Rankings/List

Stephen Strasburg continued his unbelievable start to his career.  Ubaldo Jimenez struggled for the first time in 2010.  Kerry Wood and Aaron Heilman could be on the cusp of losing their roles as closers.  Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

With the season almost halfway over, it's a great time to start thinking about the end-of-season awards, so this week, Bleacher Report's featured columnists have prepared a mock Cy Young vote.

Using a scoring system identical to that of the BBWAA, we have determined an idea of not only the best pitcher in the AL, but how the other top arms rank. The top five vote-getters are featured here with commentary submitted by different writers.

Jimmy Rollins and Coco Crisp returned from the DL to slide back into the leadoff spot.  Jason Castro made his major league debut.   Matt Holliday may be the hottest player in baseball.  Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

With the non-waiver trade deadline just over a month away, the rumor mill machine is starting to build considerable steam.

Once again the A.L. East is the most competitive division in baseball with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays in a triple threat death match for the pennant.

But hold on, the Toronto Blue Jays are making some serious noise as well.

With an exciting young pitching staff and a hodge podge offense that hacks now, ask questions later, the Jays are literally bombing their way into contention.

What will these teams do to improve their post-season chances?

Only one half game separates the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays from the New York Yankees. The once red-hot Rays have finally cooled off after owning a six game lead over New York in late May. The division is up for grabs for the first time in two months.

In 2008 the Rays and Red Sox battled for the division all the way to the last week of the season.

With the Yankees alive and kicking this year, it should make for an even more exciting finish this season.

Which team can address its flaws? Who could they make a play at the deadline?

As Major League Baseball inches closer and closer to the trade deadline, the trade rumors will become more of a hot button topic among all baseball fans.

The two biggest names on the market right now are Houston's Roy Oswalt and Seattle's Cliff Lee.

When you break down the possibilities of each team that will be chasing both of these pitchers, you'll find different problems that each team will have to face if they want to get a deal done.

We'll cover those problems, the teams in the running, and several other rumors making the rounds.

We are a little more than halfway through June, so let’s take a look at the players who are mired in deep slumps based on BABIP for the month.

Is there anyone that an owner may be willing to jump ship on that’s worth buying? Let’s take a look.

1. Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays: .157

These rankings are based on a 300 point system, 150 for offensive production and 150 for pitching production. 30 points (1 point for each team) is the most points any team can receive in a given category. For instance, if the Rays lead the league in HR’s they will get 30 points for that category.

The 5 offensive categories used: HR’s, RBI’s, Runs, Average, and SB’s .

The 5 pitching categories used: Wins, Saves, WHIP, ERA, and K’s

Last year's NL Cy Young competition was quite the horse race. Chris Carpenter, Tim Lincecum, and Adam Wainwright all received significant votes from the BBWAA as well as vocal and passionate support from fans.

While this year's race is far from unanimous, there is one obvious favorite who would win hands-down if a vote was held today.

Need proof?

Soccer is the most popular youth sport in the United States. In 2002, 17.5 million American kids played in organized soccer leagues, not to mention the countless other children who gather for street scrimmages or spontaneous exhibition matches. Compare that to the classic pastime of Little League baseball, which had only 2.2 million participants in 2006.

But while soccer dominates the amateur market, most serious athletes in the U.S.