MLB Week 7: April Showers Bring May Rumors?....Not Flowers! (May 20-29)

For some reason.... There are a lot of delayed games. I don't know if it's the actual rain falling from the sky....or baseball games are a lot longer due to the amount of home runs hit.

Last week interleague play started.... and it was fun to watch. I was preparing to write about it, until I found out that Monday every team reverted back to their divisional schedule. I didn't learn anything...well maybe one thing.

Since the start of interleague play, the Florida Marlins have won 111 interleague games. The most in the Major League Baseball history.

Now for a team that has been in exsistence for 12 full seasons. For some reason....they love whooping up on the American League. Especially in the world series. I might be mistaken, but they're 8-5 in world series play...with 2 world series titles. Unreal. They are a ton of teams trying to buy titles...Are they in the right league? Shouldn't they be in the American league .... to even it up a little bit...Come on 15-15... 16-14..... it's Stupid. The Divisions are out of whack.

Back to my blog---->

This week, as a stated last week, is statement week. And I know it's a long way until the All-Star break, but don't count your blessings. Teams are trying to run away in their respective divisions....(Dodgers)...Teams are trying to create streaks (Yankees/Padres).... Teams are trying to manufacture runs (Astros/Nationals/Indidans/Orioles).

Making that statement not only on the diamond but off the diamond......What could I possibly mean?

Statement week.....Means the start of trade talks.---> Mid-End of May<---- DUH! A lot of teams are asking this question......What piece can we add or subtract to make our team better?

Jake Peavy(SD/SP) to the White Sox?

Roy Oswalt(Hou/SP)
Brad Penny (BOS/SP)

Hideki Matsui(NYY)

Nick Johnson(Wash)

Adam Dunn(Wash/LF) again

Jermaine Dye(CWS)
Brad Ziegler(Oak/RP)

Just to name a few. Be prepared in the next couple of weeks for teams to make statements and deals. ----->GM's will be Brainstorming....will you be ready for the news? Don't say I didn't warn you.

"My Hot 5"
Joe Mauer(Min/C)- NO Questions Please! In 5 seasons this amazing catcher hit 55 homer runs. Yeah... Whatever... Not a good stat to talk about. Sorry, but what if I told you that he hit 11 of them in the past 26 games. I would have thought you were lying. I would be questioning myself. For some reason this guy found power. In a bottle? In his sleep? In his dreams? You can't question his work ethic. But you expect 12-14 more years of productivity. Joe Mauer has had one of the most greatest month's of anyone I have ever seen, besides A-Rod (April-May 2007).
.407, 11 Hr, 32 rbi's...... through 26 games. Com'Mon! Really.

2. Raul Ibanez (Phi/LF)- I just don't get it. 4 homer runs, 11 rbi's...one week. 21 and 22 year old's dream of those numbers. Not 36 year old's. He's 1st in runs scored, 1st in rbi's, 1st in slugging and 2nd in home runs. There's no way he's getting the triple-crown for the year, but by the All-Star break...he should be the toast of the town. 2009 stats: .344 ba, 17 hr's, 36 rbi's. NUTS!

3. Adam Dunn(Was/LF)- Why do all the big bats play in left field? Have you noticed? Ridiculous isn't it. I have been hyping this guy up for a while. He will be a Hall-Of Famer. His power is astonishing. Through 8 years he's approaching 300 hundred home runs. I assuming he will play 8 more. It's like he golfs the ball out the ball park. I have no clue why this 8 million dollar man has been bouncing around in his career. They keep signing this guy to one year contracts. He hits 40 home runs a year! There's no doubt he will hit 40 this year. This week, 4 home runs, 9 rbi's. This season: 16 home runs and 42 rbi's. oh yeah. He's batting .283. He should be an All-Star.

4. Adrian Gonzalez(SD/1B)- As you have noticed in past blogs I love the American League, but there is no question the National League is hitting better. I honestly haven't heard from this guy much....until this year. And week-to-week he has impressed me a ton. All-Star? Yes! MVP Candidate? I hope he can keep this up. This week: 3 home runs, 4 rbi's. This season: 18 hr's, 34 rbi's, .285 ba.

5. Mark Teixeira(NYY/1B)- It's A-Rod, It's because of him...that he's seeing pitches to hit. We've seen it with Roger Maris(forever ago).------When you move up in a New York Yankees batting card lineup...Things start to happen. Batting in front of A-Rod has made his bat hot. Seriously, you can only expect great things from a 180 million dollar man.This week: 4 hr's 12 rbi's. 2009 stats: 15 hr's, 40 rbi's, .275 ba.


Who's Brewing?

Prince Fielder(Mil/1B)- From Hot to Brewing? I know that's kinda backwards. But he's the key for the Brewers to make the playoffs. Prince is 10% of the Brewers run production. Amazing stat. This week: 2 home runs, 8 rbi's. 2009 stats: 11 hr's, 45 rbi's(2nd NL), .265 ba. Also, you have to RESPECT this guy's power. 38 Walks, 1 behind Adam Dunn.

CY Young Runner-Ups
Halladay, Greinke, Santana, Billingsley ......Halladay, Greinke, Santana, Billingsley..... Halladay, Greinke, Santana, Billingsley.....
Yes They are the hottest pitchers in the MLB. Hands down. Most likely, right now, they are the top Cy Young Candidates. So this week. I finally decided to mix it up. No one forced me. But pitching is a hard job and to do it consistently is even harder. That's why you can barely get a top 5 out of me. In this segment we look at 'up and coming'.....wannabe Cy Young Balloteers. And if they stay hot they could be at least be.....................You guessed it....................... on the ballot.
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This week we are looking for a pitcher that has a decent looking record, above 6 wins, respectable earned run average, that hasn't made the blog in the past.
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National League NL Cy Young Runner-Up

Matt Cain(SF)- Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Randy Johnson, and this guy. You would think that this rotation would win 3 out of 5 every week for the San Francisco Giants. I'm good friends with 18.5 mil. Zito on Twitter, "eventually" he will turn it on. Randy is making 8 million for his milestone(300 wins), "The Freak" Tim Lincecum is getting his feet wet. 4-1, 3.03 era, $675,000. So when you can only get a win out of these three....Maybe 2 with run production... Who do you turn to? Meet Mr. Cain.
So, I was looking for low earned run averages this week. And it was very tough... Do you see how many days it took for this blog to be produced? Very tough week for pitchers. Not this guy. Remember when I was talking about buying "wins". This 3 millon dollar man is stepping it up in that rotation at least helping out the cause....in getting 2 wins out of 4.
6-1, 2.31 era, 46 strikeouts. In his last 3 outings, 21 innings.... 2 earned runs, 14 strikeouts.
Look for him to dominate down the road. Not to Santana status.....Just watch Cain step it up and stand out to rejuvenate the rotation.

American League Cy Young Runner-Up

Mark Buehrle(CWS)- Resume: 3x All-Star(2002, 05, 06), World Series Ring(2005), No-Hitter(2007). Impressed?
Yes. Here's another Bit... Since 2001, one year after his rookie season, he has 'averaged' 15 wins.
Not one season has he not had below 10 wins and only one of those seasons has he finished below .500(2006).... but he had 12 wins. That's why he's earning 14m. this year.
He's your typical mailman... consistent deliveries.
In the past 14-innings, 2 earned runs. again. Insane!
2009 season stats: 6-1, 2.59 era, 36 strikeouts.

MLB Week 6: Tee Off..Then Walk Off (May 12-19)

walk´-off`
1. (Baseball) Game-ending and game-winning; such as to end the game immediately, and allow the players to walk off the field; - of hits, especially home runs, which occur in the last half of the ninth or a later inning, which put the home team ahead of the visiting team and thereby end the game immediatey. This occurs in baseball because, when the last half of the ninth inning arrives, if the home team (which bats last) is already ahead in the score the last half of that inning is not played, the winner of the game having already been decided. Likewise, as soon as the home team gets ahead in the score after the visiting team has batted in the ninth inning, the game is ended.
Afterwards, The player that hits the walk-off gets mobbed, jumped on, beat up and maybe a shaving cream pie to the face.
------------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to ask this question one more time!
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Don't you just love Walk-Offs?
This week: It felt like every day was a walk off. You also had "The Yankees" walk-off 3 consecutive days, You had every possible walk-off imaginable. Singles, doubles, grand slam... There is literally no one better than the other!
If you haven't notice already....you should take notice----that every week in Major League baseball has been linked to a pattern. You find this a lot.

Funny Note: I don't know if you remember but... The Simpsons made a sketch that "Major League Baseball is always watching". Watching your every move.
Players and teams take notes on other players and teams and get amped up for the next show.

It's a Soap Opera.....It's entertainment!

And the good Lord knows that I want to be entertained. Over 4,000 games over 40,000+ innings. There's drama in every game.

Obviously, It has been made known that this past week was 'statement week' for a lot of MLB clubs and players ---- Whooping up on the division...Right before interleague play begins this upcoming weekend.

As we prepare for battle... Senior Circuit vs. Junior Circuit.... Let's take a look at.........

"My Hot 5"
1. Adrian Gonzalez(SD/1B) Picture above: This guy is an absolute beast. This past week, through a period of 5 games...this 'Beast of Nature'.....had 6 homers*. A homer a game! One game he had two homers. That's a lot of luggage to take on all those flights around the diamond. But this week alone 5 homers 7 RBI's. *-His homer streak started a day before the blog week, but if you have a 5 game homer streak...who cares. Season totals 15 hr's, 29 rbi's, 294. ba.

2. Raul Ibanez(Phi/LF) Who Needs Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, or Chase Utley... when you have this guy....excuse me-13 year veteran! This is a Philly whose swinging a hot bat. 4 homer runs, 10 rbi's, and 13 runs scored this week. Ridiculous! Can't wait to hype this guy up in my podcast. I forgot to mention...this 36 year old has a .357 batting average. Season totals: 13 hr's 35 rbi's. Also he's ranked 1st in the National League in slugging (.714).

3. Justin Morneau(Min/1B)- Let's not forget this guy has a AL MVP Award. Morneau has been through a lot in his career. And with all the ups and downs that come into play in a close AL Central race, You are going to have to consistenly hit the ball well. Morneau is in his 7th MLB season and these past 4 have been nothing but great. 20+ homers the past 4 seasons.... 110+ rbi's in the past 3. He's projected to hit 50 and drive in 137. This week: 4 homers, 7 rbi's. Season totals: 12 dingers, 33 rbi's and a .340 ba. STUD!

4. Prince Fielder(Mil/1B)- Fun Stat: 437 strikeouts in 551 career games. Whoo! But does that mean you can't be productive? So can 9 home runs and 37 rbi's look so bad when you strikeout 40 times in 38 games? Not really. Especially when you are 2nd in the National League in rbi's and 1st in the National League in walks. Productivity trumps strikeouts every time ....Just ask Adam Dunn? (lol) This week alone: 4 round trip tickets(hr) and 11 rbi's.

5. Victor Martinez(Cle/C)- You're doing something right when youre hitting .400. That's should be all you have to do if you're on a club... Right?.... But also if you have 62 hits, 7 hr's, 27 rbi's through 40 games..... You're obviously doing more than just "something".

Who's Brewing?
Mark Teixeira(NYY/1B)- I could have easily put A-Rod on here. But according to this guy, having A-Rod in the lineup has made him better. This week alone: "Big Tex" has improved his batting average 48 points(.191-.238), hit 4 home runs, and 7 rbi's. Ha! Maybe A-Rod will be on here next week.... Season totals: 11 hr's 29 rbi's.

The face says it all. It's tough to not give up the long ball, especially this season. Finding your spots. Being composed and having control of every hitter you face. This means being ahead in the count. Getting first pitch stirkes, Getting the ball down for ground balls. Having a consistent 1-2 count instead of a 2-1 count, which is hard to do. You can't be consistent all the time but knowing that it is in your favor....is the key. Getting out of that jam early. It makes the difference in a game.....- from a 3 hour long game, to a 2 and 1/2 long game---> from a 100 pitch count--> to a 80-99 pitch count. It seems like this year and this era is hard for pitchers. Guys are swinging hot bats, fouling off a lot of pitches and get the starter out of the game early. These guys were not fooled.

Hottest Pitchers of the Week

Roy Halladay(TOR)- There so much you can say about Halladay, It's too bad that I have said everything.---Yeah Right? I hear people all the time....ripping on Halladay... He's not matching up to Greinke. Well, there are a couple of reasons why Halladay has to give up runs. 1. He's pitching in the AL East. 2. He has the most innings pitched in the AL(68) 3. I can't believe i'm saying this, but it's his 11th year. ERA tends to get high w/ MLB experience, but Halladay has been on fire as of late. He's won his past five starts. In those starts, he's given up 9 runs. Not Bad. 31 strikeouts and a sweet 2.78 ERA. Since his last loss, he's dropped his ERA almost a whole run 3.72-2.78. --This is the third time I'm going to use this term, but he deserves it. Lights out. Season totals: 8-1, 2.78 ERA, 57 strikeouts.

Trevor Hoffman (MIL)- Why did San Diego give up on this guy? Dumb move! Hells Bells v. 1.0 is on fire. 16 years experience-564 saves and soon to be 1000 innings pitched. This guy is awesome. If Milwaukee can bring it to Hoffman 4 times a week. They are in the playoffs hands down. Season Totals: 11 games, 10 saves, 9 strikeouts, 0 ERA. Amazing

Zack Greinke(KC)- I'm still expecting this young kid to lose a few more games, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. Every start is a gem. Seriosuly. 7-1, .60 ERA. This is getting old! Come back to normal-Join the crowd already! His last 24 Innings: 2 earned runs. It's funny: When he doesn't get an earned run... they provide run production. When he gives up just one earned run.....just one.... the Royals put up a zero. Come on... give this video game cheat code a break!

Who's Boiling Hot?
The New York Yankees- Finally.... I have been waiting for this. Currently on a 7-game winning streak. A-Rod 4 straight games with a home run. You can't have it a better time...before interleague play... to get HOT and beat up on your division. For some reason A-Rod is making everyone better. Why? Clueless.

Milwaukee Brewers- "The Brew Crew" Are on a 7 game winning streak, holding opponents below 6 runs per game. Ridiculous! They are proving why making the playoffs last year wasn't a fluke. Therefore proving me wrong. I love it. And fun fact about the Brewers right now: 159 runs against....Awesome. 2nd in the league. Not only they are hitting the ball extremely well, Because of their lumberjack looking hitters, but they are playing great defense. Great Pitching/Defense+ Lumberjacks= Divison title? No. Wild Card. It's definitely coming out of the NL Central. Why not the Brewers!

Who's Freezing Cold?
David Ortiz(BOS/DH)- See... Usually I have teams on here. Come on! .203 batting average. No Home Runs. Former MVP. "You No Big Papi!"(New Era commercial) He does have 15 RBi's. But homerless in 133 at bats. I expect him to find a groove and get back to normal. He has proven to me that he's not on steroids.... I'm thinking it's mental, but you have to think what could you be doing with $13,000,000 right now. He sure is eating well.

Last week I supported Breast Cancer. -->Time to Share the Love<-- So this week I'm supporting the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Join the Fight To learn more about how you can help...Please Visit:

http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/site/c.itIWK2OSG/b.47476/k.17A/Major_League_Baseball.htm
Don't forget to Twitter and/or text. To win Reds Tickets and Concert tickets. MLB New ERA hats, CD's, Itunes gift cards, and tons of Food/Entertainment Gift Cards. Rack up points.... to win raffles.......to get stuff. Simple
Tune into Next Week's blog: Titled; "Let Interleague Play Begin"

MLB Week 5: Let Them Eat Cake (May 5-11)

Week 5 in Major League Baseball can be summed up with one word. "Cake".
I know you're asking yourself.... why 'cake'?
With the All-Star ballots printing out earlier than usual now, everyone is trying to get their share of cake before July 14, 2009. And this season will be the most unusual All-Star game I will ever see.


I'll tell you why in a minute.
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Also this week, there was 'Cake' in the headlines.
1. Manny was suspended 50 games.
2. A-Rod came back homering on his first pitch...... Please... Tipping the pitcher....(No way)
3. And Ryan Zimmerman has his hitting streak extended to 28 games. "Half Way There"(eh Bon Jovi).... He's going to need to live on a prayer...
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Back to the Summer Classic.

It's going to be fun. I swear.

You're going to see Kansas City Royals pitchers and maybe reserve players. You might or might not see Manny or A-Rod. Your going to see premium players. This year the league is so balanced. Every team has 'exponential potential.' With Albert Pujols highlighting the whole show in the Home Run Derby and in the All-Star Game and don't forget on the verge of a mid-season triple crown, you can only pray for clear skies.

Just when you make you picks . Make the right decision. If you need help ask someone. Look up stats. Ask Questions. "Let everyone eat cake"


http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2009/ballot_reg.html



My Top 5 Sluggers
1. Ryan Zimmerman(Was/3B)- In this league you have to be consistent. You can just ask Alex Rodriguez. Fans in Major League Baseball fall of the bandwagon quickly, especially when you start slumping. There is one exception: When you on a 28-game winnning streak, everyone is on the bandwagon. Including players around the league. The only exception is the pitchers giving up these hits and homers. This season Ryan has a .346 batting average.... He punched 24 runs and drove in 22(RBI). Keep the streak alive.

2. Albert Pujols(STL)- The Machine had 6 hits this week. 3 of them were homers. He will be on this list until he stops leading 2 of the top 3 batting categories in the National League..... 12 homers, 33 rbi's and a .330 batting average.

3. Evan Longoria(TB/3B)- Take a look at my current 2009 AL MVP. He took home the ROY(rookie of the year) last year. And he's making a serious impact with his bat. If there was on word to describe this kid: It's "Productive". Through 31 games... he has 44 RBI's(MLB leader). Also, this little guy has a ton of power... 11 homers. And if those numbers weren't impressive enough. .358 batting average with 27 runs.

4. Jason Bay(BOS/LF) This kid was on his way to becoming a Hall Of Fame Pittsburgh Pirate....until they traded him to Boston. And he exploded thereafter. Last season stats: 31/101(hr/rbi) This season: 9 homers, 33 rbi's, and 28 runs scored w/.324 BA. If you look closely at his stats last year and this year.... you will see that he's exactly on pace with a 1/3 of the 2009 season being over with. Very consistent.

5. Johnny Damon(NYY LF) I have no clue what got into the 36 year old man. And it has nothing to do with PED's. He's in love with hitting the ball to the short porch in the new digs(yankee stadium). And people are really strating to notice his resurgence. 9 hr's, 33 rbi's, .314 batting average w/28 runs scored. Keep it up "Old Man" (jk).


Honorable Mention:
Jay Bruce(Cin/RF) I remember it was a sunny day, last year(can't remember the date). I was coming home from work and I decided to make a bet on the Reds losing to the Braves. To my dismay, this kid hits his first home run...oh sorry...his first walk-off home run. I was very upset, but since then he's been such "the looker". In the past 5 games he's hit 4 home run's and drove in 7 rbi's. He's stock is definitely on the rise. But he's not going anywhere. 2009 season totals: 10 hr's, 21 rbi's w/.262 BA.

My Cy Young Candidates

Johan Santana(NYM)- Ridiculous numbers, seriosuly. Last week, I called him Relentless. We might have to put him up to Robot status. I can tell you right now, that on his pace, he is a sure fire hall of famer. One thing is for sure. He's not going to pitch 25 years and he's not going to get 300 wins. But if he stays in the National league for the next 10 years, he will rack up at least 4-6 Cy Young Awards and you will have to put him in. In the last 20 innings, he has given up 3 earned runs and 27 strikeouts. Every other start he's had this year, he has had 10+ strikeouts. 2009 stats: 4-1, .91 ERA, and 54 strikeouts.

American League

Zack Greinke(KC The Untouchable, Unstoppable force in Kansas City. He's turning heads and making it amazingly fun to go to a Royals game. His starts are well under 3 hours. Funny ... seriously. Without his league leading 6 wins, the Royals wouldn't be sniffing first place right now. If he gets 11 wins before the break. I will count him a lock for the AL Cy Young. In the last 17 innings, he has given up 1 earned run. In his last start he gave up that earned run, along with four hits, and it was a shame to watch his team not give him two runs. But he's definitely a pearl on the mound. 6-1, 59 strikeouts, and a .51 ERA. Insane!

Who's Hot/Who's not

Hot

National League
The Mets were perfect this week. Perfect as in...they haven't lost a game this week. Sweeping the 2 game series in Atlanta and sweeping the Phillies and Pirates at home. Watch them go 14-0. With Atlanta at home and San Fran away.

American League
When you score 50 more runs than your opposers, you should be the hottest team in the league. It starts with Halladay and Scott Richmond and it trickles to Alex Rios and Adam Lind with their bats.

Not

YOU ARE.....Yes You! Because You Haven't Filled Out An All-Star Game Ballot

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2009/ballot_reg.html

Outro: This past Sunday was Mother's Day, and as much as my mom gives me a hard time.... I love her more and more every single day. From teaching me how to catch a bus at 6. To becoming who I am today. If it wasn't for her,I wouldn't be where I am today. If she didn't force me to play baseball and force me to study math. I wouldn't be spitting numbers on the air waves today. I want to thank my mother publicly for giving me a hard time because she wants me to become the best "Jerry" that I can be. To all my fans: If it wasn't for my mother.... 'I wouldn't know what's best'. Thanks Mom.

Join The Fight Against Breast Cancer

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jspymd=20090507&content_id=4617366&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

MLB Week 4: You Had Me At Hello... (Apr 28-May 4)

... (Cont. Heading) At least that's what all the women are saying, because chicks dig the long ball.. In a week that has been so improbable... the impossible hasn't happened.... yet at least? (Right Vin Scully). Let me get to the point. April 2009 was filled with great baseball. And I can only assume that the other 6 months will gradually get better and better. Especially when you have 2 walk-off walks to win a game in a week.

----Don't you just love 'Walk-Off Walks'.... I mean instead of running... shouldn't you walk down the 3rd base line or at least dance or skip.

Besides that....And putting April in the past already... We had a great week of baseball...and it was a great way to set up May baseball. Ryan Zimmerman(WAS 3B) has a 22 game hitting streak going. I mention him because I thought "Streak Week" was over...but I hope he keeps it up.

Also this week, There was great base stealin' and for some odd reason the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays are still in first place. If you missed out of the end of April....I feel sorry for you because it was special....and this week is off to a great start with the last place Washington Nationals planing to draft in June the best pitcher in college baseball...San Diego State's Stephen Starsburg(SP). This kid has range. and I'm talking he changes speed in the strike zone like no one I've seen. His fastball clocked at 102....then he throws a 72 charlie, and breaks the ball 12-6 from pits to knees... It's a thing of beauty. Prepare for a great Week 5 and 6. Not too many days off...for a lot of teams...but Mother Nature hasn't been kind to baseball this year...neither has the Swine Flu or A-Rod....yes.... Mother Nature's "Teddy Pickers" (media) have been ripping him to pieces. I feel bad on what his bat about to these wind tunnel ballparks. (Hint Hint)


My Top 5 Sluggers

1. Carlos Pena(3)(TB 1B)- Last week I question myself about putting Carlos on my page. But obviously he has been hitting the ball well. This week, he has improved his batting average 17 points, hit 2 extra dingers, and brought in 4 mates. Hitting 11 home runs in 26 games..... Is ridiculous. MVP type stuff. I feel bad because last week I didn't believe in this kid's power. And honestly, I still don't (lol). His team is struggling...but coming around the bend. Having Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford pumps this kid up to hit the baseball well as long as they are doing their jobs. I expect a 45/115 (hr/rbi) season out of this guy.

2. Albert Pujols(4)(STL/1B). Being Honest, Because I could get in a lot of trouble by being biased. Albert had better numbers than Carlos this week. But not by much. The only reason he's not number one is because the past couple of weeks.... St. Louis Cardinal players have had the top spot. Funny thing is I'm not a Cardinal fan. But Albert's week has been phenomenal...improving his batting average 23 points. That's impressive. It's May People! This is strange! Batting Averages should be coming down! Why are they at the Ted Williams level of .349-.407. Albert's week consisted of again 2 homers and 4 rbi's and 20 plus bases...yes bases is a stat. Improving his overall season numbers to 9hr, 29 rbi's (league leading) with a .344 batting average. Can you say "Triple Crown"? Or am I being pushy. And I'm not talking about Horse Racing. There is a good reason why they call him "The Machine". Robot Status? Not Yet

3. Ian Kinsler(3)(TEX/2B)- "Big Kinsler" I'm telling you his power...is astonishing. His first at bat in the CWS/TEX series on Friday. I was texting a friend(who was at the game) and I said, watch him punish the ball. Bottom of the first he comes up and I swear I heard the baseball cry.....And I was tearing up too, because you shouldn't be doing bad things to baseballs(yeah sorry). His power is a mixture of Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire. He sees a pitch and thinks meatball. And you can blame the pitchers because if you're throwing a 'breaking ball' and you let it hang in the air instead it actually breaking....it's just like a batting practice fastball and I never believed that until I saw Bronson Arroyo pitch.
Back to Kinsler: This week, he lost some percentage points in his batting average pushing him to a whopping .321 (still consistent). But just like the rest...2 homers, 5 rbi's. Typical Kinsler week. (Lol).

4. Raul Ibanez (PHI/LF). His MLB service: 13 years. Seattle--->Kansas City---> Back to Seattle-->to Philly. I'm kinda confused to why this guy has been traveling. He's been a steady .287 hitter...he's hit over 20 homers and 100+ rbi's the past 3 seasons. Hmm.. Kinda fishy, but compared to his numbers last year in Rainy Seattle... to Greasy, windy and cold Philly...I'm looking at a 30/110 year. He's definitely off to a great start. 8 wing dingers, 21 rbi's and a ridiculously looking .344 BA. Also he averages 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 rbi a game. Pretty awesome. Not many people can say that.
Also...he's Triple Crownin' too. He's top 5 in every category. Watch out Pujols!

5. Evan Longoria(2) (TB/3B) Haven't seen this kid in 4 weeks on my blog. I didn't forget about him, he just was bland at the time, but he stayed consistent and currently leading the major leagues in "batting in mates"(30). He's only played 24 games. C'Mon!. He really doesn't care about his numbers. He cares about his team performance. True American Hero! With a .365 batting average, and 7 dingers expect wonders. I just don't know how the Tampa Bay Rays are in 4th place.

Honorable Mention:
Ryan Zimmerman (WAS/3B). I mentioned this guy earlier. It's funny that he isn't on my slugger list, but when you sign a contract or at least an extension
and you get paid that day you should produce.....Besides Adam Dunn hitting 40 HR's in Washington..... This guy is the next best thing and the face of the franchise through 2013. The Nationals are looking to rebuild, and why not build around a guy that's on a 22 game hitting streak. He's shown nothing but promising stuff.... Including "Web Gems" (trademark of Baseball Tonight®). I hope he keeps the streak alive. You should hope too.

It's breakout time. It's funny because All-Star balloting starts on June 6th. Pitchers are really getting their act together. And thank God with revenue sharing in the majors, every team is finally focused on building a team with great pitching. Like I said earlier with the Nationals making a huge move.

My Top 5 Pitchers

1. Dan Haren(ARI). I knew this stud was going to make this list sometime, better late than never. With All-Star ace Brandon Webb(SP) out on the disabled list, Mr. Haren had to step up and take that role. Dan's past four seasons have been nothing but perfect. 14+ wins and 160+ strikeouts in each of them and in the past 2 years he has appeared in both All-Star games. Dan started the 2009 season off to a shaky start. But don't put any blame on him at all. His first 3 starts against the Rockies, Dodgers and Giants. He gave up a total of 4 earned runs. In those starts he lost all 3 games...3-0(COL 7 innings pitched 3 hits. He gave up one HR), 3-1(LAD 6 innings pitched. 4 hits 2 runs), 2-0(SF 5 hits. 1 earned run). Obviously, He's got great stuff. He just needs run production. His last 3 starts have been literally perfect. In the past 24 innings against the Rockies, Cubs, and Brewers...he has given up 3 earned runs. 2 of them were home runs. In those past 3 games he posted 3 wins, a 1.46 ERA, with 30 strikeouts.

2. Zack Greinke(4)(KC)- You can't say too much about this kid, but he has officially given up his first 'earned runs'...... Against Toronto(4/29). Too bad that the Royals gave him 11 runs to work with. But all-in all. 7 innings pitched he gave 5 hits and 2 walks. Big Deal! (joking). Monday, Zack was nothing but flawless in his outing against the White Sox....he had a complete game, 6-hitter with 10 strikeouts. Now with a 6-0 record, he has a .40 ERA and 54 strikeouts. Impressive. All-Star lock? I sure hope so. It would be nice to see a Royal on the mound.

3. Frank Francisco(TEX/CP)- Meet Mr. Francisco. He's been with the Rangers for 4 years making the transition from starting pitcher to reliever. And now in his 5th year, he's making the transition from reliever to closer. And what a job he has done. Through 11 games, he has pitched 11.2 innings...Check this out. 7 saves, 1 win, 10 strikeouts, no earned runs... 5 hits, and 1 walk. C'Mon.

4. Johan Santana(4) (NYM)- 2 words. Persistent and Relentless. 44 strikeouts through 32 innnings. He's only given up 6 runs, 4 of them earned. He has a 5-0 record win a 1.10 ERA. Ridiculous



5. Heath Bell(2)(SD)- Hell's Bell's Version 2.0. Start it up, Close em' down
8 saves thorough 8.2 innings, 9 walks, 0 earned runs. 0.00 ERA. Future Stud




Honorable Mention:
Chad Billingsley(LAD): I kinda feel bad he's not in my top 5,....I want him to be there. This guy has great stuff. Now with Kershaw coming back to normal, the Dodgers have a one-two punch. 5-0, 2.21 ERA, 44 strikeouts



Who's Hot/Who's Not

Hot (NL/AL)
The Los Angeles Dodgers- No Doubt... The hottest team in baseball. 11-0 at home and 8-8 on the road. They lead the National League in run production with 148. And I listened to Tim Kurkjian (Baseball Tonight/ESPN Writer) this morning and I heard him say they're on pace to score 880 runs which is ridiculous. Every opponent they play they crush. And now with a dominant pitching staff and a fired up Manny. This team will win the division. Through 27 games they have a run differential of +46 and a 5.5 game lead in the NL West. That's just 1st-2nd.

Toronto Blue Jays- When you score the most runs in the league, and have a team batting average of .293...you should be the best team in your division. The Jays are making a huge statement not only in the division, but in the league. It shows that loading up and spending a lot of money is not how you win division titles. I hope they keep playing well. I also like their one-two punch.... Pitchers Roy Halladay and Scott Richmond. Together they are 9-1 with a 3.17 ERA. One of them will be an All-Star... I just can't wait to find out which one.

Not (AL/NL)
Baltimore Orioles-Fun Story: Every run that scores in major league baseball I get a text message. And when I see a Baltimore text message. The only names I see is something that Outfielders Nick Markakis and Adam Jones have done..... either they're knocking in a run or scoring a run. They can't win games by themselves.

Houston Astros- To get this team back to their winning ways....and lets not forget...they were in the World Series not too long ago.(2005). They have get their pitching in order. Roy Oswalt has to find his stuff. Maybe it's his age showing. But this team has no excuse for playing poorly. Pitcher Wandy Rodriguez is playing steady and Lee, Pence, Bourn and Berkman are swinging but not at a wild-card berth level. They need to get on a roll before Chicago and St. Louis rip it up in the NL Central. Don't forget about the Reds and Pirates. You can forget the Brewers doing it again. That would make me feel uneasy.

My Surprises:
New York Yankees: Monday's 6-4 loss to Red Sox was the Yankees 4th straight loss against them. If I'm wrong, and I might be, but that hasn't happened since you know when. And being a Yankee fan, that scares me. Besides that: I heard this fun fact yesterday. Yankee Satdium has the most home runs 'launched' in a 10-day start to any new stadium in baseball history. And with the welcoming of A-Rod, hopefully on friday, that new billion dollar stadium should have more dents...not only in the stadium but in the history books.