Rankings/List

There are a lot of players worthy of being selected to the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, but not all of them will make it.

Thirty-three players make the AL All-Star team, and 33 players make the NL All-Star team. That means that a mere 66 players make the initial team, which is extremely tiny when you consider that 750 players are currently on active MLB rosters.

The 2013 MLB draft's 40 rounds are now all in the books as every organization has been given the opportunity to stock their farm systems for years to come.

The MLB draft is always an intriguing event because of the varied approaches that teams can choose to use.

Welcome to the club, Mr. Pettitte.

The "250-Win Club," that is. Here's your ID card and hand stamp, so you can come on in and join the gang.

Andy Pettitte won his 250th career game Saturday against the Mariners. The Yankees left-hander needed a few tries, surrounding an ill-timed stint on the disabled list, to finally get in, but here he is.

Much was made of the fact that the Boston Red Sox had a top-10 draft pick for the first time in 20 years this week—finishing last will do that for you—but it's not always the top selections that pan out. For every home run pick like Jim Rice, Nomar Garciaparra and Dustin Pedroia in the first round, the Sox have also struck out with the likes of Jason Place (2006) and Steve Ellsworth (1981).

The past few seasons, the Houston Astros have been the laughing stock of Major League Baseball, but that may not last for long. Things are looking up in Houston, as the Astros continue to grow and learn in their rebuilding process.

Players like Jose Altuve and Jason Castro are beginning to show glimpses of their tremendous potential. New ownership and management are in place to get this organization on the right track.

Major League Baseball All-Star voting always makes for good debate.

That's because everybody's definition of an All-Star is a little different.

Some like to see the players who've done best in the current season, regardless of their career history. Others prefer to pick the top players in the sport, even if their production has slipped a bit this year.

And, of course, someone always gets snubbed.

On Thursday evening, Major League Baseball teams will partake in the annual June draft, casting the future of the franchise into selections of players fresh out of high school or college. Their arrival into the minor league system will bring about projections, often towards the very, very optimistic side.

Of course, many high draft picks won't pan out. On the other hand, many players will be undervalued, progress to a level not envisioned during the draft weekend and go on to become stars in the show.

Another banner month for the Miami Marlins.

Not.

After an 8-19 April, the Marlins managed to outdo themselves with a 6-22 May. Very impressive.

Included in that torrid month was a season-long nine game losing streak, and the Marlins never won more than three consecutive games.

The Baltimore Orioles have held strong in their division the entire season, staying just behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, even with starting pitching woes and bullpen implosions.

Hello, June!

With two full months of the 2013 season behind us, performance sample sizes are reaching a point where it's worth buying into those who are playing well. Especially those who are putting up Most Valuable Player-type numbers.

With that in mind, here's a countdown to update the top five candidates for both the American and National League MVP as we say goodbye to May.

All statistics, including WAR, come from FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.