The New York Yankees spent the offseason following the 2011 season in the shadows – rare territory for baseball’s biggest spender. The team is getting older, and a shift in culture toward dominating on the mound instead of counting on the long ball is slowly taking over.

The reasons why a top prospect fizzles out can be mystifying and maddening. In the case of Matt LaPorta, the seventh-overall pick of the Brewers in 2007, the upside was a world of potential. The reality was a flame-out who has struggled to keep a steady job with the Cleveland Indians. Why did this happen to the once highly-touted star?

The second of Zach Sommers’ series about former top draft picks who haven’t panned out features the second-overall selection in 2005: Greg Reynolds. This pitcher spent far too much time on the DL and not nearly enough on the mound. Can he ever get it together and even make an impact in MLB?

Drew Cumberland was an up-and-coming baseball star. Selected in the first round of the 2007 MLB Draft, he had high expectations on this middle infielder and was living up to the hype. However, a devastating injury ended his career before it began. Jesse Goldbert-Strassler remembers the story…

The Philadelphia Phillies are usually a lock to get into the playoffs, but for the last couple of seasons, they’ve fallen short of the ultimate prize. Will injuries to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley hamper them this season, or do they have enough talent to sustain? And does any of this matter after 162 games have been played?

Michael Jordan had a knack for ruining his opponents. Like his adversaries, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been beaten down for years at the hands of the rest of the league. But now, things finally are looking up for the Pirates, as key acquisitions, emerging prospects and smart money management may be turning this hard-luck franchise around, and sooner than you think.

In the first of a series about players who came up as top prospects in their organizations, Zach Sommers examines the early career of one Cameron Maybin: a Tigers draftee who found delayed success with the Marlins and now has a big-money contract with the Padres.

When the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Jeff Mathis from the Los Angeles Angels back in December, the catcher didn’t exactly represent the kind of blockbuster offseason acquisition that their fan base was hoping for. After all, Mathis, having long been criticized for his limited offensive skills, brought with him a career .194 average and .557 […]

It’s the perfect time of year; when all the baseball players congregate in Florida and Arizona and the fans get first-hand reports on their teams’ entire organizations. It’s the best time of year to debate who should make the MLB teams, who needs more seasoning in the minors and who will emerge as the surprise stars.

DIRK THE TV STAR If Dirk Hayhurst were a TV character, he’d be Abed Nadir from Community. Now before you go all Senor Chang on me, please allow an explanation. There are differences, yes. Dirk isn’t a film major at a community college, although perhaps an argument could be made that Community College are to […]