Kuzul

Every season, there are a number of players in the MLB who put up disappointing numbers. They are coming off of strong seasons and either their power numbers, batting average or ERA fails to match what they did in the previous year.

Players regress for a number of reasons, and there are some key indicators which may hint at the fact that a player will fail to replicate his numbers from the previous season. A very high batting average on balls in play is one such example.

This coming season, there will be at least a few big-name players who cannot replicate their success from the 2013 season. The following players have a strong chance to be on that list.

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There have been a number of free-agent signings and trades thus far during the 2014 MLB offseason as teams look to improve their rosters for the coming season. Some of the deals have been surprises, and others have seemed like great fits.

Many teams out there have made moves that make sense based on what their offseason goals are. Some were looking to add players who will give them the best chance at a World Series in 2014, while others wanted to acquire young talent that would give them a solid core to build around.

The following teams have done a great job of accomplishing their goals so far this winter. There is the potential for them to continue to make more moves before Opening Day as well.

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Things have really been heating up on the MLB Hot Stove as of late. A number of big-name free agents have already signed, but there are more top players that are still on the market.

Teams will be competing over the remaining free agents, but there are some fits that are much better than others.

However, for one reason or another, there are many dream MLB free-agent fits that simply will not happen this winter. A player may be perfect for a team, but it might not be able to afford him.

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Even though it is still early in the offseason, there have already been a few MLB teams that have taken big steps forward for the 2014 season.

Some franchises have looked to the trade market to fill a pressing need, while others have been able to pick up impact free agents.

There is still a lot of time left this winter, and there are many big-name players on the market. Thus far, there are some clear early winners of the 2014 MLB offseason.

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Every offseason, there are a significant number of free agents that come with risks attached. Some players are coming off a poor year, others are dealing with nagging injuries that limit their defensive abilities and some are question marks because of their home ballparks.

However, each of these risky MLB free agents can be a success story in 2014 if they end up in the right situation.

For some players, it is a matter of finding the right team to fit in with. Other players will benefit from a new ballpark or the opportunity to play in a city in which they are more comfortable.

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During the MLB offseason, there will be a flurry of rumors that fly around connecting players to new teams and potential trade partners. Most of these rumors turn out to be false, but there are certainly a few that turn out to be right every single year.

A lot of these rumored connections make a lot of sense for both sides. General managers will be looking to turn their teams into championship contenders with the moves they make this winter.

Keep an eye on the following players and teams because these potential deals should happen at some point this winter.

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Following their victory in Game 5 of the World Series, the Boston Red Sox are now just one win away from clinching their third World Series title in the past 10 years.

The remainder of the series will be played at Fenway Park, and the Red Sox would ideally like to close things out during Game 6. However, the St. Louis Cardinals are a strong opponent, and they are more than capable of winning two difficult road games.

There are a number of keys to World Series Game 6 that will have an impact if we see a decisive Game 7.

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With the World Series all tied up at one game apiece and with the series heading to St. Louis, Game 3 will be a pivotal moment. Each team is looking to pick up a lot of momentum with a win.

There are a number of players that each team will be counting on to step up and deliver a strong performance on baseball’s biggest stage.

Each team has multiple keys to winning this game and whichever team has those important players perform best will be the one that walks away with the victory.

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During the MLB postseason, the best of the best are pitted against each other. Not only are there interesting battles with the teams involved, but there are also a number of matchups between players that should be watched as well.

These games will pit power hitters against power pitchers as well as speedsters against top-flight catchers. Ultimately, these in-game matchups will be ones to keep an eye on as they could lead to some of the biggest moments of the postseason.

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The two names atop the leaderboard for batting average in the National League are certainly not players that were thought of as contenders for the batting crown at the start of the season.

Chris Johnson entered the season as a career .276 hitter and was transitioning to a new team in the Atlanta Braves. Michael Cuddyer does have the advantage of playing at Coors Field, but that was not a help to him last season as he hit just .260. With less than a month left in the season, both of these players are in a race to lead the NL in batting average.

There have been a number of other players that have surprised the league by coming out of seemingly nowhere to win a batting title.

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