeed pitches and great command of the strikezone. Besides his changeup, Loux doesn’t possess another clearly above-average pitch, but he could wind up in the middle of Arizona’s starting rotation in a few years.

At worst, he’d be stuck in a bullpen that needs all the help it can get.

The Aggies are relying heavily on Loux right now as they compete in the College World Series.

Andrew Kneeland is a student at the Arizona Virtual Academy. He is an intern at the Green Valley News.