2015 MLB Spring Training

The Detroit Tigers have now completed more than half of their 2015 spring training schedule. It has been a largely unsuccessful March for Detroit if you only consider its record (7-14). However, wins and losses mean precious little during this stage of the year.

What matters most is players getting in their reps and optimizing their preparation for a minimum six-month-long season.

Every team has needs.

From World Series favorites like the Washington Nationals to clubs favored to land in the cellar like the Philadelphia Phillies, all 30 clubs have at least one bullet point remaining unchecked on the organizational to-do list.

The New York Yankees need Masahiro Tanaka's elbow to remain healthy. The Boston Red Sox are still on the lookout for a front-line starter. Plus, playoff hopefuls like the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are already searching for extra bodies thanks to untimely spring injuries to key contributors.

Spring training is the perfect time of year for the little things to be absolutely blown out of proportion. This team is doing well and this team is struggling, which means the regular season will be like that.

Spring training is more than halfway through, and the New York Mets recently received terrible news that Zack Wheeler will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2015 season.

This, of course, could have a big effect on the Mets' season. But the fact that the regular season is only a few weeks away doesn't mean the Mets can't make moves right now.

TEMPE, Ariz. — How did Mike Trout celebrate his Most Valuable Player award?

With a trip to the hospital and an IV hookup. Followed by a week on the couch, sick as he can ever remember.

Pitchers are ever evolving, constantly altering mechanics, tweaking their deliveries just so or even working on adding new pitches.

Spring training is the best place to try to implement those changes, because the exhibition season presents game situations that don't actually count.

All of the work, none of the mess.

Here's a look at a batch of pitchers who are using the spring to make some adjustments.

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Most everyone knows by now not to put too much stock into spring training performances for any number of reasons. Pitchers are building up innings, hitters are getting back into the, uh, swing of things, and prospects and non-roster invitees receive a lot of playing time that they won't once the real games begin.

Regardless, it's still fun to check in every once in a while to see which players are doing well and which aren't. The statistics don't count, but they're available—and who knows, maybe some of 'em do matter even a little.

With spring training halfway over and the start of Major League Baseball's regular season a little more than two weeks away (yay!), now is the time when teams start making cuts and sending prospects to minor league camp.

Those youngsters still with the big league club actually have something of a legitimate shot to crack the 25-man roster come April.

With that in mind and with a focus on prospects who could contribute in 2015, it's time to grade all 30 farm systems based on prospect performance this spring.

Prior to the start of spring training, I wrote a piece covering everything you need to know about the Cleveland Indians, including the following: prospects to watch, breakout candidates, the projected lineup, bullpen/rotation and position battles.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers began spring training two weeks ago, most positions featured clear-cut starters who would not be facing much job competition leading up to Opening Day.

The exception—and biggest question mark facing the organization as it prepared to defend its National League West division crown—focused on the opening in center field.