Category: MLB

All games can be listened to on the radio on 680 The Fan/93.7 FM or in the 680 The Fan App.

Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV	Streaming
Friday, March 27	vs. Royals	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Saturday, March 28	vs. Royals	7:15 PM	FOX	FOX
Sunday, March 29	vs. Royals	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, March 30	vs. Athletics	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, March 31	vs. Athletics	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, April 1	vs. Athletics	12:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday. April 2	at Diamondbacks	9:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, April 3	at Diamondbacks	9:40 PM		Apple TV
Saturday, April 4	at Diamondbacks	7:15 PM	FOX	FOX
Sunday, April 5	at Diamondbacks	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, April 6	at Angels	9:38 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, April 7	at Angels	9:38 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, April 8	at Angels	4:07 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, April 9	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Friday, April 10	vs. Guardians	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, April 11	vs. Guardians	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, April 12	vs. Guardians	7:20 PM	NBC	Peacock
Monday, April 13	vs. Guardians	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, April 14	vs. Marlins	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, April 15	vs. Marlins (Jackie Robinson Day)	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, April 16	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Friday, April 17	at Phillies	6:04 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, April 18	at Phillies	7:15 PM	FOX	Braves.TV
Sunday, April 19	at Phillies	7:20 PM	BravesVision	Peacock
Monday, April 20	at Nationals	6:45 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, April 21	at Nationals	6:45 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, April 22	at Nationals	6:45 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, April 23	at Nationals	6:45 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, April 24	vs. Phillies	7:15 PM		Apple TV
Saturday, April 25	vs. Phillies	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, April 26	vs. Phillies	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, April 27	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, April 28	vs. Tigers	7:15 PM	BravesVision, TBS	Braves.TV
Wednesday, April 29	vs. Tigers	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, April 30	vs. Tigers	12:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, May 1	at Rockies	8:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, May 2	at Rockies	8:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, May 3	at Rockies	3:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, May 4	at Mariners	9:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, May 5	at Mariners	9:40 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, May 6	at Mariners	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, May 7	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Friday, May 8	at Dodgers	10:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, May 9	at Dodgers	9:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, May 10	at Dodgers	4:10 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Monday, May 11	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, May 12	vs. Cubs	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, May 13	vs. Cubs	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, May 14	vs. Cubs	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, May 15	vs. Red Sox	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Saturday, May 16	vs. Red Sox	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Sunday, May 17	vs. Red Sox	1:35 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Monday, May 18	at Marlins	6:40 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Tuesday, May 19	at Marlins	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Wednesday, May 20	at Marlins	6:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, May 21	at Marlins	6:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, May 22	vs. Nationals	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, May 23	vs. Nationals	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, May 24	vs. Nationals	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, May 25	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, May 26	at Red Sox	6:45 PM	TBS	Braves.TV
Wednesday, May 27	at Red Sox	6:45 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, May 28	at Red Sox	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, May 29	at Reds	6:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, May 30	at Reds	7:15 PM	FOX	FOX
Sunday, May 31	at Reds	1:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, June 1	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, June 2	vs. Blue Jays (Lou Gehrig Day)	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, June 3	vs. Blue Jays	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, June 4	vs. Blue Jays	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, June 5	vs. Pirates	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, June 6	vs. Pirates	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, June 7	vs. Pirates	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, June 8	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, June 9	at White Sox	7:40 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, June 10	at White Sox	7:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, June 11	at White Sox	7:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, June 12	at Mets	7:10 PM		Apple TV
Saturday, June 13	at Mets	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, June 14	at Mets	1:40 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Monday, June 15	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, June 16	vs. Giants	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, June 17	vs. Giants	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, June 18	vs. Giants	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, June 19	vs. Brewers	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, June 20	vs. Brewers	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, June 21	vs. Brewers	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, June 22	at Padres	10:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, June 23	at Padres	9:40 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, June 24	at Padres	8:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, June 25	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Friday, June 26	at Giants	10:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, June 27	at Giants	9:05 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, June 28	at Giants	4:05 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, June 29	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, June 30	vs. Cardinals	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, July 1	vs. Cardinals	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, July 2	vs. Cardinals	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, July 3	vs. Mets	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, July 4	vs. Mets	8:08 PM	FOX	FOX
Sunday, July 5	vs. Mets	12:30 PM	NBC	Peacock
Monday, July 6	vs. Mets	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, July 7	at Pirates	6:40 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, July 8	at Pirates	6:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, July 9	at Pirates	12:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, July 10	at Cardinals	8:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, July 11	at Cardinals	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, July 12	at Cardinals	2:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, July 13	MLB Home Run Derby	8:00 PM		Netflix
Tuesday, July 14	MLB All-Star Game	8:00 PM	FOX	FOX
Wednesday, July 15	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Thursday, July 16	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Friday, July 17	vs. Rangers	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, July 18	vs. Rangers	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, July 19	vs. Rangers	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, July 20	vs. Padres	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, July 21	vs. Padres	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, July 22	vs. Padres	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, July 23	vs. Padres	12:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, July 24	at Orioles	7:05 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, July 25	at Orioles	7:05 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, July 26	at Orioles	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, July 27	at Mets	7:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, July 28	at Mets	7:10 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, July 29	at Mets	1:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, July 30	vs. Nationals	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, July 31	vs. Nationals	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, August 1	vs. Nationals	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, August 2	vs. Nationals	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, August 3	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, August 4	vs. Marlins	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Wednesday, August 5	vs. Marlins	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, August 6	vs. Marlins	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, August 7	at Yankees	7:05 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, August 8	at Yankees	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, August 9	at Yankees	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, August 10	vs. Mets	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, August 11	vs. Mets	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, August 12	vs. Mets	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, August 13	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Friday, August 14	vs. Diamondbacks	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, August 15	vs. Diamondbacks	7:15 PM	FOX	FOX
Sunday, August 16	vs. Diamondbacks	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, August 17	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, August 18	at Twins	7:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Wednesday, August 19	at Twins	7:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, August 20	at Twins	1:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, August 21	at Brewers	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, August 22	at Brewers	2:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, August 23	at Brewers (Little League Classic)	7:10 PM	ESPN	WatchESPN
Monday, August 24	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, August 25	vs. Dodgers	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, August 26	vs. Dodgers	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, August 27	vs. Dodgers	7:15 PM	FS1	FOX
Friday, August 28	vs. Rockies	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, August 29	vs. Rockies	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, August 30	vs. Rockies	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, August 31	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, September 1	at Nationals	6:45 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Wednesday, September 2	at Nationals	1:05 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, September 3	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Friday, September 4	at Phillies	6:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, September 5	at Phillies	6:05 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, September 6	at Phillies	3:10 PM	NBC	Peacock
Monday, September 7	at Phillies	1:05 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, September 8	vs. Rays	7:15 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, September 9	vs. Rays	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, September 10	vs. Rays	12:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Friday, September 11	vs. Phillies	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, September 12	vs. Phillies	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, September 13	vs. Phillies	1:35 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, September 14	at Cubs	7:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Tuesday, September 15	at Cubs (Roberto Clemente Day)	7:40 PM	BravesVision, Gray TV	Braves.TV
Wednesday, September 16	at Cubs	7:40 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, September 17	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Friday, September 18	at Astros	8:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, September 19	at Astros	7:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, September 20	at Astros	2:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Monday, September 21	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY	OFF DAY
Tuesday, September 22	vs. Reds	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Wednesday, September 23	vs. Reds	7:15 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Thursday, September 24	vs. Reds	7:15 PM	FS1	FOX
Friday, September 25	vs. Marlins	7:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Saturday, September 26	vs. Marlins	4:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV
Sunday, September 27	vs. Marlins	3:10 PM	BravesVision	Braves.TV

We’ve finally made it to Opening Day everyone. No, we’re not counting whatever happened on Netflix last night. Sit back and get ready for a full slate of games today and for baseball to be on your television every day (except the All-Star break) until early November.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• We already know the probable Opening Day lineup, but here are ten unanswered questions about every player that will take the field for the Phillies to begin the 2026 season. ($)
• The Inquirer checks in with a look at every player on the Phillies roster as well as offering up their season predictions. ($)
• Everything you need to know about the actual game the Phillies will play today against the Texas Rangers.

MLB news:

• Ken Rosenthal brings the top 12 storylines for the 2026 season, from awards storylines all the way through to the impending sense of dread from the looming lockout. ($)
• A former umpire is upset about how the ABS system will make his cohorts look bad and bring them public shame for doing their job poorly.
• The Padres are placing the injured Yu Darvish on the restricted list to begin the season, possibly freeing up payroll space to use on immediate needs.

The Detroit Tigers open up their 2026 campaign on Thursday in San Diego against the Padres, and the excitement for the team’s opening day can be felt from Lakeland all the way to the Motor City.

AJ Hinch’s roster looks like a beefed-up version of last year’s — one that started hot, bringing the best record in baseball into the All-Star break, only to go ice-cold in the second half. The Tigers still made it to the playoffs, but their epic collapse allowed the Cleveland Indians to snatch the American League Central crown from them in embarrassing fashion.

Detroit fell in the wild-card round to the Seattle Mariners in a series that took all five games, ultimately succumbing in a 15-inning affair. That elimination game was the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history.

Now, it is a new season with a few new — and one notably old — faces, and as they say, hope springs eternal before the first pitch is thrown. As is our custom, the Bless You Boys staff came together in roundtable fashion to discuss our predictions for the boys of summer, using the following format.

• AL Division Winners
• NL Division Winners
• World Series
• League MVP
• League ROY
• League Cy Young

Many of our responses are pretty much what you would expect from this group, but as always, there were a few spicy submissions as well. Take a look at what we have to offer ahead of the first pitch on Thursday.

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Patrick O’Kennedy:

• AL ROY- McGonigle
• AL Cy Young- Skubal
• AL MVP- Witt Jr
• AL MOY- Hinch

• NL ROY- Konor Griffin
• NL MVP- Ohtani
• NL Cy Young- Yamomoto
• NL MOY- Don Kelly

Playoffs

• NL East- Phillies
• NL Central- Cubs
• NL West- Dodgers

• NL Wild Card- Padres, Pirates  (okay, just kidding, Padres and Mets)
• AL Pennant- Tigers over Jays
• NL Pennant- Dodgers over Phillies
• WS- Dodgers over Tigers

Ashley MacLennan:

AL Division Winners: Detroit Tigers. Why not? Let’s go optimistic. Otherwise, I’d have to pick the Blue Jays and people will think I’m doing it because I’m Canadian.

NL Division Winners: Sigh. The Dodgers.

World Series: I have to pick the Tigers because — historically speaking — when I say anything else I curse the team.

League MVP: Nothing is new or fun under the sun, so it’ll be Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, unless someone gets hurt or Bobby Witt Jr makes another wish on his monkey paw.

League ROY: Kevin McGonigle AL/Konnor Griffin NL

League Cy Young: Tarik Skubal threepete! and Paul Skenes. Nothing inventive here, friends.

Cannon at the Hot Corner: I’m pretty sure you get to pick a winner for each division (AL/NL West, Central, East), not just an AL/NL champion if you’d like.

MacLennan: No, I’m tired and lazy. (Tigers, Blue Jays, Mariners… Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, I guess. Battle Royale for who wins what)

Cannon:

Division winners:

• AL: Tigers, Red Sox, Mariners
• NL: Brewers, Mets, Dodgers

• WS: Red Sox over Dodgers. Them some freaky good pitching staffs, folks
• MVPs: Bobby Witt Jr and Juan Soto
• Cy Youngs: Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes
• ROYs: Kevin McGonigle and Nolan McLean

Zane Harding:

• AL Division Winners —
  • AL East: Red Sox
  • AL Central: Tigers
  • AL West: Mariners
• NL Division Winners —
  • NL East: Phillies
  • NL Central: Ohhh, I don’t know, the Brewers seem to know what they’re doing (I seriously considered the Pirates; this division feels weaker than usual!)
  • NL West: Dodgers
• World Series: I imagine we hear a lot of Dodgers and a lot of Tigers. The last time the Tigers won, my 63-year-old father was younger than I am today… by a good margin. Dodgers
• League MVPs — gets easier every year
  • AL: Judge
  • NL: Ohtani
• League ROY —
  • AL: Kevin McGonigle
  • NL: Konnor Griffin
• League Cy Young —
  • AL: TARIK SKUBAL (three trophy emojis) BOTTOM TEXT
  • NL: Paul Skenes. Skenes is the best, Webb is about equal because he gets more IP, but we vote FLASHY

Peter Kwasniak:

I’m just throwing things at the wall:

 AL Division Winners

•  AL East: Skankees
•  AL Central: Tigers
•  AL West: Mariners

 NL Division Winners

• NL East: Phillies
• NL Central: Reds
• NL West: Dodgers
• World Series: Dodgers

 League MVPs (BORING)

• AL: Judge
• NL: Ohtani

 League ROY

•  AL: Kevin McGonigle
•  NL: Konnor Griffin

 League Cy Young (EXCITING BUT BORING)

•  AL: Tarik Skubal
•  NL: Paul Skenes

Cam Kaiser:

AL Division Winners

• AL East: Red Sox
• AL Central: Guardians
• AL West: Mariners

NL Division Winners

• NL East: Phillies
• NL Central: Cubs
• NL West: Dodgers

World Series: Dodgers

League MVPs

• AL: Julio Rodriguez
• NL: Shohei Ohtani

League ROY

• AL: Chase DeLauter
• NL: Sal Stewart

League Cy Young

• AL: Garrett Crochet
• NL: Paul Skenes

The Tigers are better than Cleveland on paper, but paper didn’t seem to matter at all last year, considering the Guardians, despite a paltry Pythagorean record, pulled off the largest comeback in AL division history to win the Central.

Until I see the Guardians falter, I’m going to continue to believe that the horseshoe the size of the moon stuck up their bum will propel them and any player they touch to success when it matters.

Jay Markle:

• AL East winner: New York Yankees
• AL Central winner: Detroit
• AL West winner: Seattle
• NL East winner: Philadelphia
• NL Central winner: Chicago Cubs
• NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
• World Series: Philadelphia
• AL MVP: Aaron Judge
• NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
• AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle
• NL ROY: JJ Wetherholt
• AL Cy: Tarik Skubal
• NL Cy: Paul Skenes

Brandon Day:

• AL East winner: Boston Red Sox
• AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
• AL West winner: Seattle Mariners
• NL East winner: New York Mets
• NL Central winner: Milwaukee Brewers
• NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
• World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers
• AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
• NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
• AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle
• NL ROY: Nolan McLean
• AL Cy: Garrett Crochet
• NL Cy: Paul Skenes

Mr. Sunshine: Uh, Tigers win World Series, MVP is Gleyber Torres, ROY is McG, CY is Skubal.

That’s right, I’m on the feel-good meds at the moment. NL stuff, who cares?

Fielder’s Choice:

• AL East: Blue Jays
• AL Central: Tigers
• AL West: Astros
• NL East: Marlins YEAH I SAID IT
• NL Central: Cubs
• NL West: Dodgers
• World Series: Not The Dodgers
• AL MVP: Nick Kurtz
• NL MVP: Corbin Carroll
• AL ROY: Carter Jensen
• NL ROY: Carson Benge
• AL CY: Hunter Brown
• NL CY: Eury Perez

David Rosenberg:

• AL East winner: New York Yankees
• AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
• AL West winner: Seattle Mariners
• NL East winner: New York Mets
• NL Central winner: Milwaukee Brewers
• NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
• World Series: Detroit Tigers (YOLO)
• AL MVP: Roman Anthony
• NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
• AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle
• NL ROY: Nolan McLean
• AL Cy: Tarik Skubal
• NL Cy: Paul Skenes

Adam Dubbin:

• AL East: Rays
• AL Central: Kansas City
• AL West: Astros
• NL East: Mets
• NL Central: Cubs
• NL West: Dodgers
• World Series: Tigers
• AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
• NL MVP: Juan Soto
• AL ROY: Tatsuya Imai
• NL ROY: Bubba Chandler
• AL CY: Garrett Crochet
• NL CY: Logan Webb

The Tigers once again fail to secure the AL Central title after some significant regular-season underperformances, but make a 2006-esque run to the World Series, where they finish the job that the previous teams since 1984 could not.

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Now that you know where the Bless You Boys staff stands entering the 2026 campaign, give us your takes in the comments below!

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Does it feel like the air is a little bit sweeter today? That there’s an extra pep in your step? Of course it does. Because IT’S OPENING DAY, y’all!

The 2026 Orioles season has arrived at last. This afternoon a huge, raucous crowd of O’s fans will converge at the newly renovated Camden Yards to welcome a new-look — and hopefully vastly improved — Orioles team.

Prize offseason signing Pete Alonso will debut in the orange and black and, with any luck, will sock a dinger or two. Surprise 2025 breakout hurler Trevor Rogers, who last year at this time was an injured afterthought, will take the mound for the Opening Day assignment. Rookie slugger Samuel Basallo and six other Orioles will be experiencing Opening Day for the first time. And rookie skipper Craig Albernaz will manage his first major league game that counts. Of course, plenty of familiar faces will be there too, as Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and other fan favorites will hope to lead a bounceback from that dud of a 2025 season.

It’s going to be fun times at Oriole Park today. The pre-game introductions begin at 2:30, with first pitch scheduled for 3:05. The weather is supposed to be beautiful — a high of 77 degrees around game time and no rain in the forecast. For my money, Opening Day is the best holiday of the year. Don’t miss it!

So how are you feeling about the season to come, Camden Chatters? Are you excited to see how it all plays out, or do you have an uneasy feeling in your stomach? Feel free to give your predictions for the season, and while you’re at it, let us know your thoughts about the Orioles’ Opening Day roster.

For better or worse, we’ve got 162 games ahead of us, folks. It all starts today.

Links

Opening Day FAQ: Twins vs. Orioles (Thurs., 3 p.m. ET) – MLB.com

Here’s everything you need to know about the Orioles’ opener. The biggest question, of course, is: will Tyler O’Neill hit another Opening Day homer? It’s kind of his thing.

Get sprayed by the new Ravens head coach, and more opening day festivities – The Baltimore Banner

Albernaz isn’t the only new head coach in Baltimore who will be on site today, as Jesse Minter will serve as guest splasher in the second inning. I like this guy already.

Orioles Opening Day workout notes on Nunez and Jackson making the club, Suárez staying in organization, Beavers avoiding IL and more – School of Roch

Anthony Nunez definitely qualifies as the most surprising inclusion in the Opening Day bullpen, considering he was sent to the minors two weeks ago. Not to mention that he was an infielder two years ago.

All-new Truist Club, redesigned club level, massive video board and new sound system highlight what’s new at Camden Yards – Steve Melewski

It’s hard not to be excited about the upgrades to the ballpark. Look at that scoreboard!

2026 MLB season predictions: Forecasting the division races and postseason results – The Athletic

Keith Law not only picks the Orioles to grab the top wild card spot, but even has them winning a postseason series. I did not expect Keith Law to be the pie-in-the-sky Orioles optimist, but here we are.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 26th to Jeremiah Jackson, who got a wonderful birthday gift by making the first Opening Day roster of his career. He’ll be a bench guy, likely making starts at second and third and perhaps occasionally in the outfield, and hopefully swinging the bat as well as he did last year. Former Orioles born on March 26 include outfielders Jesús Tavárez (55) and Jarvis Brown (59), right-hander Mickey Weston (65), and lefty Dan Morogiello (71).

On this date in 1979, the Orioles released catcher Elrod Hendricks, who had spent a decade playing with the Birds over three different stints. The O’s brought Hendricks back that September to get one final MLB at-bat, but it was far from the end of his time in Baltimore. He became the Orioles’ bullpen coach and served in that role for 28 years, making him the longest tenured coach in O’s history.

And on this day two years ago, the O’s made a last-minute signing of veteran second baseman Tony Kemp to complete their Opening Day roster. Giving $1 million to Kemp was a curious decision at the time, made even more so by the fact that he lasted only five games in Baltimore before the O’s released him to make room for Jackson Holliday. It was the end of Kemp’s nine-year MLB career.

Well folks, we made it! The offseason is over and Red Sox baseball is about to begin anew this afternoon in Cincinnati.

While we wait through the final few hours between the last Red Sox out of 2025 and the first pitch of 2026, let’s take a few moments to talk about our favorite Opening Day memories. It can be a game, an experience you had at the ballpark, or just a tradition you might have with friends and family. Personally, I find Opening Day a good opportunity to keep certain baseball loving people in your life by texting them “Happy Opening Day!” when you otherwise haven’t been in contact with them for a while. After all, this is pretty much our Christmas morning.

Talk about this and whatever else you like, and as always, be good to one another.

Happy Opening Day to all who celebrate!

It's time for Dodger baseball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, March 26 to ring in Opening Day and officially begin their quest for a three-peat.

Dodger Stadium is expected to be filled to the brim with more than 50,000 fans, with several more vying to score tickets last minute to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto take the mound behind a star-studded offense led by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker.

Here's everything you need to know about where to buy Dodger tickets for Opening Day, and how much you can expect to pay:

Where to buy Dodgers tickets on Opening Day

The official way to buy tickets to any big league game is through the MLB Ballpark app, or through the Dodgers official ticket website if you're on a computer. Tickets are also available on the secondary market through apps such as Ticketmaster, Gametime, SeatGeek, Stubhub and TickPick.

It's worth noting that even if you buy from the secondary market, you'll still need the MLB Ballpark app as your tickets will be automatically transferred over to there after purchasing.

For fans wanting to go a more old school route and avoid buying online, tickets can be bought in person at the box office at Dodger Stadium, which opens three hours before first pitch. Tickets sold at the box office are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

How much are Dodgers Opening Day tickets?

While the Dodgers have traditionally been one of the more affordable tickets in town, that's begun to change in recent years as demand — and the team's payroll — has skyrocketed. You can expect to spend quite a bit for Opening Day especially, though the prices tend to come down the closer it gets to first pitch.

As of 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, the get-in price on the Dodgers website is $155.60 — including fees — for a single ticket in the right field reserve level. The most expensive ticket is going for $3,137.10 behind home plate.

Tickets are going for around the same prices on most of the secondary apps, with the average somewhere around the $200-$400 range.

And don't forget parking; the price of general admission is going up to $45 this season.

The prepaid (online) price is $40. pic.twitter.com/OIfT0qorpP

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 23, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles Dodgers ticket prices, where to buy

When Blake Butera scrawls out his Opening Day lineup – he’s gone through “seven or eight” iterations already – and heads out to the Wrigley Field first-base line March 26, managerial history will be made.

Sure, at 33, he’ll be the youngest major league manager since 1972, a fact he and his Washington Nationals charges would prefer fade into the background. Yet there’s another bit of managerial minutiae that symbolically indicates the game is moving firmly into the Millennial era, with Gen Z coming up quickly, as well.

Butera will be the first big league manager named Blake.

He was mildly tickled when learning this factoid, though perhaps an oversize check or, better yet, a proven bullpen and a full-time first baseman might have been more thrilling.

“Anytime you’re the first of something,” he muses to USA TODAY Sports, “it’s kind of a cool opportunity.”

Opportunity is what the Nationals sold to Butera, a highly valued member of the Tampa Bay Rays who wore many hats in the organization – from Carolina League manager to senior director of player development – and now finds himself in a big league manager’s office.

And while names and labels aren’t everything, a Blake planting his flag in one of the game’s most coveted positions isn’t exactly nothing.

Out with the Bruces, in with the Blakes

Butera, you see, was born in an era of Peak Blake: The name did not appear on the Social Security Administration’s top 200 names for baby boys through the 1960s and ‘70s. But the Blakes broke through in the ‘80s, landing at No. 116 and reaching their apex in the 1990s at No. 84.

And in the state of Louisiana, where Blake Matthew Butera was born on Aug. 7, 1992, the Blakes outkicked their national average, landing at No. 36 in popularity in the Bayou State.

The Blake buzz has faded a bit, as it slid to No. 86 and No. 95 nationally in subsequent decades. Yet all the while you’ve likely heard the name far more often, perhaps at a child’s preschool, or on a youth sports team, the Blakes growing older and older until now – where Butera is a new father himself, his daughter Blair born Oct. 29.

That was the same day it was first reported that new Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni – himself a 36-year-old father of four – was making Butera his first manager.

It was one of eight jobs that needed to be filled last fall and almost the most surprising, aside from San Francisco hiring Tony Vitello to jump from college baseball to the Giants dugout. And while many of 2025’s ex-managers may manage again – Derek Shelton’s already been hired by Minnesota after Pittsburgh fired him – it’s worth noting who’s likely headed for retirement.

Bruce Bochy and Brian Snitker were born six months apart in 1955, won World Series as managers and likely left the managerial chair for good after 2025. Speaking of which, have you seen any babies lately named Bruce?

When Bochy was born, you sure did.

“Bruce” ranked No. 32 for boys in the 1950s, held steady at No. 47 in the ’60, fell all the way to No. 185 in the ‘80s and hasn’t been seen since. (“Brian” is a different story, staying in the rankings all the way, along with Michael, Christopher and Matthew. Tough to beat those Irish Celtic roots, along with saints, archangels and disciples).

Bochy is one of the greatest managers of all-time, winning four World Series titles with two franchises. Beloved for his gameday chops and old school demeanor, he was a master communicator.

And perhaps that’s one trait that’s lasted from the Bruces to the Blakes.

No time like the present

The Nationals just got done with their first training camp under an almost entirely new regime following the July firings of club president Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. Butera urged his very young team to take chances early in camp, to try to stretch the limits of their potential and do “uncomfortable” things.

“Everything’s been good work,” shortstop CJ Abrams, an All-Star in 2024, tells USA TODAY Sports. “A lot of productive stuff. A lot of information and technology we’re putting to use. I think we’re ready.

“He’s the skip, and anything we need, communication has been good. We’re ready to go.”

Butera won’t be the first manager to be younger than some of his players; most recently, Rocco Baldelli, then 37, managed 39-year-old Nelson Cruz for the 2019 Minnesota Twins.

Somewhat remarkably, the Nationals are so young that only veteran starter Miles Mikolas, 37, is older than Butera, with 28-year-old catcher Keibert Ruiz the oldest regular. While the Nationals downplay the notion that their skipper’s age aids his relatability, Butera has proven he can appear well in any company.

“Blake is even-keeled and I admire that in him – how he can really regulate his emotions,’ says first-year Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz, who worked alongside Butera in the Rays’ organization. “He’s someone that could’ve stayed the front office route and been a GM someday, and now he’s a big league manager.

“It shows his versatility and how impactful he is and a lot of that stems from being able to navigate different conversations with different people – front office, players, coaches.”

Butera figures his youth sets an ambitious example, one that could resonate through what could be a lengthy rebuild: If you’re ready to achieve, why wait?

“My job is to work my butt off, make sure all these guys are fully prepared to play and we’ve set them up to have success,” he says. “I know I’m younger, and if it helps someone feel like they can accomplish something at a young age, I hope I can be that person to help them.”

'Treat people the right way'

You might say that as a young manager, Butera’s goal is to one day be an old manager. Should that come to pass, an entire wave of groundbreaking names will have inhabited the dugout.

Get ready for a Kai: Mets bench coach Kai Correa, born in 1989, should lock down a top job in coming years, perhaps ahead of the curve for a name that didn’t rank until the 2010s.

There are Jakes, Codys and Connors dispersed throughout major league staffs, and even two more Blakes on the Marlins staff – third base coach Blake Lalli and infield coach Blake Butler, the latter born a year after Butera.

Looking way down the road, the Liams, Masons and Logans who dominated maternity wards in the 2010s should one day get their due.

But for now, there’s just one Blake, just 33 yet offering advice that would play in any era.

“At the end of the day,” he says, “I’ll just tell anybody regardless of age, work your butt off, treat people the right way and care about people. And the rest is out of your control.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nationals' Blake Butera is MLB youngest manager for Opening Day vs Cubs

Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers are back for another season as defending World Series champions.

The Dodgers start the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, March 26, at Dodger Stadium.

The team has one primary goal: Winning a third consecutive World Series.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto played a key role during the playoff run for Los Angeles and earned the nod from manager Dave Roberts as the starting pitcher in the season opener.

SEASON PREVIEW: Can the Dodgers three-peat as World Series champions?

Here’s what else you need to know for the Dodgers on Opening Day:

How to watch Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks

• When: Thursday, March 26, 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET)
• Where: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock, Fubo

Dodgers projected starting lineup:

P: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

C: Will Smith

1B: Freddie Freeman

2B: Miguel Rojas

3B:  Max Muncy

SS: Mookie Betts

LF: Teoscar Hernandez

CF: Andy Pages

RF: Kyle Tucker

DH: Shohei Ohtani

Diamondbacks projected starting lineup:

P: Zac Gallen

C: Gabriel Moreno

1B: Carlos Santana

2B: Ketel Marte

3B: Nolan Arenado

SS: Geraldo Perdomo

LF: Jordan Lawlar

CF: Alek Thomas

RF: Corbin Carroll

DH: Pavin Smith

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers Opening Day: How to watch, potential lineup vs. Diamondbacks

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been here before.

At Dodger Stadium on Opening Day, they'll raise their World Series banner as they embark on another chase for history.

It's a history that suggests the odds are against them: only four teams have won three consecutive World Series in MLB history. Three of them have been the New York Yankees, and none has since the turn of the century. But then again, no team had even repeated as champions since then until the Dodgers successfully did so last October.

And with uncertainty looming over baseball in 2027, Andrew Friedman and Co. weren't content with just running it back. They went out in free agency this winter and added even more firepower to what was already considered a superteam by adding two of the top players on the market in Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz.

It's time for Dodger baseball yet again.

Dodgers storylines heading into Opening Day

Miguel Rojas entering final season after World Series heroics

Miguel Rojas has been established as one of the Dodgers' leaders in the clubhouse ever since his return to the team in 2023. He's served as a mentor to several younger players on the roster and notably helped Mookie Betts in his transition from right field to becoming a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop last season. One thing he's never been in his 12-year career, however, is a power hitter.

Which made it all the more shocking in Game 7 of the World Series when Rojas, down to the Dodgers' final two outs and with Shohei Ohtani on deck, worked the count full before launching a slider from Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman into the left field seats at Rogers Centre to tie it up before the Dodgers eventually went on to win it 5-4 in 11 innings for their second consecutive World Series championship.

He was equal parts an unlikely hero and the perfect person for the moment.

But even before then, Rojas has made it known that 2026 would be his last before retirement. He re-signed with the Dodgers in December on a one-year $5.5 million deal and transition into a player development role assisting the front office in 2027.

He's made it clear however, that he doesn't want to be treated as an elder statesman in his final season.

"This year, I have a different perspective because I'm not afraid to empty the tank anymore," Rojas told Jomboy Media's Jack Oliver. "... I want to take every single opportunity, every single at-bat that I can and help the team in any capacity.

"Kind of the same mentality that Kersh had last season."

Roki Sasaki's spring training struggles

Speaking of postseason heroes, Roki Sasaki's transition back into a starting role after returning from a right shoulder impingement and becoming one of Roberts' go-to arms out of the bullpen last October hasn't exactly inspired much confidence.

In his 8.2 innings pitched across four starts, Sasaki gave up 15 runs on nine hits and two homers and walked 15 batters to 12 strikeouts for an abysmal 2.77 WHIP. And while spring training isn't about results or even productivity, his performance has led to the re-emergence of doubts that plagued much of his rookie season pre-injury.

Nevertheless, Roberts is sticking by Sasaki. Some of that is due to necessity — Blake Snell and Gavin Stone both starting the season on the injured list leaves little room for flexibility in the rotation — but the Dodgers are committed to Sasaki as a starter regardless.

"It hasn't been great. It really hasn't," Roberts told reporters on Monday. "We know that the standard needs to be better. He knows that. We know that. And then now it's go time and see how he can perform when the lights come on."

Bold predictions for 2026

Shohei Ohtani will be in the Cy Young conversation

For everything Ohtani has already accomplished in his first two years as a Dodger, it's hard to fathom that 2026 will be his first as a full-time two-way player with the team. Since undergoing his second right elbow surgery in September 2023, Ohtani was a full-time DH in his 50/50 season in 2024 and made 14 starts on the mound last season, posting a 2.87 ERA over 47 innings while striking out 62 batters and walking just nine before throwing another 20 1/3 innings in October.

This year the Dodgers weren't sure where Ohtani would be in his throwing progression after returning from the World Baseball Classic, but in true Ohtani fashion, he silenced any doubts by punching out 11 through the first four innings on 79 pitches in his final spring training tune-up on Tuesday.

Shohei -- the pitcher -- looks ready to go!

11 strikeouts in 4+ innings for Ohtani 😤 pic.twitter.com/YocDJMLKgy

— MLB (@MLB) March 25, 2026

The Dodgers want Ohtani to go wire-to-wire as a starter this season, a need further exacerbated by the injuries to Snell and Stone that has depleted the rotation's depth. It's a big ask, but Ohtani's track record speaks for itself.

"Regardless of my expectations for him, his are going to exceed those," Roberts told reporters at the beginning of spring training. "I think it's fair to say he expects to be in the Cy Young conversation. But we just want him to be healthy and make starts. All the numbers and statistics will take care of themselves."

One thing working in Ohtani's favor is the fact that this has been his first "normal" offseason with no injury rehab in three years. Out of all the awards he's won in his storied career, the Cy Young has been elusive. The closest he's come was 2022, when he finished fourth in the voting after he started a career-high 28 games and posted a 2.33 ERA with 219 strikeouts to 44 walks and a 1.01 WHIP.

FanGraphs projects Ohtani to make 23 starts this season, which would be his most since 2023.

Teoscar Hernández has a bounce-back season

When Hernández first arrived in Los Angeles two years ago, his big bat and big personality quickly made him a fan favorite. It helped that he had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2024, finishing top 10 in the NL in home runs (a career-high 33), RBI (99), slugging percentage (.501) and OPS (.820) and was selected as an All-Star for the second time in his 10 years in the big leagues.

But he regressed in 2025. His SLG dipped to .454 and his .738 OPS was his worst since his rookie season with the Houston Astros in 2016, when he played just 41 games. He also drew plenty criticism, at times publicly from Roberts himself, for his defense in right field and was the subject of trade rumors over the winter.

With Kyle Tucker slotting in at right field, Hernández has a bit less pressure on him defensively as he slides over to left. He also reportedly showed up to spring training 10 pounds trimmer, and the early results seem promising. His five home runs this spring led the Dodgers. In his 19 games played, Hernández posted an eye-popping .449/.491/.837 slash line for an OPS of 1.328.

Teoscar Hernández crushes his second home run in as many days! pic.twitter.com/Io5OUtKGLU

— MLB (@MLB) March 24, 2026

Again, spring training is more about working through mechanics than results, but it's clear that Hernández is playing with some kind of newfound drive or motivation. The Dodgers' lineup is already incredibly deep as it is, but if Hernández can return to his 2024 form they'd be as close to unstoppable as a lineup can get.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 storylines, predictions, season preview

The MLB season got underway on Wednesday, which means the time that teams had to improve their rosters has come and gone. The offseason is behind us, and whether or not your favorite team did enough to contend for a World Series championship is about to be seen.

Some fanbases may be thinking, "Absolutely not. There's no way my team did enough. They only signed [insert surprisingly valuable player here] and [insert other player with no big-name notoriety] here." But it is exactly those moves that build division winners. They may not win the World Series. Let's be honest, that will always and forever be the Los Angeles Dodgers, but competitors are built on underappreciated contracts and value.

Here are five offseason moves that could wind up being more impactful than we'd initially thought.

Most underrated moves of the 2025-26 MLB offseason

5) Mike Burrows traded to the Houston Astros

Despite many fans believing the Houston Astros were going to take a step back last year, the team nearly reached the postseason with an 87-75 record. That record came despite the team's back-end of the starting rotation posting a 4.69 ERA.

One of the team's top starters, Framber Valdez, left in free agency, joining the Detroit Tigers. Thusly, many experts believed the Astros would be trotting into 2026 with one of the worst rotations in baseball. But the team made some sneaky good moves this offseason, including the acquisition of Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai and the trade for the Pirates' Mike Burrows.

Burrows isn't a name with a ton of notoriety, but he is a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm, which is exactly what Houston needs. The 26-year-old posted a 3.96 ERA in 96 innings a season ago, but more importantly, he boasted one of the best changeups in baseball, per Baseball Savant.

This is a guy who has great stuff. He may not be an elite talent that wins a championship, but he isn't expected to be that. He is expected to be a No. 3 or 4 starter, and Burrows provides potential for more. He also has six years of team control under his belt.

4) Harrison Bader to the San Francisco Giants (2 years, $20.5 million)

Bader may be entering his age-32 season, but he hasn't slowed down, it seems. Last year was the best season of his career offensively, and it doesn't appear to be a fluke. Skeptics might point out that most of his projected stats say that he exceeded expectations a season ago, with just a .220 expected batting average and .295 xWOBA, putting him on pace with his prior seasons.

However, some underlying metrics point to a potential resurgence for Bader. Most notably, his bat speed. The 32-year-old increased his swing speed by nearly two ticks a season ago, pushing him from the 38th percentile in MLB to the 71st percentile in just one year. It's no shock that that coincides with his 17 home runs, the most of his career for a single season.

The Giants have long struggled to find consistency in their outfield. However, their starting trio of Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos, and now Harrison Bader has the potential to be one of the most complete in baseball.

3) Sonny Gray traded to the Boston Red Sox

People look at Boston, notice they lost Lucas Giolito and gained Sonny Gray and think they are in a worse position than they are now. It is easy to think that. It makes sense, but there is a lot to like about Sonny Gray despite him losing nearly a mile per hour on his fastball a season ago and entering his age-36 season.

The first positive note is that Sonny Gray's expected stats were nearly a full tick lower than what his ERA ended up being (4.28). His FIP (3.39) and xERA (3.88) were both better than what Giolito produced a season ago. Not only that, but Gray also posted a 5.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the best in the National League. Combine those two statements and Gray is someone primed for a bounce-back.

But the most obvious positive for Gray is that he likely won't get as unlucky as he did last year. In 2025, Gray had six starts in which he gave up at least six runs in the first inning. Prior to 2025, he only had three such starts in 2024, and only one such start in 2023, 2022, and 2021. Even if, in 2025, Gray matched his mark from 2024, his ERA likely would've been easily under 4.0 last season.

Keep in mind, Gray is still very good at getting hitters to chase outside the zone, posting a 31.2% chase rate last year. He's also very good at creating ground balls, ranking in the 66th percentile with a 45.1% rate in 2025. There's a lot to like about Gray going into next year.

2) Cody Ponce to the Toronto Blue Jays (3 years, $30 million)

If the World Baseball Classic has shown us anything, it's that Japanese and Korean baseball are not to be taken lightly. The NPB and KBO have produced some very impactful MLB players over the years.

Ponce was KBO MVP last season, with a 1.89 ERA across 180.2 innings while striking out 252 batters. Let those numbers speak for themselves.

Sure, Ponce has never found success in the United States, but this time feels different. Most notably, his fastball has increased in velocity substantially from his 2021 stint with the Pirates. Back then, he was only hitting 93. Now, he's routinely touching 97.

The Blue Jays certainly made their splash in the rotation when they added Dylan Cease, but Ponce is someone who is coming into the year with back-end expectations and could provide much more for a rather team-friendly price.

1) Brad Keller to the Philadelphia Phillies (2 years, $22 million)

No one ever gets giddy over signing a middle reliever, but Phillies fans should be ecstatic at the addition of Keller. Last year, the 29-year-old had a staggering increase in fastball velocity, adding nearly 3.5 mph to his fastball from 93.8 to 97.2 in just one season. That velo was a major factor in Keller's career year, in which he posted a 2.07 ERA.

Oh, but it's not just his fastball you should be excited about. Keller's sweeper produced an incredible .067 batting average against with a 45.8% whiff rate. Yes, those numbers are even better than they sound.

He was absolutely lights out against right-handed batters and still very serviceable against lefties. He'll be a tremendous addition to the Phillies bullpen, making it that much easier for the team to get to Jhoan Duran in the ninth innings with the lead intact. Given that Philadelphia's bullpen ranked 20th in baseball with a 4.25 ERA last year, Keller is a steal at $11 million a year, helping fix Philadelphia's biggest weakness from a season ago.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The five most underrated moves of the MLB offseason ranked

Not to get overly hyperbolic right off the bat (ahem ...), but the 2026 MLB season is shaping up to be a banner one for rookies.

This year's crop of first-year, full-season players has a chance to be among the best in baseball history. For both its high-end upside and its amazing depth.

Several members of the Class of '26 have already experienced life in the majors to a lesser extent, while others will play in their first big-league games on opening day.

It's an exiting mix of hitters and pitchers whose names will become quite familiar to baseball fans − if they aren't already.

Top MLB rookies to watch in 2026

1. SP Nolan McLean, New York Mets

Already battle-tested through 48 innings last season (50 is the limit to retain rookie eligibility) and his two starts in the World Baseball Classic, McLean, 24, begins the 2026 campaign with a spot in the Mets rotation and a fully stocked six-pitch arsenal. He was a two-way player when he was drafted in 2023 out of Oklahoma State, so he's only scratching the surface of his pitching talent.

2. 2B JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals

The rebuilding Cardinals have every reason to have their top prospect and 2024 first-round pick (7th overall) in the everyday lineup. Wetherholt, 23, played mostly shortstop in the minors, but will move to second base with Gold Glover Masyn Winn already in place. He won't hit for a ton of power initially, but he does make good contact and could potentially lead off.

3. 1B Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds

The power-hitting corner infielder slugged .545 in 55 major league at-bats last season at age 21. Coming off an equally impressive spring, Stewart has been penciled in as the Reds' cleanup hitter behind star shortstop Elly De La Cruz. He frequently hits the ball hard and in the air, which is an excellent combination in Cincinnati's Great American Smallpark.

4. OF Carson Benge, New York Mets

Just announced as the Mets' opening day starter in right field, Benge (like teammate McLean, an Oklahoma State alum) soared up prospect rankings in his first full professional season. He slashed .281/.385/.472 over three minor league levels, but did hit a wall after a late promotion to Class AAA. However, a strong spring was a good indication the 23-year-old is ready for the majors.

5. SS Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers

Perhaps the best pure hitter in the minors, McGonigle was the MVP of the Arizona Fall League and has posted a .923 OPS in 52 plate appearances this spring. On Tuesday, the Tigers officially announced that he's won a spot on their opening day roster at the tender age of 21. He has excellent plate discipline and could hit near the top of the lineup. Defensively, he can also play third base if the Tigers want to put veteran Javier Baez at short.

FANTASY BASEBALL: MLB rookies poised to make major impact in 2026

While those players comprise our top five rookies, they're by no means the only exciting prospects to keep an eye on this season.

USA TODAY Sports' 2025 Minor League Player of the Year, Konnor Griffin of the Pirates, was just sent to the minors for a bit more seasoning. The 19-year-old − he turns 20 on April 24 − only reached Class AA last year so while his skills are fully apparent (.941 OPS, 21 HR, 65 SB over three levels) he did struggle at times during spring training. Once he shows he can master Triple-A, he should be up soon afterward.

Justin Crawford, son of former MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, should be the Phillies' everyday center fielder. He's a speed burner who makes excellent contact.

At least three other rookies are slated to begin the year in their MLB teams' starting rotations, with Toronto right-hander Trey Yesavage (shoulder) joining them after what's expected to be a brief stint on the injured list.

Honorable mention: SS Konnor Griffin and SP Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates; SP Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds; SP Trey Yesavage, Toronto Blue Jays; OF Justin Crawford and SP Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies; C/DH Samuel Basallo, Baltimore Orioles; OF Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB rookies to watch: Mets' Nolan McLean leads the way

The 2026 season has begun, and the Yankees started their year off with a big 7-0 win over the Giants in San Francisco. The game was in their hands nearly the entire way, with a first inning jam being the only threat to Max Fried’s day before the offense jumped Logan Webb for five runs in the second inning. They tacked on two more runs in the fifth, one of them unearned, before Webb’s day came to a close; meanwhile, Max Fried shoved despite not getting much swing and miss action and exited after retiring the first batter of the seventh inning.

All in all, it was a pretty good day for New York. Now they’ll have a day off to reset before wrapping up the series with two more games in San Fran, and while they’re taking a breather there will be plenty of breakdowns coming analyzing that opening romp (some of them coming from this very site). What there will also be plenty of, and probably enough to drown out anything else productive, are overreactions to the Opening Day result. So, why not have a little fun and play into them ahead of time? Go ahead and give us your hot take on what a particular result from Game 1 of 162 means.

There are certainly plenty of narratives you can run with from this game. Starting on the offense’s end, much was made of the team’s decision to “run it back” in 2026 with largely the same roster as last year. Well, last year’s offense led the league in offensive production, and they got off to a fantastic start already this year as well. Is Brian Cashman vindicated? Was running it back the right call? Of course it’s too early to actually say so, but you know that start has got to feel good for the Yankee general manager.

One bat that didn’t shine in the effort, however, was Aaron Judge. The captain had a brutal opener, going 0-for-5 with four straight strikeouts followed by a groundout in the ninth inning. Coming off the heel of the World Baseball Classic finale where Judge didn’t show up (though to be fair, neither did most of that star-laden team) the spotlight was on the superstar outfielder to shake things off, and the opposite happened. Is Judge in store for a rough start to the year like he played in 2024? That season did, of course, lead to him going nuclear for the rest of the year and winning the AL MVP award, but people had their pitchforks out for how poorly he played in that opening month or so and they could reappear at a moment’s notice.

And how about Max Fried, the star of the night on Wednesday? The ace pitched a brilliant game despite clearly being rusty, striking out just four batters but pitching into the seventh before handing the ball off to the mop-up crew in the bullpen. There’s a lot of expectations on Fried’s shoulders after he stepped up last year with no Gerrit Cole around, and if he could surpass them again in his second season in the Bronx something truly magical could unfold. He just narrowly missed out on getting a podium finish in the Cy Young race last year, finishing fourth, but could he leapfrog a spot or two this year? Could he even win the whole thing if that’s how good he looks while still being off? The race is hardly won in a day, but it doesn’t hurt to start off with a 0.00 ERA. What caught your eye from Opening Day, and what has you irrationally excited or disappointed from the night?

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Today on the site, Josh leads off with some thoughts on the strange bedfellows MLB has partnered with this year in light of the gambling scandal with Emmanuel Clase still playing out right in front of us. Then Nick wishes one-time Yankee José Vizcaíno a happy birthday before coming back later in the afternoon with the Rotation Depth Inventory for March, and Andrés looks more closely at how Max Fried executed without his top command last night.

Today’s Matchup

Off-day

With the MLB 2026 regular season upon us, here are your staff predictions from the Bucs Dugout crew:

Ethan Coulehan

I think the pirates will win 82 games this season. Pittsburgh has upgraded their bats, which really struggled last season. Additions like Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Marcel ozuna will help the offense. The pitching will also be a bright spot for this team headlined by plays skenes. I think the pirates can do exactly what the reds did in 2025 which was sneak into the playoffs with around 82 wins.

Jaiman White

I think the Pirates with the offseason moves they’ve made to improve the lineup and with the stellar pitching staff they have assembled will finish just north of .500 this year. I think their lack of defense could hold them back and may be the difference maker in the games that matter the most down the stretch. Still though, the Pirates will have their most successful season under Ben Cherington and will finish with 84 wins.

Jeremy Brener

The Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves with higher expectations compared to last season. The team is coming off a 71-91 campaign, which was five victories less than 2023 and 2024. In order to take a step in the right direction this season, the Pirates need to have a better offense. They should have that with their free agency acquisitions over the offseason: Marcel Ozuna, Brennan Lowe, and Ryan O’Hearn. They should also challenge some of the best rotations in the league with Paul Skenes leading the way. Their pitching should be enough to keep them in a lot of games, but their hitting is what will turn some of those 2025 losses into 2026 wins.

There should be an improvement from the Pirates, but it remains to be seen how much better the team will actually be. A playoff berth is not totally out of the question, considering the fact that the Cincinnati Reds were a wild card team with just 83 victories last season. That would require a 12-win boost from the Pirates, which would be significant. I imagine the Pirates will get close to that number, but they won’t quite get there. 79 wins.

Darren Yuvan

There’s no doubt that the Bucs are improved from last year. The only question that remains is how much? The starting pitching should once again be a team strength, and Pittsburgh’s cast of new hitters should improve things offensively. I do think the bullpen is a potential struggle point, and I agree with Jaiman that team defense is another. Still, the top-notch pitching staff and more offense should be good for 10ish more wins, so let’s call this a .500 ball club. The Bucs finish with 81 wins. They miss the playoffs, but the road back to becoming a winning team starts this season.

It may feel like a lifetime ago when Yoshinobu Yamamoto fired a splitter to Alejandro Kirk, who rolled a ground ball to Mookie Betts with the bases loaded, Betts simply stepping on second and tossing to first and ending a World Series, just like that.

Yet here we are, Opening Day upon us and real baseball, coast-to-coast and nearly around the clock a daily reality. Does the world seem any different since Nov. 1, when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays played one of the greatest Game 7s of all time, to end one of the greatest World Series of all time?

A lot can happen in 145 days. Especially in the baseball industry. With that, USA TODAY Sports gets you back up to speed on what you missed since the Dodgers claimed their second consecutive World Series championship:

The Blue Jays reinvented themselves – for the most part

We’ll start on that Rogers Centre turf, where the disconsolate Blue Jays filed back to a clubhouse where the tears flowed as easily as the champagne in the opposing room a few hundred yards away.

It’s really hard to repeat as champions in baseball, as the Dodgers learned. So wouldn’t it seem equally hard to get back to the Fall Classic after losing Game 7?

(Remember, 145 days can fly by, too).

With that, the Blue Jays took a wise hybrid approach to their offseason – not replicating the roster that fell just short but augmenting and future-proofing it.

Say hello to new starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, the former a supreme bat-misser and the latter whose spring performance justified his $30 million commitment to arrive from Japan. Kazuma Okamoto is the new third baseman. Bo Bichette is gone.

Yet the guts of the club still remain, even 41-year-old Max Scherzer, looking incredibly spry this spring and probably much healthier than last year. And let's not forget that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. begins the first of his 14 years of contractual bliss, over which time Toronto will pay him $500 million. He’s already worth it – even moreso if the Jays can win one more game than they did last year.

The Dodgers are only further reviled

Don’t weep for the boys in blue: More than 4 million people flocked through the gates to see them play last year. They get plenty of California love.

Yet they just can’t help themselves when it comes to seismic signings that rock the industry.

Here’s where $60 million man Kyle Tucker comes in (or, $57 million man Kyle Tucker when taking deferrals into account). This wasn’t an epic free agent class this past winter but the vacuum of trade rumors and signings must be filled and Tucker became the Hope Diamond.

Great player. Not quite a franchise player. Yet after he chose the Dodgers’ front-loaded and opt-out friendly deal, manager Dave Roberts will have a hard act to follow.

After all, he relished that the Dodgers “ruined baseball” in the postgame celebration following their NLCS vanquishing of the Brewers. A third straight World Series appearance and the club might be taking the rap for climate change and mayonnaise, too.

ABS system: ‘Robots’ have arrived

Sometimes a colloquialism gets out of control. So it is with “robot umpires.”

The phrase gained steam as pitch-tracking technology got better and more widespread and the average modern fan posited that we’d be better off with robots calling balls and strikes.

And here we are. Kind of.

The ABS Challenge System enables batters, pitchers and catchers to tap their head should they immediately determine they’ve possibly been wronged. They can do it twice a game and then, if they fail, they must live with human error.

It’s a bit of a half-measure to keep the so-called human element fairly alive and well while providing a fairly sturdy guardrail against egregious crimes against the strike zone.

Thank goodness it only takes 30 seconds or so to render a verdict, keeping the game watchable. And perhaps more enjoyable if your team is the one benefiting.

Just don’t call them robot umps. It’s not like they can deliver pizzas or enforce the law.

Bryce Harper donned a ‘Not Elite’ shirt

Just a weird little off-season kerfuffle.

It actually began before the World Series when Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski opined in the club’s postseason postmortem that Harper wasn’t an “elite” player anymore.

 And so began a Flaccoian winter saga.

It picked up steam when Harper, now a prolific TikToker, donned a shirt he said someone gave him bearing Dombrowski’s damning phrase. Just workout gear, he said.

Silly? Hey, the Narrative Factory never closes, and this is fodder either way, whether Harper falls into a 2-for-30 hole or claims his third MVP award at 33.

Atlanta’s rotation became ‘Spinal Tap drummer’ dangerous

They still have 2024 Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale, and Reynaldo Lopez is kinda nice, and maybe Bryce Elder can recapture his 2023 first half magic that sent him to the All-Star Game.

Other than that? The Atlanta Braves have an entire pitching rotation on the injured list.

It’s no way for a recent power to erase the sting of a fourth-place finish. They lost Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep to bone chip surgery in late February. Joey Wentz to a torn ACL once Grapefruit League play began.

And they couldn’t break camp without Spencer Strider tweaking an oblique. Throw in AJ Smith-Shawver’s Tommy John surgery from last June, and that’s a quintet’s worth of innings lost.

Those that remain hopefully won’t step on any banana peels.

‘Nuclear winter’ drew a little closer

Looking forward to Opening Day, eh? Shame if something happened to it.

Kind of an apt marketing slogan for Major League Baseball, eh? Lest we forget, Opening Day 2027 is far from a given with labor storm clouds forming and commissioner Rob Manfred telegraphing a lockout that will end all baseball business Dec. 1 until a new collective bargaining agreement is struck.

In the meantime, the union is down a man, with executive director Tony Clark’s startling resignation in February coming with just enough time to regroup before negotiations begin. (Yes, talks could have commenced any time in the last year, but that’s just not how they do it).

So enjoy the sunshine and displays of talent and hopefully a nice W for your team of choice. Next year this time could be a lot different.

Then again, plenty can happen from the final pitch of one season to the first one of the next.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB Opening Day 2026: What you missed in baseball since World Series