Welcome to "MLB Corner," our periodical look at the current season, complete with knee-jerk reactions. Stay tuned throughout the season for more coverage.

Through three weeks of the season we have seen some surprises (Milwaukee Brewers, Mark Buerhle) as well as some disappointments-injuries to pitchers, Miguel Cabrera’s slow start, and a dreadful start by the Diamondbacks. However, with that comes the entertainment of a full season of baseball and the chance to redeem or maintain early season action.  Remember, chicks dig the long ball, and in the post steroid era that we seem to be in pitchers more and more have the advantage.  Here are a few thoughts of what the league has shown so far in these first three weeks.

Raw Power:

These guys can hit a ball over those mountains to paraphrase Uncle Rico and have proven it already this season.  This is a straight power category;  some guys have home run swings  but not raw power, and like any 80’s action movie with a villain looking to take all the power this list honors those guys.

  1. Giancarlo Stanton- stay healthy young man those 480 foot walk off grand slams are beautiful!
  2. Justin Upton- another guy who sent the ball nearly 500 feet the other way already this year.
  3. Jose Abreu- Cuban import has shown power in spurts.  More on him later.
  4. Mark Trumbo- This is the guy Kevin Towers traded for, 6 long balls, a .208 average with 20 K’s
  5. Pedro Alvarez- “Baby bull” also has 6 homers and a .174 average with 19 K’s.
  6. Albert Pujols- Future Hall of Famer having bounce back season with 8 homers already.

Biggest stories of the young season:

The pitching carousel of injuries! This is borderline epidemic.  The players union should look into having pitchers train a different way.  These elbow injuries are becoming so rampant that players just assume they will have Tommy John surgery now and carry on with their careers.  Just ask Brandon Beachy how that’s working out.  Baseball is inherently slow to the draw with changes, save for a few managers who have embraced the defensive shift.  Bottom line is teams need to develop a better training program for their pitchers to keep them healthy for the long season. 

The league has instituted instant replay to the chagrin of purists and the dismay of avid fans who don’t want to sit through a 4+ hour game, especially in April when the summer breeze is a crisp 30 something.  The Cardinals are the only team to not request a play be reviewed, and we have seen some replays take nearly 5 minutes while the majority of them take under 2.  It’s an indictment of the umpire crew and the ‘human element’ of the game, getting calls right is the justification but Jacoby Ellsbury was called out stealing 2nd base when he was safe and no challenge was used.  Granted the ball beat him to the base, and to the naked eye he was out easily, but it goes both ways here if we are promoting a fair and just game. 

Imports are as advertised:

It took Masahiro Tanaka three weeks and three starts but he already looks like the ace of the Yankees’ staff.  As advertised he has been a strikeout artist with his splitter and fastball command.  He is 2-0 with a .077 WHIP and 2.05 ERA in 22 innings of work so far.  The concern was he would struggle to adapt to pitching every 5th day, which for now isn’t an issue; check back in June. 

Jose Abreu looks like he is following in Yoenis Cespedes’ footsteps.  He is a beast at the plate and has 5 long balls already, but also a .242 average with 17 strikeouts.  Watching his at bats has shown good plate discipline despite his recent 1-21 slump.  Abreu should hit 25 bombs and be around 80-90 RBI by the end of the season. He looks like a building block for the overhaul on the South side of Chicago. 

Flash in the pan?

Rockies OF Charlie Blackmon really enjoys hitting at Coors Field, his .486 average and 4 home runs have come at home.  Overall his .406 average , it was over .500 into the third week of the season, doesn’t look like he’s the next coming of Larry Walker, but he does play a solid game for the post steroid era with an on base percentage of .440.  We will have to check back in June with him too to see how he holds up.