This Week In Baseball: A Star Is (Re)born

Charlie Klein

One of my favourite weeks of any year, the first week of baseball usually brings with it engrossing universal optimism and statistical oddities.

Perhaps the most hyped debut for any player coming out of the minor leagues in a long, long time Jason Heyward dazzled the Turner Field crowd on Opening Day. The 20 year-old all-everything Braves starlet hit a moonshot in his first major league at bat.

During his first game he went 2-5 with four RBIs and everyone around baseball began etching his name on the Rookie of the Year Trophy. His second game was not so bad either, going 1 for 3. Then in the next two games he went a combined 0 for 9. So which player will he be this season? Who knows. But for anyone expecting a 30+ homerun season from the kid might be a year off.

While Jason Heyward was grabbing all of the headlines, Toronto Blue Jays centerfielder Vernon Wells announced to the rest of the league that he was back. Of his seven hits this season, four of them have been homeruns. While in his hometown of Arlington, Texas, Wells also drove in seven RBIs as the Jay got off to a great start against the Texas Rangers.

It may be too soon to say that Wells will be the player that the Jays broke the bank to re-sign back in 2006 (to the tune of seven years, $126 million), he has had himself quite a week.


Performers of the Week Team

Outfield: Nelson Cruz (Texas Rangers), Garrett Jones (Pittsburgh Pirates), and Vernon Wells (Toronto Blue Jays).

First Base: Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies)
Second Base: Mark Ellis (Oakland Athletics)
Shortstop: Edgar Renteria (San Francisco Giants)
Third Base: Placido Polanco (Philadelphia Phillies)

Pitcher: Roy Halladay (Philadelphia Phillies)

Designated Hitter: Vladimir Guererro (Texas Rangers)

And, just for the theme of the post, I'm going to throw this in there: