Through Friday, Alex Gordon leads the American League in hits. Given that he posted an 0-fer on Opening Day, this has taken some serious work.
Look, I've written more facetious and snarky material mocking an over-praised early season start than most bloggers. Gordon's nice week is just that. A nice week. It has proven nothing, established nothing, and has augured nothing. He might not be improved, he might not have turned a corner, he might be ready to have his most depressing season yet.
But he isn't. Yet. He isn't slumping yet and the vultures aren't circling yet. The reaction to Gordon's failures on Opening Day, on Twitter, was akin to the way this community might jump all over a bad game by Kendall or Francoeur. Only, you know, one represents the attitude of the vast majority. For now, the legion of fans, media members, and dare I say... members of the organization who aren't exactly Gordon boosters are having to wait, having to bide their time. I know the feeling. Trust me, I know that feeling.
Only, I'm a powerless blogger with no influence. Right now, Alex Gordon is hitting .394/.444/.636 with what appears to be decent defense and a good arm (important in this organization) in the outfield. This may not predict any future success, but nevertheless, it is essentially an unalloyed good.
Unlike Scot Podsednik last season, or Melky Cabrera this year, Alex Gordon actually matters for the future. He won't hit free agency until 2014, and should he round into a reliable 3-4 win player in the OF, it's that much easier for the Royals to get to contention. You can even play the trade bait game if you want. Alex Gordon can help the Royal future. Really.
The reason this matters is that the Royals have made it quite clear that they have Gordon on a short leash. When you look at the events of the last two seasons, I think that's inarguable. And perhaps that treatment has been justified. However, Gordon is still a potential asset and ideally that asset would be cashed in. A week in, the odds of that happening have slightly increased.