NL Central

The Pittsburgh Pirates have failed to live up to expectations so far in 2014, owning an overall record of 16-21.  

However, the team has won four of its last five games, as its batters begin to heat up.  

Let's take a look at each player on the active roster and the grades they've earned after the first quarter of the 2014 regular season.  

This list of grades includes only players on the active 25-man roster.  

Cincinnati Reds reliever Aroldis Chapman suffered a potentially career-threatening injury when he was struck by a line drive during spring training, but "The Cuban Missile" is now back in the majors after less than two months, according to the Reds' official Twitter feed:

C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer provides an update on how Chapman will be used initially:

The reason why the Reds are three games below .500 and six games back of the first place Milwaukee Brewers has little to do with offense. According to the numbers, the Reds are just under par when it comes to National League offenses.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Systems Check video offers a quick overview of the team's farm system, addressing its strengths and weaknesses and how it can improve moving forward.

The video also provides a breakdown of the Pirates’ top prospects for 2014—outfielder Gregory Polanco, right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon and middle infielder Alen Hanson—including each player's ETA in the major leagues and potential long-term role within the organization.

The Reds took a bite out of a 7.5-game deficit by taking three of four from the first-place Brewers. Last week, we witnessed a healthy shot of offense while getting the same consistent pitching we've come to expect from this team. Here are the top 10 Reds from last week:

1. Johnny Cueto (last week No.1)

We’re a little more than a month into the season and it’s already clear the Chicago White Sox’s Jose Abreu is this year’s Cuban sensation.

The good news for the Chicago Cubs is that most of their top prospects have been true to form to start this season with very few hiccups in the first month. The bad news, which is normally inevitable in baseball, is that some have still gotten off to some disappointing starts. As an organization, the Cubs' top 20 prospects have performed well, but three out of their top 15 have been particularly disappointing thus far.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is doing everything he can to bring his team out of its slump in 2014. 

The Pirates have started their season with a 10-18 record through their first 28 games.  The offensive production Pittsburgh is getting has been subpar, as their team batting average of just .225 through the first 28 games is ranked 27th in the major leagues.  

The Cincinnati Reds farm system isn't exactly flush with top-tier talent—the organization boasts just two Baseball America top-100 prospects—Robert Stephenson (No. 19) and Billy Hamilton (No. 43). However, there a number of mid-level prospects with the potential to make big gains in 2014.

Expectations were high coming into the 2014 Major League Baseball regular season for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  After all, the team made it back to the playoffs in 2013 for the first time since 1992. 

Now, although it is hard to believe, it is a fact that the Pirates are currently on pace to lose 100 games in 2014.  That's right, 100 losses.