Five things to take away from the 2013 MLB season

The 2013 MLB season is long since over, but it's never too late to reflect on the season. Let's take a look at the five things to take away from the 2013 MLB season.

5. The no-hitters, and near no-hitters.

Three pitchers threw no-hitters in 2013. Three pitchers lost no-hitters in the ninth inning in 2013.

April 2 -- Yu Darvish came one out away from a no-hitter against the Astros, but Marwin Gonzalez had other plans. A clean single ruined the bid for a no-hitter, but the gem by Darvish was only the beginning of his fantastic season. TEX 7, HOU 0

May 24 -- Anibal Sanchez had thrown 8.1 of no-hit ball, but then Joe Mauer stepped to the plate. Mauer delivered a one-out single to center, and Sanchez was left without a no-no. DET 6, MIN 0

July 2 -- Homer Bailey finally found the first no-hitter of 2013, shutting down the San Francisco Giants in Great American Ballpark. The second no-hitter of Bailey's career, and the first of 2013 was something that you should definitely go back and watch. CIN 3, SFG 0

July 13 -- Petco Park being home the only team without a no-hitter, the Padres, got it's first no-hitter on July 13, 2013. It came against the Padres, rather than for them. Tim Lincecum wanted in on the fun after being at Homer Bailey no-no. Eleven days later, Lincecum dazzled, and threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. SFG 9, SDP 0

September 6 -- The Giants were looking to get their second no-hitter of the season, this time behind Yusmeiro Petit. With two outs in the ninth, Arizona's Eric Chavez delivered a single to right field. SFG 3, ARZ 0

September 29 -- Henderson Alvarez (MIA), on the last day of the season, pitched nine no-hit innings. The score, however, was tied at 0. Standing in the on deck circle, Alvarez saw his team walk-off on a wild pitch, and finish off the job well done. What an experience for the pitcher. MIA 1, DET 0

4. The Suprise Playoff Teams

Cleveland Indians -- The Indians played very consistent baseball throughout this entire season, and in September, Terry Francona took it up a notch. Going 21-6 in the month of September, the Indians great run jolted them into the AL Wild Card game. The run ended there as they got shutout to the Rays, 4-0.

Pittsburgh Pirates -- They finally did it. The Pirates, for the first time since 1992, took home the NL Wild Card. After wiping the Reds off their feet in that game, Pittbsurgh was almost not done there. They lost a 2-1 lead in the NLDS to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Los Angeles Dodgers -- This one is a little bit more of a stretch. But who thought that the Dodgers would still make the playoffs in May? They were 23-30, and were not in good position to make any runs deep into October. How about June? They then were 38-43, improving, but not much better. Who could've predicted their fantastic run?

3. Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis

These two hitters tore up the American League throughout the summer this season. In the first half, the two combined for 58 homers and 161 RBI. Cabrera finished with 44 HR, while Davis finished with 53 shots. Just before the all star break, they were trading homers like no tomorrow. Cabrera slowed down in the second half due to injury, but they definitely were something we should take away from this season.

Cabrera: .348/.442/.636, 44 HR, 137 RBI

Davis: .286/.370/.634, 53 HR, 138 RBI

2. Young Pitching (Specifically Michael Wacha and Jose Fernandez)

Young pitchers were unbelievable in 2013, but the two most outstanding were Jose Fernandez and Michael Wacha. Fernandez, only 20, never pitched above AA coming into this season. But appearing in the majors for the first time, Fernandez pitched great. Michael Wacha, the story of the playoffs, was an x-factor for the Cardinals, pitching gem after gem. It will be fun to see them improve as they get older.

Fernandez: 12-6, 2.19 ERA, 0.97 WHIP

Wacha: 4-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.10 WHIP

1. The Red Sox win the World Series

How could this not be number one? The Red Sox took a last place team, made some adjustments, and came out on top by winning the 2013 World Series. Amazing play around the team, their run was a spectacular one to say the least. Doing the little things proves to make a large difference, and the Red Sox definitely showed that. I enjoyed watching them play this season and I am looming forward to watching them play in 2014.