Preview/Prediction

With the disappointment of the 2012 season in the rear-view mirror, the Los Angeles Angels will look to turn the page. Leading the charge in 2013 will be their dynamic offensive, which is headlined by Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.

The three stars together account for 15 All-Star Game selections, 10 Silver Slugger awards, four MVP awards, two Rookie of the Year honors and two batting titles.

The Cubs are still in the process of retooling their farm system.  The organization has some decent prospects at the higher levels of minor league baseball, but most of their best prospects are plying their trade at the lower levels.

New Red Sox manager John Farrell has his work cut out for him as he tries to pick up the pieces from last year's horrendous showing under Bobby Valentine. He's been tasked with patching up the leaking holes that led to the Red Sox' worst season in nearly 50 years—and then some.

If he can take anything away from his predecessor, it's a long list of don'ts.

When thinking about all of the things Farrell should approach differently this year than Valentine, the short answer is everything. But here are five crucial lessons to be learned for a guaranteed turnaround in 2013.

Picking from the scrapheap in baseball is a lot like picking your nose—while you aren't entirely sure what's going to come out, you're fairly certain that it won't be pretty.

It's a place where players far removed from their former glory wind up, desperately hoping for one more chance to occupy a roster spot and extend their playing careers. If this were college, we'd see general managers making the dreaded "Walk of Shame" back from the pile after inking someone to a contract.

Nobody wants to be associated with it.

Heading into the 2013 MLB season, the New York Mets will be an intriguing team to follow. With good health and a few lucky breaks, they could be competitive throughout the summer.

Overall, this club wasn't impressive in 2012. New York finished fourth in the NL East standings (again) and drew the lowest total attendance since opening Citi Field.

It all ended tragically for the Atlanta Braves in 2012, but they're heading into 2013 knowing that they were right there with the best teams in the National League last season.

They're also heading into 2013 knowing that they're a much-improved team. The Braves aren't just a legit postseason contender. They're a legit World Series contender.

Clayton Blackburn, Kyle Crick and Chris Stratton—the San Francisco Giants' top three prospects according to Marc Hulet of FanGraphs—won't be in big league camp this spring. None of those three pitching prospects have pitched above A-ball yet, so Giants fans will have to remain patient on that front.

Get ready Atlanta Braves fans.

Pitchers and catchers, along with early arrivals (Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Freddie Freeman, Chris Johnson, Dan Uggla and Ramiro Pena), have reported to spring training.

The season doesn't officially begin until April 1, but spring training games offers fans an early glimpse of the 2013 squad and wets their appetites in anticipation for baseball.

Spring Training isn’t just about watching baseball in unseasonably warm weather; it’s about going crazy.

Granted, the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues aren’t renowned for their comedy, but these few incidents will have you far more inclined to look for the hilarity in the next couple of months.

We also have an idea of where Randy Johnson received his idea for his photography logo.  Hint: It comes from the bird he decimated with his signature heater.