7 days into the Minnesota Twins 2014 season is fun to look at. 4.3% of the games are done, and it has an interesting vibe to start the season. If I were to tell you:

Joe Mauer 7k's, 0 RBI, .250 Avg

Brian Dozier is batting .143 10K's

Arcia/Willingham injured

The Minnesota Twins would be 3rd in the Majors in Runs scored???

If I gave you those same stats and you added in the fact that our pitching staff has a 6.46 ERA, and going into the beginning of the season our biggest opportunity was going to be scoring runs would you think the Twins found a way to win 3 games and sit at 3-4???

The Minnesota Twins are spending $11.5 million on pace to be the next Vance Worley. 10 IP, 9.00 ERA, opening day starter.

Our home opener number four hitter is making $505k a year!!

Kevin Correia is our strikeout leader at 8 k's.

After all of that funny business and fun the Minnesota Twins are 3-4. I have to say it has been fun to watch, different players stepping up, hits in scoring position, good defensive baseball, interesting new rules with instant replay. Due to work I have only been able to catch replays and listen to games on the radio and watch the games during lunch, but I have been entertained. Isn't that what we want in the first place.

Again a little over 4% of baseball in the books, we do have a Minnesota Twin as offensive player of the week: Chris Colabello, congrats, and the stories come flying out about this guy and Parker Hageman wrote a good story on Chris. He was co player of the week with Josh Hamilton. I am guessing this trend won't stay, but I laughed when I saw Colabello was batting cleanup for our home opener. I wasn't laughing at Chris, I was laughing at the disparity in salary from Josh vs Colabello.

After the first 6 games this season Josh Hamilton made $648,148 dollars, at Colabellos current salary he would have to play more than the entire season to make that amount of money!!!! Isn't that crazy? Its amazing when you put those things in perspective, side by side stats for the first week of baseball.

Chris Colabello 10/27-- 11RBI-- 1.043 OPS $21,820 in salary

Josh Hamilton 12/24-- 6RBI-- 1.433 OPS $648,148 in salary

Joe Mauer 7/28-- 0RBI-- .704 OPS $993,827 in salary

7 games is a very small sample size, all the stats we have so far barely put a dent into the entire season, except the 11RBI, that will make a difference in the long run. Colabello's story is as important as looking at Joe Mauer at the beginning of this year. I am a big critic of Joe Mauer, in the lens of what the Twins could have been able to get in the past 3 years if they looked at a trade, and now making $23 million a season, I know we are not going to get the production based off of salary. What scares me is 7 K's so far this year and watching him at bat looks scary. It doesn't look like he is in the game, and missing balls by way more than I have ever seen. If the Twins are going to not lose 90 games again, Joe Mauer needs to have an above average year, and based off the beginning, I am concerned. At that same rate, should I be concerned, as I just mentioned we are 7 games in, and in baseball stats seem to always come to the mean of the talent of the player. I have watched Mauer every year he has been here, and to me, this year he seems the most out of it. Just like Colabello will come back to the mean I hope Mauer improves to what his $23 Million expectation is. I am not expecting the world from him, but he has to be a leader in the clubhouse and be Joe Mauer. All I am looking for is avg Joe Mauer contribution, I would not blame Mauer for the inflated contract I would blame the Twins for not getting the most out of Mauer, and that would have been a trade if the Red Sox were interested 2.5 years ago. Mauer's contract isn't hurting the Twins right now anyway as they are only spending $85 million on this team, as I am sure they had the options if a player wanted to sign to get into the $100 million area or above.

7 days in and I am actually a little more excited than I was on opening day. Willingham, Plouffe, Kubel have done very well, we had an early breakout with Colabello, and we can hope that Dozier and Mauer get into the action. All of our SP's have pitched in very warm markets, yes, they are not used to the weather, yes, that shouldn't be an excuse, reality is they are not going to have a combined 6.48ERA going forward. It is exciting that Gibson is our best starter so far, (yes I know 1 start, but that is reality), things can only go better for the starters, and if the lineup can continue to hit the ball, we will have more excitement than last year!! Go Twins!!