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The World Baseball Classic is not only a competition between the best national teams in the world, but it is also a showcase for some of the best young players in the sport.

Obviously, the games will feature veterans that are already household names like Miguel Cabrera and Mark Teixeira, but a few other men will utilize this competition to boost their profile for the major leagues.

Each of these players has been on an MLB roster, but they are yet to really show the world what they can do.

After the WBC, they will all gain a little more familiarity from baseball fans everywhere.

Brett Lawrie, Canada

The Toronto Blue Jays third baseman was one of the more hyped players coming into last season. He played well in his first full season, but his .273 batting average with 11 home runs still left a lot to be desired.

Still, he has an incredible amount of talent both as a hitter and a fielder, and those abilities are going to come out eventually.

On the Canadian team, he and Joey Votto will make a formidable middle of the order as he looks to help his team pull an upset or two.

If this squad makes it deep into the tournament, you can bet that Lawrie will be a big part of that.

Jhoulys Chacin, Venezuela

Injuries limited Jhoulys Chacin to only 14 starts last season where he produced mix results. Overall, he finished the year with a 4.43 ERA and a 3-5 record for the Colorado Rockies.

The 25-year-old pitcher has some of the best pure stuff in the majors, but he often gets into trouble when he struggles with his control. However, he has as much potential as any young pitcher in baseball.

Venezuela has one of the best infields ever assembled and the offense should be good enough to carry the squad deep into the competition. However, the pitching staff is relatively weak.

This will put all eyes on Chacin as he looks to carry the talented team over the next couple of weeks. If he can do that, it will certainly give him confidence to continue his success for the Rockies.

Melky Mesa, Dominican Republic

Curtis Granderson fractured his forearm and will be out 10 weeks. According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, Melky Mesa is one of the top contenders for the starting left field job on the New York Yankees.

With the Dominican Republic team, the young outfielder can show that he can handle the pressure of performing on a major stage. Considering the talent on the team’s roster, he is certain to be a part of some big games.

This will certainly be more useful than random exhibition games in spring training.

Mesa is a patient hitter and a fast runner, but he is yet to get a real chance at the major league level. Getting a few big hits at the WBC will get him that chance. 

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Looking at the rosters for the World Baseball Classic, there are few squads with more talent than Team USA. However, that does not mean it will be an easy path to victory.

The United States has struggled in the past events due to various reasons, most notably a lack of interest in the event. It is hard to stay focused when there is an entire regular season still ahead.

Still, the squad’s mix of pitching, speed and power should make it one of the top contenders in this tournament. All it will take is a few x-factors to bring it all together.

These are not the most talented players on the roster, but good performances from them will boost the United States to a championship.

Ben Zobrist

Although Ben Zobrist never puts up eye-popping numbers for the Tampa Bay Rays, he is one of the most valuable players in baseball.

In fact, he finished sixth in the American League last season in Wins Above Replacement. He does not do anything great, but he does almost everything well.

Zobrist also has played at every position in the major leagues except pitcher and catcher, and his versatility will be very important in the WBC. Manager Joe Torre is likely to move him around throughout the event to try to get his best lineup on the field.

In addition, his patience at the plate will be incredibly valuable if he hits in front of big-time hitters like Ryan Braun, Mark Teixeira and David Wright.

While he is not the first man you notice on the roster, Zobrist could end up being the most important.

J.P. Arencibia 

In all likelihood, former AL MVP Joe Mauer will get the start at catcher. He is more experienced, is better defensively and provides more consistency at the plate.

However, this will leave J.P. Arencibia to be a valuable hitter off the bench.

The Blue Jays backstop was one of the best power-hitting catchers in baseball last year with 18 home runs. In 2011, he was third among catchers with 23 long balls.

Catchers are rarely used as pinch hitters because managers want to avoid disaster in case of injury, but Jonathan Lucroy will also provide depth at the position.

This means that Arencibia should be the best option if the squad needs a big hit late in a game. At that time, it will be important that he comes through.

R.A. Dickey

Yes, R.A. Dickey is expected to be one of the team’s best players after winning the NL Cy Young award last season. However, his early-season struggles make him an x-factor in this tournament.

The knuckleball pitcher usually does much better once the weather gets warmer as his signature pitch is able to get more movement.

Over the past three seasons, Dickey has an ERA of 4.12 in April. No other month approaches this mark as he has totaled an ERA of 2.95 over that stretch.

You can see the difference in his June ERA of 2.02. Amazingly he has allowed fewer home runs in 115.2 innings in June than in 63.1 innings in April.

If the knuckleball dances like it did last season, the rest of the world will struggle to even make contact. However, team USA will be in trouble if its presumed ace cannot provide enough movement in the cold weather.

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It is a familiar story, but once again, injuries have derailed a season for Chris Carpenter.

St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak announced on Tuesday that the veteran is unlikely to pitch at all in the upcoming season.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the news on Twitter:

Carpenter missed most of last year with various injuries, but returned for three starts at the end of the regular season. The team had enough faith in the veteran to give him three starts in the playoffs as well.

Although he had a 1-2 record in the postseason, his 2.63 ERA helped keep his team in games.

Now, it appears that he will once again be on the sidelines while his team plays the majority of the season.

When healthy, Carpenter has been one of the top pitchers in baseball during his time in the majors. He started his career with the Toronto Blue Jays, but his production really picked up when he went to St. Louis.

In nine years with the Cardinals, the ace has a 95-44 record, 3.07 ERA and 1,085 strikeouts. His peak was in 2005 when he won 21 games and was rewarded with his only career Cy Young Award.

He has also topped 220 innings pitched in four different seasons.

Unfortunately, he also threw fewer than 20 innings in three different seasons.

While it is easy to speculate that this will lead to the 37-year-old professional announcing his retirement, Rosenthal reports that he is more likely to stay on the disabled list all season:

The pitcher remains under contract until the end of the 2013 season.

Carpenter has put together a great career; it is just unfortunate that injuries will once again play such an important role in it as he misses another season of baseball.

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The New York Mets have finally done something to please their fans: David Wright is set to sign the largest contract extension in team history.

Eddie Coleman of the WFAN first reported the news:

Eddie Coleman (@metswfan) confirms live on @wfan660: David Wright’s extension with #Mets is 7-years, $122M. Total contract: 8-years, $138M.

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) November 30, 2012

After the Mets picked up a team option for $16 million for next year, Wright was due to hit the open market after the 2013 season. The team did not let that happen and made a move that will keep him on the roster through 2020.

The total contract of $138 million is slightly more than the $137.5 million that pitcher Johan Santana received only a few years ago. It is only fitting that the richest contract goes to the player who owns most of the other career records for the franchise.

Last season, Wright became the all-time leader in total hits and currently stands at 1,426. He also leads the Mets in career runs, RBI and doubles. 

He finished tied for sixth in the MVP voting in 2012 after hitting .306 with 21 home runs and 93 RBI. His 6.7 wins above replacement were the fifth most in the National League.

However, this contract is more than just keeping a great player on the team for a number of years. Wright has become the most popular player on the roster, and his presence is one of the reasons that fans continue to come to the stadium.

Fan support has slowed in recent years after four straight losing seasons and countless questionable moves by management, including big contracts for Jason Bay, Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo. 

This is all on top of financial issues, stemming from the Bernie Madoff scandal, that saw the largest team payroll drop in MLB history from 2011 to 2012. 

While this move does not erase all that, it helps keep the most marketable player on the team for years to come. 

In an interview with ESPN’s Adam Rubin last week, pitcher Jon Niese said of Wright:

I know he wants to be what Chipper was in Atlanta. He wants to be — he is — the face of the franchise. And he wants to be a part of it throughout his whole career. You have to respect a guy like that.

The third baseman will now get his wish…he will be a Met for at least most of his career.

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Just when it seemed like things could not get worse for the Boston Red Sox and their fans, manager Bobby Valentine decided to make things worse. 

According to ESPN’s Ian Harrison, Valentine had an interesting response when asked where he would like to see improvements this offseason:

Are you kidding? This is the weakest roster we’ve ever had in September in the history of baseball. It could use help everywhere.

This is not the sentiment that analysts shared earlier in the year. However, the team has traded Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford since falling out of the postseason race. Add in injuries to David Ortiz and Ryan Sweeney, and the roster looks nothing like it did in April.

In Thursday’s loss to the New York Yankees, the Red Sox had only two players with enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title—Cody Ross and Mike Aviles. 

Still, the team has underperformed on the field. The 64-80 record at the bottom of the standings is only the beginning. The starters’ ERA of 5.10 is the fourth-worst in the majors. Boston is No. 6 in runs scored, but the man leading the team in RBI, Adrian Gonzalez, has been gone for three weeks.

Things continue to spiral downward for Valentine this season. Following an August text message from a player to ownership, John Henry and Larry Lucchino held a meeting with the bulk of the players to discuss the future of their manager, according to Yahoo!. 

Then in early September, Boston.com reported that Valentine told WEEI radio host Glenn Ordway that he would punch him in the mouth for asking if his team had “checked out.”

It seems that the pressure of the job has gotten to the manager in his first year with the Red Sox. It is unknown if he will be able to return to the club next season, but comments like this are not helping his cause. At least in his mind, he can blame the losing season on a lack of talent.

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The MLB season is a long one, but every game matters at this point of the year.

With the extra wild-card spot in each league, there are more teams involved in the postseason race than ever before. This gives more teams hope deep into September, but some bubbles are very close to bursting based on recent play. 

The divisional series in the National League are almost settled, but all of the races in the American League are worth following.

Nearly all of Friday’s games have postseason implications, and many of the teams involved are sending their ace to the mound. Here are the games to keep an eye as the season starts to come to a close.

Oakland Athletics 3, Baltimore Orioles 2

With a Yankee loss, the Orioles had a golden opportunity to take over first place in the AL East all by themselves, but failed to do so after losing to the A’s. Baltimore is still tied with the Yanks for tops in the division.

A two-run homer from Yoenis Cespedes was the difference in this game, helping to waste what was a solid performance from Joe Saunders. He was outdone by A’s starter, Tommy Milone.

The Orioles did manage to pick up seven hits in the game, but only two runs (one unearned) came from their offense. In the end, it wasn’t nearly enough to win the game.

Orioles: 81-63 (tied for first in AL East, second in wild card)

Athletics: 83-61 (second in AL West, first in wild card)

Tampa Bay Rays 6, New York Yankees 4

C.C. Sabathia was wild and ineffective as he allowed four runs to the Rays in a losing effort. The Yankees tried to get a comeback going with home runs by Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez, but they ended up falling short.

On the other side, David Price limited the Yankees to two runs in seven innings as he won his 18th game of the year, one short of Gio Gonzalez for the major league lead. 

With the win, the Rays are now only three games back in the wild card race.

Rays: 78-66 (third in AL East, fourth in wild card)

Yankees: 81-63 (tied for first in AL East, second in wild card)

Chicago White Sox 6, Minnesota Twins 0

The White Sox stayed one game ahead of the Tigers with a win over the Minnesota Twins.

First-year starter Chris Sale continued his impressive season with six scoreless innings to earn his team-leading 17th win of the season. 

Chicago’s offense was solid from top to bottom against the Twins pitching staff. Eight different players got hits and five different hitters had an RBI.

Both the White Sox and Tigers have easy matchups this series, so they will need to take care of business to stay ahead in the playoff race.

White Sox: 77-66 (first in AL Central)

Twins: 60-85 (fourth in AL Central, 10th in wild card)

Detroit Tigers 4, Cleveland Indians 0

Justin Verlander had an MVP-type performance when the team needed him most as he pitched seven shutout innings in a winning effort.

The Tigers jumped on starter Corey Kluber and scored four runs in the first two innings. That was more than enough for Verlander, who lowered his season ERA to 2.82.

Now, Detroit must spend the weekend rooting for the Twins against the White Sox to help keep pace in the division..  

Tigers: 76-67 (second in AL Central, fifth in wild card)

Indians: 60-85 (fourth in AL Central, 10th in wild card)

Texas Rangers 9, Seattle Mariners 3

In the battle between Japanese pitchers Yu Darvish and Hisashi Iwakuma, Darvish got the better of his compatriot as he only allowed two hits and one run in seven innings.

Josh Hamilton hit his major league-leading 42nd home run of the year to pace the best offence in baseball. The Rangers are in good shape in the playoff hunt with the best record in the American League, but they want to clinch sooner than later.

Mariners: 69-76 (fourth in AL West, sixth in wild card)

Rangers: 86-58 (first in AL West)

Los Angeles Angels 9, Kansas City Royals 7

With the Yankees and Orioles losing, the Angels were able to pick up a full game in the AL Wild Card standings, moving to within 2.5 games of both teams for the final playoff spot in the AL.

C.J. Wilson didn’t look so great on Friday night, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits over five innings.

But the Angels brought their bats to the stadium in this game and after falling behind 6-4 going into the seventh inning, they scored five runs in the final three frames to take back the lead and ultimately, the game.

Angels: 79-66 (third in AL West, third in wild card)

Royals: 65-79 (third in AL Central, eighth in wild card)

Atlanta Braves 2, Washington Nationals 1 

A great pitcher’s duel between Kris Medlen and Ross Detwiler ended with a walk-off fielder’s choice in the ninth inning. Ian Desmond tried to get the runner at home on Tyler Pastornicky’s ground ball but they were unable to make the play.

Medlen struck out 13 batters in seven innings, only allowing a solo home run to Bryce Harper in the sixth inning. These kept his team close enough to eventually get the win over the Nationals. 

The Nationals still have a 7.5-game lead in the NL East, but the race can get interesting if the Braves keep winning in this series.

Nationals: 89-55 (first in NL East)

Braves: 82-63 (second in NL East, first in wild card)

Los Angeles Dodgers 8, St. Louis Cardinals 5

With a huge win over the Cardinals, the Dodgers now find themselves only one game out of the final playoff spot in the NL, breathing directly down the neck of St. Louis.

Chris Capuano didn’t give the Dodgers the start they needed, but thanks to 4.2 innings of one-run ball from their bullpen, Los Angeles was able to piece together a victory.

Luis Cruz had four RBI on the night to go along with two apiece from Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier.

The Cards did get a decent performance out of Joe Kelly, but their bullpen let them down with five runs over just three innings of work.

Cardinals: 76-69 (second in NL Central, second in wild card)

Dodgers: 75-70 (second in NL West, third in wild card)

New York Mets 7, Milwaukee Brewers 3

The Mets had not scored more than three runs in over a week, but they were able to get home runs from Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy to outscore the Brewers 7-3.

Mike Fiers allowed more than three runs for the fourth time in his last seven starts, while Jon Neise matched his career-high with his 11th win of the season.

Milwaukee is close to falling out of the race completely if it does not win the next few games against this mediocre opponent.

Brewers: 72-72 (third in NL Central, fourth in wild card)

Mets: 66-78 (fourth in NL East, ninth in wild card)

Chicago Cubs 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 4

The Pirates have been falling hard in recent weeks. This is their seventh-straight loss and they fall to 3.5 games out of the wild card. 

Chicago was able to come out on top thanks to big hits from two of its young stars. Anthony Rizzo hit a bases-loaded double that scored two runs in the fourth, and then Starlin Castro hit a three-run home run to extend the lead in the sixth.

Pittsburgh needs to find a way to get out of this current rut, or else they will miss out on the playoffs yet again. 

Pirates: 72-71 (third in NL Central, fourth in wild card)

Cubs: 57-87 (fifth in NL Central, 15th in wild card)

On Deck for Saturday

Baltimore Orioles vs. Oakland Athletics, 9:05 p.m. ET

Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees, 4:05 p.m. ET

Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins, 1:10 p.m. ET

Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians, 4:05 p.m. ET

Seattle Mariners vs. Texas Rangers, 8:05 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Angels vs. Kansas City Royals, 7:10 p.m. ET

Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves, 4:05 p.m. ET

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m. ET

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs, 1: 05 p.m. ET

New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 7:10 p.m. ET

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It is no secret that the Atlanta Braves are in the market for a starting pitcher, but they should make sure they do not come away from the trade deadline empty handed. They must acquire James Shields.

Atlanta has the fourth-worst starter ERA in the National League. That includes an impressive first half by Brandon Beachy until he got injured. The problem is that they have relied too heavily on unproven youngsters, and now they need a more veteran presence in the rotation.

The team attempted to acquire Ryan Dempster from the Chicago Cubs last week, but the deal fell through. According to Jayson Stark of ESPN, talks between the two teams are unlikely to pick up again. 

He also goes on to say that “teams believe Ben Sheets’ three great starts have dramatically reduced the Braves’ sense of urgency to trade for a starter.”

This would be a mistake for the Braves. They are currently in a position to make the playoffs, but without another quality starter they will drop down in the standings very quickly.

Mike Minor has gotten back on track lately, but he is too inconsistent to trust in the stretch run. The same goes for Randall Delgado, who has shown promise but cannot be counted on in big games.

As far as the addition of Ben Sheets, he has already exceeded realistic expectations in his first three starts. However, Atlanta should not count on this type of production for another two months. After pitching only half a season in the past four years, the Braves should only consider what Sheets provides as a bonus.

Now that Zack Greinke has been traded, James Shields is the best option available. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported that the Braves are among the teams interested in the veteran. Considering the lack of alternatives, they should make the trade.

Shields has struggled of late, but a switch to the National League might benefit the right-hander. He has pitched over 200 innings every year since his first in the majors, and is as reliable as they come.

Atlanta might not want to mortgage the future for a run at the playoffs this season, but with this talented team in Chipper Jones’ last season, they should give it all they got. With plenty left in the farm system, the future will still be bright.

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The key to winning a fantasy baseball league to is find the diamonds in the rough right before they break out.

In today’s age of advanced scouting, it is difficult for younger stars to sneak up on anyone. Most fans are already anticipating the great careers of Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.

However, here are some young players that can surprise and become great players this season.

Lucas Duda, OF, New York Mets

Duda was never known as a top prospect, but he is very good at taking advantage of opportunity.

Once Carlos Beltran the Mets traded to the San Francisco Giants, the young slugger took over the starting right field job for the Mets and exceeded everyone’s expectations. 

In little more than half of a season, Duda hit 10 home runs with 50 RBI. With the confidence of being an everyday player, he will only improve.

Delmon Young, OF, Detroit Tigers

People have been waiting for Delmon Young to reach his potential for years, but this season he is in the best situation of his career.

The change of scenery will do him good, plus he is in a great lineup that will give him plenty of RBI opportunities.

Also, the tutelage of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder should help his approach at the plate. 

Yonder Alonso, 1B, San Diego Padres

Like Lucas Duda, Alonso will have a chance to succeed thanks to great opportunity.

He has been MLB-ready for a couple of years, but was stuck behind Joey Votto as a first baseman in the Cincinnati Reds organization.

Now on the San Diego Padres, Alonso can use his great approach at the plate to hit for both power and average.

Wilson Ramos, C, Washington Nationals

There are not many good catchers, but Wilson Ramos is set to become one of the best in the majors at the position.

He is very good defensively, but he also has solid power that will only get better as he grows.

The Nationals continue to improve and he will have even more opportunities with runners on base as the year goes on.

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If you want to win in fantasy baseball, you need to take some risks during the draft. 

There are a lot of players with boom-or-bust potential, but if you pick the right ones, it can create a huge payoff for your team as the season progresses.

Ike Davis, 1B New York Mets

Ike Davis was on his way to a breakout sophomore season last year, but an ankle injury caused the first basemen to end his season in mid-May.

When Davis finally seemed healthy to start the new season, he was diagnosed with Valley Fever.

Selecting the youngster would be risky, as he could be shut down due to fatigue.

However, if he plays a full season, Davis could become one of the best young hitters in baseball.

Bryce Harper, OF Washington Nationals

Even Bryce Harper does not believe he will make the team out of spring training, but the phenom can pay dividends for a patient fantasy owner.

Odds are very good that Harper will be on the major league roster within the first few months of the season, and he will be able to do damage.

If you are playing in a keeper league, there is no question he should be drafted and stored on a bench.

Trevor Cahill, SP Arizona Diamondbacks

At 22, Trevor Cahill looked ready to become one of the best young pitchers in baseball with 18 wins and a 2.97 ERA.

Unfortunately, Cahill took a step back last year and his numbers were down across the board.

During the offseason, Cahill was traded to Arizona, where he can greatly benefit from a change in scenery. 

Expect a bounce-back year from the young pitcher.

Carl Crawford, OF Boston Red Sox

Before signing a major deal with the Boston Red Sox, Carl Crawford had hit above .300 in five of the last six years. 

In his first year with his new club, Crawford only hit .255 with a .289 on base percentage. 

With a new manager, the veteran should be able to refocus on his play and have a better year in a great lineup. 

Matt Moore, SP Tampa Bay Rays

The risk here is selecting a player that has only thrown 9.1 regular season major league innings in his career.

Trusting a small sample-size is usually not a good idea, but the important thing is that Matt Moore passes the eye-test.

The rookie pitcher has incredible stuff and will be able to get out any major league hitter.

Considering he can throw upper-90’s with solid off-speed pitches, Moore can be one of the best pitchers in the league by the end of the year. 

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Fans of the New York Mets want Jose Reyes to stay. He is young, energetic and immensely talented and would be a cornerstone of any franchise. Unfortunately, the Mets will be better off if they let him go.

Picture you are the general manager of a major league franchise. You have a 27-year-old middle infielder who is one of the fastest players in baseball. He just had one of the best years of his career. He raised his batting average to well over .300, became an All-Star and a Gold Glover and even earned a few MVP votes. He has led the league in stolen bases a few times and cemented himself as a premier leadoff hitter in baseball.

You have to keep that guy around right?

Well, that player was Luis Castillo in 2003. Even more, Castillo helped lead his team to a World Series championship with the Florida Marlins. Fast-forward five years and he is now batting .245 for the Mets and can barely field his position. I am not saying that Jose Reyes will automatically fall as fast as Castillo did, but it is important to remember to be weary of players who build their careers based on speed.

The key to this situation is value. Throughout the decade, the Mets have gotten into trouble by signing free agents at the height of their value. Francisco Rodriguez had just broken the major league record in saves, Carlos Beltran tied the major league record of postseason home runs and Jason Bay was coming off the best year of his career. Omar Minaya gave these players long-term contracts and so far they have failed to meet their unrealistic expectations.

Right now, Jose Reyes is at the peak of his value. He is currently leading the National League with a .340 batting average and has a ridiculous 11 triples. As dynamic a player as Reyes is, it is unrealistic to believe he can keep these kinds of numbers up. For once, the Mets should take advantage of immediate value and attempt to get long-term value.

Reyes’ suitors include contending teams like the Red Sox, Reds and Angels, which could help the Mets bring back quality prospects for the shortstop. The most intriguing team to me is the San Francisco Giants. They can give the Mets 21-year-old LHP Maidson Bumgarner and/or 23-year-old OF Brandon Belt. Either of these players would help the Mets in the future, and they are already major league ready.

The biggest problem that will come from trading Jose Reyes will be the backlash from the fanbase. Mets fans have already grown tired of the administration and attendance has been down throughout the season. However, the fans should accept that the current team is not yet a contender. By the time the pieces are in place to succeed, Reyes and maybe even David Wright will be past their primes. If they can replace one of these stars with multiple pieces that can help them in a few years, the Mets should jump at the opportunity.

New Yorkers are not patient by nature. They do not want to wait to see their team rebuild and they especially don’t want to see them lose a superstar in his prime.

Nevertheless, Sandy Alderson was brought here not for one year, but to help create a championship team. This year’s draft showed that the team is not interested in fillers, but future championship pieces. With the return they get from the trade, they will hopefully add even more of those pieces. In a few years the franchise will be better off than having an aging, expensive Jose Reyes.

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