Author: rfagan@sportingnews.com (Ryan Fagan)

Cardinals catcher Francisco Pena could compare the experience of catching Jordan Hicks to only one other in his career as a baseball player — catching Danny Almonte in the 2001 Little League World Series.

I told my girls, “I think we just saw what has to be one of the fastest pitches in the history of baseball.”

The Phillies entered this season with plenty of talent. That wasn’t the question. The question was this: Was that talent ready to compete for a playoff spot?

With the benefit of hindsight, the way the Dodgers’ final game of spring training ended was more symbolic than anyone thought at the time.

The Dodgers and Nationals are scuffling, which means there’s no room in the top 10 for either. Meanwhile, it’s top-heavy in the top three spots.

There’s a new, yet familiar vibe around the Angels in 2018.

Even though it’s still early, the Red Sox and Yankees seemingly never fail to deliver good matchups. Here are five things to watch heading into to Part 2 of this season’s edition of the rivalry.

Albert Pujols played 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, so no one would know how good he was better than his former manager.

Some guys tend to be slow starters, but big questions remain for some bigger names in baseball.

The history of April baseball is littered with cautionary tales. Success in the season’s first month doesn’t guarantee success in the season’s following five months. But these guys have been impressive so far.