6 Things We've Learned from the First Third of the MLB Season

The first third of the 2013 MLB season has seen its fair share of action.

Whether it's the amount of potential no-hitters already thrown or Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout picking up where they left off from last season, there are plenty of takeaways from the past two months of baseball.

I'm sure each and every one of you took something else away from the first third of the season, but these are six things that stood out to me the most.

The Yankees Are Still the Yankees

No Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira or Alex Rodriguez? No problem for the New York Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers are 30-21 on the season and trail the Boston Red Sox by just one game in the AL East thanks in large part to veteran additions like Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner and Lyle Overbay.

Since returning from a torn ACL last season, Mariano Rivera has been brilliant for the Yankees, converting 18-of-19 saves, while the pitching staff as a whole has been solid, ranking eighth in the MLB in team ERA (3.59).

With Teixeira likely coming back to the lineup in the next couple of weeks, according to CBS Sports, New York will only get stronger as its stars get healthy.

The Boston Red Sox Can Pitch

Remember last season when Jon Lester was struggling and everyone thought the Boston Red Sox needed to seriously address their pitching rotation?

Lester has come back stronger than ever after a rough 2012 campaign, boasting a 6-1 record and 3.34 ERA for a Red Sox staff that ranks second in baseball in strikeouts per nine innings with an impressive 9.18 mark.

Clay Buchholz has been dominant for Boston as well, pitching to a perfect 7-0 record to go with a stellar 1.73 ERA and 9.04 K/9 mark.

Junichi Tazawa and John Lackey have also been solid for the Sox, combining for seven wins and a 2.62 ERA.

As long as Boston continues scoring a ton of runs (No. 3 in baseball), it'll finish near the top of the AL East in 2013.

Miguel Cabrera Is by Far the Best

Mike Trout might be the better overall player because of his defense and speed on the basepaths, but Miguel Cabrera is above and beyond the best hitter in the MLB.

Cabrera has picked up right where he left off from his AL Triple Crown campaign last season, hitting .373 with 14 long balls and 57 RBI. His batting average and RBI total both lead the league.

ESPN's Buster Olney highlights Cabrera's greatness through the first third of the season:

"

Miguel Cabrera is on pace to finish with these numbers: A .391 batting average; 101 EBH (47 2B, 4 3B, 50 HRs); 140 runs; 198 RBI.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) May 24, 2013"

The third baseman is just as deadly against lefties as he is righties. The reigning AL MVP is hitting an astonishing .508 with seven homers when runners are in scoring position.

Even after his Triple Crown season in 2012, there was still a thought that Trout was possibly a better hitter than Cabrera, but the seven-time All-Star is proving to be the most dangerous hitter in the game this season.

Shelby Miller Is Likely NL ROY

At just 22, Shelby Miller has taken the St. Louis Cardinals and the MLB by storm to help St. Louis to the best record in baseball at 34-17.

Miller is part of a pitching staff that leads the majors in ERA (3.07), ranks second in quality starts (33) and third in WHIP (1.20). However, his individual performance will have him in the running for the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Miller is 5-3 on the season to go with a 2.02 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 9.39 strikeouts per nine innings. The youngster already has a few standout performances on the mound this season, none better than a one-hit, complete game shutout in which he fanned 13 Colorado Rockies on May 10.

The Cards starter has surrendered no more than three runs in any of his three losses, making him one of St. Louis' best assets.

If Miller continues this type of performance through the second half of the season, he'll be taking home some hardware after the regular season.

Matt Harvey Is a Stud

New York Mets ace Matt Harvey showed he was special at the end of last season, but the pitcher has blossomed into one of best young arms in the game.

The 24-year-old is 5-0 this season to go with a stellar 1.85 ERA to rank fifth in baseball. Harvey's 0.82 WHIP is first in MLB, while his 9.69 strikeouts per nine innings rank in the top-10.

Harvey's best game of the season came against the Chicago White Sox on May 7, when the righty tossed nine scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out 12 and walking none.

He is one of the few bright spots on another bad Mets team, but that shouldn't stop him from making a run at the NL Cy Young award.

Money Doesn't Buy Wins

The spending of both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels has been well-documented, as both L.A. teams rank in the top seven in terms of player payroll, according to USA Today.

At 22-28, the Dodgers find themselves in the basement of the NL West and have seen Zack Greinke struggle with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP in five starts.

The Angels, who are third in the AL West with a 23-29 record, are still waiting for the Josh Hamilton signing to pay dividends. Hamilton is hitting just .222 with eight homers and 18 RBI as part of a Halo's offense that ranks 11th in baseball in runs scored.

Prior to the start of the season, it was fair to think that both L.A. teams would be playing postseason baseball. While I'm not ready to count out either club just yet, their big money isn't buying any wins right now. 

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