Throughout his career, Edwin Encarnacion (DH/1B, TOR) has teased owners with his considerable ability, but his inconsistent results have continued to frustrate. In 2012, the Blue Jays have given Encarnacion a consistent spot in the lineup and he has responded.

You'd expect to see guys like Kershaw and Strasburg on a list of the most highly-skilled young starting pitchers. But a deeper look reveals a lot of surprises.

A bit light on closers this week, perhaps the result of FAABtigue. But we do have Andy Pettitte and Kevin Millwood. That's got to count for something.

Josh Johnson (RHP, MIA) supposedly entered the year healthy, having recovered from a bum shoulder that cost him much of last season. But so far, his 1-3 record, 5.36 ERA and a couple of very rocky starts is disconcerting for owners who expected him to bounce back from shoulder problems and be something close to the Cy Young contender he was in 2010.

After the distractions of last fall, Jon Lester (LHP, BOS) probably couldn’t wait for the new season to begin. But between a new manager and a rough start to the year, there’s still plenty of consternation going around Boston. While the Red Sox struggle to reach .500, Lester has also hit some bumps in the road.

Skills not roles. The question is--who has the skills?

At BaseballHQ.com, we often remind readers that young players frequently don't develop at a linear rate. Bud Norris (RHP, HOU) may be the exception.

The core skill of any successful batter is to make hard contact, and we look at batters who appear to be demonstrating that skill.

After Boston's incumbent closer left in free agency, it was all but assumed dominant set-up man Daniel Bard (RHP, BOS) would inherit the role in 2012. The Red Sox threw everyone a curve ball, however, converting Bard into a starter in hopes of addressing a rotation with questionable depth. The transition has not gone smoothly...

Stressed out? Market Pulse is a massage for your mind, with no mention of Brett Lawrie's helmet toss.

One of the newer frontiers in baseball analysis is PITCHf/x, the system installed in every major league ballpark that collects data on every pitched ball. Much like more traditional skill measurements such as walk and strikeout rates and home run-to-fly-ball ratio, the data on a pitcher's velocity and movement can help validate or invalidate his ERA and WHIP.