Harlan Ambrose

David Ortiz is anything but finished. After years of slow starts, he’s redefined his approach at the plate – particularly against lefties – and is tearing it up in Boston. For the first time in years, 30 home runs won’t be a unexpected surprise, it will be a baseline expectation.

The Kansas City Royals haven’t exactly set the baseball world on fire in recent years, but they’ve slowly been building a core of young, talented players that may lift the team from the depths of the AL Central to a playoff contender. Harlan Ambrose looks at the team, position by position.

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.

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.

The 2011 seasons for the Red Sox and Braves unravelled in spectacular, tragic fashion. The offseasons for both have been relatively quiet, but that may not be a bad thing. Both will be counting on bounceback seasons from key players such as Carl Crawford and Jason Heyward. Harlan Ambrose breaks down each team from the outfield in.