Baseball

The midway point of spring training has come and gone, and some Cincinnati Reds players have begun to turn in what we could consider "breakout" performances.

As spring progresses and players settle into their roles on the baseball diamond, the San Francisco Giants have already learned a lot about their team's potential.  The starting pitching, including newcomer Tim Hudson, has been solid, and several players are stepping up their game in hopes of either solidifying their starting spot or earning a roster spot altogether.

It's already been a long spring for the Philadelphia Phillies, and it may be the start of an unbearably long season. While spring training usually isn't a full indication of the regular season to come, all games are taken into account by some measure.

As with any offseason, a number of big-name players changed teams this winter, and the first couple weeks of spring training has been the first opportunity those guys have had to make an impression with their new clubs.

Spring training performance is not always a great indicator of future success, as guys are still generally working on different things and shaking off the offseason rust at this time rather than going all out for production. Still, it is worth taking a look at how these newcomers have fared in the early going.

After a couple of weeks, some members of the Texas Rangers are standing out from the others.

In fact, there are eight players who have a .300 batting average or higher while playing in at least eight games. Of the eight, only two of them played extensive time in the big leagues last season.

When the Toronto Blue Jays opened their spring training schedule, Ricky Romero was just an afterthought.

Yes, he was at major league training camp along with the rest of the team, but that was due to his contract and past accomplishments—not because he was expected to be on the Opening Day roster for the 2014 season.

Before we go any further, let me state for the record, on March 8, that I am not declaring that I think the New York Yankees will be world champions in 2014. Not yet, anyway. But it's never too early to start examining the possibilities.

The phrase "age before beauty" can be applied to the decision that the Philadelphia Phillies will have to make on veteran outfielder Bobby Abreu. The former All-Star has an opt-out clause in his minor league contract that allows Abreu to be granted his release if he is not placed on the Phillies' MLB roster by March 26.

The Toronto Blue Jays made the biggest trade of the winter last season, acquiring Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle in a mega-deal with the Miami Marlins.

The most valuable player on the 2013 St. Louis Cardinals wasn't Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday or Allen Craig. Instead, second baseman Matt Carpenter, in what was his first full season in the majors, led the eventual NL champions with a 6.6 WAR.