The 2016 MLB season is set to begin on Sunday, April 3, with a tripleheader of games that concludes with a World Series rematch between the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals on Sunday Night Baseball.

In the meantime, teams are wrapping up their spring schedules and putting the finishing touches on their Opening Day rosters. For the most part, however, we know how all 30 clubs will stack up heading into the year.

We've been told for years that spring training stats don't matter, that buying into the hype they produce only leads to disappointment once the regular season gets underway. More often than not, that tends to be the case.

Yet there are always a handful of players that prove that theory wrong, and we've honed in on five of the spring's biggest stars—four position players and a pitcher, listed in no particular order—that are poised to do just that.

There's an old—and erroneous—cliche about the Chinese symbol for "crisis" being the same as the one for "opportunity."

In the case of Chris Sale, the Chicago White Sox and any prospect-rich contenders seeking an ace via trade, it might end up being true.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Rymer Liriano suffered a gruesome injury Sunday when taking a pitch to the face in an exhibition game in Phoenix against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Continue for updates.

If you're not a fan of bat-flipping, don't tell that to David Ortiz.

The Boston Red Sox slugger has been known to flip his bat after hitting a home run throughout his 20-year career, and he is not a fan of the chatter that occurs when talking about showmanship at the plate.

Los Angeles Angels star Albert Pujols has never had an at-bat against Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Wily Peralta in a regular-season game, but the veteran hitter apparently has him all figured out.

Pujols led off the bottom of the third inning of Saturday's spring training game with a solo shot to left field. That blast turned out to be a rally-starter, as the Angels would wind up batting around and then some.

The 2016 season will be the last in the legendary career of Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz.

Fans will remember him for bringing three World Series championships to Boston, but some forget that Big Papi started his career with the Minnesota Twins. And in some ways, Ortiz doesn't want to remember his time in Minnesota, either.

One alarming concern for the Chicago Cubs is a bone chip in Jon Lester's throwing elbow.

On Friday, Lester said it's been a "non-issue," according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher C.J. Wilson is preparing for the 2016 season with some new mechanics after running into injury issues last year.

On Saturday, Wilson spoke with Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register about the changes in his motion on the mound.