ESPN

This performance didn't exactly come out of nowhere. Even in NL-only play, Ryan Ludwick was overlooked in many drafts this season, where he was usually a $1 endgame buy or late-round pick.

It's understandable, given that it took him so long to get to the big leagues and stick. Prior to 2007, the 29-year-old's career high in at-bats in the majors was 162, he had bounced through four other organizations, and he was close to being given the proverbial "Quad-A" label as a player who is able to handle Triple-A fairly well but not quite good enough for regular big-league duty.

However, Ludwick had always shown good power in the minors, with four seasons of 25 homers or more, and he finally got extended playing time in 2007 because of the Cardinals' struggles in the outfield. Ludwick blasted two more homers Saturday, giving him 10 for the season to go along with a .336 batting average, proving he's much more than a fourth outfielder thus far.

Is he this good? Of course not. There are a few things in his batting profile that are likely unsustainable.

Although half of his homers have come against left-handed pitching this season, the right-handed hitting Ludwick has a reverse platoon split. He has hit .239 against them this season, and a combined .218 over the prior three seasons (147 at-bats). Thus, more exposure to left-handers might not be a good thing, especially when he gets in the lineup more regularly.

Ludwick also has a .414 batting average on balls in play, which is a wildly inflated number that will come down. Part of the reason for that high number is a league-leading 35 percent of his balls hit in play have been line drives, a number that is also inflated. His rate in 2007 was 16 percent. The league leader each season is generally in the 25 percent range.

Because of the likely downturn to come in his numbers, Ludwick is not a player you actively want to pursue in a trade. If you already own him and someone wants to give you a solid offer in a trade, be ready to make the move. If no good offer comes along, it's perfectly fine to hold on to him, however just know that the power is legitimate, but the rest of the package is not.

• Past editions: 5/17: Failing closers | 5/16: Yankees slumping | 5/15: Sabathia's shutout

Alfonso Soriano went 5-for-5 with his ninth and 10th homers of the season, his second straight multihomer game. Slow starts are often just that. He's hitting .400 with eight homers in May and has two or more hits in each of his last seven games. … Matt Joyce hit his fourth homer in 29 at-bats for the Tigers this season. Although he should see a good portion of time in left field against right-handed pitching, Joyce averaged just a .258 average and 14 homers in his last two seasons in the minors (one at Class A and one at Double-A). In other words, don't expect him to keep this up. … After hurling a shutout in his previous outing, Fausto Carmona put together another strong start, throwing 7 1/3 innings and allowing just one run. More importantly, he didn't walk a batter for the first time this season. He has been successful this season partially because he has allowed just one home run in the midst of walking more than he has struck out, but perhaps his control is starting to turn the corner. … It didn't take long for Masa Kobayashi to blow a save soon after being given a shot at the closing role. He allowed three runs in the ninth in the Indians' 4-2 loss. Joe Borowski begins his rehab assignment on Monday and will likely get his job back when he returns. … Max Scherzer allowed two unearned runs in five innings Saturday night, getting himself in trouble by walking the pitcher with two outs to begin a rally. He ran his pitch count up early, and he still must throw strikes more consistently with his secondary pitches. However, his stay in the rotation will be short-lived with Doug Davis returning shortly. … Josh Hamilton was replaced by a pinch runner in the fifth inning of Saturday's game because of "exhaustion." His planned day off Sunday will come at the right time. Being on base all the time can take a lot out of you. … It has become obvious that Blake DeWitt now has a stranglehold on the Dodgers' third base job for the foreseeable future after he hit his fourth homer and raised his average to .327 on Saturday. Don't expect a big slowdown anytime soon, given DeWitt's ability to make contact. … Ryan Sweeney has been producing a decent batting average in 2008, but he finally hit his first homer of the season. He's not someone that is likely going to produce over the long haul. … Roy Oswalt left his start in the seventh inning because of a strained groin muscle and will be reevaluated in the next couple of days. … Rod Barajas hit two homers, including a grand slam. If you can deal with a .250 average, he can provide some cheap pop from the catcher position. … Johan Santana gave up three homers, but still picked up the win against the Yankees. His strikeout rate is slightly down, his walk rate slightly up and his homer rate has been rising the last two seasons, but he's still money in the bank. … Scott Olsen threw a quality start but walked five batters. He has walked as many batters as he's struck out this season, and that's not a recipe for long-term success. … Erik Bedard put up his best start of the season, and based on his delivery, it looks like he's finally past his hip issues, as he was finishing his pitches like he did in 2007. … Greg Reynolds posted a solid start for the Rockies with six shutout innings, but his lack of an out pitch and ability to miss bats might hinder him over the long haul.