Baseball

Bobby Valentine was in Japan too long.

The Rays (18-7) are off to the best start in baseball but begin a tough western road trip this week that sees them travel to Seattle, Oakland, and Anaheim.

They open up with the Mariners (11-13) on Tuesday, who come in having lost three straight after being swept at home by the Rangers.

Baseball season's fourth week came and went with several surprises and some solid performances. Here are the fantasy studs, the players who have me concerned, and the potential pickups from the week of April 26th – May 2nd.

Fantasy Studs

Paul Konerko: .389/4/8/.538.  Konerko quietly leads the majors in home runs. Konerko, usually forgotten on draft day, is good for 20 plus home runs every year.

Every year it seems, a 30-something-year-old player inexplicably locates the fountain of youth. Last year it was Kevin Millwood , though he appears unwilling to revert back to his old ways this season.

THE MEAT OF THE ORDER

Every week there are three things I deem to be really important. It's kind of like the "meat" of my lineup. This week, there is only two because my DH is on the disabled list.

1. Ryan Howard Contract Extension

The Philadelphia Phillies made headlining news when they signed their MVP first baseman Ryan Howard to a contract that will make him only the second player to earn $25 million or more per season.

We will be closing in on the thirty game mark in the 2010 Major League Baseball season, and we still have players continuing to surprise, and star players that are struggling. This weekly list does not take the top five best statistical players, because it would virtually be the same people every week. This list focuses on some stars, but also on the underdogs who are having a good week.

Robinson Cano

It's been a fairly eventful two-plus weeks since I last posted here.  Having not grown up in the Kansas City area (unlike my father, whose fandom I unfortunately inherited), my in-person Royals experiences have been mostly limited to seeing them play the Twins at the Metrodome or seeing Omaha play the Round Rock Express.  While visiting my sister in Lawrence, I got to see the Royals where one is meant to see them: at Kauffman. 

ESPN is reporting Mike Pelfrey had MRI in New York this morning for general shoulder tightness. He's been cleared to start this weekend vs. Giants. I noticed him in these past two starts kind of hunching his shoulder after a couple of pitches as if he were trying to shake it loose. Most pitchers feel tightness especially this time of year, as the weather changes, spring going into summer. He was pitching good baseball until his last start. The Mets are taking no chances.

What I’m Reading

The parallels between Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard continue, as Howard’s recent contract extension is bound to influence the market for Pujols’ cash-in day.

Maybe you’ve started to hear the buzz surrounding Mike Stanton . In 23 games for the Marlins Double-A affiliate, the outfield prospect is hitting .354 with 12 home runs, a .505 OBP and an .866 SLG. Sounds like the Double-A equivalent to Barry Bonds if you ask me.

Stanton was ranked as baseball’s third best prospect by Baseball America , behind only Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg . If not for those once-in-a-decade type talents, Stanton would have easily been ranked first.