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One reader called it "epic." I don't know about that, but it was a two-and-a-half hour marathon chat session

Quick reactions from Monday's games ...

• If you've seen the scary video of Bryce Harper crashing face-first into the wall at Dodger Stadium, you know the end result could have been much worse than a bloodied face. Aside from Harper needing to learn what "warning track" means, the reaction from some of the Nationals is frustrating. "That's all you can ask for as a pitcher, a guy going 110 percent," said winning pitcher Jordan Zimmermann. No, no, no. Absolutely wrong. There's rarely a good time to go crashing into a wall, especially when the score is 6-0. There is no way making that catch -- and getting ONE OUT -- is worth the risk of the injury. Sometimes you have to play this game at 99 or 95 percent. Manager Davey Johnson said, "I don't want to change him." Fine. I get it. The hustle, the energy, that's part of what drives Harper to excel. But you have to be smart. I'm pretty sure Davey's behind-the-scenes talks with Harper will be a little different than his public posturing.
  
  

  SportsNation: Harper Injured

  Bryce Harper ran into a wall while trying to make a play in Monday night's Dodgers game. Should Harper dial it back a bit?
  • Cast your votes!

  The one guy who got it right was Ryan Zimmerman: "I would rather him not go all-out into the wall. Some people look at it as a bad thing. If you play that hard every day, there is something to be said about that. He's going to play a long time and you have to learn to take care of your body. As he grows, he'll learn what to do and what not to do." Zimmerman is speaking from experience, as a player who has battled injuries in his career. I love Harper's all-out play; I don't love him running into walls.
• Josh Beckett left after three innings after tweaking his groin, but gave up four runs before then anyway and fell to 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA. The Dodgers can use injuries as an excuse for their 15-22 record, but Beckett has been awful, Matt Kemp has been bad, Andre Ethier is slugging under .400, their third basemen are hitting a combined .185 with a .526 OPS and closer Brandon League has a 6.28 ERA.
• Great day for Aaron Hicks, whom the Twins have resisted sending down to the minors despite his slow start. He homered twice off Hector Santiago of the White Sox in a 10-3 victory and then robbed Adam Dunn of a home run. Love the big smile from Hicks as he gets up from the ground. Let's hope this gets his season going in the right direction.
• The Mets signed Rick Ankiel. He had been released by the Astros because he's struck out in over half his plate appearances. He started in center field. In a related note, the Mets lost 6-3 to the Cardinals.
• Travis Wood pitched seven scoreless, two-hit innings against the Rockies and has quietly put up a 2.03 ERA for the Cubs. Wood is a fly ball pitcher -- he had 12 fly ball outs on Monday, seven on the ground -- and when the ball stays in the park, he can be very effective. He's had a lot of effective outings of late. In his past 17 starts dating back to last August, he has a 2.65 ERA, .189 average and .263 OBP allowed and just eight home runs. He's a guy the advanced metrics don't love because his strikeout rate isn't high, but he could be developing into a nice 1-2 combo with Jeff Samardzija.
• The Rockies, meanwhile, are starting to struggle with the bats on the road. I've touched on this earlier this season, that Colorado's problems in the past has been more about the hitters doing bad on the road than the pitchers doing bad at home. The Rockies started out fine on the road, but the bats have gone dry, getting three hits in two games against St. Louis over the weekend and now getting three-hit by the Cubs.
• Joe Blanton is a guy the advanced metrics overrate, because he walks so few batters his strikeout/walk ratio is terrific. Last night, for example, he had seven strikeouts and no walks. But he gave up 12 hits and seven runs in 4.2 innings in an 11-4 loss to the Royals. Maybe there was some bad luck: "I felt like I threw the ball good tonight and my stuff was good," Blanton said. "When they made contact they found holes, broken-bat balls fell in for singles and balls bounced their way down the lines. It was one of those weird games. There were a couple of innings where I was one pitch away from it." Still. He's now 0-7 with a 6.46 ERA, and it's not that big of a surprise he's been this bad. He wasn't good last season in the National League, and there was no reason to expect him to come over to the AL, face deeper lineups, and suddenly get his ERA closer to 4.00. He's not good.

Quick thoughts on Wednesday's games ...

• The Orioles continue to impress, beating the Royals 5-3, improving to 21-13. They only had five hits, but took advantage of three Kansas City errors, and the bullpen backed up Chris Tillman with three scoreless innings. The one area the Orioles aren't getting production from is second base, where Ryan Flaherty is hitting .114 and Brian Roberts is on the DL. This is a good team, but I'm not sure the Orioles can count on Roberts staying healthy when he returns. What about going after Chase Utley, an impending free agent? This article by Wendy Thurm at FanGraphs points out that Utley has a no-trade clause to 21 teams, and the Orioles and Phillies are rivals by geographic proximity, but Utley makes perfect sense. He'd look pretty sweet in the third spot in the lineup between Manny Machado and Adam Jones.
• The Angels might have hit a low point -- and that's saying something -- in a 3-1 loss to Bud Norris and the Astros. As Jason Collette pointed out on Twitter, the Angels saw just 93 pitches, the third-lowest total of the season and lowest by an AL team. Even more remarkable -- they had 11 runners, with nine hits, a walk and a hit batter. Eight times the Angels put the first pitch in play (one of those was a Josh Hamilton home run) but the Astros turned four double plays. The Angels are 11-22, and last night's game had the appearance of a team playing out the string in a late September game. "It's still frustrating," Mark Trumbo told MLB.com. "You never want to stop feeling frustrated, because then you've pretty much given up hope. You come here each day with the mindset we're going to win the ballgame, so obviously it's a letdown when that doesn't happen."
• The Twins pounded Red Sox rookie starter Allen Webster, who looked like the JV kid called up to the varsity in his second career start. Not only does he look 15 years old, but he pitched tentatively and then grooved his fastball when behind in the count, and the Twins pounced. The 15-8 win pushed the surprising Twins to .500. David Ortiz also had his 27-game hitting streak dating to last season stopped. With the Twins playing respectable baseball, the Indians on a roll and the Royals four games over .500, the AL Central might be better than it has been in years.
• In a day game, Felix Hernandez outdueled A.J. Burnett for a 2-1 victory. The Pirates scored in the first when Starling Marte pulled a low fastball down the third-base line for a double and scored on Andrew McCutchen's hit. After walking Garrett Jones, the King got a double play and cruised after that. Burnett was just as tough, but Seattle scored one run without a hit thanks to two wild pitches, and then Jesus Montero homered in the seventh. What I didn't understand was Eric Wedge pulling Hernandez in the ninth. He'd only thrown 98 pitches and, yes, Tom Wilhelmsen has been solid, but I'd have let Felix finish it off.
• Another terrific start by Jordan Zimmermann, who shut down the Tigers for seven innings in the Nationals' 3-1 win. He's now 6-0 with a 1.59 ERA, and in his past three starts -- against the Tigers, Braves and Reds -- has allowed just one run. Zimmermann's approach is different from guys like Matt Harvey and Yu Darvish, who have dominated while racking up the strikeouts. Zimmermann pitches more to contact and has just 34 K's in 51 innings, despite which he's allowed just a .181 average thanks to a .209 average on balls in play. I like Zimmermann a lot, but I'm not quite ready to put him in the Hernandez/Darvish/Verlander/Harvey class. One thing that seems clear, however: He, and not Stephen Strasburg or Gio Gonzalez, is the ace of the Nationals.
• Goldschmidt happens. Again.

Thoughts on Tuesday's fun night of baseball ...

• Matt Harvey has deservedly been stealing all the headlines, but Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright is quietly off to an amazing start. He pitched 8.1 scoreless innings in a 2-0 win against the Nationals, improving to 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA. He also walked his first batter of the season -- he has 37 strikeouts -- and that was a careful pitch-around to the red-hot Bryce Harper with runners at first and third and two outs in the sixth. His 2-2, 94-mph four-seam fastball to then strike out Adam LaRoche was a thing of beauty. Good note from Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com on how catchers Yadier Molina and Tony Cruz arrived early to look at video from last season, when the Nationals twice scuffed up Wainwright, including knocking him out in the third inning in the postseason: "I don't want to say I don't do this every day, because I do," Molina said of the pregame video work. "But I was so focused to beat those guys, because I know last year [Wainwright] had a hard time facing the Nationals, so I wanted to do something different." Wainwright threw just one changeup and used his four-seamer more -- he had five strikeouts on fastballs after having just six in his first four starts.
• Big 6-4 win for the Diamondbacks against the Giants after Brandon Belt tagged J.J. Putz for a pinch-hit two-run homer in the ninth to tie it. Didi Gregorius scored the go-ahead on a wild pitch, but the game's crucial play happened in the bottom of the 10th when Cody Ross threw out Pablo Sandoval at home plate -- by about 25 feet. Check out the jump -- or lack of it -- that Sandoval got on the hit, which wasn't even hit that hard. The Diamondbacks have to be a little concerned about closer Putz, who is now just 3-for-6 in save chances, although Arizona has managed to win all three of those games. And Matt Cain remains winless for the Giants in five starts.
• Speaking of winless starters: The Rays are now 0-5 when David Price starts after losing 4-3 to the Yankees. Price pitched into the ninth inning with the game tied, but left after Robinson Cano's leadoff single. Fernando Rodney couldn't contain the damage as Ichiro Suzuki eventually hit a soft liner to center with two outs to score two. Price pitched OK, but remember that the Yankees have been among the worst teams in the majors against left-handers.
• With a 4-3 win against the Blue Jays, ESPN Stats and Info reports that the Orioles have now won 100 consecutive games when leading after seven innings, the third-longest stretch in major league history (the 1906-07 Cubs won 121 and the 1998-99 Yankees won 116). The Orioles scored all four runs off R.A. Dickey in the second inning, with walks to Ryan Flaherty and Nate McLouth keeping the rally going.
• Oh, those Marlins. Here's a story from the Miami Herald on how Marlins players are upset that veteran Ricky Nolasco was made to start the night game of the doubleheader while rookie Jose Fernandez started the day game. Sources told Clark Spencer that the decision was made by management, not manager Mike Redmond and pitching coach Chuck Hernandez. As for Fernandez, watched some of his outing; he has to stop throwing so many first-pitch fastballs. The Twins started jumping on the pitch, including three straight hits in the fourth, including Oswaldo Arcia's three-run homer, his first in the majors.
• Eric Karabell wants me to point out that the Phillies couldn't score off Jeff Locke. ... Mariners fans flooded Twitter with more disgust after yet another Raul Ibanez misadventure in left field. ... Jose Valverde is back with the Tigers and he'll be the closer. ... Watched Clayton Kershaw, and he scuffled through five innings, including a walk to Mets reliever Robert Carson that led to a two-out rally. The Dodgers won anyway as Mark Ellis hit two home runs. ... Howie Kendrick had the big walk-off homer in the 11th for the Angels. Curiously, Josh Hamilton was back in the cleanup spot. ... The Brewers won their ninth in a row even though Yovani Gallardo allowed eight hits and five walks in 6.2.

There is no scientific way to pick an all-underrated team. Well, I suppose there is some formula we could come up with, but that would be about as much fun as watching Brendan Ryan take batting practice. So let's go with an unscientific approach: my gut instinct. Plus how many times Eric Karabell and I talk about these guys being underrated at dinner. (He's sick of me bringing up Kyle Seager every Monday night. I remind him he's the only good position player right now on the Mariners.)

So here we go: The 2013 SweetSpot All-Underrated team, guys who don't seem to receive as much national acclaim as they deserve. Note: It's hard to be underrated if you play for an East Coast team, especially ones named "Yankees" or "Red Sox."

C -- Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers
Had a breakout season with the bat last year, hitting .320 with 12 home runs in between a stint on the DL for breaking his hand when a suitcase fell on it. Aside from his offense, statheads know Lucroy as one of the best pitch-framers in the business. Assuming he stays away from suitcases, the Brewers will reap benefits from his team-friendly contract: He'll make $15 million through 2017.

1B -- Allen Craig, Cardinals
Craig is still looking for his first home run of 2013, but a year ago he replaced Albert Pujols and hit .307/.354/.522 -- that's a higher on-base and slugging percentage than Pujols had with the Angels. Craig hit over .300 in the minors but his lack of a defensive home kept him off prospect lists and he didn't play 100 games in a major league season until last year, when he was already 27. He's a late bloomer but that doesn't mean he can't rake.

2B -- Neil Walker, Pirates
Unlike Craig, Walker seemed to spend forever on prospect lists, first as a catcher, then as a third baseman. He's settled in at second base, but playing for Pittsburgh his solid ability at the bat goes unnnoticed. He's not a star, but a solid contributor who should hit .280 with 12-15 home runs and adequate defense.

3B -- Kyle Seager, Mariners
Seager got off to a bad start and Karabell told me ESPN fantasy owners were dropping him like Raul Ibanez drops flies. Oh, the rash judgments of April. After a two-hit night Monday, Seager is up to .276/.337/.487. Unheralded coming up through the Seattle system, he has proved to be a better hitter than his North Carolina teammate, Dustin Ackley.

SS -- Brandon Crawford, Giants
OK, OK ... do I think his hot start with the bat is for real? No. Crawford has never really hit. But he's kind of a poor man's Andrelton Simmons, and while everyone raves about Simmons' ability in the field, nobody talks much about Crawford's. Just show them your ring, Brandon.

LF -- Josh Willingham, Twins
Willingham has put up good numbers at the plate for years -- including a monster 35-homer, 110-RBI season last season -- but he has played for the Marlins, Nationals, A's and Twins when they all had bad seasons and has never appeared in a postseason game. He may get that chance this year if the Twins trade him to a contender. (Not that the Twins can't contend! You never know!)

CF -- Shin-Soo Choo, Reds
He's finally getting some recognition thanks to his hot start (.366 average, better-than-Votto .521 OBP), but even then some people just want to talk about his shaky defense in center. He was a good player for the Indians for several years before coming to Cincy and I see his first All-Star Game in his future.

RF -- Norichika Aoki, Brewers
He came over from Japan last year and quietly hit .288/.355/433, lashed out 51 extra-base his, stole 30 bases and played a very good right field. He also made appearances as Bernie Brewer and at least four times raced as the Italian sausage.

SP -- Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners
Quick: Which starting pitcher has led the AL in ERA since last July 1? I hope you guessed Iwakuma. In 20 games, he has a 2.44 ERA, edging out Justin Verlander's 2.51 mark, and held batters to a .225 average. He's off to a great start in 2013, with a 1.69 ERA through four starts and just 12 hits in 26.2 innings. His fastball isn't overpowering, but he gets away with throwing 90 mph fastballs up in the zone and mixing a good splitter.

SP -- Mike Minor, Braves
I'll break my East Coast rule to include Minor, who also has been dominant since last July 1, with a 2.00 ERA that is second in the majors only to teammate Kris Medlen. I believe he's for real.

What do you think? Whom would you put on your All-Underrated Team?

By the way, check out the video. Who do I think is overrated? You may be surprised.

Some reaction to Tuesday's excellent slate of games ...

• Wanted to check out those gritty Diamondbacks so was watching their game against the Yankees. The 4-2 Yankees win ended up coming down to one pitch, Robinson Cano's three-run homer off Brandon McCarthy in the fourth. The D-backs led 2-0, there were runners at first and second with one out and McCarthy couldn't exactly intentionally walk Cano like he had in the third inning. But he didn't exactly want to give him anything to hit either. It was a great at-bat: Cut fastball inside, another cutter/sinker in the dirt, a changeup way outside, a 3-0 change for a called strike, a curveball that Cano foul tipped and then a 3-2 changeup that Cano didn't miss, sending it high into the Bronx air. "It's still such a hit-or-miss pitch," McCarthy said. "Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. It's very hard for me to get to a place where it can be relied on in a situation. It was coming along; I felt like it was doing what we needed it to do. It just maybe, in that count, it might have been too good a pitch."
• The Reds-Phillies game was suspended in the bottom of the ninth inning tied 0-0, but Homer Bailey had about as dominant a performance as any pitcher this season, going eight scoreless innings and allowing just two hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks. Impressively, he threw just 89 pitches -- and that was after throwing 17 in the first inning. Aroldis Chapman pitched the top of the ninth and is due up sixth in the bottom of the inning. Hey, maybe Dusty Baker lets him throw two innings if the Reds don't score.
• Great ending in the Rangers' 4-2 win over the Cubs. The Cubs had scored twice off Michael Kirkman and Joe Nathan and had the bases loaded with two outs. Darwin Barney fouled off three two-strike pitches and then hit a liner to center field, where Craig Gentry did this.
• After sweeping the Mets in a doubleheader -- maybe with a little help from the freezing cold weather -- it may be time to start paying attention to the 10-4 Rockies. In the second game, the Rockies tied it with two runs in the eighth after errors by pitcher Brandon Lyon and shortstop Ruben Tejada. A hard-hit ball off David Wright's glove in the 10th helped set up Jordan Pacheco's winning hit. Carlos Gonzalez, who had had five hits and scored five runs in the doubleheader, summed it up: "Worst, best day ever."
• Good game in Toronto, where the White Sox pulled out a 4-3 victory. Paul Konerko had tied the game at 2 in the seventh when he hit a 3-0 Josh Johnson fastball out to left. The Sox then scored twice in the ninth and held off a Blue Jays rally in the bottom of the inning.
• Dan Haren: Not good again for the Nationals. The Marlins had scored seven runs in the previous five games but lit up Haren for seven runs in 4.1 innings. Four runs were unearned but that's three shaky/bad starts for Haren. Giancarlo Stanton missed his fifth straight game with his bruised shoulder.
• The Angels: Not good again. Joe Mauer had four hits for the second straight day in the Twins' 8-6 victory. The Angels are 4-10 and you have to start wondering if Mike Scioscia's job is in jeopardy. Not that it's his fault, but if the Angels don't go on a winning streak, somebody will pay the price for the team's slow start.

The Atlanta Braves sent a message this weekend: Don't forget about us.

We all know the Washington Nationals were prohibitive favorites to win the NL East -- 38 of 43 ESPN.com experts picked them -- and only five picked the Braves. I think the Braves' impressive sweep over the Nationals this weekend, culminating in Sunday's 9-0 shutout, did more to showcase the talents of the Braves than to expose any particular weaknesses in the Nationals.

"We know the Nationals are supposed to be pretty good, so it was good to make a statement early," Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons said after the club won its ninth game in a row. "Let them know we're going to be tough to beat."

Nationals manager Davey Johnson took the more experienced response of a manager who knows pennants aren't won in April: "We should have won the first one. We were right there on the second. We just got waffled today. I don't put too much stock in it."

The most impressive thing about the Braves is -- like the Nationals -- they're a team constructed not just for 2013 but for the long haul. What's really impressive is how the Braves have built this team. Astute draft picks, player development, great trades, obscure pickups and, rarely, an impact free-agent signing.

Unlike the Nationals, who benefited from years of losing records that resulted in high draft picks (especially lucky enough to own the No. 1 overall pick the years Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were in the draft), the Braves developed young talent without the benefit of all those high picks. In fact, in the past 20 years, they've had just two picks in the top 15 -- Mike Minor, No. 7 overall in 2009, and Jason Heyward, No. 14 overall in 2007. Minor was a polished college left-hander who some felt the Braves overdrafted; Heyward was a local high school kid who fell to 14th in part because he was pitched around so much as a senior that he had just 52 at-bats.

Credit the Braves scouting staff for not missing those guys. Roy Clark, the scouting director for the Braves when they drafted Heyward and Minor, is now the assistant general manager to Mike Rizzo in Washington. But beyond those first-rounders, the Braves have found talent later in the draft:

• Simmons was a second-round pick out of Western Oklahoma State Junior College in 2010 and his meteoric rise to reach the majors was remarkable, considering few teams believed in his bat and some even projected him as a pitcher.
• Closer Craig Kimbrel was a third-rounder in 2008, another junior college pick.
• Starter Kris Medlen was a 10th-rounder, yet another junior college pick, and like Kimbrel is a short right-hander (both are under 6 feet tall).
• First baseman Freddie Freeman, currently on the disabled list, was a second-round pick in 2007, and like Heyward reached the majors at age 20.
• Brandon Beachy, also on the DL after last year's Tommy John surgery, was primarly a third baseman at Indiana Wesleyan and went undrafted. Braves scout Gene Kerns saw him pitching in relief in a college summer league and recommended the team sign him.
• And then there's the quickly growing legend of Evan Gattis, who less than three years ago was a 23-year-old playing for the University of Texas-Permian Basin after having quit baseball for five years. The Braves drafted him in the 23rd round, and now he's a 26-year-old rookie catcher filling in for the injured Brian McCann, batting cleanup and hitting .324/.385/.724. Gattis, who knocked in two runs in Sunday's win, has 10 RBIs and four home runs in nine games this season.

All that young talent means the Braves had an Opening Day payroll just under $90 million -- 16th-highest in the majors and less than half of the Yankees and Dodgers.

Then, of course, there are the Upton brothers. Instead of re-signing speedster Michael Bourn, the Braves signed the younger B.J. Upton to add more power to the offense. Then came the blockbuster deal to acquire Justin Upton. All he's done is club seven homers -- his seventh came on Sunday off a Gio Gonzalez 2-2 curveball that Upton hit out to right-center.

Sunday's pitching star was veteran lefty Paul Maholm, another astute Braves pickup, acquired last summer from the Cubs for Arodys Vizcaino, a youngster who missed all of 2012 because of Tommy John surgery. Maholm is a cost-effective mid-rotation starter making $6.5 million this year, the kind of pitcher who is underrated because his stuff isn't overpowering. He'd had a good year with the Pirates in 2011 and was pitching well for the Cubs. He's added a slow curve to his repertoire this year and hasn't allowed a run in three starts.

Maholm will give up a run eventually and the Braves' winning streak will end soon. Right now they're playing the best of any team in baseball, a fun team to watch that does everything -- play defense, pitch, hit for power and then hand the ball to Kimbrel. And the scary thing: B.J. Upton is just finally starting to hit -- he had three on Sunday to raise his average to .163 -- and Heyward is hitting .103 with just two extra-base hits.

Consider the message received.

REST OF THE WEEKEND

Three stars
1. Clay Buchholz, Red Sox. Took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on Sunday against the Rays, finishing with 11 K's over eight scoreless frames in Boston's 5-0 win. Buchholz had a dominant spring training and it's carried over into April as he's 3-0 with a 0.41 ERA.

2. Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners. Outpitched Yu Darvish in a 3-1 Seattle victory on Friday in a matchup that was certainly huge in Japan. Through three starts Iwakuma is 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA, .129 average allowed and 16/1 SO/BB ratio.

3. Matt Harvey, Mets. Can't avoid another pitcher, but Harvey was dominant once again on Saturday against the Twins, pitching through a start-time temperature of 35 degrees. In three starts he's 3-0 with two runs allowed and six hits in 22 innings.

Clutch performance of the weekend
Albert Pujols, Angels. Trailing the Astros 4-1 in the eighth inning on Saturday, and staring at an embarrassing 2-9 start, the Angels rallied for two in the eighth and then Pujols doubled home Luis Jimenez and Mike Trout with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. A win on Sunday pushed the Angels to 4-8; not good, but not yet a complete disaster.

Best game
Braves 6, Nationals 4, 10 innings (Friday). The Nationals led 4-0 after two innings and starter Ross Detwiler departed after seven innings with a 4-1 lead. But the Nationals bullpen struggled yet again, the Braves tied it in the ninth off Drew Storen, and then backup infielder Ramiro Pena hit a two-run homer off Craig Stammen in the 10th.

Hitter on the rise: Evan Gattis, Braves.
What does it say about the confidence Fredi Gonzalez has in Gattis to hit him cleanup after just a few games in the majors? If Gattis is this good, it's going to create a good kind of problem when McCann and Freeman return from the DL. What do you do with him? He's catching now and started one game at first, but you can't really hide him anywhere else.

Pitcher on the rise: Jose Fernandez, Marlins
The 20-year-old rookie had his second straight solid outing, with six scoreless innings against the Phillies on Saturday. That's two starts and one run allowed, although he hasn't earned the W yet.

Move I can't understand
Oh, Dusty Baker, how we love to analyze your moves. On Sunday, the Reds led the Pirates 6-4 entering the bottom of the eighth (and had led 5-0 entering the bottom of the seventh). Aroldis Chapman hadn't pitched in ... well, a week. Neither had setup man Jonathan Broxton, who came in and promptly gave up a walk and home run to Michael McKenry. And then after a groundout, another walk. But it wasn't a save situation so Chapman remained in the bullpen. Starling Marte then homered. Broxton then gave up a walk (to pitcher Jonathan Sanchez) and a single. And was still in there to give up a sac fly. (Baker blamed rust for Broxton's stuggles. OK.) Chapman was finally summoned from the pen. So Baker managed to go an entire week without getting Chapman into a meaningful situation. Meanwhile, Johnny Cueto left Saturday's game with right triceps pain and Shin-Soo Choo continues to hit but struggled defensively in center field.

Team on the rise: Pirates
The Pirates entered the weekend hitting .153 and had scored 21 runs in nine game. They swept the Reds to improve to 6-6, one game behind St. Louis in the NL Central.

Team on the fall: Twins
The Twins have lost five in a row and got snowed out on Sunday, which maybe was a good thing. Rookie center field Aaron Hicks may find a trip to Triple-A in his future, as after a big spring training he looks completely overmatched, hitting 3-for-43 (.047) with 20 strikeouts. And yet Ron Gardenhire continues to hit him leadoff.

When I'm not watching baseball, you can probably find me playing Scrabble. I combine my love of these two seemingly disparate interests by tracking down those players whose names are also valid words in Scrabble. I present to you now the Scrabble-acceptability of the names on the Opening Day 40-man roster for each team.

If the player's first or last name can be found in the "bible" of organized Scrabble, the Official Tournament and Club Word List, it will be listed in CAPS here (thus, no Rzepczynski). The number after the player's name is the total Scrabble score, excluding the possibility of double and triple-letter and double and triple-word squares. The score for each player is based upon the tile distribution in a standard English Scrabble set. If the player's name is seven letters or more and a valid Scrabble word, the score increases by 50 (otherwise known as a "bingo"). If the name cannot be formed without the use of a blank (such as "BOBBY"), the score represents the actual tally (in the BOBBY example, that would be 11, not 14). The numbers next to the team name gives the team's tally of qualifying names and total points.

There appears to be a West Coast bias in the Scrabble-playability of the rosters, as the Padres and Athletics each have an MLB-best 23 players with a first and/or last name that is acceptable. The luxury tax-pinched Yankees seemingly can't buy the right letters, as they have only 12 such players, worst in the majors. The Rockies accrue the highest point total, with 523 from their 18 qualifying players, with an MLB-leading six "bingo names." The Red Sox' Franklin Morales is the "Most Scrabble-valuable Player" as both his first and last names are acceptable Scrabble words, good for 124 points (a "franklin" is a medieval English landowner of free but not noble birth). The Yankees' Joba Chamberlain possesses the longest acceptable Scrabble word on anyone's 40-man roster, as a "chamberlain" is an officer who manages the household of a sovereign or noble.

Angels (17, 366): David CARPENTER 63, Ryan BRASIER 59, Scott COUSINS 59, TOMMY FIELD 21, HANK CONGER 20, MARK LOWE 17, MIKE TROUT 15, j.b. SHUCK 14, JOHN Hester 14, JOSH Hamilton 14, Jered WEAVER 12, TOMMY Hanson 12, NICK Maronde 10, MARK Trumbo 10, JOE Blanton 10, Scott DOWNS 9, PETER Bourjos 7

Astros (16, 310): BRAD PEACOCK 74, Justin MAXWELL 69, JOSH FIELDS 24, JIMMY Paredes 19, JAKE Elmore 15, JARRED Cosart 14, JORDAN Lyles 14, JOHN Ely 14, Wesley WRIGHT 13, HECTOR Ambriz 11, Alex WHITE 11, RICK Ankiel 10, Chris CARTER 8, MATT Dominguez 6, BUD Norris 6, Chia-Jen LO 2

Athletics (23, 293): a.j. GRIFFIN 64, JERRY Blevins 15, COCO CRISP 14, JORDAN Norberto 14, JOSH Stinson 14, JOHN Jaso 14, JOSH Donaldson 14, JOSH Reddick 14, GRANT GREEN 12, Jarrod PARKER 12, JESSE Chavez 12,TOMMY Milone 12, Jemile WEEKS 12, Seth SMITH 10, Ryan COOK 10, Chris YOUNG 9, PEDRO Figueroa 8, Bartolo COLON 7, GRANT Balfour 6, Brandon MOSS 6, PAT Neshek 5, DAN Otero 4, DAN Straily 4

Blue Jays (15, 215): JOSH JOHNSON 73, JOSH THOLE 22, r.a. DICKEY 16, COLBY Rasmus 12, Brandon MORROW 11, HENRY Blanco 11, MARK Buehrle 10, CHAD Jenkins 10, MARK DeRosa 10, DREW Hutchison 8, Esmil ROGERS 7, BRAD Lincoln 7, Sergio SANTOS 6, Moises SIERRA 6, Aaron LOUP 6

Red Sox (20, 507): FRANKLIN MORALES 124, Ryan DEMPSTER 63, Allen WEBSTER 62, ALFREDO Aceves 61, JOHN LACKEY 29, BROCK HOLT 20, MIKE CARP 18, KOJI Uehara 15, Steven WRIGHT 13, DAN BUTLER 12, RUBBY De La Rosa 12, Andrew BAILEY 11, DRAKE Britton 10, MIKE Napoli 10, CLAY Buchholz 9, Andrew MILLER 8, PEDRO Ciriaco 8, Stephen DREW 8, Daniel BARD 7, WILL Middlebrooks 7

Braves (15,428): REED JOHNSON 72, Chris JOHNSON 67, David CARPENTER 63, Freddie FREEMAN 62, Jonny VENTERS 60, MIKE MINOR 17, Brandon BEACHY 16, JORDAN Walden 14, JORDAN Schafer 14, CORY Gearrin 9, CORY Rasmus 9, KRIS Medlen 8, David HALE 7, Gerald LAIRD 6, DAN Uggla 4

Brewers (21, 324): ALFREDO Figaro 61, SCOOTER Gennett 59, JOSH PRINCE 24, JOHNNY Hellweg 19, JIMMY Henderson 19, MARK ROGERS 17, JOHN Axford 14, Rickie WEEKS 12, BURKE Badenhop 11, JEAN Segura 11, NICK Bucci 10, MIKE Fiers 10, WILY Peralta 10, MARTIN Maldonado 8, Corey HART 7, Taylor GREEN 6, LOGAN Schafer 6, SANTO Manzanillo 5, ARIEL Pena 5, TOM Gorzelanny 5, MAT Gamel 5

Cardinals (18, 458): Adam WAINWRIGHT 70, MATT CARPENTER 69, Adron CHAMBERS 67, Chris CARPENTER 63, Sam FREEMAN 62, JOE KELLY 22, JAKE Westbrook 15, Jon JAY 13, VICTOR Marte 11, RANDY Choate 9, Keith BUTLER 8, Shelby MILLER 8, MARC Rzepczynski 8, LANCE Lynn 7, Jason MOTTE 7, TONY Cruz 7, MATT Adams 6, MATT Holliday 6

Cubs (12, 134): JUNIOR LAKE 21, SHAWN CAMP 21, JOSH Vitters 14, BROOKS Raley 12, HECTOR Rondon 11, Darwin BARNEY 11, Scott BAKER 11, Travis WOOD 8, BRENT Lillibridge 7, LOGAN Watkins 6, MATT Garza 6, MATT Szczur 6

Diamondbacks (22, 387): a.j. POLLOCK 65, ALFREDO Marte 61, Miguel MONTERO 59, JOSH PARR 20, HEATH BELL 17, j.j. PUTZ 15, JOSH Collmenter 14, JOSH Wilson 14, CLIFF Pennington 13, Charles BREWER 11, CHASE Anderson 10, Eric SMITH 10, JOE Paterson 10, Wil NIEVES 9, WILLIE Bloomquist 9, MARTIN Prado 8, WADE Miley 8, TONY Sipp 7, BRAD Ziegler 7, Aaron HILL 7, TONY Campana 7, MATT Reynolds 6

Dodgers (17, 226): Justin SELLERS 57, JOSH WALL 21, MATT KEMP 18, NICK PUNTO 17, JERRY Hairston 15, JOSH Beckett 14, SHAWN Tolleson 11, CHAD Billingsley 10, Stephen FIFE 10, MARK Ellis 10, SKIP Schumaker 10, Brandon LEAGUE 7, MATT Guerrier 6, MATT Magill 6, CARL Crawford 6, TED Lilly 4, DEE Gordon 4

Giants (17, 217): JAKE DUNNING 74, HUNTER PENCE 18, ANGEL PAGAN 14, MATT CAIN 12, HECTOR Sanchez 11, JEAN Machi 11, CHAD Gaudin 10, NICK Noonan 10, SANDY Rosario 9, BUSTER Posey 8, TONY Abreu 7, ANGEL Villalona 6, ROGER Kieschnick 6, Brandon BELT 6, Brett PILL 6, Joaquin ARIAS 5, DAN Runzler 4

Indians (19, 252): NICK SWISHER 73, JOE SMITH 20, RICH HILL 16, JOSH Tomlin 14, David HUFF 13, FRANK Herrmann 12, NICK Hagadone 10, Bryan SHAW 10, MIKE Aviles 10, MIKE McDade 10, MARK Reynolds 10, t.j. HOUSE 8, Blake WOOD 8, DREW Stubbs 8, Michael BOURN 7, TREY Haley 7, CORD Phelps 7, MATT Albers 6, Chen-Chang LEE 3

Mariners (15, 353): FRANKLIN Gutierrez 65, CHARLIE Furbush 62, Jesus MONTERO 59, Kendrys MORALES 59, JOSH Kinney 14, CHANCE Ruffin 13, KELLY Shoppach 12, HECTOR Noesi 11, BOBBY LaFromboise 11, JOE Saunders 10, Yoervis MEDINA 9, CARTER Capps 8, Jason BAY 8, Michael MORSE 7, TOM Wilhelmsen 5

Marlins (14, 225): Chris HATCHER 65, ALFREDO Silverio 61, BRAD HAND 15, JOHN Maine 14, MIKE Dunn 10, CHAD Qualls 10, JOE Mahoney 10, WADE LeBlanc 8, Jacob TURNER 6, Donovan SOLANO 6, LOGAN Morrison 6, TOM Koehler 5, ROB Brantly 5, DAN Jennings 4

Mets (17, 244): Zack WHEELER 63, JOHN BUCK 26, HANSEL ROBLES 17, Daniel MURPHY 16, JOSH Edgin 14, David WRIGHT 13, Zach LUTZ 13, FRANK Francisco 12, Greg BURKE 11, BOBBY Parnell 11, MIKE Baxter 10, Gonzalez GERMEN 9, KIRK Nieuwenhuis 7, Justin TURNER 6, MATT Harvey 6, Scott RICE 6, Dillon GEE 4

Nationals (17, 144): JORDAN Zimmermann 14, Bryce HARPER 11, HENRY Rodriguez 11, Ryan PERRY 10, Corey BROWN 10, CHAD Tracy 10, Nathan KARNS 9, SANDY Leon 9, Zach DUKE 9, Yunesky MAYA 9, DREW Storen 8, Jhonatan SOLANO 6, ROGER Bernadina 6, COLE Kimball 6, MATT Purke 6, Denard SPAN 6, DAN Haren 4

Orioles (13, 312): Jim JOHNSON 67, Steve JOHNSON 67, Danny VALENCIA 63, TOMMY HUNTER 21, PEDRO STROP 15, JAKE Arrieta 15, j.j. HARDY 12, Adam JONES 12, MIKE Belfiore 10, NICK Markakis 10, TROY Patton 7, l.j. HOES 7, MATT Wieters 6

Padres (23, 358): JOE THATCHER 76, Jason MARQUIS 68, JOHN BAKER 25, BRAD BRACH 19, Jaff DECKER 13, Kyle BLANKS 12, Casey KELLY 12, TOMMY Layne 12, YONDER Alonso 10, CHASE Headley 10, NICK Vincent 10, NICK Hundley 10, MARK Kotsay 10, JOE Wieland 10, CORY Luebke 9, Cody RANSOM 8, MILES Mikolas 7, BRAD Boxberger 7, WILL Venable 7, Huston STREET 6, LOGAN Forsythe 6, Anthony BASS 6, DALE Thayer 5

Phillies (21, 323): Zach COLLIER 59, Tyson GILLIES 58, JIMMY Rollins 19, CLIFF LEE 16, JAKE Diekman 15, BEN REVERE 14, JOHN Lannan 14, JOHN Mayberry 14, CHASE Utley 10, Domonic BROWN 10, MIKE Adams 10, CHAD Durbin 10, JOE Savery 10, Laynce NIX 10, Michael YOUNG 9, Delmon YOUNG 9, Ethan MARTIN 8, Mauricio ROBLES 8, Jeremy HORST 8, ENDER Inciarte 6, COLE Hamels 6

Pirates (19, 302): CHARLIE Morton 62, STARLING Marte 59, JERRY SANDS 21, JOSH Harrison 14, JOHN McDonald 14, Neil WALKER 13, Vic BLACK 13, Garrett JONES 12, Jordy MERCER 10, CHASE d'Arnaud 10, MARK Melancon 10, GABY Sanchez 10, DUKE Welker 9, Bryan MORRIS 8, Russell MARTIN 8, PEDRO Alvarez 8, Travis SNIDER 7, TONY Watson 7, TONY Sanchez 7

Rangers (22, 323): Michael KIRKMAN 62, Derek HOLLAND 61, COLBY LEWIS 20, CORY BURNS 16, David MURPHY 16, JOSH Lindblom 14, MATT WEST 13, Jeff BAKER 11, Craig GENTRY 10, MIKE Olt 10, JOE Nathan 10, JOE Ortiz 10, Justin MILLER 8, MARTIN Perez 8, Leonys MARTIN 8, ROMAN Mendez 7, LANCE Berkman 7, Wilmer FONT 7, Derek LOWE 7, TANNER Scheppers 6, NELSON Cruz 6, MATT Harrison 6

Rays (14, 208): KELLY JOHNSON 79, JAKE McGee 15, JAKE Odorizzi 15, JOSH Lueke 14, Jamey WRIGHT 13, FRANK De Los Santos 12, Chris ARCHER 11, Alex COBB 10, MIKE Montgomery 10, David PRICE 9, MATT Moore 6, MATT Joyce 6, BEN Zobrist 5, Hak-Ju LEE 3

Reds (19, 387): Aroldis CHAPMAN 66, Sean MARSHALL 63, ALFREDO Simon 61, JOSH RAVIN 22, HOMER BAILEY 21, JOHNNY Cueto 19, JACK Hannahan 17, JOEY Votto 14, Donald LUTZ 13, JAY Bruce 13, j.j. HOOVER 12, HENRY Rodriguez 11, MIKE Leake 10, NICK Masset 10, Bronson ARROYO 9, PEDRO Villarreal 8, TONY Cingrani 7, LOGAN Ondrusek 6, MAT Latos 5

Rockies (18, 523): REX BROTHERS 73, Ryan WHEELER 63, Tim WHEELER 63, CHARLIE Culberson 62, CHARLIE Blackmon 62, Jon GARLAND 59, DEXTER FOWLER 26, JOSH OUTMAN 22, JORDAN Pacheco 14, JOSH Sullivan 14, JOSH Rutledge 14, JOE Gardner 10, Eric YOUNG 9, DREW Pomeranz 8, TROY Tulowitzki 7, Chris NELSON 6, MATT Belisle 6, ROB Scahill 5

Royals (18, 417): Elliot JOHNSON 67, Greg HOLLAND 61, James SHIELDS 61, Tim COLLINS 59, JOHN LAMB 22, JOHNNY Giavotella 19, BILLY BUTLER 18, Donnie JOSEPH 18, WILL SMITH 17, KELVIN Herrera 13, Justin MARKS 11, MIKE Moustakas 10, David LOUGH 9, Aaron CROW 9, WADE Davis 8, Lorenzo CAIN 6, LOUIS Coleman 5, NOEL Arguelles 4

Tigers (16, 336): QUINTIN BERRY 76, PRINCE FIELDER 71, Omar INFANTE 60, DON KELLY 16, TORII HUNTER 14, MAX Scherzer 12, VICTOR Martinez 11, Danny WORTH 11, Duane BELOW 10, Andy DIRKS 10, Phil COKE 10, RICK Porcello 10, Darin DOWNS 9, DREW Smyly 8, MATT Tuiasosopo 6, AL Alburquerque 2

Twins (18, 224): Scott DIAMOND 61, Brian DOZIER 16, Aaron HICKS 14, JOSH Roenicke 14, JOSH Willingham 14, MIKE Pelfrey 10, JOE Mauer 10, JOE Benson 10, Kyle GIBSON 9, Jared BURTON 8, PEDRO Hernandez 8, PEDRO Florimon 8, Tim WOOD 8, DREW Butera 8, Trevor MAY 8, Josmil PINTO 7, COLE De Vries 6, GLEN Perkins 5

White Sox (20, 257): Tyler FLOWERS 63, JAKE PEAVY 28, BRENT MOREL 14, JORDAN Danks 14, JOHN Danks 14, JOSH Phegley 14, JESSE Crain 12, Nate JONES 12, HECTOR Santiago 11, HECTOR Gimenez 11, Deunte HEATH 11, Donnie VEAL 7, Dewayne WISE 7, NESTOR Molina 6, SANTOS Rodriguez 6, ANGEL Sanchez 6, MATT Lindstrom 6, MATT Thornton 6, Addison REED 5, Chris SALE 4

Yankees (12, 233): Joba CHAMBERLAIN 70, Brett MARSHALL 63, CORBAN JOSEPH 28, SHAWN Kelley 11, MARK Teixeira 10, Jayson NIX 10, Adam WARREN 9, Vernon WELLS 8, Ivan NOVA 7, Boone LOGAN 6, Melky MESA 6, BEN Francisco 5

My thanks to Ken Arneson for help with the rosters.

Diane Firstman runs the Value Over Replacement Grit blog. She previously wrote the all-Haiku season preview and the Opening Day crossword puzzle for the SweetSpot blog. She's on Twitter @dianagram.

Picking division winners and playoff teams is easy. What's harder is picking the final record for every team. So I will venture to project this year's final standings ... remember, wins and losses and runs scored and runs allowed must add up across the board. Try it. It's hard!

Joe Sheehan does this in his newsletter, so I want to credit him for the idea, although I made sure not to look at his totals. Of course, we have computer projections from various experts as well -- here are the ZiPS projections for the AL and NL we ran on ESPN.com -- but predictions are different from the projections. You should go out on a limb with a few of your predictions.

AL EAST

All five teams could certainly finish above .500, although you have to think one team will bust, like the Red Sox did a year ago. My bet is on the Yankees, but even with all the injuries on offense, if CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte all give 30-plus starts, don't be surprised to see the Yankees in the postseason.

Tampa Bay Rays: 91-71 (734 runs scored, 642 runs allowed)
I have them allowing 65 more runs that last year, but scoring 37 more, as they won't miss B.J. Upton's sub-.300 OBP all that much, Desmond Jennings will improve and Evan Longoria has a big -- and healthy -- season.

Boston Red Sox: 87-75 (762 RS, 705 RA)
Outfield defense is the new OBP and the Red Sox will be playing three center fielders in Jackie Bradley Jr., Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino. That alone will make the pitching staff much better and a deep bullpen and rebound from Jon Lester to ace-like status will put the Red Sox into wild-card contention.

Toronto Blue Jays: 85-77 (769 RS, 732 RA)
As good as the top four hitters in the lineup are -- Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion -- the Jays have some OBP issues after that unless Brett Lawrie matures. Certainly huge boom potential here if Josh Johnson and Brandon Morrow stay healthy and the bullpen sorts itself out.

Baltimore Orioles: 85-77 (708 RS, 675 RA)
The Orioles may lack a true No. 1, but I like the rotation depth and bullpen and if Matt Wieters can improve a little at the plate, Manny Machado provides some pop at third base and they get anything out of second base (Brian Roberts?), maybe the O's surprise again.

New York Yankees: 78-84 (702 RS, 732 RA)
Even if Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez eventually return, I see the offense struggling to come anywhere close to the 804 runs it scored a year ago. The pitching will have to be lights out.

AL CENTRAL

Detroit Tigers: 93-69 (749 RS, 640 RA)
Fun fact: The White Sox scored 22 more runs than the Tigers last year and allowed only six more. Still, like most, I like the Tigers to have an easier time this year, with Max Scherzer having a big year, a full season from Anibal Sanchez helping the rotation, Victor Martinez's return and Torii Hunter providing a big improvement in right field.

Kansas City Royals: 80-82 (715 RS, 727 RA)
I have the Royals improving by 39 runs on offense and that could be low if Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas improve even more than I believe they will. The rotation will be better, but Ervin Santana is a big question mark and we'll see how James Shields does away from Tampa. The bullpen also needs to dominate like a year ago.

Chicago White Sox: 78-84 (699 RS, 723 RA)
Once again, we're probably underestimating the White Sox, but I worry about the age on Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn and whether Chris Sale and Jake Peavy will be as good as in 2012.

Cleveland Indians: 76-86 (723 RS, 769 RA)
I could be undervaluing the Indians here: An outfield defense of Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn and Drew Stubbs will save a lot of runs, and Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana have big-season potential and Lonnie Chisenhall is a good breakout candidate. But the rotation still looks like a problem, with Ubaldo Jimenez, Brett Myers and Scott Kazmir having a lot to prove.

Minnesota Twins: 67-95 (655 RS, 798 RA)
This may be optimistic. If the Royals and Indians improve, Twins could easily be headed for a 100-loss season.

AL WEST

The A's don't seem to have a lot of believers after their surprising division title last year, but I still like a team that is young and made some moves to improve last year's weaknesses. If the AL East beats up on each other, it's possible both wild cards could come from the West (thank you, Houston).

Oakland Athletics: 91-71 (753 RS, 654 RA)
I have the A's both scoring more and allowing more runs. Their offensive production from second, third and shortstop last year was among the worst in the majors at all three positions, so improved offense there (and an MVP-caliber season from Yoenis Cespedes) will help make up for a decline from the rotation.

Los Angeles Angels: 89-73 (792 RS, 714 RA)
The best offense in the league, especially when you factor in park effects, but the Angels' rotation needs Jered Weaver to remain healthy and there are some concerns still about the bullpen. And as good as Josh Hamilton is, remember that Torii Hunter had a terrific 2012. But if Mike Trout gets better and Albert Pujols doesn't have another homerless April ... watch out.

Seattle Mariners: 84-78 (691 RS, 660 RA)
Maybe Mike Morse and Kendrys Morales weren't the sexiest of offseason pickups, but the Mariners got nothing from left field and DH last year. Justin Smoak tore it up in spring training and if Jesus Montero and Dustin Ackley improve (don't forget the Mariners moved in the fences), the offense could be respectable for the first time in years.

Texas Rangers: 83-79 (756 RS, 737 RA)
I have the Rangers scoring 52 fewer runs -- no Hamilton, a declining Nelson Cruz, a slightly less productive Adrian Beltre -- and allowing 30 more. The Rangers' run differential dropped off 77 runs last year from 2011 and I see another decline here until they reload in 2014 with Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt.

Houston Astros: 52-110 (560 RS, 837 RA)
With Bud Norris, Lucas Harrell and a healthy Erik Bedard (good luck), maybe the Astros surprise and avoid 100 losses. But the AL West should be tougher than the NL Central, and the Astros lost 106 and 107 the past two seasons.

Playoffs
Angels over Red Sox (wild card)

Tigers over Angels
Rays over A's

Rays over Tigers

Yes, it's the time of the year ... awards predictions! Here are the collective thoughts of the writers from across the SweetSpot network.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Last year, the SweetSpot bloggers correctly picked Miguel Cabrera as the AL MVP winner. How quickly we fall in love with the new kid on the block! I'm not surprised that Mike Trout is the MVP favorite by the SweetSpot bloggers -- but I am surprised by his runaway vote total, as he collected 33 of the 47 first-place votes (including mine). If wisdom of the crowds proves true, it should be a landslide MVP result for Trout.

Amazingly, Cabrera only received two first-place votes (remember, he ranked ahead of Trout in our recent BBTN500 voting). This probably reflects the difference in the mind-set between the bloggers -- who are going to pay more attention to advanced metrics like WAR -- and the more conventional group of analysts (writers, announcers, former players) who voted in the BBTN500.

The network bloggers must have high hopes for the Rays since Evan Longoria ranked third in the balloting. And maybe the Yankees won't collapse just yet: Robinson Cano finished fourth in the balloting.

Points on a 14-9-8-7-6 basis.

1. Mike Trout, 574 points (33 first-place votes)
2. Miguel Cabrera, 374 points (2)
3. Evan Longoria, 268 points (3)
4. Robinson Cano, 238 points (4)
5. Adrian Beltre, 101 points (1)
6. Yoenis Cespedes, 92 points (0)
7. Jose Bautista, 85 points (2)
8. Prince Fielder, 70 points (1)
9. Albert Pujols, 62 points (1)
10. Jose Reyes, 43 points (0)

Others -- Josh Hamilton (41 points), Dustin Pedroia (34), Joe Mauer (21), Alex Gordon (18), Matt Wieters (9), Adam Jones (7), Curtis Granderson (7), Edwin Encarnacion (6), Carlos Santana (6), Ian Kinsler (6), Jacoby Ellsbury (6)

CY YOUNG

No surprise here: Justin Verlander collected 28 first-place votes to easily outdistance last season's Cy Young winner, David Price. Keep an eye on Yu Darvish: He finished ahead of Felix Hernandez in the voting. Reigning NL CY Young winner R.A. Dickey is now with Toronto and he collected just one first-place vote.

Points on a 7-4-3 basis.

1. Justin Verlander, 258 points (28 first-place votes)
2. David Price, 129 points (4)
3. Yu Darvish, 81 points (5)
4. Felix Hernandez, 70 points (5)
5. Jered Weaver, 34 points (3)
6. R.A. Dickey, 15 points (1)

Others -- Chris Sale (9 points), CC Sabathia (8), Max Scherzer (6), Josh Johnson (6), Jarrod Parker (6), Jon Lester (6), Doug Fister (3), Matt Moore (3), Jake Peavy (3)

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

The rookie race is even more wide open, since most of the top rookie prospects will begin the year in the minors, including Tampa Bay outfielder Wil Myers, who led our balloting with 17 first-place votes. Outfielders Aaron Hicks of the Twins and Jackie Bradley of the Red Sox will break camp with their big league teams, and that helped them finish second and third in the voting.

Points on a 5-3-1 basis.

1. Wil Myers, 111 points (17 first-place votes)
2. Aaron Hicks, 71 points (8)
3. Jackie Bradley, 65 points (8)
4. Jurickson Profar, 46 points (4)
5. Dylan Bundy, 29 points (4)
6. Brandon Maurer, 24 points (2)
7. Trevor Bauer, 21 points (1)
8. Dan Straily, 12 points (1)

Others -- Bruce Rondon (6 points), Mike Olt (5), Mike Zunino (4), Chris Archer (3), Avisail Garcia (1), Conor Gillaspie (1), Nick Tepesch (1), Kevin Gausman (1)

Though the vast majority of roster spots are already won before spring training even begins, it is worth following every game in March down to the wire to see how teams handle those few remaining slots. Will the veteran trying to resuscitate his career beat out the up-and-coming rookie? Does the prospect with the fallen star have enough to beat out the hordes of veteran retreads known as non-roster invitees?

Now at the end of March, many of those roster questions have been answered, and some will surprise you. Here are a few that shocked me.

Rangers name Nick Tepesch as fifth starter
Nick Tepesch is 24 years old and has thrown exactly 90.1 innings above Single-A ball, yet he will be the Rangers' No. 5 starter when the regular season begins. It wasn't like the Rangers were bereft of options -- they auditioned Robbie Ross, Randy Wells, Derek Lowe and Justin Grimm, but ultimately landed on Tepesch, who posted a 6.50 ERA in 18 spring innings. The Rangers, arguably the favorite in the AL West anyway, might have given themselves some more certainty by going after Kyle Lohse.

Twins give the Opening Day nod to Vance Worley
If Vance Worley were still with the Phillies, he would likely start their home opener, the fourth game of the season. Now with the Twins, he is the ace of the rotation and will get the honor of pitching on Opening Day. With a rotation that includes Mike Pelfrey, Kevin Correia, Liam Hendriks and Cole De Vries (Scott Diamond starts the year on the DL), Worley pretty much wins by default. Still, it's shocking to see a guy who had never even been a No. 3 ascend all the way to No. 1 in a rotation, even if it is the Twins.

Scott Kazmir wins Indians' fifth starter job
As a can't-miss prospect with the Mets, then as part of the Rays' rotation from 2005-08, the sky was the limit for the left-handed Kazmir. A slow start with the Rays in 2009 and his pending free agency led to a trade with the Angels and Kazmir simply hasn’t been the same since. Since 2009, Kazmir has a 5.54 ERA in 299 innings. He spent all of 2012 with the Sugar Land Skeeters, an independent league team, hoping to mount a comeback, but he finished with a 5.34 ERA. The Indians, though, without much to write home about in the starting rotation, were enthused by his 3.46 spring ERA and named him the fifth starter ahead of Carlos Carrasco. Some guys in baseball you can't help but pull for, and Kazmir is one of them. Here's hoping all of his hard work has paid off.

Padres will platoon rookie Jedd Gyorko at second and third base
Over the past two seasons in the minors, Gyorko has hit 55 home runs and posted an OPS well above .900. There was a distinct possibility, as spring training began in late February, that Gyorko could have owned the everyday job at second base. Unfortunately for the Padres, they suffered injuries at both second base (Logan Forsythe, plantar fasciitis) and third base (Chase Headley, fractured left thumb). Their solution was, surprisingly, not to put Gyorko at second or third (he's played both positions). Instead, they will shift Gyorko between second and third depending on the pitching matchups. When a left-handed starter is on the hill, as there will be on Opening Day against the Mets, Cody Ransom will start at third base and Gyorko will start at second. When a right-handed starter is on the hill, Gyorko will move to third and the left-handed hitter Alexi Amarista will start at second. Though Gyorko should get regular at-bats, the back-and-forth nature of this platoon might only slow his development on defense. For example, the Phillies over the years shifted Domonic Brown back and forth between left and right field -- ostensibly, two easier positions to transition between -- and his defense has lagged behind his other skills. Maybe it works out in the end for the Padres, but it would make more sense to put their prize prospect at one position, then deal with the other position with what's left.

Rockies give third base job to Chris Nelson, send Nolan Arenado to Triple-A Nelson was impressive in a half-season's worth of plate appearances last year. He posted an .810 OPS, which included a .310 batting average, but his defensive metrics at third were terrible (-18 Defensive Runs Saved in 647 innings). Arenado is more of a power threat, but his defense still needs work, which is one reason the Rockies decided to have him start the season with Colorado Springs in Triple-A. The Rockies also don't want to start his arbitration clock earlier than is necessary. Though a left side of the infield that includes Troy Tulowitzki and Arenado is fun to think about, the Rockies likely aren't competing for a playoff spot this year, so there is no reason to rush Arenado.

Tigers option Bruce Rondon to Triple-A
A common claim from the numbers-savvy is that paying lots of money for an established closer is inefficient since the most important moments in the ballgame can and often do occur earlier, in the seventh and eighth innings. The Tigers were breaking from normative baseball philosophy in naming Rondon, a 22-year-old who has pitched eight innings above Double-A, their closer going into 2013. They said no to Jose Valverde and a host of other closers. However, early in spring, manager Jim Leyland wasn't impressed with Rondon’s erratic control, which led to his being sent down on Thursday. Now the Tigers will be using a closer-by-committee -- a combination of Phil Coke, Joaquin Benoit and Al Alburquerque. Despite Leyland's traditional approach to game strategy, the closer-by-committee is probably the best and most efficient way the Tigers could have wound up utilizing the bullpen.

Blue Jays name JA Happ their fifth starter
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Happ, who has the fifth-worst ERA (5.08) among starters over the past two seasons, was not happy with the Blue Jays when he found out his job in the starting rotation wasn't guaranteed. GM Alex Anthopoulos responded by not only giving him the fifth spot (thanks to Ricky Romero's awful spring that led to a demotion to Class A), but a two-year, $8.9 million contract extension as well. While giving Happ the rotation spot isn't by itself outrageous, the combination of the two makes me wonder what the Jays see in the lefty.

Every year we at You Can't Predict Baseball try to predict baseball with some, well, rather bold predictions. At the end of the season we like to go back and see just how right or wrong we were. Sometimes, we nail it. Sometimes, we predict Vernon Wells is going to be the best center fielder in the league.

Baltimore Orioles: Brian Roberts plays at least 75 games.
Boston Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia is not their most valuable position player.
New York Yankees: Despite missing April, Curtis Granderson still leads the team in home runs.
Tampa Bay Rays: At some point this season, Fernando Rodney loses the closer job.
Toronto Blue Jays: They use fewer than 10 starting pitchers this season.

Chicago White Sox: Paul Konerko hits 35 home runs.
Cleveland Indians: Michael Bourn steals fewer than 40 bases.
Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera has a better season than last year, but he doesn't lead the AL in any Triple Crown categories.
Kansas City Royals: James Shields has an ERA+ under 100.
Minnesota Twins: They don't have the worst starting pitching in the AL.

Houston Astros: They won't lose 100 games.
Los Angeles Angels: Josh Hamilton hits 45 home runs.
Oakland Athletics: They win the division again.
Seattle Mariners: Jason Bay hits more home runs than he did with the Mets.
Texas Rangers: Joakim Soria has more saves than Joe Nathan.

Atlanta Braves: Their regular third baseman will have an OPS+ within 10 points of Chipper Jones' from last year.
Miami Marlins: They have an All-Star other than Giancarlo Stanton.
New York Mets: Ike Davis hits 40 home runs.
Philadelphia Phillies: Roy Halladay's ERA is over 4.
Washington Nationals: Their outfield leads the NL East in homers.

Chicago Cubs: Carlos Marmol's K/BB is higher than 2.50.
Cincinnati Reds: Mat Latos has his best season yet.
Milwaukee Brewers: Norichika Aoki hits more triples than home runs.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Neil Walker is the best second baseman in the NL.
St Louis Cardinals: David Freese and Allen Craig outhomer Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Gerardo Parra and Eric Hinske are regular outfielders by the end of the season.
Colorado Rockies: Jhoulys Chacin qualifies for rate stats, and has an ERA under 4.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Josh Beckett leads the team in wins.
San Diego Padres: Chase Headley doesn't lead the team in RBIs.
San Francisco Giants: The three main outfielders (which we're counting as Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and Gregor Blanco) won't combine to hit 40 home runs.

Spring training consists of a lot of bunting practice and manufactured stories, false alarms and overhyped weight losses (or increases). But some news events and stories are potentially important. Here are the 25 biggest ones -- from on the field -- as camps finally wind down.

25. Scott Kazmir makes Indians rotation
The last time we saw Kazmir in the majors was in the fourth game of the season for the Angels in 2011. He gave up a home run, walked two batters, hit two more batters and got knocked out in the second inning. He was just 27 years old, but on the heels of a terrible 2010, his career appeared over. Even last year, pitching for Sugar Land in the Atlantic League, he went 3-6 with a 5.34 ERA. The Indians invited him to camp and Kazmir impressed by throwing in the low 90s and, more importantly, throwing strikes (one walk in 13 innings). Who knows if Kazmir will work out in the long run, but it's a great spring training story.

24. Don't worry about Albert Pujols unless you want to
The knee is apparently OK, but now he's been bothered by plantar fasciitis. He says it comes and goes. "It's nothing that's going to keep me out of the lineup," Pujols said recently, "because I've played with it the whole season before."

23. Aaron Hicks wins Twins' center field job
The Twins traded Denard Span and Ben Revere in the offseason to acquire some pitching, but they could afford to do so because they have a promising crop of outfielders on the way. Hicks will be the first to arrive after winning the center-field job with a big spring (.379, four homers). And how refreshing for a team to promote a player because he's one of their best 25 guys and not worry about his service time. "The guy has earned it," GM Terry Ryan said. "I find it almost humorous that people are talking about service time, starting the clock. We didn't trade Span and Revere to stall the next guy."

22. Where there's fire there's Smoak
The Mariners haven't scored runs since George W. Bush was president. Well, they've scored runs, just precious few. Former top prospect Justin Smoak is on his last chance and after hitting well last September with a new swing has looked good again this spring, hitting .434 with four homers and eight doubles in 53 at-bats. Could it be that Smoak and newcomers Kendrys Morales and Mike Morse will actually give Mariners fans something to watch on days King Felix doesn't pitch?

21. Diamondbacks are banged up
Rookie of the Year candidate Adam Eaton is already out six to eight weeks with an elbow strain and Cody Ross will likely miss Opening Day with a calf sprain. Now comes word that Jason Kubel, Willie Bloomquist and Aaron Hill were all dinged up in Tuesday's game. The D-backs have depth and may need it.

20. Ricky Romero can't throw strikes
When the Blue Jays traded for three-fifths of a rotation this winter -- NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, plus Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle from the Marlins -- they were going to join holdovers Brandon Morrow and Romero to help deliver the Jays to their first playoff berth since 1993. After going 15-11 with a 2.92 ERA in 2011, Romero struggled last year with a 5.77 ERA and league-leading 105 walks. His control is still an issue -- 10 walks and eight K's in 13 innings -- leaving the possibility that J.A. Happ wins that fifth spot.

19. Brandon Belt bashes
The Giants first baseman is hitting .453 with seven home runs, tied for the spring high, leading to speculation this could be the year he finds his power stroke and has that breakout season everyone anticipated last year.

18. Looking for Moore
The Rays could afford to trade James Shields because of their starting pitch depth. Sophomore Matt Moore, coming off a strong second half, was expected by many to pass Jeremy Hellickson and become the team's No. 2 starter behind David Price. But he's had a rough March, with his velocity down and struggling with his command (13 walks in 17.1 innings). Maybe he'll turn it on when the season starts, or maybe there's a problem to pay attention to.

17. Angels bullpen looks like last year's bullpen, only worse
The Angels struggled in middle relief in 2012, so they brought in Ryan Madson to close (pushing Ernesto Frieri to a setup role) and signed Sean Burnett. Madson hasn't pitched yet as he still recovers from Tommy John surgery, Frieri has been terrible (12 hits, only three K's in eight innings), and Burnett has been terrible (eight hits in 3.2 innings). Small sample sizes, but something to watch when the real games begin.

16. Zack Greinke's elbow
He started his first major league spring game on Monday since March 1 and said he felt fine, although he did walk three straight batters in the fourth inning. For now, he's scheduled to start the Dodgers' fourth game. "I thought I felt good, but the results didn't imply that the last inning," Greinke said. "It tells me I've got some work to do and build up arm strength. I've got to fine-tune some off-speed stuff. If the arm strength is there, I can make it work. That's the No. 1 most important thing."

15. Jackie Bradley tears it up
A top prospect heading into his junior season at South Carolina in 2011, Bradley had a disappointing season and slipped to the Red Sox with the 40th pick in the draft. That looks like an absolute steal after Bradley had an impressive 2012 in the minors, earning the No. 40 spot on Keith Law's top 100 prospects list heading into spring training. He's played so well -- .444/.523/.667, excellent defense -- that he may crack Boston's Opening Day lineup even though he has just 61 games above Class A.

14. Tigers closer remains unsettled
Jim Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski hoped rookie flamethrower Bruce Rondon -- he of the 100-mph fastball -- would make their decision easy, but Rondon has looked like the inexperienced reliever he is. In 11.2 innings, he has 18 punchouts, but he's also allowed 15 hits, two home runs and seven walks. For the Tigers, however, it doesn't matter who is closing in April, but who is closing in October.

13. Shelby Miller wins rotation spot
The Cardinals' pitching depth was on full display this spring. Even with Chris Carpenter going down for the season, they still had Miller and fellow youngsters Trevor Rosenthal and Joe Kelly fighting for the No. 5 spot. In the end, Mike Matheny went with the kid with the biggest upside in Miller, sending Rosenthal and Kelly to the bullpen. Miller had a 4.74 ERA at Triple-A but seemed to put everything together late in the season, as he had 53/4 SO/BB ratio in 37.1 innings in August, earning a September cameo in the majors.

12. Hanley Ramirez loves and hates World Baseball Classic
Ramirez is out about eight weeks after injuring his thumb, leaving the Dodgers scrambling at shortstop and third base. If you think more playing time for Juan Uribe and Nick Punto is a good idea, raise your thumb.

11. Julio Teheran dominates
Maybe the most impressive pitcher of the spring -- at least statically -- is Braves rookie right-hander Teheran, who has held opponents to an .082 average while whiffing 35 in 26 innings. He's earned the No. 5 slot in the rotation with an exclamation point. This is where we remind you that it is spring training and that Teheran had a 5.08 ERA in Triple-A last year, causing him to slip from No. 5 to No. 44 on Baseball America's top prospect list. But if he can keep that changeup down in the zone ... watch out.

10. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz look good ... very good
Yes, yes, yes: Don't read too much into spring training. Did we say that already? But after lackluster performances in 2012, Boston's top two starters have both dominated this spring, with scouting reports to match the statistics. Both have ERAs under 1.00 and Lester has allowed just six hits in 20 innings, Buchholz 11 hits in 18.2 innings.

9. A's infield remains unsettled
That Oakland won 94 games last year was more than a minor miracle, in part because of the offense the A's received from three-quarters of their infield. Their second basemen hit .228/.303/.316 (27th in the majors in OPS), their third basemen hit .227/.280/.391 (27th in OPS) and their shortstops hit .203/.272/.313 (28th in OPS). Japanese free agent Hiroyuki Nakajima was signed to play shortstop, but he's looked so tentative in the field and so helpless at the plate that he's likely to start the year at Triple-A Sacramento. That probably means Jed Lowrie plays shortstop, Josh Donaldson returns to third and Scott Sizemore plays second. But Eric Sogard has hit .500 and Adam Rosales, who is out of options, had played well until landing on the DL with an intercostal strain. Jemile Weeks, last year's regular second baseman, has already been sent down. The infield may be unsettled, but the A's should still get more production across the board.

8. Brewers boost rotation
Slotting in Kyle Lohse behind Yovani Gallardo gives the Brewers what could be a sneaky good rotation along with Marco Estrada and some combo of Chris Narveson, Mike Fiers and hard-throwing rookie Wily Peralta. The Brewers led the NL in runs scored in 2012, so if the bullpen doesn't implode again, don't be surprised if the Brewers run with the Reds and Cardinals.

7. Yasiel Puig is Yoenis Cespedes, Bo Jackson and God wrapped into one
No player stirred up the masses this spring like Dodgers outfielder Puig, the Cuban signed to a controversial $42 million deal last year. The Dodgers optioned him to Double-A after he hit .526 with three home runs and four steals in 57 at-bats. But it was the smart move: Puig had 11 strikeouts and no walks, suggesting he could be exposed when the pitchers start trying harder.

6. Mike Trout is fat
And it doesn't matter. His spring training numbers (.373, more walks than strikeouts) suggest an encore performance is in order. And he still makes this look easy.

5. Bryce Harper will win an MVP Award some day ... maybe in 2013
IT'S SPRING TRAINING. IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING. NOTHING. DON'T GET SO EXCITED, SCHOENFIELD. I know, I know. Still, Harper is hitting .476, with three home runs and five steals. Can you say 30/30 and MVP candidate at age 20?

4. Aroldis Chapman goes back to the pen
Maybe he was going to be Randy Johnson 2.0. Now we'll never know. Hey, if Chapman didn't want to start, what option did the Reds really have?

3. Tim Lincecum cuts hair, doesn't perform heroic feats
Lincecum went for the reverse Samson but it hasn't rejuvenated his fastball. He's allowed 17 hits and seven walks in 10.2 "A" game innings and the reports are that he looks like the Lincecum of last year, still fighting command of the fastball. The Giants survived his rocky 2012 (10-15, 5.18 ERA), but the NL West may be a lot tougher in 2013.

2. Roy Halladay is human
Of even bigger concern may be Halladay's struggles in Phillies camp. He can't crack 90 with his fastball and recently pitched in a minor league game and retired just seven of the 18 batters he faced. Even for great pitchers, the end can sometimes come suddenly.

1. Yankees willingly trade for Vernon Wells
That pretty much sums up the Yankees' spring.

I've been meaning to run the final poll results from all the offseason report cards we published before and early in spring training. Here are the American League tallies. Keep in mind that the polls were conducted before some recent developments took place -- in the case of the Yankees, for example, before Mark Teixeira's injury or before we knew Derek Jeter will likely be unavailable on Opening Day.

It's probably not too surprising that in all cases except one, voters from the team's home state were more optimistic than the national average on the team's high win total. That team: The Red Sox; 20 percent nationally picked the Red Sox to 90+ games, but just 16 percent of the voters in Massachusetts predicted so.

Most optimistic: Royals fans; 29 percent nationally picked the Royals to win 85+, but 45 percent of voters from Missouri did so.

Baltimore Orioles
90+: 21%
85-89: 38%
80-84: 29%
Fewer than 80: 12%

In Maryland: 37, 38, 20, 6

Boston Red Sox
90+: 20%
85-89: 40%
80-84: 31%
Fewer than 80: 10%

In Massaschusetts: 16, 52, 27, 6

New York Yankees
95+: 14%
90-94: 41%
85-89: 32%
80-84: 13%

In New York: 17, 52, 24, 7

Tampa Bay Rays
95+: 19%
90-94: 54%
85-89: 24%
Fewer than 85: 3%

In Florida: 33, 54, 12, 1

Toronto Blue Jays
95+: 33%
90-94: 49%
85-89: 15%
Fewer than 85: 3%

International: 40, 49, 9, 2

Chicago White Sox
90+: 15%
85-89: 35%
80-84: 35%
Fewer than 80: 16%

In Illinois: 23, 42, 25, 10

Cleveland Indians
80+: 44%
75-79: 29%
70-74: 21%
Fewer than 70: 6%

In Ohio: 59, 24, 13, 4


Detroit Tigers
95+: 40%
90-94: 51%
85-89: 8%
Fewer than 85: 2%

In Michigan: 47, 50, 3, 0

Kansas City Royals
85+: 29%
80-84: 40%
75-79: 23%
Fewer than 75: 7%

In Missouri: 45, 43, 10, 3

Minnesota Twins
80+: 12%
75-79: 13%
70-74: 33%
Fewer than 70: 42%

In Minnesota: 16, 15, 31, 38

Houston Astros
70+: 7%
60-69: 17%
53-59: 36%
Fewer than 53: 41%

In Texas: 13, 26, 32, 29

Los Angeles Angels
95+: 38%
90-94: 45%
85-89: 13%
Fewer than 85: 3%

In California: 47, 43, 8, 2

Oakland A's
95+: 21%
90-94: 46%
85-89: 26%
Fewer than 85: 7%

In California: 27, 51, 19, 4

Seattle Mariners
85+: 29%
80-84: 45%
75-79: 20%
Fewer than 75: 6%

In Washington: 36, 49, 12, 3

Texas Rangers
95+: 9%
90-94: 47%
85-89: 39%
Fewer than 84: 6%

In Texas: 17, 54, 25, 0

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- On a day when Joe Mauer has a lot of work to catch up on because he played in the World Baseball Classic, he takes some time to sign autographs. As Mauer signs baseball after baseball, a lady tells him about her grandchildren and how she knows Mauer will just love having twins. She says she's excited for him and can't wait to watch him as a dad. It's as if she believes Mauer is part of her extended family.

People who say we shouldn't have heroes anymore have never spent much time with the Twins catcher. Mauer is one of the last of a dying breed, the perfect hometown hero.

He grew up in St. Paul and was selected by the Twins as the first overall pick in the 2001 draft. For Mauer, playing for the Twins is not just a job.

"It's all I've ever known," Mauer said about playing in his hometown.

Mauer knows there is a lot responsibility resting on his shoulders this year. He will be handling the pitching staff again this year, the Twins need him to consistently get on base and they need his bat in the lineup every day. Plus, he has an added charge this year -- Mauer and his wife, Maddie, are expecting twins. He takes it all in stride and doesn't ask for much help, though he says that may change.

"We'll need a lot of help here come the end of the summer," Mauer said. "We're very excited. I can't wait."

Mauer has had a busy spring with his participation in the World Baseball Classic and now back with the Twins he is trying to get to know the many new pitchers on the Twins staff in the last few weeks of spring training. As he showed in the WBC, where he hit .429, his bat appears ready. Last season, he led the majors with a .416 on-base percentage.

Mauer says when he is at the plate this year he is going to try and do exactly what the situation calls for because he knows if he can find a way to get on base the guys batting behind him, Josh Willingham and Justin Morneau, will drive him home.

"I just try to have good at-bats," Mauer said. "Obviously getting hits is a great thing but getting on base and making the defense work a little bit is kind of the goal of manufacturing runs. Just try to work the counts and get on base any way I can."

Tom Brunansky, the Twins' new hitting coach, said Mauer’s approach to the plate is first and foremost a gift. That's not to say Mauer doesn't work hard, but as Brunansky describes Mauer's talent as a "great gift from God" he talks about Mauer in a tone that suggests it's a talent that doesn't come along often.

"He's [also] pretty smooth and solid in his approach," Brunansky added. "He doesn't get too excited. He doesn't get all riled up. Hitters, we tend to get ourselves out. There's a key word that we like to use and that's trust. He trusts his ability to be able to do the things he wants to do. ... The thing about Joe is that he understands his zone and he's not afraid to hit with two strikes. And it comes back to that word of trust. He has no fear in the fact that he trusts his ability."

Last season, three of the top 10 batting averages in the majors were from catchers, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina and Mauer. The position of catcher has more wear and tear on the body than other positions on the field, yet with the Mauer being a pivotal part of the lineup the Twins have to find ways to keep him in there every day.

In 2012 Mauer caught 74 games, played first base for 30 games and was the DH 42 times. Manager Ron Gardenhire says what position Mauer plays will be a day-to-day decision. He doesn't have a set number of games he expects Mauer to catch.

"I always go and check with him if he catches two days in a row," Gardenhire said. "There’s going to be one of those days where he's going to get foul tips and really beat up and those are the days I guard [him] and I talk to him. It's all about conversations on how he is feeling and keeping his bat in the lineup."

Mauer says he wants to be behind the plate every chance he can get. He still loves being a catcher.

"Being back there, making those decisions on every pitch, one or two pitches in a game can matter a whole bunch," he said. "So being in the middle of that, your teammates looking for you to make those tough decisions, I love being the guy to do that. Yeah, it's tough on your body. It can be a little mentally draining but I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mauer enjoys showing his pitchers that he's there for them. As a catcher he wants to do whatever is best for his pitchers.

"You're trying to get outs to help your team win," Mauer said. "I think everybody understands that here. With the new guys it's going to take a little time for them to see what I'm all about and for me to see what they are all about. So, it's a fun, unique relationship; you have to have a lot of trust involved."

He says he builds trust by knowing his pitchers' strengths. Each day is different -- a pitcher may not have his best stuff one day, so Mauer figures out what is working that game to get the best pitching performance.

"That's the thing I've learned over the years," Mauer said. "You've got to be prepared and call the right pitch but the main thing is having your pitcher convinced about that pitch. That might not necessarily be your favorite pitch at that point but if he's convinced [about the pitch] I'd rather have him throw it then maybe something else he might not be as confident with."

Vance Worley, the right-hander acquired from Philadelphia this offseason, worked with Mauer for the first time on Friday against the Yankees. Worley had a rough outing, pitching five innings and giving up eight hits and five runs. However, Worley says it won't take him much time to get to know Mauer, but that it's just a matter of "learning each other."

"Today he just came out and said just make sure you work a little bit more down," Worley said. "Just [Mauer] coming out here and trying to slow it down for you a little bit, that's the biggest thing he can do."

Last year Twins catchers had a tough time catching guys on the basepaths, as their caught stealing percentage, 18 percent, was last in the American League. (Mauer's caught stealing percentage was 25 percent, the lowest of his career.) At times in 2012 Mauer's mechanics and the position he threw from behind the plate looked a little different from his form in his earlier years.

"I don't know if he's throwing different but I think he's had some injuries that have changed some of his mechanics," Gardenhire said. "His arm is still there, he's still got a cannon. I think the tendencies are when you are not able to work on things like that a lot you get a little long with your actions."

Gardenhire says he is happy to have former major league catcher Terry Steinbach on the Twins coaching staff this year. He's going to be working with Mauer all year long.

"The one thing [Steinbach] has been talking to [Mauer] about is being a little shorter with everything and he's working on it," Gardenhire said. "So there's change and that has to happen as you get a little older, too."

Gardenhire says he worries about a lot of things but "not Joe."

His manager trusts him. His coaches trust him to do what the team needs, his pitchers trust him and as he walks by the fans waiting for an autograph you can tell they trust him, too. They know Mauer will treat them well -- the hometown kid who made it big.

"You know, to have my grandparents at every home game for the last nine years, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's nice, definitely thankful that I'm in this position. I'm excited for another year."

Anna McDonald is a regular contributor to the SweetSpot blog. Follow her on Twitter @Anna_McDonald.