Category: Baseball

The Rays Opening Day lineup for 2026 has been posted by manager Kevin Cash, and has some surprises compared to the expected starters for the season, in part because a left hander is on the mound in for -Rays first round pick Matthew Liberatore, who was traded to St. Louis in the January 2020 deal for Randy Arozarena.

Liberatore has been on the Cardinals since 2022, and makes his first Opening Day start opposite of Drew Rasmussen, who also gets the nod for the first time.

Here’s how the Rays line up against the Cardinals southpaw:

1. Yandy Diaz, DH
2. Ryan Vilade, LF
3. Jonathan Aranda, 1B (L)
4. Junior Caminero, 3B
5. Ben Williamson, 2B
6. Jonny DeLuca, RF
7. Nick Fortes, C
8. Cedric Mullins II, CF (L)
9. Carson Williams, SS

Two quick reactions:

1. it is not a surpise that utility defender Ryan Vilade is making the start, but the vote of confidence in his bat to hit Vilade second is notable, as the 27-year old journeyman (and former Cardinal) has only 71 career plate appearances with a .179 wOBA, despite strong performances in Triple-A in 2025 (135 wRC+ across two org’s). The Rays must believe in the bat heading into this season.
2. Cedric Mullins locks down center field, with the 31-year old veteran getting the start over in-house starter Jonny DeLuca. Last year across two teams Mullins totaled -14 Defensive Runs Saved in center field over 120 games started (1,064.1 innings); DeLuca netted 1 DRS in 14 starts (140 innings) after an extended absence with injury.

First pitch is at 4:15.

Go Rays!

Mets baseball is officially back.

Before the team took the field for their Opening Day meeting with the Pirates, though, we had to go through the festivities that come with the day.

With this roster completely overhauled from last season, player introductions gave the fan base their first opportunity to welcome the several new faces to Citi Field. 

Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta, Luis Robert Jr, and Devin Williams were among those who received a big hand from the orange and blue faithful. 

Familiar faces such as Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, Nolan McLean, and Kodai Senga also received a warm welcome back home. 

Arguably the loudest cheers of the day, though, came when top prospect Carson Benge came running out of the Mets’ dugout for the first time wearing his No. 3 jersey ahead of his MLB debut. 

Here's some of the scenes from the pregame festivities…

Howie Rose welcomes the fans to Citi Field for the 2026 season! pic.twitter.com/0tEYQHBm4f

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026

Francisco Lindor is introduced on Opening Day 👏 pic.twitter.com/MFsF8EOdrG

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026

Juan Soto gets a big Opening Day Citi Field ovation 👏 pic.twitter.com/45Ap2uNDs0

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026

Welcome to Queens, Bo! pic.twitter.com/QpmJM1trm8

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026

A huge ovation for Carson Benge ahead of his MLB debut! pic.twitter.com/YSE27VNgft

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026

The 2026 Mets Opening Day lineup! pic.twitter.com/ct1sgwcmna

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026

Nolan McLean is introduced to the Citi Field crowd on Opening Day pic.twitter.com/bMmLJSEBXB

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026

After a long, cold, baseball-less winter, we’ve made it. At long last, here are the words I’ve been waiting to write since Game 7 of the World Series: Happy Opening Day!

In case you missed it, Harrison and I put together a season primer with everything you need to know about the Brewers before today’s first pitch. You can find that article here.

With Freddy Peralta now in New York, Milwaukee’s starter for today’s game is right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. Not only is this Misiorowski’s first Opening Day start, it’s his first Opening Day as a major leaguer. He had an up-and-down rookie season, though the highs — outdueling Paul Skenes, striking out nine Dodgers over five innings in Game 3 of the 2025 NLCS — were exceptionally high. Misiorowski will look to improve on last season’s 4.36 ERA as the Brewers’ newly-minted #1 starter.

On the mound for the White Sox is righty Shane Smith. Smith was originally signed by the Brewers as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 draft and remained with the Brewers organization until 2024, when Chicago selected him with the first overall pick in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. He was named an AL All-Star in 2025, finishing the season with a 3.81 ERA over 29 games started.

Missing from Milwaukee’s Opening Day lineup is outfielder Jackson Chourio, who was placed on the 10-day IL this morning (retroactive to 3/25) with a left hand fracture. Per Curt Hogg, the fracture was sustained in an exhibition game on March 4th while with Team Venezuela. He is expected to miss somewhere between 2-4 weeks. Blake Perkins has been recalled from Triple-A Nashville to take his place on the roster.

The top of today’s lineup consists of Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Christian Yelich (DH’ing tonight). Andrew Vaughn will hit cleanup tonight, facing the team that drafted him No. 3 overall for the first time since being traded to Milwaukee. He’s followed by Jake Bauers, who posted a 1.725 OPS with seven home runs in 39 spring training at-bats. Bauers will look to stay hot as Chourio’s replacement in left field. Sal Frelick, David Hamilton (playing third tonight), Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Ortiz round out the lineup for the Brewers.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. You can catch the television broadcast on Brewers.TV and the radio broadcast on WTMJ 620 and the Brewers Radio Network. With the recent uncertainty surrounding local TV availability, the Brewers have released a handy tool (found here) to help fans find where to watch.

It’s opening day. It’s awesome. I hate Netflix.

Lineup for the Phillies:

For the Rangers:

Prediction: Justin Crawford lays down a bunt hit in the 5th inning.

Another baseball season is here! Can the Kansas City Royals build on their back-to-back winning seasons and win the American League pennant? That’s the goal, and we’ll have to watch and see.

There’s the rub, of course: watch. As has been the case really since Fox Sports Kansas City ceased existing (and arguably even before that), this year is different than past years. The good news: things are simpler now than they ever have been in the streaming era. Let’s get into how and where to watch the Royals this year.

How to stream Royals games in 2026

Royals games can be streamed on Royals.TV, the new platform for Royals baseball. If you’ve been following along, you know that the company that owned Bally Sports Kansas City went bankrupt. Without getting too into it, the Royals chose to utilize Major League Baseball’s video production arm as their media partner this year.

Royals.TV is best considered as a package under the MLB.TV umbrella. The specifics of which package you can or should get depend on whether you’re in Royals media territory. Royals media territory includes all of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, and most of Missouri save for the area around the St. Louis metro.

If you live in Royals territory, the cheapest way to watch Royals games is to buy the $99.99 Royals.TV package. That gets you streaming access to all Royals games without any blackout restrictions. Subscribers also get access to all MiLB games through the MiLB site, as well as Royals affiliate games in the MLB app, along with other select MiLB games in the MLB app.

If you need even more baseball, there’s a $199.99 Royals.TV + MLB.TV package which provides access to all Royals games without any blackout restrictions and every other MLB game across the league for the 2026 season. All MiLB games are also available with this package.

New this year, though, is that if you live outside of Royals territory you may still sign up for Royals.TV at $99.99 to see Royals baseball blackout-free. You won’t get access to other teams, but it makes streaming the Royals for fans outside Royals territory easier than it’s ever been before.

Additionally, if you live outside Royals media territory you can also sign up for the $149.99 MLB.TV package. This package grants access to all out-of-market games. So, for instance, if you live in Seattle, you’ll be able to watch all MLB games except Mariners games—and that includes when the Royals are playing the Mariners. So, if you’re a Royals fan and an MLB fan who lives outside the midwest, consider signing up for the $199.99 Royals TV + MLB.TV package.

How to watch Royals games on satellite and cable in 2026

Royals.TV will be available on a variety of satellite and cable carriers in 2026. These carriers include:

• DirecTV
• Comcast/Xfinity
• Charter/Spectrum
• Cox
• Midco
• Blue Valley Technologies
• Craw-kan Telephone
• H&B Communications
• Ozarks Go
• Paragould
• Ritter Communications
• United Services
• Tri-county Telephone

If you subscribe to one of the above carriers and live within Royals media territory, you’ll get access to Royals.TV and won’t need to pay the $99.99 fee required of streamers. If you live outside of Royals media territory, you’ll still need to pick up a streaming option.

How to listen to Royals games in 2026

Royals games will continue to be available on the radio this year. In Kansas City, they’ll be on 96.5 The Fan every regular season game. You can also listen elsewhere on the Royals Radio Network, with 50 affiliate stations across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. The station map and list, as pulled from the 2026 Royals media guide, is below:

Royals TV and radio FAQ

Will all the Royals announcers return?

Yep, the Royals are returning all their play-by-play announcers and analysts for both television and radio.

Denny Matthews will be calling his 58th season on the radio, joined by Steve Stewart. Ryan Lefebvre and Jake Eisenberg will continue to contribute on both television and the radio. Rex Hudler and Jeremy Guthrie will be back as analysts, and Joel Goldberg and Jeff Montgomery will continue to host the pre- and postgame show.

Are there going to be any new faces on the Royals broadcast?

The Royals are adding two key new faces to their broadcasts this year. From the media guide:

Bridget Howard is in her first season as part of the Royals broadcast team, serving as a host and sideline reporter on Royals.TV. A Kansas City native, she has deep roots in the local sports community. Howard graduated from Blue Valley High School and attended Kansas State University, where she was a member of the inaugural K-State women’s soccer team in 2016.

Eric Hosmer joins the Royals.TV broadcast crew as an Analyst for the 2026 season. He’s previously appeared on MLB Network and as a pre and postgame host for games on Apple TV. Hosmer enjoyed a 13-year career in Major League Baseball, including seven seasons with the Royals from 2011-17.

What app do I use to stream Royals games?

Royals games via Royals.TV or MLB.TV can be accessed through the MLB streaming app, which is available on the following device types:

• Smart TV (varying brands)
• Roku
• Xbox
• Playstation
• Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV
• Android TV
• Chromecast
• iOS

Find a full list of devices here.

Are any games available over the air?

Yes. Just like last year, 10 Royals games will be available over the air—including Opening Day on March 30. There will be one each in March, April, and May, and two each in June, July, and September. No two opponents repeat.

Is Royals.TV available on YouTube.TV?

No, Royals.TV is not available as a channel or add-on on YouTube.TV. The caveat here is that the aforementioned 10 over the air games will be on YouTube.TV by watching KCTV (or KSMO for the home opener).

Do note that Royals.TV is included as a channel on Fubo as well as DirecTV Stream, so if you get your television through either of those services, you’ll get access to Royals.TV if you’re in Royals territory.

What Royals games will be broadcast nationally?

In addition to local over the air broadcasts, some Royals games will be available nationally, regardless if you have Royals.TV or MLB.TV. These games are:

FS1

• Saturday, April 4 vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at 3:10 CST
• Monday, April 20 vs. the Baltimore Orioles at 6:40 CST
• Saturday, May 23 vs. the Seattle Mariners at 3:10 CST
• Saturday, May 30 at the Texas Rangers at 3:05 CST

ESPN

• Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day) vs. the New York Yankees at 2:40 CST

Apple TV

• Friday, April 3 vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at 6:45 CST
• Friday, May 1 at the Seattle Mariners at 8:45 CST
• Friday, June 5 at the Minnesota Twins at 7:15 CST
• Friday, June 19 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:15 CST

Apple TV has only released the schedule for the first half of the year. The Royals could appear on additional games in the second half of the year.

Peacock

• Sunday, April 26 vs. the Los Angeles Angels at 6:00 CT
• Sunday, May 10 vs. the Detroit Tigers at 6:00 CT
• Sunday, September 6 vs. the Toronto Blue Jays at 6:00 CT

New York Yankees ace Max Fried posted a 4.40 ERA in the Grapefruit League, with four walks and 12 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t fully trust spring training stats: no one in his or her right state of mind had any reason to doubt the stellar southpaw heading into the season. Taking the ball on Wednesday night versus the San Francisco Giants, Fried didn’t disappoint. The Yankees won comfortably 7-0, and their Opening Day starter was dealing all night. Fried kept his opponents off the scoreboard for 6.1 innings, in which he conceded just two hits and one walk. He struck out four and retired the last eight hitters he faced.

In the first couple of innings, you could see that Fried didn’t quite have his best curveball command, yet he cruised through those first two frames with no runs, just one hit, a walk, and four strikeouts. After that, he didn’t strike out any more hitters, but was still able to keep the Giants in check with an increased usage of sinkers and sweepers the second and third time through the order:

By the last couple of innings, the Giants started making more contact in the air, but Fried still finished with seven outs on the ground and three flyouts. In other words, he was always in control despite still not reaching his best velocity. The one time he was in some trouble was in the first inning, and he got out of the jam with a trademark groundball to second:

Last season, Fried’s four-seam fastball averaged 95.8 mph, but the pitch was at 94.6 mph on Wednesday night, peaking at 96.4 mph. It’s certainly something to keep in mind, but it doesn’t sound like a major problem, and he should be able to reach peak velo in a few outings. In fact, the 94.6 mph average fastball velocity Fried showed last night was actually a small step forward because he checked in at 94 mph in his last outing.

Top velocity or no, it quickly became clear that it was going to be a long night for San Francisco anyway.

Fried totaled 86 pitches in the productive night, 53 of which were strikes. He ‘only’ got six swings and misses, though: one with the four-seamer, three with the cutter, one with the curveball, and one with the changeup.

As the season goes on, Fried should be able to regain the feel for his excellent curve, a pitch that had a 42 percent whiff rate last year. It only earned a single whiff in three swings, but the fact that the offering only had a 15 percent CSW (two called strikes+whiffs in 13 pitches) was perhaps a bit more concerning.

Still, it’s nothing to be alarmed about, as Fried is good enough to bounce back eventually. This is a pitcher who posted a 2.86 ERA in 195.1 innings last season in his first year in pinstripes, winning 19 of his 32 starts. He’s 32, still in his prime, with no signs of slowing down. The Giants indeed helped Fried a bit on Wednesday night, as they consistently expanded the zone and produced empty swings and less-than-ideal contact every time they did it. The pitcher, however, was smart enough to keep testing their limits and getting good results. It should be another productive campaign for the talented left-hander, who was on pace to have a much better season last year if it weren’t for blister issues that popped up in July. This time around, we’ll hopefully see what a fully healthy season of Fried can provide.

The weight of expectations is now a burden the Seattle Mariners must carry with them this year. To rise so high last season, only to be let down in the end, eight outs away from the franchise’s first World Series appearance. To stand so close to unknown territory, only to be turned away, produces the desire to find the way back to that precipice. As the weather warms and the days grow longer, the bitterness of a cold, autumn defeat is replaced by the spring hope of a new season. We’ve tasted greatness. Now we want the whole meal.

The Mariners look like one of the most complete teams in the American League. There’s star power in the form of Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh, both projected to be the best in baseball at their respective positions. The team made the right win-now moves to bolster the lineup, re-signing Josh Naylor and trading for Brendan Donovan. The pitching staff remains a strength. There’s a gaggle of young prospects pushing to make an impact in the big leagues sooner rather than later. Seattle is looking to defend a division title for the fourth time in franchise history and earn a postseason berth in consecutive seasons for just the second time ever. The expectations for this team haven’t been this high since the turn of the century. We’ve been burned by high expectations before, but this team is built to deliver, and anything less than a World Series appearance should be seen as a disappointment. Go M’s.

Welcome to another year of series previews. If you’re a regular Lookout Landing reader, welcome back. If you’re a new face, welcome home. This will be my 12th year writing these previews. Above, you’ll see a brief overview of the upcoming series: probable pitchers, game times, and a rundown of the Mariners and their opponents. Below, you’ll see the Mariners’ opponents laid out in more detail: projected lineups, key players, and starting pitcher analysis. Finally, you’ll get a view of the big picture: AL West and Wild Card standings. As always, I appreciate your feedback and hope that these features continue to be helpful and educational throughout the season.

The Guardians know a thing or two about surpassing expectations. Last year, they surprised everyone by winning the AL Central for the second consecutive season and the sixth time in the last decade. It took a historic collapse from the Tigers and a furious hot streak in September to get there, but the team blew past their projections. The team exceeded their pythagorean record by eight wins and their BaseRuns record by 11, and counting on that kind of overperformance again in 2026 wouldn’t be a great bet.

Of course, Cleveland didn’t go out and make a bunch of moves to capitalize on their division title this offseason. They did sign José Ramírez to a new seven-year contract extension that should keep him in Cleveland for the rest of his career. Everything else was focused on the fringes of their roster; they signed Rhys Hoskins to DH and cover 1B as the short side of a platoon and brought in a bunch of new relievers to help a bullpen that’s still reeling from Emmanuel Clase’s gambling scandal. The Guardians are hoping for breakouts from young guys like Kyle Manzardo and Chase DeLauter to fuel some real improvements to the team’s talent level. This is a pretty young roster and there’s certainly room to grow, but the projections aren’t buying it. FanGraphs is projecting 76 wins and a fourth place finish in the AL Central. Still, don’t underestimate this team.

This lineup runs through Ramírez. He’s a perennial MVP candidate and has already booked a place in the Hall of Fame when he decides to hang up the cleats. Last year was a “down” season for him and I put scare quotes there because down for him means a 133 wRC+ and just 6.3 fWAR. His power output was a little lower than normal due to a slight dip in contact quality, though he still managed to muscle out 30 home runs. Manzardo and DeLauter are the youngsters who have the pedigree to become middle-of-the-order compliments to Ramírez. The left-handed first baseman had an up-and-down season last year but managed to make some real improvements to his plate approach during the second half of the season. DeLauter has been a top prospect in Cleveland’s farm system since being drafted in the first round in 2022 but injuries have really derailed his development pathway. He’s plenty talented at the plate but doesn’t field particularly well. The Guardians actually had him make his debut in center field in the playoffs last year, but he’ll shift to an outfield corner as his regular home. To accommodate DeLauter, Steven Kwan has shifted to the middle of the outfield after winning Gold Gloves in left field in each of his first four seasons in the big leagues. While Kwan’s defensive acumen will be put to the test in center, his bat definitely needs to rebound if the Guardians want a shot at defending their division title. He’s oscillated between very good years at the plate and merely average years and a lot of that has to do with the capriciousness of an approach that is so contact oriented.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Tanner Bibee took a pretty significant step backwards last year. He managed to make 31 starts, but his strikeout rate dropped by five points, and his ERA and FIP jumped up nearly a full run. His fastball has never really been a standout pitch for him but it was hit extremely hard last year. A mechanical issue led to less ride on the pitch and batters really keyed in on that pitch. Thankfully, the rest of his secondary pitches didn’t lose much effectiveness and all the underlying data looked good. His changeup and sweeper, in particular, have been fantastic pitches, but his repertoire is deep enough, he can keep batters off balance in any count. The key, then, is figuring out his mechanics to regain the ride on his four-seam fastball. 

Gavin Williams ended last season on an extremely lucky run. From June through the end of the season, his BABIP allowed was just .221 which led to a 2.50 ERA that far outpaced his 4.27 FIP. Most of his underlying peripherals stayed pretty stable through the season, but a ton of good batted ball luck allowed him to be a key piece of the Guardians’ playoff run in September. He added a sweeper to his pitch mix last year and it returned a 44.0% whiff rate. That gives him two excellent breaking balls to attack batters with alongside a hard fastball. The issue is his command. His walk rate is well below average and it’s pretty shocking he was able to get away with all those baserunners without giving up a ton more runs.

Joey Cantillo spent last year split between the bullpen and the rotation. Once he made the move to starting in July, things really took off for him; he posted a 2.96 ERA and a 3.21 FIP across 13 starts down the stretch. His calling card is a phenomenal changeup that produced a 49.4% whiff rate last year! His two breaking balls are okay too — his curveball is the better of the two but he was testing a new grip on his slider this spring to hopefully increase that pitch’s effectiveness. His command is his weakness, though his walk rate improved slightly after joining the rotation last year. With a role in the rotation secured to start this season, he’s well positioned to take a big step forward if he can get his errant command under control.

Slade Cecconi came to the Guardians last offseason in the December 2024 trade that sent Josh Naylor to Arizona. He had a decent year in Cleveland, managing to stick in the rotation for the entire year after spending the first two years of his career as a swingman in Arizona’s bullpen. He doesn’t have outstanding stuff and won’t overpower batters, but he does have excellent command and a deep repertoire to keep batters off balance. His two breaking balls are his best pitches and he added a cutter and sinker to his arsenal last year. His fastball is pretty lackluster and that’s where his whole approach breaks down. If he’s not keeping batters honest with his secondary pitches, they can key in on his heater and do some real damage.

The Big Picture:

After yesterday’s Opening Night on Netflix, MLB Opening Day officially kicks off for 22 other teams today. The San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees will resume their series tomorrow.

The day kicks off with a marquee matchup of Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates facing off against Juan Soto and the New York Mets. The Chicago White Sox will face the Milwaukee Brewers, which comes on the heels of the news that Brewers’ star outfielder Jackson Chourio was placed on the injured list with a fractured hand suffered in the World Baseball Classic.

The other big nationally televised matchup is that of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, who will kick off the evening slate. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto was named the Opening Day starter for the reigning champs, and he will face a recently re-signed Zac Gallen, making his fourth Opening Day start for the Snakes.

Here’s how the full slate breaks down today:

Game 1: Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets

RHP Paul Skenes vs. RHP Freddy Peralta

First Pitch: 11:15 a.m. MDT

TV: NBC/Peacock

Radio: Sports Radio 93.7 KDKA The Fan (Pirates); Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 (Mets)

Lineups:

Game 2: Chicago White Sox at Milwaukee Brewers

RHP Shane Smith vs. RHP Jacob Misiorowski

First Pitch: 12:10 p.m. MDT

TV: Chicago Sports Network; Brewers.TV

Radio: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM (White Sox); WTMJ 620 (Brewers)

Lineups:

Game 3: Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs

RHP Cade Cavalli vs. LHP Matthew Boyd

First Pitch: 12:20 p.m. MDT

TV: Nationals.TV; Marquee Sports Network

Radio: WJFK 106.7 The Fan (Nationals); 104.3 The Score, Univision TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN (Cubs)

Lineups:

Game 4: Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles

RHP Joe Ryan vs. LHP Trevor Rogers

First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. MDT

TV: Twins.TV; MASN

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9, Audacy App, LosTwins.com (Twins); 98 Rock 97.9 FM, WBAL 1090 AM (Orioles)

Lineups:

Game 5: Boston Red Sox at Cincinnati Reds

LHP Garrett Crochets vs. LHP Andrew Abbott

First Pitch: 2:10 p.m. MDT

TV: NESN; Reds.TV, Gray Media, WXIX FOX19

Radio: WEEI 93.7, WCCM 1490 AM (Spanish), WESX 1230AM (Spanish) (Red Sox); WLW 700 (Reds)

Lineups:

Game 6: Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros

RHP JoséSoriano vs. RHP Hunter Brown

First Pitch: 2:10 p.m. MDT

TV: FanDuel Sports Network West; Space City Home Network

Radio: BLAA 830 (Angels); KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, KLTN-TUDN 102.9 FM (Astros)

Lineups:

Game 7: Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres

LHP Tarik Skubal vs. RHP Nick Pivetta

First Pitch: 2:10 p.m. MDT

TV: Detroit SportsNet; Padres.TV; MLBN

Radio: WXYT 97.1 FM (Tigers); KWFN 97.3, XEMO 860 (Padres)

Lineups:

Game 8: Tampa Bay Rays at St. Louis Cardinals

RHP Drew Rasmussen vs. LHP Matthew Liberatore

First Pitch: 2:15 p.m. MDT

TV: Rays.TV; Cardinals.TV

Radio: WDAE 95.7 FM, WQBN/1300AM (Rays); KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM, WIJR AM 880 (Spanish) (Cardinals)

Lineups:

Rays TBD

Game 9: Texas Rangers at Philadelphia Phillies

RHP Nathan Eovaldi vs. LHP Crisopher Sánchez

First Pitch: 2:15 p.m. MDT

TV: Rangers Sports Network; NBCSP+, NBC 10

Radio: KRLD 1080, KFLC 1270 (Rangers); 94 WIP, iHeart App (Phillies)

Lineups:

Game 10: Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers

RHP Zac Gallen vs. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto

First Pitch: 6:30 p.m. MDT

TV: NBC/Peacock (National)

Radio: 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station, KNAI 101.9 FM/860 AM (Diamondbacks); Dodgers Radio AM570, KTNQ 1020 (Dodgers)

Lineups:

DBacks TBD

Dodgers TBD

Game 11: Cleveland Guardians at Seattle Mariners

RHP Tanner Bibee vs. RHP Logan Gilbert

First Pitch: 8:10 p.m. MDT

TV: Guardians.TV; Mariners.TV

Radio: WTAM 1100, Guardians Radio Network (Guardians); Seattle Sports 710 AM (Mariners)

Lineups:

Guardians TBD

Mariners TBD

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Opening Day!

The 2026 season begins today for the two-time defending National League East champion Philadelphia Phillies. We’ve got 162 games to determine if they can make that a three-peat, and then hopefully advance to the ultimate goal of a World Series title.

They’ll start things off with a relatively unfamiliar opponent from the American League. I realize that with 15 teams in each league, at least two teams are going to begin with an interleague matchup, but it still feels somewhat wrong not to go against an NL team – if not a divisional opponent – to begin the season.

But since the schedule makers have given us the Rangers, it is the Rangers we shall discuss.

Texas Rangers

2025 record: 81-81 (Third place in American League West)

The last time they met

The Phillies visited Arlington in August 2025, and despite a history of poor play in Arlington over the years, the Phillies won all three games.

What’s the deal with the Rangers?

After a .500 season, the Rangers’ biggest change was firing manager Bruce Bochy and replacing him with Skip Schumacher. You may remember Schumaker winning the 2023 Manager of the Year award for leading the Miami Marlins to the playoffs, and getting fired a season later because Marlins gonna Marlin, and they lost 100 games.

As for the roster, the biggest additions came via trade, as they picked up two former NL East players in MacKenzie Gore and Brandon Nimmo. (Yes, we have to open the season against stupid Brandon Nimmo.) Offensively, they seem to largely be counting on better health and/or rebound seasons from players who disappointed in 2025, such as Corey Seager and Josh Jung. They also believe outfielder Wyatt Langford is ready to take another step forward on offense.

The starting rotation looks strong with Gore joining Jacob deGrom, Jack Leiter, and Nathan Eovaldi. (Or at least it will be strong if deGrom can have a second consecutive healthy season. Last year, was the first time since 2019 he made 30 starts in a season.) The bullpen looks less intimidating, as they’re counting on Robert Garcia and Chris Martin to handle the high leverage innings

Player spotlight: Andrew McCutchen

I always felt the idea of Andrew McCutchen on the Phillies was better than actually having him on the Phillies. When they signed the former MVP, he was no longer in his prime, but the hope was that he would be a strong presence in the clubhouse, and a viable contributor as the team’s leadoff hitter.

By most reports, he was a great teammate, but sadly, the results on the field didn’t match expectations. In 2019, he was playing well before his season was prematurely ended by a knee injury. In 2020, he got off to a slow start recovering from that injury and didn’t get going until the abbreviated season was close to over. In 2021, he had a solid season with the bat, but the former Gold Glover had become a liability in the field.

The next season, the Phillies chose to instead pursue Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos (They batted .500 on that decision) and let Cutch head to Milwaukee. Afterwards, he went back to Pittsburgh for a few seasons, putting up decent offensive numbers but slowly declining to the point where he was basically a replacement player in 2025.

At 39 years of age, there wasn’t high demand for Cutch’s services, but he came to camp with the Rangers as a non-roster invitee, and thanks to a strong showing in Spring Training, made the team.

Opening Day memories

For some reason, this is the third time the Phillies and Rangers have squared off on Opening Day. (Does MLB like having contrasting red, white, and blue color scheme going at it to start the season?) The first time was in 2014, which seemed to be a mismatch with Cliff Lee facing someone named Tanner Scheppers.

Last year, I wrote about how it can feel depressing when you don’t have a legit Opening Day starter. It’s much nicer to see Cristopher Sanchez get the ball the first game rather than the likes of Jeremy Hellickson (Hellickson had a cromulent career, but nobody was mistaking him for an ace) or Omar Daal. (On the other hand, I still love me some Robert Person, who started Opening Day in 2002!)

Anyway, the Phillies knocked Scheppers around, but surprisingly, the Rangers did the same to Lee. But thanks to big days by Ben Revere and Cody Asche (Another reminder that Opening Day is rarely predictive) and a grand slam by Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies prevailed 14-10. (This was not a harbinger of things to come for neither the 2014 season nor the Phillies-Rangers rivalry. The Phillies finished in last place and would lose their next nine games against the Rangers.)

The Phillies also visited Texas to open the season in 2023. The game started off nicely, with the Phillies getting off to a 5-0 lead, only to have Aaron Nola and the bullpen implode in a nine-run fourth inning. The Phillies lost and would lose their next three games as well.

I was trying to remember what happened on Opening Day last year, and I was drawing a blank. That’s especially embarrassing since I was in attendance at the game in Washington. (A lot easier to get Opening Day tickets down there!) It was the one where everyone was striking out (and blaming the shadows) until the late innings when the Phillies unloaded against the Nationals’ bullpen.

Opening Day is supposed to be a time for optimism but let me tell you: The Washington fans were not feeling positive about their chances that season. (And they were right! The Nats sucked last year!)

Remembering a guy who used to play for the Rangers

In 1992, the Rangers traded for A’s outfielder Jose Canseco. The former MVP expressed a desire to team with Rangers’ first baseman Rafael Palmeiro as the “new Bash Brothers,” but Canseco’s time in Texas is more remembered for PED use, injuring himself while pitching, and letting a ball bounce off his head for a home run.

Pennant year song battle!

As a new feature this year, I’ll be picking songs from a year in which the Phillies won the NL Pennant and pitting them against each other. (I may try to challenge myself and pick songs somehow related to the series at hand!) The winner stays on until defeated.

Here We Are Again – Debroy Somers, 1915

Coming from the year of the Phillies’ first ever National League title, the song seemed appropriate for the start of another season.

Ghost – Justin Bieber

In honor of the least popular change to Citizens Bank Park, here’s Justin Bieber’s hit from 2022.

Vote now!

If you have any favorite songs from 1915, 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008, 2009, or 2022, feel free to suggest them in the comments.

Closing thought

It’s Opening Day! Even if you don’t like what the Phillies did this past offseason or don’t like their chances to win it all, who cares? Everyone is 0-0, and you can let yourself dream a little! Go Phils!

Texas rangers lineup for Opening Day, March 26, 2026 against the Philadelphia Phillies: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Cristopher Sanchez for the Phillies.

It is Opening Day, y’all. Let’s do this.

The lineup:

Nimmo — RF

Langford — CF

Seager — SS

Burger — 1B

McCutchen — DH

Jung — 3B

Smith — 2B

Jansen — C

Haggerty — LF

3:15 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +130 underdogs.

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The real Opening Day is here... and so too are MLB player props.

With 11 games on the diamond and countless markets for pitchers and hitters, there’s no reason we can’t open the season by driving in some winners.

My favorites for today include strikeout props for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Logan Gilbert. Those and more MLB picks for Thursday, March 26, below.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Junior Caminero	Over 0.5 RBI	+115
Yoshinobu Yamamoto	Over 5.5 strikeouts	-136
Logan Gilbert	Over 6.5 strikeouts	+102

Junior Caminero Over 0.5 RBIs (+115)

Junior Caminero is coming off a breakout campaign with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he swatted a massive 45 home runs with 110 RBIs, and I like him to carry that production into an Opening Day matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The raw numbers for Caminero were great, but the underlying statistics say it was no fluke. The Rays' third baseman ranked in the 91st percentile or better in expected slugging, average exit velocity, and hard-hit percentage. Simply put, he hits the ball hard and often.

He gets a great matchup against Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore. For starters, Caminero has the splits advantage with Liberatore being a lefty.

Liberatore is also coming off a tough season, ranked in the Bottom 15% in both expected ERA and opponent expected batting average. The issue for Liberatore is that he gives up a lot of hard contact, and doesn't have much swing and miss stuff.

Caminero also had a great performance in the World Baseball Classic, and I love the price for him to drive in a run.

• Time: 4:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rays.TV, Cardinals.TV

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Over 5.5 strikeouts (-136)

The last time we saw Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, he was having an all-time performance in the World Series.

Now, he gets the ball for the Dodgers on Opening Day against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

But it wasn’t just the postseason where Yamamoto was showing his dominance. He ended the regular season in the 89th percentile in strikeout rate. That strikeout rate was above 30% over his last 14 starts of the season.

He also dominated this D-backs lineup last season. Current Arizona players have combined for a 32.1% K-rate against Yamamoto, with strikeout totals of 4, 9, 10, and 7 in four games.

Yamamoto also topped this number in 12 consecutive games to end the season, and we know his arm is nice worked out thanks to the World Baseball Classic. 

• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

Logan Gilbert Over 6.5 strikeouts (+102)

The Seattle Mariners have one of the best rotations in baseball, and it’s Logan Gilbert who gets the ball on Opening Day in a matchup against the Cleveland Guardians.

Gilbert is coming off his first All-Star selection in 2025, ranking in the 85th percentile in both expected ERA and opponent expected batting average. But it’s the strikeout numbers that are really impressive.

The 6-foot-6 starter struck out 32.4% of the batters he faced last season, which ranked in the 94th percentile. 

The Guardians were a middle-of-the-pack team when it came to getting punched out by right-handers, ranking 15th in K-rate and return a nearly identical lineup to last season.

I’ll take a shot on Gilbert to top his strikeout prop on Opening Day at plus money.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CleGuardians.TV, Mariners.TV

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The Cleveland Guardians open the season on the West Coast with a game against the Seattle Mariners tonight.

Both teams are coming off divisional titles and return with rosters mostly intact, if not upgraded.

Seattle has an edge in the starting pitching matchup and brings in an absolutely stacked lineup, which is why my Guardians vs. Mariners predictions and MLB picks call for it to cover at home on Thursday, March 26.

Guardians vs Mariners predictions

Guardians vs Mariners best bet: Mariners -1.5 (+130)

The Seattle Mariners were the fourth-best hitting team with a 113 OPS in 2025 and have been even better this spring. 

After scoring 4.7 runs per game last year, Seattle averaged 5.5 in spring training. 

Logan Gilbert was effective as usual when healthy last season, finishing with a 3.44 ERA and an elite 32.3% strikeout rate. The Cleveland Guardiansranked 28th in scoring last year, so facing a top-shelf starter is not ideal for this set of bats.

Guardians starter Tanner Bibee had the worst year of his career. He didn’t find a solution this spring, giving up six homers in six starts with a 6.65 ERA.

COVERS INTEL: Bibee’s fastball whiff rate dropped from 21.3% in 2024 to 13.2% last year, and also declined for his cutter, sinker, and curve.

Guardians vs Mariners same-game parlay (SGP)

The Mariners added one of baseball's top leadoff batters in Brendan Donovan. He’ll get on base ahead of MVP candidates Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez, which could result in a quick knockout of Bibee. 

Bibee allowed 27 homers last year and failed to strike out a batter an inning, a trend that continued into the spring. The Cleveland bullpen is missing injured setup man Hunter Gaddis, and Matt Festa struggled this spring, posting a 6.75 ERA.

Guardians vs Mariners SGP

• Mariners -1.5
• Mariners first-inning moneyline
• Mariners team total Over 3.5

Guardians vs Mariners home run pick: Cal Raleigh (+275)

There are matchup-based picks, and then there are ones where you don’t need to dive too deeply into the numbers. If anyone is going to homer in this game, it will be MLB’s reigning home-run leader playing in his home opener. Bibee’s struggles with the long ball make this an even better bet. He was even worse on the road, giving up twice as many home runs and an OPS 200 points higher than in home games. Randy Arozarena is the only member of the heart of Seattle’s order to homer against him, but that could easily change after tonight.

Guardians vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Cleveland +158 | Seattle -188
• Run line: Cleveland +1.5 (-152) | Seattle -1.5 (+126)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-122) | Under 6.5 (+100)

Guardians vs Mariners trend

The Seattle Mariners have covered the Run Line in 21 of their last 33 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Mariners.

How to watch Guardians vs Mariners and game info

Guardians vs Mariners latest injuries

Guardians vs Mariners weather

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All eyes will be on Tarik Skubal as he starts what could be his last year with the Detroit Tigers, and he’ll have the San Diego Padres in his sights in today’s season opener.

It’s a heavyweight pitching matchup at Petco Park as Skubal and Nick Pivetta square off, and my Tigers vs. Padres predictions expect Detroit’s ace to pave the way to a road victory.

Take a closer look at this March 26 clash with my free MLB picks.

Tigers vs Padres predictions

Tigers vs Padres best bet: Tigers moneyline (-134)

After the Detroit Tigers’ late-season collapse last year, it’s easy to forget their scorching 29-15 start. I see Detroit flying out of the traps again here.

Tarik Skubal, coming off a 2.21 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 2025, should love the pitcher-friendly conditions at Petco Park.

The visitors are 4-1 SU in their past five season openers, and their two-time Cy Young winner has shown that his stuff travels (2.30 ERA on the road last season).

While the San Diego Padres had a strong home record last year, changes in the clubhouse — including new manager Craig Stammen — may take time to pay off.

COVERS INTEL: Skubal posted an ultra-stingy 1.77 ERA in day games last season, and he allowed just five home runs in 76 1/3 innings across those outings.

Tigers vs Padres same-game parlay (SGP)

The Under was 44-34-3 in San Diego’s home games in 2025, and this feels like another pitching duel.

Nick Pivetta is looking to prove his 2.87 ERA last season was legit, and the Tigers’ strikeout-heavy lineup can lurch from feast to famine within the same game.

The Padres’ big bats were quiet in their final few Spring Training outings, and Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado — coming off WBC action — are among the hitters who’ve never faced Skubal.

I’m also backing Riley Greene’s bat to make an impact. He racked up a career-high 155 hits in 2025.

Tigers vs Padres SGP

• Tigers moneyline
• Under 7
• Riley Greene Over 0.5 hits

Tigers vs Padres home run pick: Riley Greene (+360)

I’ll double down on Greene for the HR prop, too.

He crushed 36 dingers last season, with 32 of those coming off righties. That’ll put Pivetta under pressure here, and the Detroit slugger hit more homers on the road than at home in 2025.

Petco Park isn’t the easiest place to nail the long ball, but Greene’s power overrides that.

Tigers vs Padres odds

• Moneyline: Detroit -134 | San Diego +114
• Run line: Detroit -1.5 | San Diego +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7 | Under 7

Tigers vs Padres trend

The Padres have hit the Under in 80 of their last 143 games (+13.65 Units / 9% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Padres.

How to watch Tigers vs Padres and game info

Tigers vs Padres latest injuries

Tigers vs Padres weather

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Thursday notes…

• ON OPENING DAY: Since 1876, the first year of the National League, the Cubs have opened the season against 28 different teams. This will be their second against the Nationals. They lost to them at home, 2-1, on April 5, 2012. When the Nationals were the Montreal Expos, the Cubs were 1-2 against them in openers, winning in 1973 and losing in 1983 and 2001. All games were at Wrigley Field. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• IN MARCH: The Cubs are 10-13 in games played in March. Their first such game was in 1998. They played two in 2000, then one each in 2003, 2008 and 2014. Starting in 2018, they have played 17: three in 2018 and 2019, one in 2023, three in 2024 and seven last year. The Cubs have been the home team for only five of the 23 games, and three of those were in Tokyo, against the Mets in 2000 and against the Dodgers last year. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• IN MARCH AT WRIGLEY FIELD: The team’s only two previous games in March at Wrigley Field were against the Brewers. On March 31, 2008, Kosuke Fukudome, in his first game, hit a home run with two men on base and nobody out in the ninth inning to tie the score at 3. Craig Counsell doubled leading off the Brewers’ 10th and scored on a bunt, hit by pitch and sacrifice fly. The Cubs went down in order and lost, 4-3. On March 30, 2023, the Cubs won, 4-0, as Marcus Stroman and three relievers combined to allow four hits, walk five and strike out 12. The Cubs scored all their runs in the third inning on three singles, two walks and an error. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• LAST YEAR’S HOME OPENER: In 2025, the Cubs had played nine games before they opened at Wrigley Field, including two “home” games in the Tokyo Dome. They had a 5-4 record when they faced the Padres on April 4, 2025. The Cubs won the game 3-1, getting 7.1 strong innings from Shōta Imanaga.

Cubs lineup:

Nationals lineup:

Matthew Boyd, LHP vs. Cade Cavalli, RHP

Matthew Boyd had an excellent 2025, making the NL All-Star team, though he did run out of gas late in the season.

After being hit hard in Game 1 of the division series against the Brewers, he recovered to have an outstanding outing in Game 4.

Against the Nationals last year, Boyd made two starts, allowing 11 hits, one walk and four runs in 14.2 innings (2.45 ERA).

Boyd was particularly effective at Wrigley Field last year, posting a 2.51 ERA and 0.903 WHIP in 15 starts at home. The Cubs went 13-2 in those 15 games.

This will be his third Opening Day start (also 2020 and 2021 with the Tigers).

Cade Cavalli was the Nats’ first round pick in 2020 (22nd overall), taken six picks after the Cubs took Ed Howard and three picks after Pete Crow-Armstrong went to the Mets.

He was a Top 100 prospect three years in a row (2021-23), then missed the entire 2023 season with Tommy John surgery. He made 10 starts for the Nats last year and the results were okay: 4.25 ERA, 1.479 WHIP. He has never faced the Cubs or anyone on the Cubs’ active roster.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Nationals site Federal Baseball. If you do go there to interact with Nationals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Yet another MLB season kicks off today at Wrigley Field, with the Chicago Cubs set to take on the Washington Nationals against the iconic backdrop of the city skyline.

The stadium has been a fixture of Chicago for more than a century, drawing baseball fans from across Illinois and Indiana through sunshine, rain and strong winds.

As a result, it's no surprise that Wrigley ranked among the best MLB stadiums in the country, according to a self-proclaimed subjective list by USA TODAY's sports site For The Win. The site ranked all 30 MLB stadiums based on general atmosphere, design, location, amenities, food and character.

Wrigley Field ranks among best MLB stadiums

Wrigley Field ranked fourth on the list, only behind San Diego's Petco Park, San Francisco's Oracle Park and Pittsburgh's PNC Park.

For The Win described a trip to Wrigley as "something that every sports fan should try to experience at least once," applauding the recent large-scale renovation while admitting the room for growth in the food selection.

"The Cubs officially completed their massive, multi-phase renovation in 2019, and I think it was done in a perfect way that brought in modern amenities while still respecting Wrigley Field’s old-school charm," the site said. "The food selection could be a bit better from a variety standpoint, but, I mean, you’re at Wrigley. Just enjoy it."

How did White Sox stadium rank?

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the White Sox's Rate Field landed near the bottom of the list, mainly for its lack of a skyline view.

For The Win ranked Rate Field No. 27 out of 30, above only Phoenix's Chase Field, Sacramento's Sutter Health Park and Tampa's Tropicana Field.

"I’ve mentioned it before, but I can’t get over how the stadium could’ve had an epic skyline view if it was flipped around," the site said. "Instead we’re left with a view of nothing. The team is eyeing a new stadium, though, that would have the view. I am glad they dropped the 'Guaranteed' from the name, so there's that."