Scott White

This is just getting stupid.

Nate McLouth hit his 12th home run today. That's right -- 12th. It defies all imagination.

Just when he went six games -- I know, six -- without going deep, giving you reason to wonder if he might start slowing down and playing within his capabilities, he pops off three home runs in the last five games, going 3-for-5 Saturday against the Cubs to lift his batting average back to .312. When will it all end?

Maybe never. Maybe McLouth won't go back to playing within his capabilities because he already is. Maybe he really has this much power at 5-for-11, 180 pounds, despite having never shown it in the minors. Such a breakout wouldn't come totally unprecedented. Matt Holliday had one, remember. Maybe the Pirates, much to their own surprise, now have their best outfielder -- maybe even their best offensive player -- since Brian Giles (not the powerless version currently in San Diego, mind you).

And my favorite part? Nobody saw it coming. Yeah, I talked about McLouth as a sleeper, maybe a potential 20-20 candidate, after he hit 13 home runs in 329 at-bats last year, but I thought the speed had more clout (clouth?) than the power. I can't take credit for this. If I could, I'd own McLouth in more than one Fantasy league.

McLouth headlines a group of Fantasy breakouts -- players who went widely undrafted but, within the first fourth of the season, have become Fantasy mainstays (or at least close to it). So now, for your viewing pleasure, I've gone position-by-position to present to you this year's All-Breakout team, with plenty of room for debate, of course:

C - Geovany Soto
I think if we redrafted today, Soto would have to go as the No. 1 catcher, right?
1B - Conor Jackson
His power has slowed a bit, at least as far as home runs go, but his .537 slugging percentage is still doing Head-to-Head owners plenty of good. He still looks like a vastly improved offensive player.
2B - Ryan Theriot
So far, so good for Theriot, but I question his ability to help Fantasy owners over the long haul with a slugging percentage just over .400 and a poor stolen-base success rate. I could have listed Dan Uggla here, but that felt like cheating.
3B - Edwin Encarnacion
He's cooled off since his torrid stretch at the end of April, but I have a feeling he'll emerge as one of those super streaky players who you can never afford to sit. Love his strikeout-to-walk ratio.
SS - Stephen Drew
I don't think we've even seen the best of Drew yet this season even though his slugging percentage (.542) ranks higher than that of Hanley Ramirez -- he of the nine home runs -- and every other shortstop not named Rafael Furcal or ... Clint Barmes. I guess I could have talked about Barmes, but I like Drew better over the next 4 1/2 months.
OF - Nate McLouth
I've talked about McLouth enough, haven't I?
OF - Josh Hamilton
I've tried to downplay Hamilton's breakout because I don't want people to get carried away by a player who naturally comes with a lot of hype. But his 5-for-5, two-homer game Friday convinced me he's one of the five best outfielders in the American League.
OF - Carlos Quentin
I love this guy more than I'll probably love my own offspring. I've written about him, lamented cutting him this preseason, and pretty much feel my heart sink every time someone mentions his name. I'll move on.
SP - Cliff Lee
Come to think of it, I also cut Lee in a couple of leagues early this season, thinking his first start a fluke. Man, I suck.
SP - Ervin Santana
He always had potential. Now, he's finally making good on it -- at home and on the road.
SP - Edinson Volquez
That Hamilton-for-Volquez trade worked out well for both sides, didn't it?
SP - Shaun Marcum
He doesn't get much attention, but he has the second lowest WHIP (0.81) among all full-time starting pitchers, behind only Lee.
SP - Ryan Dempster
I didn't want to believe. His breakout makes no sense -- people don't go from being bad starters to bad closers to awesome starters -- but it's here. Get used to it.
RP - George Sherrill
I wanted to list Brandon Lyon here because I still don't think Sherrill can possibly continue this pace (more because of the Orioles than his own ability), but I can't argue with the results so far.

That's all for now.