The Top 5 Things You Should Pay Attention to After 5 Weeks of Baseball

I don't think there were many that truly believed the Indians would be anywhere close to where they are. They are sitting pretty atop the AL Central with a staggering 21-9 record, having already moved 4 ½ games up on the 2^nd place Kansas City Royals (17-14). Normally I'd say it's a little early to chalk too much confidence in to a team just 30 games in to the season but combined with the shocking mediocrity (or worse) from the rest of the Central (the White Sox are 11 games out already), the Indians are in an early driver's seat. No matter which way you slice the pie, it is early, but I like the Indians, and expect them to hold tough. At this point, I just don't know where the challenge will come from within the division seeing as the Royals are probably a year out from being truly dangerous for the duration.

Dan Haren and Jered Weaver Might Be Enough

Overall, I'm apt to say the Texas Rangers are the strongest team in the AL West but with Dan Haren and Jered Weaver pitching how they are; the LA Angels just might be able to hang around. Both pitchers are sporting ERA's under 2 and have a combined record of 10-3 on a team that is 16-14. The Angels need to get some more consistency on the offensive side and the rest of the rotation. The Angels are sitting at 11^th in the AL in RBI's, and have struck out the most of any team in the AL. They need to smooth out the edges outside of their two aces. They don't need to be tops in the league, but if they can move up a few slots in offensive production the Rangers should expect to see them knocking on the door most of the year.

Lance Berkman was a Great Signing for the Cardinals

Everyone knew what Lance Berkman could potentially do for the Cardinals if he was healthy. But to the detriment of the rest of the National League (specifically the NL Central), Berkman is destroying opposing pitchers. Check this line of stats for the season: .392 AVG, 10 HR, 32 RBI. It's been dually important that Berkman (and Holliday for that matter) have stepped up like they have seeing as Albert Pujols is batting .252. History tells you Pujols should come up considerably, and logic tells you Berkman and Holliday will level out a bit. However, it's good a thing they can hit because at this point, the Cardinals need to be up by at least a few runs when their, to this point abysmal, bullpen takes over.

Finally a Cubs Prospect is as Good as Advertised

Starlin Castro is the real deal. That fact is a truly great truth for the Chicago Cubs, who seem to go through more "next great players" than anyone, and their fans. Castro, at just 21 years old, has been extremely productive for the Cubs. He's shown a little power, a habit of multi-hit games, clutch hitting, and an attitude of winning and truly wanting to learn (which is good because he's pretty rough defensively). On top of his rapid and accomplished development, the Cubs have found another middle infielder in Darwin Barney. He essentially encompasses all the qualities Castro has but has had little to no trouble defensively. Both are batting over .300, are 2^nd and 3^rd respectively in RBI's on the team, and have become an exceptional one-two punch atop the Cub lineup. The Cubs may not be quite there to compete deep into the playoffs, but these two young infielders could come up huge in the near future.

If Health Holds, the Phillies are as Good as they looked on Paper

The age of both the Phillies starting pitchers as well as their core offensive players makes them a risky pick to hold their current success (21-9). The Phillies much touted "Big 4" have been exceptional over the first month of the season; combining to go 12-5. Halladay and Hamels have ERA's under 3 and Oswalt and Lee have ERA's under 4. The numbers aren't earth-shattering, but they are certainly good enough to make a run. With Oswalt most likely heading to the DL, it might just be a blip on the radar, but it might also be the start of what many thought would do in the Phils: injuries.

We'll see in another 30 games how these facts have held up and a new top 5 things to pay attention to. Until then, enjoy the great sport!