Opinion

Dusty Baker's Reds currently own the third-best record in the National League, 2.5 games behind the Cardinals and one full game behind San Francisco.

The race for the MVP award doesn't really start until August, at the earliest, but it is always fun to see who the early-season contenders are. 

A lot of things can and will change over the next five months, so it is best to take any awards favorites right now with a grain of salt. That said, we are not so stubborn that we can't at least acknowledge the quarter-season MVP winners in both the American and National Leagues. 

The New York Yankees have surprised everyone with their ability to sit atop the AL East division in spite of significant injuries.  As of this article, the club is tied with the Texas Rangers for the best record in the American League, and has yet to have contributions from Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez or Curtis Granderson.

Somehow they are finding a way to win.

The New York Yankees faced very different prospects than they are normally used to when the 2013 season began, but in the face of adversity, this year's version of the Bronx Bombers has passed this special test with flying colors.

Just blame it on the manager.

In Major League Baseball, when a team that appears dominant on paper but underperforms on the field, managers tend to take the brunt of the fault. Often times, they’ll lose their jobs because of it even though they aren’t the ones playing.

Bryce Harper isn't invincible.

During the sixth inning of the Washington Nationals' road game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Harper was hot in pursuit of an A.J. Ellis fly ball to deep right field. Harper appeared to be in position to make a play on the ball, but just as he pulled up short, he met an unforgiving force.

The right field wall.

Let's be honest—the New York Mets are a lousy baseball team. Not only that, but aside from when Matt Harvey pitches, they're an unwatchable team to boot.

As we draw near the quarter mark of the 2013 MLB campaign, it's time to take a look at some things that have been learned about manager Terry Collins' squad this season.

Aside from the excellent performances of a few select players, it has not been pretty—at all.

Read on.

After their first 40 games, the Oakland A's are 20-20 in the 2013 season.

Remember 2012? The A's started 20-20 as well. In 2006, The A's—led by Frank Thomas—rode a five-game winning streak to get to 21-19 after 40 games. 

The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled in the early weeks of the 2013 regular season. They are 14-16 thus far, 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the suddenly tight National League East.

The idea of Alex Rodriguez not being expected to have a big impact on a team for a season is hard to fathom. But after his performance in the 2012 postseason and necessary surgery on his left hip, the expectations for Rodriguez in the 2013 season were slim to none.