Fan News

With less than a month to go in the MLB season, there's still a lot to be decided.

Nearly half of the teams in baseball are still reasonably in the playoff hunt, although some have more work to do than others.

Teams like the Braves, Tigers, Dodgers and Red Sox can relax a little as the month goes on. Others know that bad play could result in no playoffs or one of the wild card spots. As we saw last year, that's the last thing any team wants.

For me, for teams to get to where they want to be, it starts with pitching.

All MLB stars must cope with immense pressure in September. They're either leading teams into the playoffs, trying to buff up their stats for upcoming contract negotiations or responsible for exciting a non-contender's fanbase down the stretch.

Taking advantage of the first competitive season of your career can be just as important as ensuring that your last season before a deal ends finishes on a positive note.

The B/R MLB 500 series has just one position on the infield left to visit: the hot corner.

Like first base, third base is a primarily offense-oriented position. But since third base is undoubtedly a more important defensive position than first base, we came up with the following scoring system.

Third basemen get 30 points for hitting, 30 points for power, 10 points for baserunning, 20 points for defense and, like all players, 10 points for health. Add it all up, and you get 100 points.

The Texas Rangers are on the cusp of the playoffs as the MLB season is reaching its end. Their potential road to the 2013 World Series would include possible series against several different AL and NL teams.

At 77-66, the Baltimore Orioles are 1.5 games back from a Wild Card spot. If they can make up that ground in the final 19 games of the season and make it to the postseason, it would be their second straight playoff birth after 14 years of disappointment.

It's safe to say the first two years after Juan Uribe signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers were a complete disaster.

Chris Sale showed up Max Scherzer on Monday when the Chicago White Sox took on the Detroit Tigers.

The two AL Cy Young candidates faced off in a terrific pitching matchup, but it was Sale who led his team to victory with a gem of a game.

For the first time since 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates can call themselves winners.

The Chicago White Sox have finalized the group of players that will participate in Arizona Fall League (AFL) play after the season ends.

The most amazing part, at least to me, of the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates rise to prominence—The quick and seismic shift from "The Pirates finally got over .500!" to "The Pirates are World Series contenders!"

Yes, folks, they are.