Beyond the headlines, the daily statistics and leaderboards also revealed some trends that will bear watching this season. Here are 10 – some surprising, some not-so-surprising – that happened to catch our eye:
1. The White Sox's pitching
Ozzie Guillen's team is 4-2 this year when it scores two runs or fewer. That sounds like no big deal, until you consider the White Sox had a 3-86 record in those games over the previous two seasons.
Good starting pitching masks a lot of deficiencies, and Chicago's has been superb. Mark Buehrle is working on a streak of 33 consecutive starts in which he's lasted at least six innings. Buehrle and Chicago's other starters – Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland, Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras – have a combined 11-3 record with a 2.90 ERA, and lead the American League in quality starts.
It's hard for the White Sox to count on a hiccup-free season, given the history of El Duque and Contreras, in particular. But if one of the two Cubans goes down, the Sox have the luxury of summoning spring sensation Brandon McCarthy from Triple-A ball. McCarthy struck out 29 in his first 23 innings with Charlotte in the International League.
2. Minnesota's control
Chicago's rotation has had a major early impact, but no staff is putting up more startling numbers than Minnesota's – at least when it comes to throwing strikes.
Johan Santana and Brad Radke, Minnesota's 1-2 starters, have combined for 63 strikeouts and four walks. And things don't get any easier for opposing hitters in the ninth: Twins' closer Joe Nathan has whiffed 12 and has yet to walk a batter.
Minnesota's staff has an overall strikeout-to-walk rate of 4.32. Houston is second in the majors at 2.78.
"Our pitchers never walk anybody, they strike out a lot of guys and they don't give up a lot of hits,'' said Twins center fielder Torii Hunter. "Sometimes it gets boring out there in center field. But it's good to be bored. You know what I'm saying?''
3. Those runnin' Padres
Last year, San Diego ranked 27th in the big leagues with 52 stolen bases. The Padres already have 18 steals this year to rank fifth in the majors and second in the National League behind Houston. They've done it without Eric Young, who hurt his shoulder running into a wall the first week, and with a minimal contribution from Dave Roberts, who because of a groin injury has played seven games.
Manager Bruce Bochy met with his players in spring training and told them he'd like to see more aggressive baserunning – not only with steals, but with going from first to third on singles and taking the extra base whenever possible. A long-ball mentality just won't cut it at Petco Park, particularly in the early spring, when the heavy ocean air blankets the park. Of the Padres' 22 homers thus far, 19 have come on the road.
"When our guys get on base, they're not just waiting for the next guy to move them over,'' said Jeff Kingston, San Diego's director of baseball operations.
4. Buck Showalter's lineup machinations
The Rangers made a serious run at Carlos Delgado over the winter, only to lose out when he balked at being a designated hitter. Manager Buck Showalter envisioned a DH combination of Greg Colbrunn and David Dellucci, but Colbrunn hasn't played because of a wrist injury.
Dellucci, however, has thrived, with a .485 on-base percentage and a team-leading 18 runs scored in only 49 at-bats. He's become a smarter, more patient hitter in recent years, and offseason laser eye surgery has helped him see the ball better.
Now Showalter has to figure out where to best employ him. Alfonso Soriano has a feeble .301 OBP out of the leadoff spot, so one option for Showalter is to move Michael Young back to leadoff, slide Dellucci to the No. 2 hole and shift Soriano to the middle of the order. With their bullpen thin because of injury, the Rangers will need all the runs they can get.
5. Eric Milton's gopher-itis
Milton, who signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with Cincinnati, leads the majors with 10 home runs allowed. He's tied with the entire St. Louis Cardinals staff, which has also surrendered 10.
If Milton continues at this pace and matches last year's total of 201 innings, he would give up 75 homers, or 25 more than Bert Blyleven's single-season record.
Milton's early performance hasn't provided much solace for supporters (like me) who consider him a born winner who'll get the job done regardless of the environment. He learned a sinker from pitching coach Don Gullett in spring training, but so far it hasn't helped: His 0.56 ground ball-to-fly ball rate ranks 106th among 108 major-league starters.
The Reds say Gullett is working with Milton on some mechanical adjustments that would bring his four-seamer back into the low 90s and make the rest of his repertoire more effective. But Milton clearly has some work to do, and skeptics to prove wrong.
"That might turn out to be a worse contract than Russ Ortiz's,'' said an AL executive.
6. Colorado's bullpen (or lack thereof)
The Rockies have a representative starting rotation and some energetic young players in Clint Barmes, Brad Hawpe, Matt Holliday and Jeff Francis, but their progress has been obscured by a dreadful bullpen. Colorado's pen has allowed a staggering 113 hits and walks in 53 innings, and has an aggregate 9.00 ERA.
"My concern going into the year was whether our bullpen could sustain any level of success,'' said general manager Dan O'Dowd. "We've lost eight games already with the lead in the seventh inning. That's pretty demoralizing.''
Rookie Chin-hui Tsao throws in the high 90s, but there hasn't been much behind him. Scott Dohmann and Ryan Speier finally pitched their way back to the minor leagues. And while Byung-Hyun Kim's velocity has crept back up to the high 80s, his control has been horrendous.
Help is on the way, but we're not exactly talking the "Nasty Boys'' revisited. Colorado just called up Jay Witasick, who was released by Baltimore in spring training. Lefty Bobby Seay is due off the disabled list shortly, and the Rockies have an interest in Dan Miceli, who was recently released by the Tokyo Giants.
There's also former Detroit closer Matt Anderson, who has three saves and a 7.71 ERA for Colorado Springs. You know Anderson is having problems when he hasn't earned a call-up yet for this team.
7. Derrek Lee's ridiculous start
Lee's huge April numbers (.430, 7 homers, 27 RBI) with the Cubs are impressive enough at face value. But they're particularly eye-catching in light of his reputation as a slow starter. In his first seven big-league seasons, Lee had a .228 average in March and April. He hasn't been much better in May, with a career .231 average for the month.
Cubs manager Dusty Baker recently attributed Lee's success to a positive attitude and coming to camp in especially good shape. "He talked himself into having a good April before we got here,'' Baker told reporters earlier this month.
8. Pittsburgh's lack of punch
More than three weeks into the season, Houston and Pittsburgh each has five RBI out of the cleanup spot. The Astros can at least take comfort in knowing that Lance Berkman is close to returning from a knee injury. Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon will continue to run out Craig Wilson and Rob Mackowiak, and hope for the best.
Actually, no one in the Pittsburgh lineup has done much. The Pirates rank last in the majors with a .348 slugging percentage, and they're averaging one homer every 67 at-bats. Shortstop Jack Wilson, a 2004 All-Star, has a .208 on-base percentage. It's a wonder the Pirates are 8-12.
"I don't think we're going to be near the top of the National League in runs scored,'' said Pittsburgh GM Dave Littlefield. "But we've got a lot of guys in the 26-28 age bracket who've been productive before. I certainly don't anticipate us continuing to perform at this level.''
9. Arizona's defensive upgrade
While most observers point to the money spent on Troy Glaus, Shawn Green and Russ Ortiz, and the trade for Javier Vazquez, as major factors in Arizona's turnaround, the Diamondbacks' best investment might have been the $4.45 million they spent on shortstop Royce Clayton and second baseman Craig Counsell.
Counsell has a .425 on-base percentage, but the duo's biggest contribution has been in the field, where they've made one error combined. The Diamondbacks lead the majors with 27 double plays, and they're tied with Houston for the fewest errors. That's an awfully good sign for a team that committed a league-high 139 errors in 2004.
The tighter infield has had a positive effect on Brandon Webb, who is back to pounding opponents with his hard sinker with full knowledge that his defense is going to make all the plays. "He's been very impressive,'' said a scout. "He's a real grinder. He throws strikes, and he believes in his stuff.''
10. San Francisco's twin-killing tendenciesAfter the Giants dumped A.J. Pierzynski in December, the Bay Area media duly noted that he was a drag on the San Francisco lineup by grounding into a major-league-leading 27 double plays.
Pierzynski is now with the White Sox, but his former teammates have carried on his specialty. The Giants have hit into 25 double plays, most in the majors. "It's an older club that can be pitched to, if your staff has command,'' said a National League executive.
Still, San Francisco's lineup has been resourceful in the early going. Omar Vizquel and Jason Ellison have 11 steals combined, and Edgardo Alfonso and Pedro Feliz have been productive enough for the Giants to rank third in the NL in runs scored.
The Giants should be even better when You-Know-Who returns to play left field. But no one is sure when that will happen.
"Their whole team is built around Bonds,'' said the NL executive. "He makes that big of a difference for that club. He changes everything.''
Jerry Crasnick covers baseball for ESPN Insider. His book "License To Deal" will be published in May by Rodale. Click here to preorder a copy. Jerry can be reached via e-mail.
1. The White Sox's pitching
Ozzie Guillen's team is 4-2 this year when it scores two runs or fewer. That sounds like no big deal, until you consider the White Sox had a 3-86 record in those games over the previous two seasons.
Good starting pitching masks a lot of deficiencies, and Chicago's has been superb. Mark Buehrle is working on a streak of 33 consecutive starts in which he's lasted at least six innings. Buehrle and Chicago's other starters – Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland, Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras – have a combined 11-3 record with a 2.90 ERA, and lead the American League in quality starts.
It's hard for the White Sox to count on a hiccup-free season, given the history of El Duque and Contreras, in particular. But if one of the two Cubans goes down, the Sox have the luxury of summoning spring sensation Brandon McCarthy from Triple-A ball. McCarthy struck out 29 in his first 23 innings with Charlotte in the International League.
2. Minnesota's control
Chicago's rotation has had a major early impact, but no staff is putting up more startling numbers than Minnesota's – at least when it comes to throwing strikes.
Johan Santana and Brad Radke, Minnesota's 1-2 starters, have combined for 63 strikeouts and four walks. And things don't get any easier for opposing hitters in the ninth: Twins' closer Joe Nathan has whiffed 12 and has yet to walk a batter.
Minnesota's staff has an overall strikeout-to-walk rate of 4.32. Houston is second in the majors at 2.78.
"Our pitchers never walk anybody, they strike out a lot of guys and they don't give up a lot of hits,'' said Twins center fielder Torii Hunter. "Sometimes it gets boring out there in center field. But it's good to be bored. You know what I'm saying?''
3. Those runnin' Padres
Last year, San Diego ranked 27th in the big leagues with 52 stolen bases. The Padres already have 18 steals this year to rank fifth in the majors and second in the National League behind Houston. They've done it without Eric Young, who hurt his shoulder running into a wall the first week, and with a minimal contribution from Dave Roberts, who because of a groin injury has played seven games.
Manager Bruce Bochy met with his players in spring training and told them he'd like to see more aggressive baserunning – not only with steals, but with going from first to third on singles and taking the extra base whenever possible. A long-ball mentality just won't cut it at Petco Park, particularly in the early spring, when the heavy ocean air blankets the park. Of the Padres' 22 homers thus far, 19 have come on the road.
"When our guys get on base, they're not just waiting for the next guy to move them over,'' said Jeff Kingston, San Diego's director of baseball operations.
4. Buck Showalter's lineup machinations
The Rangers made a serious run at Carlos Delgado over the winter, only to lose out when he balked at being a designated hitter. Manager Buck Showalter envisioned a DH combination of Greg Colbrunn and David Dellucci, but Colbrunn hasn't played because of a wrist injury.
Dellucci, however, has thrived, with a .485 on-base percentage and a team-leading 18 runs scored in only 49 at-bats. He's become a smarter, more patient hitter in recent years, and offseason laser eye surgery has helped him see the ball better.
Now Showalter has to figure out where to best employ him. Alfonso Soriano has a feeble .301 OBP out of the leadoff spot, so one option for Showalter is to move Michael Young back to leadoff, slide Dellucci to the No. 2 hole and shift Soriano to the middle of the order. With their bullpen thin because of injury, the Rangers will need all the runs they can get.
5. Eric Milton's gopher-itis
Milton, who signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with Cincinnati, leads the majors with 10 home runs allowed. He's tied with the entire St. Louis Cardinals staff, which has also surrendered 10.
If Milton continues at this pace and matches last year's total of 201 innings, he would give up 75 homers, or 25 more than Bert Blyleven's single-season record.
Milton's early performance hasn't provided much solace for supporters (like me) who consider him a born winner who'll get the job done regardless of the environment. He learned a sinker from pitching coach Don Gullett in spring training, but so far it hasn't helped: His 0.56 ground ball-to-fly ball rate ranks 106th among 108 major-league starters.
The Reds say Gullett is working with Milton on some mechanical adjustments that would bring his four-seamer back into the low 90s and make the rest of his repertoire more effective. But Milton clearly has some work to do, and skeptics to prove wrong.
"That might turn out to be a worse contract than Russ Ortiz's,'' said an AL executive.
6. Colorado's bullpen (or lack thereof)
The Rockies have a representative starting rotation and some energetic young players in Clint Barmes, Brad Hawpe, Matt Holliday and Jeff Francis, but their progress has been obscured by a dreadful bullpen. Colorado's pen has allowed a staggering 113 hits and walks in 53 innings, and has an aggregate 9.00 ERA.
"My concern going into the year was whether our bullpen could sustain any level of success,'' said general manager Dan O'Dowd. "We've lost eight games already with the lead in the seventh inning. That's pretty demoralizing.''
Rookie Chin-hui Tsao throws in the high 90s, but there hasn't been much behind him. Scott Dohmann and Ryan Speier finally pitched their way back to the minor leagues. And while Byung-Hyun Kim's velocity has crept back up to the high 80s, his control has been horrendous.
Help is on the way, but we're not exactly talking the "Nasty Boys'' revisited. Colorado just called up Jay Witasick, who was released by Baltimore in spring training. Lefty Bobby Seay is due off the disabled list shortly, and the Rockies have an interest in Dan Miceli, who was recently released by the Tokyo Giants.
There's also former Detroit closer Matt Anderson, who has three saves and a 7.71 ERA for Colorado Springs. You know Anderson is having problems when he hasn't earned a call-up yet for this team.
7. Derrek Lee's ridiculous start
Lee's huge April numbers (.430, 7 homers, 27 RBI) with the Cubs are impressive enough at face value. But they're particularly eye-catching in light of his reputation as a slow starter. In his first seven big-league seasons, Lee had a .228 average in March and April. He hasn't been much better in May, with a career .231 average for the month.
Cubs manager Dusty Baker recently attributed Lee's success to a positive attitude and coming to camp in especially good shape. "He talked himself into having a good April before we got here,'' Baker told reporters earlier this month.
8. Pittsburgh's lack of punch
More than three weeks into the season, Houston and Pittsburgh each has five RBI out of the cleanup spot. The Astros can at least take comfort in knowing that Lance Berkman is close to returning from a knee injury. Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon will continue to run out Craig Wilson and Rob Mackowiak, and hope for the best.
Actually, no one in the Pittsburgh lineup has done much. The Pirates rank last in the majors with a .348 slugging percentage, and they're averaging one homer every 67 at-bats. Shortstop Jack Wilson, a 2004 All-Star, has a .208 on-base percentage. It's a wonder the Pirates are 8-12.
"I don't think we're going to be near the top of the National League in runs scored,'' said Pittsburgh GM Dave Littlefield. "But we've got a lot of guys in the 26-28 age bracket who've been productive before. I certainly don't anticipate us continuing to perform at this level.''
9. Arizona's defensive upgrade
While most observers point to the money spent on Troy Glaus, Shawn Green and Russ Ortiz, and the trade for Javier Vazquez, as major factors in Arizona's turnaround, the Diamondbacks' best investment might have been the $4.45 million they spent on shortstop Royce Clayton and second baseman Craig Counsell.
Counsell has a .425 on-base percentage, but the duo's biggest contribution has been in the field, where they've made one error combined. The Diamondbacks lead the majors with 27 double plays, and they're tied with Houston for the fewest errors. That's an awfully good sign for a team that committed a league-high 139 errors in 2004.
The tighter infield has had a positive effect on Brandon Webb, who is back to pounding opponents with his hard sinker with full knowledge that his defense is going to make all the plays. "He's been very impressive,'' said a scout. "He's a real grinder. He throws strikes, and he believes in his stuff.''
10. San Francisco's twin-killing tendenciesAfter the Giants dumped A.J. Pierzynski in December, the Bay Area media duly noted that he was a drag on the San Francisco lineup by grounding into a major-league-leading 27 double plays.
Pierzynski is now with the White Sox, but his former teammates have carried on his specialty. The Giants have hit into 25 double plays, most in the majors. "It's an older club that can be pitched to, if your staff has command,'' said a National League executive.
Still, San Francisco's lineup has been resourceful in the early going. Omar Vizquel and Jason Ellison have 11 steals combined, and Edgardo Alfonso and Pedro Feliz have been productive enough for the Giants to rank third in the NL in runs scored.
The Giants should be even better when You-Know-Who returns to play left field. But no one is sure when that will happen.
"Their whole team is built around Bonds,'' said the NL executive. "He makes that big of a difference for that club. He changes everything.''
Jerry Crasnick covers baseball for ESPN Insider. His book "License To Deal" will be published in May by Rodale. Click here to preorder a copy. Jerry can be reached via e-mail.
