Rankings/List

The Atlanta Braves have gotten off to a rough start in 2011, going 9-12 through their first 21 games.

Despite the losing record, the Braves haven’t played bad baseball.  Their pitching has performed well and their defense has been exceptional.  Their big issue is their hitting.

Things will get turned around and the Braves will still compete for a playoff spot, meaning that they will be buyers come July 31^st.

Each year, the talent that enters Major League Baseball seems to get younger.  After all, we are on the verge of seeing a player break into the majors who is barely old enough to vote for the President of the United States.

This is great news for the fans who get to see a young talent pool of players who should be around for a very long time.

Here is a list of the top 25 pitchers under age 25 who should anchor major league pitching staffs for the next 10 to 15 years.

At a young age, I decided I wanted to play MLB baseball.

I've thought about it, and the moment I am in the clubhouse and put on the authentic jersey for the first time would be the most memorable moment of my life.

I am writing this now, so clearly I didn't have what it takes.

I guess I can go to my Plan B dream and see hot babes putting on those authentic jersey's instead.

Enjoy!

Begin Slideshow

It is no secret that the Cleveland Indians have been playing some great baseball in their torrid start to the 2011 season. For the first time in a few years, the Tribe could find themselves in the position in the American League Central standings that they could emerge as 'buyers' at the All-Star Break rather than 'sellers'.

Over the last couple seasons, we have seen C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, Rafael Betancourt, Jhonny Peralta, Ryan Garko, among many others be dealt around the Break.

Overall, the upcoming MLB free agency class for the 2011 offseason is fairly weak.  Unlike 2010 when baseball fans anxiously watched to see where pitcher Cliff Lee and All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford would end up, 2011 will figure to be a quiet offseason.

Grin away, Adrian Gonzalez. I would be grinning too if I was making your money.

Adrian Gonzalez just milked the Boston Red Sox for a whopping $154M for a six-year deal. I, for one, can't imagine paying that kind of money for one player. Then again, I'm not trying to beat the New York Yankees year in and year out.

The Yankees and the Red Sox certainly don't mind spending the money. However, other teams have made lucrative deals to keep star players on their payrolls as well.

Though the Texas Rangers entered 2011 fresh from their first ever World Series appearance, there are those that believe that it was some sort of mirage, and that we shouldn't expect them to be as successful this season.

Of course, while a massively talented squad, the Rangers did benefit from a weak AL West last season and a helping hand from the league when MLB took control of the franchise before handing over the reigns to the Greenberg/Nolan Ryan ownership group.

The Kansas City Royals' organization has had several great teams throughout their history.

During the 1970s and 1980s, KC was the cream of the crop for baseball in the Midwest, helping to produce the franchise's only World Series title in 1985.

For this piece, I countdown the Top 10 Royals teams of all-time. Enjoy.

Begin Slideshow

Every sport has their own set of unwritten sins, for instance a left tackle not helping their quarterback up after a blindside sack, or in hockey not giving the goalie your stick after his breaks, but no sport has more unwritten rules than baseball.

NOTE: THIS SLIDESHOW DOES NOT PREDICT TRADES AND FREE AGENT SIGNEES.

The Minnesota Twins have lots of good prospects, and although they are not doing too well now, they will be able to filter these young stars into the majors in the future. The Twins have turned from a "homegrown" team (where players who were in your farm system are now on the team) to a team with more free agents.