Opinion

When the New York Yankees take the field in Panama for an exhibition series in Mariano Rivera's native country, the shadow of their former closer will hang over a bullpen that's expected to replace him during the 2014 MLB season.

Spring training is an exhausting experience for everyone involved. Fans want the season to start. Players and coaches want to avoid injuries, though they always happen at the most inopportune times. 

Sometimes, though, there are valuable lessons that we can take away from these exhibition games. It's best not to read too much into every pitch, but looking at a new pitch that has been added or a change in swing/approach can help surmise that good things are going to happen. 

Breakout Performances from the Dodgers' First Two Weeks of Spring Training

The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the favorites to win the World Series in 2014 after reaching the National League Championship Series last year. The lofty expectations are fueled by the return of well-established—and well paid—stars such as Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez.

In the top of the sixth, in a game that means absolutely little in the grand scheme of things, something rather wonderful happened. 

The midway point of spring training has come and gone, and some Cincinnati Reds players have begun to turn in what we could consider "breakout" performances.

As spring progresses and players settle into their roles on the baseball diamond, the San Francisco Giants have already learned a lot about their team's potential.  The starting pitching, including newcomer Tim Hudson, has been solid, and several players are stepping up their game in hopes of either solidifying their starting spot or earning a roster spot altogether.

Spring training is now closer to its end than to its beginning, and that means two things.

One: Opening Day will be here soon. Huzzah.

Two: We're beginning to get some clarity on various position battles going on in Arizona and Florida—which is good, especially when it comes to the really important ones.

You know, as in the position battles for key roles on likely 2014 contenders. These clubs' position battles matter a little more than those of other teams, so they're going to be our focus today.

As with any offseason, a number of big-name players changed teams this winter, and the first couple weeks of spring training has been the first opportunity those guys have had to make an impression with their new clubs.

Spring training performance is not always a great indicator of future success, as guys are still generally working on different things and shaking off the offseason rust at this time rather than going all out for production. Still, it is worth taking a look at how these newcomers have fared in the early going.

After a couple of weeks, some members of the Texas Rangers are standing out from the others.

In fact, there are eight players who have a .300 batting average or higher while playing in at least eight games. Of the eight, only two of them played extensive time in the big leagues last season.

When the Toronto Blue Jays opened their spring training schedule, Ricky Romero was just an afterthought.

Yes, he was at major league training camp along with the rest of the team, but that was due to his contract and past accomplishments—not because he was expected to be on the Opening Day roster for the 2014 season.