Mr. April: players to watch in the season's first month

East

Mets LHP Tom Glavine is 44-20 with a 2.61 ERA in April. That's not surprising, given his off-speed stuff and ability to hit corners. Hitters are better suited to handle him as the season wears on. ... Orioles CF Luis Matos appears primed for a fast start. He is healthy again, and his bat speed has improved significantly. He is driving the ball into the gaps, which has made him successful in the past. ... Phillies LF Pat Burrell had a fantastic spring. He also is more relaxed and not as likely to let one bad at-bat turn into 20 bad ones. ... Blue Jays LF Frank Catalanotto, their leadoff batter, is a .317 hitter in April. His hitting usually reaches a peak in the final week of spring training. If he gets off to a hot start, so will the offense,

Central

White Sox DH Carl Everett is poised for a fast start. He saw as many pitches as possible in exhibition games and never gave away an at-bat. A hot April is important to Everett; he wants to keep playing once Frank Thomas returns from injury rehab in mid-May. ... Tigers LF Rondell White is primed to top the .306 average and 22 RBIs he had last April. If pitchers approach him aggressively, he has a quick enough bat to make solid contact. ... For the first time in three years, Astros RHP Roy Oswalt seemed to be 100 percent as opening day drew near. His second and third starts will be against the Reds, against whom he is 11-0 lifetime. ... Russell Branyan could have a breakout season. He and Wes Helms will split the Brewers' third base job, Branyan has cut down on his strikeouts, and he hits well at Miller Park; he had eight homers in 90 at-bats there last season.

West

Diamondbacks 3B Troy Glaus is a career .291 hitter in April, and he was hot the last two weeks of spring training this year. He reports no problems with his surgically repaired right shoulder. And hitting between LF Luis Gonzalez and RF Shawn Green should help. ... One of Glaus' former Angels teammates, IF Chone Figgins, was to open at second base for L.A. in place of injured Adam Kennedy. Playing every day at one position should help Figgins, normally a utilityman, gain confidence in the field and be productive at the plate. ... Padres LF Ryan Klesko is healthy after an injury-filled 2004, and he's stronger than he was a year ago after a full offseason of weightlifting. He usually is a strong starter, and, from the No. 5 spot, he has a chance to give the team a big lift. ... A sore neck contributed to Rangers 1B Mark Teixeira's cool April in 2004. Teixeira is healthy now and coming off a robust second half.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning