In Jays land, Bautista caught my attention for apparently picking up right where he left off, hitting HRs, making loud outs, taking walks. E5 earned his nickname again - I hope it was just nerves. Coming back against Nathan so well was good to see, although it has to worry the Twins at the other end. The Jays looked locked in, hopefully another good start is in the offing.

The Royals scoring runs and getting bullpen pitching that didn't stink.

My MVP pick in the prediction thread being essentially wrong already due to Longoria missing three weeks (sure, Hamilton pulled it off last year, but spotting the league 15-20 games pretty much kills any MVP buzz).

Red Sox fans are freaking out already - but maybe Texas will just be better?

The Phillies are on script so far...

Also love the "reverse order" AL East standings. Three games might not mean much, but they count now as surely as September. Go Jays!

Actually my observations are that the team looks remarkably similar to last seasons team.

1. Bautista hitting his HRs, taking his walks

2. Romero looking strong

3. Our closer looking like he'll scare us every time out (at least until Francisco can take the job)

4. Aaron Hill looking like he'll struggle with the bat

5. Vernon Wells (I mean Juan Rivera) being unable to cash a run in from 3B with less than 2 outs

6. Power from the catching position

7. Young pitching showing promise with no hitters and success early in the season

8. EE struggling at 3B (Actually based on what I've seen so far Jason Nix may have his job soon)

Small sample size applies of course, we're 3 games in, but this weekend gave me deju vu

I've been paying attention to plate discipline. In yesterday's 9th, Bautista uncharacterically revealed his adrenaline surge and chased an 0-0 Nathan curveball. He then immediately returned to his controlled self, working a very disciplined walk.

Lind and Hill appear to be swinging at anything and everything. When Lind chased Nathan's 0-0 curveball, I was not in the least bit surprised, either at Nathan's pitch selection or at the result. The two may well be going to the plate with a plan but I just don't know that either have the impulse control to execute their plans.

Escobar has drawn two walks which doesn't mean I am envisioning 108 on the season, but hopefully it's a sign that his walk ratio may return to his pre-Jay levels. I recall one of the PA's that resulted in a walk and it was one he truly earned, having failed to bite on a previous close 2-strike pitch.

Rajai Davis, whom I've seen precious little of and not enough to have formed a proper impression, really seems to like chest high fastballs. I'm not sure that's a good thing for a non-homerun hitting leadoff hitter.

Juan Rivera's 3 walks are a surprise for a hitter with his profile. Of course, a week from now he could still be sitting on 3, so I wouldn't want to go crazy inferring anything from this.

I thought that Lind looked much better against Liriano than he did against any LHP last year. 

I missed that game altogether. I was impressed in game one when he hung in against a LHP (Perkins?) and slapped a single off his front foot.

It's a LONG season, and we all know this, yet we seem predisposed to observing any signs that confirm our biases. I know I am certainly guilty.

As silly as I feel inferring anything from my observations, you just need to listen to Wilner's call-in show to hear silly raised to a whole new level. One caller saw Cecil's 5th inning "collapse" as part of a pattern (albeit one-game long) and perhaps a sign that Cecil should be moved to middle relief.

To me, Lind has looked supremely absent of confidence at the plate.  It is somewhat striking to measure it simply based on body language when he follows up Bautista's ABs.  I see Lind improving only marginally on his numbers from last season.

funny thing is, Bautista chased that exact same 0-0 Nathan Curveball.

he just completely missed it.

This ties into thoughts I've had before - if you are going to swing at the first pitch as a power hitter, don't adjust to the pitch. Bautista likely could have hit that first pitch for a  weak grounder, but he swung hard and was therefore fooled badly, but got to see more pitches. A hitter like Bautista (and Lind in my opinion) is better off missing a 0-0 pitch than hitting it with a weaker swing. An important compliment to "get your pitch and hit it hard" is "if it's not your pitch, don't hit it weak".  Most hitters occasionally swing to the pitch - that is, slow the bat down to hit a slower than expected pitch. Lind made a great two-strike swing on what would have been a good two-strike pitch. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't two strikes yet.

What annoyed me was that he swung at the first pitch at all . Nathan hasn't pitched in more than a year, had thrown 30 pitches in a high stress inning...that situation begs for a pitch or two to be taken. There was still a decent shot at a cheap run scored on a wild pitch too...

Tampa's batting order without Longoria looks very weak.  Like something you'd see in K.C, Clev or Seattle.  Manny is giving them zip so far.  I'm still thinking Zobrist's 2009 was a career year by a wide margin.  Their starters are good, but aside from Price and maybe Hellickson, I don't think they are really top of the line guys, and their bullpen is a mess.  With the way the O's pitching is shaping up, Tampa could be looking at a last place finish.  Even with Longoria's return. 

Boston's offense is great and will get better once Lowrie displaces Scutaro at SS.  Their pitching is starting to spring a leak, though.  I think Lackey's days as anything remotely resembling a top starter are over, period.  Matsuzaka is wild and inconsistent.  Beckett wasn't very good last year.  Lester is great, and let's see how much regression Buchholz has - neither was very good in their first start.  I think Boston's going to be in some very high scoring games this year and they'll win fewer of them than you might expect.

Nelson Cruz started hot last year too, but then got hurt.  If he stays healthy, he could be an MVP candidate.  Beltre looks like he could be continuing his typical pattern of great year pre-contract, not so good post-contract.

Nice to see Cdn Jeff Francis healthy - he pitched a fine first game for K.C.  He's made a total of 43 starts in the last 3 seasons combined.  Hope he stays healthy this year.  His teammate Tim Collins continues to do what he was doing with New Hampshire, only now he's doing it to major league hitters.  4 IP,  ERA 0.00,  WHIP 1.00,  6/1 K/BB.  Maybe some minor league relievers really are good prospects.

Giants started off their post WS championship by getting beaten 3 games to 1 by the Dodgers despite Cain and Lincecum both giving up zero runs.  I was surprised Belt made the team out of training camp - I figured he'd get 3 months in Fresno.  Probably goes back there when Ross comes off the DL.  Panda's comeback continues to be on track.

Arencibia has really impressed me with his power. In 2 games, he not only hit 2 HR's, but hit one off the wall in dead centre, narrowly missed another HR and hit another long fly for an out.  The proponderance of fly balls will hurt his average, but he can really hit the ball a long way.  Of course we all remember how he started things off here last year, and what came next.  Hopefully we don't see a repeat of that.  Nix impressed in his game, although Lind saved him an error with a great scoop of a wild throw.  Bautista is for real.  Escobar is going to have a better season than last year.  Drabek looked much better than in his brief stint with the Jays last year.  If he repeats that next game, I'm changing my mind about him needing a couple of months in AAA.  Of course the Jays minor league system apparently stops at the AA level for good pitching prospects.  Are organizations allowed to loan minor league players to other organizations?  I've seen it done in hockey when a team has too many players at a position on their American Hockey League team, or when an AHL team needs a goalie for a month or two due to injuries.  Maybe the Jays could loan Stewart or others to somebody else's AAA team.

Of course, small sample size is in effect for most of the above.