Rankings/List

Whether it's Josh Reddick returning to form or Michael Taylor desperately trying to prove himself, the Oakland A's are witnessing a variety of breakout performances that are making key decisions more difficult.

Here’s a look at the 2014 Lester’s Legends’ Starting Pitcher Rankings for NL-only fantasy baseball leagues:


1. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw is 51-23 over the past three years with a 2.21 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. He has also averaged 236.3 strikeouts per season over that stretch. He’s the best pitcher in the game, period.


2. Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals

Fantasy baseball is a made-up game that takes into account the real-life performances of players on the field. Just because fantasy is based on reality, though, doesn't mean the two always line up just so—especially when it comes to prospects.

After all, value on a baseball diamond can be a whole lot different than value on a fantasy roster, and owners in keeper and dynasty leagues deserve to know the difference.

Every year we try to convince ourselves that spring statistics mean something, using a player’s small sample of production in March to project his performance over a full season in the major leagues. It’s a fun exercise after the long, boring offseason, but deep down inside, we know it’s not a true predictor for future success.

However, all the cautionary tales and disclaimers associated with spring statistics are blatantly disregarded when the player is a highly touted prospect.

It's already been a long spring for the Philadelphia Phillies, and it may be the start of an unbearably long season. While spring training usually isn't a full indication of the regular season to come, all games are taken into account by some measure.

Roughly two weeks of spring training games are in the book as we push ever closer to Opening Day and the start of the 2014 MLB season.

Spring training results have to be taken with a grain of salt, as it's as much a time for players to shake off the rust and work on specific things as it is a competitive atmosphere. Still, there are stats at our disposal, so we'll dive into them and analyze.

Coming into spring training this MLB season, the Chicago Cubs have some decisions to make regarding roster spots. They also have some decisions to make regarding where to start their young prospects when the season begins. Many of those decisions will be made based on performances in spring training and so far, the Cubs have gotten strong performances from a handful of players. While many players have played well, five have shined brighter than the rest.

Since coming to San Francisco, the Giants have had a roller coaster ride, with moments of euphoria and crushing defeat.

Nevertheless, Giants fans will undoubtedly admit that the 21st century has been especially kind to them, especially over the last few seasons. Even so, the previous several decades weren't so pleasant for fans out west.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest moments for the Giants since they moved out to San Francisco.

The New York Yankees entered the 2014 spring training schedule with several important tasks.

First, they needed to introduce several new players to the Yankees culture.

Helping injured players return to form and shake off some rust would also be important.

But what is of the utmost importance is seeing which players can win the remaining position battles and which young players can earn a spot on the Opening Day roster while turning heads.

The exhibition season might only be two weeks old, but on-field performance and injuries have already provided a shakeup among fantasy rankings at multiple positions heading into the regular season.

Whether it's someone looking to rebound from a dismal 2013 season, a youngster trying to make his mark or a veteran that is a consistently underrated contributor, there's no shortage of players that have opened eyes—and raised their fantasy stock—so far this spring.