Robinson Cano Finally Starting to Produce as Nelson Cruz's Bash Brother

It seems to be every sports fanatic's nature to panic prematurely.

When a quarterback throws a couple of interceptions in the first quarter, a shooting guard misses his first 10 attempts, a goalie gives one up in the first minute or certainly when a middle-of-the-order hitter struggles through the first month of the season, naysayers will scream their nays.

Robinson Cano has experience with this. The likely future Hall of Fame second baseman has gone through early-season slumps before, but he always seems to come out of them and put up elite-level numbers by the end of September.

This season, though, expectations for Cano went beyond him just being an All-Star or one of the best all-around hitters in the majors. The Seattle Mariners pushed their chips to the middle of the felt, signing Nelson Cruz, extending Kyle Seager and finally ushering their touted pitching prospects into the full-time rotation. Failing to end a postseason-free stretch that dates to 2001 will be a massive disappointment.

That is why some pushed the red button when Cano, Seattle's $240 million, 10-year investment, started the season with a horrendous April while Cruz smashed his way into the hearts of Mariner fans. One half of their dynamic duo was faltering as the club could not get its eyes to the .500 level.

However, over the last week and a half, Cano has found his stride. Not coincidentally, the Mariners have won four of their last five games and are within three games of .500 and 5.5 from the top of the American League West standings.

Even Cano knows an early-season slump means little over the course of a six-month season, per Doug Miller of MLB.com:

"

The way I look at it, you can't judge a guy just because of batting average. How many times—not only with myself but guys around the league—do you see guys hitting .230 or .250 [this early in the year], and they're crushing the ball right at guys?

But people love to criticize and say stuff. For me, I understand what it's all about. If you're not producing, it's not going to happen. I'm used to that. I know a lot of people are saying I'm not doing good, but we play 162 games. If I start putting up good numbers, everything will change.

"

Entering the final day of April, Cano was hitting .244/.286/.372 with a .658 OPS, one home run and six RBI. He was also suffering an 0-for-18 slump. From there, though, Cano put up a .770 OPS in 11 games, and through his last six entering Wednesday he hit .391/.444/.478 with a .923 OPS and four RBI.

He also had a favorable matchup Wednesday night against the San Diego Padres, although he managed just one hit in five plate appearances.

In the second week of May, it is way too soon to make a judgment on a player's season. Then again, in the second week of May, it is no longer early in the season. There is usually enough of a sample to identify trends and know if a player is in real trouble, or if certain trends can shift.

In Cano's case, he is already starting to erase his April ugliness and shut up his critics, although he does his best to ignore them.

"The last thing you want as a player is getting that stuff in your mind that you have to worry about what people say because you're not swinging good," Cano told Miller. "You don't want things in your mind limiting you from playing at a high level."

Cano has faced this kind of criticism more than once in his career, and recently as a Mariner.

Harry How/Getty Images

In case a year back is too far to remember for some, here is a refresher: Cano hit .296/.346/.378 with one home run and 12 RBI over his first 25 games and 107 plate appearances last season. He had just two home runs through the second month, yet he finished with 14 total, 82 RBI and a 142 OPS-plus, one of the best marks of his 10-year career.

Going back further, Cano started his New York Yankees career by going 2-for-23, only to finish second in American League Rookie of the Year balloting in 2005. Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon touted such turnarounds to Bob Dutton of the News Tribune earlier this month.

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Robby has a tremendous track record. When it's all said and done, his numbers are going to be right where they're supposed to be.

He went through this [early] last year. We had the same conversations. He's going to hit. Robby is going to be Robby.

"

As long as he is, he and Cruz will end up being one of the American League's top offensive duos. If that comes to fruition, these two are good enough to push the Mariners back toward the top of a so-far disappointing AL West that has failed to leave Seattle behind during Cano's struggles.

And if current trends continue, the Mariners are still in fine shape to make good on their postseason expectations.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.