MLB

USA defeated Puerto Rico in the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, 7-1.

The Americans got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning. After 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun walked with two outs, catcher Joe Mauer doubled to center field to drive him home.

The Cincinnati Reds lost a few players to the World Baseball Classic, but some of the remaining have been on fire while others can't wait for spring to end.

Cincinnati came into the spring as the favorites to win the NL Central, and the team doesn't have many available spots left on the 25-man roster. 

With that said, the few position battles going on have been put under the microscope. The backup catcher spot is starting to work itself out, but the battle for the utility role has only brought out the best in each candidate.

If there's a team in Major League Baseball that's well-equipped to deal with an injury to a starting pitcher, it's the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Spring training is great. It’s a relaxing, yet entertaining brand of baseball reminiscent of the 1970s and ‘80s. However, spring training obviously has a greater purpose besides the leisurely entertainment we all enjoy.

These six weeks give coaches and fans an idea of the strength of their teams and, in turn, a preview of what the coming season will hold. With the Red Sox just a few short weeks away from heading up north, it’s time to examine just how prepared they are for the upcoming season. 

It’s never too early to think about the World Series.

Spring training may be barely underway, but we have some thoughts on which teams are the most likely to make it to the end of this marathon race.

From the Blue Jays and their mammoth overhaul this season to teams like the Giants and Tigers who left things relatively unchanged, we have you covered.  We even managed to find some love for the Nationals and Braves along the way.

Every season there are first-round draft picks who, within a matter of a few years, emerge as stars in the major leagues. While the trend can in part be attributed to a player’s corresponding selection—higher draft picks are perceived to have more potential—the soaring failure rate among baseball prospects suggests that a draft pick’s potential value is in the eye of the beholder. 

So far in spring training, the Seattle Mariners have looked like world-beaters. Going into Tuesday's action, the Mariners sat in second place in the Cactus League standings at 11-5 having outscored their opponents by 25 runs while also leading all MLB clubs in home runs with 31.

In this day and age, home runs get the most "ooh's" and "aah's" at baseball games from spectators. Fans come to the ballpark to see guys like Prince Fielder and Giancarlo Stanton hit mammoth tater shots that come close to reaching Mars' orbit.

Major League Baseball fans love a good milestone chase. Such things add another layer of interest to the game and serve as an excuse to bust out all the usual rhetoric about baseball history.

And so it will go in 2013. There are a handful of milestones to be chased, and there will be a handful of noteworthy players doing the chasing. Additional layers of interest? That's a check.

As for whether any of the milestones being chased actually matter...Well, that's another question.