Fan News

Baseball, it's often said, is a series of individual battles disguised as a team game.

The showdowns between pitcher and batter are the very essence of the sport, and even those one-on-ones can be broken down further, into pitch-by-pitch challenges. Baseball, then, really is roughly two to three hundred challenges spread out over about six dozen showdowns, all within a single game.

Every now and then, a surprise player takes MLB by storm to lead the league in a major category seemingly out of the blue.

Such was the case in 2013, when slugging Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis exploded for an MLB-best 53 homers and 138 RBI. But as we look ahead to 2014, we can expect a lot of the same from the usual suspects.

It has been a long and winding road for Michael Pineda to make his first start with the New York Yankees, but now it's time for Pineda to take that next step in his career and become a full-time starter.

The New York Mets signed Bartolo Colon in part to help fill the void left by Matt Harvey’s injury at the top of the rotation, but his most important role could be how he mentors prospect Rafael Montero.

Colon has been around seemingly forever, and at his peak was a power pitcher that racked up big strikeout totals.

The death of baseball Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner Thursday at the age of 91 saddened me and made me think.

The Philadelphia Phillies are noticeably and understandably excited about the start of spring training in Clearwater, Fla.:

Given the painfully dull and disappointing offseason, it is no wonder the Phillies want to talk about something else. 

The Texas Rangers are just a few weeks away from opening up spring training in Surprise, Ariz.

Luckily for the club, most of its roster is filled with healthy players getting ready for the day-to-day grind. However, there are a few players who will not be joining the Rangers. There are some who will have a tougher time getting back into the groove because of injuries.

With the Super Bowl now in the past and trucks already being shipped to Florida and Arizona filled with baseball gear, it’s time to officially start thinking about baseball season again.

While spring training will be filled with all of the usual suspects—Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday and Adam Wainwright to name a few—there will also be a number of new faces.

Sandy Alderson has given the New York Mets outfield a makeover this winter, but it's debatable whether or not all the acquisitions will be helpful.

Given the inflated prices of the free-agent market, taking a risk on Curtis Granderson was one the team had to take. On the other hand, giving Chris Young $7.25 million has some scratching their heads.

It's been rough going for the Seattle Mariners of late, as they have posted four straight losing seasons and have not reached the postseason since 2001.

After going 71-91 in 2013, they kicked off their offseason with a bang, signing superstar second baseman Robinson Cano to a massive 10-year, $240 million deal prior to the winter meetings. That's been far from their only notable addition, though.