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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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Earlier this week, I asked you what your biggest concern is about the Cubs. It’s very early in the season, but a small majority of respondents in the SB Nation Reacts survey said it’s the starting rotation:

This is a place where I don’t agree with the majority. As has been the case the last couple of years, the Cubs bench doesn’t appear very strong. On paper, with Dylan Carlson (who still hasn’t played!), Michael Conforto and Scott Kingery (plus whoever isn’t the starting catcher) as the bench players would seem better than last year’s selection of Jon Berti and Vidal Bruján (among others), but Craig Counsell hasn’t given those guys much playing time. Of the three mentioned above, only Conforto has started a game, and he doesn’t have a hit. Kingery has pinch-run — once — and as noted, Carlson hasn’t played at all.

I continue to believe that Carlson would be better in right field right now than either Conforto or Matt Shaw. But they don’t let me make that decision, so we’ll see what Counsell comes up with.

The survey was posted before Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd put together really good outings on Tuesday and Wednesday, so perhaps some of you who voted “starting pitching” might have a different vote now. How do you feel about the rotation after six games? Personally, I feel pretty good about it. Four of the five starters threw pretty well, and Shōta Imanaga made one bad pitch that was smacked for a three-run homer.

I think they’ll be fine, particularly after Justin Steele returns.

Here are the results of the national questions asked in the survey this week.

I’d concur with this vote, though now that the Pirates have called up Konnor Griffin and signed him to a long-term deal, perhaps he’d be the guy. Griffin is MLB’s No. 1 prospect and immediately becomes a strong Rookie of the Year candidate. And he doesn’t turn 20 until later this month.

I concur with this vote as well. Netflix paid big bucks to have the Yankees and Giants play a season opener as the only game, but… many folks don’t have Netflix and didn’t want to sign up just for that.

Over the past few seasons (before this year), MLB made a big deal about having all 30 teams play on Opening Day. I’d like to see them go back to that.

Thanks to all who participated in this week’s survey.

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It’s a busy 15-game slate across the Majors today, and I’ve dug deep to find the best HR props.

My MLB player props and home run analysis focus on Manny Machado and Kyle Schwarber, who are both great options to clear the fences on Friday, April 3.

Best MLB home run props today

Manny Machado (+520)

Manny Machado has yet to go deep this season, but he is hitting .263. Today’s contest against the Boston Red Sox, however, feels like the perfect time for him to smack home run No. 1 of the campaign. 

The San Diego Padres face Sonny Gray, and Machado is very familiar with him, going 12-for-35 with three long balls. Fifteen of Machado’s homers last season were off righties, and Gray’s lone HR allowed this year was against a right-handed hitter. 

Despite entering his mid-30s, Machado's bat remains potent, as he ranked among the Top 10% in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate last season. We're getting a great number for our MLB picks, banking on his lumber to start heating up in Beantown this afternoon.  

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SDPA, NESN

Kyle Schwarber (+172)

Kyle Schwarber is still one of the most feared power hitters in the game. While he’s only hitting .182, the slugger has gone deep twice already, and he’ll be up against former teammate Michael Lorenzen today, who is now a member of the Colorado Rockies. 

Lorenzen had a tough start to the campaign, allowing three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work against the Marlins while surrendering a homer.

Schwarber has had nothing but success against Lorenzen, going 9-for-24 with two deep flies. He also went deep twice at Coors Field last season, where the ball flies due to the high elevation.

The slugger remains an elite bat when he makes contact, ranking in the 99th percentile in barrel rate and in the 89th and 88th, respectively, in average exit velocity and hard-hit%.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, COLR

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Happy Home Opening Day, everybody. If you feel like approaching today as the true Opening Day, no one would blame you. After nearly 48 hours of mild rage, I’m ready to turn the page.

A question for today: Who will step up to provide leadership for these 2026 Red Sox? Part of the issue with having so much turnover year over year is that it’s difficult for a first-year player with the team, regardless of experience, to be vocal. A year ago, Alex Bregman was able to take on that responsibility, which, according to Roman Anthony, continued during the WBC with all of their American teammates.

This season has gotten off to a rocky start, not only on the field with a 1-5 record, but off the field with starting catcher and, by all accounts, great teammate Carlos Narvaez being scratched from Wednesday’s lineup. While it has not been reported as disciplinary, manager Alex Cora didn’t state that it was not disciplinary when given the opportunity. Was Narvaez a repeat offender? Was there a mild offense that might have been let go if the team were 4-1? It seems to me that Cora is sending a message to the rest of the team that they need leadership on this team. Who are some candidates to step up?

Enjoy the home opener, and be good to one another.

We made it to Opening Day. It was hard to get here, literally. A 1-5 record before setting foot in front of the Green Monster is not what Red Sox Nation waited all winter to see. Already the winnable games in Cincinnati look like missed opportunities compared to the series in Houston. But now the Sox are back in Boston! A new Opening Day, a new beginning. Except for the record. That stays. The San Diego Padres will do their best to add to the misery, but at 2-4 things haven’t gone that much better for the Friars record wise.

If you’re reading this and headed to the ballpark make sure to get to your seats by 1:30 PM ahead of a 2:10 PM first pitch. They always put on a show for the Opening Day festivities.

Michael King will get things started for the Padres coming in off a 5-inning 1-run, 4-walk, 6-strikeout game against the Detroit Tigers. King had a big 2024 to begin his Padres career but injuries shortened his season last year to just 15 starts. He’s opposed by Sonny Gray, making his second start for Boston. His debut in Cincinnati was rather underwhelming, but with a 5:1 K:BB he was in line with this recent numbers and just needs to give up fewer hits and he can control the game.

Randy Vásquez gets the call on Saturday. Another product of the Juan Soto trade (along with Friday’s starter Michael King), the 27-year-old righty made 26 starts last year and 20 the year before that. He held the Tigers scoreless for 6.0 innings with an 8:3 K:BB which might have you raise an eyebrow based on the Astros carving up Boston like a turkey. However, his career K/9 is just 5.9, and was 5.3 in 2025. So maybe his luck is about to run out. Connelly Early held the Reds to 5 hits and 1 run over 5.1 innings in his 2026 debut. Hopefully they don’t still need a stopper on Saturday but if that’s the situation the kid has impressed since the start of Spring Training.

Closing things out for San Diego is old friend Walker Buehler. The less said about his time in Boston the better. He faced the San Francisco Giants in his lone start of the year so far and lasted just 4.0 innings. He struck out 3, allowed 3 runs, and walked 2. Ranger Suárez will pitch the finale for Boston and, like many of the pitchers listed here, is looking for a turnaround. Venezuela winning the WBC may have hurt his preparation as he faced an abnormal spring innings buildup, and the Padres on paper still have some big bat,s but maybe that’s the challenge he’s been looking for.

One thing about the Padres rotation for the weekend: they’re all righties. Which for a lefty-heavy lineup can’t hurt when you are looking for an edge to jump start the offense. So far the load-bearing Wilyer Abreu has been providing a lot of the offense but maybe others will take the opportunity to jump on the bandwagon.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Friday, April 3: Michael King (0.00 ERA / 3.77 FIP) vs. Sonny Gray (6.75 ERA / 4.67 FIP)

Saturday, April 4: Randy Vásquez (0.00 ERA / 2.00FIP) vs. Connelly Early (1.69 ERA / 2.05 FIP)

Sunday, April 5: Walker Buehler (6.75 ERA / 7.17 FIP) vs. Ranger Suárez (8.31 ERA / 8.48 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Friday, April 3 at 2:10 PM ET on NESN

Saturday, April 4: 4:10 PM ET on NESN

Sunday, April 5: 1:35 PM ET on NESN

In 2025, the Orioles were supposed to be contenders to make a run at the AL East and deep into the postseason. Instead, they finished 75-87, in last place, with ineffectiveness a big problem on offense. Baltimore’s hitters batted a collective .235 (tied for 24th in MLB) and posted a .699 OPS (21st). Injuries shredded the pitching staff, but the position players were mostly healthy and still couldn’t hit. The organization knew it had a problem.

So the Orioles did some rebuilding on the offensive side. First-year manager Craig Albernaz brought in an entirely new coaching staff on the hitting side: Dustin Lind as hitting coach, Brady North as assistant hitting coach, and Donnie Ecker in the bench coach role. On the position player side, the team’s biggest move was signing Pete Alonso, the longtime Mets slugger who piled up 264 home runs in Queens and cashed in on a five-year, $155 million deal, to anchor the middle of the order. Dylan Beavers emerged as regular lineup options, and veterans Leody Taveras and Taylor Ward joined to provide steady bats on the corners.

On paper, the offense looked rejuvenated. But of course, following a busy offseason, the million-dollar question is: can they actually hit?

After the first week of the 2026 season, the answer is complicated—although this is at least better than bad.

On the downside, this team is slow. Baltimore is near the bottom of the league in stolen bases, and third to last in foot speed by Statcast measures. This is a little surprising considering the outfield got faster, and Blaze Alexander is, according to Statcast, true to his name.

They’re also sitting in the bottom ten in home runs, with just five through their opening games compared to the Los Angeles Angels’ league-leading ten. For a lineup built around adding a slug­ger and improving the overall quality of at-bats, the early power numbers are conspicuous, though it’s too soon for any real inferences. Moreover, the Orioles are hitting copious doubles (they’re seventh in in two-baggers). That hints at a team making contact and driving the ball into the gaps, even if they haven’t found the elevation yet to turn those into home runs.

Otherwise, the contact looks pretty good. The team batting average sits at .255 (ninth in the league), their on-base percentage is .332 (seventh), and they’ve scored 26 runs (thirteenth). These are not catastrophic numbers; they suggest, instead, a lineup with potential that hasn’t quite unlocked it yet.

As for the individual performances, the early standouts are Taylor Ward, Dylan Beavers, and Pete Alonso. Ward is batting .333 through the opening stretch, offering the consistent contact the club is looking for from the outfield corners. Beavers is hitting .286 with a homer, three RBI, and three runs scored. His three-hit game in Baltimore’s 8-3 win over the Rangers, capped by a solo shot in the sixth inning, was a showy and exciting showing by the rookie.

The player drawing the most scrutiny, Alonso himself, is also looking good in an early-season sample, even if he’s not slugging homers in bunches. He’s already reaching base with abandon, hitting .304 with seven hits and three walks in 23 ABs. Blaze Alexander and Adley Rutschman are also starting the year off hot, too.     

On the cold side of things, Gunnar Henderson, despite an early homer, is 4-for-28, but the foot speed and athleticism are still on display. Coby Mayo, despite a hot spring, is 2-for-20. Tyler O’Neill isn’t rushing out of the gate, either.

This is just illustrative, and not meant to be predictive of anything. This season, the Orioles have the pieces. The new coaches have a philosophy. The new faces are hitting. The early returns are, well, early, but they suggest a lineup that’s more than capable of making noise—even if they’re not mashing taters just not over the fence yet. We’ll have to give them time.

The Phillies signing of Adolis Garcia this offseason was met with at best a shrug and at worst rightful comparisons to former one year deal outfielders past. Garcia hadn’t been an average or above hitter since 2023 and was non-tendered by the Rangers after a 2025 campaign that saw him hit .227 with a .665 OPS. But the Phillies and Dave Dombrowski elected to sign Garcia to be their starting right fielder, believing that he could rebound into being a productive right fielder at best and a defensive upgrade over Nick Castellanos at worst.

So far in 2026, that bet is looking good. Garcia is 7-22 (.318) with a home run and one walk to five strikeouts. The metrics also back up the eye test, with a 96.8 MPH average exit velocity, .314 xBA, and .460 xSLG all suggesting that Garcia is putting good swings on the ball. He’s routinely hit the ball hard, but some of them have been line drives right into gloves. One of the biggest things the Phillies worked on with Garcia this offseason was a change in his batting stance. That led to Garcia being late on some balls this spring, but it seems he is starting to get his timing down in the season’s early going.

A BOMB FOR EL BOMBI! pic.twitter.com/jBddtj8clw

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 31, 2026

The other thing the Phillies worked on with Garcia was plate discipline. He has always been a free swinger, but the Phillies wanted him to cut down on his contact on pitches outside the zone, as he made contact on 58% of the pitches he saw outside the strike zone in 2025. Entering Wednesday’s game, Garcia’s outside the zone contact was down to 46.2% while his contact rate on pitches in the zone was 84.6%. He was still swinging and chasing at his normal levels, but he was also making contact on better pitches to hit at a higher rate.

Garcia hasn’t exactly stood out in a major positive way on defense yet however, as he misplayed a fly ball on Sunday and had an errant throw skip into the dugout on Tuesday. But he did have an impressive sliding grab on Saturday that likely saved at least one run from scoring.

Adolis Garcia with a 4-star grab on this play, just a 30% catch probability.

No 4 or 5-star grabs for the Phils RF in all of 2025, got one in the first series of 2026. This just would have been a routine single last year. pic.twitter.com/RWy4f5I0yY

— The WARmonger (@TheWARmonger_) March 29, 2026

Of course, this is all in a ludicrously small sample size. After all, some of these things could have been said about Max Kepler at this point last season. This could just be an early hot streak for Garcia rather than a harbinger of a good season. So, what are your first impressions of Adolis Garcia?

Good morning, LSB.

There is baseball in Arlington today.

The DMN has everything you need to know if you’re heading to the ballpark.

Shawn McFarland has 5 numbers that highlight the Rangers strong offensive start to the season.

Kevin Sherrington is here to throw cold water on the Rangers’ hot opening week.

Cody Bradford is set for a rehab start.

Jim Callis has a list of where every Rangers top prospect will start the season.

On the home opener front, Jake Oettinger will throw out the first pitch this afternoon. Fresh off a shutout!

Some guy named RJ Coyle has a list of all the Ranger batters’ walkup songs for the start of the season.

And finally Evan Grant and Sarah Blaskovich did their annual Rangers new food menu taste test that culminated in Evan wearing the giant Homer Simpson nacho hat.

That’s all for this morning. First pitch at the GLF is set for 3:05 today with MacKenzie Gore on the mound for Texas.

Happy baseball, and go Rangers!

Thursdays can obviously be light days on the major league schedule, but this one was a particularly short slate. As far as relevance to the Yankees goes, the Blue Jays were set to take on the White Sox in Chicago’s home opener, but it was pushed back due to inclement weather. So, American League action was limited to just one contest, an AL Central battle between the Twins and Royals. Kansas City is a formidable contender in the Junior Circuit, so why not give them the ol’ Rivalry Roundup treatment?

Action resumes on Friday with the Jays and Sox, Boston heads to San Diego, the Tigers match up with the Cardinals, and the Mariners and Astros both face off against other AL West squads.

Minnesota Twins 5 (2-4), Kansas City Royals 1 (3-3)

Good pitching and timely home runs. It may come as a shock, but they lead to wins on the baseball field. While the Twins have had a rough start and are poised for a disappointing 2026 campaign, they put those two together quite well on Thursday in Kansas City.

Taj Bradley was on the bump for the Twins, making his second start of the year, and it was his second straight good one. While the line was a little funky in his first start (4.1 IP, 1 ER, 9 K against Baltimore), he was effective, and he put together a real good one on Thursday. Completing six innings of shutout ball, the right-hander kept the baserunners limited while striking out three, maintaining what was a narrow 1-0 lead for the Twins. All said, Bradley has begun the ‘26 season on the right foot.

Minnesota gained that lead early on, in what can be called non-conventional fashion. With Kody Clemens on second base, Royals catcher Salvador Perez made an errant pickoff that sailed into center field, which allowed the Tigers first baseman to trot home to open scoring.

From the other dugout, Cole Ragans was just as good as Bradley on the mound. The always-fun-to-watch lefty allowed only the unearned run across his six innings of work, striking out eight Twins along the way. Baserunners were limited too, as he gave up just four hits and a walk, though the Twins clearly did what they could with them.

With the score remaining 1-0 for much of this one, both lineups mustered something up in the eighth inning. Both the Twins and the Royals managed sacrifice flies in the innings, coming off the bats of Byron Buxton and Vinnie Pasquantino. Minnesota headed into their half of the ninth looking for some insurance.

They would receive just what the doctor ordered, in a rather explosive fashion. Matt Wallner started the fun with a slicing line drive solo homer over the recently shortened wall in left-center, his second on the season. Two batters later, Clemens played a little copycat with a opposite field homer into the Twins bullpen in left. If the now 4-1 lead wasn’t enough, Josh Bell got in on the action two pitches later, when he turned on a ball and sent it scorching into the opposite ‘pen in right field. Three solo shots certainly counts as a viable insurance plan, and the Twins coasted on that to victory.

Four Minnesota relievers allowed just the one run in the final three innings of this one, with veteran Justin Topa closing things down on the non-save situation. Despite the tough start, it was a good win for the Twins as the Royals’ loss puts them back to .500 at 3-3.

After three pretty successful drafts, the Detroit Tigers enter the 2026 edition of the amateur draft picking way down the board for the second straight year. It’s too early to go crazy over their last three first round picks, but so far Bryce Rainer, Jordan Yost, and Michael Oliveto look like one heck of a good group. That’s especially true considering that they’ve held the 11th and 24th overall picks the past two years rather than picking near the top of the draft. Oliveto was 34th overall last year as the Tigers used their biannual competitive balance round A selection on the sweet swinging catcher from Long Island.

On the other hand, the heavy emphasis on overslot bonuses to prep pitchers has not gone well at all. Rapidly the Tigers farm system has found itself in the unfamiliar position of being stacked with position player talent, while the upper minors lack any high end pitching prospects. Most of the prep pitchers they’ve taken are still 20 years old or younger, and they certainly have talent, so things could turn drastically in the Tigers favor over the next few years on the pitching side. Still, part of the reason more conservative teams favor college pitching is because the heavily injury prone young pitchers tend to be winnowed out in college ball. We’ll have to wait and see if the high risk, high upside strategy ultimately pays off or not. What has paid off is the emphasis on taking athletic, up the middle position players with demonstrated plate discipine and contact ability, out of the prep ranks. No doub that will continue to be the foundation to their draft strategy with their top picks.

On Wednesday, MLB release the 2026 amateur draft bonus pools. The Pirates will lead the way with $19,130,700 to spend, picking fifth overall. The Chicago White Sox hold the first overall pick and the third biggest bonus pool at $17,592,100.

The top ten picks, with slot values for each pick, are listed below.

1. White Sox: $11,350,600
2. Rays: $10,507,000
3. Twins: $9,740,100
4. Giants: $8,988,400
5. Pirates: $8,336,500
6. Royals: $7,746,100
7. Orioles: $7,327,200
8. Athletics: $6,982,600
9. Braves: $6,675,300
10. Rockies: $6,393,100

The Detroit Tigers will pick 22nd overall, two slots higher than last year. However, this year their competitive balance pick will come in the B round following the normal second round of the draft. They’ll also be working with a bonus pool of just $9,165,100. Last year they had $10,990,800 to work with, mainly as a result of the higher CB round selection.

The slot values for the Tigers first three picks are as follows.

22. $4,082,700

61. $1,523,600

69. $1,254,200

In theory, the Tigers could burn all but $2,304,600 on those first three picks, leaving them with little enough to spread around on prep pitchers the way they have the past three drafts. That’s obviously not how they’ve done business to date, but this is going to be their toughest draft to date. Perhaps this is the year they actually do take a college player with their first pick on an underslot deal in order to be better able to spread money around to multiple prep players they like later on. Mixing in their usual selection of a few college pitchers and cheap, athletic speed players with some contact ability from smaller schools on minimum bonuses would allow them to round things out. John Peck, their 2023 seventh rounder, signed for $222,500, $72,500 over the minimum, as a fairly light hitting college shortstop out of Pepperdine, but has buit himself up to at least average pop to go along with good defensive ability, to cite a prime example of this type of pick.

We’ll get into the latest mock drafts from Baseball America, FanGraphs, and MLB Pipeline in the weeks ahead as the college season turns toward their own stretch drive in late April and the beginning of May.

The Nats are going to be tested right out of the gates in their home opening series. There is no bigger challenge than facing the back to back World Series champions. That is what the Nats will do when they square off with the Dodgers. Here are three things I will be watching.

Can the Nats Continue Their Surprising Success Against the Dodgers?

The Nats and Dodgers have been on two different ends of the MLB food chain. While the Dodgers have been the kings of baseball, the Nats have been stuck near the basement of the National League. However, the Nats have had a surprising amount of success against the Dodgers lately, especially at home.

The Nats have won their home series against the Dodgers in each of the last two seasons.It is a weird phenomenon, but the Nats have tended to give the Dodgers a tough time. I have a feeling the mighty Dodgers may have a tough time getting up for an April matchup across the country against a bad team. They know they can coast through the regular season.

Regardless of why it is, the Nats have given the Dodgers a tough time. Last season, James Wood had a huge series against them. He hit a few towering home runs on cold April nights. Seeing the big man get going would be huge for the Nats.

"This kid is going to be a star in the Big Leagues."

MLB Now talks about James Wood following an impressive home run against the Dodgers last night. pic.twitter.com/PTOXoiY7Fa

— MLB Now (@MLBNow) April 8, 2025

Wood has continued his struggles from the second half of last season. The strikeouts are still out of control and his swing just does not look totally right at the moment. However, we know what he is capable of, and this would be quite the time for him to snap out of his slump.

Will Joey Wiemer Keep The Good Times Rolling?

Joey Wiemer has been the story of the first week of the Nats season. The waiver claim came out of the gates like a house on fire. He got on base in each of his first 10 plate appearances. Now he is “only” hitting .588 with a .682 on base percentage. Wiemer has been a joy to watch, not only at the plate, but also in the field and on the bases.

It would be really cool if he could stay hot in front of the home crowd. Wiemer has been DFA’d three times in the last year, but now he seems to have found a home. Eventually, he is likely to cool off and settle in as a lefty killing 4th outfielder. However, the Nats are going to ride the hot hand as long as they can.

Joey Wiemer has been DFA'd three times in the past year and has come out scorching hot to start the season, going 10-for-17 with 2 HR and a 1.741 OPS!@jonmorosi | @Nationalspic.twitter.com/J5L445SeEg

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 2, 2026

Wiemer is only 27 and was a former top 100 prospect. So, there is a chance that something just clicked for him and he can be a late bloomer. That is pretty unlikely, but it is why Paul Toboni has been taking a lot of shots on waiver claims like Wiemer.

Can The Starting Pitching Hold Up?

One big worry I have for this series against the Dodgers is the Nats starting pitching. On paper, the matchup is not great for the Nats. They have Miles Mikolas, Jake Irvin and Foster Griffin lined up. Against a ferocious lineup like the Dodgers, that could be trouble.

WSH – LAD probables for the home opener

Miles Mikolas (R) vs. Emmet Sheehan (R)
Jake Irvin (R) vs. Tyler Glasnow (R)
Foster Griffin (L) vs. Roki Sasaki (R)

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) April 3, 2026

However, Irvin and Griffin looked solid in their first starts of the season. Irvin was particularly impressive, showing much improved stuff. He is still a guy who posted an ERA that was well over five last year.

Mikolas will be taking the ball today, and he looked really shaky in his first start. Granted, his defense did not do him any favors, but Mikolas is not a guy who misses many bats. The Nats defense will have to be on their toes today, and Mikolas will have to avoid mistakes to keep the ball in the yard.

Luckily for the Nats, they are avoiding Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. They are also missing Blake Snell, who is out with injury. However, the Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches, so they will still be facing good arms. Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki are all very talented. 

I am interested to see what Sasaki looks like in particular. He has not had the easiest transition since coming over from Japan. However, he still has amazing stuff when he is on. Seeing him matchup with Foster Griffin will be cool. That could have been a matchup NPB fans saw a couple years ago.

Overall, the Nats have a tall task this weekend. However, they have not backed down from the Dodgers in the past. Over the first week, they also showed they can go toe to toe with some of the NL’s best. They competed with the Phillies and Cubs, so why can’t this group take a series from the mighty Dodgers.

It probably goes without saying that our collective enjoyment of the Braves would be higher the last few seasons if we didn’t have so many “the [player name] saga,” but, unfortunately, we do. The Reynaldo Lopez saga is definitely a saga, at that, and it’s one that’s had a number of developments lately, what with the low velocity in his final Spring Training start, the amusing-but-wait-you-were-serious? mechanics messaging afterwards, and then the regained velocity once the regular season started.

But, his two starts themselves have been… part of the Reynaldo Lopez saga, basically. The results have been good in that the team has won both starts, but:

• First start: 41/141/140 (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-); 4.49 xERA
• Second start: 49/137/127, xERA TBD

Remember, when Lopez was great in 2024, he had a 48/74/85 line: legitimately good but with a hilarious gap between his ERA and everything else. It also wasn’t a contact management thing, and his xERA was actually much higher in 2024 than his FIP and xFIP. There’s a discussion to be had about how the way in which Lopez pitches means he can actually outperform his FIP and xFIP and I guess his xERA too, but even if he can, it’s not gonna be to the tune of “awful, unplayable FIP and xFIP but teeny-tiny ERA.”

His command has been a mess, with his fastball generally having a preferred location (armside and up) but missing often enough all the way across the plate without maintaining its verticality that it almost looks like it’s deliberate (but I’m not sure I’d go there yet). The slider has good shape but is currently landing such that batters could just lay off of it and walk, though that hasn’t happened yet.

But, you could argue, I guess, that this is all an artifact of batters swinging early in the count and making ineffectual contact, often in the air. That’s one way to get a high xFIP with low runs charged to your tally, though it doesn’t tend to work for the long haul.

Anyway, I’ll stop babbling. What do you think of Lopez now, compared to before the season began?

The Mets were aggressive with their placement of Elian Peña this season, elevating him to Low-A to begin the year. 

Peña enjoyed a strong spring after his stellar debut in the Dominican Summer League, and now he’s one of the youngest players at his new level at just 18. 

That proved to be no problem on Thursday, as he started the season on a high note. 

The young slugger was thrown right into the fire, batting leadoff for St. Lucie on Opening Day, and he made the most of the opportunity by reaching base three different times. 

Peña showed off his patience, leading off the game with a four-pitch walk. 

He lined out to left in his second at-bat but was able to do some damage his next time up, lacing a double that short hopped the wall in right for his first hit of the season. 

The young slugger then ended his night with a single in the top of the ninth, giving him two hits and a walk in St. Lucie’s 6-3 season-opening loss. 

The Mets certainly hope this is a sign of things to come from Peña this season. 

As SNY’s Joe DeMayo pointed out in his recent mailbag, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him on top 100 prospects lists and competing for the system’s top spot by the end of the season. 

Peña, the No. 7 prospect on DeMayo's Top 30, had 24 XBH's and a .949 OPS in 55 DSL games last season. 

Elian Peña’s first hit of the season for Low-A St. Lucie is a double that short hopped the wall in right pic.twitter.com/Tg4lCgPL6Y

— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) April 2, 2026

Hickory and Frisco had their first games on Thursday. Hub City kicks off Friday.

Evan Siary, the Rangers’ 8th round pick last year out of Mississippi State, got the start for Hickory, striking out 8 and walking no one in four innings, allowing one run.

Paulino Santana doubled, walked and stole a base. Yolfran Castillo had a single and a double. Marcos Torres had a hit and a walk. Josh Springer had a pair of hits.

Hickory box score

Frisco starter Leandro Lopez struck out six and walked four in 4.2 shutout innings. Ryan Lobus threw two shutout innings, striking out two and walking one. Wilian Bormie struck out one in a shutout inning.

Dylan Dreiling had a hit and a walk. Keith Jones II had a pair of hits.

Frisco box score

Cody Bradford made his return to the mound for Round Rock. In two innings he threw 27 pitches, 17 for strikes, didn’t strike out or walk anyone, and allowed three hits, including two solo homers. He averaged 90.0 mph on his fastball, topping out at 91.5 mph, which is right about where his velocity was in 2024.

Luis Curvelo allowed two runs in an inning, walking one and striking out one. Josh Sborz struck out one in a scoreless inning. Ryan Brasier struck out two in a scoreless inning.

Cam Cauley homered and drew a pair of walks. Alejandro Osuna homered. Justin Foscue had a hit and a walk.

Round Rock box score

Tonight marks the first of thirteen contests this season with the division rival A’s.  Ken Korach, who’s a staple in the A’s booth serving as lead announcer since 2006, joins The Crawfish Boxes for an in-depth series preview: 

Q: What’s the ceiling for Nick Kurtz?  How dominant can he be? 

A: I think his ceiling is as high as it could be.  There are several reasons.

His 36 home runs came in 117 games and his first was in his 17th game.  So even if he doesn’t keep up that pace, at least 40 this year seems likely.  Now, if you look at the numbers, his walk rate increased significantly after his 4-homer game.  He’s going to get that kind of treatment, but there is plenty of protection in the lineup.  This is as deep a lineup as the A’s have had since their post-season days. 

A couple of other things.  Often young power hitters get jumpy with their stride and swing and become too pull conscious.  Half of his homers last year were to left center and left. He has a very mature approach.

Even though the ballpark in Sacramento is certainly a hitter’s park, his numbers—barrel rate, exit velocity, bat speed—were elite.  He can hit anywhere.  And, he’s a hitter, not just a power hitter.  

Q: Give our readers an idea, who are the leaders in the clubhouse for the A’s and how and what can we expect this weekend with attendance and overall fan support in the stands?    

A; Brent Rooker is the unquestioned leader in the clubhouse.  He has a backstory that enables him to relate to everyone.  Yes, he’s a two-time all-star who’s hit 99 homers in 3 years with the A’s, but after being a high draft choice, he drifted through 3 organizations before joining the A’s and started to wonder if he’d ever make it. He’s a student of the game and not afraid to speak up. 

Regarding fan support, that’s not an easy question to answer since the situation is unique.  Leaving Oakland, now entering the 2nd of 3 years in Sacramento, and much of the focus is on Vegas in 2028.  I think momentum is building in Vegas, especially with the announcements of two more contract extensions (Wilson and Soderstrom) in the off-season, and the stadium being on schedule.  They are starting the process of selling tickets and the response has been good.  

They drew about 9,500 per game in Sacramento last season.  I thought the attendance was fine.  There are around 10,500 permanent seats in the ballpark and another 2,000-2,500 on the lawn areas beyond the outfield fence.  It’s a minor league ballpark. That’s the reality for two more years.  

Q: From the outside looking in, it feels like the pitching has lots of talent and arms that are in between AAA and the Majors. Perkins & Morales come to mind.   What can you tell us about them and maybe some other young players?

A: Yes, Perkins and Morales.  Morales has opened the season in the rotation.  He had a really nice couple of months last year.  Perkins will be in the PCL.  He’s probably going to be either a starting or bullpen option this year.  He did both in the spring.

A couple of guys to keep an eye on:  Gage Jump and Kade Morris.  Wouldn’t surprise me if both were with the A’s this year.  Morris might be considered more of a sleeper, but he’s gaining a lot of traction in the organization.  Has the ceiling to be a legitimate MLB starter.  Everybody knows Jump from his time at LSU, His velocity has increased and he has a chance to make an impact this year.  

Q: Finally, thoughts on facing the Astros this weekend?   

A: I think the Astros will probably be better this year.  The A’s certainly know them well.  Look at the end of last season’s schedule as an indication that the A’s think they can go toe-to-toe with them.  The A’s swept 4 games in Houston in July and took 2 out of 3 in late September in Sac.   One thing to keep an eye on.  The schedule is challenging to say the least.   We started in Toronto, went to Atlanta and after these three games with the Astros, we then turn back around and go to New York for the Yankees and Mets.  Crazy. 12 of 15 on the road to start the season in the east, and all 15 contests against contenders.