CHICAGO — Jason Heyward, who launched his 16-year major league career with the Atlanta Braves in 2010 and won a World Series title with the Chicago Cubs in 2016, announced his retirement on Friday.
Heyward played in 34 games with San Diego in 2025, hitting .176.
For his career, Heyward hit .255 with 186 home runs with six teams. He also played for St. Louis, Houston and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The outfielder won five Gold Gloves, including four straight seasons from 2014 through 2017.
Heyward, whose nickname is “J Hey,” played his first five seasons with the Braves and set career highs with 27 homers and 82 RBIs for Atlanta in 2012. He was drafted by the Braves in 2007 from Henry County High School in suburban Atlanta.
Heyward played for the Cubs for seven seasons, from 2016 through 2022. He said he plans to focus on his Jason Heyward Baseball Academy, a youth development program based in Chicago.
“I wanted to reach this moment and know without a doubt that it was time to walk away, and I do,” Heyward said in a statement. “No second-guessing, no looking back, just gratitude.”
Heyward said playing 16 years in the major leagues “gave me everything, and now I get to give some of that back. Through the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy, I get to mentor the next generation, keep my hands in the game, and make sure kids in my community have the opportunities and the space to dream the same way I did.”
The Mets lost lefty Bryan Hudson on Friday, as he was claimed off waivers by the White Sox.
Hudson actually landed with New York in a deal with Chicago this offseason.
He seemed like a strong early-season insurance policy as A.J. Minter continued working his way back from a lat injury, but ended up struggling mightily during Grapefruit League play.
The southpaw allowed six runs on five hits and three walks over just 3.1 innings of work.
New York ultimately decided to bring back Richard Lovelady to fill the final spot in their bullpen instead, and Hudson ended up being DFA'd ahead of Opening Day.
Now he lands back with the White Sox, where he'll look to carve out a role in their bullpen.
The Mets' other two final roster cuts did, however, remain in the organization as catcher Ben Rortvedt and versatile infielder Vidal Bruján cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A.
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 17: Washington Nationals Manager Blake Butera (L) puts on a Nationals jersey as he is introduced during a press conference at Nationals Park on November 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Butera became the eighth manager in Nationals team history and the youngest manager in Major League Baseball since 1972. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Nationals fans saw the lineup card yesterday, many of them scratched their heads. It was an unconventional alignment, with Andres Chaparro hitting second and CJ Abrams hitting sixth. Buckle up because this is not going to be the last time we see an odd looking lineup. Blake Butera is going to shuffle his lineup around based on the matchup a lot this season.
Nationals 3/26
Wood LF Chaparro 1B House 3B Lile DH Wiemer RF Abrams SS Nuñez 2B Ruiz C Young CF
Tinkering with lineups and bullpen usage is going to be part of the Nats new philosophy this season. Honestly, Davey Martinez had started to tinker with his lineups more in the last couple years, but we will see it taken to an even more extreme degree this season. CJ Abrams was almost always the leadoff man and James Wood was usually right behind him. This year, we are not going to have as good of an idea as to what the lineup will look like.
That is both cool to see, but I am sure it will be frustrating at times. You want to play the matchups, but at the same time you do not want to out think the room. At the end of the day, you want your best hitters at the top of the lineup. However, who your best hitters are can vary depending on the matchup.
When I saw Andres Chaparro in the two hole, I was a bit bemused at first. Sure, he hits lefties well, but that was not who I would have expected to hit second. If you gave me five chances to guess who was hitting second, Chaparro would not have been in my top five. However, Butera put him there and the move worked, with Chappy collecting two hits.
Let's get crazy, folks. Whoever had Andres Chaparro hitting second on Opening Day, please collect your winnings. https://t.co/2iQ4Z5xdz9
This has been the case the last few seasons, but more than ever, the Nats lineup will look very different depending on whether the pitcher is righty or lefty. The Nats platooned plenty under Davey, but usually guys like Wood and Abrams stayed at the top of the lineup. Honestly, I cannot remember the last time CJ Abrams hit lower than 4th in a lineup.
Abrams is not even a total liability against lefties, Butera just thought guys like Chaparro and Joey Wiemer matched up better against Matthew Boyd. I am curious to see what the lineup looks like tomorrow against a right handed pitcher. Presumably Chaparro and Wiemer will be out of the lineup, but what will the alignment look like?
Luis Garcia Jr. is likely to be the first baseman and hit pretty high in the lineup. However, I have no clue who will DH assuming the outfield is Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and James Wood. My best guess would be one of Jose Tena or Jorbit Vivas, but neither screams DH to me. It will also be interesting to see if the switch hitting Nasim Nunez stays in the lineup. He always provides value with his feet and glove, but he is a better hitter as a righty.
There will also be more that goes into consideration besides platoon splits though. I am sure the Nats are plugging in all sorts of numbers and seeing which combination is the best. This numbers based system will lead to plenty of surprises as we head through the season.
I think the "who does X against LHP/RHP" isn't going to explain the lineups anymore. The team is clearly looking at a ton of factors beyond handedness for lineups. It won't be immediately obvious to us why a guy is starting or not each day. https://t.co/0HUF3OTfdf
Lineups are not the only thing that will be different though. We saw yesterday that Blake Butera had a quick hook with Cade Cavalli. Butera asked the bullpen to get 16 outs and they rose to the occasion yesterday.
One thing I think we will see a lot more of is Butera weaponizing multi-inning relief arms. Both Brad Lord and Ken Waldichuk are well equipped to go multiple innings. Butera is going to want at least one of those guys available most of the time.
We saw Lord get the Nats 7 outs yesterday and that was huge. The Nats are going to lean more on their bullpen this year and that is good because I think this unit will be better than expected.
Another unknown after yesterday is who the Nats closer is and if they will have one at all. If I had to guess, I would have predicted that Clayton Beeter would be the Nats closer. However, Butera used him in the 8th inning of a 4 run game. Cionel Perez was in for the 9th, but at that point the Nats had blown the game open.
Like with the lineup, the Nats are going to mix and match with their high leverage arms. The Nats are going to have a few guys who are designated as high leverage arms, but I do not think any one of them will be “the closer”.
Some nights it will be Beeter, some days it will be Cionel Perez and other times it could be Cole Henry. As the season goes along, other names could establish themselves as high leverage arms as well. The Nats are going to be a very different baseball team this year and it is refreshing.
Blake Butera is going to follow a script for most games, but that script can change radically from game to game. Yesterday, his unorthodox moves paid off and he looked like a genius. However, there will be nights where these big brained moves back fire. That is just baseball. Hopefully, Butera’s big moves pay dividends more often than not.
The Cubs officially announced the long-term signing of Pete Crow-Armstrong by press release late Thursday. As is the team’s custom, they did not announce the terms, though it has been reported as a six-year, $115 million deal with no opt-outs that will begin next year.
That binds PCA to the Cubs through 2032. Late Thursday, news broke of the extension of Nico Hoerner on a similar six-year deal, though we do not know the terms yet. Presuming Nico’s deal also begins in 2027, both these players will be with the team through 2032.
Given that and the long-term deals for Dansby Swanson (through 2029), Alex Bregman (through 2030) and Michael Busch not being eligible for free agency until after 2029, that makes a five-player core for this team for at least four more seasons (including 2026).
That’s a pretty good core that Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer has built, I’d think.
PCA met the media Friday afternoon for the first time since the signing was announced. Before I tell you about that, though, I would commend you to read three articles:
In the Players Tribune article in particular, you can see how PCA is just really an overgrown big kid, having fun playing baseball. I love that attitude and it’s one of the biggest reasons PCA is so popular among Cubs fans. That is certainly one of the reasons the team wanted him locked up long-term, as it’s always good for a contending team to have a “face of the franchise.” For the World Series era Cubs, it was Anthony Rizzo — you could see that in the reaction he received when he threw out a ceremonial pitch on Opening Day. PCA’s the same kind of charismatic individual who will be great in that role.
Now, here are a few highlights of PCA’s presser Friday afternoon.
First, PCA being PCA — wearing a fancy tuxedo-style jacket. I would have expected nothing less. The presser began with Hoyer noting how great PCA is with kids, thanked his parents and assistant general manager Jared Banner, who was with the Mets when they drafted PCA. Hoyer said Banner pushed hard at the 2021 deadline to make the deal. Jed also thanked PCA for being the kind of person he is.
For PCA, he thanked both his parents, especially for “all the hours they put in” and said he’s hoping to move them to Chicago full-time now that he’s signed long-term. He also thanked the Ricketts family and is proud to represent the entire organization, saying he’s loved all the time he’s spent in Chicago.
To Banner, PCA said he was “glad he didn’t hold it against me for showing up late the first day of Mets camp” and said that began an excellent relationship with him.
Hoyer said, “This was a player we anted to make a commitment to. Five years wasn’t enough, from a playing standpoint and a brand standpoint, Pete is a very easy person to invest in.” I do think that was a key part of this, knowing that PCA is the kind of person and player who’s perfect to be that “face of the franchise.” Hoyer made a point of noting that PCA’s jersey is among the top 10 sellers in all of baseball, and PCA himself noted that he saw some of that support outside Chicago last year in Tokyo. But he also added, “I’m most excited about being in Chicago for the next six-plus years, very lucky to be in an amazing city and around the people here.”
He added, “This is one of the most unique baseball cities in the world, I would argue that it’s the best. It was the coolest thing for me to learn about Cubs fans and the attention they pay. They’re not quick to turn things negative. It really helps us as players to play in front of people who want to win, but are also just happy to be at the ballpark and watch baseball.”
PCA was asked about something I noted earlier in this article, about his interaction with young fans. He said, “If I treat them well, they will associate those kinds of memories when they think about baseball. Young fans will continue the game, so it’s good to look out for the greater good of baseball. But just treating people with kindness is the most important thing.” This is a 24-year-old (indeed, he just turned 24 two days ago) who really has some keen insights about people in general.
Asked about manager Craig Counsell, PCA said his presence is “big” but “mild-mannered.” He called Counsell very thoughtful and that he cares about players as people and njoys playing for him every day.
Lastly, I was amused when PCA said, “This (referring to the presser) is more nervewracking than standing in center field.”
Fortunately, we all know he’s got the confidence to play amazing defense in center field. Hopefully, his 2026 season — and the six after that — will be, at the plate for PCA, more like last year’s first half.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 04: Alex Verdugo #8, Michael Harris II #23, and Eli White #36 of the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Braves mascot Blooper react after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Sunday, May 4, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last year the Braves suffered their first losing season since 2017, dropping 86 games amid a myriad of injuries. New manager Walt Weiss is hoping for better health this year, but the team is already missing catcher Sean Murphy, infielder Ha-Seong Kim, and pitchers Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Joe Jiménez to begin the season. Still, PECOTA projects them for 89 wins, and they still feature a team with some big boppers and solid arms.
The Braves offense was in the middle of the pack last year in runs scored, although they fared better in the second half of the season. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley each missed significant time with injury last year, but are capable of providing All-Star numbers. Matt Olson was 11th among National League hitters in fWAR, and tied for 13th in the league with 29 home runs. Michael Harris II became the 12th player in Braves history to put up a 20/20 season.
The team added former Royals outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, who hit very well down the stretch in Kansas City last season. He will have to make up for the loss of Marcell Ozuna, who left for the Pirates, and Jurickson Profar, who will serve a year-long suspension for PEDs. Slick-fielding Mauricio Dubón takes over at shortstop, and the team filled out the roster with non-roster invitees Dominic Smith and Kyle Farmer.
*-All numbers from 2025
The Braves pitching staff has been hit hard with injuries over the last year, but 2024 Cy Young winner Chris Sale is healthy enough to get the Opening Day start. The 36-year-old has a 13-10 record against the Royals in his career with a 2.66 ERA in 189.2 innings.
Reynaldo López missed most of last year after a shoulder injury that required surgery, and there is concern he may not be right after some low velocity numbers in spring training. He had a 1.99 ERA in his first year with the Braves in 2024, earning an All-Star nod.
Grant Holmes is recovering from a partially torn UCL and a flexor strain that ended his season prematurely last season. He throws his slider 35 percent of the time, and opponents hit just .183 against it last year.
*-All numbers from 2025
Robert Suarez led the National League with 40 saves in San Diego last year. He will set up Braves closer Raisel Iglesias this year, giving them one of the best 1-2 bullpen combos in baseball. The Braves bullpen had a 4.19 ERA last year, but was awful down the stretch as injuries piled up. This year’s pen gets thin quickly, with former Royals reliever Joel Payamps winning a spot, along with rookie Didier Fuentes.
*-All numbers from 2025
This will be just the sixth visit to Atlanta for the Royals, but they took two of three against the Braves last year in Kansas City. The Braves are a good team, but injuries have exposed them a bit. The Royals have a chance to get the season off to a good start if they can get the bats going early.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 26: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the first inning on Opening Day against the Texas Rangers at Citizens Bank Park on March 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cristopher Sanchez was phenomenal during Thursday’s season opener against Texas. Seeing him put up six innings of shutout baseball is more and more becoming the normal expectation for a start of his, a mark of not only an exceptional player development success, but also the work put in by Sanchez to get to that point.
The Phillies have seen this work and rewarded it, giving him an extra two years on his original deal due to his excellence the past year and a half. It continues a trend of theirs to obtain, develop and extend starting pitchers in their organization. Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo – all show that the team is fearless when it comes to giving starting pitchers what they as a team believe to be something important to their organization. Yet the question I asked was if it was a wise use of resources, the allocation of a significant amount of their payroll resources to the starting rotation. The results?
That’s a resounding affirmation from the fanbase that what they are doing is a good decision. While putting that much money (~$101 million) into the starting rotation would scare off a lot of teams, the Phillies have made it a pillar of their team building and it has helped them get to the postseason the past four years. We can also thank whatever training and rest/recovery regimen they have, but the pitchers are the ones that are doing the work.
The Detroit Tigers will try to make it two in a row as Framber Valdez takes the mound for them against the San Diego Padres tonight.
Detroit looks to have a major pitching advantage in this one, which is why I’m taking it to win outright in my Tigers vs. Padres predictions.
Keep reading for my full MLB picks for Friday, March 27.
Tigers vs Padres predictions
Tigers vs Padres best bet: Tigers moneyline (+110)
Framber Valdez will make his Detroit Tigers debut tonight, and Detroit is expecting him to deliver the same performances he put together in Houston for the past few years.
Valdez has been one of the game’s best ground-ball pitchers, getting batters to hit it on the ground 61.5% of the time in his career.
The San Diego Padres will counter with Michael King, and should be concerned with his recent struggles. King threw to a 10.19 ERA and 1.868 WHIP this spring.
Unless he turns things around instantly, the Tigers should jump on King and win tonight.
COVERS INTEL: The Padres struggled against left-handed pitching in 2025, hitting just .244 with a .690 OPS against southpaws for the season.
Tigers vs Padres same-game parlay (SGP)
I’m backing the Tigers to win, and I’m pairing that with a couple player props to form a same-game parlay for tonight.
First, let’s take Valdez to hit the Over on his strikeout total. Valdez is averaging 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings, and hit the 5+ strikeout mark in 20 of his 31 starts last year.
I’ll also take Riley Greene to pick up his first hit of the year after taking an 0-for-4 in the season opener. Greene was one of Detroit's most important hitters in 2025, producing 36 homers and 111 RBI.
Tigers vs Padres SGP
Tigers moneyline
Framber Valdez Over 4.5 strikeouts
Riley Greene to record a hit
Tigers vs Padres home run pick: Spencer Torkelson (+450)
These are generous odds on Spencer Torkelson to get off the mark with his first home run on Friday.
The Tigers 1B matched his career-high with 31 homers in 2025, and all signs are that his power was still there in spring training.
The longball played a big part in King’s struggles in the preseason, where he allowed nine homers in 17 2/3 innings of work. If that’s not entirely worked out as we move into the first weeks of the season, it makes King a great target for HR props.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 1-1, -0.28 units
SGPs: 0-2, -2.00 units
HR picks: 0-2, -2.00 units
Tigers vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Detroit +110 | San Diego -130
Run line: Detroit +1.5 | San Diego -1.5
Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Tigers vs Padres trend
The Padres were 4-7 straight up in King’s last 11 starts of the 2025 season. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Padres.
How to watch Tigers vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Friday, March 27, 2026
First pitch
9:40 p.m. ET
TV
DSN, SDPA
Tigers starting pitcher
Framber Valdez (2025: 13-11, 3.66 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
Michael King (2025: 5-3, 3.44 ERA)
Tigers vs Padres latest injuries
Tigers vs Padres 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.
Cleveland outfielder Chase DeLauter shined in his regular-season debut in the Guardians' 6-4 win over the Mariners in Thursday's Opening Day matchup at T-Mobile Park.
Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter shined in his regular-season debut in Cleveland’s 6-4 win over the Mariners in Thursday’s Opening Day matchup at T-Mobile Park.
His family and his girlfriend, Isabella Fitzwater, couldn’t contain their excitement when DeLauter hit his first career home run in the top of the first inning to give Cleveland an early 1-0 lead.
But before they could celebrate, they had to make sure the hit was legit.
The broadcast focused on DeLauter’s family standing and waiting for the umpire to signal his finger in the air and circle it — and when he did, they began cheering, as seen in an X video by MLB.
The 24-year-old DeLauter went 3-for-5 with two home runs to become the first player in Cleveland franchise history to hit multiple home runs in his regular-season debut.
Cleveland outfielder Chase DeLauter’s family was there to see him hit two home runs in his regular-season debut in the Guardians’ 6-4 win over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 27, 2026. X/MLB
The broadcast showed his family again cheering during his second homer to right field at the top of the ninth inning, which gave the Guardians a 6-4 lead over Seattle.
DeLauter became the seventh player in MLB history to hit two homers in his first regular-season game, and the first since Trevor Story in 2016, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
His girlfriend praised him in an Instagram Story post.
“AN OPENING DAY HOMERUN!!!!!” Fitzwater wrote, including a few teary-eyed emojis and a photo of him blasted on the scoreboard. “@chasedelauter you never fail to amaze me.”
After his second homer, she wrote, “ARE WE SERIOUS @chasedelauter the most deserving I love you.”
DeLauter’s dad, his stepdad, mom, brother, best friend and his best friend’s mom were all in attendance, according to MLB.com.
Cleveland Guardians’ Chase DeLauter jogs the bases after hitting a solo home run against Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert during the first inning of an opening-day baseball game, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Seattle. AP
He shared that his dad flew to Seattle from back home in West Virginia and had not flown in a while.
“It’s unbelievable,” his dad, Jason, said. “I know the debut in the playoffs, he was super excited about that. We were blindsided by it, to be able to get called up like that. He’s just worked. He’s continued to work. None of this was guaranteed.”
The Guardians and Mariners face off again Friday night at T-Mobile Park.
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 25: Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. looks on during warm ups prior to Game Two of the 2025 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Saturday, October 25, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Michael Chisholm/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
ReadingYankee asks:I can’t possibly be expected to keep so many streaming services for the sake of watching a handful of baseball games in a season. Will all of this streaming of baseball games have a point where it stops expanding? Or, perhaps a better question is will we ever go back to a one-stop service where an out-of-market family can watch ALL the games in a season?
Everyone is looking ahead to the 2027 season and the labor dispute that’s sure to boil over into a lockout, and with good reason, but the media rights landscape that MLB is navigating may just be the second-biggest issue facing the sport right now. The league is pushing streaming heavily these past couple of years, securing deals with Apple, Amazon Prime, and now Netflix among the biggest names to get a foothold on covering regular season games. They’re hardly the only league to be doing so, but MLB faces the dual issue of being a more regional broadcast sport compared to the others in the North American big four, and those regional networks are struggling right now. Turnover from bankruptcy has seen the likes of Bally Sports and the FanDuel Network already come and go in a lot of places, leaving many franchises in a bit of a bind with their day-to-day broadcasts.
The Yankees haven’t felt this side of the issue as much, thanks to the success of the YES Network freeing them up to be one of the few flagship stations that’s thriving. However, that success then gets cut into by the league forcing a foothold for streaming, because any media rights deal is going to demand to see a premier franchise like the Yankees on their site. This leads to a massive headache for the fans, and at the same time isn’t even pulling many new eyes towards the league — but it is bringing in a wave of revenue. I don’t know how they can remedy these issues, but one thing is for sure: the league isn’t slowing down on this front anytime soon, unfortunately.
Russo Radio asks: Why are we holding onto Blackburn as a sure ‘pen member? What am I missing? It looks to me like he gave up basically five runs a game for years and still does the same now!
The simple answer is that bullpen depth is bullpen depth, and the team sees enough in Paul Blackburn to give him some room to throw in the bottom of the ‘pen — at least to start the year out. He’s only been with the team since the back-half of last year, but his numbers largely showed improvement since coming over from the Mets: his strikeout rate spiked from 16.4 percent to 24.6 percent, his walk rate dipped a bit to 6.2 percent, and while his ERA remained high at an unsightly 5.28 his FIP was a much more manageable 4.39, while his expected rates were significantly lower than that mark at 2.92 and 3.54 respectively. That’s enough to showcase room for tinkering with Matt Blake and company, so while the early reserves of the pitching staff are being used to support the starting rotation with three regular members still out, Blackburn can stick around and work with the mop up role. There’s the potential that he earns his way into some middle leverage, but at worst-case the Yankees move on once pitchers start to return and push the fringe starters back into the bullpen.
treatycity asks:This applies to Winquest. Drafted as Rule 5 player the Yanks must keep him on their MLB roster the entire season, so he’s on their 40-man. Let’s just say that he stays on their 40-man the entire season, would he have three options available starting next season, if they need/want to use them?
To clarify, it’s not enough for Cade Winquest to sit on the 40-man roster all year — he has to stay on the active 26-man roster, barring IL stints, all season in order for the Rule 5 restrictions to be lifted. Should he accomplish that, and log more than 90 days on the active roster in the case of a long-term IL trip, then he’ll be freed up to the larger 40-man roster and regain the options in his rookie contract starting next year.
FORT MYERS, FL - MARCH 21: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Opening Day for the Atlanta Braves is finally here and they will actually be playing a home game. The last time they had a home game to open the season was back in 2022 against the Cincinnati Reds where Max Fried gave up five earned runs, resulting in a loss.
Today they will be taking on the Kansas City Royals and their ace Cole Ragans. Ragans had a hard year last season with a groin injury and a rotator cuff injury which shortened his season to only thirteen starts. In 61.2 innings he struggled to a 4.67 ERA, but had a solid WHIP of 1.18.
Ragans is good example where a small sample size hurt his ERA. According to Statcast he had an expected ERA (xERA) of 2.67, which would be in the best 4.0 of MLB. He also struck out 38.1 percent of the hitters he faced, which is good for top 3.0 percent of all qualified pitchers. Hitters only had an expected batting average of .187. Needless to say, he showed many signs of his ERA dropping over time, even in an injury riddled season. The Braves may have their hands full trying to squeak out runs today, which is why it is odd that as of right now Jonah Heim is slotted to start.
Kyle Farmer is second on the ream with eleven at-bats against Ragans and has struggled to an OPS of .606, albeit with a .273 average. This may be why Heim is in the lineup and Farmer is not. Mauricio Dubón leads the team with twelve at-bats and has been successful against Ragans with a .333 average and .916 OPS. He could be the key to winning this game.
Of all the other players that will start, no one has more than two at-bats. Austin Riley hit a two-run HR in his only at-bat against Ragans and Michael Harris had a double in one of his two at-bats. Everyone one else is hitless. Ragans’ lone appearance against the Braves was in 2023 as a member of the Rangers where he came in as a long reliever to pitch 3.0 innings and surrendered four ER.
Chris Sale will be getting the ball as the Opening Day starter for the Braves yet again this season. This is seventh time in his career to get that honor. Three with the White Sox, two with the Red Sox, and two with the Braves.
Of the players that Sale will likely face today, no one comes close to the number of at-bats that Salvador Perez has against him. Perez has faced him an astonishing sixty-eight times. No one else on the Royals has faced him more than seven. In those sixty-eight at-bats Perez has one HR with a .265 average and .628 OPS. Lane Thomas and Starling Marte have each faced Sale seven times and have an OPS of .679 and .572 respectively.
With the Braves’ rotation being as depleted as it is, every Chris Sale start will have even more importance. Today is only the first game of many this season, but it would be encouraging to get a Chris Sale dominated start and prevent on the first day this season what happened last season when the Braves got swept to start the season.
Reigning division champs collide again at T-Mobile Park as the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners lock horns — and it’ll take some special hitting to top last night’s home run blitz.
These teams combined for six dingers in yesterday’s season opener, with Cleveland picking up a 6-4 win, and my Guardians vs. Mariners predictions expect Jose Ramirez to lead the charge for the visitors in this rematch.
Get the lowdown on this clash with my free MLB picks for Friday, March 27.
Guardians vs Mariners predictions
Guardians vs Mariners best bet: Jose Ramirez Over 1.5 total bases (+140)
If you’re in the market for consistent production, look no further than Jose Ramirez. His hit totals for the past four seasons read: 168, 172, 173, 168 – and there’s no sign of decline for the wily veteran.
Ramirez thumped a two-RBI double last night to turn the contest in the Cleveland Guardians favor, and he’s had success against Seattle Mariners starter George Kirby to the tune of a 6-for-12 record, with three doubles and a homer.
When the Mariners go to the bullpen, it’s worth noting that Ramirez also has a pair of hits against key relievers Gabe Speier and Andres Muñoz.
COVERS INTEL: George Kirby allowed a .264 average to left-handers last season, and that lines up nicely for the switch-hitting Ramirez and the other lefties in the Guardians lineup
Guardians vs Mariners same-game parlay (SGP)
I’ll take the run line with a pesky Cleveland offense that’s packed with lefties, while trusting that Gavin Williams – coming off a 3.06 ERA last year – can match Kirby.
The visitors, and they’ve got a real lead-off weapon in rookie Chase DeLauter, who marked his first regular season outing with two solo dingers last night.
Then it’s all about the elite hitting on show. Ramirez has already opened his RBI account for 2026, and Julio Rodriguez can point to three career hits against Williams. J-Rod went 0-for-4 yesterday, but he finished with 174 hits and 95 RBIs in 2025.
Guardians vs Mariners SGP
Guardians +1.5
Jose Ramirez Over 0.5 hits
Julio Rodriguez Over 0.5 hits
Guardians vs Mariners home run pick: Cal Raleigh (+290)
After a magical run last year, Cal Raleigh didn’t do himself any favors during the WBC, but look for his bat to do the talking tonight. Another regular season with 60 homers might be a stretch, but I’m wagering on The Big Dumper to mash his first long ball of the year here.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 1-0, +0.65 units
SGPs: 0-1, -1 units
HR picks: 0-1, -1 units
Guardians vs Mariners odds
Moneyline: Cleveland +143 | Seattle -158
Run line: Cleveland +1.5 (-150) | Seattle -1.5 (+130)
Over/Under: Over 7 (-105) | Under 7 (-115)
Guardians vs Mariners trend
The Over is 7-3 in the past 10 meetings between these teams. Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Mariners.
How to watch Guardians vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Friday, March 27, 2026
First pitch
9:45 p.m. ET
TV
Apple TV
Guardians starting pitcher
Gavin Williams (2025: 12-5, 3.06 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcher
George Kirby (2025: 10-8, 4.21 ERA)
Guardians vs Mariners latest injuries
Guardians vs Mariners 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.
Jonah Tong | (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
First Half Record: 31-44 (7/10, International League East Division)
Second Half Record: 46-29 (2/10, International League East Division)
When the 2025 season began, the Syracuse Mets had an assortment of the Mets’ top prospects and an additional nineteen players with major league experience. Syracuse had ended the second half of the 2024 season as one of the worst in the International League, but with so much talent on board, expectations were that the team would turn things around.
All in all, the team got off to a sluggish start and struggled to really build momentum, with the promotion-and-demotion of players augmenting the Mets’ lineup really having an effect on the team. They ended the first half with a 31-44 record, 7th in the International League East Division, 16.0 games behind the first place Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, and were one of the bottom teams in all of Triple-A baseball. In the second half, Syracuse benefited from promotions from Double-A Binghamton, with top prospects such as Carson Benge, Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean, and Ryan Clifford all suiting up for Syracuse. Additionally, a handful of players who had otherwise struggled in the first half righted the ship to some degree. The team went 46-29 in the second half, their magic number running out in the last week of the season.
Dick Scott will be returning as team skipper, his fourth year as manager. Joining him will be John Nogowski, who will be serving as bench coach, A.J. Sager, who will be serving as pitching coach, and Nate Irving, who will be serving as hitting coach. Nogowski will be replacing 2025 bench coach J.P. Arencibia, while Sager will be reprising his 2025 role and Irving will be replacing 2025 hitting coach Rick Guarno.
The 2026 season will be Dick Scott’s thirteenth year in the New York Mets organization. Besides coaching Syracuse for the last four, he also served as Coordinator of Coaching Development and Instruction in 2021-2022, New York Mets bench coach in 2016-2017, Director of Player Development in 2012-2015, and was a Minor League Field Coordinator in 2011-2012.
The 2026 season will be John Nogowski’s first season not just with the Mets, but as a coach. The infielder attended Florida State University and was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 34th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, the 1,032nd player selected overall. He was released in 2017, signed a contract with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association a few months later, and then was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals a few weeks later. He remained in their organization for the next few years, making his MLB debut in 2020, and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash considerations in July 2021, getting released by them at the end of the season.
A.J. Sager will be returning to the role that he held last season for Syracuse and will be returning to the Mets for his sixth season. Prior to serving as pitching coach for the Syracuse Mets, he was the pitching coach for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 2022-2023 and was pitching coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2021. Before he was a coach in the Mets organization, he was a coach for twenty years with the Detroit Tigers.
The 2026 season will be Nate Irving’s first season as Syracuse hitting coach and will be his second season with the Mets. In 2025, he served as Binghamton Rumble Ponies hitting coach. Prior to joining the organization, he coached in the Cincinatti Reds system, serving as hitting coach for the Single-A Daytona Tortugas in 2024, the ACL Reds in 2023, and as bench coach for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts in 2022. Additionally, he served as a hitting coach for the Bravos de Margarita of the Venezuelan League during the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons.
The Syracuse Mets will be opening the 2026 season against the Worcester Red Sox at Polar Park this afternoon at 4:05 PM EDT. And here’s their full Opening Day roster.
SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: In this photo illustration, the Fubo TV logo is displayed on a television screen on January 06, 2025 in San Anselmo, California. Disney announced plans to merge pay-TV streaming provider Fubo Hulu + Live TV which will have a combined 6.2 million North American subscribers. Disney will own 70% of the joint venture. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s another television vendor that will be carrying BravesVision. An actual cable-like streamer, FuboTV, is part of the BravesVision family.
Atlanta Braves and Fubo Reach Multiyear Distribution Agreement for BravesVision: pic.twitter.com/zArOdmvzOG
FuboTV and Braves has agreed a multiyear partnership to carry BravesVision, the Braves’ owned and operated network. BravesVision will be available for the customers in Atlanta’s television footprint, which contains Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and western North Carolina.
FuboTV has undergone a multitude of changes in the last decade. They attempted to carry all sports channels from Fox, Disney, NBC, and Paramount. They were blocked via their cable partners from doing so. Then they sued when Fox, Disney, and Paramount attempted to build Venu, which was to combine all their sports offerings. Now Disney owns 70 percent of the streamer. The BravesVision addition may be a swipe at fellow cableish streamer YouTube, who hasn’t carried the Braves for about a half decade.
So this might be good news for those wishing to watch the Braves on YouTube TV. But for now, BravesVision is on FuboTV. The recent BravesVision announcements haven’t stated which tier or what the price point will be. But like Spectrum and Xfinity customers, you have your option.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch during a spring training game against the Houston Astros at Roger Dean Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before we dive into an analysis of Matthew Liberatore’s arsenal changes from spring training, let me take a second to introduce myself. I’ve been reading VEB for as long as I can remember. It’s always been an awesome place for analysis and fan commentary. I hope, in some small way, to be able to contribute to that ethic and help grow this community. I’m looking forward to the journey!
Like any good Rachel Ray pie, I’m constructing this before opening day and so Libby has just pitched yesterday. So, he was awesome – all star game here we come! Or, break out the torches and pitchforks while we chant “We want Fitts!” (That felt like the safest thing to chant for him, by far.) Here’s the thing, either way, Libby is going no where as Grand Poobah Chaim Bloom is solidly in his corner.
The Cardinals organization has gone from a lonely western tumbleweed as a player development staff to a team beefed up with former Guardians, Mariners, Dodgers, and Rays employees. Can we notice anything different in Libby? The answer is a resounding yes. At least as far as spring training shows, Libby is evolving. Let’s go ahead and issue the small sample size boilerplate response here – I know spring training stats don’t matter, you know it, frankly everyone but Mike Matheny knows it. But sometimes a change in approach does carry over.
Over on the Redbird Rundown podcast (if audio/visual is your thing, we have a ton of fun diving into numbers over there), we quickly brought up Libby’s name in Cardinals that will define the season. Check it out here if you want – Apple or Spotify!
Here’s the thing, Libby’s arsenal has expanded. (I was considering an Iran reference here, but I’m not going to test the limits of the first amendment in my first article for this hallowed site) He has debuted a splitter that is designed as an additional weapon against righties. News flash: a majority of MLB hitters are righties. This is going to determine just what caliber of pitcher he can be.
The splitter debuted in spring training with some fairly good metrics. It measured 6.2 in. IVB (10.1 in. offset from fastball), 5.6 in. armside run (2 in. offset from FB), and 88.2 MPH (6.9 MPH offset from FB). If these metrics have you smelling a changeup, you’ve got a good smeller. In fact, Fangraphs is noting a distinct uptick in the changeup usage – the splitter is likely to be the cause of that. This gives Libby seven pitches to play with.
Now this is where things get downright fascinating. In spring training (yes, I still know it’s spring training and that he has to prove it on repeat), Libby’s fastball was more effective than it’s ever been. According to Fangraphs, his fastball had a 2.1 run value. That’s the only time in his career that it’s ever been positive. Libby has always been a use-the-fastball-to-set-up-his-breaking-stuff guy. Now, maybe he’s not? The interplay between his increased offspeed offerings, in this case with the shape of his splitter, and his fastball produced some very interesting early results. (Yes, I know it’s spring training still, kindly refrain from thinking I’m not aware)
The downstream effects of Libby having a plus fastball are like the butterfly effect. He struck out 33.9% of all batters he faced and, brace yourself here, only walked 3.6% of hitters. That’s Dylan Cease level strikeouts with Tarik Skubal walk rates. Are those sustainable? Probably not, but if the fastball keeps playing up then it’s obvious that he doesn’t have to nibble on the edges as much.
You want more proof? You guys have a higher burden of proof than an Old Testament stoning. But here’s some more magic. Batters, in spring training, swung at rates that are average for Libby’s career. But their contact rates fell by 20%. His swinging strike percentage was double his career average. Yeah. Libby missed some serious bats this spring. Did you guys know the Cardinals need more swing and miss in their rotation? Huh, crazy.
There’s one last piece of Libby’s very strong spring that is intriguing. Batters made contact to the opposite field 42.9% of the time. His career rate is 26.7%. He’s baffling hitters into being behind and avoiding the deadly pull side contact more often than he ever has in his career.
Look, all this is likely to normalize. A leopard doesn’t change its spots often. But, the organization around Libby has certainly changed its spots and the very best development teams in baseball seem to be able to grow talent at will. Perhaps, just perhaps, this Cardinals franchise really is on the march back to relevance and will be powered by developing new talent and maximizing the guys they already have. So, it’s possible this new splitter is a weapon that will lead to a serious evolution in what Libby is capable of. I’m rooting for that. Shouldn’t you?
Regardless of how he pitched yesterday, the arsenal changes that Matthew Liberatore is making deserve our attention and, frankly, our respect. I’ll be watching that splitter closely going forward, but I think the secret is whether or not it continues to increase the effectiveness of his fastball or not.
Let me know what you’ve been seeing in the comments!
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 31: Vinnie Pasquantino #9, Bobby Witt Jr. #7 and Jonathan India #6 of the Kansas City Royals stand on the field for pre-game ceremonies prior to the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday, March 31, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Royals open their 2026 season tonight against the Atlanta Braves and manager Matt Quatraro has posted the first lineup of the season. The lineup is right-handed heavy against Braves left-hander Chris Sale, with Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel on the bench. Lefties hit just .162/.250/.302 against Sale last year.
Cole Ragans gets the Opening Day start for the Royals, the sixth pitcher in club history to get the nod in the first game in three or more consecutive seasons.
Game time is tonight at 6:15 CT, and you can watch on Royals.TV.
COVERS INTEL: The Padres struggled against left-handed pitching in 2025, hitting just .244 with a .690 OPS against southpaws for the season.
