Five Things to Watch in the 2011 Baseball Season

The 2011 baseball season is in full swing, and as usual, there are many story lines emerging. Some of these involve the usual suspects, while others do not. The following five things are just a few items of interest to follow for the rest of the season.

The Future of Prince Fielder 

The Brewers recently made it clear what their many priority is when they signed Ryan Braun to a five year extension deal worth one hundred and fifty million dollars. This will keep Braun with the Brewers all the way until 2020. Prince Fielder, who were once thought of as the face of the Brewers, has been shown his place in the hierarchy. The debate lies in how he will respond to this, and if he will choose to move on to another team that will regard him as their number one.

The Cleveland Indians '" Boom or Bust 

We've seen this before. A team filled with little known players gets off to a hot start, and then fizzle out over the course of the season. With a combined team yearly salary of less than what even one major star makes, the Cleveland Indians seem to be getting a good deal for their money. For now, Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner are leading the way, and with a supporting cast of talented rookies, it is quite possible that this is a team that could keep the fireworks going throughout the season.

Berkman Is Back 

Or at least he seems to be. Now considered a veteran, at the ripe old age of 35,  Lance Berkman is putting up impressive numbers so far this season. Plenty of home runs, lots of RBI's, and a gaudy batting average have place Berkman back amount the baseball elite for the time being. The real question is if he will be able to keep it up, or wear down as the long season progresses.

The Cy Young Battle 

The early season favorites are Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum. Both are very different, yet both produce positive results. Lincecum draws a lot of attention, while Halladay does his thing without much hoopla. Both have impressive win stats, a high number of strikeouts, and incredibly low ERA's so far this season. One or the other has won the Cy Young Award each of the past three seasons. Stay tuned to see if another pitching star emerges and swipes the coveted award, but don't count on it.