MLB

Oakland Athletics' FanFest is in the books, which means the next big event is the beginning of spring training.

It's been a hectic offseason, so whether you've lived under a rock or paid full attention, you'll probably need a refresher course regardless.

The team made plenty of additions. That, of course, was to fill the myriad losses. Oakland made some coaching changes. The farm system has been shaken up. All in all, the A's have changed—big time.

Spring training is set to begin next week when pitchers and catchers report to camp, meaning Major League Baseball’s long and at times insane offseason is coming to an end.

The CEO of an adjoining Little League to beleaguered Jackie Robinson West has turned the tables to charge youth baseball’s governing body with erratic handling of the JRW controversy.

Ralph Peterson, who has run the Rosemoor Little League on Chicago’s South Side since 2012, said Little League International chief Stephen Keener needs to review the process of vetting players and league boundaries before he throws his version of the death penalty at programs like JRW.

The grass has been cut, the infield raked and the New York Yankees are just about ready to head south for what's left of a brutal, unforgiving winter. Spring training is nearly upon us, and a new era will officially begin on Feb. 20, when pitchers and catchers report for work at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Welcome to Yankees baseball A.D.—After Derek.

On February 19, the Chicago White Sox will officially begin preparations for the 2015 campaign with the start of spring training. It marks the beginning of what the fanbase hopes will be a season that ends with an American League Central title.

Unlike seasons past, however, there is legitimate optimism surrounding the White Sox. General manager Rick Hahn made an extraordinary amount of progress this offseason, acquiring multiple players to fill just about every hole on the roster.

What makes an MLB team exciting to watch?

Winning is certainly nice, as well as the ultimate goal every time a team takes the field, but that's not necessarily what we'll be focusing on here.

In my mind, the following five categories are what put fans in the stands and give them a reason to cheer, and they are what will be focused on in the following article:

The Detroit Tigers are once again favorites to triumph in the American League Central this season.

However, the four-time reigning division champions are no certainty to prevail in arguably baseball’s tightest division.

The offseason has been a blur, one blockbuster move after another changing the landscape as we knew it just hours before.

Brash and fearless front offices shuttling out superstars, bringing in others and changing the complexion of divisions has been the norm since before Thanksgiving. In what has become one of the most active and maybe surprising fall-winter seasons in recent memory, the balance of power has shifted in every division in both leagues over the course of three-and-a-half months.

Hey, you. Did you know pitchers and catchers report for spring training next week? Cue the Monty Python, for that's worthy of much rejoicing!

...Unless, of course, I've already lost you. Maybe you know nothing of this "training" that is done in "spring" and are in need of a crash course.

Every baseball season has its breakout stars. And while it's happening, it's good fun. We get to geek out at the unexpected surprise and turn every which way for answers about how it's happening.

Sadly, not every breakout season leads to lasting stardom. And this time of year being, well, this time of year, we might as well ignore the whole "time will tell" thing and try to spot the likely one-year wonders.

There are 10 breakout stars from 2014 that I'm just not sure about. Some of them have the potential to be good, solid players going forward. But stars? Eh, maybe not.