AL West

Though his major league career is still extremely young, it's hard not to notice why the Oakland A's were willing to part with a player like Trevor Cahill to acquire Jarrod Parker.  

After a few late shaky starts during the spring, Parker was demoted to AAA Sacramento.  He was able to rebound, however, going 1-0 with a 2.18 ERA, and more importantly, surrendering only six walks in 22 innings.

Josh Hamilton is playing baseball like people used to play Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball on Nintendo 64. Hamilton is hitting .400 with 18 home runs and 44 RBI through 34 games this season.

No, you are not reading that wrong. Hamilton is throttling opposing pitchers on a nightly basis. He is focused, confident and extremely talented. Hamilton's mind-blowing pace has him chasing an honor only fourteen players in baseball history have ever grabbed: the Major League Triple Crown.

Ervin Santana went 7.2 shutout innings and Mike Trout and Albert Pujols paced the Los Angeles Angels' offense as the Oakland A's fell 4-0 in Anaheim.

Losing pitcher Bartolo Colon allowed four runs on 12 hits in 6.2 innings while striking out four. He is now 3-4 on the season. The A's only managed five hits and could not get a big hit with two chances late in the game.

Okay, Josh Hamilton's 2012 season is officially getting scary.

In case you missed what happened in Baltimore on Tuesday night, Hamilton helped his Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles by going 5-for-5 with four home runs and eight RBI.

At the rate Josh Hamilton started this season, you just knew that he was bound to do something special at some point in this season.

Well, wait no more for that special moment.

Josh Hamilton was an offensive force on Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles, hitting four home runs and driving in eight en route to a 10-3 victory.

Hamilton kicked off the scoring with a two-run shot in the top of the first inning off of starter Jake Arrieta. He then proceeded to hit another two-run shot off of Arrieta in the third.

Josh Hamilton achieved an accomplishment that's even more rare than pitching a perfect game or hitting for the cycle.

On Tuesday night, Hamilton blasted four home runs for the Texas Rangers in their victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Hamilton homered in the first inning on a ball to dead center field. In the third inning, he launched his second home run on a line drive to the opposite field. 

Josh Hamilton hit for the "cycle" Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles. But when the ball flies out of the park, they don't let you stop at first, second or third.

Hamilton hit four two-run home runs against the shell-shocked Orioles. He finished a perfect five-for-five with eight RBIs.  He now sits at 14 homers on the year with 36 RBI and appears to be steam-rolling toward another MVP award.

If he wasn't already, Josh Hamilton is now your early front-runner for AL MVP.

On Sunday, Albert Pujols hit a home run, and there was much rejoicing.

There was much rejoicing, of course, because it was Prince Albert's first home run in a Los Angeles Angels uniform. It's been that kind of season for the former St. Louis Cardinals superstar, and it hasn't been fun to watch.