Rankings/List

We have reached the one-quarter mark on the 2013 MLB season, and it has been a season largely dominated by starting pitching to this point.

That said, there have been a number of players, and teams for that matter, putting up impressive offensive showings here in the early going.

As one would expect, American League lineups tend to generate more runs thanks to the presence of the DH. The gap isn't all that significant, though, as NL teams have averaged 4.08 runs per game in 2013, while AL teams have averaged 4.43 runs per game.

Over the winter, I know that general managers were agonizing over one important decision: Do we bring him back, or do we let him go?

When contracts run out, teams have to decide whether or not they should bring back their stars. A few good years doesn’t necessarily guarantee a few more years of success, but if that star has some more time left, it is naturally a good idea to bring him back.

If a pitching rotation is like a sandwich, consider this the recipe.

Every sandwich has the same basic ingredients: The bread to keep things together on the ends, the meat in the middle and the cheese and mustard for a little kick on top.

It’s only a little over a month into the Major League Baseball season—meaning all statistics still represent a small sample size—but many of the game’s top rookies are off to a hot start.

At the same time, there are several highly regarded young players who have struggled—some even mightily—to begin the season. While some of them will be encouraged to work through their scuffles in the majors, others will face an inevitable demotion if they don’t right turn things around in a hurry.

The Los Angeles Dodgers ended April with a very appropriate 13-13 record. The .500 record was fitting because the first month of the MLB season provided as much hope as it did frustration for Dodgers fans.

While some of Los Angeles’ most important players got off to fantastic starts, others stumbled out of the gate. Injuries have also decimated the roster, just as it did during the second half of the 2012 season.

Maximizing a player’s trade value usually involves a team waiting until the last possible moment, hoping a team with some interest gets desperate as its roster hole becomes more evident. It also doesn’t hurt if the player being shopped gets red-hot leading up to the trade deadline.

The Boston Red Sox are off to a hot start because multiple players have stepped up, and they have played relatively mistake-free baseball.

John Farrell has made a difference, but quality pitching from all five starters and one of baseball’s best bullpens is the real reason why the Red Sox went 18-8 in April.

Here are my grades for every player who contributed to the hot start in Boston.

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With the first month of the minor league season nearly in the books, it's time to reflect on the early-season performances of Prospect Pipeline's Top 50 prospects.

While there are plenty of top prospects off to a hot start at their respective levels, there are countless others who have struggled in the early going. As you will see, injuries have impacted numerous prospects in the Top 50.

April is both the best and worst month of the Major League Baseball season. 

On the one hand, baseball is in full swing and we finally have enough games to adequately judge teams and players. For all the previews and predictions we have during the winter and spring training, no one knows exactly how things will pan out until a decent sample size of games are played. 

On the other hand, the panic starts to set in if a team has gotten off to a bad start or a star player has gotten hurt and will have to miss a substantial amount of time. 

With the first month of this major league baseball season nearly finished, reality is beginning to set in for both, teams and players.

For those off to hot starts out of the gates, it is business as usual, but those who are struggling need to make adjustments ASAP. Even teams that are playing well may need to address injury concerns. 

There truly is no rest for the team looking to win it all in October, or even in April and May.