A notoriously slow starter, Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee usually struggles through the first couple months before exploding in June.
If Lee finds a way to elevate his game as the season progresses, he could be in for a record-breaking season.
For the first time in his career, Lee is off to a fast start. After a monster performance on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds, Lee is now leading the National League in all three Triple Crown categories.
Lee went 4-4 Wednesday, hitting two home runs and driving in a career-high six runs. He is now hitting .430 with seven homeruns and 27 RBI. Lee now has a 10 game hit streak and has driven in 16 over that stretch.
The Cubs acquired Lee before last season in a trade for Hee Seop Choi. Many expected a breakout season from Lee as he would leave spacious Dolphin Stadium for the cozier Wrigley Field.
As usual, however, Lee got off to a slow start after donning the Cubs uniform. In his months as a Cub, Lee hit .233 with just two homeruns and 11 RBI. He never really got it going until June rolled around, a month in which he hit .385 with five homeruns and 19 RBI.
Lee finished the season with career-highs in homeruns and RBI collecting 32 and 98 respectively. Lee is a versatile player who steals bases and plays solid defense at first base.
This year, Lee is carrying a Cubs offense that is trying to overcome the departures of Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou, the injuries to Nomar Garciaparra and Todd Walker and the sluggish start of newly resigned Aramis Ramirez. Despite all these blows, the Cubs are tied for the National League lead in runs scored, largely due to Lee's production.
Still, the Cubs are only 11-10, despite the offensive barrage. Surprisingly, the Cubs pitching staff has been the culprit. Out of the Cubs vaunted rotation of Carlos Zambrano, Greg Maddux, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Ryan Dempster, only Prior has been effective.
Still, the Cubs have to feel confident that if they keep hitting, their starters will come through. They have to be encouraged by the fact that Prior has returned from an elbow injury to win all three of his starts, allowing just two runs over 19 innings. He appears to be back in the form he had in late 2003, when he was arguably the best pitcher in baseball.
Still, while the starters will likely turn it around, the Cubs' real problem has been its bullpen. Cubs relievers have blown four saves and the team has already cycled through four closers.
In spring training, it appeared Joe Borowski, the closer during the Cubs' 2003 playoff run, had the upper hand in the competition for the job. That ended when he took a line drive off his pitching arm in spring training.
LaTroy Hawkins was then thrust back into the role to fill Borowski's spot. Hawkins struggled down the stretch in that role last year and was a big reason why the Cubs missed the playoffs. Picking up where he left off from last season, Hawkins has blown two of his four save opportunities.
It appeared that Hawkins had lost his job when manager Dusty Baker called on Chad Fox to close out the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 24. The next day, however, Fox surrendered three earned runs in a third of an inning before walking off the mound with an elbow injury. The next day, the Cubs placed him on the disabled list.
After starting the season 3-4, the St. Louis Cardinals are showing that they may be an even better team than the one that made the World Series last year.
Having won 11 of their last 12, the Cardinals are now the best team in the NL with a 14-5 record. Unlike last year, when the Cardinals won because of the unbelievable hitting of Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds and Larry Walker, the Cardinals are doing it this year with pitching.
With a 3.32 ERA, the Cardinals have the third best pitching in baseball. The rotation has been the key, earning wins in 13 of the Cardinals' 14 victories.
Matt Morris has been the best starter, going 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Morris appears to be back to top form after struggling since the death of his teammate and close friend Daryl Kile.
Also, Mark Mulder has recovered from an atrocious start to show the team that he can be their ace. After giving up 10 runs in his first two starts, the lefty hasn't given up a run in his last two starts. After throwing a 10-inning shutout masterpiece against Houston Astros' ace Roger Clemens, it appears Mulder is on track.
