Do you remember when patience was a virtue? Not so long ago, it seemed we were constantly being reminded that good things come to those who wait.

But today’s world of instant information, Internet blogs and on-demand television has caused that trust in patience to fade faster than the franchise value of the Kansas City Royals.

Just look at your average fantasy owner. With a few clicks of the mouse, we have the power to add, release or trade a player in a matter of seconds. All it takes is a couple 0-for-4s for us to start combing the waiver wire in search of someone who can do better.

This can be a self-destructive impulse, especially when the players you’re growing tired of are the ones you gleefully se[an error occurred while processing this directive]lected in the early rounds of your draft.

Fortunately, there are guys like Carlos Zambrano to remind us that patience in the world of fantasy baseball can still be rewarded.

Hopefully, you weren’t one of the unfortunate souls who traded the Cubs ace after a sub-par April (0-2, 5.35 ERA in six starts). Since then, the big right-hander has been among the best pitchers around, going 5-1 with a 1.51 ERA in nine starts.

Zambrano is just one of the big-name players to shake the early cobwebs, joining the likes of Manny Ramirez, Johan Santana and Jason Schmidt. Felix Hernandez, Dontrelle Willis and Todd Helton are among the others to show signs of breaking out in recent weeks, convincing their owners to come in off the ledge.

Still, much work remains for some of this year’s early-round picks. Here’s a look at a handful of players to hold onto even though they’re testing our collective patience.

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We’re nearing the end of June, and Teixeira has the same number of home runs as Gabe Gross, Damion Easley and Kevin Millar. He has half as many homers as Dan Uggla. Still, it’s tough to trade him because his value will never be lower. That 40-homer upside is there somewhere.

The numbers aren’t what you’d expect from Kent, a probable Hall of Famer, but that’s because he hit .183 in April and recently missed a couple weeks with a wrist injury. Kent’s average is on its way up, and the power numbers will soon follow.

Sexson has always been an all-or-nothing guy, but this is ridiculous. The power numbers are decent for someone hitting a tad above the Mendoza Line, although he’s already struck out 76 times. Sexson has averaged 40 homers and 118 RBIs over his last four full seasons, so trading him low carries some risk.

Peavy’s season is puzzling, because the strikeouts and control (19 walks) are still there. The possible culprit? Shoulder tendinitis, which has reportedly been bothering Peavy for over a month. Over his last three starts, the San Diego ace is 1-2 with an 11.19 ERA. If you can ride out this rough patch, better days surely lie ahead.

An 18-game winner last season, Garland hasn’t exactly crafted a good follow-up act for the defending World Series champs. He’s allowed at least five runs in six of his 13 starts, although he’s 3-1 over his last six outings. With a good team behind him, Garland has the potential to turn things around.

Liriano, a 22-year-old left-hander, has been dominant since joining the Twins rotation May 19. In six starts, he’s gone 5-1 with a 1.50 ERA. Over that span, he’s struck out 35 batters in 36 innings.

Liriano was even better this week, going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two starts. He struck out 17 in 14 innings.

If Minnesota somehow sneaks into the playoffs, Santana and Liriano could be lights out in a short series.

Bay has been superb for the Pirates this season, hitting .300 with projected numbers of 45 homers and 124 RBIs. Still, he hit .174 (4-for-23) in six games while failing to drive in a single run.

Only Ben Roethlisberger had a worse time in Pittsburgh last week.

Frank Coppola is the assistant sports editor for Seacoast Media Group in Portsmouth, N.H. E-mail him at fcoppola@seacoastonline.com.