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Coming into the 2013 Major League Baseball season, it was obvious which divisions would be the best.The NL East had the Braves and the Nationals, while the AL West had the Angels, Rangers and Athletics.However, through the first quarter of the season, those thoughts can be thrown out the window, as only one of those five teams has met expectations.But what about the divisions? Has each division met or exceeded its expectations for the season?Are there any surprises?Here's a ranking of each division in baseball. Note: Best hitter/pitcher/rookie selections are based on players that are having the best 2013 seasons thus far. Previous seasons were not taken into account.Begin Slideshow

Matt Harvey had the game of his career Tuesday night for the New York Mets.Harvey pitched nine innings against the Chicago White Sox and gave up one hit, no walks and struck out 12. His only blemish came on an Alex Rios infield single in the seventh.The Mets won the game in the 10th, but Harvey's pitching was the story of the night.Which begs the question—is Harvey now the Cy Young favorite in the National League?Harvey leads the NL in strikeouts (58), WHIP (0.69); ranks second in wins above replacement (2.1) and ERA (1.28); and third in innings pitched (49.1) and wins (four).His worst outing was a six-inning, three-earned run performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 24.Harvey was named the NL Pitcher of the Month in April and looked good in his first start in May.But can he really keep it up the rest of the year? The Nerdiness ...

Every year, MLB teams with playoff aspirations have some sort of injury that gets fans worried.Whether it's an injury to the team's ace or big hitter, something always happens to playoff contenders.This year is no different, as there are many players on the disabled list who are key to their franchise's playoff aspirations.Here's a look at 10 injured MLB players whose returns will determine whether or not their team makes the playoffs.Begin Slideshow

Dan Uggla's struggles are no secret for Atlanta Braves fans.Hitting .227 with 55 home runs and 160 RBI in his two years with the Braves, Uggla hasn't exactly lived up to his five-year, $62-million contract.Which raises the question: How long of a leash does Uggla have this year?With power throughout the Braves' order, fans aren't going to be patient if Uggla continues to struggle. And, let's face it, can you blame them? The GoodBefore you think this is an article intended to bash Uggla, here are some of the good things he's done for the Braves.In 2012, Uggla batted .262 with runners in scoring position and .308 with runners in scoring position and two outs. So he can hit in the clutch. He brings power to the second base position, which is not seen much in MLB. Robinson Cano, Aaron Hill and Rickie Weeks come to mind. He also started and ...

When the Atlanta Braves traded Martin Prado the Arizona Diamondbacks, most thought the Braves got a good deal in return.After all, the Braves received Justin Upton and Chris Johnson in a deal that saw the Braves give up a bunch of prospects in addition to Prado.However, with the loss of Prado, there is one question on many people's mind—who becomes the new super utility guy for the Braves?The biggest advantage to having Prado was he could play anywhere on the field except for pitcher and catcher.Since becoming a full-time player in 2009, Prado has played 235 innings at first base, 1,438 innings at second base, 92.1 innings at shortstop, 1,119 innings at third base and 1,841.2 innings in the outfield.That versatility is what allowed the Braves to be successful when injuries to Chipper Jones, Andrelton Simmons and Tyler Pastornicky happened, as well as the time Dan Uggla was benched for ...

Atlanta Braves fans should be mad that a former player is not getting enough votes to be elected to the Hall of Fame.However, that player is not Dale Murphy.While he had good numbers, Murphy's numbers aren't worthy of the Hall.Instead, fans should be looking at the numbers put up by former first baseman Fred McGriff and wonder why he isn't getting more consideration.Some writers have called Murphy's non-election a historic injustice. Really?We're not talking about human trafficking or child soldiers in Africa. We're talking about a baseball hall of fame, which means very little in the grand scheme of things.While Murphy not getting the call in his 15 years on the ballot is somewhat disappointing for Atlanta fans, what's a bigger disappointment is the 'Crime Dog' hasn't gotten more than 23.9 percent of the vote.What's done is done and Murphy can only hope the Veterans Committee eventually elects him. However, ...

A left fielder, a leadoff hitter and replacing Chipper Jones are the biggest challenges facing the Atlanta Braves in 2013.A year after losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the one-game playoff, the Braves are looking to win their first playoff series since 2001.However, there are some issues that still have to be worked out.Here's a look at the eight biggest questions facing the Braves in 2013.Begin Slideshow

The National League Division Series kicks off tonight as the Cincinnati Reds visit the San Francisco Giants for Game 1.Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce hit homers to put Reds on top. Buster Posey responds in the sixth to put the Giants on the scoreboard.The Reds are the No. 2 seed in the National League and the Central Division champions, while the Giants are the No. 3 seed and the Western Division champions.Stay tuned for all the latest updates, commentary and analysis from the game. UPDATE:Reds starter Johnny Cueto left the game in the 1st with back spasms. As if losing your ace is not bad enough news already, Game 3 starter Mat Latos has pitched four innings in relief and has looked pretty good. SCORE UPDATE:Bottom 9th: Reds 5-1 GiantsRead more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As we approach the 2012 MLB playoffs, many pundits are high on the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees. But when analyzing these front-runners more closely, there are several reasons to believe that they're bound for an early exit from the postseason. Washington NationalsForget about Stephen Strasburg not being in their playoff rotation; the Nationals have bigger concerns.While some point to Washington's 93-60 record, the best record in baseball, as the reason it will make a deep postseason run, other things must be mentioned.For starters, Washington is 4-6 in its last 10 games and has struggled with consistency. Although it split a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers recently, Washington failed to be consistent at the plate.In fact, the Nationals haven't produced six or more runs in consecutive games since September 7 and 8 against the Miami Marlins.While the Nationals have been a feel-good story all year, inconsistency is what will ...

For the next two weeks, the Atlanta Braves will be using a six-man rotation. According to a report by the Associated Press, Braves manager Freddi Gonzalez said the team will move to a six-man rotation for the next two weeks. After two weeks, Gonzalez said he will pick the best five starters to go the rest of the season. Gonzalez said he is moving to the six-man rotation "for the concerns of taking care of some of the guys." "We need to be able to go into September with all of the cylinders hitting and everybody healthy," Gonzalez said. "This is one way to keep those guys healthy." With that said, here are five reasons why a six-man rotation is good for the team.Begin Slideshow