TORONTO, ON - MARCH 28: Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) slides to the plate as Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) looks on in the bottom of the sixth inning of an MLB game between the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays on March 28, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The A’s are still looking for that first win of the season. Let’s not get swept by the Blue Jays to start the season, eh?
We got Luis Morales on the bump today for his first start of the season. The righty had a tough camp but he can start putting that all behind him with a quality outing today.
Switching things up, we like it. Shea bats leadoff on his half-day while we see Darell Hernaiz get his first start of the year at second base in place of Jeff McNeil. Will it help jump-start our year? To be determined…
MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 18: Bruce Sherman, principle owner of the Miami Marlins, introduces Clayton McCullough (L) as the manager of the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on November 18, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In 2022, the “It’s Not My Moneyball” series was created in response to the lockout imposed by the owners that disrupted Spring Training and arguably cost Clayton Kershaw a perfect game in Minneapolis (I had fun). As the season starts, the World Baseball Classic concludes, we must revive this series as trouble looms in the distance, hanging in the air, exactly in the way a brick does not.
Introducing the Dirty Dozen
The current playoff system is allowing more teams than ever to play in postseason ball, with 23 of 30 teams making the playoffs at least once, and 12 of 30 have won their division. While I was initially skeptical, this state of affairs is an unalloyed good. The fact that MLB did not have a repeat champion for 25 years clearly demonstrates the randomness of the postseason tournament.
Those crying for “parity” point to the National Football League as a prime example, seemingly forgetting that dynasties can and do happen in a hard-salary-cap league. For all the NFL’s alleged parity, one has to go back to 2010 for a conference championship weekend without either the New England Patriots or the Kansas City Chiefs participating.
If the owners (and to a lesser extent, Hollywood) had their way, the famous line about “rich teams, poor teams, fifty feet of excrement, and then the Athletics” from the venerated film Moneyball would be true. I love the film, but it completely ignores Miguel Tejada’s MVP campaign and the young stellar rotation of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson. But sure, let’s focus on pre-Parks and Recreation Chris Pratt, while cementing a slightly askew version of baseball economics.
If we are being entirely honest, while using the film’s framing for reference, there are the Dodgers, then teams that can feasibly keep up them on a pure spending basis in the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, and Blue Jays, then teams that are either barely going over or hovering at the 2026 luxury tax threshold of $244 million in the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs.
Then we have teams at least within 60 million of the luxury tax threshold: Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, and Kansas City Royals.
Then we have the teams bringing up the rear, with projected luxury tax payrolls from FanGraphs and threshold amounts. It’s not pretty because we are talking about over a third of the league — twelve teams, a dirty dozen of billionaire paupers.
Cincinnati Reds ($151 million, 93 million from threshold)
Cleveland Guardians ($98 million, 146 million), and
Miami Marlins ($84 million, 160 million).
It’s kind of funny, and a little pathetic, that the owners are going to pretend that Miami is not a viable baseball market during negotiations. That statement is true during the regular MLB season, as loanDepot Park is a factory of contemporary sadness. However, one would not have known that state of affairs during the recently concluded World Baseball Classic. Loud fans, who are actually allowed to sit in the upper deck in a packed house? In this economy?!? At loanDepot Park?!?
The fact that loanDepot Park is unlikely to get that full again for at least three years is a damning indictment of the incompetence of the current ownership group down there. There is a high cost to being poor or playing at being poor, in baseball’s case, in the United States.
When the Dodgers’ luxury tax bill exceeds a team’s literal payroll, a few truths become painfully clear.
First, these teams are not trying. While one would expect teams that just started rebuilding (like St. Louis and Minnesota) to have lower payrolls, there are teams in this pauper’s brigade who are clearly being subsidized by the Dodgers’ largesse.
A rebuild that never ends is just sanctioned mediocrity.
The Brewers rely on a model of self-imposed austerity in which they either draft and develop well or suffer perpetual mediocrity. This essay is not arguing that the Brewers must spend like the Dodgers, as most teams cannot. However, if a team cannot spend within the completely arbitrary yet somehow respectable $160 to $190 million range of the Diamondbacks, Mariners, Royals, and Angels (all that money wasted in Anaheim), and make itself look like a pauper compared to the San Francisco Giants, what are you doing?
To play Devil’s Advocate for a moment, there is far less margin for error when operating on a pauper’s budget.
Tampa plays in the Dinky Ice Rink that God (Usually) Forgets, and Cleveland plays in a nice ballpark, somehow won their division last year, and planned to follow up that campaign by literally doing almost nothing apart from running it back, much to the annoyance of anyone who noticed. If one were forced to find a theme in what I will call the Dirty Dozen, most members are from the Central Divisions of both leagues.
But Michael, these teams cannot possibly spend on the level of the Dodgers and other markets. Therefore, they cannot possibly retain their stars.
If such a fact were true, it would be time to strip away the league’s antitrust exemption, consider dividing the league into a Premier League and a Champions League, and introduce relegation in Major League Baseball.
[Author’s Note: Expand to 32 teams, split between 16 teams — talk about a thought experiment! The bottom two teams play a playoff series to avoid relegation. The top four teams in the lower division play in a playoff tournament, with the winner promoted. Thoughts for later.]
Capitalism is alive and well in MLB
This fact is not true, so I shall continue. One does not have to think very hard in order to come up with examples.
Bobby Witt is inarguably the best player produced by the Kansas City Royals organization in the past twenty years, although just how good is a question for our colleagues at our sister site, Royals Review. If the naysayers were correct, Witt would have hit free agency with aplomb, likely leaving the City of Fountains.
There is an unacknowledged truth about the market as it is now: there’s nothing stopping teams from spending money to lock up homegrown talent during the team control years, at the expense of buying years of arbitration (which owners generally hate) and early free agency. Witt signed for 11 years and $288 million, both franchise records.
Now, there are instances where players price themselves out of the market. Everyone seems to forget that the Dodgers let star shortstop Corey Seager depart for the Texas Rangers in a 10-year, $325 million deal. Yes, this deal occurred in the pre-Ohtani era. I would have gone 7 years at $275 million, which is the type of higher Average Annual Value deal the Dodgers could not make work with Bryce Harper et al., but one that finally worked for Kyle Tucker.
Yet most view it as a fait accompli that Paul Skenes will depart Pittsburgh and Tarik Skubal will depart Detroit at their earliest respective opportunities. Yet Skenes is only in his second year, and Skubal and the Tigers did not discuss a long-term extension this offseason, which is his last year under his current contract.
If the Tigers are just going to shrug and feign helplessness, I hope they make use of the compensatory draft pick when Skubal signs elsewhere. If an organization is going to try to embarrassingly lowball Skubal in his final year of arbitration — and what a blunder that fiasco was — one cannot be shocked when Skubal suits up for more money next year. I saw Skubal be somewhat mortal against the Dodgers in Detroit in 2024, which was the only game the Dodgers prevailed in that weekend.
If Skubal ends up in Los Angeles, the Tigers will likely only have themselves to blame. The Dodgers have both benefited from other teams’ failures (Boston re: Mookie Betts, Atlanta re: Freddie Freeman, San Francisco re: Blake Snell, Tampa re: Tyler Glasnow, Toronto re: Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki, etc., etc.) and invested in infrastructure and drafting, even finding value in down-year drafts.
Stars will continue to get paid. The underlying gripe in the naysayers’ complaints, as I see it, is that these cheapskates, rather than haranguing and hectoring their own skinflint ownership into acting, would rather not follow up on the good fortune of having a star come up through the ranks in order to be paid like one.
Juan Soto’s latest contract, a 15-year, $765 million deal, is a boneheadedly stupid contract for someone with mediocre-to-awful defense and someone who is not a two-way player. If a team wants to spend stupidly, see the Mets, see the late 2000s Dodgers, etc., the market is going to allow it, and generally pay the baseball and monetary costs for it.
A loser with a checkbook is still a loser
The lazy, borderline stupid take is that imposing a salary cap and floor would improve parity in MLB and make talent more available throughout the league. Brodie Brazil argued as such recently, when a proposed $260-280 million cap and a $140-160 million floor entered the discussion, likely in an attempt to prime public opinion.
Mr. Brazil makes the dubious argument that, if the hypothetical floor and cap were imposed using this year’s payrolls, the players would end up with more money under this system than they do under the current system, and that things would not change all that dramatically, as under the proffered numbers for hard cap and floor, players would get more money overall.
While the arithmetic is technically correct, it’s an argument missing context, like confidently arguing a lump of metal falls faster than a feather when dropped from the same height (gravity is the same on both objects; wind resistance is the missing variable).
If he truly believes that last part of his argument, I have an overextended, teetering Bay Area mass transit system to sell him. I could even do a little song about it, even though it’s technically not a monorail. Rather than asking how the boot leather tastes, it is worth noting that MLB already operates under a soft cap system.
If penalties for going over or being too far under need more teeth, that discussion might be worth having. Maybe the parties will get there after setting all the goodwill generated by the 2025 World Series and the 2026 World Baseball Classic on fire.
Imagine making an extra $100 million dollars available to the owners of the Dirty Dozen right now. Does anyone honestly believe that they are going to spend this extra money on payroll rather than pocket it as they have been doing? The flip side to the Dodgers being forced to spend less money on payroll in a hardcap system is the unexpected consequence of the organization keeping more money, which they will undoubtedly use creatively to maintain their current dominance.
If anything, the Dodgers have been operating with a chip on their shoulders for a while. Years of playoff frustration and mockery, combined with unlimited money, tend to do that.
Do the naysayers really want to create additional variables for people smarter than the average front-office person to overcome? The Dodgers responded to the league’s apparent indifference toward the 2017 Trashtros’ misdeeds by transforming from a perceived squad of talented homegrown goobers into a faux-mercenary brigade that challenges the league to beat them when it counts.
Get better or get angry
The Dodgers are benefiting from mastery of the current economic system. When I now hear the lamentations of those who complain, it is the frustrated wish of those saddled with being fans of teams that are fundamentally lacking.
Shohei Ohtani was never, under any circumstances, going to be a Sacramento/Oakland/Las Vegas Athletic or Milwaukee Brewer or a Miami Marlin, 50/50 heroics aside. One can chart out the same path for Freeman, Betts, Glasnow, Snell, or just about any of the Dodgers’ current constellation of stars.
“There’s a legacy that’s already in here, and you just try to carry that [legacy] on,” said Max Muncy, now the team’s longest-tenured player after Kershaw’s departure. “You’re not trying to change it, you’re trying to keep it going.”
Baseball’s richest payroll means plenty of well-compensated stars. Which means egos and players wanting to maximize their place in a lineup that resembles the Walk of Fame. Which, in theory, breeds simmering chaos.
Except in Los Angeles, it seems.
“We don’t have the narcissistic superstar,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained.
Mookie Betts put it less delicately.
“Nobody’s being a d— in here,” he said….
…“Because we all love each other, we all trust each other,” Betts said. “We’re all very comfortable going up and telling one another our opinions. And it’s never in a derogatory (way), a tearing someone down way. It’s always in a positive manner, and it’s never like, ‘This is the end of the world.’”
There is a reason that even veteran role players like Miguel Rojas have bought into what the Dodgers are selling on the field.
Miguel Rojas says the Dodgers don’t care what anyone thinks about how they’re operating and that other teams are just “trying to blame someone for their losses” pic.twitter.com/LN6HVNw8SY
Yes, the money helps, but the Dodgers’ current run is something truly unique.
The Smoking Gun
Yes, there are multiple non-exclusive ways to build a roster: through the draft, through trades, through the open market of free agency, and through international posting. It is not one exclusive approach that works, as the Dodgers have shown excellence in all of these areas.
Per Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post,who reported on February 19, the owners have assembled an approximately $2 billion war chest as a rainy-day fund, with about $75 million from each team.
As of this essay, 15 teams have spent more on this lockout fund than on the open market. It is not a perfect one-to-one match, but it is no surprise that ten teams of the Dirty Dozen spent more on the fund than in the open market. The White Sox spent barely more than their contribution. The Giants did not, somehow, which explains a lot of the agita from San Francisco this winter.
The Players Union will never agree to a salary cap. These Dirty Dozen owners do not want to spend cash now while existing in a more forgiving system. Stars will continue to get paid, especially while deferred money is still a thing. The people caught in the crossfire of a hardcap are the mid-tier guys and the overvalued bullpen guys: your Michael Confortos, Chris Taylors, Kirby Yates, Tanner Scotts, et al, etc.
If that view is what the naysayer truly believes and is oblivious to the fact that dynasties can and do happen in a hard-cap system, I only have one thing to say: good luck. After all, a loser with a checkbook is still a loser. As long as the Dodgers remain a destination, players will continue to gravitate toward them.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 06: Jesus Luzardo #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in game two of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Now that the Phillies’ dreams of an undefeated season have been dashed, they’ll have to settle for going for a series victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
Jesus Luzardo gets the start for the Phillies. The lefthander was 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA in 2025.
MacKenzie Gore will be making his Rangers debut after coming to Texas in an offseason trade. The former National had a 2.50 ERA in three starts against the Phillies in 2025.
(Original Caption) Left to right- first row: Barnes, Adams, Shocker paschal, Braxton, Oleary, Gazzela, Sharky- middle row- Koenig, Collins, Bengough, Huggins, Boall, Ponnock, and Meusel; back row- Woods (trainer), Fred Merkle, Jones, Coons, Ward, Skiff, Hoyt, Lazzari, Ruth, Gobrig, Thomas, McQuaid, and Dugan. (Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images) | Corbis via Getty Images
The first half of the 1920s were a transformative time for the Yankees, the still relatively new franchise transitioning from an also-ran into a true behemoth. With the arrival of Babe Ruth coinciding with the beginning of the live-ball era and the assemblage of Murderers’ Row, the building of the sport’s greatest empire was just beginning. Not all who played for those teams garnered the same fanfare as your Ruth’s and Gehrig’s — some were lucky enough just to be along for the ride, and that label certainly applies to right-handed relief pitcher Herb McQuaid.
Hebert George McQuaid Born: March 29, 1899 (San Francisco, CA) Died: April 4, 1966 (Richmond, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1926
Herbert George McQuaid was born on March 29, 1899, in San Francisco, CA, to Frank McQuaid — brother-in-law to former heavyweight champion James J. Corbett — and Lillian Cecilia McQuaid (née O’Neill). He grew up just across the street from Recreation Park, home of the Class AA San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League — a young McQuaid gaining his love for the game from watching Seals games out the window of his childhood home. His family suffered tragedy when he was young, his father taking his own life during a poker game when McQuaid was just 13-years-old.
McQuaid attended Mission High School and pitched for the Visitacion Valley neighborhood team before moving to the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland prior to his senior year. By 1919 he was working as a stenographer and pitching for the St. Joseph’s Sodality team of east Oakland in the Oakland Midwinter League. He caught the attention of local professional teams when he tossed a near-no-hitter for the J.J. Kriegs store team in 1920, and earned an invitation to the training camp held by the team he watched growing up, the Seals. He threw a complete game during his audition and snuck a spot on the Opening Day roster when a pair of their pitchers were released for gambling allegations.
McQuaid threw a complete game in his professional debut, a 2-1 win over Portland at the same Recreation Park that he grew up adjacent to. That fall, Ty Cobb traveled to San Francisco as part of his barnstorming tour, and McQuaid retired him twice on a ground out and popup in another. McQuaid pitched two seasons for the Seals and one for the Los Angeles Angels — both in the PCL — and caught the eye of Cincinnati Reds scout Dick Egan, with whom he signed prior to the 1923 season.
The then-24-year-old pitcher made his MLB debut that season, giving up a run in two innings of relief of an 8-2 loss to the Pirates on June 22, 1923. The six-foot-three hurler possessed a “blinding” fastball, a fast overhand curve, and a slower, “wicked” underhand curve. Shortly thereafter, he missed over a month with a sore foot, and was later unused during a 15-game road trip when he returned from injury. However, he made nine appearances between September and October, earning his first start on September 13th and first career win nine days later. The Reds finished second in the division and missed out on the playoffs, but McQuaid finished the year with a 2.36 ERA and didn’t allow a home run across 12 appearances totaling 34.1 innings.
That winter, the Reds sold McQuaid to the St. Paul Saints of the Class AA American Association as partial payment for Chuck Dressen. He pitched two seasons for the Saints, going 21-14 in 76 appearances with a 4.39 ERA across 314 innings. In September of 1925, Saints president and former Yankees scout Bob Connery sold McQuaid to the Yankees in part to prevent him from being exposed to the Class AA draft, New York agreeing to pay St. Paul an additional $25,000 should McQuaid remain on the roster beyond May 1st.
McQuaid made the Opening Day roster and appeared in one game before the Yankees agreed to return him to the Saints. However, they made an immediate U-turn and traded pitcher Hank Johnson, outfielder Nick Cullop, two players to be named later, and cash to St. Paul to reacquire McQuaid. He made one start that season, allowing three runs in seven innings of a 4-3 win over the Tigers, and finished the year with a 6.10 ERA in 17 appearances totaling 38.1 innings having not appeared in the Yankees’ final 14 games of the regular season.
As division winners, the Yankees advanced to the World Series to face the Cardinals. McQuaid was the very last player added to the World Series roster, with instructions that he only be called as a last resort. He didn’t make an appearance as the Bombers fell to St. Louis in a seven-game instant classic. He wouldn’t pitch another game in the Majors, the Yankees selling him back to the Saints for $10,000 at the end of the season.
McQuaid pitched six more seasons in Class AA between American Association and the Pacific Coast League. He retired from professional baseball in 1932 and ran a taproom in Modesto and was later a bartender in Oakland, where he coached local youth teams in the area he grew up. He passed away from cancer on April 4, 1966, in Richmond, CA, at the age of 67. A relative footnote during a legendary decade in Yankees history, it is said that “his greatest act with the Yanks was refusing to be released.”
References
Herb McQuaid. Baseball-Reference.
Herb McQuaid. Baseball Almanac.
Gibson, Darren. “Herb McQuaid.” SABR.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - MARCH 24: Jorge Mateo #2 of the Atlanta Braves hits an RBI double in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during a Grapefruit League spring training game at CoolToday Park on March 24, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The roster has been released for today’s series finale against the Kansas City Royals. The Atlanta Braves are looking to complete the first sweep of the season on this early afternoon start, as the Royals are determined to put a stop to it.
Notice any names that stick out in today’s lineup?
Well, after reading the headline, you pretty much guessed it: shortstop Jorge Mateo is making a return to the field, but this time as a starter in the position. After scoring a run in the Braves’ late rally in the ninth inning last night, he will be returning to help the team secure its win.
Another name that’s been making headlines throughout the night is Dominic Smith, who will be returning as DH after last night’s electric finale. The rest of the lineup remains identical to yesterday’s, with Ronald Acuña Jr. batting leadoff and Mike Yastrzemski returning to left field.
Grant Holmes is taking the mound and looking to start his season appearance off on a good foot and help secure a win for the team on the defensive side.
On the Royals’ side of the field, Seth Lugo is up on the mound, with a few tweaks in today’s lineup in efforts to produce a different outcome in the finale.
Salvador Perez will be replacing Carter Jensen as the designated hitter, while Jensen will see his way to the catcher spot for the first time in the series. Jonathan India will be replaced by Nick Loftin at second base and batting in the eighth hole. And Lane Thomas will be behind Jensen, taking the place of Isaac Collins in left field.
An important ending to the series for both teams to set their season. Who will get the final word?
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 01: The Washington Nationals formally introduce their new Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni at Nationals Park in Washington, DC on October 01, 2025. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Nationals have made one thing clear early in the Paul Toboni era, they will churn through a lot of players. It feels like the Nats are making some sort of roster move every other day. Whether it is small trades or waiver claims, the Nats are going to be active this season.
We saw yet another example of that yesterday when they traded for the recently DFA’d Curtis Mead. The reason why they traded for him and did not claim him is actually interesting. Mead was with the White Sox, who are obviously in the AL. For waiver claims, AL teams get first dibs on AL players. Clearly, the Nats coveted Mead, so they gave up a minor leaguer to get in front of the line.
Taking bets on players like Mead is a solid process for a rebuilding team. Curtis Mead was a top prospect just a few years ago and is still just 25. His elite hitting ability in the minors has not translated to the MLB yet, but the Nats are in a position to give him a shot. If it does not work out, they can either option Mead or just DFA him again. However, if he hits, he could stick around for a while.
What you should know about Curtis Mead: -25 years old -Former top 100 prospect, as high as 32nd on Fangraphs rankings in 2024 -76 wRC+ and 3 home runs in 90 games for TB and CHW last season -Makes hard contact, but needs a more refined plate approachpic.twitter.com/RCE2wwW5CU
Honestly, the strategy is similar to what venture capital firms do, which is what one of you said in the comments. If you take enough of these bets on players with pedigree, at least one or two of them is bound to work out. These are not moves that have much of a chance of making an impact, but the cost of these are very low. All you need for these guys is an open 40 man roster spot and sometimes a lesser known prospect.
The only one of these moves that I have not really loved is the Jorbit Vivas one. Sean Paul Linan is a flawed pitcher, but he is a real prospect. I do not love giving that up for a utility infielder with no minor league options left, especially when you already have Jose Tena. However, Toboni clearly likes Vivas’ skills at the plate, so we will see how that works out.
Spencer Nusbaum, now of the Athletic, actually predicted that the Nats will set the record for the most players rostered in a season. Right now that record is 71, which the Braves did last season. With all these minor moves Toboni is already making, the Nats are likely to at least challenge that record.
The Nationals have set their Opening Day roster. I’ve offered this bold prediction: Washington is going to break the MLB record for players rostered in a season.
Which makes this roster what, exactly? Simply the 26 players they’re taking to Chicago. https://t.co/6QDKOZLZFG
This is a departure from the Nats old ways. In the Mike Rizzo days, the Nats tended to stick with the guys they had. They would make the occasional waiver claim, and Rizzo had a couple good ones. Most notably, he claimed Hunter Harvey and Robert Garcia. However, he was not using the waiver wire at the kind of volume Toboni will. For a rebuilding team, I think Toboni’s approach makes more sense. You have room on the roster to give guys chances.
The Nats use of the waiver wire did not start just this spring though. Toboni went on a waiver claim frenzy in January and early February. He picked up guys like Joey Wiemer, Ken Waldichuk, Andre Granillo and Gus Varland, who all made the Opening Day roster. There were also guys who were only on the roster for a few days before getting DFA’d again.
Nationals have claimed LHP Richard Lovelady off waivers from Mets and DFA’d UTIL Mickey Gasper (who was only recently claimed himself). The 40-man roster merry-go-round continues.
This churn will certainly keep Nats reporters like myself on my toes. There will be a steady stream of players coming and going in DC. If just a couple of these guys hit, all of this activity will be worth it. The Nats are playing with penny stocks right now. It kind of sucks that the team is bad enough to give all these guys opportunities, but hopefully this sort of stuff will pay off in the long run.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: Eduardo Rodriguez #52 of Team Venezuela pitches against Team United States during the first inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just a reminder, there is no Dbacks game today.
Team News
D-backs drop series finale, look forward to home Opening Day
“We won a lot of innings of baseball over the course of this three-game series,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “Yet we’re 0-3, so that’s frustrating. It’s very frustrating. This was a tough series, no doubt about it. I did not think we would be coming home 0-3, but we are. We’ve got to understand why it happened, accept why it happened, get better, and get ready for a very, very spirited Monday Opening Day. Our crowd will be waiting for us. We can’t wait to come home.” https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/diamondbacks-lose-series-finale-versus-dodgers-head-home-for-opening-day
Eduardo Rodriguez throws gem, but Dodgers come back late to sweep Diamondbacks
This may be because most species of moths do not eat at all. Some moths such as the Luna moth emerges from its cocoon and never eats. This species lives for about a week long.
Humans have just 1 bone fewer than horses.
Horses have an average of 205 bones or more while the adult human is set at 206. On average, horses will live for 25-30 years.
The guillotine was invented to create “equality in execution.” Until its widespread use, the regular methods of execution in France were rather savage. Punishment like being drawn and quartered was common. The idea to use the guillotine as the main method of execution was part of the movement for equality in France that spurred on the revolution.
Adolf Hitler helped design the Volkswagen Beetle. Between Hitler and Ferdinand Porsche, the iconic bug-like car was designed as part of a Hitler-revived German initiative to create an affordable and practical car that everyone could own.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 26: Andrew McCutchen #4 of the Texas Rangers reacts after hitting a double during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 26, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for March 29, 2026 against the Philadelphia Phillies: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore for the Rangers and Jesus Luzardo for the Phillies.
Texas will look to take the rubber game with new addition MacKenzie Gore on the mound. Evan Carter and Joc Pederson sit against the lefty, and Kyle Higashioka gets his first start of the season.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Langford — CF
Seager — SS
Burger — 1B
McCutchen — DH
Higashioka — C
Jung — 3B
Haggerty — LF
Duran — 2B
12:35 pm Central start time. Rangers are +135 underdogs.
Season-opening series wrap up on Sunday, as we'll see if early-season trends can hold up with the third-best starting pitcher on the mound for each team.
Young star Roman Anthony will look to continue his hot start, while fellow star on the rise Gunnar Henderson wants to break through.
The Royals will start 36-year-old innings-eater Seth Lugo, who gave up three home runs in nine spring innings. The Atlanta Braves lineup took him deep twice when they faced him last year, and Austin Riley has a career .910 OPS against Lugo with two home runs.
Riley has beaten up Kansas City pitching in the first two games, posting a 1.196 OPS. He led the Braves with five home runs in spring training, but he's still looking for his first extra-base hit of the regular season.
That will come this afternoon.
Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MLB Network
Roman Anthony (+390)
After an injury interrupted his debut season last year, Roman Anthony is ready to take a star turn. He had an OPS+ of 140 in 71 games last year and is ready to make up for lost time.
Anthony had two WBC homers for Team USA and hit .300 in spring training for Boston when not with the national team. In two games that count, he's gotten four hits.
Anthony hasn't had an extra base hit but could break through against Cincinnati’s Rhett Lowder, making his seventh career start and first since 2024 after missing all last year with injury.
Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CINR, NESN
Gunnar Henderson (+285)
Gunnar Henderson was one of the stars for Team USA at the WBC, hitting .400 with two homers and 1.267 OPS.
He's still seeking his first hit after two games in the regular season, striking out five times in eight at-bats. New manager Craig Albernaz was supportive of him after he showed frustration on the field Saturday.
Gunnar Henderson has a home run against Twins starter Bailey Ober in his career, and Ober struggled in the spring, with a WHIP of 1.769 and less than a strikeout every two innings. Look for Henderson to break through in game three.
Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, MNMT
2026 Transparency record
HR picks: 2-2, +3.6 units
Today’s HR parlay
Austin Riley
Bet Now +12027
Roman Anthony
Gunnar Henderson
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CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 28: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox still don’t seem to have a long-term plan for what to do with the five outfielders they have for four outfield/DH spots, to say nothing of what happens when Triston Casas enters the DH picture. But they do have a short-term plan. Alex Cora announced that, starting today, Masataka Yoshida would play three of the next five games, and he’ll even get some game time in left field, where he has made just six appearances over the last two seasons.
It’s not exactly clear to me what the goal is here. The “showcase him for a trade” rationale doesn’t carry water — everyone in baseball knows who he is as a player and no team is going to decide they want him based on a few games in March and April. Moreover, no one really needs much rest at this point in the season; he doesn’t provide an offensive upgrade over any of the players he’d be replacing except for, perhaps, Ceddanne Rafaela; and he’s a definite defensive downgrade over all of them. Players will get injured, of course, and players will need rest, but playing Yoshida three times over the next five games just means the Sox won’t be putting their best team on the field three times over the next five games. It’s long past time to get whatever they can for Yoshida and move on. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Another thing to keep in mind regarding the outfield/DH rotation: defensively, the Red Sox outfield was far and away the best in baseball last year. On a relative basis, it was the strongest component of the team. Roman Anthony is probably the weakest of the four primary outfielders, but he is working hard to improve his defensive game. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Another thing Anthony is working on right now (as are all big league hitters) is ABS strategy. A poor challenge decision in the third inning of yesterday’s game cost the Sox in a big way. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
But Anthony didn’t have the worst day yesterday. That dishonor went to Sonny Gray. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
Or maybe it was CB Bucknor who had the worst day as the home plate umpire. “He has one job to do, it’s call balls and strikes,” Alex Cora said, leading me to wonder what exactly the purpose of ABS is if it isn’t actually relieving us of bad calls. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
One person who did have a good day, though, was reliever Ryan Watson, who became the third pitcher in Sox history to work more than two innings without giving up a hit in his MLB debut. (Mark Inabinnet, AL.com)
ATLANTA — Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith’s mother died less than two weeks ago. He said the team has picked him up the last few weeks, and he returned the favor Saturday night.
Smith became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a new team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He finished off the Braves’ six-run ninth inning in a 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.
“It’s just amazing,” said Smith, who was one of the last players to make the Braves’ opening day roster. “Played against the Braves for a long time, and being on the other side a lot of these endings kind of hurt, so to be on the right side of it this time was so fun.”
Smith told reporters after the game the Braves had been very supportive during spring training when his mother was ill. She was diagnosed with cancer in September and almost died at the start of camp. Smith said he left the team for a little over a week when she had a “scare,” and returned because he was fighting for a job. He was not with her in California when she passed away.
“This team is just so awesome,” Smith said. “I’m so blessed because of the love they showed me, the support every day. They’re asking about her, asking about her well-being, my well-being, and that’s all they really cared about. They didn’t care about baseball.”
Smith was able to show his thanks in the ninth inning off Royals closer Carlos Estévez, who led MLB in saves last season with 42. The Braves erased a 2-0 deficit on RBI singles by Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Harris II and had the bases loaded with one out. On a 3-2 pitch, after calling timeout to gather himself, Smith lifted a fly ball into the right field seats that sent the sold-out crowd into a frenzy.
Smith said he felt his mom’s presence in the celebration, and he looking forward to the Braves road trip to Anaheim next week where he will be able to see family and “say his goodbyes.”
“I got choked up a bunch of times, and it’s, you know, I’m trying to hold back tears now,” he said. “I feel her every day. I miss her dearly. It’s not a moment I don’t think about her. And like I said, I’m just so thankful because this team knows what I’m going through. So they really, you know, picked me up the last few weeks.”
The Cleveland Guardians, ranked #1 in the AL Central, face the Seattle Mariners, ranked #4 in the AL West. The Mariners are favored with a moneyline of -170 and a spread of -1.5. Cleveland's Slade Cecconi (ERA: 4.30) will start against Seattle's Emerson Hancock (ERA: 4.90).
How to Watch Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 28: Ronald McDonald, the McDonald's mascot throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers on March 28, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, folks…
The Texas Rangers beat the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday by a score of 5-4.
Evan Grant laments that the Rangers’ closer situation is still a problem, though Skip Schumaker says Robert Garcia and Chris Martin made their pitches and will continue to be run out there in save situations.
Schumaker explained his controversial decision to have Ezequiel Duran pinch hit for Josh Smith in the ninth inning of the opener.
The Rangers were able to keep Mark Canha around on his minor league deal by allowing him to stay in extended spring training.
The Rangers also re-signed veteran reliever Ryan Brasier to a minor league deal, after Brasier had opted out last week.
Caden Scarborough will miss the first 4-6 weeks of the minor league season as he recovers from an offseason melanoma.
In ABS news, CB Bucknor had six — SIX! — pitches overturned through the challenge system yesterday in the Boston/Cincinnati matchup that featured BoSox manager Alex Cora getting ejected.
The Cubs bounced back in a significant way after a disappointing Opening Day performance. Cade Horton got them on the right foot with three perfect innings to start, on his way to 6.1 innings and only two runs allowed. Offensively, the Cubs turned nine hits and six walks into 10 runs as they evened this series at a game apiece. I know we all would have loved to see an opening weekend sweep, but in the opener, the Cubs just didn’t find enough space when they did make contact. On Saturday, that wasn’t a problem. They found space early and often.
Heading into this season, I thought the two questions that mattered to the Cubs most involved Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton. Is PCA more the monster we saw in the first half or the too-aggressive player we saw down the stretch? Is Cade Horton able to sustain his excellence as he looks to throw 175-200 innings? You can always run up and down the roster and find a question or two for virtually every player. But I feel like PCA is the player that takes the offense and makes it extraordinary and that Horton does the same on the other side.
I believe, if you aren’t being argumentative and obtuse, that the Cubs roster is built to be a powerhouse in a regular season. Recognize that an awful lot about surviving the grind is depth of talent. The Cubs have that. Championships are built on elite postseason performances. Clearly, the players most likely to produce elite postseason performances are superstars, but of course, they are no way limited to superstars. The Cubs have enough to win a championship if they were to stay relatively healthy and get hot in the postseason.
To my eye, PCA and Horton are the two guys I think are offensively and pitching-wise, the most likely to produce elite results. That isn’t to knock guys like Alex Bregman or Nico Hoerner or whoever. There are guys who can produce at the highest level. And then there are the guys who are, hopefully, still ascending. I think PCA and Horton are the two most likely to take that next step. Obviously, the World Baseball Classic showed us that guys like Daniel Palencia could be the next stars. But for my money, it’s PCA and Horton. If you already think PCA etched his stardom last year, I get it.
Those are the heavy lifters I see as ascending. On Saturday, Horton led the way. PCA might not have been the key bat. But, he had a pair of hits, for the second straight day. He bunted for a hit. For the second straight day. He stole his first two bases of the year. In turn, he scored two runs. He can be a menace. Horton can be a dominant force. Together, they can anchor this team and lift it even higher. Are they the only path? Of course not. But in any world where this team becomes a championship contender, I’d be surprised if at least one of them weren’t starring and I’d expect both.
Obviously, the Nats are rebuilding. No one is spiking the football on a split of the first two games. A series win on Sunday isn’t going to change any of that. At the end of the day, none of that is fair. That’s the thing about baseball. You don’t draw conclusions in March. This team can compete. There are a lot of things that have to happen. Seasons can be derailed. But, this team is insulated from some amount of issues. No team can survive injuries after a point. This team showed how good they can look Saturday. Unfortunately, they showed how bad they could look on Thursday.
Buckle up, we’re probably in for a very long ride. But I’m pretty certain that you don’t want to miss that ride.
Let’s get to our three stars of the game.
Three Stars:
Cade Horton. This wasn’t his sharpest outing (2 ER over 6.1 IP). But those three perfect innings to start really quieted things down after a rough opener. Like Ben Brown’s relief appearance in the opener, Cade pitching into the seventh minimized the work for the bullpen here in the early gong.
Miguel Amaya has been so injury-plagued in his career. But he reminded us on Saturday that, when healthy, the bat plays, Two hits, two runs, two runs batted in. One homer.
Pete Crow-Armstrong. Two hits and a walk. Two steals. Two runs scored. He’s batting in the middle of the lineup, in what is probably an RBI position. But he helped set the table all day long.
Game 2, March 28: Cubs 10, Nationals 2 (1-1)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Miguel Amaya (.151). 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Hero: Cade Horton (.132). 6.1 IP, 5 H, BB, 2 ER, 4 K (W 1-0)
Sidekick: Michael Busch (.113), 1-4 BB, RR
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Alex Bregman (.042). 0-5
Goat: Matt Shaw (-.001). 1-3, RBI
Kid: Dansby Swanson (.000). 0-3, BB, R
WPA Play of the Game: Michael Busch batted with runners on first and third and two outs in the second, the Cubs up two. He hit a ground ball to short and reached on an error. Two runs ended up scoring on the play. (.126)
*Nationals Play of the Game: James Wood led off the fourth inning with a solo homer, cutting a four run Cubs lead to three. (.062).
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 1 Winner: Michael Busch (249 of 267 votes)
Up Next: Shōta Imanaga versus Jake Irvin as the Cubs go for the series win.
Mar 28, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Luke Raley (20) hits a two-run home run during the tenth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
I’m gonna keep it real with you guys, I worked consecutive eleven hours days this weekend, so I’m actually pretty stoked about the Mariners playing on Sunday night, because I’m just not willing to commit to getting out of bed for 1:10 game at this time. The Mariners hosting the national audience has led to some pretty kooky games in the past. Other than playoffs, does anyone have any personal favorite nationally televised Mariners games from seasons past? Or seasons future if you feel like outing yourself as time traveler. If they have a cool one in 2043 I’d like to know about it. Happy Sunday everybody!
In Mariners news…
Ok, so in the 2026 MLB Predictions piece from Wednesday, one of my predictions that I neglected to elaborate on was that I had Luke Raley penciled in for three things; 3+ fWAR season, ALCS MVP, and a top 10 finish in doubles in the AL. Well the egg is on my face, I clearly should’ve said dingers. Sorry Luke, I should’ve known better.
Tough scene for reliever Nick Anderson, who exercised his upward mobility clause on Wednesday, only to go unclaimed and end up being sent to Triple-A Las Vegas yesterday. If you’re unfamiliar, an upward mobility clause allows any of the other 29 teams add a player to their 26-man roster, in which case the team either has to add them to the 26-man, or trade them.
Austin Riley
Roman Anthony
Gunnar Henderson
