Opinion

With the calendar turning to May, baseball jumps to the second month of the season. With that comes an increase in context when talking about individual players or teams.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz is the early favorite for the American League Cy Young Award. He's won each of his first six starts, racking up a major league-best 1.01 ERA along the way.

And he's doing it all because he's a no-good cheater.

The Boston Red Sox may need an additional starting pitcher down the stretch, and Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee is one name that could come up in conversation.

R.A. Dickey walked away from last season with a National League Cy Young to his name. Now that he finds himself in the American League, things might be a bit tougher for him. 

Ron Darling took the time to offer his thoughts on what a pitcher goes through when they transition to the American League. With designated hitters and stronger batting orders, R.A. Dickey faces new challenges in his new league.

Check out the video to hear what Ron Darling thinks, and make sure to let us know what you think about pitching in the American League in the comments section below.

One of the hardest things for an athlete is deciding when to finally walk away. Some athletes, like John Elway, got to go out on top, while others, like Brett Favre, seem like they'll never go away. When does a Major League pitcher know that his time has come?

Ron Darling didn't get to decide when his time was up. He shares what it was like to find out he couldn't cut it in the Majors anymore, and shares some insight on what Mariano Rivera might be going through in his final season.

The Dodgers' offense is so bad.

[This is where you're supposed to chime in by shouting in unison, "How bad is it?"]

So bad it's keeping the Marlins' offense company.

One of the big stories so far in 2013 is the utter ineptitude of Miami's hitters, who own an aggregate triple-slash line of .229/.288/.315. This was, more or less, to be expected, given the club's quadruple-A roster.

Let's be honest. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is nothing more than a popularity contest. 

Unlike a lot of popularity contests where being the best isn't always recognized—for instance, the Emmy and Academy Awards—playing favorites for the MLB midsummer classic is not a bad thing. 

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has been the talk of Major League Baseball for years, long before he was taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft. 

Dear Bryce,

You don't know me, but I feel like I know you well enough. Like many others, I'm a fan. Also like many others, I feel like I know you a little better now after having watched the documentary ESPN did on you. Bryce Begins was good stuff. A real humdinger.

It also got me to thinking that it's high time I asked a favor of you, one that I believe most others in galaxies both known and unknown would find agreeable.

Heading into the season, the last thing the Miami Marlins needed was something bad to happen to young slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

These being the Marlins, it's only natural that something bad has indeed happened to Stanton. And now the Marlins should be worried.

Very worried.