SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers participates in a throwing drill prior to a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Oklahoma City infielder Hyeseong Kim (6) catches a pop fly during the home opener Minor League baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the El Paso Chihuahuas at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Dodgers minor league season officially started on Friday night, with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets losing to the Albuquerque Isotopes 3-1 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.
Offense was at a premium on Friday, with the Comets’ only run coming after Hyeseong Kim led off the game with a single. An errant pickoff throw got Kim into scoring position, and Zach Ehrhard in his first Triple-A at-bat singled him home.
Kim played all nine innings at second base in the opener, and is expected to play multiple positions with Oklahoma City.
Ehrhard in the third inning also walked and stole second base. But like every other Comet on Friday, he did not score. Oklahoma City in the game managed only five singles to go with five walks.
Cole Irvin started the opener and walked five himself in his five innings. Four of those innings were scoreless, but a three-run second inning spoiled his night.
Player of the day
Paul Gervase followed Irvin on the mound and pitched two perfect innings of relief, with a pair of strikeouts.
Play of the game
Utility man Ryan Fitzgerald played third base on Friday, and turned in incredible double play to end the third inning.
Triple-A: In addition to pitcher José Rodríguez and first baseman Matt Gorski starting the season on the 60-day injured list, pitchers Yency Almonte, Nick Frasso, and Ryan Sublette, plus catcher Chuckie Robinson were all put on the 7-day injured list on Friday.
After a day off, the New York Mets will be back on the field to face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of their series. The Mets are favored with a moneyline of -175 and a spread of -1.5. Starting pitchers are Mitch Keller for the Pirates and David Peterson for the Mets.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 27: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning of the home opener at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“We’ll go day to day with the catching, but Carter’s going to catch,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He and Salvy are going to split — not evenly, 50-50, but game times, travel, the type of game one of them has to catch will dictate what happens the next day. And as far as hitting, [Jensen] will get DH reps as well. We think he’s a really good hitter, so we’re going to find ways to get him in the lineup.”
The Royals scored 84 fewer runs in 2025 than they did in 2024. A few of the above items already covered some ways they can close the gap.
But another? Their swing decisions.
It’s among the items hitting coach Alec Zumwalt and general manager J.J. Picollo mention most frequently. But the Royals swung at the sixth-fewest strikes in baseball — including swinging at the sixth-fewest meatballs — yet they had the ninth-highest chase rate
They had the lowest walk rate in the American League.
Doing more damage at the plate starts with using the pitches on which you can inflict the damage.
When I asked him in January about the Royals realizing along the way last year that they needed more veteran leadership, Picollo said he had put a lot of thought into that dynamic — especially when it comes to the young nucleus of Bobby Witt Jr., Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia.
“When you are getting into Year 3, 4 and 5 in the major leagues, at some point it’s your time,” he said. “Right now, Bobby, Vinnie, Maikel, it’s your time.”
“It was a strange night because we had to wait for some results and we were inside,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro recalled. “And do we stay? You know, there was a rain delay in one of the other games.”
Would you believe that the Royals have had four seasons in their history where their offense walked at least 9 percent of the time? Of course you would. The only thing unbelievable about that is that you might have expected it to be fewer than four times. For what it’s worth, the four times are 1973 (10.3%), 1975 (9.5%), 1972 (9.1%) and 1989 (9.0%). This group is one that I believe will join them.
Franchise temperature: 57 degrees. This feels like a good temperature for the Royals, who went into a period of rapid cooling after their contending rosters from the mid-2010s broke up. To the credit of J.J. Picollo and his staff, the Royals have curbed that decline and managed to settle in tepid waters. With a contention-worthy 26-man roster heading into 2026, they hope to wade a little closer to the warm sands of the shoreline ahead.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: Tom Wilhelmsen #54 slides down the Home Run Slide into his teammates Brandon Maurer #37 and Charlie Furbush #41 of the Seattle Mariners during a visit to the MLB Fan Cave on May 15, 2013 at Broadway and 4th Street in New York City. (Photo by Thomas Levinson/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
The Mariners won their first game of (hopefully) many, it’s a glorious Saturday and today our beLLoved LLinks master gets married! Ders has been writing here for 12 years, while also doing things like high school graduation, college graduation, broadcasting around the country, getting engaged and now, literally today, perhaps even at this very minute as you are reading, getting married. He is dedicated, thoughtful, warm and brilliant, and we are just so fortunate that he chooses to gift us with his time and energy day in and day out. Here’s to a lifetime of joy, a partnership that remains strong even when that joy flags and, of course, to many more links. We love ya!
Sometimes nostalgia halts progress or stifles creativity. Not so with The Late Innings Show, which features beloved former Mariners relievers Charlie Furbush and Tom Wilhelmsen. The first episode drops this weekend!
Mar 27, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) is introduced before a game against the Kansas City Royals on opening day at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
How great does it feels to win on Opening Day? Winning > Losing.
The Atlanta Braves blanked the Kansas City Royals in Atlanta last night, and in doing so, two prominent members of the organization moved up on some notable Braves and MLB leader boards.
When Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies took the field to start the game, his ninth consecutive Opening Day start at second base in his career with the Braves, he broke a tie with Glenn Hubbard for the most consecutive starts at second base in franchise history. (The last Braves player to start on Opening Day at second base? None other than “Dat Dude BP”, Brandon Phillips [AKA Mr. Jade Cargill].)
Albies wasn’t done with some notable Braves historical moments.
When he put the Braves on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning, he became eighth Brave all-time to record three or more career home runs on Opening Day.
That list is a who’s who of organizational legends: MLB and Braves Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews (7), Joe Torre (4), Andruw Jones (3) and Fred McGriff (3) as well as Braves Hall of Famers Brian McCann (3) and Dale Murphy (3). Future both-of-those-things Freddie Freeman also hit three with the Braves. (Hat-tip to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman for that information).
The two hits Albies had on the night also moved him past Torre into 23rd in hits all-time in Braves franchise history. He is nine games away from passing Torre for 27th in games played with the Braves. He’s also now tied with Johnny Logan for 20th for runs scored in franchise history.
Braves left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale tossed six shutout innings on the way to picking up the win on Opening Day, ringing up six batters along the way. Those strikeouts brought his career total to 2,585 and moved him past Braves legend and inner circle Hall of Fame left-hander Warren Spahn to 30th place in MLB history.
Sale is 23 strikeouts away from passing another Hall of Fame left-hander, and former Brave pitcher, Tom Glavine.
One last Opening Day note, it was Austin Riley’s seventh-consecutive start at third base on Opening Day. That ties him with Chipper Jones and Bob Horner who both started seven consecutive times on Opening Day at third base for the Braves. That is the longest streak for a third-baseman while exclusively in Atlanta. A reminder, Chipper Jones’s overall Opening Day start streak included three seasons as the team’s starting left fielder.
Mathews started 15-consecutive times on Opening Day at third base with the Braves, but only the final year of his streak took place after the team moved to Atlanta.
If Riley can start the next three season at third base on Opening Day with Atlanta, he would become the first third baseman in franchise history to be the only starter at the position for every year in a decade.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 09: Travis Bazzana #64 of Team Australia celebrates hitting a RBI single in the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between South Korea and Australia at Tokyo Dome on March 9, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Clippers are now 0-1, but there’s still time for us to preview their 2026 season.
The Clippers released a preliminary roster yesterday… we say preliminary because some prominent names were missing. One would assume Logan Allen and Franco Aleman are on hold until more clarity is reached with the Tanner Bibee situation. Pedro Avila, Kolby Allard, Jack Leftwich, Doug Nikhazy, Trevor Stephan, also, should be there eventually. Anyway, here’s what we have so far:
Pitchers:
Tanner Burns, RHP, Jack Carey, RHP, Will Dion, LHP, Jay Driver, RHP, Magnus Ellerts, RHP, Daniel Espino, RHP, Yorman Gomez, RHP, Matt Jahec, RHP, Jack Jasiak, RHP, Tommy Mace, RHP, Robin Maltrud, RHP, Izaak Martinez, LHP, Jake Miller, RHP, Steven Perez, LHP, and Ryan Webb, LHP.
Analysis:
This is an interesting group, if not particularly exciting aside from the notable exception of Daniel Espino. We will all follow Espino’s attempt to re-establish himself as a pitcher whose talent will be reckoned with by major league hitters sooner rather than later.
Yorman Gomez, Will Dion and Ryan Webb have fifth starter in the big leagues potential (with Gomez seemingly having a good reliever floor) and I haven’t quite given up on groundball artist Tommy Mace, yet. Steven Perez and Magnus Ellerts highlight the non-Aleman/Espino arms to monitor in the bullpen. Avila is, of course, a delight. We will see if Kahl Stephen and Josh Hartle can join this group, soon. I am also interested to see how Allard takes to being stretched out as a starter as rumored to be planned.
Catchers:
Kody Huff, RHH, Cooper Ingle LHH, and Dom Nunez, RHH.
Analysis:
This group is all about Ingle. Can he improve behind the plate and continue his excellence in contact and plate discipline while getting to more of his power? That’s what we need to watch with this group. If Bo Naylor is having a great season, Ingle could even land a whale in July if needed if he is performing well…
Infielders:
Travis Bazzana, LHH 2B, Juan Brito, SH 2B/3B/1B, Milan Tolentino, LHH SS/3B, Dayan Frias, SH 3B/SS.
Analysis:
Obviously, this is all about Bazzana and him realizing his potential, as well as Brito showing enough to get his shot (three hits including two doubles in game one). But, Tolentino and Frias should be good depth pieces.
Outfielders:
Stuart Fairchild, RHH OF, Petey Halpin, LHH CF, Nolan Jones, LHH OF, and Kahlil Watson, LHH CF.
Analysis:
I am very happy Fairchild ended up in Columbus. His presence will put pressure on Angel Martinez to stop swinging at pitches in the other batter’s box. Watson had a breakout 2025 and looked great in Spring Training and may make himself an option this season. Halpin and Jones are good depth pieces to have. One would expect Wuilfredo Antunez will join this group soon, also.
Columbus should be a fun group to follow as we enjoy seeing a strong Guardians farm system continue to develop.
Which players are catching your eye as the Triple-A season starts? Tell us in the comments below:
SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 20: Enrique Bradfield Jr. #99 of the Baltimore Orioles bats during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Norfolk Tides’ season opener was a wet and wacky one. For six innings, the Tides’ offense looked hopeless, garnering just two hits as they fell into a 4-0 hole. But the game flipped on its head in a wild, six-run bottom of the seventh — and I literally mean “wild.” Nashville pitchers issued three consecutive walks after an inning-opening error, with Enrique Bradfield Jr. taking a four-pitch free pass to force home the first run.
That opened the floodgates for the Norfolk bats. Pinch-hitter Willy Vasquez roped a double to score two more runs before Weston Wilson’s RBI single tied the game at four. The Sounds got wild again, uncorking a wild pitch that plated Vasquez with the go-ahead run. With two down, Sam Huff’s RBI knock added an insurance run, completing an inning in which the Tides sent 10 batters to the plate.
The rally came just in the nick of time, as heavy rain enveloped the Harbor Park Field and forced the cancellation of the final two innings. That goes down as a win for the Tides, unconventional as it may be.
Before the late dramatics, Norfolk starter Trey Gibson — the Orioles’ top pitching prospect — struggled in his Opening Day assignment. Gibson lasted only three innings and threw just 44 of his 79 pitches for strikes, issuing an ugly five walks. He also got himself into trouble in the second inning by failing to cover the bag on a grounder to first, putting a runner on base who later scored. It’s safe to say that Gibson still has some things he needs to work on.
Jackson Holliday has already begun his rehab assignment, so it shouldn’t be too long before he’s back with the Orioles. He looked a little rusty in this one, going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and a walk. Bradfield, meanwhile, did a good job setting the table from the leadoff spot, reaching base twice. Catcher Creed Willems had a tough time behind the plate, failing to throw out any of the Sounds’ three basestealers and also committing an error.
It’s a full slate of games across the majors today, with a total of 15 contests on the schedule.
My MLB player props and home run predictions will focus on Pete Crow-Armstrong, Colton Cowser, and Eugenio Suarez.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Pete Crow-Armstrong
+320
Colton Cowser
+520
Eugenio Suarez
+420
💲Today's HR parlay
+15188
Pete Crow-Armstrong (+320)
Pete Crow-Armstrong showed glimpses of brilliance in his first full season in 2024, but 2025 was the true coming-out party. The Chicago Cubs star smacked 31 home runs while hitting .247.
For a small guy, PCA has serious power.
While he’s yet to go deep this season, Crow-Armstrong is already hitting .400, and he’ll be looking forward to today’s matchup. The Cubbies face Miles Mikolas of the Washington Nationals, and PCA is 7-for-9 against him.
Five of those hits have left the yard. He has absolutely terrorized the righty, and this is the perfect time for PCA’s first bomb of the year.
Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Nationals.TV, MARQ
Colton Cowser (+520)
Colton Cowser has shown some pop in his bat over the last couple of seasons for the Baltimore Orioles. He clubbed 24 homers in ‘24 before 16 long balls last season in just 92 games.
Cowser is capable of leaving the yard at any given moment.
The O’s take on the Minnesota Twins once again today, who hand Taj Bradley the baseball. Cowser is 4-for-10 lifetime off the 25-year-old right-hander, going deep once. He hit 11 of his bombs off righties in 2025.
Bradley was also HR prone at times last season, surrendering 19 in 27 starts.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FS1
Eugenio Suarez (+420)
Eugenio Suarez is back in a Cincinnati Reds uniform, and he’s still one of the most feared power hitters in the show. The slugger went deep 49 times last season between stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners.
The Venezuelan’s eyes will be lighting up with who is on the mound today for the Boston Red Sox. Sonny Gray takes the ball, and Suarez is 7-for-13 lifetime off the veteran with two home runs.
He hit 36 of his bombs off right-handed hurlers last year.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NESN, Reds.TV
2026 Transparency record
HR picks: 2-for-6, +2.0 units
Today’s HR parlay
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Bet Now +15188
Colton Cowser
Eugenio Suarez
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Detroit Tigers have kicked off the 2026 campaign strong, having already clinched the season-opening series against the San Diego Padres with a 5-2 win on Friday night. On Saturday, they go for the sweep, which would complete the reversal of last season’s start.
So far, the visitors have outscored the home team, 13-4, behind solid performances by Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, respectively. Rookie Kevin McGonigle added two more hits to his team-leading total of five and shares the team lead of four RBIs with Dillon Dingler.
Next up in the rotation is right-hander Jack Flaherty, who takes the mound opposite of fellow righty Randy Vásquez on Saturday. Here is a brief look at how they match up.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (2-0) are looking to take their third straight game against the Arizona Diamondbacks (0-2). The Dodgers are favored with a -220 moneyline and a -1.5 spread. Tyler Glasnow will start for the Dodgers against the Diamondbacks’ Eduardo Rodriguez.
How to Watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego, California - March 27: Jeremiah Estrada #56 of the San Diego Padres walks back to the dugout after being pulled from the game during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park on Friday, March 27, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
San Diego Padres pitchers have allowed a combined 12 walks over the first two games of the season against the Detroit Tigers. In each game there was one inning in which a Padres pitcher allowed three walks and four runs scored in the inning. Nick Pivetta allowed three walks in the top of the first inning, which resulted in four runs for the Tigers who beat the Padres 8-2 in the season opener. Jeremiah Estrada allowed three walks in the top of the eighth inning, which resulted in four runs for Detroit which beat San Diego, 5-2. The back-to-back losses have led to an 0-2 start for new manager Craig Stammen and as charitable as the pitching staff has been, the offense has not provided much excitement either, although facing Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez to start the season seems like an exercise in futility. The Padres have managed just four runs in two games and have 13 hits during that span. San Diego will try to salvage the series with a win today at Petco Park at 5:40 p.m.
Padres News:
Joe Musgrove has started throwing again and while there is no official timeline for his return, the fact that he is throwing for the first time since March 8 generates some buzz.
The San Diego farm system took a lot of arrows throughout the offseason with some ranking systems listing the Padres as the worst in baseball. The minor league players will have an opportunity to change some minds and their rankings with the minor leagues opening play this week.
Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribunesat down with pitcher Michael King as he prepared for his season opening start against the Detroit Tigers.
Baseball News:
Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians celebrated his first MLB game with two home runs. He followed that up with another home run in the second game of the season.
Kevin Gausman took the mound as the Opening Day starter for the Toronto Blue Jays and proceeded to strikeout 11 batters in the game.
The New York Yankees (2-0) face the San Francisco Giants (0-2) are taking the first two games of the series. Aaron Judge hit his first home run of the season in New York’s victory on Friday. Will Warren, who had a 4.44 ERA last season, will be the starting pitcher for the Yankees. He’ll face the Giants’ Tyler Mahle (ERA: 2.18) in 2025. New York is favored again with a moneyline of -130 at BetMGM.
How to watch New York Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants
Mar 27, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29), left, tags out Cleveland Guardians first baseman Rhys Hoskins (8) at home plate during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
I had forgotten for a minute what losing felt like. There it is. Let’s get back to winning.
Nick has your recap of last night’s loss. Need to get Manzardo, Kwan and Bo going.
After an impressive two-hit night to start off his 2026 campaign, I expect Clement to continue that momentum this afternoon, especially with a lefty on the mound for the A’s.
Read on for my full A's vs. Blue Jays predictions and free MLB picks for Saturday, March 28.
A's vs Blue Jays predictions
A's vs Blue Jays best bet: Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases (+135)
After a two-hit performance in the season/series opener, I’m anticipating another big game from Ernie Clement this afternoon by backing him to go Over his posted total of 1.5 bases.
Clement crushes lefties, and the Athletics are sending left-hander Jeffrey Springs to the mound this afternoon. Clement is no stranger to Springs, either. He is 2-for-7 against him throughout his career, while posting a 1.143 OPS.
Overall, Clement was one of the most dangerous hitters against lefties last season, posting a team-high .900 OPS with 26 extra-base hits.
COVERS INTEL: After a four-base night on Opening Day, Clement enters today’s contest hitting .405 with a 1.004 OPS, while averaging 2.5 bases per game, over his last 10 outings.
A's vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the most potent lineups in baseball, and handles the fastball pretty well. The A’s starter throws a hefty amount of fastballs, and ranked in the 33rd percentile in xBA last season.
I’m expecting a busy afternoon on the basepaths for the Blue Jays, so I’ll fade Springs and take the Over on his posted total of 4.5 hits allowed.
I’ll also back Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to have a productive day. He owns a .309 career batting average against the Athletics, and has seen Springs 16 times in his career, going 4-for-16 with a homer. I’ll take Over 1.5 bases for Vladdy.
A's vs Blue Jays SGP
Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases
Jeffrey Springs Over 4.5 hits
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
A's vs Blue Jays home run pick: George Springer (+305)
Springs allowed 28 home runs last season, fourth-most in all of baseball. He throws a healthy dose of fastballs, which is a pitch George Springer handled extremely well last season, sporting a 1.076 OPS against the pitch with a team-high 14 home runs.
He hit them hard too, with a .746 xSLG and a hard-hit rate of 55%.
A's vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Athletics +155 | Toronto -190
Run line: Athletics +1.5 | Toronto -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
A's vs Blue Jays trend
The Jays are 6-2 on the moneyline in the last eight meetings between these two clubs. Find more MLB betting trends for A's vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch A's vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Saturday, March 28, 2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSCA, SN
A's starting pitcher
Jeffrey Springs (11-11, 4.11 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Dylan Cease (8-12, 4.55 ERA)
A's vs Blue Jays latest injuries
A's vs Blue Jays weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Colton Cowser
Eugenio Suarez
COVERS INTEL: After a four-base night on Opening Day, Clement enters today’s contest hitting .405 with a 1.004 OPS, while averaging 2.5 bases per game, over his last 10 outings.