Rankings/List

The Cleveland Indians are now roughly one quarter of the way through their 2013 season and are sitting atop the AL Central standings with a 23-17 record.

The St. Louis Cardinals entered the quarter-season mark of 2013 with the best record in baseball.

To say that exceeds the expectations of some is quite the understatement. Many, arguably most, baseball writers had the Cincinnati Reds picked as clear favorites to win the National League Central Division.

It’s not too early for a team to have buyer’s remorse after spending good money on a free agent who has yet to produce. I’m looking at you, Josh Hamilton, Melky Cabrera, B.J. Upton and Jeff Keppinger.

But how about those players who signed elsewhere and are having big years? Their new team is certainly happy. The team that let them walk as a free agent or was just outbid? Not so much.

At some point in every Major League Baseball season, small sample size ceases to apply, context can be applied and conclusions on players, teams and pennant races can be made.

While we may not be there on all accounts, the clock is ticking on the 2013 season.

It’s highly doubtful that any minor league player is going to have the type of impact Mike Trout had on the Los Angeles Angels when he joined the team in late April of last year and went to have one of the best rookie season’s ever (.326 BA, 30 HR, 83 RBI, 129 R, 49 SB). His team went 83-59 the rest of the way.

The Toronto Blue Jays minor league system may not be as strong as it was a year ago, but they still have some premier talent developing throughout the farm system.

In order to acquire a wealth of major league talent for the 2013 season, the Blue Jays were forced to part with some of their more promising prospects such as Travis d’Arnaud, Jake Marisnick, Noah Syndergaard and Justin Nicolino.

Though we've yet to see our first no-hitter of the season, there have already been a number of truly dominant pitching performances.

From Yu Darvish nearly throwing a perfect game in his first start of the season, to Anibal Sanchez striking out 17 against the Braves, pitching has reigned supreme in the early stages of 2013.

In the past week alone, four different pitchers allowed just one hit over nine innings of play. However, not all one-hitters are created equally.

Popular 2013 World Series picks like the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays have stumbled out of the starting gate, but we have come to expect MLB disappointments over the past 10 years. Read on to refresh your memory.

You don’t always need big names to get big results out of your bullpen. Sometimes a few unsung heroes will do the trick. 

Mariano Rivera may lead the American League with 15 saves, but there are plenty of other relievers out there who are producing big results for their teams while not being household names.

Whether they are racking up saves or getting the job done in the middle innings, those pitchers are providing major relief for their teams. 

Here are six under-the-radar relief pitchers who are absolutely filthy. 

The Boston Red Sox may have lost eight of their last 10 games, but with a 22-16 record, thety only trail the New York Yankees by two games and the Baltimore Orioles by one game in the AL East.