MLB

Major League Baseball's early returns on the new replay system have been mixed, though at least Bud Selig and the umpires have seen enough to know that a catch is a catch even when a player drops a ball transferring it from the glove to his hand. 

New York Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda was recently suspended 10 games after not so subtly using pine tar from his neck against the Boston Red Sox.

Getting down on one knee to ask the most important question in your life while your favorite team gets massacred on the field and Shane Victorino flails at a pitch seems like a beautifully romantic gesture. 

A division cannot be won for a team in April, but it can certainly be lost. Such is the case for the 2014 Pittsburgh Pirates, who fell to 9-14 and 7.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. 

Not even a full month into the 2014 season, whatever magic the Boston Red Sox possessed in winning the 2013 World Series feels like it's gone, perhaps bobbled away along with the five errors they made in an embarrassing 14-5 loss to the rival New York Yankees on Thursday night at Fenway Park that dropped them to last place in the AL East.

The New York Yankees have fought their way to a 13-9 record through their first 22 games of the season.

The Yankees have been playing much better baseball recently, as they have won eight of their last 11 games to move atop the standings in the AL East.

They’ve only lost two series this season and are 5-2 against the Boston Red Sox.

The Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper was benched for not running out a ground ball in a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on April 19. The 21-year-old Harper has been criticized for maturity issues in his three years in the majors. Should the Nationals be worried about this latest incident?

It's easy to say things like "it's still early" or "there's still a lot of baseball to be played," and just one month into the 2014 MLB season, it's absolutely true.

However, that doesn't make it any less alarming for fans to look up at the scoreboard and see one of their team's key hitters currently hovering below the Mendoza line.

What follows is my best guess at whether or not each of the top-15 players currently battling through an early-season slump will turn things around.

What good is talent to a fantasy owner who lacks timing?

Fantasy baseball—just like the real thing—is a game of skill, luck and timing. That last trait, in particular, comes in handy in regards to getting value in the trading game.

Knowing which player(s) to trade away and which to deal for—and knowing just the right time to do so—can make all the difference.

The Boston Red Sox are in need of a spark to ignite their once-powerful offense. They’re hoping Shane Victorino can be the catalyst they need, as the team looks to regain the offensive magic that made them baseball’s best a season ago.