Johan Santana (LHP, NYM) secured his place in Mets history with his no-hitter on Friday night. But even before his stellar outing, Santana had looked fully recovered from the shoulder concerns that kept him out of action in 2011.

So far in 2012, Kelly Johnson (2B, TOR) has been more like the player the Toronto Blue Jays envisioned when they traded for him this past year. Johnson appears to have put to rest the questions that his struggles last season raised for the most part, but digging deeper reveals that some issues persist...

Carlos Ruiz (C, PHI) has been a Godsend for the Phillies through the first two months of the season. Without two of their big guns, the club has gotten surprising production from the 33-year-old backstop. Most surprising of all if the 7 HRs—only two shy of his career high for an entire season.

With the sluggish start that Brett Lawrie (3B, TOR) has had, it’s not surprising that he had a helmet-throwing temper tantrum a couple of weeks ago. After a strong rookie year (nine HR, seven SB in 150 AB), much was expected of the 22-year old Lawrie.

With the calendar about to turn to June, even the most patient fantasy leaguers begin to question just how long to wait out slow starts. Exhibit A: Rickie Weeks (2B, MIL).

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.