Baseball: can't you smell it in the air? While the boys of summer are preparing during the spring, fans should be prepping for what to expect.
Mariano Rivera: It is known that he will be retiring soon. Like a fine wine, he has only gotten better throughout the years, and he was already great. I don't think we shall look at his performance to judge when he will retire, but maybe nostalgic things like playing catch with his son in spring training as he did the other day. Things that signify that this is one last go-around in the big leagues.
Teixeira adjustments: Will he be open to letting a pitch get deep and going the opposite way rather than pulling the ball, will he bunt against the shift, and ultimately will he be able to get off to that hot start that has eluded him for years, and hit closer to that .300 clip?
Pineda, Kuroda: How will they pitch in the AL East? Spring training isn't the best barometer, but we'll be able to tell what kind of stuff they will be working with.
Pineda: Splendid fastball and breaking pitch, but is that changeup where it needs to be to keep hitters off balance? Russell Martin the other day had said about his changeup that he was "babying it." When he threw with a fastball arm motion, the changeup was much more effective.
Kuroda: 37 years old, a veteran professional. Look for him to pound the zone and go after hitters. Everything is a little different in the spring, starters don't go deep into games, so it is the little things everyone needs to look at.
Prospects: Guys like Banuelos and Betances are gunning to show their skills for mid to late season callups.
Are you ready?
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