Baseball America
Cards Turn To Power, Youth To Bolster Staff
As far as symbolism goes, it doesn't get much more direct than when Cardinals rookie Trevor Rosenthal walked into the spring training clubhouse in early February.
Majors
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D-backs’ Eaton Embraces Pressure Of Big League Role
Adam Eaton entered spring training as the top candidate to become the Diamondbacks' center fielder, and if you think Eaton felt any pressure, you don't know him. He embraces the spotlight.
Longtime Rivalry Takes Center Stage In NL West
More than ever, the players in the National League West are as talented as any in the game. The NL West has long been one of baseball's most balanced divisions, with every team in the division having made the playoffs twice—and only twice—since 2005. The Giants have cashed in on their two appearances with World Series titles, while the Rockies reached the World Series in 2007 (defeating the Diamondbacks in the NL Championship Series).
Competition Ratchets Up In New-Look AL West
Look no further than the 2012 Athletics, the American League West champions, for proof that baseball's division races are often unpredictable.
Preseason Top 20 Rookies For 2013
Based on precedent of last year's rookie class, this year's preseason rookie ranking skews young, featuring 20-year-olds Jurickson Profar, Dylan Bundy and Oscar Taveras in prominent positions.
MLB 40-Man Roster Analysis
Major leaguers come from everywhere. Brandon Beachy was a nondrafted free agent, Travis Hafner is from North Dakota and Mariano Rivera is from Panama. However, they are the exceptions. Where do the rest of the players come from?
2012 Major League Preview And Predictions
Our predictions for the 2012 Major League season.
Extreme Home-Road Splits By Big League Regulars
Some parks play better for offense than others, and some players take advantage of (or are penalized by) their surroundings moreso than others. To identify some of these players, we present the top 30 most dramatic positive and negative home/road OPS splits since 2009.
Preseason Top 20 Rookies List
Our free list of the Top 20 rookies for 2012.
Three-Year Lefty-Righty Splits For Each MLB Park
Most major league ballparks affect righthanded and lefthanded batters differently, so teams cannot necessarily rely on an overall park factor when searching for players most ideally suited for playing 81 games at home each year. Here you'll find righty/lefty hitting averages for all 30 parks during the past three seasons.
Home Parks Affect Fortunes Of Talented Youngsters
A handful of top prospects, including Jesus Montero, Jarrod Parker and Yonder Alonso, will feel the effects of switching home venues after recent trades set them up in new ballparks. Also, find out which major league parks are most friendly or unfriendly when it comes to home runs and other safe hits by both lefthanded and righthanded batters.
Rays Now See Possibility Of Surviving In St. Pete
It wasn't that long ago that the idea of the Rays as preseason favorites to reach the World Series seemed as unlikely as the team moving out of its longtime domed home at Tropicana Field.
Rays Have Great Expectations For 2012
Executive vice president Andrew Friedman passed on opportunities to leave town. Manager Joe Maddon extended his contract. Starters Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann are both—surprisingly—still there, as is center fielder B.J. Upton, along with the rest of the core of their squad. But there is something very new, and very different, in Rays camp this year: Expectations.
For 2012, Mariners Want Jesus Montero To Focus On Hitting
For 2012, the Mariners want Jesus Montero to make a splash as a hitter. Catching will largely come later.
Trade Lets Yonder Alonso Go Home To First
If anyone asks Yonder Alonso what part of his European vacation last December was the most memorable, the answer won't be the sights and tastes of Spain or the soccer match played by his favorite futbol team, Real Madrid. No, the No. 1 scrapbook moment was the phone call informing Alonso he'd been traded to the Padres.
Freeman Ready To Help Lead Braves Next Youth Movement
For the second time in as many seasons, Atlanta general manager Frank Wren entered spring training having penciled a rookie into the starting lineup. What's more, Wren also opted to walk the proverbial tightrope without a net, meaning the options should Freddie Freeman falter are not considered certainties to stop a freefall at the infield's first turn.
Opportunity, Ability Dictate A Pitcher’s Role
Ed Price -
Once upon a time, an American League team had a hard-throwing righthander who had started his entire career—until he was moved to the bullpen, where he struck out more than a batter an inning, held opponents to a sub-.200 average and helped his team get to the World Series. The Rangers face that crossroads now with Neftali Feliz, but four years ago, the Tigers were in a similar position with Joel Zumaya. Or maybe not so similar.
One-Time Top Prospect Andrew Miller Embraces A Second Chance
Andrew Miller is in this position because he chose to be. In that, the 25-year-old is unique.
Every Year There Are Some Rookie Surprises
Scan our postseason rookie rankings through the years and you'll find the point at which dozens of elite prospects turned into productive big leaguers. You can find this year's Top 20 Rookies. But it's important to take a look back as well.
