MLB Spring Training 2012: Intriguing Teams to Follow Leading Up to Opening Day

If you're looking to find the greatest piece of wisdom on spring training ever uttered by a man, I recommend picking up Sam Walker's classic book, Fantasyland.

In it, you'll stumble across a quote from Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane that pretty much sums it up.

"Spring training doesn't mean anything."

Maybe so. But you know what? I'll be damned if it isn't fun anyway.

I love spring training simply because it means baseball is back, and I'm guess that's probably why you love it too. Though, the real thing features a lot less PFP and no split-squad games, spring training is baseball, and that's good enough.

I have no doubt you'll be following your favorite team's every move during spring training this year, but there are five other teams that you should keep an eye on. Things are going to be awfully interesting in their camps.

Note: I excluded the Yankees and Red Sox from this list because it would have been too easy to include them. You know it's true.

5. Oakland Athletics

This team has the real-life Moneyball guy, Manny Being Manny and the most freakishly athletic baseball player to come out of Cuba since...um, the last one.

More specifically, this team has Billy Beane, Manny Ramirez and Yoenis Cespedes.

We know how Beane feels about spring training, and truth be told he's not going to be the source of too much entertainment. But, I'm very much looking forward to seeing if Manny has anything left in the tank, and I'm also looking forward to seeing if this Cespedes guy is all he's cracked up to be.

The word from the San Jose Mercury News is that Cespedes might be joining the team as soon as this weekend, at which point he will presumably proceed to put on a batting practice display. Those should become fun spectacles to watch before long.

If you prefer to keep an eye on pitchers, you should be keeping a watchful eye on Brandon McCarthy, who I have pegged as a sleeper Cy Young candidate.

The A's aren't generating a whole lot of buzz as a potential division winner, but this team is definitely more interesting than it has been in a while.

4. Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals are Major League Baseball's version of the Oklahoma City Thunder. There are some bright young stars on this team, and it's just a matter of time before the Royals are contending for the AL Central title.

The two guys that stand out from the pack are Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. Hosmer got called up in May last year, and he was very impressive the rest of the way. Moustakas started much slower after he got called up, but he exploded in the month of September.

Beyond those two, the Royals have all sorts of eye-grabbing youngsters worth keeping an eye on. Wil Myers stands out, as do guys like Danny Duffy and Mike Montgomery.

If you don't know much about the Royals, now is as good a time as any to hop on the bandwagon. The Royals have been irrelevant for a long time, but that's going to change in the very near future because of the young studs that are coming along.

3. Los Angeles Angels

Yes, the Texas Rangers are the two-time reigning AL champs. And yes, they signed a superstar Japanese pitcher over the offseason.

Be that as it may, the Rangers aren't as interesting as the Los Angeles Angels. Not even close.

It's going to be all Albert Pujols, all the time in Angels camp, but there's more to this Angels team than just him, believe it or not.

This starting rotation, for example, is one of the best and deepest rotations in baseball. Jered Weaver and Dan Haren are both elite pitchers, C.J. Wilson gives this rotation a talented lefty presence, and Ervin Santana is probably the best No. 4 starter in the majors.

Nobody should be too quick to overlook Mike Trout, either. He's the best prospect in baseball, according to ESPN's Keith Law, and his job during spring training will be to make it painfully obvious that the Angels need to find a way to make room for him on the major league roster.

If I were the Angels, I'd find an excuse to get Vernon Wells out of the way, but that's just me.

2. Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are freakin' loaded with story lines.

The Bryce Harper saga is right at the top of the list. He's one of the best power-hitting prospects ever, and the question is whether he can impress the Nationals enough in the exhibition season to break camp with the big club.

Beyond that, the Nationals are also going to get their first glimpse at their new and improved rotation, which features Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson. They'll be crossing their fingers and hoping Strasburg doesn't hurt himself. If he heads into the season healthy, he'll be a Cy Young contender. Count on it.

As far as bats go, the Nats will be hoping to see better things from Jayson Werth, and they'll be hoping that Ryan Zimmerman can stay healthy. They just paid him $100 million, after all.

Also, don't look past Michael Morse. It's a crime how much he's being overlooked.

Just like the Royals, the Nats are a team on the rise.

1. Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins have been selected by Showtime to be documented for the second season of The Franchise.

Gee, I wonder why.

On this team, you'll find the most fiery manager in baseball in Ozzie Guillen, the most fiery pitcher in baseball in Carlos Zambrano, one of the biggest free-agent signings of the offseason in Jose Reyes, two of the goofiest guys in baseball in Heath Bell and Logan Morrison, and a guy in Hanley Ramirez, who is trying to reestablish his stardom while adapting to third base.

Oh, and Mike Stanton can hit the ball a mile, and is my personal favorite to win the NL home run crown this year.

Need I say more?