Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

After the San Diego Padres dropped Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers, 8-2, they’re not off to nearly as auspicious a start as the 2025 season, to say the least.

There’s plenty to be excited about: Xander Bogaerts’ two hits off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, Ramón Laureano’s home run, the bullpen (more or less) locking it down and only using one high-leverage reliever.

But the starting pitching took a hit.

In a game that was already going to be difficult with Skubal on the mound for the opposition, Nick Pivetta struggled to get out of the first inning.

After striking out leadoff man Kerry Carpenter, he couldn’t find the zone and issued two walks and a single to the load the bases before walking in a run.

He ended the inning having given up four runs but was mostly solid for the rest of his outing (3 innings).

San Diego knew it wasn’t going to get much against Skubal but managed to put up two runs against a dominant Tigers pitching staff. But if they want to stay in games the pitching will need to be a lot stronger moving forward.

Taking the mound

Framber Valdez (DET) v. Michael King (SD)

Enter Michael King.

King was an ace for the Padres in 2024, pitching to a 2.95 ERA across a career-high 30 starts. But in ‘25 he suffered an injury-plagued campaign that saw him miss half the season.

If King can return to form, San Diego’s rotation will go a long way toward being as elite as it can be.

Today, the Friars will have their work cut out for them against ground ball extraordinaire Framber Valdez. After spending his whole career with the Houston Astros, he inked a three-year, $115 million deal with Detroit to serve as a co-ace with Skubal.

Batter up!

San Diego will likely use a very similar lineup as they did on Opening Day. Skubal and Valdez pitch quite similarly, with them being two of the most dominant southpaws in the game.

Despite Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting leadoff yesterday, it seems possible that manager Craig Stammen could shake things up and go back to his lineup from earlier this spring:

1. Xander Bogaerts, SS
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
5. Ramón Laureano, LF
6. Miguel Andujar, DH
7. Nick Castellanos, 1B
8. Freddy Fermin, C
9. Jake Cronenworth, 2B

The case for Bogaerts leading off is in large part due to the fact that he’s raked against Valdez (and went on a tear yesterday against Skubal). In 11 career at-bats against him, he has a .364 batting average and a .917 OPS.

It’s possible they use the same lineup as yesterday, putting Tatis at leadoff and bumping Bogaerts down to second again. It seems likely that Castellanos will get the start at first base after coming in to pinch-hit for Gavin Sheets in the eighth inning.

Relief corps

Stammen gave Pivetta quite the leash in spite of his difficult first inning, letting him work out of the jam. But after three innings, San Diego turned to its relievers.

Ron Marinaccio surrendered the only bullpen runs on a two-run homer in the fifth inning, but was spotless across two innings outside of that.

Top prospect Bradgley Rodriguez and David Morgan racked up four strikeouts across a combined three scoreless innings, and the Padres brought in Wandy Peralta to close out the game in the ninth.

With the game so out of hand before the seventh-inning stretch, most of the high-leverage options stayed in the ‘pen. Hopefully San Diego can get to Valdez today and they’ll get to have Mason Miller close out his first game of 2026.

You can’t step into the same batter’s box twice. Well, you can— the rulebook is rather stringent about what qualities a batter’s box has to have. But we’re talking in a Heraclitean sense here. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the batter’s box remains the same, but the batter himself does not.

Bryce Harper is going to try to challenge Heraclitus’ opinion in the same way that he challenged Dave Dombrowski’s (though it is doubtful that he will accompany this challenge with a custom t-shirt). Recently, Harper stated that he wanted to walk more in 2026. A lot more. He was one of MLB’s better walk-drawers in 2025, with his 12.1% rate ranking 23rd league-wide. Only 28 players had more free passes than Harper’s 70. But he wants to draw 140 to 150 in 2026. That would be a career-high for him. The closest he’s gotten is 130 in 2018, his final season as a National. Since then, he’s changed his approach at the plate to a somewhat more free-swinging style. It’s brought him success in Philadelphia. But now he’s looking to go back to the past. Can Harper find a way to return to being the Bryce of 2018?

Before we can answer that, we have to ask a different question: who was the Bryce of 2018, anyway? This pre-Philly Bryce was a superstar, albeit one who had not yet discovered the sartorial flair of a good Phanatic headband. But he was a star with a rather different approach at the plate as compared to the Harper of today. 2018-Harper swung 45.7% of the time, as compared to 2025-Harper’s 54.2%. He was significantly more patient than his older self, swinging at the first pitch of an at-bat 40.4% of the time as compared to his current self’s 54.1%. And most of that bygone reluctance to swing was concentrated on pitches outside the zone: 2018-Bryce’s 25.3% chase rate ballooned to 35.6% by 2025. Interestingly enough, the more conservative 2018 Harper was slightly more likely to whiff than the swing-happy 2025 edition (31.4% vs. 30.7%).

Harper getting back to to drawing walks like it was 2018 would take significant effort and focus, though Harper’s determination is not to be doubted. But Harper can only control what he can control. And while he can control what pitches he swings at, he can’t control what pitches he gets. The Bryce Harper of 2018 was seeing a very different pitch mix than the Harper of today. In 2018, just about a quarter of the pitches he saw were breaking balls. In 2025, it was 41.3%. How might that impact his efforts to return to the past?

Here’s Harper’s swings on pitches outside the zone (O-Swing%), by pitch type, in 2018 and 2025, using FanGraphs’ pitch definitions.

Pitch Type	O-Swing %, 2018	O-Swing, % 2025
Four-Seam	27.80%	26.30%
Slider	25.60%	39.10%
Curveball	27.30%	49.70%

In 2018, Harper was just about as likely to chase a breaking ball as he was a heater. His chase rate on four-seamers hasn’t changed much since then. But his chase rate for breaking balls has exploded — which, of course, is why pitchers are so eager to show him more of them. That’s good news for his efforts: if his chase rates on fastballs and breaking balls were similar in 2018, then the change in the pitch mix he’s being shown shouldn’t be a problem, as long as he returns to swinging like he did in 2018.

Easier said than done, of course. And while the passes are free, pursuing more of them comes at a cost. We know what Harper stands to gain by taking more BBs. But we have to look at what he stands to lose as well.

Harper’s increased willingness to chase diminished his walk rate, but it helped him build production in some areas. Here’s his wOBA by zone in 2018 and 2025. The third image shows the difference between the two.

The 2025 version of Harper produced more on pitches inside. All that chasing generally hurt his production outside the zone, but it dramatically improved it on pitches he chased up and inside. The difference may not be as much as it seems, though— note that the gap between his expected wOBAs in 2025 and 2018 in that same quadrant was .104; less than half as much. Still, he really did produce more on those pitches with his 2025 style. He’d potentially be giving that up if he returns to his old approach.

Is that worth it? Well, nostalgia can’t be quantified, but run value can. And we can say that 2018-Harper was more productive than 2025-Harper by that measure.

2025-Harper was more productive on pitches in that upper right quadrant. But looking at the whole, he produced 37 runs in 2018, and only 24 in 2025. The gains he made with the new approach were offset by the costs. Granted, his run values in 2023 and 2024, when he was about as chase-happy as he was this past season, were quite similar to his 2018 run value. So perhaps the gap between 2018 and 2025 isn’t as much about the chasing as it was something else. The comparison between 2018 and 2025 is meaningful, but a little narrowly-sliced; there’s plenty of variance within the results of two given seasons. Still, given Harper’s underwhelming 2025, it’s not hard to see why he felt that it was time to return to the old ways.

You can’t really go home again, though. Maybe that’s an odd thing to say in the context of baseball, the sport in where the whole point is to reach home. But it’s true. Even if Harper could perfectly replicate the mentality and approach of his 2018 self, he can’t replicate the body he had 8 years ago. At 33 years old, he’s far from washed up, but certainly at the point where age is being felt. Unfortunately, we only have bat speed data dating back to 2023. But it is probably fair to assume that he cannot swing the bat in 2026 as fast as he did in 2018. That may mean that the exact same approach at the plate would produce different results. Even if he can replicate the walk rate he had in 2018, he may end up with a very different stat line overall. If swinging less doesn’t produce the change he’s hoping to see, Harper will have to look to alternate strategies for reasserting his eliteness. We don’t know exactly what form he’ll settle into by the end of the 2026. We know it won’t really be 25-year old Harper again. But we can be sure he’s hellbent on finding the best version of 33-year old Harper that can be.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks begin the second game of a three-game series this evening in a pitching mismatch.

LA won last night, and we expect a repeat here.

My Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks break down why I like LA to take care of business on Friday, March 27.

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers predictions

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers best bet: Dodgers -1.5 (-115)

Emmett Sheehan's 2025 campaign was a nice breakout and something I see as sustainable: 30.6% K rate (92nd percentile), 30% whiff rate (93rd). He misses bats, gets plenty of chase, and the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup lacks the contact quality to punish mistakes throughout.

On the other side, Ryne Nelson was a common fade candidate for me last year, and I see no reason for that to change. Especially against this Los Angeles Dodgers lineup. His below-average whiff rate and a hard-hit rate in the bottom 20 percent of baseball loom large against Shohei Ohtani and company.

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers same-game parlay (SGP)

Sheehan struck out 30% of batters last year, and Arizona's lineup is heavy on free swingers. His slider alone generated a 94th-percentile breaking run value, which is another trouble spot for the Snakes.

I projected his strikeout number at 5.8, so there's plenty of value in the plus-money price as well as the same-game parlay pairing.

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers SGP

• Dodgers -1.5
• Emmet Sheehan Over 5.5 strikeouts

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers home run pick: Will Smith (+400)

Will Smith has some under-the-radar value tonight against Nelson. 

His fastball makes up the bulk of his pitching arsenal, which is something you'd think he'd reduce (at least some) against this Dodgers lineup. Enter the slider.

Nelson relied on this pitch throughout 2025 as a go-to secondary option. If he uses that against Smith, he'll be showing him a pitch on which Smith produced the second-highest average exit velocity and hardest hit rate of any Dodger player.

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Arizona +265 | Los Angeles -210
• Run line: Arizona +1.5 (+105) | Los Angeles +1.5 (-115)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers trend

The Dodgers have won four of the last five head-to-head matchups with the Diamondbacks. Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Diamondbacks vs Dodgers and game info

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers latest injuries

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers weather

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After the Nats big Opening Day win over the Cubs, I wanted to sit back and see what we can take away from this performance. Obviously it is just one game, but we are always looking for trends. I found three things that could be important themes of this 2026 season.

The Nats are Swinging for the Fences:

One of the biggest things I saw yesterday is that the Nats are going to the plate looking to do damage. This team digs the long ball, and they are willing to sacrifice some contact to do that. The Nats whiffed 20 times against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, but that did not stop them from doing damage. 

Joey Wiemer and Brady House were two players taking really big hacks, and both were rewarded. Those two hit two of the Nats three home runs. Wiemer did not strike out, but he did whiff a few times. He was more than happy to let it rip, especially when he was ahead in the count.

House did strike out a couple times, but when he made contact, it was loud. His two hits were 107 MPH and 111 MPH. House’s homer just pierced through the strong Chicago wind and gave the Nats a cherry on top in their impressive win. His strong production from Spring Training carried over to the regular season, at least today.

Brady House just smashed a 2-run HR. He went deep just 4 times in a half season a year ago.

Exit velocities of 107 and 111 today. Coming off a great camp. Stock ⬆️. pic.twitter.com/LzwAOamvhZ

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) March 26, 2026

I think House will always be more of a mistake hitter who pitchers can get out if they execute. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing. If House can consistently punish mistakes, he will put up big numbers. Pitchers are not going to hit their spots every time and punishing them when they miss is a valuable skill. House is always ready to swing, which means he won’t be taking many pitches down the middle.

Wiemer and House were not the only ones taking big hacks though. Andres Chaparro, CJ Abrams and even Jacob Young were out there swinging for the fences. Young got rewarded with a shocking Opening Day homer, while the other two just missed home runs. 

There will be days where the Nats are unable to overcome their whiff issues, but today they did enough damage to make it a moot point. Hitting the ball in the air and hunting for power will be emphasized with this new regime. There are drawbacks to this approach, but we saw the upside yesterday.

The Pitching Bent but did not Break:

The Nats pitching staff only allowed four runs and three earned runs yesterday. However, the Cubs were putting consistent pressure on Nats pitchers. It felt like the Cubs leadoff man was on just about every inning. The Nats arms were able to dig deep and get out of most of the jams though.

Cade Cavalli, PJ Poulin, Brad Lord and Clayton Beeter all got themselves in and out of jams yesterday. They got themselves out of it in different ways. Cavalli and Beeter used the strikeout to bail them out, while Lord used his ability to generate ground balls. Sometimes they won’t be as fortunate, but the Nats pitching staff walked the tight rope yesterday.

The Cubs had a rally there. Two runners on, Nico Hoerner was up in the count 3-0. Brad Lord worked the count full, then got Hoerner to ground into an inning-ending double play.

The Nationals dugout was fired up, especially pitching coach Simon Mathews.

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) March 26, 2026

Overall, the Nats pitchers looked solid, but not perfect. I did like how they were deployed by manager Blake Butera though. He was quick to pull Cavalli, when I thought he could have gone one more batter. That decision paid off, with PJ Poulin retiring Matt Shaw. Conversely, Butera gave Brad Lord a longer leash and let his long man get out of a couple jams.

Maybe on another day those decisions would have backfired, but Butera looked like a genius yesterday. His bullpen management will be different than what we saw last year, and it could take some getting used to. However, between the lineup construction and the bullpen usage, Butera looked like a mad scientist yesterday. Long may that continue.

Cade Cavalli made his first Opening Day start, and he was fine. Not amazing, not terrible, just fine. He ran into some bad luck and his defense did not do him any favors. That led to his pitch count climbing in a hurry. When Butera pulled the right hander with two outs in the 4th, his pitch count had already climbed to 75 pitches. Maybe later in the season, Butera would have tried to push him further, but the bullpen is as fresh as it will ever be.

The stuff looked good for Cavalli, especially early on. He was sitting 97 with a sharp sweeper and curve to go with it. Cavalli also mixed in a few changeups, which kept lefties off balance. The sweeper is a bit of a weird pitch. It is almost like another variation of his curveball rather than a traditional sweeper. His command of the pitch was spotty at times, but it is a strong new weapon.

Cade Cavalli starts his season with a solid outing!

Cavalli added a curveball variation this Spring, labeled sweeper on pitch plots. It plays similar to a curve but has more two-plane movement, breaking down and to the left.

He picked up a few Ks and located his offerings well! pic.twitter.com/XwZNB7GbbF

— Nate Roper (@NateRoper_) March 26, 2026

Another guy I was impressed with was Cionel Perez, who delivered a 1-2-3 ninth. The wind probably saved him from allowing a homer, but his stuff looked crisp. He averaged 96.5 MPH on his heater and his breaking balls looked good. Perez seems primed for a bounce back and will be a big part of the Nats bullpen.

James Wood’s Struggles Continue:

There was so much good in yesterday’s game, but James Wood was not a part of that. He went 0/5 with 4 strikeouts yesterday. Wood continued to look like the guy from the second half and Spring Training who has really struggled to make contact. After yesterday’s performance, Wood has a 40% strikeout rate since July 4th of 2025.

After going 0-for-5, 4 K in today's win, James Wood now has a 40.0% strikeout rate — 123 K in 307 PA — since July 4 of last season, spanning 71 games. That's the highest strikeout rate in MLB over that span.

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) March 26, 2026

Obviously, that is not what you want to see from a guy who should be a cornerstone piece. Kevin Frandsen mentioned on the broadcast that Wood was in between on everything and I think that is a good observation. He was taking fastballs down the middle and expanding the zone on breaking balls away. 

Wood just looks like a hitter who is devoid of any confidence right now. If I were advising him, I would tell him to simplify things. Just sit on the fastball and adjust for now. Just try and hunt heaters in the zone and if you strike out on a bunch of breaking balls, just tip your cap.

He is clearly thinking too much right now and that is not working for him. Unlike Dylan Crews, we have seen Wood be a star level player for long stretches. That means I would not want to send him down anytime soon. However, he needs to start putting together competitive at bats.

We all know what James Wood can do when he is right. He is the most important player on the current roster for the future of this team. Getting Wood back to his best needs to be the Nats top priority right now. You don’t often see guys who produce like MVP candidates for half a season at just 22 totally lose it, but Wood just does not have it right now.

The talent did not just disappear, but it is hidden away right now. I still feel like he is one adjustment away from recapturing his previous magic. However, it is tough to see him looking the way he does. Wood getting going would be such a big boost for fans.

Despite Wood’s struggles, this was still a great day for the Nats. The rest of the lineup looked great, the pitching staff was solid and Blake Butera pushed all the right buttons. Last season, the Nats were never above .500 at any point in the season. You will not be able to say that about the 2026 Nats.

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The  Los Angeles Angels got an opening day upset over the Houston Astros in Houston.

Perhaps Mike Trout has discovered the fountain of youth, while the Astros have misplaced their ability to hit. More likely, normalcy will return to both dugouts as the long MLB season hits day two.

Look for the Houston bats to arrive from camp after a one-day delay.

My Angels vs. Astros predictions and MLB picks look for Houston to even its record with a win.

Angels vs Astros predictions

Angels vs Astros best bet: Astros moneyline (-166)

The pitching matchup is heavily in the Houston Astros favor. Starter Mike Burrows seized a top-three rotation spot with a dominating spring training for Houston. He pitched a team-high 18 innings and allowed just three runs, striking out 17.

The Los Angeles Angels counter with Yusei Kikuchi, who is 1-6 with a 5.83 ERA in 16 career starts against Houston. He also got batted around in the WBC.

The Angels also used four relievers to finish off Houston in the opener. Their bullpen was already a question mark, with expected contributors Robert Stephenson, Ben Joyce, and Kirby Yates all starting the season on the IL.  

Angels vs Astros same-game parlay (SGP)

A broken hand and sprained ankle cost Yordan Alvarez most of last season. He's back to full health, though, and ready to assume his role as Houston's most dangerous hitter. He has nine career RBIs against Kikuchi, second most of any hitter the hurler has faced.

After a 3-0 opening day result, this pitching matchup is more conducive to offense. Burrows averaged less than 4.2 innings per start last year, and the Astros bullpen already put in more than four innings of work in the opening game. Look for lots of pitchers and plenty of runs on both sides.

Angels vs Astros SGP

• Astros -1.5 runs 
• Yordan Alvarez Over 0.5 RBIs
• Over 8.5 total runs 

Angels vs Astros home run pick: Yordan Alvarez (+325)

Alvarez should have had a home run in the opening game, but his rocket shot hit the roof of the stadium.

It still cleared the wall but was deflected by the roof into foul territory. He has a 1.143 career OPS against Kikuchi and is one of seven batters to take him deep three times, a group that also includes Shohei Ohtani.

Angels vs Astros odds

• Moneyline: Los Angeles +143 | Houston -158
• Run line: Los Angeles +1.5 (-150) | Houston -1.5 (+130)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-115)

Angels vs Astros trend

Yusei Kikuchi has not finished the fourth inning in his last three starts against Houston, all losses where the Astros scored eight or more runs. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Astros.

How to watch Angels vs Astros and game info

Angels vs Astros latest injuries

Angels vs Astros weather

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The value of the Royals increased over 25 percent, according to estimates released this week by Forbes, putting their valuation at $1.64 billion. MLB teams overall enjoyed a 12 percent increase in valuations league-wide, the largest jump since 2017. The Royals moved up to #27 among 30 MLB teams in valuation, with only the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Miami Marlins ranked lower. The New York Yankees top the valuation list at $8.5 billion with the Los Angeles Dodgers narrowing the gap at $7.8 billion.

The valuation represents a 64 percent increase since John Sherman and his ownership group bought the team for $1 billion in 2019. Forbes estimates the Royals bring him $330 million in total revenues with $172 million in player expenses. They estimate the team has $25 million in operating income, a big increase from 2025 when they had $5.6 million in operating income, but a far cry from 2024 when they were estimated to have $52 million in operating income. Player expenses are down slightly from 2025 when they stood at $186 million, but Spotrac has their team payroll as 17th-highest in baseball.

The Royals are seeking to add to their revenues with a new stadium, although Jackson County voters rejected a ballot measure to extend a sales tax to build a stadium in the Crossroads. The team looked at sites in North Kansas City and in Overland Park, but recently public officials in those jurisdictions have expressed a desire to move on. The team has also had talks with Kansas City officials about a potential site at Washington Square Park, although financing is a sticking point.

The increased valuation around baseball is a bit head-scratching considering the changing TV landscape and a looming labor battle. Several teams, including the Royals, ended their local TV deal with Diamond Sports to have MLB oversee television production, losing tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue with the change. The Collective Bargaining Agreement also expires at the end of the season, with several reports that owners are adamant about implementing a salary cap, a nonstarter for the union.

Despite those concerns, valuations continue to go up – the Tampa Bay Rays sold last fall for $1.7 billion, far above the $1.25 billion valuation from Forbes. Baseball has signed lucrative new TV deals with ESPN, NBC, and Netflix, and attendance has increased in each of the last three seasons. The sport is also coming off its most-watched World Series in over 30 years and its most-watched World Baseball Classic.

Forbes bases its estimates from team and league executives, sports bankers, media consultants and public documents, such as stadium lease agreements and filings related to public bonds.

The San Francisco Giants will continue their opening series against the New York Yankees this afternoon from Oracle Park. The Yankees have a 1-0 series lead after the Giants’ disastrous Opening Day loss.

Taking the mound for the first time this season for the Giants will be left-hander Robbie Ray, who finished the 2025 season with a 3.65 ERA, 3.93 FIP, with 186 strikeouts to 73 walks in 182.1 innings pitched.

He’ll be facing off against Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler, who finished the 2025 season with a 2.96 ERA, 3.74 FIP, with 84 strikeouts to 31 walks in 73 innings pitched.

Game #2

Who: San Francisco Giants (0-1) vs. New York Yankees (1-0)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 1:35 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

Diamondbacks News

(SI.com) D-backs’ Biggest Weakness Exposed by Dodgers in Ugly Opening Day Loss

It began with Zac Gallen. Gallen had been working efficiently and effectively through four innings, getting swing-and-miss on his secondary pitches and showcasing a 94.1 MPH average fastball velocity. Things looked to be going well.

But Gallen ran into a blowup inning in the fifth — a type of inning that was somewhat frequent during his rough 2025 season. A pair of ground balls became singles, and a poor location to Andy Pages became a three-run homer, flipping the score to 3-2 in favor of L.A.

(NBC Sports) Andy Pages’ 3-run shot sparks Dodgers’ 8-2 comeback win over the Diamondbacks in season opener

Andy Pages hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied past the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Thursday, opening the season with a victory in pursuit of their third consecutive World Series championship.

Three of the Dodgers’ first four hits in the fifth off Zac Gallen came with two strikes. Max Muncy singled, Teoscar Hernández reached on an infield single to Gallen, Pages’ homer traveled 400 feet and Miguel Rojas singled. Shohei Ohtani drew a walk to chase Gallen, who began the game with four shutout innings and a 2-0 lead.

(Arizona Sports) Diamondbacks crushed by Dodgers on Opening Day. What went wrong?

The fifth inning got off to an unfortunate start, as a Max Muncy hard grounder got past second baseman Ketel Marte for a single and Teoscar Hernandez reached on a dribbler. With the table set, Andy Pages delivered the go-ahead, three-run home run on a curveball that did not quite get below the zone.

Gallen stayed in for two more hitters, who reached base on a hit and a walk before manager Torey Lovullo pulled his starter.

(SI.com) Diamondbacks DH Scratched From Lineup vs Dodgers

Arizona Diamondbacks DH Pavin Smith was scratched from the opening day lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday with left elbow soreness, according to multiple reports. Infield/outfield utility Tim Tawa will take over the DH slot and bat ninth for Arizona.

Following the Diamondbacks’ ugly 8-2 blowout loss on opening night, Smith told reporters that he will undergo imaging on his elbow on Friday to determine severity

MLB News

(Yahoo! Sports) Automated Ball-Strike System sees 61.3% success rate in first games

Francona saw a walk by Eugenio Suárez on a full count overturned to a strikeout in the fourth inning while Connor Phillips’ ninth-inning strikeout of Boston’s Roman Anthony — also on a full count — overturned to a walk.

“I think our pitchers are going to have to get used to thinking the inning might be over, and it’s not,” Francona said. “It’s almost like when a guy comes out and you say, ‘Hey, way to go. Can you get one more?’ So you’re going to have to stay dialed in.”

(ESPN) Pirates ace Paul Skenes pulled in 1st inning of season opener

It was a stunning scene at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon: Paul Skenes, untouchable in his first two major league seasons, walking off the field to the sarcastic cheers from the sellout crowd after failing to survive the first inning on Opening Day.

Skenes, still just 23 years old, had never struggled to this extent over his first 55 career starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was as dominant as his 1.96 career ERA suggested.

But Skenes recorded just two outs against the New York Mets on Thursday, giving up five runs on four hits, two walks and a hit batter in the Pirates’ 11-7 loss. It was not how anyone envisioned Skenes launching his Cy Young Award defense. But he’s not pressed.

(CBS Sports) 2026 MLB Opening Day winners and losers: Rookies make a mark in debuts, a home run streak dies and more

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day has arrived. The 2026 regular season kicked off in earnest Thursday with 11 games and plenty of appetizing pitching matchups. The Yankees shut out the Giants in the lone game on Wednesday’s schedule before the Mets and Pirates kicked off Thursday’s action in Queens before a bevy of mid-afternoon games got underway. There were pitchers’ duels, blowouts, tight games, and home runs. Lots and lots of home runs.

Here now are some early winners and losers from the Opening Day action.

(MLB.com) Top 10 moments from a thrilling Opening Day

Opening Day never seems to disappoint, not after we spend the offseason waiting for a day like Thursday — one full of packed ballparks, clutch hits and nasty pitches.

In case you missed any of the action, or simply want to relive the day that was, here’s a look back at the top 10 moments from Opening Day.

While the Yankees got their 2026 season going on Wednesday night, the rest of MLB had to wait a little while. Thursday saw the season get going for most of the rest of the league, with 11 games happening on an action-packed day.

With those teams all getting in action yesterday, that means it’s time for the return of a feature here at Pinstripe Alley. All throughout the season, we recap the previous day’s results of all the Yankees’ American League “rivals” and teams they’re currently battling with for playoff position. The clubs we cover are, of course, subject to change pending* their results and status in the standings, but at least from the jump, we’ll keep an eye on the Red Sox, Blue Jays (who start today), Tigers, Mariners, and Astros.

With all that in mind, it’s time for the first Rivalry Roundup for 2026.

*Editor’s note: Out of respect for our writers’ time and the inherent focus of this feature, we also endeavor to not throw too too many teams in here. So we’re disrespecting possible playoff contenders like Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Texas from the jump, but that’s life! You have to draw the line somehwhere.

Boston Red Sox (1-0) 3, Cincinnati Reds (0-1) 0

Garrett Crochet goes into 2026 as one of the favorites for the AL Cy Young Award, and he showed why in the Red Sox Opening Day. Crochet went six innings for Boston, allowing just three hits and two walks, striking out eight as the Red Sox shut out the Reds.

For most of the game, this one was a pitchers’ duel as Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott wasn’t bad himself. He went six shutout innings, scattering a couple more hits than Crochet did, but similarly keeping Boston off the board.

It was when the game went to the bullpens that it was finally decided. In the top of the seventh, Ceddanne Rafaela singled home Marcelo Mayer, scoring the game’s first run. Trevor Story and Jarren Duran added an RBI each in the ninth, as Boston’s bullpen held firm, while Cincinnati’s could not.

Los Angeles Angels (1-0) 3, Houston Astros (0-1) 0

Mike Trout turned back the clock, as he powered the Angels’ offense, while José Soriano did his part with six impressive shutout innings against the Astros.

Much like the game right above this one, this game was a pitchers’ duel for a long while, with it similarly being 0-0 after six innings. Hunter Brown was okay for the Astros, while Soriano allowed just two hits and struck out seven in his six frames.

Trout broke the deadlock in this one, as his solo shot in the seventh gave the Halos a lead, while he also drew three walks on the day. Former Yankee Oswald Peraza helped the Angels tack on, although the one run would’ve been enough, as the Astros left nine runners on base for the game.

Detroit Tigers (1-0) 8, San Diego Padres (0-1) 2

The Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first and never looked back, as they cruised past the Padres.

Nick Pivetta took the ball for San Diego and quickly recorded the first out of the game, only for things to go off the rails after that. He walked three of the next four hitters, with the lone exception in there being a single. The third walk to Spencer Torkelson plated the first run, but more was coming. Highly-rated, debuting prospect Kevin McGonigle then immediately doubled to score a couple more runs, as Detroit took a big lead.

McGonigle would have an incredible debut even beyond that hit, as he recorded three more. Meanwhile, two-time reigning Cy Young Tarik Skubal was pretty good himself. He allowed just one unearned run in six innings, as Detroit handled the Padres without issue.

Cleveland Guardians (1-0) 6, Seattle Mariners (0-1) 4

José Ramírez’s two-RBI double in the seventh inning ended up being the difference maker, as the Guardians won a back-and-forth game over the Mariners.

The teams traded runs in the first inning, and gave the lead back and forth a couple times, but a fifth inning Luke Raley homer had the game tied at three. Then in the seventh, Ramírez stepped to the plate with two on and two out and he delivered. His double scored a pair that gave Cleveland a 5-3 lead.

Seattle got one of those runs back in the bottom of the seventh, but they got nothing going after that. Cleveland’s bullpen combined to retire the last nine M’s hitters in a row to seal their Opening Day win.

Happy Opening Day A’s fans!

The excitement is palpable. Unlike the previous few seasons this year has legitimate promise for our A’s. We have a solid core to build around, now it’s just time to get the pitching figured out.

We begin this season in Toronto with three games against the defending American League Champions. Right-hander Kevin Gausman gets the nod over offseason acquisition Dylan Cease. Is it because he’s been a Blue Jay for years and Cease is the new guys? Nobody knows expect Jays skipper John Schneider, but that feels like what’s going on here.

Last season the A’s went 2-5 against the Jays. Not a great record but these A’s are different than the ones that took on the AL champs last time around. In fact, both teams have changed one way or another. On one end, the Jays are coming off a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’ve lost a massive part of their team in Bo Bichette. Yes, the addition of Cease helps offset that departure but he was apart of the heart of that squad. Will the Jays be as dangerous without him in the middle of their lineup? Does Vlad Jr. have enough protection against just getting intentionally walked every time?

And the A’s are a different squad themselves since last year. Nick Kurtz, the Rookie of the Year, has established himself. Jacob Wilson, the starting shortstop for the American League in the All-Star Game, can only get better with another year under his belt. Shea Langeliers would be the best catcher in baseball if he didn’t play at the same time as the Seattle catcher up north. Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler are good for 25+ bombs if healthy.

Again, it’s going to come down to the pitching. The starting rotation feels like it has a certain floor with stable veterans Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs atop the starting five. Not world-beaters by any means, but if they do their jobs they can help this team to a Wild Card spot. There’s plenty of high-ceiling upside behind them, but the A’s will need to get a bit lucky with some of their younger arms if they want to make some serious, noticable noise.

The A’s have a real gauntlet of a schedule right out of the gates, and a lot of it is on the road. First will be this trip up north to take on Toronto, and then the A’s have to go all the way to the southern U.S. to take on the Braves in Atlanta. Not a short trip.

We’ll have a quick home stand that the MLB schedule makes felt like they needed to get out of the way (against the division-rival Houston Astros) before packing our bags up again and heading back out East. This time they won’t have to travel far between stops as they take on the Yankees and then the Mets in back-to-back series. For the tough early schedule the A’s have, at least they threw us that bone.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. One game at a time. Luis Severino versus Kevin Gausman. The Athletics against the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the six-month long campaign.

Ready for some Athletics baseball tonight? This fan sure is. Let’s start the season with a win! Go A’s!

A’s Coverage:

• What to know about A’s-Blue Jays Opening Day (Fri., 7 p.m. ET)
• A’s 2026 Spring Standouts on Offense
• A’s reliever Nick Anderson has upward mobility clause in contract
• Can Muncy’s glove catch up to his bat at third base?
• Morales’ latest dud raises readiness questions
• A’s see timing, benefits of move to Las Vegas as a precursor to a dynasty
• A’s Finalize Opening Day Bullpen
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Observes The Wild Denzelope In Its Natural Habitat
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Toes The Rubber With Pitching Coach Scott Emerson
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Catches Up With Starting Pitcher Jacob Lopez
• Select A’s games to be broadcast in Las Vegas starting with season opener
• March Reminder: Opening Day Rosters Matter More To The Fans

MLB News and Interest:

• Yankees demolish Giants to open MLB season
• Mets’ Francisco Alvarez has first successful ABS challenge for strikeout
• Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes chases in first inning vs. Mets
• Brewers star outfielder Jackson Chourio to mis 4-6 weeks with fractured hand
• Mets sign outfielder Tommy Pham to minor league deal
• Padres making progress in sale of team
• Padres place starter Yu Darvish on restricted list
• Veteran catcher Roberto Perez announces retirement
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Quick promotion likely:

A’s No. 1 (MLB No. 4) prospect Leo De Vries will begin the regular season at Double-A Midland.

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) March 26, 2026

Worth a watch!

“Green And Gold All Over” https://t.co/D3gIx9VgxQ@daulaire@KenKorachRadio@JDoskow@DALLASBRADEN209@ChrisCaray@jennycavnar@SchimmelAmelia

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) March 27, 2026

A couple high-profile prospects in the system:

A’s farm director Ed Sprague said that Breyson Guedez, who had an impressive spring on the backfields + in big league action, is reporting to Low-A , skipping the ACL.

Also hearing that shortstop Edgar Montero and two-way player Shotaro Morii will join him in Low-A Stockton.

— Jesús Cano (@Jesus_Cano88) March 26, 2026

Triple-A Las Vegas Opening Night position-player roster:

Confirmed that these will be the 13 position players on the opening day roster for the AAA Aviators tomorrow in Las Vegas…
C – Serven, Wallach, Lavastida
IF – Meneses (1B), Stefanic (2B), Swift (SS), Harris (3B), Angeles (IF)
OF – Thomas, Perez, Bolte, Marlowe
2B/OF/UT – Gelof

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) March 26, 2026

Freddy Peralta wasn’t at his best in his Mets debut yesterday. In five innings, he gave up four earned runs, struck out seven, didn’t walk anyone, and surrendered two home runs. He threw 80 pitches in the process, and the relatively high-stress nature of some of those innings combined with the lopsided score in the Mets’ favor entering the sixth inning made it a fairly easy decision for Carlos Mendoza to pull him from the game.

Aside from his temporarily unsightly 7.20 ERA, much of what Peralta did yesterday lines up with what he’s done over the past few seasons with the Brewers. Many of his starts in Milwaukee saw him pitch fix or six innings, he’s always had very good strikeout rates, and while they aren’t necessarily his Achilles heel, Peralta will give up the occasional home run. With slightly different wind conditions yesterday, perhaps he would’ve given up just one of the two home runs and would be sporting a 3.60 ERA this morning instead.

It was encouraging, though, that Peralta didn’t issue any walks in the start. The Mets have struggled mightily with walk rate for the past couple of seasons, and Peralta has generally been right around league average or just slightly worse when it comes to his walk rate.

Ideally, Peralta finds a way to go a bit deeper into games this year and comes close to matching the excellent 2.70 ERA he had with the Brewers last year. And even if he doesn’t do either of those things or only does one of them, there’s plenty to look forward to for a pitcher who’s made 30, 32, and 33 starts in each of the past three seasons, respectively. If the Mets find themselves on track for a playoff spot over the next few months, there will be plenty of time to figure out who their ace is.

Good morning friends! My apologies for the late links post this morning — I forgot to get someone to cover me, so here I am throwing something up here quickly!

I hope everyone had a delightful Opening Day, even though the Mariners lost 6-4. Are we ready to anoint Dominic Canzone the American League MVP yet?

In Mariners news…

• The Mariners announced the Opening Day roster for the 2026 Tacoma Rainiers.
• Just like the Giants, the Mariners recently had a streak of different left fielders to start Opening Day — until Randy Arozarena broke it last night by starting in his second in a row.
• Cal Raleigh admits that he should have challenged the strikeout looking call late in last night’s contest.
• Eno Sarris at The Athletic wrote about Logan Gilbert’s ascension to ace territory with Seattle. ($)
• Our very own Ryan Blake penned a piece at Fangraphs about the Mariners’ dynamic duo of Julio and Cal, and why this could be a special season for the Mariners as a whole.
• Our very own Kate Preusser joined NPR’s Soundside to preview this season for the Mariners.
• Shannon Drayer discussed why this year, fans have more than just hope to lean on when it comes to success for the Mariners.
• Make sure to head on down to Everett this year!

Around the league…

• The Cubs agreed to a six-year contract extension with infielder Nico Hoerner, who was scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season.
• Brewers star outfielder Jackson Chourio is starting the season on the injured list with a left hand fracture. He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.
• 10-year MLB veteran catcher Roberto Pérez has decided to retire.
• The Padres claim that Yu Darvish was placed on the restricted list because the veteran right-hander wants to rehab at his own pace.
• Phillies infielder Alec Bohm sued his own parents for allegedly mismanaging his finances.
• Former Mariners prospect and current Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill had his streak of six straight Opening Day games with a homer snapped last night.
• The MLB.com prospect team outlined one prospect to watch at each organization’s Triple-A club.

Mostly I write for our readers and commenters and the discussion it brings. Every now and again I write secretly hoping that someone who knows someone might put an elbow into a rib and say, “Hey, read this.” Long story short I hope this article gets from my fingers to Mark Kotsay’s ears — just for the good of the A’s.

First things first I want to recognize that Kotsay does many important things well, from keeping spirits up to making players feel supported to inspiring the team to play hard even when it’s in a 1-20 stretch. These are not leadership qualities to be taken lightly.

The tactical piece is important too and the point here is that it can be learned and constantly improved upon. Here are some “growth opportunities” for the A’s 4-years-going-on-5 skipper:

“Infield In” — use it, don’t abuse it

The A’s simply bring the infield in too often, especially with runners at 2B and 3B. Important to remember is that the 2026 A’s figure to score a lot of runs, meaning they can afford to give up 1 run here or there so long as they stay away from crooked numbers.

Bringing the infield in with runners at 2B and 3B is extremely risky because with holes all over the infield it runs a significant risk of a base hit that can score 2 runs and set up an even bigger inning — where a ground ball out with the infield back might allow a run, but leaves just one runner on and 2 outs.

Tony La Russa was, I thought, particularly clever. He would often play the infield back but if the batter got to 2 strikes he might suddenly bring it in to guard against a batter “just putting the ball in play” and stealing an RBI. I think there’s a place for that, but more broadly if you have a team that can score a lot of runs but is at risk of giving up runs too, don’t bring the infield in with 2 runners in scoring position unless you’re so late in the game that any run is probably going to beat you.

Platoons — know your numbers

Playing platoon match ups is generally fine. If Colby Thomas is on the roster I will want to see him leveraged against LHPs as much as possible and the same is true of Darell Hernaiz. If Lawrence Butler needs days off to rest his knee, choosing games started by opposing lefties is fine.

But playing platoons just to play platoons is short-sighted, and this year’s team in particular demands that their manager understand the individual personnel.

If the A’s need to neutralize a tough LH batter late in the game, don’t go to Hogan Harris, whose wOBA against in his career so far is .350 vs. LH batters and .310 vs. RH batters. In contrast do go to RH reliever Mark Leiter Jr. With his splitter diving away from lefties he has a career .227/.298/.382, .295 wOBA track record whereas against RH batters it’s .268/.354/.469, .354 wOBA.

Tyler Soderstrom struggled against LHPs early in his career but came on like gangbusters the second half of last season. Let him hit lefties until he proves he can’t. And so on.

In other words, platoon very strategically but not robotically. There’s a huge difference.

Minimize how many relievers/game

As I discussed with pitching coach Scott Emerson in our recent interview, the future of bullpens lies in multi-inning “bridge relievers” that spare you parading 3-4 different relievers out there to try to hold a lead. JT Ginn is a candidate (assuming he pitches more like he did at the start of spring training and not like how he finished), as are Hogan Harris and, if called up to pitch in the bullpen, Mason Barnett or Kade Morris.

The idea that 4 talented but volatile relievers like Elvis Alvarado, Scott Barlow, Mark Leiter Jr. and Hogan Harris can piece together 12 outs successfully is fraught with danger. Try to get your starters through 6 IP if you can and see if you can lean on just 2 relief arms to “get it to the house”. It will also spare you having to use relievers as much on back to back days, which has been shown to be statistically less reliable

Insist on the fundamentals that anyone can perform

A leader’s job includes tough love and where it’s most appropriate in baseball is the basic fundamentals that are within each and every player’s skill set.

Hit the cut off man no matter how sure you are that “if you just heave it all the way to the plate…” You will save far more bases and runs if you just fire every outfield throw to the cut off man’s chest. {An exception can be made for a runner trying to score when there is no runner(s) behind him as there is no potential downside.}

Rundowns should not require more than 2 throws: one to run the runner back to the previous base until he is only 25 feet or so from the bag — at which point the short toss to the base has him tagged out. Anytime you see 3, 4, 5 throws you are seeing multiple throws that never needed to be made, opening up chances for other runners to advance and for mistakes to be made to botch the rundown entirely.

When you don’t have endless payroll to mask deficiencies you need to do the “little things” well and the fundamentals are, by definition, the parts of the game don’t require a super athlete, advanced experience, more strength or speed. You just need the discipline to do what you have been taught since high school — or really Little League — even in the heat of the moment.

The first time a fundamental is ignored, it’s ok to confront the player, point it out and say “never again,” and the second time it’s ok to bench them next game. They will come back the following day a better player for it and you will be a better team for it. That’s leadership.

Bat Kurtz where he belongs: Not lead off

Resist the urge to bat Nick Kurtz lead off just because he figures to have an OBP north of .400. Yes the Dodgers do a “similar” thing leading off the powerful and dynamic Shohei Ohtani but Ohtani is also a lightning fast elite base stealing threat who can turn walks into doubles. He’s a very different kind of batter due to his speed.

Leading Kurtz off is just the wrong move for a variety of reasons, one being that it suppresses his RBI opportunities by batting him once with the bases empty for sure and then following Denzel Clarke and the bottom of the order thereafter.

Additionally, not only do you want as many of Kurtz’ HRs and doubles to come with runners on base, with men on it’s harder for pitchers to pitch around him. Sure you love the idea of Kurtz drawing a lot of walks and getting on base, especially to lead off an inning, but not at the expense of lacing several more doubles and launching a few more HRs with runners on and nowhere to put him.

Kurtz makes a lot of sense in the #2 spot if a RH batter leads off, or the #3 spot behind a LH batter and RH batter with OBP skills. Wilson-Kurtz, McNeil-Langeliers-Kurtz, Butler-Wilson-Kurtz all make sense. Kurtz leading off, while it’s appealing to consider your first hitter getting on base 40% of the time and getting the most PAs, will ultimately do more harm than good. Leverage Kurtz’ slugging over his OBP and you have a better lineup.

Thank you for reading, Mr. Kotsay, and for all the great work you have done and are about to do. And thanks for taking all 5 points to heart and following through. We both just want the A’s to be the best team they can be, and compared to when you started reading the A’s have greatly improved for your eager devotion to following these 5 principles. Let’s have a great season!

Here are the 26 players who will be on the field, in the dugout and in the bullpen once the regular season gets underway here in Atlanta. As is tradition around here, we’re taking a deeper look at each and every player on the Opening Day roster. This includes how they got here, their basic information and then some projections and fun facts as well.

We hope you enjoy!

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PITCHERS

## – Osvaldo Bido – RHP

Age: 30 Birthplace: Los Hidalgos, Dominican Republic
Acquired: Claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees on March 24, 2026
Expected Role: Swingman/Long relief

Projection: Low-leverage reliever or swingman, 0 to 0.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Was previously claimed by the Braves off waivers in December 2025, but lost ten days later to make space for the signing of Ha-Seong Kim. This started a period of five different organizations claiming Bido in the span of five months; the Braves claimed him after the conclusion of Spring Training. Bido makes the Opening Day roster despite not appearing in camp with the Braves.

49 – Aaron Bummer – LHP

Age: 33 Birthplace: Valencia, CA
Acquired: Traded from the White Sox to the Braves on November 16, 2023 in exchange for Nicky Lopez, Braden Shewmake, Jared Shuster, Michael Soroka and Riley Gowens.
Expected Role: Middle relief

Projection: Quality reliever, 0.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Made his first career start in 2025, striking out the first five batters he faced.

55 – Bryce Elder – RHP

Age: 27 Birthplace: Decatur, TX
Acquired: Drafted by the Braves in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft
Expected Role: Starter

Projection: Fourth starter, 1 to 2 WAR

Fun Fact: This is Elder’s first time on a Braves Opening Day roster; he didn’t even make it when ultimately making an All-Star Team in 2023.

72 – Didier Fuentes – RHP

Age: 20 Birthplace: Tolu, Colombia
Acquired: Signed by the Braves as an international free agent on January 15, 2022
Expected Role: Swingman/Long relief

Projection: Average swingman or starter, 0 to 1.5 WAR

Fun Fact: When making his MLB debut in 2025, was the third-youngest starting pitcher in Atlanta Braves history, and the youngest debut in MLB since 2016 (Julio Urias).

66 – Grant Holmes – RHP

Age: 29 Birthplace: Conway, SC
Acquired: Signed a minor league deal deal with the Braves on November 21, 2023
Expected Role: Starter

Projection: Average swingman or starter, 0.5 to 1.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Made his MLB debut a full decade after being drafted.

26 – Raisel Iglesias – RHP

Age: 36 Birthplace: Juventud, Cuba
Acquired: Signed a one-year, $16 million contract on November 19, 2025
Expected Role: Closer

Projection: Above-average reliever, 0.5 to 1 WAR

Fun Fact: Was once ejected for throwing a tub of sunflower seeds and a bucket of gum onto the infield while his teammates were engaged in an on-field brawl.

45 – Tyler Kinley – RHP

Age: 35 Birthplace: Plantation, FL
Acquired: Signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract on January 10, 2026
Expected Role: Middle-to-High-leverage relief

Projection: Average reliever, 0.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Kinley used to claim that he was related to U.S. President William McKinley, and that the “Mc” was missing from his family’s surname as a safety measure following the assassination of President McKinley. However, this was disproven by a someone who took it upon themselves to fact-check this.

52 – Dylan Lee – LHP

Age: 31 Birthplace: Dinuba, CA
Acquired: Signed a minor league deal with the Braves on April 15, 2021.
Expected Role: Middle-to-High-leverage relief

Projection: Average reliever, 0.5 WAR

Fun Fact: I am contractually and morally obligated to repeat the fact that when he started a game in the 2021 World Series, he had the fewest career MLB appearances for a starter in such a game, in every post talking about Dylan Lee, as well as this fun fact series.

40 – Reynaldo López – RHP

Age: 32 Birthplace: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Acquired: Agreed to a three-year, $26 million deal that also includes an $8 million club option for 2027.
Expected Role: Starter

Projection: Middle of the rotation starter limited by availability, 1.5 to 2 WAR

Fun Fact: First Dominican player signed and developed by the Nationals to start a game for them. (Doesn’t include the pre-Nationals, Expos tenure.)

34 – Joel Payamps – RHP

Age: 31 Birthplace: Santiago, Dominican Republic
Acquired: Signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract on November 23, 2025
Expected Role: Middle Relief

Projection: Below-average reliever, 0 to 0.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Was included in the three-team trade that brought Sean Murphy to Atlanta. As part of the deal, the Athletics sent to Payamps to the Brewers.

51 – Chris Sale – LHP

Age: 37 Birthplace: Lakeland, FL
Acquired: Traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Braves on December 30 in exchange for Vaughn Grissom. Agreed to a two-year, $38 million deal on January 4 that also includes an $18 million club option for 2026. Signed a one-year, $27 million contract on February 25, 2026 that also includes a $30 million club option for 2028.
Expected Role: Starter

Projection: Above-average starter to elite starter, 2.5 to 4.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Has made back-to-back All-Star Team appearances after a prior seven-year stretch (2012-2018) of consecutive appearances as well.

54 – Jose Suarez – LHP

Age: 28 Birthplace: Naguanagua, Venezuela
Acquired: Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on January 26, 2026
Expected Role: Starter

Projection: Average reliever or swingman, 0 to 1 WAR

Fun Fact: Though he appeared with the Braves in 2025 and will likely do so at least once in 2026, spent part of the offseason (less than two weeks) with Baltimore after being claimed on waivers in mid-January. The Braves claimed him back in late January.

75 – Robert Suarez – RHP

Age: 35 Birthplace: Bolivar, Venezuela
Acquired: Signed a three-year, $45 million contract on December 11, 2025
Expected Role: High leverage

Projection: Above-average reliever, 0.5 to 1 WAR

Fun Fact: Was once ejected and suspended for a sticky substance during a routine glove check.

CATCHERS

30 – Drake Baldwin – C

Age: 24 Birthplace: Madison, WI
Acquired: Drafted by the Braves in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft
Expected Role: Starting catcher

Projection: Above-average regular, 2 to 4 WAR

Fun Fact: Led his home state of Wisconsin in high school hockey goal scoring as a junior in 2018.

20 – Jonah Heim – C

Age: 30 Birthplace: Buffalo, NY
Acquired: Signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract on February 10, 2026
Expected Role: Backup catcher

Projection: Below-average to average regular, not expected to play frequently, 0 to 2 WAR depending on playing time

Fun Fact: As a child, started switch-hitting because, in his own words, “hitting from the right side is boring.”

INFIELDERS

1 – Ozzie Albies – 2B

Age: 29 Birthplace: Willemstad, Curaçao
Acquired: Signed as an international free agent by the Braves in 2013. Signed a seven-year, $35 million extension with two club options on April 11, 2019.
Expected Role: Starting second baseman

Projection: Average regular, 1.5 to 2.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Hit a walkoff three-run homer in the 2026 WBC with two outs and a two-run deficit, preventing Nicaragua from getting their first-ever victory in WBC play.

14 – Mauricio Dubón – UTIL

Age: 31 Birthplace: San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Acquired: Traded by the Houston Astros on November 19, 2025 in exchange for Nick Allen
Expected Role: Super utilityman, temporary starting shortstop

Projection: Below-average regular, 0.5 to 1 WAR

Fun Fact: Moved to the U.S. at 15 to play baseball after a chance meeting with a mission group in his native Honduras; second native-born Honduran to play in MLB, first to appear in the MLB playoffs, and first to win a Gold Glove Award.

15 – Kyle Farmer – INF

Age: 35 Birthplace: Atlanta, GA
Acquired: Signed a minor-league deal on February 6, 2026
Expected Role: Bench

Projection: Replacement level (or below), 0 WAR

Fun Fact: Appeared in the film, The Blind Side, as a high school quarterback.

2 – Jorge Mateo – UTIL

Age: 30 Birthplace: San Domingo Oeste, Dominican Republic
Acquired: Signed a one-year, $1 million contract on January 19, 2026
Expected Role: Utilityman

Projection: Below-average regular, 0 to 1 WAR

Fun Fact: Named the fastest minor leaguer ahead of the 2018 season by Baseball America. Then, led MLB in steals in 2022.

28 – Matt Olson – 1B

Age: 31 Birthplace: Atlanta, GA
Acquired: Traded by the Athletics on March 14, 2022. Signed an eight-year, $168 million extension with a club option for 2030 on March 15, 2022.
Expected Role: Starting first baseman

Projection: Above-average regular, 3 to 3.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Was ejected for the first time in his career for arguing a batter interference call during the second-to-last game of the 2025 regular season.

27 – Austin Riley – 3B

Age: 27 Birthplace: Memphis, TN
Acquired: Selected by the Braves in the supplemental first round, 41st overall, of the 2015 MLB Draft. Signed a ten-year, $212 million extension on August 1, 2022.
Expected Role: Starting third baseman

Projection: Above-average regular, 3 to 4 WAR

Fun Fact: In addition to baseball, played quarterback for his high school team during his freshman and sophomore years. Attempted to quit the football team to focus entirely on baseball, but was retained as the squad’s punter.

8 – Dominic Smith – 1B

Age: 30 Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
Acquired: Signed a minor-league deal on February 17, 2026
Expected Role: Left-handed pinch-hitter

Projection: Below-replacement to generic bench production, -0.5 to 0.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Had an insane WPA game in the final game of the 2019 season by hitting a three-run, pinch-hit walkoff homer against the Braves while down by two runs and with two outs in the 11th. But, the game was ultimately meaningless for the standings, so no one remembers this as particularly dramatic.

OUTFIELDERS

13 – Ronald Acuña Jr. – RF

Age: 28 Birthplace: La Guaira, Venezuela
Acquired: Signed by the Braves as an international free agent in July 2014. Signed an eight-year, $100 million extension with club options for 2027 and 2028 on April 2, 2019.
Expected Role: Starting right fielder

Projection: All-Star production, 4.5 to 5.5 WAR

Fun Fact: WBC 2026 champion, baby.

23 – Michael Harris II – CF

Age: 24 Birthplace: DeKalb County, GA
Acquired: Selected by the Braves in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Signed an eight-year, $72 million extension with club options for the 2031 and 2032 seasons on August 17, 2022.
Expected Role: Starting center fielder

Projection: Above-average regular, 3 to 4 WAR

Fun Fact: In his 2022 Rookie of the Year campaign, won Rookie of the Month in three of the four full months that he was up with the big league club.

36 – Eli White – OF

Age: 31 Birthplace: Greenville, SC
Acquired: Signed a minor league deal with the Braves on July 25, 2023
Expected Role: Bench, potential weak side platoon outfielder

Projection: Replacement level to regular-quality production 0 to 1.5 WAR in limited PAs

Fun Fact: Was once part of a trade that also involved eventual teammate and current problem child Jurickson Profar. White went from the Athletics to the Rangers in the deal, while Profar went the other direction. Also, the Rays and a bunch of other players were involved.

18 – Mike Yastrzemski – LF

Age: 35 Birthplace: Andover, MA
Acquired: Signed a two-year, $23 million contract on December 10, 2025
Expected Role: Strong side platoon outfielder

Projection: Below-average to average regular, 0.5 to 2.5 WAR

Fun Fact: Is part of one of four grandfather-grandson pairs to each hit 100 homers in MLB.