The Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-0 on Wednesday night but, despite the team's success, Aaron Judge struggled to produce at the plate.
Judge struck out in his first four at-bats at Oracle Park. It's just the 15th time in his career that he’s had four strikeouts in a game. He did that five times total during his MVP season in 2024. He didn't have a single four-strikeout game in his 2025 MVP season.
Logan Webb was responsible for striking out Judge in the first, second and fourth innings. Keaton Winn caught Judge looking, striking him out in the sixth.
Judge was retired again in the ninth, though he managed to not strike out in his final at-bat, grounding out to third. He finished the night 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, two of them looking.
Citi Field / | Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images
There’s no better Mets tradition than tuning in to hear Gary, Keith, and Ron calling the team’s first game of the season. Unfortunately, Major League Baseball decided to make a deal that delays that joyous occasion until the Mets’ second game of the year, as the team’s Opening Day game against the Pirates tomorrow is going to be on NBC and Peacock.
Since we’re all stuck in this GKR-less reality until Saturday afternoon, though, here are the pertinent details.
First pitch: 1:15 PM EDT on Thursday, March 26, 2026 TV: NBC or Peacock Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Considering this is Howie Rose’s final season as the radio voice of the Mets, you might want to sync up the radio broadcast with your video feed. Speaking from personal experience, applications like Audio Hijack, which is exclusive to macOS and requires a paid license, are capable of pausing and time-shifting audio from any app, making it possible to sync in that direction.
If you’re not looking to make the effort to sync, though, you should know that former Mets players Al Leiter and Neil walker will be in the NBC/Peacock booth alongside Matt Vasgersian, who’s on play-by-play duties. And Adam Ottavino will be doing analysis on the pregame show.
Munetaka Murakami slots into the heart of the lineup on Opening Day, carrying both the upside, and the questions, with him. | (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
The White Sox made it official ahead of Opening Day: the 26-man roster is set, the last cuts are in, and the 40-man has already taken a couple of hits before a single meaningful pitch is thrown.
Brooks Baldwin and Kyle Teel land on the 10-day IL, while Prelander Berroa and Drew Thorpe continue their Tommy John recoveries on the 15-day IL. Mike Vasil also heads to the 15-day, but he will soon enough hit the 60-day for his TJS. While none of this is really breaking news, seeing all these names lined up is a nice reminder that depth is already being tested before the season even starts.
We knew the DFA for Korey Lee was coming, but it still doesn’t make much more sense now than it did two days ago. Curtis Mead also heads to the chopping block despite having a solid showing in the WBC.
Roster-wise, it’s not quite a standard build with 13 pitchers, two catchers, five infielders, and a notable SIX outfielders. That extra guy on the grass stands out, especially with a thinner infield group, suggesting this roster is leaning more toward flexibility and ongoing evaluation. With several players capable of moving around (and a few still trying to prove they belong), the Sox are clearly keeping their options open rather than locking into a traditional structure this early.
And then we have the Opening Day lineup.
White Sox opening day lineup
Meidroth 2B Montgomery SS Vargas 3B Benintendi DH Hays LF Murakami 1B Pereira RF Quero C Acuña CF
Chase Meidroth leading off isn’t just a Spring Training reward — it’s a statement. Pairing him with Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas at the top gives the Sox a young, table-setting trio, and if that works, it could quietly reshape how this lineup functions. If it doesn’t, well, the beauty of 162 is that there’s always tomorrow to pretend it never happened.
The middle is a mix of “we know what this is” and “we’d really like to find out.” Andrew Benintendi slides into the cleanup spot at DH — which is a choice — while Austin Hays and Munetaka Murakami bring some power potential. Murakami, especially, is one of the biggest wild cards on the roster with the kind of bat that could change the tone of the lineup if it clicks, or leave a noticeable hole if it doesn’t.
The bottom third leans fully into volatility, specifically with Everson Pereira and Luisangel Acuña Jr. The Sox aren’t pretending this is a finished product, and they’re running these guys out there to see what sticks.
And honestly, that might be the most notable takeaway from the roster as a whole. This isn’t a group built to hide its questions. It’s built to answer them.
Opening Day won’t solve much, but it will start to show which of these bets might actually pay off and which ones are going to need a quicker pivot than anyone hoped.
Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits a fly ball against the Brewers during a spring training game at Salt River Fields on March 20, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Introduction
In previous weeks we looked at the offseason moves of the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants. Today we’ll wrap up our tour of the NL West with a review of the Arizona Diamondbacks offseason, along with my predictions for the 2026 season.
2025 Season Overview/Recap
The D-backs 2025 season was a disaster, largely as a result of the pitching staff being decimated by injuries. The biggest acquisition of the 2025 offseason, Corbin Burnes, who signed a 6 year $210 million contract, had his season end early when he hit the injury list in early June with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He wasn’t even the only pitcher who needed their elbow surgically repaired, as young flame-throwing reliever Justin Martinez would also go under the knife for Tommy John surgery, along with AJ Puk who needed internal brace surgery on top of having a flexor strain that initially put him on the injured list. Before being traded to the Rangers, starter Merrill Kelly would also spend time on the IL with a back injury.
The D-backs were well on their way to a losing record by the trade deadline, so GM Mike Hazen shipped out almost all of the pending free agents aside from Zac Gallen, trading away the aforementioned Merrill Kelly, first baseman Josh Naylor, third baseman Eugenio Suarez, and outfielder Randall Grichuk. The D-backs then proceeded to go on a winning streak that allowed them to stay in the mix for the last Wild Card seed up until mid September, though the N.Y. Mets were in the middle of their annual late season collapse, per tradition. The Diamondbacks ultimately finished in fourth place with an 80-82 record.
If you were closely following the D-backs offseason, you probably weren’t a fan of the moves Gm Mike Hazen made, especially as they happened. Now that the winter and spring training are over, we have the benefit of looking at the overall picture of what their offseason looks like.
Bringing back starting pitcher Merrill Kelly was a no-brainer after he was shipped off to the Texas Rangers at the deadline. Zac Gallen returning is more of a result of him having a terrible 2025 season along with the fact that any other team who signed him would lose a draft pick. With a bounce back season and no qualifying offer, I’d think Gallen should be able to land a multi year deal next offseason. (Yes, I’m completely ignoring the impending labor stoppage that’s possible next offseason).
The other big move of the winter was acquiring Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals at a discount. Arenado is definitely in the decline phase of his career, but the move back to the NL West could allow for an offensive bounceback in 2026. Considering the Cardinals and Rockies are both picking up a majority of his contract, I’m not too concerned about the worst case scenario of the team having to eat the rest of the contract if he doesn’t bounce back.
Shipping out the fan favorite, but also frustratingly inconsistent OF Jake McCarthy to the Rockies, along with promising young infielder Blaze Alexander to the Orioles, probably upset a few D-backs fans, but I think it was time for the team to move on from the former, and I actually like the return for Alexander. What IS more of a concern for me is Kade Strowd looking bad enough with the D-backs that he didn’t even make the team out of spring training. I actually like the bargain bin pitcher signings Hazen made over the offseason, I see a ton of upside, but if the team is making promising young pitchers like Strowd worse with their training and coaching staff that doesn’t bode well for the future. If you’d like to see my thoughts on all those signings, check out the article I did earlier this winter.
I am not at all a fan of the Carlos Santana, Paul Sewald, or Michael Soroka signings. Carlos Santana will likely be platooned with Pavin Smith, but he has fallen off so hard the last few seasons that I’d be shocked if he provides positive value even as a platoon bat. Paul Sewald wasn’t quite washed up the last time around with the Dbacks in 2024, but a 4.31 ERA and the many blown saves sure made it feel like it. While he wasn’t dramatically worse with the Guardians or Tigers, his ERA did rise further to 4.78 ERA, and he was limited to just under 20 innings between the two teams. I hate the Michael Soroka signing at that cost, and with the intention of using him as a starting pitcher. I think he could be a serviceable reliever in 2026, but I don’t think he’ll be both healthy and effective for any real length of time if used as a starter.
I am a fan of bringing back catcher James McCann, who was a key part of the the little success the D-backs did have in 2026. Even if his bat isn’t quite as good in 2026, that’s a small price to pay if he’s making the pitchers he catches better pitchers, which I’d say he did in 2025. The new ABS Challenge system will definitely make any framing skills less valuable, but that’s not something I’m worrying about with any catcher in MLB right now since it applies to everyone.
I am also a big fan of bringing back Taylor Clarke now that he’s a reliever. Having interviewed and gotten to know him when he was coming up the D-backs Farm system, I think he’s a solid clubhouse addition at minimum, but I think he should be able to provide quality innings out of the bullpen. A lot of these moves do feel more like they were made to provide some Veteran Presence, especially the additions of Arenado and Santana. Overall, while I don’t hate the bigger picture view of D-backs offseason moves, I don’t exactly love any of them, except claiming reliever Grant Holman off waivers. (See the previously linked article for more detail) The Padres and Dodgers are the top of the class as far as the NL West goes, and I don’t think there were realistically any combination of signings that would’ve made the D’Backs a clear favorite over either of those two teams. I like their winter better than the Giants, but that’s only because I think the Dbacks are a better team on paper with their additions. The Rockies are perennial basement dwellers who desperately needed to make organizational changes for years, which they did make, but their actual moves weren’t all that impressive. My offseason grade for the D-backs is a C-. I would have given them a solid C+ prior to finding out that they will enter the season with zero left handed pitchers in their bullpen, but that’s a big enough black mark to knock the grade down.
2026Predictions
I can’t say I am confident in any specific outcome for the season. On one hand it is a very flawed team, but om the other hand I do not think this team is as bad as their sub-.500 record from last season. My expectation is for anywhere between 80 and 90 wins, but I can see the team greatly outperforming expectations and winning 90+ games, just as must as I can see them underperformed and finishing with less than 80 wins.
The Yanks shortstop entered the history books by simply tapping his head after taking a first-pitch strike in his second at-bat of the season.
With New York up 5-0 after a five-run second, the history-making moment occurred with the first pitch of the top of the fourth inning when San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb tossed a91 mph sinker that was up-and-in and called a strike by home plate umpire Bill Miller.
"I wanted to go for it," Caballero said after the game.
The umpire got the call right as the pitch clipped the inside corner and the top of the strike zone, as confirmed by the quick review.
"It was really close. I didn't have an issue with that one," manager Aaron Boone said of the challenge after the game.
Caballero said he was a "little bit" surprised he didn't get the overturn. "I thought it was a little higher than what it showed, but at least it was close."
Despite the strike call on the challenge being upheld, Miller was far from perfect on the night. The very next pitch was a sinker that was well off the inside corner and called a strike. Caballero clearly looked perturbed, but didn't challenge. Had he lost it – he wouldn't have – that would have been it for the Yankees for the rest of the game.
Caballero, who knocked in the first run of the season with an RBI double to left, would ground out on the next pitch.
On the ABS system, Caballero said he thinks it will be good as it will "keep everyone accountable."
"It gives us a chance to really see if we are good with the zone or not," he said after his 1-for-4 day.
Of course, it was "cool" to make baseball history, but Caballero said he just wishes "it was the other way around."
Jose Caballero loses the first ABS challenge in Yankees and MLB history
The shortstop was the first to take the leap, but there were a few chances earlier in the game.
To name a few, on the second batter of the game, the first pitch from Webb to Aaron Judge was high, but called a strike. The third pitch of the at-bat was called a ball, but caught the bottom of the zone, so Miller’s two early missteps evened out. Judge would strike out swinging on a pitch off the inside corner on a 3-2 count.
In the second inning, Judge took a 1-0 fastball above the zone for a called strike that shouldn't have been. He later struck out as he started the day going down on strikes in his first four times up.
Giants third baseman Matt Chapman took a first-pitch cutter above the zone in the top of the first inning from Max Fried that was above the zone. Chpman would ground into a fielder's choice to short, with the Yanks getting an out at second base.
San Francisco catcher Patrick Bailey missed the biggest chance in the home half of the second with one out and a runner on first base when he was called out on strikes by Miller on a Fried fastball that was well off the inside corner.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb works against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
SAN FRANCISCO — Baseball’s new reality has arrived.
Giants starter Logan Webb dotted the upper outside corner to the first Yankee to bat in the top of the fourth inning Wednesday night, and home plate umpire Bill Miller ruled the pitch a strike.
Logan Webb dotted the upper outside corner to the first Yankee to bat in the top of the fourth inning. AP
The batter, Jose Caballero, tapped the top of his helmet. He wanted to challenge the call that put him down 0-2 in the count.
The process was over in a matter of seconds. Call confirmed.
The result was about the only thing that went in the Giants favor early on in the opening game of the MLB season. Caballero doubled home a pair of runs as the Yankees opened a 5-0 lead in the second inning.
In his second trip to the plate, Caballero was a part of history.
New to MLB this season, each team has the ability to challenge at least two ball-strike calls per game. While umpires continue to make the majority of the calls, the Automated Ball-Strike system can be used to confirm or overturn those rulings when initiated by the batter, pitcher or catcher.
Even with Bailey’s prowess, the Giants weren’t aggressive in deploying their challenges.
In his first at-bat, Bailey was called out on a pitch that was off the plate inside. He opted to walk back to the dugout rather than risk a challenge.
While teams start with two challenges, they only lose them when they are unsuccessful. Catchers were more likely to issue challenges than hitters or pitchers in spring.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is embracing the challenge he set in spring training.
In the early days of camp in Tampa, Fla., the Yankees second baseman said his goal for 2026 is a beefy one — hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases.
That feat has only been accomplished once, by Shohei Ohtani two seasons ago.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. throws to first base as Luis Arraez slides during the second inning of the Yankees-Giants opener at Oracle Park on March 25, 2026. Getty Images
But while talking with the Netflix broadcast in the second inning of Opening Day in San Francisco, Chisholm said he isn’t backing down from the challenge.
“Why not shoot for the stars and land on the moon?” Chisholm, who later stole his first base of the year, said during the Yankees’ 7-0 win. “I felt like every time I shoot low I end up low.”
Chisholm, in his first full season with the Yankees last year, blasted a career-high 31 homers with as many stolen bases, going 30-30 for the first time in his career. He became the first Yankee to go 30-30 since Alfonso Soriano in 2003.
He explained in February that he wouldn’t have set the goal for himself publicly if he didn’t believe he could accomplish it.
"Why not shoot for the stars and land on the moon?"
Yankees star Jazz Chisholm Jr. mic'd up against the Giants!
“I’m not going to say nothing that I don’t think I can do,” he said after getting on base twice in his spring debut, a 2-0 loss to the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. “I’m always going to speak positive into the atmosphere. I’m never going to tell myself or tell anybody that, ‘Oh, I’m just going to have a year where I hit 10 home runs and hit .250.’ Who does that sound like? A loser. That’s a loser.”
Chisholm, in the final year of his contract, started the season by getting drilled by a pitch from Giants ace Logan Webb in the second inning, scoring a run in a five-run Yankees outburst. He finished the game 1-for-3 with a single.
Jose Caballero used the ABS system on Opening Day.
SAN FRANCISCO — José Caballero made history Wednesday night, just not successfully.
The Yankees shortstop became the first player to challenge a pitch using the automated ball-strike system during the regular season. In a 7-0 win over the Giants at Oracle Park, he tried to get Logan Webb’s first pitch of the fourth inning flipped from a strike to a ball.
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The only problem was that upon review, the pitch clipped the corner of the strike zone and remained a strike, proving home plate umpire Bill Miller correct and costing the Yankees one of their two challenges.
“I wanted to go for it,” Caballero said. “I thought it was a little higher than what it showed. But at least it was close.”
Despite the unsuccessful bid, Caballero still ensured his place in baseball history. After the game, his helmet was in the process of being authenticated to become an artifact in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Presumably, another helmet, hat or catcher’s mask will be joining it in the coming days as the first successful challenge.
Jose Caballero loses the first ABS challenge in Yankees and MLB history
Jose Caballero used the ABS system on Opening Day.
Aaron Boone said before the game that he wanted the Yankees to be aggressive in using the ABS, while also keeping leverage in mind. Caballero was certainly aggressive, but it was not a leverage situation in a 0-0 count with the Yankees leading 5-0.
“It was really close,” Boone said of the pitch. “I didn’t have an issue with that one.”
Moving forward, Boone hopes the Yankees will be able to take advantage of the ABS, with no one (yet) forbidden from using a challenge.
“I feel like we’re going to be good at it,” Boone said. “That’s the expectation. I’m sure we’ll continue to evolve with it. My thoughts on it now maybe are a little bit different than even at the start [of camp], somewhat. So I would imagine as the season unfolds, those things will continue to evolve and we’ll try to exploit it as best we can.”
Jose Caballero became the first player in MLB history to challenge a call with ABS during the regular season. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Optioned to Triple-A as the odd man out in the four-man rotation to begin the season, Luis Gil threw live batting practice at the club’s player development complex Wednesday and built up to 80 pitches. It was the first of three outings he will make before likely jumping into the rotation when the Yankees need a fifth starter, around April 10.
“He had like 10 strikeouts, threw the ball well,” Boone said. “The intensity was there. I haven’t seen it, but sounds like it went really well.”
Gil will throw again in Tampa in five days — either another live batting practice or perhaps an extended spring training exhibition — and then head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start a game before he is ready to return to the big leagues.
Boone’s counterpart across the field Wednesday was making his major league debut. Giants manager Tony Vitello became the first man to make the jump straight from college head coach to major league manager.
“Everyone’s got a different path,” Boone said. “He came in with a lot more experience coaching and managing and things like that than I did, obviously managing really successfully — or head coaching really successfully — in the college ranks. I know he’s obviously had a ton of success and earned the opportunity and the right to be here.
“I’ll be available for any advice starting in a few days,” Boone added with a chuckle.
The Yankees made the procedural moves to finalize their 26-man roster Wednesday, placing Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole on the 15-day injured list and Anthony Volpe on the 10-day injured list, as they continue recovering from surgery.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Yankees weren’t the Bronx Bombers early on in their season-opener against the Giants, but it didn’t stop them from putting together a second-inning rally.
They scored five runs in the top of the second at Oracle Park — all with Giants ace Logan Webb on the mound.
Ben Rice grounded out to start the inning before Giancarlo Stanton singled to right-center for the Yankees’ first hit of the night.
José Caballero, right, hits an RBI double in front of San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, left, during the second inning of the Yankees-Giants opening night game on March 25, 2026. APTrent Grisham watches his two-run triple during the Yankees’ five-run second inning against the Giants. AP
Webb then hit Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a pitch and José Caballero opened the scoring with a double to left.
And the bottom of the lineup continued to produce, with Ryan McMahon following with a two-run single up the middle to make it 3-0.
Giants ace Logan Webb reacts after giving up a two-run single during the Yankees’ five-run second inning. AP
An Austin Wells single kept the rally going and Trent Grisham’s triple to right-center gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead.
The outburst ended with back-to-back strikeouts by Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 21: Andrew McCutchen #4 of the Texas Rangers bats during the third inning of the spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 21, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Texas Rangers playing the first game of their season tomorrow, they announced the formal procedural moves to finalize their roster today.
First of all, the Rangers have purchased the contract of outfielder/DH Andrew McCutchen. To make room for him on the 40 man roster, the Rangers have designated outfielder Dairon Blanco for assignment.
Infielder Cody Freeman has been placed on the 10 day injured list.
Pitcher Cody Bradford has been placed on the 15 day injured list.
Veteran NRIs Austin Gomber, Cal Quantrill, Josh Sborz and Tyler Wade are staying with the organization and being assigned to Round Rock.
Yu Darvish #11 of the San Diego Padres throws a pitch in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 02, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
The Padres’ Yu Darvish is headed to the restricted list.
The move could free up payroll for the salary-crunched franchise as players on MLB’s restricted list are generally not entitled to salary.
He is owed $15 million this season as part of the three years and $43 million left on the six-year, $108 million extension he signed with San Diego in 2023.
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) pitches in the first inning on Sunday, May 28, 2023 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Earlier this offseason, Darvish reportedly told the Padres that he was retiring, leaving his big contract on the table.
Darvish’s agent, Joel Wolfe, quickly refuted that claim, telling MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that his client’s days in the majors might not actually be over.
“You may have seen an article, and although I am leaning towards voiding the contract, there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres so the finer details are yet to be decided,” he wrote on X. “Also I will not be announcing my retirement yet.
“Right now I am fully focused on my rehab for my elbow, and if I get to a point where I can throw again, I will start from scratch again to compete. If once I get to that point I feel I can’t do that, I will announce my retirement.”
Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres throws a pitch in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 2, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images
A month after his latest surgery, Darvish, 39, indicated that he might never play in the big leagues.
In December, Darvish appeared uncertain if he would pitch again in the majors.
“I’m not necessarily thinking about really pitching, as I go through this rehab process right now,” Darvish said, per MLB.com. “I don’t have that in my mind. I’m just trying to just rehab my arm right now. If I get the urge to come back, if I feel that I can stand on the mound and come back, then I will go for that. But I’ll just leave it there for now.”
Darvish was limited by injuries in 2025 and didn’t debut until early July after dealing with elbow inflammation during the first half, tossing 72 innings and going 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA and 68 strikeouts across 15 starts.
The Mets begin their 2026 campaign as they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in their Opening Day game on Thursday at 1:15 p.m. on NBC/Peacock.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Freddy Peraltacontinues the trend of varying Opening Day starters for the Mets. Peralta will be the fifth straight different pitcher to start Opening Day for the Amazin's, the last repeat starter being Jacob deGrom from 2019-21.
Peralta pitched on Opening Day for the Brewers in 2025. He allowed two runs on four hits across five innings against the Yankees.
Carson Benge will start in right field on Thursday. The Mets' No. 2 prospect won the job after having a very good spring, where he slashed .366/.435/.439 with an OPS of .874.
Paul Skenes will take the mound for the Pirates and has had success against the Mets in his short career. Skenes is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 14 strikeouts across two career starts against the Mets.
Today's Lineups
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Freddy Peralta will take the mound for Opening Day on Thursday, a significant honor for his official welcome to the Mets and Citi Field.
Barring something unforeseen, though, the nod will not be paired with an extension that would have opened up the possibility for more Opening Day privileges.
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Peralta and the Mets are taking their will-they-won’t-they dance into the regular season. During Wednesday’s workout in Queens, both Peralta and president of baseball operations David Stearns declined comment concerning the possibility of an extension for a two-time All-Star pitcher whom the Mets acquired for a significant prospect package ahead of his walk year.
Peralta, for his part, smiled when giving his latest “no comment,” a persistent wink that has led to some speculation that the two could be working on a new pact.
Stearns clearly likes Peralta — he has acquired him twice, first with the Brewers, after which Stearns and Peralta agreed to a five-year extension in 2020 — and was willing to send top 100 prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee to bring in what the team hopes is its new ace.
Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Stearns also does not go deep with many starting pitchers — Sean Manaea’s three-year deal is Stearns’ longest with the Mets — and the 29-year-old Peralta presents an interesting case. He has been as reliable as any starter the past three years, each of which he turned in at least 30 starts while owning a 3.40 ERA.
And for a team whose clubhouse was suspect last season, Peralta arrived with a sparkling reputation that has only been strengthened.
Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“It’s a big smile, it’s authenticity, it’s love of baseball, appreciation for his teammates, support of his teammates,” Stearns said, “and we’ve seen all of that over the last six, seven weeks in camp.
“And we’re also going to see a really good competitor when he takes the mound. I think that’s sort of the trick with Freddy. He can be this genuine, positive individual, and then when he takes the mound in front of 45,000 people, he’s as competitive as anybody. It’s a lot of fun to watch.”
Peralta has been excited about pitching and living in New York, where the Dominican Republic native has plenty of family, and has been happy with his first months with the club, where “we are all on the same page here. We are all connected,” he said.
These are a couple ingredients that can help when extensions are discussed.
Of course, the pitcher, club and its chemistry will only begin getting tested Thursday against the Pirates and Paul Skenes.
“Very excited, grateful about the opportunity,” Peralta said. “I know it’s going to be great.”
Jose Caballero, home plate umpire Tom Fornarola, and Toronto catcher Brandon Valenzuela look on after Caballero challenged a pitch call during the Yankees' 8-7 spring training win over the Blue Jays on Feb. 24, 2026.
SAN FRANCISCO — More than any other team this spring, the Yankees racked up a quality sample size of data for the automated ball-strike system.
The time for trial and error is now over, but Aaron Boone hopes their aggressiveness remains, within reason.
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As the regular season got underway Wednesday with the Yankees squaring off against the Giants at Oracle Park, so too did the use of the ABS in games that counted, with Boone’s club trying to make the most of it.
“I feel like we’re going to be good at it,” Boone said a few hours before first pitch. “That’s the expectation. I’m sure we’ll continue to evolve with it. My thoughts on it now maybe are a little bit different than even at the start [of camp], somewhat. So I would imagine as the season unfolds, those things will continue to evolve and we’ll try to exploit it as best we can.”
The Yankees used 102 challenges during spring training, the most of any team, winning 54 of them. Their batters won 49 percent (24-for-49) of their challenges while their catchers and pitchers won 57 percent (30-for-53).
Entering the season, Boone said he will not have any hard and fast rules about who can or cannot challenge, though he has voiced his opinion about it in meetings with his players at the end of camp.
Jose Caballero, home plate umpire Tom Fornarola, and Toronto catcher Brandon Valenzuela look on after Caballero challenged a pitch call during the Yankees’ 8-7 spring training win over the Blue Jays on Feb. 24, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I’ve told some pitchers, like, ‘It’s frowned upon,’ ” Boone said. “But I feel like we’ve done a really good job of it this spring. I mean, it’s spring, so it’s hard to judge it totally, because especially some veteran players are probably trying out the limits of it, when maybe they wouldn’t otherwise. But I expect us to be really good at it.
“Really just trying to get our guys to understand leverage intuitively, instinctively, in the moment. Again, I want them to be aggressive, but obviously there’s times when it’s a bad idea to challenge one that you’re not certain on. Our pitchers, for the most part, have done a pretty good job. They’re not outright forbidden from doing it, but I want them to lean on their catcher.”
Some pitchers have said they do not plan on challenging because they are too emotional on the mound and think everything is a strike — along with often not having the best view of the pitch as it crosses the plate.
Teams will have two challenges per game and get to keep them if they are successful. There may be some inclination to save the challenges for late in the game in high-leverage moments, but Boone has argued that the biggest moment of a game could come in the third inning, depending on the situation. He just wants his players to keep leverage in the back of their mind for when to pull the trigger on a challenge.
Boone has also given his players instant feedback on their challenges during the season, often bluntly.
“I’ve been very direct with our guys when things have happened — good one, ‘Good,’ bad one, ‘Hey, that was terrible. Like that’s a 10 out of 10 bad,’ ” Boone said. “That’s how I’ve been with them. I told [José] Caballero one last week, I said, ‘No. Awful.’ [Carlos] Lagrange [on Monday], ‘That one’s for the catcher.’ So it’s been my little pet project if you will to try and just be on it as best I can. But I think guys have a real good feel for it.”
And while the ABS may take away some of the in-game arguing from managers, Boone, who has led the American League in ejections for five straight years, does not believe that will be going away entirely.
“I’m sure I will [find a way],” Boone said with a grin. “But we’ll see.”
SAN FRANCISCO — The toughest decisions Buster Posey had to make in his second time setting the Giants’ Opening Day roster revolved around three spots.
Posey opted for specialized skill sets over future potential by selecting Jared Oliva and Jerar Encarnacion over Luis Matos as San Francisco’s backup outfielders.
He decided to deprioritize platoon advantages by sending Drew Gilbert and Will Brennan, two left-handed-hitting outfielders, to the minor leagues, leaving first-year manager Tony Vitello with five right-handed hitters on his bench.
SAN FRANCISCO — The toughest decisions Buster Posey had to make in his second time setting the Giants’ Opening Day roster revolved around three spots. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConPosey opted for specialized skill sets over future potential by selecting Jared Oliva and Jerar Encarnacion over Luis Matos as San Francisco’s backup outfielders. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
And he decided to go with new additions rather than known quantities to round out the Giants’ bullpen, selecting righty Caleb Kilian and lefty Ryan Borucki over Spencer Bivens and Tristan Beck, who both spent much of 2025 with the big-league club.
“The Matos one was hard,” Posey told a group of beat writers, including The California Post, after setting the Giants’ 26-man roster ahead of their season opener Wednesday against the Yankees. “Ultimately, [we] felt like carrying Oliva with what he can do on the basepaths, defensively, is a weapon for us. … With Jerar, the hope is to have some power.”
Matos, a 24-year-old former top prospect, was out of options and designated for assignment. Posey said the Giants are hopeful he clears waivers, but it’s unlikely given his pedigree.
While Encarnacion was also out of options, and Oliva had to be added to the 40-man roster as a non-roster invitee this spring, Posey said the decision had as much to do with a Giants lineup that is expected to have everyday players in at least eight of the nine spots.
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“The discussion we’ve had internally is that we feel fortunate that we have a group of position players that wants to be out there every day,” Posey said. “It’s gonna be our job, Tony’s job, medical’s job, to make sure that we keep them as fresh and out there as much as possible.”
The pair of left-handed outfield options would have provided similar speed and defense as Oliva, but Posey said he wanted both to get everyday at-bats after Gilbert missed a chunk of spring training with a shoulder impingement and Brennan returns from injuries last season.
Top Giants prospect Bryce Eldridge likely will join the MLB club this season. AP
The battle to back up Patrick Bailey at catcher was one of the closest-fought all spring, with Rule 5 pick Daniel Susac beating out Eric Haase, who was released by San Francisco.
Susac became the first Rule 5 selection to make the Giants’ roster out of spring training since Blake Sabol in 2022, but Posey said he didn’t take Susac’s Rule 5 status into consideration.
“I really wanted to see which player stood out the most, and both played well,” Posey said. “Daniel, I think the most important part, carried himself well defensively and swung the bat well also.”
Posey’s most anticipated decision came last week, when the Giants optioned top prospect Bryce Eldridge to Triple-A. The 21-year-old first baseman responded to the demotion by homering twice in exhibition games the past three days.
Posey believes a conversation with vice president of player development Randy Winn got Eldridge back on track after a poor ending to spring at the plate, though he didn’t commit to a timeline for the top prospect to join the big-league club.
“I think he got a little bit technical and mechanical in spring training,” Posey said. “Randy simply said just make sure you see the ball. That’s the most important thing: to see the ball. Because he’s such a physical force. For a 21-year-old, the skill set is already very, very refined as a hitter. …
“Bryce has a bright future in front of him. I think what he’s got going for him the most is his belief in his own ability but also from what I can tell his understanding of the changes that he needs to make to become the best player.”
