MLB

It's never been a better time to be a Major League Baseball superstar. From social media to the ability to watch any game, any time and in any city, fans have been given a unique privilege of watching the best players in baseball on a daily basis.

As the second month of the 2014 MLB season gets underway, the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox are a .500 ball club.  While there is still a lot of baseball remaining, Boston has already played roughly 20 percent of the games on its schedule.  That's enough of a sample size to begin to make some conclusions about this year's edition of the Red Sox.

One month into the 2014 season, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle has emerged not only as the best pitcher on the team’s rotation, but also as one of the best starters in the American League.

In fact, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that Buehrle’s performance so far has put him in the conversation for a selection to the All-Star Game.  

Yes, you heard that right.

As it stands, the Philadelphia Phillies are in a bit of a funk. After finding a way back to a game above .500 at 15-14, they lost four straight games to the Toronto Blue Jays—two at home, two on the road—to fall to 15-18. For the record, that places them dead last in the NL East.

The New York Mets were very active in the free-agent market this past winter, especially compared to the types of acquisitions they made in previous years.

There are varying opinions as to whether general manager Sandy Alderson did enough to make the “Amazins” a playoff contender in 2014.

The NL West party is being crashed before our very eyes. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants were invited but, darn it, the Colorado Rockies have shown up.

They look like they mean business. And, oh, they just might.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Systems Check video offers a quick overview of the team's farm system, addressing its strengths and weaknesses and how it can improve moving forward.

The video also provides a breakdown of the Pirates’ top prospects for 2014—outfielder Gregory Polanco, right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon and middle infielder Alen Hanson—including each player's ETA in the major leagues and potential long-term role within the organization.

After belting a fourth-inning home run off Jorge De La Rosa in Wednesday's 9-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies, Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers became the fifth player in MLB history to hit 100 home runs for three separate teams, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info). 

Following Wednesday night's first-inning RBI double, Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies extended his hit streak to 27 games, tying a franchise record, per The Denver Post. Michael Cuddyer—the defending National League batting champion—recently set the mark with his own 27-game streak last season.

Many baseball fans go to games hoping to leave with a baseball. The players know that, and some of the guys on the Oakland Athletics' roster took advantage of that fact.

A's pitcher Sonny Gray was one of the players who fooled fans with the old ball-on-a-string trick:

There's nothing worse than thinking that you are about to get a baseball and then just having it ripped away from you.