Rankings/List

The Cincinnati Reds’ top prospects come in as a very young core of players. The 2013 minor league season will determine how well the organization is stocked for the future.

Only a few weeks into the season, we've already seen one top prospect, Tony Cingrani, pitch in Cincinnati. We've also seen Billy Hamilton notch 13 steals in Triple-A.

Just because someone is an outstanding baseball player doesn’t necessarily mean that they get the opportunity to play Major League Baseball.

There are, at times, obstacles to overcome which block that path. The two most prevalent examples of that have been racial segregation and top prospects not panning out.

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1957, although many Negro Leagues players never got the chance to take a MLB field.

How much of an impact do early season trades make? They occur infrequently and usually do not involve big-name players.

The MLB trend is to anticipate the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline and strike a deal on or before that date. It's one of the most exciting days during the baseball season, as contending teams look to land a player for their playoff push while cellar dwellers dump stars for prospects.

So why aren't there any titillating transactions in April? 

With the 2013 First-Year Player Draft scheduled for June 6-8, college players will have the next six weeks to boost their stock with the hope of having their name called on Day 1.

The Cleveland Indians went through a major rebuilding phase this past offseason and made numerous moves to shore up both their lineup and pitching rotation.

Through free agency and trades, the Tribe was able to bring in major pieces like Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Mark Reynolds and several other impact players.

Some of these players have staked themselves out to hot starts and are already justifying their new contracts.

It’s only three weeks into the Major League Baseball season, and all statistics represent a small sample, but many of the game’s top rookies are off to a hot start.

At the same time, there are several highly regarded youngsters who have scuffled in the early going. While some players will be forced to work through their struggles with the goal of furthering their development, others face a potential demotion if they don’t right the ship in the near future.

Prior to the current run of sustained success in Philadelphia, putting together an all-time dream team for the Philadelphia Phillies would have likely resulted in a satire piece featuring luminaries such as Robert Person, Steve Jeltz and Rico Brogna.

Despite holding a 4-8 record, the young 2013 season has been far from uneventful for the Chicago Cubs.  Fans have been sent through a whirlwind of chaos and confusion, from late-game meltdowns and suspense to mysterious goat packages and Jorge Soler's attempted assault on an opponent.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a solid 6-4 record this season, largely due to hot starts from a few key players. With four of the five NL West teams posting winning records through the first 10 games of the 2013 season, those Dodgers must continue to produce if Los Angeles is going to emerge as division champs.

Let’s face it, the San Diego Padres haven’t been off to a great start. With a measly 2-8 record, a slew of injuries and a plethora of problems, things aren’t looking good for the Padres.

But not everything is bleak, as some players have been performing quite well.

Spoiler Alert: the Padres would fail high school.