Fan News

Over and over last season, baseball fans were told that having a pair of players explode into stardom the way Los Angeles' Mike Trout and Washington's Bryce Harper did doesn't happen all the time and that the duo's accomplishments should be celebrated.

Not to take anything away from those spectacular youngsters, but that's not entirely true.

Every season, a handful of players elevate their games to another level, seemingly becoming stars overnight. Sure, most of those players don't reach the level of superstardom that Trout and Harper have, but they become stars nonetheless.

Whether one is lost in the wild world of Westeros or perusing the latest MLB box scores, parallels can be drawn between the two distinctly different entertainment genres.

In the short span of two weeks, Yasiel Puig has become the hottest player in baseball, adding yet another top player to an already star-studded lineup.

We're now roughly a month away from the 2013 MLB All-Star break, and with that break comes what may be the most exciting display of skills in all of professional sports in the Home Run Derby.

Last year saw Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder beat out Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista for the crown. This season's rosters will be chosen by captains Robinson Cano and David Wright.

Time may be running out on some veteran general managers who are reaching a critical point in what could end up as their last season on the job.

These situations could create a conflict of interest with the general managers, understandably, wanting to go all out to win now while the organization might not be willing to mortgage the future.   

The San Francisco Giants didn't select any high-ranking prospects in the 2013 MLB draft. Nonetheless, two of their picks will be showcased this weekend in the College World Series.

The Seattle Mariners appear to be confident that Mike Zunino is ready to be their everyday catcher. Whether or not the youngster is up to the challenge is yet to be seen.

The Los Angeles Angels are a mess. Their 29-38 record is the second-worst mark in the American League, and the Texas Rangers and Oakland A's are miles ahead of them in the AL West.

The Detroit Tigers have quite a few glaring weaknesses for a team that leads its division by 4.5 games, namely struggling closer Jose Valverde and an anemic offense that only shows up for six innings a night.