Baseball

With the 2014 Home Run Derby coming Monday, July 14—that's less than a week away!—and most of the players participating having just been picked, it's time to evaluate and grade the jobs done by Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Bautista, the captains who did said picking for the Nation

Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig was among the more notable absences from MLB All-Star weekend last year, as he was just 38 games into his big league career.

This year, his talents will be on full display at Target Field in Minnesota, and he has a chance to steal the show.

With one final outing scheduled before the the All-Star break, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Marco Estrada is three home runs away from setting the National League record for most homers allowed before the break, per ESPN's Jayson Stark.

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit his 33rd double of the season in Monday's 9-1 win over the Miami Marlins.

With his 124th hit of the season in Monday's 12-7 win over the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve set a new franchise record for most hits by one player before the All-Star break, per CSN Houston's Julia Morales.

Earlier in the 2014 season, pitcher Brandon Maurer’s future with the Seattle Mariners was in serious doubt.

Much like the year before, Maurer was forced into the starting rotation due to injuries and struggled, posting a 7.52 ERA (5.37 FIP) in seven starts while walking nearly as many as he struck out.

The MLB All-Star game is all about watching baseball's top performers put on a show while competing against their most productive peers.

Very rarely does one player absolutely take over the Midsummer Classic. When put against top competition, the game's best players often post semi-pedestrian stats. That said, there's always a chance for a breakout performance when there are so many stars on one diamond.

Nearing the All-Star break, the New York Yankees find themselves in a situation they did not expect to find themselves.  Struggling within the AL East due to injuries in their starting rotation, particularly CC Sabathia, the Yankees were expected to make moves.

With some early moves, are the Yankees on the right track?

Ernie Johnson, Cal Ripken Jr., and Ron Darling break down the Yankees' newest acquisition and a tough decision they needed to make.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The New York Mets have a plethora of pitching prospects but only a few exciting hitting prospects. Fans know about guys like Brandon Nimmo and Kevin Plawecki, but there is one name that they might not know yet but will soon: Champ Stuart.

The Baltimore Orioles (49-40) are finally in the driver's seat, having reached first place in the AL East this past weekend.

After playing a doubleheader on Saturday and a 12-inning contest against the rival Boston Red Sox, the Orioles could look to the farm for some bullpen help to finish out the stretch before the All-Star break.