MLB

The first week of the 2014 MLB season is in the books, with the Atlanta Braves (4-2) taking two of three in both series against the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals.

We can often take too much away from the first week of the season and fail to let the entire 162-game schedule play out before jumping to conclusions.

Over the long, winding path of baseball's 162-game season, expectations and hype can be overshadowed by day-to-day results, small-sample size narratives and early-season headlines. In a league where parity is becoming an operative word, more than half of the majors entered 2014 with hype—either from external or internal forces.

Off to a 4-1 start, the Detroit Tigers should feel a sense of urgency this season after the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals proved in 2013 that they were quickly closing the gap in the AL Central.

This season brings the 40-year anniversary of the legendary Hank Aaron breaking fellow Hall of Famer Babe Ruth's all-time home run record. In fact, April 8, 1974—40 years ago today—is the exact date on which Aaron hit No. 715 to pass The Babe.

The Boston Red Sox have begun 2014 with Felix Doubront as the No. 3 starter in their rotation.  After holding down the No. 5 spot the past two seasons, the 26-year-old is now entering his third full year in the big leagues.  Is the talented lefty finally ready to make the most of his potential?

Are you familiar with the popular baseball phrase "small sample size?" Well, that's what we're dealing with here. I won't sugarcoat it. One week and eight games of baseball is not nearly enough to measure who is "slumping" or "surging."

But every game truly does count, so the quicker the Dodgers who are struggling can snap out of it, the sooner they can distance themselves from the rest of the NL West.

It's not often that you get a guy who's a massive free-agent bust and a massive trade bust. Guys tend to belong to one club or the other, not both.

Which brings us to Prince Fielder. Early in 2014, he's put himself on a path to become one of the rare exceptions.

It’s been an eventful week for some of baseball’s top prospects. For others, not so much. 

Xander Bogaerts has been the star everyone expected through the first week of the season, batting .360 through his first seven games, and the 21-year-old shortstop looks like a safe bet to run away with the American League Rookie of the Year Award.

There has only been one week of baseball—games that count anyway—but so far, so good for many of the Oakland Athletics' top-10 minor league prospects.

Updates from Tuesday, April 8

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times provides an update on Matt Moore's injury:

MLB.com provides what the next step for Moore will be: 

Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan has more on Moore: