Reddick, Lynn among Breakout Stars

Major League Baseball has been full of story lines this season. This year we've had 3 no-hitters and 2 perfect games, making the 2012 season on pace to be the greatest pitching season in MLB history.

We've also seen many of baseball's former stars enjoy a resurgence. Carlos Beltran and Paul Konerko are both having MVP-like seasons. Beltran leads the NL with 19 HRs, while Konerko leads the AL with a .364 batting average.

However, this season has been headlined by an abundance of breakout stars, no name players having incredible seasons. Here are just a few of the many breakout players for this season.

Josh Reddick: OF Oakland A's

Josh Reddick spent the majority of his career with the Boston Red Sox as a bench player, not receiving much attention. Reddick was acquired in a trade from Boston and the A's could not have gotten a better deal. In only 62 games this season, Reddick has already set career highs in HRs and RBIs, with 15 and 31 respectively.

There have been very few positives to hang back on for the A's this season. But Reddick, an almost certain All-Star, is one of those positives. Reddick's 15 HRs are good enough for T-7th in the AL. Reddick has also added an element of speed to the A's roster, tied for the 4th most triples in the AL this season.

Reddick's .274 batting average and 31 RBIs may not be MVP numbers, but Josh Reddick has provided Oakland with a reliable player that they have not had in a very long time. When your looking for a player who went from "no name" to All-Star, there is no better example than Josh Reddick.

Lance Lynn: SP St. Louis Cardinals

At the beginning of the season, many people considered the Cardinals to have perhaps the deepest rotation in the majors. With Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright both placing among the best pitchers in the game today, and Kyle Lohse and Jaime Garcia adding solid depth behind them, it appeared that St. Louis's rotation was the best.

However, nobody mentioned former relief pitcher Lance Lynn. After Chris Carpenter's injury, that changed. Lynn is tied for the Major League lead with 10 wins, boasting a record of 10-2 in 13 starts. Besides wins, Lynn also ranks in the Top 10 of all the major categories for pitchers, including ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP.

At this point in the year, Lynn would have to be considered the NL Cy Young favorite, along with fellow 10-game winner, R.A. Dickey. At this point last year, at least half of Major League Baseball fans did not know who Lance Lynn was. Make no mistake, everyone knows who Lance Lynn is now, especially opposing hitters.

Melky Cabrera: OF San Francisco Giants

Melky Cabrera isn't exactly a no name player, but he has never played at the level he has exhibited this season. Last season in Kansas City, Cabrera had a career high .305 batting average, but did not receive a ton of attention because of the team he played for.

This season could not be more different for Cabrera. Melky Cabrera is 2nd in the majors this season with a .363 batting average, and 5th in the NL with a .402 OBP. Cabrera's power numbers have never been his claim to fame, and the same has been true this season, with 5 HRs and 31 RBIs.

However, when you lead the majors in hits, power numbers aren't a necessity. Besides Buster Posey, Melky Cabrera has basically been the only productive hitter for the Giants. If you only have two guys producing, one of them better be having an MVP season, that guy is Melky Cabrera.

Chris Sale: SP Chicago White Sox

Chris Sale was famously called up to the White Sox after only pitching 10.1 innings of minor league ball. It turns out the White Sox knew what they were doing, as Sale has proved that he was more than ready for the majors.

Sale may be the front runner for the AL Cy Young award at this point, leading the AL in two of the three major pitching categories this season. Sale is tied for the lead with 8 wins, and leads the American League with a 2.05 ERA. There is another stat that Chris Sale has to separate himself from the other 8 game winners in the AL.

The other four pitchers have allowed 28, 34, 38, and 40 runs respectively this season. Chris Sale has allowed a mere 17 runs this season, fewest in the majors. Sale may be young, but even with minimal experience, he is already among the best in the game today.