There’s nothing quite like watching the quest for a no-hitter. There was no shortage of those moments this season, as seen in this year’s voting for MLB.com’s Greatness in Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) Award for Pitching Performance of the Year.

The source can be a veteran (Michael Cuddyer) or a rookie (Jose Abreu), a slugger (Paul Goldschmidt) or a speedster (Dee Gordon), a much-hyped star (Yasiel Puig) or a relative unknown (Charlie Blackmon, Lonnie Chisenhall). Those seven are the nominees for MLB.com’s 2014 Greatness in Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) Award for Hitting Performance of the Year.

Throughout his time at the Japan All-Star Series, Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie has learned much about his Japanese heritage. Guthrie has met relatives for the first time, eaten new foods and soaked up as much of the culture as possible. Sunday, that extended to his line of work, when Guthrie toured an exhibit detailing the history of Major League Baseball in Japan at the Tokyo Dome’s Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Astros mascot Orbit has entertained locals and made new friends while checking out the sites on adventures at the Japan All-Star Series.

We asked MLB.com reporters and writers the following question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being ‘most confident,’ how confident are you that this player will live up to the terms of his next deal?” We’ve ranked the free agents based on their average score, and here are the results

Farm directors see hundreds of players across the country on scouting trips. Years after a journey to a particular dusty diamond, they might struggle to recall the details of who they saw play that day or the initial impression of the athlete who drew their attention. Bill Gayton does not have that problem when Corey Kluber’s name is mentioned.

The Cubs’ middle infield just got a little more crowded. On Sunday, the Cubs acquired left-handed-hitting infielder Tommy La Stella from the Braves, as well as Atlanta’s No. 4 international signing bonus slot, for pitcher Arodys Vizcaino and three international signing bonus slots.

The Tigers officially brought back Victor Martinez on Friday, which was expected to shut the door on any possibility of a return by Max Scherzer. Instead, the door might well have opened just a crack.

The Braves reacquired one of their former top pitching prospects — right-handed reliever Arodys Vizcaino — and an opportunity to provide themselves a greater opportunity to be more aggressive on the international free-agent market when they struck a deal to send second baseman Tommy La Stella to the Cubs on Sunday.

Shawn Stefani couldn’t quite pull out his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday, but the MLB.com-sponsored golfer still matched the best finish of his career at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo blasted two walk-off home runs during his 2014 All-Star season. His latest came Sunday morning in his South Florida hometown for the third annual Walk-Off For Cancer at Pine Trails Park.

Daniel Carbonell is content to play his chosen sport without seeking much in the way of attention. Carbonell, 23, is pursuing his baseball dreams alongside dozens of like-minded peers, but he’s blazed a unique path to his perch in the Arizona Fall League.

Nothing in baseball is more dramatic than a walk-off victory. The raw emotion felt and the memories created last a lifetime. The 2014 season had unforgettable walk-offs, which makes the voting for MLB.com’s Greatness in Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) Award for Walk-Off of the Year even more difficult.

Having already been no-hit Takahiro Norimoto and three relievers in Game 3 and shut down by potential future big leaguer Kenta Maeda in Game 1, the MLB squad will face perhaps the most promising pitcher on the Japan national team on Tuesday in Game 5: 20-year-old two-way player Shohei Otani, a part-time outfielder with a triple-digit fastball.

On the heels of a no-hitter at the hands of Samurai Japan in Game 3, manager John Farrell shook up the MLB All-Stars’ lineup for Sunday’s Japan Series matchup at the Tokyo Dome, and the star-studded team got back on track with a 6-1 victory, its first of the five-game showcase.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve did a little bit of everything in the MLB squad’s 6-1 win over Samurai Japan in Game 4 of the Japan All-Star Series on Sunday at the Tokyo Dome.

Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and made a great catch in right field to help the MLB squad got off the mat in Tokyo with a 6-1 victory over Samurai Japan on Sunday.