Fact or Fiction: 5 early-season observations

Former three-time All-Star and theScore MLB insider Vernon Wells weighs in on five early storylines from around the majors. The following is from a conversation with theScore's Dan Toman.

Jake Arrieta is the best pitcher in baseball

Fact. He's been unhittable - literally twice - over his last 24 starts. He's always had the stuff, even in Baltimore, but harnessing that stuff was his issue. He understands what he's capable of doing now. His demeanor on the mound has changed. Everything is moving, everything is hard, and to watch him, it really seems like he's getting more confident with every pitch he throws, which is scary for opposing hitters. It's very similar to the experience I had watching Doc (Roy Halladay) pitch. It was almost boring at times because as an outfielder you're not getting much work, but it allowed me to sit back and watch greatness. Guys like this just don't need that much help.

Orioles are a legitimate contender

Fact. They are still a team on a mission. You have veteran presence in that lineup and a close group of guys who are itching to get back to the top of that division. This is what you should expect out of a team with this much talent - Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris Davis - and one of the best managers in the game. You have a manager (Buck Showalter) who at every moment is fully aware of every situation and knows how to get the best out of each individual person on that roster. Whatever happened to them last year, happened, and they've learned from those mistakes. I don't see anything slowing them down at this point.

Yankees, Cardinals are showing their age

Fiction on both. For the Cardinals, Adam Wainwright just hasn't got settled yet, and once he does, he’s one of those guys who can lead a rotation. The guys behind him will feed off what he's doing. They're too good and have too many guys in that clubhouse who are used to winning and know what winning looks like. They'll be fine.

The Yankees' woes aren't necessarily as easy to overcome because hitting is hard. When you struggle, especially as a group, hits and runs seem almost impossible to come by. A-Rod is their equivalent of Wainwright. It's amazing the effect No. 3 and No. 4 hitters can have on a lineup. When the guys in the middle are hitting, the guys in front of them see better pitches. The guys behind them come up with guys on base more often. It's a trickle down effect. If A-Rod gets going, especially like last year, it changes the tune of that team, it changes the tune of that lineup. He's been there, he's done that. I'm sure the stress that he's putting on himself is as great as anyone from the outside. Too early to worry about them.

David Price won't live up to his $217M contract

Fact. It's not possible. It doesn't matter what you do, there's no living up to that type of deal. I don't care who you are, David Price or Cy Young, the expectations of living up to that are unrealistic. It is what it is. It's what the market bears, and it's what really good starting pitching costs. You have to separate the contract from the early struggles. There's no doubt in my mind he's going to turn it around. Talking to people in the Blue Jays organization, they loved him as a person just as much as a pitcher. Sometimes, players who are that well respected can put too much pressure on themselves to justify their contract. They're fully aware of what's being said, what's expected of them, and what they expect from themselves. He'll be better.

Harper is the best hitter since Bonds

If we're talking the here and the now, then that's a fact. It's hard to argue it. You can't yet jump to the conclusion that he will indeed be the best hitter since Bonds, but what he's accomplished since the beginning of last year is in a category of the best of all time. Bryce is another level. He's playing a video game right now, and he's playing it amongst the greatest players in the world.