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Coming into spring training this MLB season, the Chicago Cubs have some decisions to make regarding roster spots. They also have some decisions to make regarding where to start their young prospects when the season begins. Many of those decisions will be made based on performances in spring training and so far, the Cubs have gotten strong performances from a handful of players. While many players have played well, five have shined brighter than the rest.

These five players include prospects the Cubs are counting on in the future, guys who hope to make a name for themselves and recent acquisitions by the team. No matter where they end up in the team’s future plans, these five players have majorly impressed in the first two weeks of spring training.

For a complete list of Chicago Cubs’ spring training stats used in this article, click here.

Jacob Kornhauser is a Chicago Cubs Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @KornSports or add him to your Google+ network. 

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The Cincinnati Reds have played just nine spring training games, but as we head toward the second week of March, some players are already turning heads with their impressive play. This mix of players includes Reds veterans, non-roster invitees, minor leaguers and rookies all looking to raise their stock within the organization.

While one of the players in this group may look to take his talents to another team after exercising his opt-out clause at the end of spring training, the rest of them have a chance to make a profound impact on the Reds’ success this season. 

We’ll kick off our look at this seven-player group with an established Reds player, shortstop Zack Cozart.

All spring stats courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Previous season stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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The New York Yankees entered the 2014 spring training schedule with several important tasks.

First, they needed to introduce several new players to the Yankees culture.

Helping injured players return to form and shake off some rust would also be important.

But what is of the utmost importance is seeing which players can win the remaining position battles and which young players can earn a spot on the Opening Day roster while turning heads.

Through a little over a week into camp, the Yankees are 5-4. Despite the average record, they have had a successful start in player development.

Several players have overachieved early on, and many have played as expected, even if those expectations were extremely high.

With less than a month until the start of the regular season, these are the guys that are turning heads so far.

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The pessimism around the Philadelphia Phillies, particularly among the team’s fans, has probably gone too far.

Sports talk radio in town cannot get anyone interested in talking about the Phillies because there just does not seem to be that much to talk about. The Phillies are an old team that got older in free agency.

The Phillies are also stuck in the National League East with two teams (Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals) that look to be demonstrably better than they are.

Still, the negativity feels incorrectly unchecked. The Phillies won only 73 games in 2013. They should be better in 2014, though that may not be saying all that much.

But isn’t getting better the whole point?

Here are five Phillies doing their part early in spring training to get people in Philadelphia talking about the baseball team again.

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One of the more intriguing position battles of the spring is taking place in St. Louis Cardinals camp where Joe Kelly, who went 9-3 with a 2.28 ERA in 15 starts last season, is trying to hold off talented 22-year-old rookie Carlos Martinez for the last spot in the starting rotation. 

If you’re wondering why the 25-year-old Kelly isn’t being guaranteed a spot after his successful rotation stint, keep in mind that Lance Lynn, who is 33-17 with a 3.88 ERA over the past two seasons, was also expected to be part of the battle for the last spot until soreness in Jaime Garcia’s surgically-repaired shoulder—the lefty is expected to start the season on the disabled list—appeared to have cleared a path for him. But even now, Lynn should probably be looking over his shoulder.

The Cardinals have one of the deepest pitching staffs in baseball, and this heated battle for a rotation spot is simply one of those “good problems” that talented and successful teams often come across.

Whoever loses this competition is still likely to fill a key role in the bullpen—Kelly has a 3.25 ERA with 14 walks and 49 strikeouts in 52.2 big league innings as a reliever; Martinez had a few rough outings in relief during the regular season but finished strong and became the team’s primary setup man for closer Trevor Rosenthal throughout the playoffs—though the rotation is where they are hoping to find themselves at the start of the season. 

Tale of the Tape

Joe Kelly 

While he is clearly the safe pick and was entrusted with four postseason starts last season, Kelly isn’t being anointed the No. 5 starter early in camp because of Martinez’s huge upside and what he is capable of doing if he proves that he’s ready to be a big league starter.

Even if the organization is leaning toward Kelly in the rotation and Martinez in the ‘pen, it doesn’t hurt to stretch Martinez out in camp and at least give him an opportunity to win the job.

There is a significant upside, however, in keeping Martinez in a relief role for at least another season, which should work in Kelly’s favor. While Kelly’s strikeout rate is drastically better out of the bullpen—he has a 5.3 K/9 in 178.1 big league innings as a starter and an 8.4 K/9 in 52.2 big league innings as a reliever—he’s not viewed as the type of lights-out eighth-inning setup man that Martinez can be.

As a starting pitcher, Kelly utilizes a sinking fastball that averaged 94.9 mph in 2013, according to FanGraphs, to keep the ball on the ground and in the ballpark (51.1 percent ground-ball rate; 8.9 percent homer/fly-ball rate).

The right-hander allowed four earned runs in two starts, three earned runs in two others and two earned runs or fewer in his 11 remaining starts. Kelly was the definition of a pitcher who gives his team a chance to win, which is all any team can really ask out of a back-of-the-rotation starter. 

One concern is that he won’t be able to repeat his 82.4 percent strand rate that was necessary because of a relatively high 1.333 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched). If ground balls are finding holes in the infield at a much higher rate than in 2013, Kelly could find himself with an ERA that is well into the 4.00s. 

Although his first outing of the spring isn’t likely to have much of an influence on the competition, Kelly’s not off to a great start. He allowed two earned runs on two hits and two walks in 1.2 innings pitched. He also struck out two hitters.

Carlos Martinez

If it’s clear that Martinez is the Cardinals’ best option to set up for Rosenthal, it will be difficult to break camp with him in the rotation. If he happens to win the job, though, Kelly, Kevin Siegrist and Seth Maness would be the leading candidates for the eighth-inning role, and the bridge to the ninth inning would likely appear a bit less stable. 

Jason Motte‘s return from Tommy John surgery could play a major factor, though, in reversing that perception. The former closer isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season, but he told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that sometime in April is a “possibility.”

“Even if I’m throwing bullpens at the end of March and I’m firing balls in there that’s great but it’s still not the same as getting in a game with that intensity, that adrenaline,” Motte said. “So you don’t want to go straight from there to the big-league ballgame without facing hitters or doing anything back-to-back. April may be a possibility, I don’t know.”

If the Cards feel confident that the 31-year-old Motte, who posted a 2.75 ERA and saved 42 games in 2012, will be able to return to form and step into the role of primary setup man early in the season, they could feel much more comfortable with Martinez in the rotation to begin the season.

Of course, Martinez will still have to prove himself this spring. In his first start, he allowed two earned runs—Marlins first baseman Garrett Jones hit a two-run homer against him in the first inning—on two hits over three innings with no walks and two strikeouts. 

Prediction

By allowing Martinez to get his pitch count up in preparation for a starting role to begin the season, the Cards are setting themselves up to have a pretty good backup plan in place should they need another starting pitcher within the first month or two of the season. They also ensure that their bullpen is in the best possible shape with a much-feared late-inning combination of Siegrist-to-Martinez-to-Rosenthal. 

A healthy and effective Motte returning by early May, combined with a struggling Kelly could result in the team moving Martinez into the rotation then. For now, there is no need to go away from the safe decisions of Kelly as the No. 5 starter and Martinez to the ‘pen. 

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In most areas, the St. Louis Cardinals are one of the heavyweights. Power lineup. Power starters. Power relievers.

The bench, however? Well, let’s be generous by calling them lightweights.

For a team possessing all the ingredients to reach the World Series this season, a bench absent of any semblance of pop could be a thorn in their strategy for success.

The five players expected to comprise that unit for the Redbirds in 2014—Jon Jay, Shane Robinson, Mark Ellis, Tony Cruz and Daniel Descalso—have 147 career homers in 8,390 at-bats. Ellis hit 19 home runs in a season, but that happened way back in 2007. Remove his 105 long balls from the equation, and you’re at 42 homers in 3,451 ABs.

Opposing pitchers can motion their outfielders to play in a few more steps when a player from this “fearsome fivesome” arrives at the dish. Collectively, they’ve hit just .206 in 266 pinch-hit appearances with two home runs, both coming from Jay.

St. Louis’ most threatening pinch-hitter from last season, Matt Adams, is now a full-time starter at first base. He accounted for all three of the Cards’ pinch-hit long balls while batting .314 with a .968 OPS.

As I’ve illustrated in a previous article, the Cardinals’ home run production dropped significantly from 2012 to 2013. A casualty of that power outage was the team’s inability to come from behind, especially late.

When the Cardinals were ahead in games last season, they led the National League with a .287 average and 68 homers. Conversely, when they were behind, they hit .240 (ninth) with 26 homers (last).

Division rivals Pittsburgh and Cincinnati own stellar bullpens, including lock-down closers in Jason Grilli and Aroldis Chapman. Rallies against quality relievers are made that much more challenging with an assembly of Punch-and-Judy pinch-hitters.

Plus, unlike the Redbirds, the Reds and Pirates are equipped with bench muscle. Cincy has Neftali Soto and Chris Heisey. The Bucs carry Travis Snider and Chris McGuiness.

Slugging options could emerge for the Cardinals later in the season.

Top prospect Oscar Taveras will likely get more seasoning at Triple-A Memphis. But barring an injury, he’ll debut in St. Louis sometime in 2014. He’d be a formidable late-inning option or push a strong bat from Allen Craig or Adams to the bench on days he starts.

Randal Grichuk, who was acquired from the Angels in the David Freese deal, hit 22 homers last season at Double-A. With a crowded outfield in St. Louis, his path to playing time in the short term will come as a potential fifth outfielder/bench bat.

Another outfield prospect, Stephen Piscotty, hit 15 homers last year between Single-A and Double-A. He’d admittedly be a long shot for this role, but the Cardinals certainly haven’t shown an aversion to thrusting young players into the limelight.

Last season, it took the Cardinals 118 games before rallying for a win after trailing by three or more runs. They ended up 1-57 when trailing after eight innings.

Teams that reach the postseason frequently rely on late-inning magic to play into October. That hasn’t been the Cards’ journey—at least not recently.

The Redbirds should be good again in 2014. And a weak bench may not make a difference. It didn’t keep the team from a trip to the Fall Classic last season. But it’s the one noticeable chink in their strong, red armor.

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The New York Mets are 2-3 in spring training after defeating the Houston Astros 6-2 on March 4. The record holds no bearing on the regular season and expectations are tepid, but fans are excited about the future rotation.

Hope is blossoming in Queens with Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler projected for full seasons in 2015. The phrase “next year” has long been commonplace for Mets fans, but many are optimistic for next season.

Wheeler pitched three scoreless innings against the Astros. He finished his stellar outing with three strikeouts, two hits and zero walks in 40 pitches.

He dialed up his fastball in the low-to-mid 90s. Wheeler also mixed in off-speed pitches, including a 76 MPH curveball to Jose Altuve in the first inning. His fastball is lethal. If Wheeler can improve his command and master his secondary pitches, particularly the sinking action of his changeup, he will be on the road to stardom.

Wheeler breezed through the first inning with just 10 pitches and weak contact. He had an eight-pitch battle against Jesus Guzman, whom he had a favorable count against before ultimately surrendering a double.

He experimented with a breaking ball outside of the strike zone against L.J. Hoes. Wheeler needs a versatile arsenal in the big leagues because he cannot survive solely on his electric fastball.

Syndergaard is a hot topic following his spring debut on March 3 against the Atlanta Braves. His highlights included a 98 MPH strikeout against Jason Heyward. However, with his performance today, Wheeler reminded fans that Harvey and Syndergaard are not the only pitchers to shout about.

Meanwhile, the Mets had a big first inning against the Astros. Eric Young led off with a walk, Chris Young followed with an RBI-double and Curtis Granderson cleared the bases with a two-run homer. This is one potential Opening Day starting outfield, as Juan Lagares also contends for a spot. 

Granderson ended the day with two no-doubt homeruns. Citi Field won’t evaporate his power if he continues to hit the cover off of the ball like that.

With more than five starters available in the future, Mets fans on Twitter are deliberating which pitchers the team should trade for a power bat, short stop or other need. The Mets bullpen and young hitting prospects have been nothing to rave about, but the rotation is shaping up beautifully.

The biggest return might come from dealing one of the three aces, Jon Niese, Bartolo Colon, Dillon Gee or perhaps a mid-level prospect. Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom impressed in their spring training debuts. The debate is endless, especially given the front office’s financial woes.

The battle for first base between Ike Davis and Lucas Duda has also been a compelling story line. Neither of them, however, played against the Astros due to minor injuries.

The offense has been inconsistent, scoring four runs in the team’s first-game loss to the Washington Nationals on February 28 and six runs in a win against the Atlanta Braves on March 3. The Mets managed just one run in each game between those two contests—first against the Miami Marlins on March 1 and again versus the St. Louis Cardinals on March 2.

Follow me on Twitter @metsonmymind

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As play heats up in Arizona and Florida, the start of the regular season moves closer to reality for baseball fans. Yet, despite the calendar inching toward spring, winter isn’t over for some teams.

Offseason activity still exists, especially within free agent circles impacted by draft compensation, lingering trade activity and teams looking to find the missing piece to a complete 25-man roster.

Although we’re finally to the point where play on the field overshadows the rumor mill, the hot stove isn’t totally cool just yet. For more than a handful of teams, upgrades are still available for the right price. 

Over the next four weeks, the rumor mill will churn out narratives, stories and juicy tidbits for fans to devour before the real games arrive. Of those, only some will have real meaning. The others will simply be noise.

The following is an attempt to separate fact from fiction during the busy, frantic days of spring training. 

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted. All contract figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Roster projections courtesy of MLB Depth Charts.

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Earlier today, Bleacher Report had an exclusive opportunity to speak with 19-time American League All-Star and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

Aside from Ripken’s broadcasting work, the former iron man is working with Transitions adaptive lenses, spreading awareness about eyesight problems and encouraging parents to remain diligent with testing their children.

I had the opportunity to represent Bleacher Report in a wide-ranging conversation with Ripken Jr. that touched on his Mt. Rushmore of shortstops, Derek Jeter’s farewell tour, instant replay and the strong AL East. 

Bleacher Report: Derek Jeter recently announced that 2014 would be his final season. You experienced a similar farewell in 2001. What were your thoughts when Jeter made his decision

Ripken Jr.: I was surprised at first, but Derek is a thoughtful person and thinker when it comes to the game. I’m sure he’s ready for this if he came to that decision. I’m interested in talking to him soon to gauge how he’s feeling, both physically and mentally.

B/R: Do you expect him to play well after missing almost all of 2013 due to injury issues?

Ripken Jr.: I do. The decision to announce his future now was healthy. It will allow him to give and pour all his energy out on the final season on the field. I think he watched Mariano Rivera exit the right way and have an excellent season. He probably wants to do something similar.

But I do wonder if he will have second thoughts. If he performs well, I would be curious to see if doubt creeps in about actually retiring.

B/R: Mt. Rushmore has become a popular topic, regardless of subject. Who would be on your Mt. Rushmore of shortstops?

Ripken Jr.: You’re going to make me do this (chuckles)? Alright. Of course, Honus Wagner needs to be part of this because of what he accomplished, but I didn’t see him. I’m not young, but I’m not that old yet. Of the guys I watched, my four favorites would have to be:

Ozzie Smith: I wished that I could emulate him in the field. He was magical at shortstop. I can’t remember a ball he didn’t get to during his prime.

Omar Vizquel: He literally made you leave your mouth open and gasp. During my time in the American League, he was a treat to share the field and the shortstop position with. He took so many risks—diving, flipping the ball behind his back, routes to the ball—yet was so efficient. He was special.

Troy Tulowitzki: He’s the guy now. All the tools—power, speed, arm, defense, strength—are there for him to go down as one of the great shortstops ever. The only question is health. He’s missed some time (151 games missed over the last two seasons), but he’s the best when he’s in there. If he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit. 

Derek Jeter: Probably the best clutch player ever. Offensively, his accomplishments speak for themselves. Three thousand hits, more than 200 home runs and a great batting average.

Defensively, I know there have been some critics. Range and defensive metrics haven’t always touted him as a good defender, but I always saw him make the right play.

I’ll put it this way: Of all the shortstops in history, he’s the one I want out there in Game 7 of the World Series. Put the bat in his hands or hit the ball to him in a one-run game. He’ll make the play to win a championship for you.

B/R: You were one of the first big shortstops, paving the way for guys like Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Tulowitzki. In Boston, Xander Bogaerts is on the path to stardom. Is the big shortstop what teams should be looking for?

Ripken Jr.: Different styles work for different guys. All those guys you mentioned—let’s throw Manny Machado from Baltimore in there since his background is at short—move or moved really well. That’s first. They all have strong arms and range. Clearly, those players provided offense to the position, but I think stature and size is overrated. If you can handle shortstop and hit, teams will find a way to pencil you into the lineup.

B/R: With spring training underway, who is a player you are watching?

Ripken Jr.: I’m interested to see how Manny Machado recovers from his knee injury and how quickly he can get back to Baltimore. Based on last year, we are watching a great player develop. Defense, doubles, quick wrists, power. Machado has it all.

B/R: Machado is part of a deep, talented lineup in one of baseball’s best divisions. How would you handicap the AL East race?

Ripken Jr.: For me, it’s the best division in baseball. In fact, the schedule is unfair to these teams because they have to play each other 18-plus times per season. It’s hard for me to believe that this division won’t have three playoff teams by October, but that’s probably true because they’ll beat up on each other so much during the season.

As for predictions? It’s hard to say, but don’t just give it to New York or Boston. Sure, the Yankees spent money and the Red Sox are the defending champs, but the other three teams—Tampa, Toronto and Baltimore—all have a shot.

Tampa is always in the mix. Even if they need to rely on young players, they find a way to play meaningful games in August and September.

Toronto is due for a better year. Last year, was unfortunate for them. I really thought—and I think they thought—the talent was there to win. It’s still there.

Baltimore is proven now. All those years of losing is in the past. This is a playoff-caliber team for Buck Showalter, especially when you factor in the recent additions of Nelson Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez.

B/R: Rule changes, including expanded instant replay and home plate collisions, will be a big theme of the Cactus and Grapefruit League schedule. Are you in favor of the changes?

Ripken Jr.: I’m skeptical of replay. A manager challenge system? That’s football to me. When I think of that type of replay system, I think of the NFL. I don’t love the idea of the responsibility falling on the manager. That just adds to their in-game responsibility.

Don’t get me wrong, I think technology is good for the game. But I’d just like to see corrections made by replay. If it’s obviously wrong, it can be fixed quickly.

Eliminating unnecessary collisions at home plate is a great rule tweak. I’ve always thought that home plate should be treated like second base. Contact is allowed, but the idea of running through someone is just going to lead to injuries. 

During my time, Mike Scioscia was the best at blocking home plate. Because he was so big and strong, runners didn’t want to challenge him by lowering their shoulder. They looked for a way around him or an area of the plate they could swipe. Hopefully, that’s what these plays will look like now.

B/R: Are you still interested in managing or coaching?

Ripken Jr.: I’ll say to you what I’ve always said when asked: I’m open to opportunities. 

Now, does that mean I want to be a manager? It could be, if the time is right. Honestly, I don’t have a strategy to make this happen or a way back into the game. But I’ve been away for long enough to know that I want to be around baseball again. 

B/R: You’re passionate about Transitions. How did you get involved with the company?

Ripken Jr.: It started when my eyesight became an issue. Now I need corrective lenses, and this product is great for both inside and outside use. Beyond that, I never realized the eyesight problem among children. One of four kids suffer from vision problems, but most don’t realize it. Parents need to be diligent about making and attending appointments. 

Final Thoughts

After spending 21 years in the majors—including time in the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s—Ripken’s perspective on how the game is evolving is fascinating.

As expected, the AL East and tall, powerful shortstops peaked the interest of the former two-time AL MVP. If, or when, Manny Machado moves back to shortstop in Baltimore, the division could have two stars cut from the Ripken cloth.

Interestingly, Ripken isn’t sure how replay will work and has doubts on the system in place. Unlike some “old school” analysts, the concern wasn’t over technology but rather allowing managers and challenges to be involved at all. 

The all-time great player once again acknowledged an interest in a full-time gig within baseball. If a team hires Ripken in the near future, a wealth of baseball knowledge will enter an organization. 

Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk about all things baseball. 

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Anything can happen between now and when the New York Yankees break from spring training at the end of March, but barring injuries, it doesn’t appear as if the 25-man roster will be too difficult to project.

The team’s star-studded cast makes a vast majority of the 25-man roster easy to predict. In fact, there are really only two places where there are no guarantees. The final infield spot should end up being a battle between Eduardo Nunez and Scott Sizemore, and the final spot in the bullpen could seemingly be won by a bevy of pitchers.

There are certainly favorites in each battle, though, and the Yankees will likely head into camp with a roster extraordinarily similar to this one—if not identical.

Follow me on Twitter: @kennydejohn

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