Category: MLB

The Dodgers second title defense begins in earnest tonight.

From the Grand Tour of 2025, which spanned three countries, two continents, and took every last day of the season — and then some — to this new campaign, with a traditional length Spring Training. What a luxury. The Dodgers had the best record in the Cactus League, which seems off because they did not have 28 ties, but whatever, I hope someone gave them a little cactus for the memes.

After seeing friends and acquaintances gripe about how much they spent on Opening Day tickets, I thought I would take a look. After seeing Loge tickets for over $500 directly from the team, I thought I would check the secondary market, starting with TickPick. I am not sponsored by them; I just abhor paying garbage fees if I can help it.

What I found did not surprise me in the least: one could look at a seat-map range for tonight’s game and be forgiven for thinking the postseason had already started. I have seen ticket prices ranging from $200 to $800 and more, depending on location.

For Opening Night, the Dodger tax is in full effect, with everyone paying like a road fan on Thursday. I have seen the groans and complaints as knowledge of prices has become more widespread. I had the following benign reaction to the news:

In my travels, I have long grown accustomed to paying out the nose for Dodgers tickets. With mild reductions to both the floor and ceiling of prices, I could swap tonight’s prices for games in San Diego, San Francisco, Atlanta, New York (both Queens and the Bronx), Seattle, West Sacramento, etc.

That assertion aside, I have full sympathy for anyone experiencing sticker shock. It stinks.

Granted, these prices are absolutely adorable compared to Game 1 of the 2025 season, but at least I had the good fortune to be in Tokyo when I plunked down the price of two used cars for my tickets to Game 1 and Game 2 of the 2025 campaign.

One consolation for the financial pain was that the games were an actual showcase international event that somehow spawned a mediocre documentary that one can literally start streaming on CNN’s streaming platform today. The Tokyo Series mattered, unlike the abomination that played out in San Francisco last night. The logic of “Netflix paid us money” is likely the only justification for starting the 2026 campaign with two literal also-rans.

Incidentally, the ticket for 2025’s Game 1 cost more than the ticket for 2025’s Game 179, albeit not by much. The sticker price for both tickets was comparable; it was just that capitalism (and the corresponding demand) exploded as planned.

Regardless, I understand the argument that the Dodgers have succeeded so much that they are now on the cusp or have started negatively affecting those who would just like to enjoy the ride: the casual fan.

The rush hour train is crowded

As someone who does not go to Los Angeles regularly, I do not find the influx of bandwagon and casual fans a big deal. Success breeds a party everyone wants to attend until they are priced out. No one wants to pay a premium price for games that do not, hence the modest attendance for the Freeway Series’ finale on March 24.

We do not have to rely on anecdotal evidence for this claim either. Michael Duarte of the California Post reported on March 19 about the booming prices of baseball tickets in 2026, focusing in part on how the Dodgers are leading the way:

Baseball is booming and so are the ticket prices. In 2026, ticket prices depend on where you sit and which team you’re watching.

Here in California, the divide isn’t subtle. It’s as large as the Grand Canyon.

The Los Angeles Dodgers don’t just lead Major League Baseball in ticket prices this year, they honestly belong in another economic category altogether.

The average minimum ticket price at Dodger Stadium sits at $76.57, nearly double the MLB average of $34.82…

…On average across the league, when the Dodgers come to town, the cheapest ticket in the ballpark jumps to $62.51. The only other team in that stratosphere is the rival Yankees.

Mr. Duarte is not exactly reporting breaking news here, especially as to the road front. Factor in the average ticket price, the $45 parking fee (unless you booked ahead of time, saving $5), the prices for food and drink (heaven forbid, alcohol), and one is looking at a several-hundred-dollar expenditure for a family of four or more to see the Dodgers in person.

It is widely believed that the Dodgers pulled in over $1 billion in revenue last year, topping the four-million mark in attendance for the first time in franchise history. Note that I did not say “profit,” but given the team’s perception problem, the distinction will likely be lost on most. I have harped on this point before: does the team need to extract every nickel and dime it can out of its fanbase?

Would a five-dollar hot dog, a refillable soda, and capping the prices of certain tickets really break the franchise and critically slow the Dodgers’ financial juggernaut?

Echoes of a bygone age

I remember when I was so broke that I could only cobble together the funds to go to a single game at Dodger Stadium a year. If you came back to tell me in 2012, after seeing Chris Capuano “pitch”, that 14 years later I would be working for a site I was then intermittently reading and going to 17 Dodgers games in seven cities, words fail me as to how badly I would handle that hypothetical social interaction.

I would probably see it as a unique form of bullying; that’s how broke I was during those days.

In baseball’s golden age, seating was seen as a great democratic (small d) equalizer, as you would have members of different social and economic classes jumbled together to watch baseball. That horse is so far gone from the figurative barn that it has died from old age from running free.

There is no going back; if you want a better view, you have to pay for it. Baseball teams have been catering to the 1% of earners, its whales, for a long time now.

A modest proposal

If I could change one thing about the operation of the Dodgers (I can’t) or if the Dodgers were interested in the public relations boon that would arise from following my advice (they are not and they will not), I would implement the following changes on ticket prices for the regular season going forward:

• No bleacher seat should cost more than $25 out the door.
• No upper deck seat should cost more than $40 out the door.

I am being entirely arbitrary, operating purely on the vibes, as the children say. I simply asked myself what 2012-me would have considered fair. If the Dodgers’ economic engine is wholly dedicated to running on the backs of those sitting in the literal cheap seats, so be it. But without looking into the team’s financial books, I suspect that all the corporate and sponsorship money, along with the media deal, are largely keeping the proverbial ship afloat.

Plus, imagine the public-relations bonanza if the team announced such a move; it would flummox the naysayers with a single announcement. Two additional steps would be needed to thwart scalpers and others who would seek to ruin a good thing. Oddly enough, one step comes from what I have seen other franchises do, and the other step comes from the Savannah Bananas, of all people.

This year, when obtaining my Phillies tickets directly from the team, they were initially geolocked to residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. I do not live in Pennsylvania, and I was prompted to call the ticket office. I did, and ten minutes later, after declaring that I was not a scalper and that I was only after one ticket for one game, the transaction was completed with nary a feather ruffled.

Generally, a setup like the one described above thwarts, or at least slows, the automated computer bot that can react faster than a human. The only way to ensure these tickets would not fall into the hands of mass sellers who would then feel free to raise the price as much as they want, to take a page from the Savannah Bananas, who were inspired by how music acts combat scalpers: by cutting out the middleman and becoming the only outlet to sell tickets.

Such measures would mean more work and less profit for the Dodgers, which is likely a non-starter. The situation seems likely to hit a breaking point with people’s finances, especially in a rapidly spiraling economy. Where that breaking point actually is is anyone’s guess.

Feedback on Dodger Stadium Express

For those going to games at Dodger Stadium in the next week or two, I would greatly appreciate feedback (posted in the comments of this essay or on BlueSky) on the wait times to get to and leave Dodger Stadium after games. There were changes implemented in the final third of the 2025 season, and I am working on a follow-up analysis essay for which I need to crowdsource anecdotal data, as I am physically unable to collect it myself.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

The beginning of the MLB season is always a time of hope. Other than a couple select teams (RIP Rockies, White Sox, et al) there is at least a chance they’ll make the playoffs, and that gives us all something in common. Sure, there are some teams far more likely, others nearly guaranteed, but we all have that hope.

Admittedly, that hope is hard to find at the beginning of this season if your a Diamondbacks fan. You’re looking at a team that failed by every objective measure in 2024, then did next to nothing to get better in the offseason. When your two biggest acquisitions are washed corner infielders and two pitchers that were on your team last season, it’s just not particularly inspiring. In fact, you could be forgiven if you think we actually got worse. Geno+ for Arenado isn’t exactly a trade most of us would make, if it were actually a trade. That’s before we get to the injuries that have already piled up.

Even beyond that, there are bigger picture reasons for a lack of hope. There is a distinct possibility, bordering on certainty, that this will be the end of MLB’s streak of no games lost to labor strife. So many factors are playing into it, including some that the Diamondbacks know well as members of the NL West. The environment the game occurs in has changed, but the game itself has largely stayed the same. That’s going to come to an end, and in a brutal, protracted way. That hurts the hope.

All that to say to feel less, or even no hope, at the start of this season is understandable. I’m the eternal optimist, so I still think we have a chance, but even for myself and my 92 win prediction… I get it. But let me take this time to remind us all that there is still a chance. Still a chance for this season, still a chance that MLB comes out stronger and healthier on the other side of the impending work stoppage, and maybe, just maybe, the Diamondbacks will find themselves on a more even footing with the multi-billion dollar investment groups that own other teams.

But now, the conjecture, the speculation ends. Baseball isn’t played on paper. It’s played on grass and turf and dirt. It’s time for baseball.

All stats from 2025. Game 2 and 3 Dodger starters are unconfirmed and projected by ESPN.

Game 1 – 3/26, 5:30 PM: Zac Gallen (13-15, 4.83 ERA/89 ERA+, 1.26 WHIP, 1.1 bWAR) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA/167 ERA+, 0.99 WHIP, 4.9 bWAR)

Zac Gallen has a lot to prove this season. He was untradeable at the deadline, unsignable in the offseason, and for good reason. He had an all time bad season. It was his worst personally, he was 45 worst by ERA in the entire league. He technically took less than the original qualifying offer to come back to the Diamondbacks on a one year deal. There is a lot on the line for him to show that he can reach the Cy Young finalist heights that he’s reached before, and much of the hope the Diamondbacks have is riding on him putting it all out there to get that contract he thinks he deserves. As far as that goes… well Merrill Kelly is already throwing bullpens, so we have a backup plan.

Yamamoto put together a stellar 2025 and more than earned his third place finish in the Cy Young voting. In another world, one where Paul Skenes doesn’t exist, he stood a decent chance at winning. His spring training has been much of the same, with an ERA just a tick higher than his last season. We all know that spring stats mean next to nothing, but personally I feel like if its just a continuation of what he did last season, it’s at least a decent sign. Going to be tough with him at the top of the Dodgers rotation again.

Game 2 – 3/27, 7:10 PM: Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.39 ERA/127 ERA+, 1.07 WHIP, 3.4 bWAR) vs. Emmet Sheehan (6-3 2.82 ERA/147 ERA+, 0.96 WHIP, 1.1 WAR)

It’s not a hard argument to make that Ryne Nelson has been the best pitcher on the Diamondbacks since about the trade deadline of the 2024 season, and finally that is being rewarded with being added to the opening day starting rotation. It’s been a long time coming, and many people said it should have been taken a step further with an Opening Day start, but at least it’s finally happened. Now it’s up to him to make it worth it. If he continues to pitch at the 3.16 ERA he had as a starter last year, he stands a good chance of again being the best pitcher on the team.

Emmet Sheehan missed the later part of the 2023 season, the entirety of the 2024 season, and just shy of the first half of the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, like so many Dodgers players do. When he came back, he pitched very well for the Dodgers, again like so many players do, but struggled in the postseason as a reliever. Obviously it did not matter much, however. Thanks at least in part to Blake Snell starting the season on the IL, Sheehan will once again be starting for the Dodgers and will look to continue what he had going during the 2025 regular season.

Game 3 – 3/28, 6:10 PM: Eduardo Rodriguez (9-9, 5.02 ERA/86 ERA+, 1.54 WHIP, 0.4 bWAR) vs. Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19 ERA/130 ERA+, 1.09 WHIP, 1.9 bWAR)

Eduardo Rodriguez is coming off a great World Baseball Classic, and I for one hope that experiencing winning baseball that he was a large part of will jump start the bounce back season we’ve been hoping for from him since, well, he joined the Diamondbacks. It’s been a rough road for him, and at no point has he lived up to the pretty hefty contract he was given by Hazen and the Diamondbacks. If, somehow, he were able to put it together and pitch even to an average result, it would go a long way to the Diamondbacks being Wild Card contenders this season. As a side note, I do find it interesting that the team did actually have a winning record in his starts in 2025. Just speaks volumes about how good the offense really was.

Glasnow is another oft injured Dodger pitcher, though that started long before his tenure in Los Angels. Last season he only pitched 90 innings for them, after suffering a shoulder injury in late April that took a while to come back from, and in 2024 it was an elbow sprain. When he actually takes the field, however, he is a good pitcher, having not had an ERA+ lower than 114 in his last five seasons. The only question for him is his health.

Conclusion

The scheduling gods are wasting no time in seeing what the Diamondbacks are made of. If their players and the team as a whole are going to have a bounce back season, it will have to start from the very first pitch. All roads to the playoffs have to go through the Dodgers, might as well get it started sooner rather than later.

Am I confident in this series? Not particularly, but hopefully they can prove me and the many other doubters wrong. I say they go 1-2, however. Go Dbacks!

The beginning of the MLB season is always a time of hope. Other than a couple select teams (RIP Rockies, White Sox, et al) there is at least a chance they’ll make the playoffs, and that gives us all something in common. Sure, there are some teams far more likely, others nearly guaranteed, but we all have that hope.

Admittedly, that hope is hard to find at the beginning of this season if your a Diamondbacks fan. You’re looking at a team that failed by every objective measure in 2024, then did next to nothing to get better in the offseason. When your two biggest acquisitions are washed corner infielders and two pitchers that were on your team last season, it’s just not particularly inspiring. In fact, you could be forgiven if you think we actually got worse. Geno+ for Arenado isn’t exactly a trade most of us would make, if it were actually a trade. That’s before we get to the injuries that have already piled up.

Even beyond that, there are bigger picture reasons for a lack of hope. There is a distinct possibility, bordering on certainty, that this will be the end of MLB’s streak of no games lost to labor strife. So many factors are playing into it, including some that the Diamondbacks know well as members of the NL West. The environment the game occurs in has changed, but the game itself has largely stayed the same. That’s going to come to an end, and in a brutal, protracted way. That hurts the hope.

All that to say to feel less, or even no hope, at the start of this season is understandable. I’m the eternal optimist, so I still think we have a chance, but even for myself and my 92 win prediction… I get it. But let me take this time to remind us all that there is still a chance. Still a chance for this season, still a chance that MLB comes out stronger and healthier on the other side of the impending work stoppage, and maybe, just maybe, the Diamondbacks will find themselves on a more even footing with the multi-billion dollar investment groups that own other teams.

But now, the conjecture, the speculation ends. Baseball isn’t played on paper. It’s played on grass and turf and dirt. It’s time for baseball.

All stats from 2025. Game 2 and 3 Dodger starters are unconfirmed and projected by ESPN.

Game 1 – 3/26, 5:30 PM: Zac Gallen (13-15, 4.83 ERA/89 ERA+, 1.26 WHIP, 1.1 bWAR) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA/167 ERA+, 0.99 WHIP, 4.9 bWAR)

Zac Gallen has a lot to prove this season. He was untradeable at the deadline, unsignable in the offseason, and for good reason. He had an all time bad season. It was his worst personally, he was 45 worst by ERA in the entire league. He technically took less than the original qualifying offer to come back to the Diamondbacks on a one year deal. There is a lot on the line for him to show that he can reach the Cy Young finalist heights that he’s reached before, and much of the hope the Diamondbacks have is riding on him putting it all out there to get that contract he thinks he deserves. As far as that goes… well Merrill Kelly is already throwing bullpens, so we have a backup plan.

Yamamoto put together a stellar 2025 and more than earned his third place finish in the Cy Young voting. In another world, one where Paul Skenes doesn’t exist, he stood a decent chance at winning. His spring training has been much of the same, with an ERA just a tick higher than his last season. We all know that spring stats mean next to nothing, but personally I feel like if its just a continuation of what he did last season, it’s at least a decent sign. Going to be tough with him at the top of the Dodgers rotation again.

Game 2 – 3/27, 7:10 PM: Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.39 ERA/127 ERA+, 1.07 WHIP, 3.4 bWAR) vs. Emmet Sheehan (6-3 2.82 ERA/147 ERA+, 0.96 WHIP, 1.1 WAR)

It’s not a hard argument to make that Ryne Nelson has been the best pitcher on the Diamondbacks since about the trade deadline of the 2024 season, and finally that is being rewarded with being added to the opening day starting rotation. It’s been a long time coming, and many people said it should have been taken a step further with an Opening Day start, but at least it’s finally happened. Now it’s up to him to make it worth it. If he continues to pitch at the 3.16 ERA he had as a starter last year, he stands a good chance of again being the best pitcher on the team.

Emmet Sheehan missed the later part of the 2023 season, the entirety of the 2024 season, and just shy of the first half of the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, like so many Dodgers players do. When he came back, he pitched very well for the Dodgers, again like so many players do, but struggled in the postseason as a reliever. Obviously it did not matter much, however. Thanks at least in part to Blake Snell starting the season on the IL, Sheehan will once again be starting for the Dodgers and will look to continue what he had going during the 2025 regular season.

Game 3 – 3/28, 6:10 PM: Eduardo Rodriguez (9-9, 5.02 ERA/86 ERA+, 1.54 WHIP, 0.4 bWAR) vs. Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19 ERA/130 ERA+, 1.09 WHIP, 1.9 bWAR)

Eduardo Rodriguez is coming off a great World Baseball Classic, and I for one hope that experiencing winning baseball that he was a large part of will jump start the bounce back season we’ve been hoping for from him since, well, he joined the Diamondbacks. It’s been a rough road for him, and at no point has he lived up to the pretty hefty contract he was given by Hazen and the Diamondbacks. If, somehow, he were able to put it together and pitch even to an average result, it would go a long way to the Diamondbacks being Wild Card contenders this season. As a side note, I do find it interesting that the team did actually have a winning record in his starts in 2025. Just speaks volumes about how good the offense really was.

Glasnow is another oft injured Dodger pitcher, though that started long before his tenure in Los Angels. Last season he only pitched 90 innings for them, after suffering a shoulder injury in late April that took a while to come back from, and in 2024 it was an elbow sprain. When he actually takes the field, however, he is a good pitcher, having not had an ERA+ lower than 114 in his last five seasons. The only question for him is his health.

Conclusion

The scheduling gods are wasting no time in seeing what the Diamondbacks are made of. If their players and the team as a whole are going to have a bounce back season, it will have to start from the very first pitch. All roads to the playoffs have to go through the Dodgers, might as well get it started sooner rather than later.

Am I confident in this series? Not particularly, but hopefully they can prove me and the many other doubters wrong. I say they go 1-2, however. Go Dbacks!

The Los Angeles Dodgers open the 2026 MLB season as reigning back-to-back champions. According to their new Opening Day video, narrated by a famous fan, they also open as this season's definitive 'bad guy' to kick off the proceedings.

While hope is high across MLB, the boos will be at the ready for any opposing fan base for the boys in blue. The Dodgers, along with the rest of the league, released hype videos to excite their respective fan bases. For LA, the goal was to also fan the flames of vitriol.

"What's wrong with being the bad guy," actor and longtime Dodgers fan Jason Bateman wonders. "If being the best makes you bad, then so be it."

The Dodgers won their Secon d World Series in a row after besting the Toronto Blue Jays in an unforgettable Fall Classic.

LA has not only won the World Series in three of the last six seasons but has also been to the playoffs in 13 consecutive years. Predicted to take the NL West again, that streak is expected to continue with roster additions like Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz.

How to watch Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks

• When: Thursday, March 26, 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT)
• 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

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA Dodgers embrace MLB villain narrative with Opening Day hype video

With reigning NL Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes on the mound and a host of offseason hitting acquisitions bolstering the lineup, preseason optimism was high in Pittsburgh.

It took less than one inning for that bubble to burst on Opening Day in Queens.

The Pirates, with Skenes staked to a 2-0 lead on newcomer Brandon Lowe's first-inning homer, imploded in the bottom of the inning as the New York Mets scored five runs and knocked Skenes out of the game after he threw 37 pitches and recorded only two outs.

It was the shortest outing of Skenes' professional career.

To be fair, Skenes' struggles weren't entirely his fault.

Brett Baty CLEARS THE BASES 😤

The @Mets are making some noise on #OpeningDay 💪 pic.twitter.com/Jwusemrx9E

— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2026

After issuing a leadoff walk to Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and a softly hit single to center by Juan Soto, he gave up a routine fly ball that plated a run.

First Chuck: 2:05 PM CDT (click here each week for a new anthem!)

The Tube: Twins.TV

The Dial: Treasure Island Baseball Network

Spies ‘R Us: Camden Chat

If you weren’t around this past offseason—and no judgement here—you missed our community Back to The Future discussion. When it comes to the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles clashing before May flowers spring from April showers, Old Biff sums things up nicely…

Since the year 2000, the Twins & Orioles have clashed 9 times (’00, ‘07, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13, ‘16, ‘18, ‘19, & ‘24) at either locale before the very merry month of May. I’m not sure if that is statistically significant, but it certainly seems like it is! Overall, our crew is 13-15 in these early-season Orange Bird contests.

A couple of the highlights…

• ’07: Behind some Justin Morneau HRs, Joe Mauer 2Bs, and wins from Johan Santana, Pat Neshek, & Ramon Ortiz, the Twins swept the O’s at the Dome to open the season.

• ’19: The Bomba Squad was born in a late-April Camden Yards clash, with the Twins blasting 11 bombas in a three-game sweep.

Of course, sometimes it hasn’t gone so well when the other guys are in Oriole Orange…

• ’12: MN opened the season in BAL and clocked just five runs in three games—an Oriole sweep.

• ’16: As you’ve already seen, the Total System Failure (TM) campaign kicked off with three debilitating losses on the banks of the Patapsco River.
• ’24: In their defense of the ‘23 AL Central title, the Twins were tripped up in Baltimore with a close loss, a blowout loss, and a walk-off loss.

Here we are again with another Twins/Orioles early season collision. Let’s see if our visiting boys of summer can start the 2026 campaign off on the right foot by clipping the wings of these Icterus Galbula!

Lineups

(I’m often out walking or busy right up ‘til first pitch and last-minute lineup inputs stress me out—so, a clickety-click above will give you the pecking orders provided to the robotscyborgs Men in Blue)

Spring training is over, the bunting at Camden Yards has been hung, and a new season of Orioles baseball is just about to start. No matter the quality of the team on the field, or the outcome of the game, Opening Day in Baltimore is a special. The 2026 iteration is shaping up to be particularly lovely.

You couldn’t ask for better weather for the occasion. Temperatures are expected to sit in the mid-70s for the duration of the game, and any winds in the area should be mild. If you are fortunate enough to be at the Yard, you are in for a treat.

Craig Albernaz’s first lineup as Orioles manager is about what you would have expected. Taylor Ward is your lead off hitter, as was teased throughout the spring. Both Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are in the lineup. Mr. Opening Day, Tyler O’Neill, begins the day in right field, where he looks to extend his home run streak on the first day of the season to seven years in a row. Blaze Alexander starts at second baseman.

That gives us a bench of Dylan Beavers, Jeremiah Jackson, Ryan Mountcastle, and Leody Taveras. That’s decent versatility to shore up a potential win later on.

We know Trevor Rogers will start the day on the bump, and if the Orioles have a lead late we can expect Ryan Helsley in the ninth. The bridge between the two, however, is a complete mystery at this moment. My best guess would be some combination of Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, and Tyler Wells, but that is based on nothing but vibes. Hopefully Albernaz has a more analytic-based plan in place.

Alright, enough talk! The road to the playoffs starts today. Let’s get it going with a win!

Orioles lineup

1. Taylor Ward, LF
2. Gunnar Henderson, SS
3. Pete Alonso, 1B
4. Adley Rutschman, C
5. Samuel Basallo, DH
6. Tyler O’Neill, RF
7. Colton Cowser, CF
8. Coby Mayo, 3B
9. Blaze Alexander, 2B

LHP Trevor Rogers (9-3, 1.81 ERA in 2025)

Yankees lineup

1. Austin Martin, LF
2. Byron Buxton, CF
3. Luke Keaschall, 2B
4. Ryan Jeffers, C
5. Matt Wallner, RF
6. Josh Bell, DH
7. Victor Caratini, 1B
8. Royce Lewis, 3B
9. Brooks Lee, SS

RHP Joe Ryan (13-10, 3.42 ERA in 2025)

Opening Day in Cincinnati has finally arrived!

After a long winter where we were left to ponder whether the Cincinnati Reds, who actually snuck into the playoffs for a minute in 2025, were going to take a giant leap forward in 2026 as their roster entered a fourth full year together post-rebuild. Today, we get the first glimpse of how this club has been constructed, as Andrew Abbott toes the rubber for his first Opening Day start with the mighty Boston Red Sox in town.

Boston, it should be noted, is pretty loaded this year. FanGraphs projects them to win 86 games in 2026, and only five clubs are projected to win more. Much of that optimism stems from their deep starting rotation, one that’s fronted by 2025 American League Cy Young Award runner-up Garrett Crochet, who will start on Thursday in Great American Ball Park against the Reds.

Today’s game will be viewable via Reds.TV, as the Reds are no longer in partnership with the shambles that was FanDuel Sports Ohio (previously Bally Sports Ohio). If you don’t have that, though, there’s a chance your cable provider or DirecTV may have them – hat tip to Redleg Nation for doing a deep dive on this over the last 24 hours. If you are out of market, you should be able to watch this one through MLB.tv.

First pitch is slated for 4:10 PM ET. Here’s how the Reds will line up on the day:

Welcome to 2026, folks. Go Reds!

The success of the 2026 San Diego Padres may hinge on the contributions from players beyond those on the Opening Day roster. Injuries to a team’s starting lineup are tough hurdles to clear in a given season.

Bowen was the Spring Training breakout star

One player who has an inside track for an in-season minor league call-up is Spring Training phenom Jase Bowen. His signing was not a blockbuster move; it may not even register on your smartphone’s breaking news alerts. Bowen came to Peoria as a non-roster invitee competing for the fourth outfielder position. 

No question, he outplayed Bryce Johnson by hitting .296 with four home runs and 11 RBI, which led all Padres this spring. Unclear where the power surge came from, it may have been temporary. Bowen has only 73 home runs in his seven-year minor league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Adding some pop to his approach at the plate is highly unlikely. He has only 188 career extra-base hits to his name. 

Despite all the positives, it was not enough to earn a roster spot. Instead, Bowen will begin his 2026 season with the Friars’ Triple-A affiliate, El Paso Chihuahuas.

Padres found a versatile bench player

Bowen is very versatile, as he can play all three outfield positions, as well as first and second base. Talent evaluators believe center field is his best position because they grade him as an above-average defender. The type of versatility he offers will help to give Padres first-year manager Craig Stammen some lineup flexibility. 

Selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Bowen was viewed as a promising prospect. Scouts deemed him to be very athletic, as the former Michigan State commit brought a football mentality to the diamond.

For Bowen, it is all about getting on base, as he posted a .733 OPS in his minor league career. Speed could be his greatest value at the big league level. 

Bowen has 114 stolen bases in 586 minor league games. The Friars could use an exceptional pinch-runner, especially late in close, one-run games. His aggressive running style puts him in scoring position without the need for a sacrifice.

Preller unearths minor league gems

The recent trades of Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller have forced him to upgrade the minor league system quietly. The organization expects to compete for a postseason berth, and having major league-ready talent in Triple-A will improve their chances.

Give credit to Preller’s staff for scouting other teams and identifying those prospects who might make a difference in San Diego if they were to become available. Some additions address positional needs, while others capitalize on acquiring talent surpluses elsewhere. It allows the Friars to stockpile players that could be used as trade bait at the deadline.

There are plenty of doubts about whether Bowen’s skills will translate at the major league level. But at 25, he is young enough to become baseball’s next late bloomer. 

Pittsburgh Pirates fans felt something different on Opening Day as Paul Skenes walked to the mound for the bottom of the first inning against the New York Mets.

Hope.

After the Pirates scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on Thursday, Pirates fans likely felt they could believe again, with their team’s ace walking to the mound to face the revamped Mets lineup.

After just two outs, and five earned runs, that hope was gone along with Skenes from the game.

The Mets knocked Skenes around in the bottom of the first inning, putting five runs on the board and sending the Pittsburgh ace to the showers early. The inning began innocently enough, with a walk to Francisco Lindor and then a single from Juan Soto that sent the Mets infielder to third. That’s when Bo Bichette, one of the new members of the Mets, lifted a fly ball to right:

The sacrifice fly brought one run home, cutting Pittsburgh’s lead in half.

But the Mets were just getting started.

An infield single followed by a walk loaded the bases for Brett Baty, who lofted a fly ball to deep center field. There was just one problem, however: Center fielder Oneil Cruz started in as the ball came off the bat, breaking a cardinal rule of outfield play.

The fly ball — that could have been a relatively harmless sacrifice fly — sailed over his head, allowing the Mets to clear the bases:

Cruz likely wanted to run and hide somewhere, but in a sport like baseball, sometimes it is in those moments when the ball has a knack of finding you again. Which is exactly what happened when infielder Marcus Semien lofted another fly ball to Cruz in center:

The outfielder fought the sun, and the sun won.

The play was ruled a double, which, ok sure.

Skenes was able to get the second out of the inning on a strikeout of Carson Benge, but then plunked Francisco Alvarez with a sinker that ran inside.

That is when Skenes’ time on the bump came to an end, as he was lifted for Yohan Ramírez as the Mets had built a 5-2 lead.

The final line for Skenes on Opening Day? 0.2 innings pitched, four hits, five runs, five earned runs, two walks, and one strikeout. Although to be fair, some of those could be scored as unearned given the plays in the field.

But as things stand, what is his current ERA? 67.50.

To quote Ted Lasso, “it’s the hope that kills you.”

Well, that was quite a start.

After Freddy Peralta allowed a pair of runs in the top of the first inning during Thursday’s Opening Day matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mets quickly gave the Citi Field faithful plenty to cheer about in the bottom half of the inning. 

Thanks to four hits, two walks, a hit batter and a pair of defensive misplays by Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz, the Mets put five runs on the board and chased reigning NL Cy Young Paul Skenes after just two outs and 37 pitches. 

The Mets went on to win by a score of 11-7, thanks in part to that fast start against one of baseball's best pitchers.

It all started with a leadoff walk by Francisco Lindor, followed by a Juan Soto single and a Bo Bichette sac fly to right. After loading the bases with a Luis Robert Jr. walk, Brett Baty cashed in by lining a three-run triple over the head of Cruz in center, as he initially broke in. Cruz later missed what should have been an easy fly out from Marcus Semien, and then Skenes hit Francisco Alvarez as the Mets batted around.

"That first inning was pretty impressive, not gonna lie," Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "Right out of the gate with Lindor walking and then just going first to third and putting pressure (on Skenes), that’s one of the things that we talk about. If you want to beat guys like this, you’re going to have to play perfect baseball pretty much. Not only putting together some really good at-bats, but running the bases, putting the ball in play, and that whole inning, the way everything unfolded was pretty impressive."

"Overall, one through nine, a pretty solid day, and it says a lot about our offense," he later added.

And it wasn't just the first inning in which the Mets found offensive success. Mendoza highlighted the fifth inning, when the Mets had nine batters come to the plate and put three more runs on the board.

"There’s going to be times where it’s going to be hard, that’s the nature oft the business, but just to see it right out of the gates against one of the best pitchers in the league, it goes to show you that we’ve got some dangerous guys, and they continue to add on," Mendoza said. "Not just that first inning, but that fifth inning was as good as the first one where they’re controlling the strike zone, they’re creating traffic, we’re putting the ball in play with two strikes, we’re going the other way when we need to. That’s a sign of a good offensive team, from one through nine. 

"When you get contributions from guys like Marcus [Semien], from [Carson Benge], and [Alvarez] and we’re able to turn the lineup over, we’re going to be in a good place."

In all, the Mets had 11 hits and went 5-15 with runners in scoring position.

"I think the goal of our team should be to have the most competitive at-bats every single day, and we did that for sure," said Bichette.

"It’s the first game, but it could give us a glimpse of what we want to be as a team, getting down early and coming back against maybe the best in the game. That’s good stuff, so try to keep it going."

"That was a really fun game," added Baty. "Our lineup was really special, put together a lot of scrappy at-bats, and then Freddy, the bullpen, that was awesome."

Here are some of the highlights

Juan Soto with the Mets’ first hit of the season! pic.twitter.com/6mghWL9nX4

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026

BRETT BATY CLEARS THE BASES!

METS LEAD! pic.twitter.com/xDbBIjHIoo

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 26, 2026

Marcus Semien brings home the fifth run of the inning as Oneil Cruz misplays it in center! pic.twitter.com/BxKvs4A80C

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 26, 2026

Paul Skenes does not get out of the first inning on Opening Day against the Mets pic.twitter.com/4qaZs9P3uB

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 26, 2026

There is now a timeline on CL Josh Hader, according to Astros GM Dana Brown:

SS Jeremy Pena is not in the Opening Day lineup, but he is getting live ABs before the game in Sugar Land:

More on the timeline expected for Jeremy Pena from Chandler Rome:

UT Brice Matthews has clearly been coached up by Crash Davis (Kevin Costner’s character in Bull Durham) and has been working on his cliches before his first Opening Day:

Manager Joe Espada on how team plans to use Matthews:

Dana Brown on how team will use IF Isaac Paredes:

The Astros are 0-0 all time on March 26:

Nothing like the sound of a little Yordan Alvarez BP:

Astros manager Joe Espada on RP Christian Roa making the Opening Day roster:

Espada on how he will navigate playing time in LF:

Brown on the development of RF Cam Smith:

Brown on extension talks with CL Bryan Abreu, SP Hunter Brown and Pena:

2B Jose Altuve on Opening Day:

Matt Kawahara has 10 stats for the Astros to return to the postseason:

Opening Day is finally here after the Astros’ longest offseason in nearly a decade. Following a disappointing 2025 season that ended after Game 162, the Astros remade a significant portion of their roster and coaching staff in an effort to reclaim their spot atop the American League West. Here are the four biggest questions I have as they head into the first of 162 games.

Can they make their infield logjam work?

The Astros have five infielders who have made All-Star teams, earn significant salaries, and expect to play every day. The problem is, you can only start four on any given day. That means someone who believes they belong in the lineup will be left out every single day. Managing those expectations—while keeping everyone sharp—may be Joe Espada’s toughest challenge of 2026.

Some of that could sort itself out. Jeremy Peña suffered a finger injury during the lead-up to the World Baseball Classic and won’t be ready for Opening Day. Carlos Correa played more than 140 games last season for the first time since 2021, so it’s reasonable to expect he’ll miss a little time during his age-31 campaign. And, of course, the Astros could always trade from their infield surplus.

But what if everyone stays healthy? And what if no trade materializes? Things could get uncomfortable.

Did Dana Brown bring in the right starting pitchers?

The Astros remade their starting rotation after missing the playoffs in 2006. Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens departed, and then-GM Tim Purpura tried to replace them by trading for Jason Jennings and signing Woody Williams in free agency. Both moves were disasters, and Purpura was fired before the 2007 season ended.

This past winter, Dana Brown watched Framber Valdez leave and replaced him by trading for Mike Burrows and signing Tatsuya Imai in free agency. Both have had terrific springs, but joining the Astros is a major adjustment. Burrows is coming from Pittsburgh, where expectations and pressure were minimal, while Imai is transitioning from Japan to the United States—an adjustment that can be challenging both on and off the field.

The Astros gave up two prospects from a barren system to acquire Burrows, who is under team control for five seasons. They need him to be good not just in 2026, but well beyond. Imai signed a three-year, $54 million deal that includes opt-outs after the first two seasons. If he’s good, he’ll likely opt out and pitch elsewhere next year. If he struggles, he becomes another burdensome contract for a team that can’t afford many more.

Is the bullpen good enough behind Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu?

With Hader and Abreu slated for the eighth and ninth innings, the Astros have one of the best one-two bullpen punches in Major League Baseball. But do they have the depth behind them to get through the season?

That depth is already being tested, with Hader set to begin the year on the IL, along with Bennett Sousa, who authored a brilliant 2025 before getting hurt. The Astros will need Bryan King and Steven Okert to replicate last season’s success in roles known for volatility, while also hoping that pitchers like Roddery Muñoz, Kai-Wei Teng, Ryan Weiss, and Christian Roa emerge as reliable options, at least early in the season.

Is Cam Smith still the future of the team?

Late last February, I sat in Dana Brown’s West Palm Beach office and asked him who had impressed through the first two weeks of spring training. I think Brown said Smith’s name before I could even finish the question.

I’ve rarely heard a GM talk about a prospect the way Brown talked about Smith, whom he acquired in the Kyle Tucker trade. General managers usually try to temper expectations for young players, but Brown seemed to raise them every chance he got.

Smith made the Astros’ Opening Day roster out of spring last season despite having played just 35 games in the minors with the Cubs in 2024. That only heightened expectations. It looked like he might meet them after raising his OPS to .805 during the Astros’ 18–1 win at Dodger Stadium on July 4, but over his final 60 games, Smith slashed just .155/.248/.232 and found himself on the bench for much of September.

Brown said early in the offseason that Smith would have to earn a spot on the 2026 Opening Day roster, and he responded with an impressive spring. Smith, who turns 23 on Friday, remains under team control for another five seasons. And with no other impactful position-player prospects in the upper levels of the Astros’ system, they need him to live up to the billing.

Yesterday we kicked things off with the first two installments of our top prospect series. Today we’re back with the next tier up

16. Silvano Hechavarria, RHP, Age 22 (DOB: 3/18/2003), Grade 40, 2025: NR

Signed out of Cuba in June of 2024, Hechavarria was older than the typical International Free Agent and he cruised through the DSL that summer before making his way stateside in 2025. There, he had similarly little trouble with the complex and the Florida State League, by late summer earning a promotion to a somewhat more age appropriate league with A+ Vancouver. Overall last season, he pitched 86.2 innings across the three levels, with an 82:23 strikeout to walk ratio and a 2.28 ERA.

Hechavarria looks the part of a starting pitcher, standing 6’4” and weighing 200lbs. He has a fairly short and tall delivery, releasing from a high three quarters arm slot to generate downward plane. The velocity on his fastballs varies from 89-97, mostly averaging 93-94. He mostly throws a four seamer, which has solid carry and above average arm side run, mixing in a sinker that’s got plus run and a little drop. Overall they look like solid average pitches.

His best pitch, and the most commonly thrown if you separate the fastballs, is a cutter-y slider in the upper 80s that projects as above average. He rounds out the arsenal with a change-up with splitter style movement that is his least refined offering but that flashes as a second 55 grade weapon.

It’s not the prettiest delivery, but Hechavarria has a loose athleticism and he repeats it well, with command of all four offerings that’s probably MLB average right now and has a chance to get to plus. The overall package is a potential #4 starter who lacks a true dominating out pitch but who gets through a lot of innings with a deep repertoire and by limiting base runners. 2026 will be about continuing to stretch out his workload after his year off while defecting and seeing how well his stuff plays against upper minors bats.

15. Blaine Bullard, OF, Age 19 (DOB: 8/16/2006), Grade 40, 2025: High School

Acquiring Bullard was a combination of luck and smart negotiating for the Jays. He was a big riser later in the 2025 draft process, with teams believing he was a top three round pick on talent. The word was that his commitment to attend Texas A&M was firm, though, and teams didn’t want to risk forfeiting top 10 round bonus pool money if he proved un-signable. The jays had managed to save up some money, though, and were in a position to dare him to turn down $1.7 million in the 12th round. It proved irresistible, and they got their player.

What they got for their money is a 70 grade athlete who has sky high upside but also remaining work to refine his game. Bullard is a switch hitter, although his left handed swing is by far the more polished of the two right now. He has the twitchiness and hand eye coordination scouts look for in future above average contact hitters, but he has some work to do to get to breaking balls. His approach is reported to be solid. He doesn’t have much present power, and while there’s room for him to add muscle on his frame he’ll probably always have below average raw. Combined with a swing that’s more geared for line drives, he looks more like an average/OBP type than a slugger. He’s a plus runner, and he looks to be an above average centre fielder who can do some damage on the bases.

The most likely outcome is a slap and dash fourth outfielder, but even a little power development and he has the potential to be a leadoff hitting, plus glove every day centre fielder.

14. Victor Arias, C, Age 22 (DOB: 8/24/2003), Grade 40, 2025: 24th

Arias is a long time Jays farmhand, having signed back in August of 2019 out of his native Venezuela. After the scrubbed 2020 minor league season, he climbed the ladder slowly, spending two full years in the Dominican Summer League, one at the complex, and another at A Dunedin. Throughout, he consistently posted solid batting lines, balancing strong walk rates with tolerable strikeouts and a modicum of power. Things finally accelerated a bit in 2025, as he got his first extended run at A+ Vancouver (after a late cup of coffee in 2024), continued to produce, and earned a bump to AA New Hampshire for the last 36 games of the season. He scuffled a bit at the top level, but overall slashed .272/.353/.403 on the season, racking up 33 extra base hits in 102 games and swiping 18 bags in 23 tries.

Another diminutive Jays prospect with surprising power, Arias stands 5’9” and is listed at 175lbs, but this season he saw a jump in his raw power and now posts above average to plus exit velocities. His 54% hard hit rate was the best in the system. His swing produces a lot of ground balls, which limits his over the fence power production, but he hits his hardest balls in the air and a tweak could unlock above average home run production. He has fringe average contact ability and plate discipline, but again there are flashes of an average hit tool.

He’s a plus runner, sometimes recording 70 grade home to first times, with an above average arm. His routes in centre field need refinement, so right now he’s a fringe average defender there in spite of his tools.

The story with Arias is a player with uncommon upside for a 22 year old five seasons and six years into his pro career, who’s held his own in the mid minors already. If the adjustments don’t come, he profiles as a fifth outfielder/pinch run specialist. Fully unlocking his tools would require multiple significant adjustments, but if he were to pull it off the ceiling would be high.

13. Yohendrick Pinango, Age 23 (DOB: 5/7/2002), Grade 40, 2025: NR

The return for Nate Pearson at the 2024 deadline didn’t look like much at the time. Pinango signed with the Cubs out of Venezuela in 2018, and while he lit up the DSL the next summer he was pretty unremarkable over the three minor league seasons following the pandemic. A torrid first month of the 2024 season at A+ popped him onto the radar and probably lead to the trade. He bombed in his first 33 games in the Jays system, posting a .518 OPS at AA New Hampshire. It all came together in 2025, though. Pinango torched the Eastern league to the tune of .298/.406/.522, earning a promotion to AAA Buffalo. He cooled down there, but still posted a roughly average line with lots of walks, solid K numbers, and some pop.

Pinango has always been a solid contact hitter, but his breakout was fueled by trading an aggressive approach for a very selective one. He now watches more strikes than would be ideal, but he rarely chases and waits on pitches he can hammer. As for the hammering part, his max exit velocity in Buffalo was over 115mph. Only 30 major leaguers last year could say the same. his 91.9mph average exit velocity and 47.6% hard hit rate were both comfortably plus. The lone offensive knock on him is that while he hits enough fly balls, his best power comes a low angles, producing line drives and hard grounders instead of home runs. If he can fix that, he could be a cleanup calibre hitter, and even if he can’t the combination of patience, contact and strength is enough for a viable offensive profile.

There’s a lot of pressure on the bat, as Pinango is a below average runner whose ugly routes and iffy arm make him a liability even in left field. If it comes together offensively he can be a regular regardless, but anything short and he’s likely a bench bat or not an MLB player.

Folks, the time has finally come. The 2026 Washington Nationals season is here. I am so excited that baseball is back and I cannot wait to watch the boys play. They will have a tough test on Opening Day, facing off against the Cubs in Wrigley Field. The games really begin for Blake Butera and the 2026 Nats.

Butera put out an unexpected lineup to start the season, and I expect that to be a trend. There will be a lot of mixing and matching this year. James Wood hitting leadoff is not a massive surprise, but there are some interesting decisions after that. While Andres Chaparro can really rake against lefties, seeing him in the two hole on Opening Day is a surprise.

Another shocker is seeing CJ Abrams in the 6 hole. He has mostly been the Nats leadoff hitter the last few seasons, and I don’t think I have ever seen him below the cleanup spot in years. I assume he will hit higher against righties, but with a lefty on the mound, he will be in the 6 spot. Joey Wiemer will also get an Opening Day start, due to his solid numbers against lefties. Luis Garcia Jr. has always struggled against lefties, so seeing him out of the lineup is not much of a surprise. As we have known for a couple weeks now, Cade Cavalli will be your Opening Day starter in only his 12th career big league outing.

The Cubs lineup is filled with bigger names than the Nats. They feature the likes of Alex Bregman, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson. Michael Busch is the leadoff man, and he is one of the most underrated hitters in the sport. The Cubs have a strong and deep lineup which will be tough for Cade Cavalli to navigate. Matthew Boyd had a late career resurgence last year and he was rewarded with an Opening Day start.

Game Info:

Stadium: Wrigley Field

Time: 2:20 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

Baseball is back ladies and gentleman, and I am fired up. The Nats may not be good, but it is still better than no baseball. Also, the season is still in its infancy. Who is to say the Nats won’t surprise. We have 162 games to find that out. Follow along down below in the comment section and let’s go Nats!