In this edition of Inside the Numbers, we’ll take a look at the best of the best over the past month. We’ll run down each major statistical category and the top-five performers. Some of the names might surprise you.

Batting (Statistics from 5/12 – 6/12)
Hits
1. Ichiro Suzuki (59-for-129), .457
2. Joe Mauer (49-for-105), .468
3. Gary Matthews Jr. (44-for-124), .355
4. Freddy Sanchez (43-for-117), .368
5. David Wright (42-for-113), .372

Ichiro has been averaging over two hits per game the past month and has raised his batting average from .288 all the way to .366 in that stretch. He entered Wednesday’s games with an impressive 12-game hitting streak, and Seattle is 9-3 in those contests. Mauer reached base an unbelievable 20 times over a five-game span this past week (14-for-20, six walks). After hitting .386 (39-for-101) in May, the catcher is batting .500 (20-for-40) in the month of June.

Home Runs
1T. Jason Bay 13 HR
1T. Alfonso Soriano 13 HR
1T. Ryan Howard 13 HR
4. Jermaine Dye 12 HR
5. Manny Ramirez 10 HR

From a fantasy perspective, it doesn’t get much better than Alfonso Soriano. The Nationals leftfielder has been the subject of many trade rumors recently, as Washington is planning a fire-sale if they continue to plummet out of contention. On the season, he’s on pace for 57 home runs and 37 stolen bases. That would mark the fifth time in the past six seasons he’s entered the exclusive 30/30 club. Jason Bay is also one of the hottest players in the game the past 31 days, hitting .385 (40-for-104) with 13 long balls, 38 RBI and 22 walks. The 27-year-old is projected for 48 HR, 131 RBI and 129 walks if he can continue his current pace.

Stolen Bases
1. Corey Patterson 20 SB
2. Jose Reyes 16 SB
3. Scott Podsednik 12 SB
4. Chone Figgins 11 SB
5. Hanley Ramirez 10 SB

Patterson has been just about unstoppable on the base paths this season, stealing 27 bases while only being caught three times. He had a stretch earlier this month where he swiped a base in nine straight contests, matching a mark held by Ricky Henderson. The seven-year vet is only five SB shy of matching a career-high in the department – he stole 32 in 2004 with the Cubs.

RBI
1. Bay 38 RBI
2. Raul Ibanez 32 RBI
3T. Carlos Beltran 31 RBI
3T. Howard 31 RBI
5. Ramon Hernandez 30 RBI

Ibanez is quietly having his best season of his 11-year career in Seattle, on pace for career-highs of 29 HR and 122 RBI. The Mariners have won nine of the past 10 games he’s played, and Ibanez has driven in a run in all but one of those games (17 total RBI). Not only is Ramon Hernandez throwing out a MLB-best 52% of would-be base stealers, he’s also having his best season at the plate. Last year in San Diego, he knocked in 58 runs. This year in Baltimore, he’s already got 49 RBI and we aren’t even at the halfway mark. To go along with his .300 average, he’s been the most productive player at his position.

Runs
1. Soriano 29 runs
2T. Miguel Tejada 28 runs
2T. Rickie Weeks 28 runs
4T. Chase Utley 27 runs
4T. Ichiro 27 runs

Tejada and Weeks are tied for third overall in the majors in runs scored this season with 53 a piece. Weeks has quietly scored in seven straight games and is four runs and one stolen base shy of tying career-highs already.

Pitching (Statistics from 5/12 – 6/12)
Wins
1T. Jason Marquis 5 W
1T. Ramon Ortiz 5 W
1T. Brad Penny 5 W
1T. Ian Snell 5 W
1T. Barry Zito 5 W

Ian Snell? Ramon Ortiz? Jason Marquis? Who’d have thunk it? Snell has wheeled off  an impressive five straight victories and is on pace for 17 wins on the season. His ERA is a bit high, at 4.75, but he’s a must-start in all formats while on this hot streak. Ortiz snapped a personal five-game win streak himself in a loss to the Rockies on Monday, but he’s found a home in Washington after a couple years of struggles in Anaheim and Cincinnati. He’s struck out at least five hitters in each of his past five starts, and is once again a bona fid option in mixed leagues.

Saves
1T. Todd Jones 10 S
1T. Jason Isringhausen 10 S
3T. Chad Cordero 9 S
3T. Huston Street 9 S
5T. Bobby Jenks 8 S
5T. Chris Ray 8 S
5T. Tom Gordon 8 S
5T. Trevor Hoffman 8 S

Jones has led the league in saves over the past month, but is in serious jeopardy of losing his job in the ninth innings. After allowing 19 earned runs all of last season, he’s already given up 17 this season. He’s compiled a 14.84 ERA and 1-3 record over his past six appearances, and the dominance of Fernando Rodney or Joel Zumaya could steal his job as the Tigers stopper.

Strikeouts
1. Pedro Martinez 45 K
2. C.C. Sabathia 44 K
3T. Carlos Zambrano 43 K
3T. Johan Santana 43 K
3T. Jason Schmidt 43 K

Schmidt recently tied a Giants franchise record with 16 strikeouts against the Marlins. The 12-year vet has posted a 4-0 record with a 1.38 ERA in his past seven starts, and has rekindled his elite status in the game. In Zambrano’s past six starts, he’s gone 4-1 with a 1.87 ERA and 43 strikeouts, including at least eight K’s in four of those contests. His control has been a problem this year, but coaches can overlook his wildness because he’s allowing less than six hits per nine innings. He’s on pace for a career-high 253 strikeouts, but also 143 bases on balls. Only Daniel Cabrera has lofty numbers in both stat categories like that.

ERA (min. 25 IP)
1. Francisco Liriano 1.15 ERA (31 1/3 IP)
2. Jason Schmidt 1.47 ERA (43 IP)
3. Brad Penny 1.56 ERA (34 2/3 IP)
4. Josh Johnson 1.65 ERA (32 2/3 IP)
5. Brandon Webb 1.76 ERA (46 IP)

Johnson somehow leads the majors in ERA on the season (2.05) despite playing for the cellar-dwelling Marlins (24-37, last in NL East). In seven starts, he’s allowed three earned runs or less every time, including three starts allowing zero. Webb ranks second in the category for the season (2.06). He notched his first loss of the season in his prior start to the red-hot Mets, despite allowing just one earned run to score. He’s got an 8-1 record and has somehow allowed less walks (13) than games started (14). The sinker-ball pitcher has done this damage despite pitching in the No. 1 ranked hitter’s ballpark of Chase Field.  

WHIP (min. 25 IP)
1. Liriano 0.89 WHIP
2. Roy Halladay 0.90 WHIP
3. Santana 0.91 WHIP
4. C. Zambrano 0.95 WHIP
5. P. Martinez 0.95 WHIP

You can count on seeing Twins’ southpaws Liriano and Santana on the leaderboards for years to come. Heading into Wednesday’s start, Santana has allowed one walk or less in each of his past nine starts, going 5-1. Liriano has gone 4-1 with a microscopic 1.24 ERA in his five starts, allowing only 15 total hits in 29 innings. He’ll face off against Snell and his five-game win streak on Friday.