Each and every week, I will perform a category by category review of five players who have drastically exceeded expectations this season in the hopes of determining if their success is legitimate or a fluke.

The five players for this week are Ian Kinsler, Jermaine Dye, Brian McCann, Ben Sheets and Ryan Dempster.

Ian Kinsler
HR: With 13 HR on the season, Kinsler is on pace for almost 27 HRs this season. He hit 20 last season, and seeing as he is in his age 26 season, modest power growth is reasonable. He was a career .499 slugger in the minors, so it's not like he hasn't shown .500'ish power in his past.
R: This just in: the Rangers' offense is good. Kinsler is the leadoff guy on a team scoring a MLB best 5.50 runs per game, so elite run scoring totals should continue to be expected.
RBI: The fact that a leadoff hitter is tied for 7th in the AL for RBI goes to show you the depth of the Rangers' lineup. Ramon Vazquez has been hitting mostly 8th or 9th, and his .389 OBP has certainly provided Kinsler with decent RBI opportunities.
SB: Kinsler swiped 23 bases in 25 attempts last season, but is on pace to shatter his previous career high. With 20 steals on the season already, he's on pace for 41 this season. His SB efficiency is over 95% this season, coming close to his mark last season. Unless he stops running, he's going to smash his expectations in this category.
AVG: If there's one red flag with Kinsler, it's his .331 BABIP. Expect his .318 AVG to come a little bit back to earth. His contact rate [86.65%] is solid, though his walk rate [7.12%] isn't consistent with what .300 hitters typically produce.
Conclusion: This is a career year for Kinsler. It looks like he's easily going to eclipse his 90th percentile projection from BP, so he's going to look like a bargain to those who drafted him around the 7th round in mixed leagues.

Jermaine Dye
HR: It's starting to look like 2007 was an off year for Dye. After "only" hitting 28 HRs in 2007, he is starting to show the power that most teams drafted him for in 2007. He's on pace for around 38 HRs, so he should at least eclipse his mark of 28 from last season.
R: Despite disappointing seasons from Paul Konerko and Jim Thome, the White Sox offense is currently ranked #4 in runs scored per game. Although he's hit all over the lineup, he's scoring plenty of runs in the cleanup spot where he's been hitting lately.
RBI: Hitting in prime time for an above average offense, expect Dye to continue to be a good source for RBI.
SB: Dye's never been a very effective runner, succeeding in only 65.71% of his SB attempts. He's only hit double digits once in his career, so if he even swipes 5 this season, consider that a success.
AVG: His .317 BABIP is a touch high, and his contact rate [81.94%] and walk rate [6.67%] aren't consistent with the criteria for .300 hitters. Expect regression in this category.
Conclusion: For a mid 10th round pick, Dye is going to produce dividends for his owners. I'm a little skeptical he'll maintain this high level of production all season, but he's certainly going to exceed expectations.

Brian McCann
HR: With 14 HR on the season, McCann is hitting like he did in '06. '07 is looking like the anomaly, so I'm buying on the 25 HR power from a 24 year old McCann.
R: The Atlanta offense is slightly above average, and McCann is hitting is a good spot to score runs most days. He won't be Mauer'ish, but he'll certainly be above average for his position.
RBI: When it comes to RBI production from catchers, there's Bengie Molina, Geovany Soto, and McCann. Although he's hit in a wide array of lineup spots, he's typically hitting 5th behind some solid hitters in Atlanta. Expect solid production here for the rest of the season.
SB: McCann is pretty much non-existent in this category, though that doesn't hurt his value much at his position.
AVG: Who is the real Brian McCann? The .333 hitter from 2006, or the .270 hitter from 2007? The answer is somewhere in between. Currently hitting .299 on a respectable .304 BABIP, his contact rate [86.50%] and walk rate [9.15%] are pretty solid. He's probably going to end up around .290, but that's still solid.
Conclusion: I'm certainly a buyer on McCann. At only 24 years of age, it looks like the best is yet to come.

Ben Sheets
W: With 9 Ws on the season, Sheets has marginally outproduced his expected wins stat by 1.6. It's not a significant enough difference to draw a red flag, though. Milwaukee's offense is slightly above average thus far, though they have the potential to really score some runs.
K: His K rate [7.25 K/9] is slightly down from his career average [7.64], though it's not an Oswalt-ian dropoff. He's a solid source for Ks, as always.
ERA: His ERA [2.59] is almost a run lower than his peripherals would indicate [3.56]. Expect modest regression, but he's still an above average source for ERA.
WHIP: His BB rate [1.81 BB/9] is right around his career average [1.94], so there's nothing new there. Sheets is currently succeeding on a .256 BABIP, compared to his team's mark of .289. Expect a few more hits to drop in as the season unfolds.
Conclusion: Minus some regression in WHIP and ERA, Sheets is doing what he's done in seasons past - look like an ace when healthy. Keep your fingers crossed for 180 IP.

Ryan Dempster
W: Dempster has marginally outproduced his expected wins by 1.3. It's not that significant of a difference, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.
K: Mixed between starting and relieving, Dempster has logged a 7.43 K/9 over his career. This season, he's logged a 7.37 K/9, very similar to his seasons as a starter for the Marlins and Reds.
ERA: His peripherals suggest a 4.18 ERA is more apt than his current 3.26, so expect his ERA to take a hit eventually.
WHIP: His 3.51 BB/9 isn't a great sign. His .250 BABIP also suggests he's due to allow more hits, as the Cubs have a .291 team mark. Expect his current 1.18 WHIP to edge closer towards his career 1.51 mark.
Conclusion: I'm not buying Dempster as a front-line starter this season. With the Cubs' offense, he should at least provide decent win opportunities.