Ubaldo Jimenez: A Batter's Worst Nightmare

The Colorado Rockies are almost assured of a win every fifth day, and that is when Ubaldo Jimenez pitches. Jimenez has been the best pitcher in the MLB this season, and it really hasn't been close. Jimenez has a record of 9-1 in 10 starts, and in his one loss, he gave up only one run. In his ten starts, Ubaldo has given up only 7 earned runs. Jimenez lowered his ERA to under 1.0 last week, and then last night vs. Arizona, Jimenez pitched 8 shutout innings, lowering his ERA to a mind-blowing 0.88.

In years past, Ubaldo had shown the ability to be a great pitcher, but the control issue often hurt him. In his first two full seasons in the bigs, Jimenez went 12-12 and 15-12, far from his brilliance this season. However, it appears that he has learned to pitched, and batters in the NL West are afraid. Jimenez became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in 2010, when on April 17, he no-hit the Braves. Despite his 6 walks, Jimenez allowed the zero hits, and impressively was hitting the high 90s on the radar gun, despite nearly 120 pitches.

Will Jimenez continue this incredible pace? Probably not. But he will most likely be starting for the NL in the All Star Game, and if he can stay great, he can keep the Rockies in the hunt in the NL West. The NL West is certainly up for grabs, with the Padres somehow in first place. The Rockies have a team that can compete for the division, but the other starters will have to pitch better. Outside of Jimenez, no pitcher on the Rockies has more than 3 wins. Jason Hammell, Aaron Cook, and Greg Smith all have ERAs above 5.4. Luckily for the Rockies, closer Huston Street is set to return soon.

Still, a starter can be dominant, but he alone cant carry his team to the playoffs, as he only plays once every five games. So if the Rockies are gonna make the playoffs, its going to be more on the other starters. Still, Jimenez is the early Cy Young favorite in the National League.

Ranking the Divisions

There are six divisions in baseball, but each division is not the same. Some divisions will test you throughout the season, while other divisions seem to warrant no playoff the teams. Here is my thoughts on the best divisions in baseball in order:

1.) AL East
Any division in which the defending champs are not in first, and the Boston Red Sox are in fourth definitely proves that this is one heck of a division. The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in baseball, and are showing teams that 2007 was far from a fluke. They continue to play good defense, pitch well, and the offense is coming. The Yankees are the Yankees, of course they are going to be good, and they are still producing, despite injuries. The Blue Jays are the surprise of the division, as they have blasted their way to just behind the Yankees. Most fans know Vernon Wells, but the rest of the lineup is producing, with Jose Bautista leading the way with 15 home runs. The young pitching staff is better than expected and guys like Ricky Romero and Shaun Marcum have been great. The Red Sox, despite their disappointing start, are always a threat, and the Orioles, well they stink.

2.) NL East
This division obviously features the Phillies, the 2-time defending NL Champions. The rest of the division is very tight, with all 4 teams within 4 games of Philadelphia. The Braves, Marlins, and Mets are all legitimate wildcard contenders, and now with the emergence of the Washington Nationals, there is no team to beat up on in the division any more. Top to bottom this might be the best division, but the AL East just has stronger teams in general.

3.) NL West
The NL West is a competitive division that sees the surprise Padres currently on top. The great thing about the NL West is that every year, it seems that most people wouldn't be surprised if any of the teams ending up winning the division. The Giants and the Dodgers have the best pitching, but San Diego has been unbelievable so far, and they are doing it with some anonymous pitchers like Mat Latos and Clayton Richard. The Rockies have the best pitcher in baseball right now in Ubaldo Jimenez, who has an ERA under one and the Diamondbacks should be better than there last place standing right now.

4.) AL Central
Once again the Twins are somehow in first place. They are now playing outdoors at Target Field, but the stars like Mauer and Morneau continue to produce. The Tigers are right behind the Twins as usual, but after Detroit there is a bit of a falloff. The White Sox have all sorts of issues and their manager continues to lose his head, while Cleveland is in rebuilding mode and Kansas City is terrible once again.

5.) AL West
In years past, the AL West has been much better, but this appears to be a down year for the division. With the Angels dominating the division over the decade, their struggle this year has left room for the other teams. The Athletics have had a perfect game from pitcher Dallas Braden, but it is hard to name more than 5 players on their roster. Seattle is tremendously under performing, but it may already be too late for them to turn it around. This leaves the door open for the talented Rangers who sit in first place, led by Nelson Cruz and rookie Elvis Andrus.

6.) NL Central
This division is just terrible. There are 6 teams in the division, but yet only 2 teams over .500. The Cardinals have been struggling to score, despite featuring the game's best player in Albert Pujols. The Reds have taken advantage and taken first place, led by Joey Votto, but it will be difficult for them to hold of St. Louis the rest of the season. The Astros have begun to shop their stars including Roy Oswalt, the Pirates are doing good by their expectations, which would be bad for most other teams. This leaves the Brewers who despite having the number one offense in the NL, they cant win due to poor starting pitching and Trevor Hoffman's struggles in the bullpen. Oh, and the Chicago Cubs, who will likely be in their last year under the management of Lou Piniella.

The Row Oswalt Sweepstakes

The Houston Astros are in last place in the NL Central, and their ace Roy Oswalt is tired of the losing, and has requested a trade. Oswalt was one of the keys to Houston's success in the early-mid 2000's leading the team to a World Series appearance in 2005, where they would lose to the White Sox. Still, in recent years, Oswalt has begun to fade, but his salary has not; Oswalt still has $33 million left on his contract. Oswalt is a pricey option for teams looking to trade for him, not just in salary, but also receiving Oswalt will cost numerous high-valued prospects and young players who are near MLB-ready.

So who are the potential suitors:
A.) New York Mets:
A few years ago, the Mets shipped away a number of prospects to Minnesota for Johann Santana, so what is to stop them from doing it again. John Maine and John Niese have not only been bad, they are now both injured. Oliver Perez refused to take a demotion to Triple-A Buffalo, so instead manager Gerry Manuel sent him to the bullpen. This leaves only Santana and Mike Pelfrey as locks in the rotation. Right now the Mets are set to have R.A. Dickey and Hisonori Takahashi in the rotation. Clearly the need is there for a starter. The Mets also certainly have the money, and although there are questions to the quality of players in the farm system, it may come down to Oswalt deciding if he wants to play for the Mets. Oswalt has a full no-trade clause in his contract, and if he doesn't see the Mets winning any time soon, he will likely reject a trade there.

B.) New York Yankees/ Boston Red Sox
It is getting annoying that in every trade rumor discussion, the Yanks and the ox have their name thrown about. The Red Sox made their pitching play in the off season, signing John Lackey. They already have older proven starters in Josh Beckett, Lackey, and Tim Wakefield, and also have the young starter Jon Lester. Contrary to the belief of many Yankee fans, you cannot have an ace in every spot in the rotation. The Yankees already have CC, Burnett, and Pettitte making big bucks this year, as well as the disappointing Javier Vazquez. Vazquez has been bad, but has he been so terrible as to give up hope on the guy already? NO. Plus, the Yankees have seen great pitching out of the young Phil Hughes, making the rotation full. Simply there is no room in these rotations for another older pitcher, and it seems as if the days of Boston and New York just throwing away prospects to get older players is over as both teams are now smarter.

C.) Texas Rangers
The Rangers would seem like the likely destination for Oswalt; that is if they weren't going bankrupt. Owner Tom Hicks (notorious for signing A-Rod), recently filed for bankruptcy in hopes of getting MLB to bail him out before Nolan Ryan and others buy the team in a few months. This would create money for Oswalt to come to the team, and he would be joining a team full of young stars like Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Elvis Andrus, and Neftali Feliz. The Rangers sit in first in a weak AL West and the addition of Oswalt to a decent rotation would instantly make them the favorite to remain on top in the West and could pose a threat in the playoffs. Still, it will be interesting if MLB would be willing to bail out the Rangers on this one.

D.) Los Angeles Angels
I cannot see the Angels making a move to acquire Oswalt. They had an opportunity to re-sign John Lackey in the off season, a comparable pitcher, and instead they let him go sign with Boston. What would make the Angels change their mind? If anything their 26-31 record and third place standing in the AL West would persuade them that maybe this isn't the year.

E.) Washington Nationals
The wild card in this sweepstakes is the Washington Nationals. The Nats are hovering around .500 and a splash like Oswalt could make this team a legitimate wild card threat in the National League. Livan Hernandez has reached back more than a few years and has been dominant. Stephen Strasburg is on the verge of being called up, and if the injured Jason Marquis and Chien-Ming Wang could give the Nats anything, the Nationals could have a very good rotation. Plus with a young pitcher like Stephen Strasburg, he can learn from an elite veteran pitcher like Oswalt. This will be an exciting year for Washington with the arrival of Strasburg, but the arrival of Oswalt could turn excitement into true belief in a playoff appearance.

Most of the teams vying for Oswalt seem to have some sort of obstacles in their way. That is why I'm predicting that Oswalt will stay put in Houston, at least for now. If other players like Carlos Lee or Lance Berkman are moved, Oswalt might push the urgency of a trade, and teams may be able to get him for less.

No Longer the Wright Stuff

What has happened to David Wright and Jose Reyes? When the Mets brought both of these guys up in the mid-200s, fans thought these two would become one of the best shortstop-third base combos in all of baseball. After a 2006 NLCS appearance that saw the team fall just short of a World Series birth, the Mets two young stars appeared to have all the promise in the world. Both would make the All Star Team in 2007, and Wright would make the team in '08 and '09 as well, but it appears as if the magic that these players once seemed to generate has rubbed off.

In 2006, Reyes batted .300 and hit 19 homers and scored 122 runs. Reyes suffered a bit of a setback in the next two years, batting .280 and .297, and hitting 12 homers in both years. However, 2009 things came to a crashing halt as Reyes played only 36 games due to an injury that originally was deemed to be day-to-day. 2010 came and Mets fans expected to get their old Reyes back. So far the man at shortstop does not resemble the old Jose Reyes at all. Reyes is batting .216 and has 0 home runs. Reyes was moved to the 3 spot in the lineup in an attempt by manager Gerry Manuel to extend the lineup due to the absence of Carlos Beltran. However, Reyes looked confused and unsure of how to be a 3 hitter, and Manuel has moved on from that failure and inserted Reyes back to the 1 spot.

David Wright is having a terrible 2010 season by his standards and his swing appears off. Wright struggled last season in the power department, only hitting 10 home runs. Many attributed the lack of power to the new Mets ballpark, Citi Field. The deep fences at Citi Field may have made Wright adjust his swing to try and hit for more of a contact approach. Now in 2010, Wright is hitting for some power, with 8 home runs, but it is his average that is alarming. Wright is batting. 262 and is striking out seemingly every at-bat. Wright is currently on a 15-game streak in which he has struck out atleast once in every game. He looks puzzled at the plate and the Mets cannot afford for him not to produce.

When you look at the Mets lineup, with Beltran out with an injury until who knows when, and Wright and Reyes struggling, the Mets are left with Jeff Francoeur, Jason Bay, Luis Castillo, Rod Barajas, Angel Pagan, and Ike Davis to carry the offense. Francoeur has followed a hot start to the season with an extended slump and Jason Bay seems to just be adjusting to life in New York and looks to be slowly returning to form. Mets' fans hate Luis Castillo, Ike Davis is a rookie, Angel Pagan has never really been an everyday outfielder, and Rod Barajas has been the Mets best hitter, but how long can that last.

With your Big 3 out or struggling, on a team with a million question marks in the pitching rotation, its no wonder why the team has fallen under hard times of late. The team will go as far as Reyes and Wright will go, and at the pace those two are going right now, its looking like another season without the playoffs for the New York Metropolitans.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Hanley Ramirez, the Diva

During Monday night's game, shortstop Hanley Ramirez botched a blooper and ended up kicking it into the outfield. Instead of hustling for the ball following his mistake, Ramirez broke into a borderline walk to retrieve the ball in left field. Two runs scored, and the batter reached 3rd base on the play. Ramirez would be pulled from the game and Hanley couldn't understand why.

Hanley Ramirez would go on to say that he was injured and that is why he couldn't hustle down the ball. If you were so badly injured, why were you still in the game? Hanley then refused to apologize to the team for his actions, and claimed his manager Fredi Gonzalez doesn't understand, because Gonzalez never played in the majors. There is a clear power struggle in Florida, but it doesn't seem like the All star Ramirez has the support of his team. Teammate and veteran Wes Helms told reporters that he believes Ramirez owes the team an apology. Ramirez will not apologize and did not play on Tuesday. Manager Fredi Gonzalez says that Ramirez will return to the lineup Wednesday, but is the damage already done?

Hanley has been one of the elite players in the National League since being traded to Florida from Boston in the Josh Beckett trade following the 2005 season. Although Ramirez is a Rookie of the Year winner and two time All Star, his diva attitude isn't justified in my mind. I look at his playoff record and I see a stunning 0-0. Yes 0 playoff appearances for the great shortstop. Compare that now to other elite shortstops in the MLB: Troy Tulowitzki- World Series appearance, Jimmy Rollins- World Series win, Derek Jeter- 5 World Series wins, and even the once-promising Jose Reyes has an NLCS appearance.

Ramirez has been off the hook it seems for his team's struggles. Many believe that Florida is a difficult place to win, due to its constant rebuilding, but this team won championships in 1997 and 2003. Another great player, Miguel Cabrera, was able to lead his team to a 2003 title, something Hanley has not been able to do.

Now compare Hanley to the man he was traded for, Josh Beckett. Although Hanley is the younger star, and will has more All Star years left than Beckett, Josh Beckett still delivered for the Red Sox, helping them win the 2007 championship.

This leads me to think that Hanley Ramirez might just be a fantasy player. In the world of fantasy baseball, Hanley has been a perennial top 5 pick over the past few years. Now let's compare him to other fantasy standouts: Albert Pujols- World Series win, Alex Rodriguez- World Series win, Ryan Braun- playoff appearance, Ryan Howard- World Series win, Mark Teixeira- World Series win, Ichiro- playoff appearance, Prince Fielder- playoff appearance.

The Marlins are a solid team, and could be a Wild card contender this season. With pitchers such as Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, and young talent such as Cameron Maybin and Dan Uggla, the Marlins always tend to compete despite low budgets. Last season the Marlins finished with 87 wins but fell short of the playoffs. This year the Marlins are right in the middle of a tight NL East that includes the defending champ Phillies, the improved Nationals, and the Mets and Braves who also could win this division. It is going to take exceptional play and a true team to come out from this division, and Hanley needs to make amends for his mistakes.

Hanley Ramirez is a great player, but until he can lead the Marlins to the playoffs, his huge ego is unjustified. You can keep doing great in the regular season, but post season success truly measure a player's success in the league. Hanley is young and has plenty of time to lead this Marlins club, but he needs to change his attitude if that's going to happen.

The New Red Machine

2 weeks ago, it appeared as if the St. Louis Cardinals were destined to pull away early in a weak NL Central, but now they are no longer even in first place. The first place team is the red-hot Cincinnati Reds, who just took 2 of 3 from St. Louis last weekend.

The Reds have won 9 of their last 12, and this turnaround has caught many by surprise. Earlier this month there was much speculation about the security of manager Dusty Baker's job, but the Reds have supported the manager and surged into contention. This isn't just a fluke though, and the Reds are a team to be reckoned with.

The Reds are doing it with their pitching of late. Bronson Arroyo has re-invented himself, despite seemingly being on the trade block every season. Arroyo has been an inning-eater for the Reds so far, pitching 52 innings and winning 3 games, capped off by a complete game victory of the 16th vs. the Cardinals. Mike Leake in his first season is undefeated, going 4-0 in 7 starts. Youngsters Johhny Cueto and Homer Bailey both pitched complete game shutouts in their last starts, both vs. the Pirates. If these pitchers can stay on this pace, and Aaron Harang can possibly find his touch that he once had, when ace Edinson Volquez returns from the DL, this starting rotation could be a definite strength for the Reds.

At the plate, Joey Votto leads the way for Cincinnati with 8 homers and a .289 average. Power is hard to come by on the team, with veteran Scott Rolen second on the team with 7 homers and a few others including Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce with 4 homers.

If this team can stay competitive and prove this isn't a fluke, they can definitely be seen as a Wildcard threat. In the weak NL Central with the under-performing Cubs and Brewers, the weak Pirates, and the terrible Astros, this team can pick up a number of wins off these weak opponents. Compared to teams in the NL West and the NL East, they will have an easier division schedule outside of the Cardinals, and this could give them an advantage. The Reds are a good mix of youth and experience, and the experience of players like Rolen, Orlando Cabrera, and Ramon Hernandez can help this team to playing meaningful games in September. Don't forget closer Francisco Cordero, who has been one of the game's best closers for years now. He will need to keep blown saves to a minimum, as he has converted 14 of 16 already this season.

The Nationals: Finally Turning Things Around

The Nationals are 20-18 and who would have thought it? Despite some off season signing not working out so far, the Nats have gotten some surprise performances out of young unknowns and ageless veterans.

The Nationals made a bit of a splash in the off season by signing starters Jason Marquis and Chien-Ming Wang. Wang has been injured, and Marquis has been awful and now sits on the disabled list as well. Former high draft pick Jordan Zimmerman is also on the DL for Washington, so who is getting it done in the rotation? We didn't know that Livan Hernandez would be pitching like an all-star. Hernandez, struggled with the Mets in recent years, has become the ace of the staff, pitching to a 4-2 record and a 1.46 ERA. The former Marlin Scott Olsen has done the job, and rookie Luis Atilano has yet to lose, pitching to a record of 3-0. Stephen Strasburg continues to annihilate the competition in Double A and Triple A and should be inserted into the rotation in June.

The bullpen has also been superb, with Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps leading the way. Capps came over from Pittsburgh in the off season, and many questioned his ability. Last season Capps had an ERA of 5.80 and blew 5 saves for the Pirates, but this season has been completely different. Capps has been a perfect 14 for 14 in save opportunities and his ERA still remains below 1. Tyler Clippard, the former Yankee prospect, has been great as a setup man, and has already recorded 7 wins.

Offensively, the signing of Pudge Rodriguez in the off season doesn't just bring a veteran catcher to call games; the guy can still hit, batting .349. Ryan Zimmerman is showing why he is an elite third baseman with 8 homers and a .330 average and the big bopper Adam Dunn has 9 homers. Young players such as Nyjer Morgan, Ian Desmond, and Roger Bernadina are also bringing life to this lineup, and veteran Christian Guzman has done a great job embracing his new utility role and has thrived in the spot.

The Nationals talent-wise are far from a joke now. Will they make the playoffs? No. Even the highly touted Strasburg cannot carry this team that far. But it is definitely within reach to go over .500, which would be a huge accomplishment for the Nationals. Manager John Riggleman has done a great job so far, and if this play continues, he will definitely see his name in the Manager of the Year discussion late.

The Nationals, at last providing hope for the city of DC in baseball.

The End of the Red Sox Dynasty

OK, so maybe a dynasty might be a bit of an overstatement, but aside from their rivals, the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox have been the team in baseball for the past 10 years. This season though, things are seemingly different, as Boston has a 17-16 record, good enough for 4th in the AL East, and is miles from the Yankees and the Rays. However this should not come as that much of a surprise. Looking back on the key contributors of this Red Sox run, it is easy to see why the Red Sox are fading. Here are the top figures in this Red Sox era:

A.) Curt Schilling
Best known for his bloody sock and post-season success(both with Arizona and Boston), Schilling recorded 11 career post-season wins, including 6 wins for the Red Sox. Curt was a part of two World Series wins with the Sox, but he retired after the 2007 season.

B.) Pedro Martinez
Whether it was his "brawl" with Yankee coach Don Zimmer, or saying "the Yankees are my daddy", Pedro was right in the middle of all the Red Sox drama. However after leaving the Red Sox following a World Series win, he became a Met, and is currently a free agent. Hopefully the Red Sox don't make the mistake of signing another washed up starter (See John Smoltz).

C.) David Ortiz
Big Papi was once looked upon as one of the top players in the game, and his clutch hitting won many games for the Sox. From 2003-2007, Ortiz finished in the top 4 in AL MVP voting each year. However, he has fallen quite far from those times. After it was revealed that Ortiz had used steroids, a cloud was cast over the Red Sox' World Series wins. Ortiz has seen his average drop to .264, .238, and now .185 over the past three seasons. It's pretty safe to say this guy is old and misses the juice.

D.) Manny Ramirez
Manny being Manny. Weren't we all tired of hearing that? His antics were as crazy as his hair, but Manny was one heck of a hitter. Manny was an all star in all 8 full seasons as a Red Sox, but like Ortiz, the steroids cloud hangs over his head as he was suspended in 2009 while a member of the Dodgers.

E.) Dustin Pedroia
Pedroia is a home-grown product and has established himself as one of the better second baseman in the majors since his arrival in 2006. He even won the MVP in 2008. Still it was a fluke of an MVP as he hit a great .326 but only hit 17 HRs. 2009 was a dose of reality, as Pedroia hit .296, but his 2010 numbers seem to have a power increase, already hitting 7 homers. Still, can a second baseman carry this team? I'd say no.

F.) Josh Beckett
After winning a World Series with the Marlins, Beckett came to the Red Sox and was a key piece to their 2007 championship, winning 20 games in the regular season. Beckett has been the undisputed ace for years now, but in 2010 things have began to go south for the pitcher. A 1-1 record with a 7.46 ERA raises concerns about Beckett's effectiveness. Now 30 years old and struggling with injury issues as well, is his career on the decline?

G.) Jason Varitek
The man behind the plate and the captain of this squad is really getting up there in years. No one is questioning Varitek's ability to call games, catching 4 no-hitters in his career. The 3-time all star has been on the Sox since 1997, but 2010 marks the first time where he is not the go-to catcher, as aging veteran Victor Martinez gets more action. At age 38, it is likely that the captain doesn't have many more seasons left in his career.

H.) Tim Wakefield
The iconic knuckleballer has been on Boston since 1995, and has been bouncing in and out of the rotation for years. Unfortunately, Wakefield may be best known for giving up the game 7 ALCS homer to Aaron Boone, but Wakefield last season surprised many with an All Star appearance. Despite going 11-5, Wakefield found himself as the odd-man out this season and remains the 6th starter in case of injury.

I.) Jonathan Papelbon
The closer for the 2007 champs, Papelbon has been one of the game's elite closers since he took the role in 2006. Papelbon is still young and will remain the closer for the team for years to come. This season he is a perfect 9 for 9 in save opportunities and will have to remain stellar to keep the Sox competing.

J.) Kevin Youkilis
Lastly we have Kevin Youkilis. One of the scariest looking guys in the bigs, Youkilis has had over 25 homers and over 90 RBIs the past two seasons. Youkilis is 31, so he isn't that young, but like Papelbon, he will be the face of the team for the next few years.

So it is easy to see by the previously mentioned players that the faces of the Red Sox franchise for the past decade are either retired, playing elsewhere, or on the decline. Other players on the roster including JD Drew and Mike Lowell, and off season signings of players such as Mike Cameron and Adrian Beltre only add to this problem. The Red Sox have the money and the scouts to do well, but I just don't see it happening right now.

Mid-May Disappointments

We are approaching the middle of May, and there have now been enough games played to evaluate who is under performing. The number one disappointment has got to be the Seattle Mariners.Seattle is at 12-19 and their record is far from their only problem.Off season signing Milton Bradley has asked the team for help with resolving his personal demons, and veteran outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. was caught napping in the clubhouse during a game, making him unavailable to pinch-hit. Eric Byrnes has been released and is going to play in a softball league in California. The Mariners have a combined 12 home runs, 1 less than Paul Konerko's total this season. Power isn't always a necessity, but when only two players (Ichiro and Guitierrez) are batting above .300, and only 4 are batting above .250, runs have been hard to come by. Even ace Felix Hernandez is struggling with a 2-3 record and a 4.30 ERA. Things need to turn around fast in Seattle or players might be moved soon.

Moving to the NL West, the Arizona Diamondbacks are currently in last, and this team should be better. Despite a surprising start from Kelly Johnson with 10 homers, and Mark Reynolds picking up where he left off last season also with 10 homers, no other player has more than 5 home runs. All Star Justin Upton is really struggling, batting a low .220. Miguel Montero is on the DL, and Conor Jackson is returning from the DL, so there is hope once the team is healthy, but the pitching too has been struggling. Former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb is hurt again and hasn't pitched. Although Dan Haren is 4-1, he isn't pitching great with a 4.04 ERA. Acquired in the Curtis Granderson 3-way-trade, pitcher Edwin Jackson has been awful, pitching to a record of 1-4, but there has been a surprise as pitcher Ian Kennedy is 2-2 with a 3.48 ERA. The pitchers are going to have to improve if the D'backs are going to contend in the tough NL West.

The Chicago White Sox have been terrible, producing a record of 13-19, good enough for 3rd in the AL Central, only in front of the lowly Indians and Royals. In the preseason, it seemed as if the offense would be the weakness of the White Sox. However, two players are hitting like it was 2005 and not 2010. Paul Konerko leads the league with 13 home runs, and Andruw Jones has found his swing again and has 9 homers. Outfielder Alex Rios is batting .324 with 6 homers and despite the struggles of Carlos Quentin, Alexei Ramirez, and Gordon Beckham, the key to the White Sox right now will have to be the improvement of the pitching. Last year's perfect game thrower, Mark Buehrle is 2-4 with a near 5 ERA, and the former National League ace Jake Peavy has a 5.56 ERA. John Danks has been the best starter, but veterans Gavin Floyd and Freddy Garcia have been miserable, despite low expectations.

All three of the teams have the ability to compete in their respective divisions, but it just hasn't gone their way. Luckily for all the teams, its still early. But in a month from now, if these teams continue failing, trade, releases, and firings will likely occur.

Week 5 Impressions

The Mets are saying Bengi Molina who?, after Rod Barajas hit his 9th home run for a walkoff win vs. the Giants, only to be followed by backup catcher Henry Blanco hitting a walkoff win the following day.

The Yankees show they are far better than the Red Sox, and that the New York vs Boston matchup in October is not nearly as likely as a future matchup with the Rays. Beckett continues to struggle for the Sox, and Teixeira and A-Rod are coming on at the right time, when the Yankees are in midst of injury problems.

Ubaldo Jimenez is making an early case for the Cy Young, with a 6-1 record and an ERA under 1! Despite losing to the Dodger's Clayton Kershaw this week, Jimenez is looking incredible and is an early NL Cy Young favorite.


Obviously, Dallas Braden's perfect game was the highlight of the week, becoming the 19th pitcher ever to reach perfection. Even more surprising was that once again, the Rays were shut down, as they saw Mark Buehrle throw a perfect game against them last season. Odd how such a good offense can face two perfect games in a year.

The Year of the Phenom Continues with Cubs' Castro

In a year that has already showcased young stars such as Jason Heyward of the Braves and Ike Davis of the Mets, and will soon showcase Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals, it appears one more name will be thrown into that mix: Starlin Castro.
Starlin Castro is the 20-year-old phenom of the Chicago Cubs who made his debut for Chicago on Friday and what a debut it was.In his first at MLB at-bat, Castro belted a 3 run homer. Later in the game, Castro would clear the bases with a triple, accumulating 3 more RBIs, leaving him with 6 RBIs, a record for a player in his debut game.

Castro had been tearing it up in Double-A, batting .376 this season, and despite only playing 26 games, the Cubs felt they had to have him in the majors now. This decision now makes Castro the starting shortstop for Chicago, and gives fans of the Cubs a little hope this season after a sub par start for the Cubbies.

Castro's call-up now moves Ryan Theriot from shortstop to second, and Fontenot to the bench. Still I love the decision by the Cubs to call Castro up, providing some youth and agility to the aging and injury-prone lineup consisting of Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano.

Is Castro the next Ernie Banks? Only time will tell, but he is certainly off to a great start.

The Phils Showing Why They Are Great

The Phillies are rolling right now winning 6 out of the last 7. But the Phillies aren't just pounding the weak teams; they have been beating NL contenders. Starting last Friday, the Phillies faced the then hot New York Mets, and were able to win 2 out of 3. Following that series, there was a square-off between the two top teams in the National League, Philadelphia and St. Louis, and the result was the Phillies winning 3 of 4. Throw in another win against the Braves, and the Phillies have shown the world that once again they are the clear-cut favorite to repeat in the National League.

Roy Halladay in 7 starts has a record of 6-1 and an ERA of 1.45. At this pace, it wouldn't be surprising to see Roy end up with 25 wins!. Now we all know about Halladay, but there was a lot of concern with the other pitchers in the staff. Hamels was coming off a rocky season last year, and injuries had bothered the rest of the rotation of late. Good news for the Phils is that Joe Blanton returns today, and Jamie Moyer somehow is still doing it at age 47. Don't give up on this guy, as last Saturday he got a win against Johan Santana, and on Friday he pitched a 2-hit complete game shutout. Remarkable stuff.

The lineup is producing, with off season acquisition Placido Polanco fitting right in with the rest of the boppers. The Phillies are going to be faced with a tough decision next off season as their current offensive leader, Jayson Werth, will be a free agent and following the big money they just spent to lock-up Ryan Howard, it will be difficult to keep Werth. Jayson is batting .359 with 6 homers and 24 RBIs.

If the Phillies can keep getting it done against the better teams in the NL, there is no need to doubt this ball club. They are the real deal...again.

Most Overrated Stats

In response to ESPN the Magazine polling MLB players and determining which are the most overrated and underrated stats, I have decided to give my own thoughts on this discussion.

The players polled determined batting average to be the most overrated stat and on-base percentage to be the most underrated stat. This seems like a bit of a contradiction, as they almost go hand-in-hand. A player with a good batting average would also have a good on-base percentage. Still this poll shows that there is more than just getting singles and a good eye is needed.

I disagree, and believe that saves is the most overrated statistic in baseball. It is true that a good closer can go a long way towards the success of one team, but the specificity of the stat makes it close to useless. Although it may be overrated, the stat itself is responsible for making current closers millions of dollars, as it gave closers a way to be measured by. However, we all know who the better closers are, and it is not measured by the number of saves a closer has. It is all about the ability to come in and finish important games, not April regular season games. Sure Francisco Rodriguez saved 62 games in 2008, but in 8 career postseason series, he has 3 saves. Basically regular season saves are useless, and its in the post season where saves matter. Just ask Armando Benitez, 23rd all time in saves, but a World Series blown save to his credit.

Now on to the most underrated stat. I believe that WHIP, which was voted 2nd most underrated by the players, is truely the most underrated stat. Many fans do not even know that WHIP stands for Walks + Hits/ Innings Pitched. While ERA can take a huge hit following a bad outing or allowing a big homerun, WHIP can more accurately detail a pitcher's success. Especially for relief pitchers, WHIP can show the amount of baserunners allowed by a pitcher, but doesn't get bloated by the pinch-hit homer.



So there is my opinion. What do you think?

Evaluating the Granderson Trade

The Yankees turned many heads this off season when they were involved in a 3 team trade that landed the defending champs All Star outfielder Curtis Granderson. To get Granderson, the Yankees had to part with phenom outfielder Austin Jackson, reliever Phil Coke, and would send Ian Kennedy to the D'backs. Arizona would also get starter Edwin Jackson and send young starter Max Scherzer to Detroit. It seemed that the Yankees had gotten the best of the deal, at least for the next few years. However, one of the players the Yankees traded is tearing it up.

Austin Jackson is proving himself in his rookie season. The youngster is second in the AL with a .369 average, which won him the AL Rookie of the Month. Yes Jackson is batting late in the order and will see better pitchers than Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez, but the kid is doing his job at age 23 and is establishing a name for himself. On the other hand, Curtis Granderson is struggling, hitting only 2 homers and is batting a low .225. Add to this his current injury that could sideline him for up to one month. Edwin Jackson has not received a warm welcome to the NL, going 1-3 with a 8.07 ERA.

Granderson is a very good player, but I think the Yankees will be disappointed when Austin Jackson turns into a great lead-off hitter and all star player. So the Tigers get the better end of the trade this season, and in the future. Austin will be a big help if the Tigers plan on contending in the AL Central.

Early Trade Grades:
Yankees- B- (Granderson will have to put up numbers similar to his 30 HRs last year for this trade to be a success)
Tigers- A (Austin Jackson is the real deal and maybe they can find something out of the young Scherzer)
Diamondbacks- C- (Edwin Jackson has been terrible, but hopefully for the D'Backs he can turn it around. Maybe Ian Kennedy will turn out to be something, after the Yankees gave up on him.

Week 4 Impressions

After a week that started great for the Mets, fans are left wondering what went wrong as they lose the series against the Phillies, despite winning the first game. Santana was rocked by the Phillies, allowing 8 runs in the 4th inning Sunday, all with 2 outs.

Braves are now last in the NL East following a long losing streak. The Nationals are actually over .500 through 25 games. Congrats boys.

The Cardinals are already pulling away in the NL Central as expected. The Cardinals are 17-8, 5 games ahead of the Reds and Cubs.

Toronto catcher John Buck hit 3 home runs in his first 3 at bats in a game last week. Pretty impressive.

Alfonso Soriano has caught fire, hitting 4 home runs in the past week, giving Chicago fans some hope. On the other side of town, Paul Konerko is showing fans they do not have to worry about his age as he too hit 4 homers this week.

Robinson Cano?

Which Yankee infielder is tearing it up so far. Not Jeter, Not A-Rod, and not Teixeira. Its second baseman Robinson Cano and he is carrying the Yankee offense this season. Through 24 games, Cano is batting .387, has 9 home runs and 21 RBIs. Cano is finally living up to the hopes Yankees fans have had for him.

Cano has been the invisible producer on the Yankees, and its easy to see how when you are on a roster with future hall of famers. However, Cano has received much criticism over the past few years for his "empty" numbers. This means that on paper, Cano had good numbers, but when it really mattered, in clutch situations and when runners were on base, Cano could never come through.

Last season despite finishing 17th in AL MVP voting, Yankees fans would often call in to sports radio stations and complain about their second baseman. Some would say welcome to the New York media market Robinson, but he hasn't quite got the credit he has deserved. Cano has always been the 4th guy in "one of the greatest infields of all time"

Cano is looking to change that. Cano has more home runs than Teixeira, Jeter, and Rodriguez combined, and Yankees fans are jumping back on the Robinson Cano bandwagon. I hope he can keep it up, because we all know New York fans will be hounding him again once he slumps.

Oakland's Offseason Signing of Sheets Not Working Out

Oakland GM Billy Beane is not known for spending high amounts on free agents, as Oakland is often a competitive team with a relatively low salary. This year, The A's decided to make a splash by signing former All Star pitcher Ben Sheets to a 1 year, $10 million deal. So far the performance of Sheets has come far from living up to his paycheck.

By signing Sheets, the Athletics took a gamble. Sure it was only a 1 year deal, but the $10 million the team invested in Sheets insured that if Sheets couldn't perform, the team would likely struggle.

Sheets has started 6 games and has a record of 1-3. His ERA is an abysmal 7.12 and has not lasted longer than 6.0 innings this season.

Sheets missed all of 2009 due to injury, and it was a surprise when he made such a large amount of money in free agency. The free agent market for pitching was slim and Sheets benefited from it. Remember, Ben Sheets once started the All Star game for the NL. But if Sheets wants to make money next year, he's really going to need to step up his game.

The Athletics currently have 8 men on the disabled list, and a pitching staff of mostly unknowns outside of Sheets and Justin Duscherer. If Sheets continues with his struggles, it is going to be up to guys like Gonzalez, Braden, and Cahill to pick up the slack and that sounds bad for A's fans. The Athletics are in the mix in the AL West now, but that can change very fast. Ben Sheets, welcome to the American League.

Ace Cliff Lee Returns In All Star Form

After starting the season on the disabled list, Cliff Lee picked up right where he left off, dominating. Lee pitched 7 shutout innings allowing only 3 hits, 0 walks, and had 8 strikeouts. Unfortunately for Lee, the Mariners would also struggle at the plate and eventually lose to the Rangers in extra innings, but Mariners fans have got to be real excited.

Seattle at 11-12 has been somewhat disappointing, but the return of Lee should provide a huge boost to this club. Do not underestimate this pitcher, as he has almost been disregarded since the trade from the Phillies. The 2008 AL Cy Young winner had his most impressive showing last year in the playoffs for Philadelphia. In 5 starts in the postseason, Lee recorded 4 wins (including 2 vs. the Yankees), 0 losses, and only allowed 7 runs.

Lee's return will allows fans to see their first glimpses at the awesome duo of Lee and Felix Hernandez. Still the Mariners need to get the offense going if they are going to be successful this season. Off-season acquisitions Milton Bradley and Chone Figgins are both hitting under .215 and outside of Ichiro and Franklin Gutierrez, no one is batting above .250.

Still, the AL West is already shaping up to be a tight race all season, as the 4 teams are all separated by 1/2 game. I'm sticking with the Mariners to win.