2014 MLB Spring Training

On Monday morning, New York Mets first baseman Ike Davis was agitated when an injury he failed to disclose to the team last season was uncovered. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweeted the series of events that followed:

Now that teams have reported to spring training and taken part in full workouts, the games can begin, which means we get a chance to see what the best minor leaguers in baseball will do against proven stars. 

Sometimes prospects will parlay a strong spring into a surprise MLB job right out of camp, like Jackie Bradley did with Boston or Aaron Hicks did with Minnesota last year. It's often dangerous to put stock in spring numbers because of sample-size issues and shifts in competition. 

The 2013 St. Louis Cardinals scored 18 more runs than in 2012 despite hitting 34 fewer home runs. A season after being ranked No. 7 in homers in the National League, they plummeted to No. 13.

Five Cardinals blasted 20 or more long balls in 2012 compared to two last season. And one of them—Carlos Beltran—left via free agency.

On Saturday, the San Francisco Giants agreed to a deal with outfielder Tyler Colvin, according to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News.

Every year, baseball fans' excitement about top prospects in major league spring training seems to grow. Unfortunately, it also makes it easy to overlook some of the game's less glamorous, under-the-radar prospects.

Besides providing an opportunity for players to fine-tune their skills in anticipation of the season, participating in major league camp also offers prospects the chance to make a strong impression in front of the entire organization.

Now that the 2014 spring training is fully underway, The New York Yankees can officially begin their quest to return to the top of the American League East standings and the playoffs.

This camp is certainly going to have a different feel than many of the previous visits to George M. Steinbrenner Field.

This is the first camp since 1995 that Mariano Rivera won't be an active part of.

When the New York Yankees traded for Michael Pineda in January of 2012, visions of a future top-of-the-rotation arm floated throughout the Bronx. In 2014, providing 20-plus starts and league-average production would be an accomplishment for the 25-year-old.

Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training on Valentine's Day, and the rest of the squad joined their teammates on the diamond February 18.  

New Giants, like pitcher Tim Hudson and left fielder Michael Morse, are looking to prove themselves to their new teammates, but their spots on the roster are secure.  

After an arduous winter that hammered much of the country with freezing temperatures and heavy snow, there may be no better words in all of sports than “pitchers and catchers report.”

While that has already happened, there are plenty of notable dates remaining on MLB’s spring training schedule for the 2014 season. 

Let’s preview some of them.

Tuesday, Feb. 25: College Day

The MLB offseason has come to an end, as all 30 MLB teams have reported to spring training and preseason games are set to kick off next week.

It was an eventful offseason, headlined by the Seattle Mariners signing of Robinson Cano, the New York Yankees spending big on a handful of guys (including Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka) and several free agents struggling to find homes after receiving qualifying offers.