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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 25: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on while batting in the second inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
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?
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.
BRADENTON, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during the first inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM Park on March 21, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
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.
Major League Baseball's 2026 season kicks into gear with a proper Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, featuring 11 games after the New York Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants in the official regular-season opener last night.
Some highlights of Thursday's slate include Cy Young winner Paul Skenes taking on the new-look New York Mets at Citi Field, Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers in San Diego facing the Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers lifting their second consecutive World Series banner at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The Atlanta Braves-Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays-Athletics series will begin Friday, March 27, concluding baseball's three Opening Days.
Major League Baseball's Opening Day is upon us, and with it comes the annual exercise of trying to predict the seven-month puzzle before a single pitch is thrown.
After an offseason and spring training of roster moves and position battles, the 2026 season officially kicks off in earnest with a clean slate for all 30 clubs. Can anybody take down the Los Angeles Dodgers? The two-time defending World Series champions added another star this winter in Kyle Tucker, infuriating fans across the baseball world.
Should we just name the MVP awards after Aaron Judge (three) and Shohei Ohtani (four)? And who are the rookies set to make the biggest impact in 2026?
Here's how USA TODAY Sports' MLB writers and editors see the season unfolding:
Bob Nightengale
AL East: Blue Jays
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Mariners
AL Wild Cards: Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Cards: Brewers, Giants, Mets
ALCS Winner: Tigers
NLCS Winner: Phillies
World Series: Phillies over Tigers
AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr. – Royals
NL MVP: Bryce Harper – Phillies
AL Cy Young: Framber Valdez – Tigers
NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes – Pirates
AL Rookie of the Year: Kevin McGonigle – Tigers
NL Rookie of the Year: Nolan McLean – Mets
Gabe Lacques
AL East: Blue Jays
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Mariners
AL Wild Cards: Orioles, Yankees, Rangers
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Cards: Mets, Padres, Reds
ALCS Winner: Mariners
NLCS Winner: Phillies
World Series: Mariners over Phillies
AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Blue Jays
NL MVP: Juan Soto – Mets
AL Cy Young: Garrett Crochet – Red Sox
NL Cy Young: Cristopher Sanchez – Phillies
AL Rookie of the Year: Kevin McGonigle – Tigers
NL Rookie of the Year: Justin Crawford – Phillies
Steve Gardner
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Royals
AL West: Mariners
AL Wild Cards: Blue Jays, Tigers, Rangers
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Reds
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Cards: Cubs, Mets, Pirates
ALCS Winner: Mariners
NLCS Winner: Dodgers
World Series: Mariners over Dodgers
AL MVP: Julio Rodriguez – Mariners
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani – Dodgers
AL Cy Young: Garrett Crochet – Red Sox
NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes – Pirates
AL Rookie of the Year: Chase DeLauter – Guardians
NL Rookie of the Year: Konnor Griffin – Pirates
Stephen Borelli
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Mariners
AL Wild Cards: Blue Jays, Orioles, Astros
NL East: Mets
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Cards: Cubs, Phillies, Padres
World Series: Tigers over Dodgers
AL MVP: Cal Raleigh – Mariners
NL MVP: Ronald Acuña Jr. – Braves
AL Cy Young: Tarik Skubal – Tigers
NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes – Pirates
AL Rookie of the Year: Munetaka Murakami – White Sox
Juan Soto, Tarik Skubal, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge will be in the mix for awards this season. Composite: Guardian Pictures (via Getty)
The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System is …
A welcome introduction. Recent years have seen a tactical flattening of the game with the introduction of the universal DH, the banning of the shift and the three-batter minimum rule, but this adds an interesting wrinkle to game management. The league table of catchers’ challenge percentages will be fascinating. AE
The robo-ump makes me sick, but I also didn’t love the pitch clock and I could never go back to 3hr 45min games. In the end I think we’ll all get used it fairly quickly. Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo claimed he wouldn’t use it all year and didn’t make it one inning before he reversed course. BAG
Count me among the naysayers. There’s something pure about a pitcher figuring out the nuances of a particular ump’s strike zone. And ABS minimizes an important aspect of a catcher’s repertoire: framing. MJ
Umps have gone from God to gotcha thanks to instant replay and now, ABS. It’s been a slow, painful demise for the men in blue and now umps will be emasculated even more acutely. That said, strike zones will become more consistent, and once the umps just give up and learn what the computer likes, we’ll probably see fewer challenges and fewer embarrassing moments. DL
Shohei Ohtani is the greatest player since …
Eddy Merckx? Michael Phelps? Jan Zelezny? Leonidas of Rhodes? Secretariat? At this point you have to look beyond baseball and start making comparisons with other sports’ greatest ever competitors. What he is doing should be impossible. AE
He’s the greatest to ever do it, full stop. Ruth never faced 100mph sliders. Bonds never took the mound. Ohtani’s doing both at historic levels in the analytics age. BAG
There really is no comp for the value and domination Ohtani has brought to the game. No offense to The Babe, but he wasn’t exactly hitting off flamethrowers or throwing the ball 100mph like Ohtani. MJ
Himself! Ruth made 36 starts over two years before his hitting prowess forced him off the mound, while Ohtani has made nearly 90 starts over the past four seasons in which he has hit full-time. You can’t take your eyes off him. DL
What I’m most looking forward to …
Last year was supposed to be the year the Orioles’ young stars properly broke through. Instead, it was a disaster – players couldn’t find a rhythm, injuries piled up and the rest of the American League East was the strongest it had been in years. But the young core is back, Pete Alonso has joined, there’s a new manager, and the new owners seem to be more ambitious than the Angelos family was. AE
Seeing whether October bends to LA once more or finally breaks them. We haven’t seen this kind of superteam-v-the field tension since the fin-de-siècle Yankees. The Dodgers feel like a team all but nailed-on for a coronation, which usually means something weird is coming. The fun will be finding out which contender, if any, is bold enough to disrupt it. BAG
Exciting prospects. From elite infielders Konnor Griffin (Pirates), Jesús Made (Brewers), Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) and JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals) to power hitters Travis Bazzana (Guardians) and Sebastian Walcott (Rangers), there’s a great chance at least a couple of these prospects become household names. MJ
MLB and the MLB Players’ Association using every minute of this season to get together and figure out the next collective bargaining agreement. This is hard to believe, but baseball is actually on the rise for the first time in for ever after a great season, World Series and World Baseball Classic. It has real momentum, and to have an extended work stoppage that cancels or shrinks next season is sports suicide. DL
Young player to watch …
Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo played 31 games last year and averaged just .165, but the Camden Yards front office clearly saw something in him and signed him to an eight-year extension. Spring training is largely meaningless but the 21-year-old finished it with an OPS of 1.115 including several big home runs. Everyone in Baltimore loves Adley Rutschman, but if he has another down year, Basallo will be waiting in the wings. AE
Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony feels like the next face-of-the-league test case: a blue-chip prospect with only 71 games of big-league experience fixed to be the everyday leadoff hitter for an AL East contender. One of the World Baseball Classic’s breakout stars, the 21-year-old has even been hyped as a MVP candidate. BAG
Travis Bazzana. It’s not just that Bazzana, drafted first overall by the Guardians in 2024, is Australian. The kid was balling out this spring. The infield prospect’s power was on display for Team Australia in the WBC and for the Guardians – he hit two homers in a game last weekend. Bazzana will start in Triple A but there’s already buzz around his presumed call-up, which could turn the back-to-back AL Central winner into even more of a juggernaut. MJ
Well, the Pirates have a two-for-one now that pitching phenom Bubba Chandler has earned a spot on the rotation. The onetime two-way player who gave up the dream to focus on pitching will be Pittsburgh’s fifth hurler after Buccos brass wisely decided to start the 23-year-old rather than put him in the bullpen. DL
MVP winners will be …
It’s hard to look beyond Ohtani in the National League, for reasons outlined above. In the AL it’s trickier – Cal Raleigh deserved it last year, but Aaron Judge plays in a major market, is relentlessly consistent, and has shown he’s not a one-off. AE
It’s Ohtani in the NL and the Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez in the AL. The 25-year-old Rodríguez, just entering his prime, has the supporting cast in place to turn his electric tools into a season too overwhelming for voters to overlook. BAG
Ohtani (NL) and Bobby Witt Jr (AL). Make that four in a row for Ohtani. The AL race is a tad more fun, and I’ll cast a vote for Witt to double down on his all-around dominant 2025 and regain the batting title he won in 2024. MJ
Let’s be honest: the only way Ohtani and Judge don’t win the MVP awards is if they get hurt. DL
AL East winners …
The Yankees. Toronto were one the league’s luckiest teams last year and rode that fortune to within one out of winning it all, but are likely to fall back a bit. It’s the strongest division in baseball again, and any of the five teams could win it, but there is always an inevitable feeling about the Yankees. AE
Blue Jays. It’s the most volatile division in baseball, but Toronto’s recent October experience and offensive ceiling give them the narrowest edge. Health is the swing factor, yet if even a portion of the rotation stabilizes, their lineup can outslug anyone in a division where margins are razor-thin. BAG
Red Sox. There are safer picks. The Yankees have a superhero hitter and mostly unchanged roster that was successful in 2025. The Blue Jays were inches away from a World Series victory. It will be hard for Toronto to duplicate that effort, though, especially with Bo Bichette’s departure. But I’m smitten with Boston’s potential give their young talent, how well Anthony hit in the WBC, and adding Ranger Suárez to a rotation already featuring Garrett Crochet. MJ
If Gerrit Cole comes back and is healthy and effective, the Yankees will have a superb pitching staff, but I still like the Blue Jays to repeat as AL East winners. Yes, they lost Bichette, but they did sign Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto to help fill their power gap, and the pitching staff is still rock solid. DL
AL Central winners …
The Royals. Tarik Skubal will depart the Tigers at some point, leaving them significantly weaker. The Guardians are arguably past their peak, which makes it time for the Royals’ decade of rebuilding to finally pay off. AE
Tigers. This is less about dominance than comparative stability. Detroit’s pitching foundation, bolstered by the Framber Valdez addition, gives them a higher floor than rivals with more obvious flaws. In a division defined by uncertainty, the Tigers are the safest pick. BAG
Tigers. Detroit were already the favorite in baseball’s weakest division. Then they signed Valdez. The Royals are intriguing by virtue of Witt’s presence. But none of the teams in the division did much this offseason to bolster their chances. MJ
Oh, the middling Central, where you never know who to pick because, well, who knows? That’s why I’m picking the Royals, with their young talented roster about to be infused with one of the best catching prospects in the sport, Carter Jensen. DL
AL West winners …
The Mariners have such a fun, likable team and it still feels as if they’re on an upswing. All the projections put them well ahead of their division rivals. And even though it would feel extremely Mariners-y for them to miss the playoffs regardless, they are just too well-rounded to fail completely. AE
Mariners. The consensus favorite on merit, Seattle’s elite pitching and improved offense make them the most complete team in the AL. Raleigh may not belt 60 homers again, but paired with a fully unleashed Rodríguez and a deeper, more balanced lineup, Seattle won’t need a historic outlier to score enough runs. BAG
The Astros are on a clear downward trajectory. The Rangers’ big acquisition of MacKenzie Gore could easily be a bust. The A’s may hit a billion home runs this season, but it won’t be enough to compensate for a weak pitching staff. That leaves the juggernaut Mariners. MJ
We know who it won’t be – the Angels, whose owner Arte Moreno doesn’t believe winning is a top priority for the team’s fans. That’s a hot take! They do actually enjoy winning in Seattle, where the Mariners fell just a game short of reaching their first World Series. Their three-headed pitching monster of Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo, mixed with Raleigh and company should have enough to hold off Houston for a second consecutive season. DL
NL East winners …
It’s been a strange offseason for the Mets, but they’re clearly trying to get over their disappointing 2025 quickly by focusing on the immediate future, with short and short-ish contracts for newcomers Bichette, Luis Robert Jr and Freddy Peralta. All have proved their quality and if they gel, they could dominate the division. AE
Phillies. How many more times can Rob Thomson and Co run it back with this core? The answer may be one. But the lineup can still rake and the rotation is deep even before Zack Wheeler’s anticipated return in late April. The free-spending Mets will push them, but Philadelphia’s October-tested identity gives them the edge over 162 games (even if their final grades have left something to be desired in recent years). BAG
This shapes up to be a tight one. The Mets and Phillies are clear contenders, but the Phillies are old, and the Mets’ collapse is too recent to have faith. Enter the Braves and Ronald Acuña Jr, who returns to earlier career form. Atlanta also didn’t lose anyone significant and enter the season with a stacked, healthy roster. MJ
Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski said Bryce Harper’s 2025 season was “not elite”, and despite that being a correct assessment, it still hurt the first baseman’s feelings. That’s water under the bridge according to the pair, but I don’t buy it. Wheeler is recovering from injury, Suárez is now in Boston, and suddenly the Phils seem stale. So they’re no match for a revitalized Mets roster filled with multiple defensive gamers playing out of position. Yes, they’re the Mets, and yes, the team is a bit weird, and yes, it’s a make-or-break season for team president David Stearns, but the worn-down Phils will yield to the team in Queens as things turn around for the Amazins’. DL
NL Central winners …
The Pirates have been awful for a decade, but this may be the year that ends. Paul Skenes is the most exciting pitcher in the league, and Griffin is MLB’s top prospect. The Pirates weren’t quite ready last year and didn’t meet expectations, but the young stars and a weak division could mean Pittsburgh’s window is opening. AE
It’s a coin-flip division, but Chicago’s balance – enough pitching, enough lineup upside, fewer glaring weaknesses – makes them the safest bet. Milwaukee’s development machine keeps them close, yet the Cubs’ incremental improvements across the roster give them the slight advantage in a division no one has put their stamp on. BAG
It’s hard not to be smitten with the Cubs give their monster offseason additions, Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera. They finally have to depth the overcome the Brewers. Look for the Pirates to make a run after adding several powerful bats. MJ
It’s the Milwaukee miracle: nine seasons, seven playoff appearances, just one finish below second place. For a tiny market, you can’t do much better than that, and if it weren’t for those pesky Dodgers, the Brewers might have even made it to their second World Series. That said, they traded Peralta and Caleb Durbin, so they’re going to rely on their younger up-and-comers to bridge the gap, hold off the Cubs and win their fourth straight division title. DL
NL West winners …
The Dodgers, obviously. But to make it a bit more interesting, I’ll predict they win more than 105 games but fewer than 110. AE
This isn’t really a race so much as a formality. The question isn’t whether they Dodgers win the division, but how hard they’ll gun it during the regular season. With unmatched depth and star power, they’re playing a different game than everyone else. BAG
Let me think. Oh yeah, the Dodgers. The only time in the past 13 years they haven’t won the NL West, they still cranked out 106 wins. They are the ultimate destination for free agents too, this year snagging Kyle Tucker, the best overall free agent, and the best available relief pitcher, Edwin Díaz. MJ
I picked the Rockies last year and was let down. I’m not picking them again this year, but am wondering, will they win 60 games? Not necessarily, but it is possible. What does this have to do with the Dodgers? Nothing. Will LA win the West? Yes. Who will finish second? San Diego, despite looking weaker in 2026. DL
AL wildcards …
Orioles, Blue Jays, Astros. AE
Yankees, Red Sox, Royals. BAG
Blue Jays, Royals, Yankees. MJ
Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers. DL
NL wildcards …
Cubs, Braves, Padres. AE
Mets, Braves, Brewers. BAG
Brewers, Pirates, Mets. MJ
Cubs, Phillies, Padres. DL
ALCS
Yankees over Orioles. AE
Mariners over Blue Jays. BAG
Mariners over Yankees. MJ
Mariners over Red Sox. DL
NLCS
Dodgers over Mets. AE
Dodgers over Phillies. BAG
Dodgers over Cubs. MJ
Mets over Dodgers. DL
Your World Series winners will be …
Dodgers over Yankees. The Dodgers are the best team in the league for boring reasons: they have the biggest payroll by far, and the best player in history. The depth of their roster is ridiculous – an injury to any other team’s ace could derail an entire season, but the Dodgers would barely notice. If they’re stuttering in July, they’ll just overpay at the trade deadline for whoever’s having a good year. The Yankees are probably best placed to try to stop them, but it’s hard to imagine any other outcome than a third consecutive title. AE
Mariners over Dodgers. All $ign$ point to three-peat in Chavez Ravine: unmatched rotation depth, a lineup with no soft spots and Ohtani elevating the whole operation’s confidence. It should be a cakewalk for an LA team who can beat you in so many different ways, but baseball is funny sometimes. Seattle have a deep rotation of their own that can go toe-to-toe with anyone, while Andrés Muñoz anchors a bullpen built for tight postseason games. Once they finally shed the dubious distinction of being the last active major-league club to have never appeared in a World Series, look for the Mariners to take it one further in unforgettable fashion. BAG
Dodgers over Mariners. Back in Tiger Woods’s prime, every major would lead with the question, Tiger or the field? Only a fool would bet the field. That’s the current Dodgers who, barring disaster or lots of weirdness, will three-peat. They plugged two minor holes this offseason, nabbing Tucker to fortify their outfield defense and signed star closer Díaz. The Dodgers have no weakness. Even if Ohtani’s batting is hurt by an increased load on the mound, he’s still the best player in baseball by a mile. The Mariners, so close to making this World Series happen last year, will snag a win or two thanks to an excellent rotation and closer. Jack of all trades Brendan Donovan is a nice boost and prospect Colt Emerson could add some pop, but Seattle just don’t match up toe-to-toe with the Dodgers. MJ
Mets over Mariners. Just imagine the confetti flying out of the windows on a crisp October afternoon. Hot pretzels fly off the carts. Four million souls line Broadway as the floats make their way down towards City Hall. The Mets beat Seattle in seven with a walk-off home run – I’m not sure who will hit it, that hasn’t come to me yet. When it does, I’ll let you know. What I do know is that Stearns is building meticulously, and though he had to make hard decisions, and did have a disastrous 2025, the team have a different quality. With a few deadline additions, they’re championship calibre. DL
The Netflix logo appears on a smartphone screen in Ontario, Canada, on March 16, 2026. (Photo by Thomas Fuller/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Athletic | Andrew Marchand: As MLB, and sports leagues around the country, tries to keep juicing television revenues, it becomes harder and harder for fans to keep track of where their favorite team’s games will be shown. The Yankees’ opener on Netflix last night was symbolic of the fractured nature of the TV landscape, with fans needing a paid subscription to access the opening night game, the only Yankees game Netflix will broadcast this year. Regular season Yankee games will be broadcast on eight different platforms this year, plus two more if they make the playoffs, though it should be noted that fans that have access to a cable subscription and Amazon will at least be able to watch the vast majority of Yankees games. It forces one to ask, were we better off before we started cutting the cords?
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Luis Gil didn’t make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster, a move that makes plenty of sense given the team’s early-season setup. Not only do the Yankees not need a fifth starter until April 11th, but Gil now has a chance to continue to work on some adjustments to his arsenal and mechanics. “We feel good about the adjustment he made going into the last outing,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “Got the quality of the fastball back, the velo up.” Rather than a setback, this trip to the minors could prove to be a stepping stone for Gil, who will look to recapture his 2024 Rookie of the Year form in 2026.
The Ringer | Ben Lindbergh: José Caballero made history last night, becoming the first player in history to challenge a ball/strike call (he lost). Lindbergh writes that the ABS challenge system, which rolls out in full this season, might soon be history too. The system was tested to very positive reviews in the minors, but that’s just the thing; once fans and players see how easy it is to overturn missed calls, how long will it be before calls for fully automated strike zones take over?
MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: The Dodgers signed former Yankees reliever Jake Cousins to a major-league contract for a guaranteed $950K. Cousins had a bit of a breakout with the 2024 Yankees, posting a 2.37 ERA over 38 innings, but underwent Tommy John surgery last June. He projects to return some time this summer.
And, before the season officially started last night, the Yankees got through some roster housekeeping:
Following Tuesday’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves: • Placed LHP Carlos Rodón on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/22) with left elbow surgery recovery. • Placed INF Anthony Volpe on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 3/22) with left shoulder…
No surprises here. Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe, and Gerrit Cole all start the year on the injured list, all with target return dates over the next couple of months.
SAN FRANCISCO — Max Fried signed with the Yankees before last season with the idea of pitching at the top of the rotation, alongside Gerrit Cole.
But when Cole was lost for all of last season with Tommy John surgery, Fried took charge as the ace of the rotation.
With Cole approaching a return at some point in late May or early June, he and Fried should be able to provide that anticipated one-two punch soon enough.
Fried left after 86 pitches and was dominant after the first despite insisting he didn’t have his best stuff — a sentiment Aaron Boone agreed with.
“It was one of those outings you’ve got to try to figure out how to get it done when you aren’t the most locked in out of the gate,” Fried said. “You grind through it.”
Max Fried throws a pitch during the Yankees’ 7-0 Opening Day win over the Giants on March 25, 2026 in San Francisco. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Boone said of Fried: “He can beat you in different ways … his arsenal is so vast that he makes you have to account for a lot of things.”
It includes a four-seam fastball, cutter, sinker and curveball, with some sweepers, changeups and sliders mixed in.
Boone noted that since Fried’s cutter wasn’t as effective as it usually is, his four-seamer was even more important.
It all added up to Fried easily outpitching San Francisco ace Logan Webb.
Max Fried delivers a pitch during the Yankees’ Opening Day win over the Giants in San Francisco. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“That’s what an ace looks like when he’s grinding,’’ Boone said.
Certainly, something must have changed after that rough top of the first, when Fried found himself in trouble almost immediately with Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee coming to the plate.
“He was a little more in the zone early and got ahead [in counts],” Austin Wells said.
And Fried credited the early five-run advantage for giving him some breathing room for most of the outing.
“It gives you a little more room for error and you can be aggressive and make adjustments,” Fried said.
It also helps to have filthy stuff, as Ryan McMahon noted.
The third baseman scoffed at the notion that Fried was anything but excellent in his first start.
“He really knows how to pitch,” McMahon said. “He probably told you he didn’t have his best stuff, which is crazy with what he did. He knows how to compete, and we feed off that.”
With a new Major League Baseball season here, a major change will play a unique role in how the year progresses.
Coming to the majors this season is the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System, or ABS for short. After many years of players and coaches resorting to ineffective arguing with umpires on controversial pitch calls, the technological advancement will aim to reduce human errors while adding new layers of strategy.
The system has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022, working its way up to MLB Spring Training games last year. It works similarly to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in soccer, but with slightly different regulations and team control.
Here’s everything to know about how the ABS Challenge System will work in MLB as it debuts in 2026:
What is ABS in MLB?
ABS stands for the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System that is being used in baseball and coming to MLB starting in 2026. It helps to ensure important calls are being made correctly and offers balance between human umpires and previously incorporated “robot umps.”
How will ABS work in MLB?
The system monitors the exact location of each pitch, relative to the batter’s zone. Players can request a challenge on a ball or strike call that they disagree with, which can either be confirmed or overturned after a brief review. A graphic displaying the result will also be available for fans to view on the videoboard inside the respective stadium as the review unfolds.
Challenges will be available at every MLB ballpark, but not at the Mexico City Series, Field of Dreams game or Little League Classic, as those venues will not be able to support the technology.
Ballparks are also required to display the number of challenges remaining for each team using the code “ABS.”
How many ABS challenges will MLB teams have? What about extra innings?
Each team will start the game with two challenges apiece.
If a game goes to extra innings, teams can get an extra challenge in the 10th if they are out. If they use it in the 10th, they can get another in the 11th and so on until the game concludes.
But if a team still has challenges left entering extra innings, they will not get another for that inning until it is used, if necessary. Then they’ll receive another for possible subsequent innings and so on.
Are successful ABS challenges retained?
Yes. But a challenge will be lost if the challenge is not overturned, so they must be used wisely.
Who can issue ABS challenges?
Only the batter, pitcher and catcher can issue challenges, and it must be in the immediate aftermath of an umpire’s call (roughly within two seconds). Outside assistance is prohibited, even from a team’s manager. Umpires can refuse a challenge if they deem the call was aided by non-eligible teammates or coaches.
To issue a challenge, the player can tap their cap or helmet to alert the umpire, but are also encouraged to verbalize it if necessary.
In the event of technological issues, umpires can inform teams that challenges will not be allowed until the situation is resolved, along with an in-park announcement.
Are there any instances a pitch may not be challenged?
Challenges are not permitted when a position player is pitching or right after replay reviews, though it can be case by case.
How will ABS work on broadcasts?
It will remain up to broadcast networks on how they want to display the strike zone box on screens. The main change is that MLB is requesting broadcasters to no longer differentiate the circle in the box depending on whether the pitch is a ball or a strike.
Will ABS challenges be a statistic for MLB players?
Yes, Baseball Savant will include challenge statistics for players. For example, the catchers that are most successful not just at framing pitches but challenging calls will be available to dig through.
For more on the ABS and how it’ll work in MLB, click here.
With a new Major League Baseball season here, a major change will play a unique role in how the year progresses.
Coming to the majors this season is the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System, or ABS for short. After many years of players and coaches resorting to ineffective arguing with umpires on controversial pitch calls, the technological advancement will aim to reduce human errors while adding new layers of strategy.
The system has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022, working its way up to MLB Spring Training games last year. It works similarly to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in soccer, but with slightly different regulations and team control.
Here’s everything to know about how the ABS Challenge System will work in MLB as it debuts in 2026:
What is ABS in MLB?
ABS stands for the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System that is being used in baseball and coming to MLB starting in 2026. It helps to ensure important calls are being made correctly and offers balance between human umpires and previously incorporated “robot umps.”
How will ABS work in MLB?
The system monitors the exact location of each pitch, relative to the batter’s zone. Players can request a challenge on a ball or strike call that they disagree with, which can either be confirmed or overturned after a brief review. A graphic displaying the result will also be available for fans to view on the videoboard inside the respective stadium as the review unfolds.
Challenges will be available at every MLB ballpark, but not at the Mexico City Series, Field of Dreams game or Little League Classic, as those venues will not be able to support the technology.
Ballparks are also required to display the number of challenges remaining for each team using the code “ABS.”
How many ABS challenges will MLB teams have? What about extra innings?
Each team will start the game with two challenges apiece.
If a game goes to extra innings, teams can get an extra challenge in the 10th if they are out. If they use it in the 10th, they can get another in the 11th and so on until the game concludes.
But if a team still has challenges left entering extra innings, they will not get another for that inning until it is used, if necessary. Then they’ll receive another for possible subsequent innings and so on.
Are successful ABS challenges retained?
Yes. But a challenge will be lost if the challenge is not overturned, so they must be used wisely.
Who can issue ABS challenges?
Only the batter, pitcher and catcher can issue challenges, and it must be in the immediate aftermath of an umpire’s call (roughly within two seconds). Outside assistance is prohibited, even from a team’s manager. Umpires can refuse a challenge if they deem the call was aided by non-eligible teammates or coaches.
To issue a challenge, the player can tap their cap or helmet to alert the umpire, but are also encouraged to verbalize it if necessary.
In the event of technological issues, umpires can inform teams that challenges will not be allowed until the situation is resolved, along with an in-park announcement.
Are there any instances a pitch may not be challenged?
Challenges are not permitted when a position player is pitching or right after replay reviews, though it can be case by case.
How will ABS work on broadcasts?
It will remain up to broadcast networks on how they want to display the strike zone box on screens. The main change is that MLB is requesting broadcasters to no longer differentiate the circle in the box depending on whether the pitch is a ball or a strike.
Will ABS challenges be a statistic for MLB players?
Yes, Baseball Savant will include challenge statistics for players. For example, the catchers that are most successful not just at framing pitches but challenging calls will be available to dig through.
For more on the ABS and how it’ll work in MLB, click here.
Per site tradition, we make our picks and lay them bare for all to see. And this year, 10 of us took on the challenge. Here are our section-by-section picks, which we’ll revisit and tabulate in October to reveal the best and worst. And by all means, feel free to listen on four of our writers discussing their picks in our Sox Populi podcast, found on The Feed here on site:
By all means, praise and chide in the comments — and feel free to chip in with your own prognostications, tough guys and gals.
The Tigers and Mariners are clear division favorites in the AL, with a much tougher fight in the AL East. Over in the NL, it’s the Brewers, Mets and Dodgers looking fine in our eyes.
And yes, trust us, dear readers, site suspensions of at least a full week have been discussed for Hannah Filippo, David James and Joe Kiang-Resis. We’ll let you figure out why.
The race for the AL’s best seems quite a fight, at least opposed to the NL. In the case of league worsts, there is fight between two teams in both leagues — and in the AL, no one picked the White Sox! Novel.
And yes, trust us, dear readers, a site suspension of at least a full year has been discussed for Hannah Filippo. We’ll let you figure out why.
Most of us have learned our MVP lessons and are meekly prognosticating repeats wins for Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. It looks like a two-arm race for AL Cy Young, with the NL looking like a runaway for Paul Skenes.
As for the White Sox-specific picks, our wins total ranges from 66 to 80, and for once it is not Brett Ballantini as the most dour pick. It seems an absolute runaway for team MVP and best pitcher, and frankly for Best Rookie as well. And is the usual super-fun contradiction, Hannah Filippo picks Luisangel Acuña as best rookie, while David James has Acuña as the team’s worst player. Most likely, he won’t be either extreme — but that’s why we play the games!
The formatting of our final “tiebreaker” categories (mostly just an excuse to goof off with topical takes of the moment) is a little too difficult to fit onto the page here, but the questions for us all to consider were:
Do the White Sox have a winning record at any point after Tax Day? Do the White Sox select Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 pick? Will Justin Ishiba become owner by December 31? Will the White Sox trade Andrew Benintendi? Will the Birmingham Barons Win a Third Straight Southern League Title? Will the White Sox extend Munetaka Murakami?
