When Major League Baseball decided to get serious about its crackdown on steroids, many felt the power numbers would suffer. Well, we're almost to the quarter point of the season, and the numbers suggest otherwise.
Leading the way in the American League is Jim Thome of the White Sox, who's on pace to hit more than 60 home runs.
Jason Giambi of the Yankees is on pace for more than 50 home runs, as is Troy Glaus of the Blue Jays.
Those are names you would expect to see among the leaders, albeit not at their current pace.
But Nick Swisher?
Swisher, an outfielder for the Oakland A's, also is on pace for 50 home runs, after hitting 21 last year. Jonny Gomes of the Devil Rays can say the same.
Not to be undone, Travis Hafner of the Indians, Miguel Tejada of the Orioles, Vernon Wells of the Blue Jays, Eric Chavez of the A's and Kevin Mench of the Rangers are on pace to surpass 40 homers this season.
Even a couple of Tigers are in on the action. Chris Shelton and Magglio Ordonez are on pace to chase a 50-homer season.
In the National League, the numbers are even more absurd.
Albert Pujols of the Cardinals is hitting them at a mind-numbing pace that would project to more than 80.
He became the fastest player to reach 19 home runs at the start of a season. And if that's not enough, he's on pace for more than 200 runs batted in.
Then there's Carlos Lee of the suddenly power-hitting Brewers, who is on pace to better 60. Carlos Delgado of the Mets, Adam Dunn of the Reds and Lance Berkman of the Astros are on pace to hit 50 or more home runs.
Of course, it's just May and the lofty power numbers probably will not continue at this pace. But it appears the long-ball era did not end with the steroid era. Maybe people can rekindle the "juiced ball" debate from the late '80s.
Catching fish
Last week, we suggested it would be wise to steer clear of Kansas City Royals for your fantasy team. The Florida Marlins are not much better, but a few bear consideration.
Rookie Hanley Ramirez has been at or near the top of the National League in hitting. While he does not show a lot of power, you might want to think about his bat if you need a lift in your team's average.
Miguel Cabrera is among NL leaders in average and RBI, and has shown decent power in the past.
Josh Willingham has hovered around .300 and also is on pace for 30-plus homers and 100 RBI. Dan Uggla also is hitting at a .300 clip, but without the power.
Don't be too quick to look past the Marlins because of their record. There are a few guys there that could help out a roster.
Their pitching is another story, including Dontrelle Willis , who won 22 games last year but is off to a miserable start this season.
Like a certain Prince in neighboring Minnesota, another Prince is making a lot of noise in Wisconsin.
He is not doing it with his music, but with his bat, and his career just seems to be taking off, too.
Prince Fielder is eerily similar to his dad, Cecil , in regards to his, well, girth and power.
Young Fielder is on pace for more than 30 home runs and around 100 RBI. But unlike his father, it appears he can hit for average, too.
Prince's batting average with the Brewers, through Monday, is .321 and his slugging percentage is .550 with an on-base percentage of .379.
Believe it or not, Fielder, a 260-pound-plus first baseman, also has three stolen bases, something his dad could only dream about doing.
The Brewers have been tough to beat at home, and if they can start to win a few more on the road, they just might find themselves in the National League wild-card race.
Still only 22, it looks like people will be remembering the name for years to come. His name is Prince
