Sizzle
Evan Longoria » Is Longoria (.441, 5 HR, 12 RBIs) the best offensive third baseman in baseball? Before you answer consider this: entering play on Wednesday, the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year had more home runs than the A’s and Giants.
Nick Swisher » An afterthought in a busy offseason for the Yankees, Swisher (.458, 4 HR, 11 RBIs) has been New York’s best acquisition. He homered and pitched a scoreless inning (more on that later) in Monday’s 15-5 loss to Tampa.
Josh Johnson » His first start (six-plus innings of shutout ball against the Nationals) was strong. His second start (a complete-game gem in which he outdueled Johan Santana) was fantastic. The Marlins righty has a 15-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Fizzle
Lincecum & Lee » Talk about the difference a year makes. In 2008, Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee were untouchable. This season? Not so much. The reigning Cy Young winners are a combined 0-3 with an 8.95 ERA in four starts.
Lance Berkman » Few players in the NL are as productive as Berkman, who has averaged 34 home runs and 113 RBIs per season since 1999. But the 33-year-old first baseman has struggled, hitting just .167.
Chien-Ming Wang » The 29-year-old righty lasted less than two innings in his start against the Rays, prompting a parade from the bullpen and Swisher’s emergency relief appearance. Wang (46-15 the previous three seasons) has a 28.93 ERA in 2009.
