Kris Bryant

The most heralded prospect coming into the season, Bryant has played 14 games and had 50 at-bats in the Major Leagues so far, so noting the small sample size - it's interesting that he hasn't hit a Major League home run and despite his gaudy on-base percentage, his numbers so far have been fairly quiet.

On the other hand, I'll be waiting for the headlines when he really starts figuring things out - maybe because many top prospects are hyped up, it's almost surprising when they don't start off their MLB careers like Albert Pujols.

Featured autograph - Kris Bryant

With the crazy hype surrounding his spring training home run barrage, I'm glad I got him a few years ago - when I actually got him, he had probably shortened up his autograph already, but the recent graphs he has given out in-person just look real sloppy.

Stephen Strasburg MIA?

I don't hear too much about the supposed ace of the Washington Nationals anymore though I assume he's never been quite a peach and the less national attention he gets - the more comfortable he feels as long as he can go out and dominate on the mound.

However, it's been three or four years already since Strasburg was hyped as the greatest thing since sliced bread - though pitching relatively well despite his W-L record, maybe he doesn't seem to be as sure of a thing at the ripe old age of 24.

It's not like his future is all behind him - but I wonder if fans and or experts will ever get an opportunity to talk about his talent like a Justin Verlander or Felix Hernandez any time soon.

Strasburg missed much of the 2011 season after coming back from Tommy John surgery - in 2012, wasn't allowed to finish the 2012 season and it was a strange decision for the Nationals to make, even with Strasburg's long-term interests in mind.

I guess Strasburg has to take a back seat to position player and teammate Bryce Harper on the Nationals - and apparently Strasburg is no Matt Harvey, who is the hot rookie pitcher of the moment in Major League Baseball.

Stephen Strasburg - just living the dream

This isn't a recent Stephen Strasburg image, but one I took during the 2009 Arizona Fall League - take a look closer at the nice orderly crowd of adults jockeying to get Strasburg's autograph.

Maybe the most refreshing thing to see Tuesday night in Strasburg's Major League debut was he came out and lived up to the hype for one night - not in a pump your chest for everybody to see kind of way, but to simply go out and dominate with zero walks allowed and 14 strikeouts in seven innings kind of way.   

What wasn't surprising, but perhaps a little depressing is this whole cottage industry - where everyone wants a piece of Strasburg [his $16,000 baseball card], everyone wants a say [maybe the pundits or experts at various 'online outlets,' Baseball America, ESPN, et al] and/or everyone is looking to sell a piece of him [Major League Baseball, Topps].

He has an entire Major League Baseball career infront of him and perhaps he'll be a superstar realized - but there isn't a novelty factor to this guy because everyone basically predicted what he was going to do from the time he signed his first professional contract.

Now after his first Major League start along the way - all Strasburg has to do is strikeout 14 or more guys the rest of his starts [throw a no-hitter and/or perfect game, strikeout 20 batters] in 2010 as a tease to what he is going to do when he actually matures as a Major League pitcher.

Featured player: Josh Hamilton
I was napping for the start of the Home Run Derby, it gets boring and long winded in-between the players actually hitting some home runs.

However, I slowly rose from my slumber as this Josh Hamilton guy woke me up - with prodigious, monumental blasts launched at Yankee Stadium with an easy, effortless stroke.

He might not have won the Home Run Derby - but his 28 home runs in Round 1 provided all the fireworks. It was an exhibition for the ages.

Everyone in New York was in awe and wanted to be part of the action - the crowd was electrified, on the their heels, seeing how far Hamilton would hit his next home run. Hanley Ramirez was mimicking Hamilton's stance. Hamilton's teammate Milton Bradley was taking photo ops with Hamilton and taking in the fun.

This is what America wants. This is what they crave.

Their self-fulfilling prophecy about the great hope redeemed is realized and from phenom to crackhead - the sky is the limit for Hamilton.

Josh Hamilton is mom, apple pie and tattoos.

PS: Some other guy won the Home Run Derby. I think he may have been Canadian or something, so it doesn't count. I keed, I keed Justin Morneau fans.