Illustration highlighting the best Angels and Dodgers player of the past 25 years. Clockwise from top left: Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen, Francisco Rodriguez, Troy Glaus and Jered Weaver. (Associated Press and Getty Images photos/photo illustration by Tim Hubbard/Los Angeles Times)
This is the golden age of baseball in Southern California. The Angels heralded its dawn.
In 2002, the Angels won the World Series, the first of six postseason appearances within eight years. The Dodgers had played pretty good ball for more than a century, but they never had done that.
Angel Stadium was the place to be. The rally monkey was all the rage. The team nurtured a wave of young talent to surround Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. In 2009, the final year of that run, the Angels drafted future Hall of Famer Mike Trout. In 2011, for the first and only time, the Angels sold more tickets than the Dodgers.
Neither the Angels nor the Dodgers made the playoffs in 2010, 2011, or 2012. Since then, the Dodgers have made 13 consecutive postseason appearances, with three World Series championships to show for it. The Angels have made one, and they did not win a game.
Never — and this includes the Dodgers’ time in bankruptcy court — have the fates of the two Los Angeles franchises been so disparate. In 2026, the Dodgers could win their third consecutive World Series championship, and the Angels could finish in last place for the third consecutive year.
At a time major league owners would like you to believe market size equals destiny, the team with baseball’s longest postseason drought plays in the second-largest market in North America.
Today, however, we come not to bemoan the bad times but celebrate the good times, for the Angels and Dodgers.
The century is a quarter old. So here are our quarter-century teams for both the Angels and Dodgers, based solely on performances for those teams. In a few places, we included a deserving player at a secondary position, if his primary position was fully stocked. Let us know where we got it right, and where we didn’t.
And, while you’re there, you’ll see the story of our golden age in a nutshell. Of the 22 players on the Dodgers’ first and second teams, 11 were on at least one of the World Series championship teams this decade. Of the 22 players on the Angels’ first and second teams, only four played for the Angels this decade.
One was Shohei Ohtani, the first-team designated hitter for both teams.
*We considered how long someone played for the Dodgers or Angels during this century, as well as how well someone played, but we’re making an exception here for two reasons: one, left field has not been a position of strength and depth for the Dodgers; and, two: Manny Ramirez’s two-month “Mannywood” run after the Dodgers traded for him in 2008 was simply astonishing: He played 53 games and drove in 53 runs, batting .396 with 17 home runs and a 1.232 OPS. In the playoffs, he batted .520 in eight games, hitting four home runs and driving in 10 runs, with a 1.747 OPS. The two-month “Mannywood” run was good for 3.5 WAR — the same WAR Freddie Freeman delivered over the entire 2025 season. (And, yes, in May of the following year, Ramirez was suspended for violating baseball’s drug policy.)
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 7: Tanner Bibee #28 of the Cleveland Guardians participates in a team workout prior to a Spring Training game against the San Diego Padres at Goodyear Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well folks, you made it. Opening Day is finally upon us and meaningful Guardians baseball will be on our TVs and radios tonight.
First pitch against the Mariners is at 10:10PM our time. Plan your post work naps and space out your caffeine accordingly.
Yesterday, the team announced its Opening Day roster. Notably, Johnathan Rodriguez was DFA’d to make room for Rhys Hoskins on the 40-man. All moves and positions can be read about here.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 15: A general view of Oracle Park before a MLB game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants on August 15, 2025 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants played their first game of the 2026 season last night against the New York Yankees. Which means it’s time for first impressions on the 2026 team!
That’s right, consider this your blank check for hot takes and small sample size analysis, baby! Let the unhinged diatribes or delusional optimism rip, I want to hear it all!
Unfortunately given the nature of having to pre-write these, the game has not yet been played as of the time I am writing this, so I don’t get to go first this time. But I look forward to reading through these later this morning to see how everyone is feeling!
What are your first impressions of the team after Opening Day?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants do not play today. They have a really odd schedule for this first series, with off days today and Sunday. But they’ll pick up the series with the Yankees again tomorrow!
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 09: JJ Wetherholt #77 of the St. Louis Cardinals at bat during a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at Roger Dean Stadium on March 09, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As most of you know, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Winter Warmup as a reporter. Last year, I used that experience to write several season previews. Due to the late start of the top 20 prospect series (caused by waiting for Brendan Donovan to be traded), my Winter Warmup stories have been pushed to now instead of at the beginning of spring training. Thus technically, these could also be called season previews, but there’s a good chance I write a couple of these after the season has already started. I’ll try to pick stories that are not outdated for the ones during the season.
There has been a lot of discussion over how good the Cardinals will be this upcoming season. On the side of ‘better than you’d think’ the primary argument is that, despite trading three of the better players on the team, there is some reason to believe it won’t be a huge drop-off. That argument works for two of the three players.
In the case of Sonny Gray, it’s mainly because the on-field results were not actually that good. He had a 4.28 ERA. I don’t think that’s an unreasonably high bar. For Brendan Donovan however, the reason is because there is a not all that unrealistic chance that his replacement is just as good on day one.
Obviously, he won’t replace the versatility of Donovan and Donovan’s absence will be felt by whoever will take take the innings he would have surely played in LF. But as far as effect on winning games, duplicating Donovan’s production is certainly on the table.
Growing up, Wetherholt was around MLB players. Living where he lived, he would see players like Neil Walker and would grow up playing with Adam Laroche’s son and Jack Wilson’s son, otherwise known as Jacob Wilson of the Athletics. Because of this, the MLB dream seemed a little more real to him than to most people.
He looked up to players like Dustin Pedroia and Jose Altuve, being a bit undersized himself. Probably also a bit of their hustling and grind it out nature. He admired Robinson Cano’s swing. He attended West Virginia, where he pretty much immediately displayed his hitting prowess.
“He has that tool that’s not necessarily hard to come by, but it’s a very, very, very good tool,” said Victor Scott, who played with him at West Virginia for one year, when Scott was a junior and Wetherholt a freshman. “He has that hit tool. And he even had that as a kid in West Virginia.”
Luckily, he had a hamstring issue that caused him to fall in the MLB draft, or the Cardinals probably never get him. And almost two years later, he’s already set to make his MLB debut later today. Coming to spring training less than a year after getting drafted, manager Oliver Marmol was already impressed by him.
“The way he carried himself in that spring, your first year to be around big league guys and big league staff showed a lot about what he’s all about and I’m looking forward to that,” Marmol said.
Marmol calls what Wetherholt has “a quiet confidence” that is rare in young players. Jordan Walker was asked if he would give any advice, being himself once a highly touted player with high expectations on Opening Day.
“I don’t think he needs advice from me,” Walker said. “He’s just so about what he does. He looks like someone who’s not really fazed by anything. He’s just about his work and he gets to work. Anything else, he’s like ‘it’s going to come’. I think he’s one of the most level-headed people I’ve ever met, so I don’t think anything will faze him.”
Wetherholt seems to have that necessary single-mindedness to succeed where he knows what he has to do and knows he can do it. He won’t let distractions get in the way. He won’t be flashy. When opposing fans sometimes stereotype Cardinals fan for only wanting the maybe boring, hard-working guy, they are probably thinking we will only like players if they’re like JJ Wetherholt. He’s that kind of guy. He will not do us any favors in arguing against that when he inevitably becomes a fan favorite. Because Cardinals do like that guy. They don’t only like that kind of player, but they in fact like type of player.
“One of the things I guess people maybe don’t know about him is how humble he is,” Scott said. “He doesn’t like to boast about himself, he’s very down to earth. That kid is definitely screwed on straight.”
See? It sounds like Scott was asked something they don’t know about Wetherholt with the way that was phrased, but he wasn’t led to that response. He was asked a more general question about being teammates with Wetherholt, and it followed the praise of his hit tool in answering the question.
Wetherholt himself has been praised for his nearly impeccable ability to swing at good pitches to hit and to not swing at bad pitches to hit. He is well aware of what type of hitter he is.
“I’m a swing decision guy,” Wetherholt said. “I make good swing decisions, control the zone, drive the ball to all fields and that’s always gonna be my game.”
One would think one wouldn’t be disappointed if someone had a season like Wetherholt had last year. But for at least one part of his game, he was kind of disappointed he strayed from being an all-fields hitter.
“If I get an outside fastball, I cannot miss that pitch,” Wetherholt said. “I need to hit that as double in the left center gap, that’s something I didn’t do as well as I would like to last year, so that’s something I would like to get back to.”
And when asked about his surge in power, he doesn’t think he was doing anything differently. It thinks it was because the AAA ball was different and flew more. The AAA is in theory the MLB ball, but also he thinks the MLB ball might even be different a little. Either way, he’s not really worried about power.
“Power’s usually the tool that comes later,” Wetherholt. “I’m comfortable with the power that I have but of course you’re always trying to add that.”
Try to become more of a power hitter, he’d likely stray from what he considers his game. If power happens because of his game, great, but don’t try to be that guy. At least maybe I’m thinking that way because it reminds me of when Albert Pujols used to say he was a line drive hitter who happened to hit homers. It’s a similar philosophy. Try to hit line drives and sometimes those become homers. Probably to a significantly lesser extent than Pujols of course.
There may be a temptation to hold back on believing in Wetherholt because of past experiences. But oddly, Jordan Walker seemed to perfectly describe the essential difference between himself and Wetherholt when he was asked what he can learn from Wetherholt.
“Relax a little bit,” Walker said. “When we’re hitting in the cage, he’s one of the most relaxed hitters I’ve ever seen. His mechanics are just so clean, relaxed, fluid. It looks so easy when he does it. When I go in the cage and I try to be relaxed, I have some of my best rounds.”
You’re never going to believe this, but somehow there is also a JJ Wetherholt quote that literally makes me think of Jordan Walker related to this same concept. He was not talking about Walker to be very clear. But he very well could have been.
“If you’re twitchy or you’re tense, you start to chase or you get frozen on fastballs down the middle,” Wetherholt said. “I’m definitely trying to be relaxed and I’m just trying to get to use my barrel.”
I was listening to the interview before writing this and I felt my body jump a little. I sympathize with Walker though. I know who I am. I would be twitchy and tense for sure. I didn’t play baseball very far in life and it was unfortunately for talent-related reasons, but I don’t think I could advance because of the mental aspect of the game even if I was talented. I totally get in my own head about significantly less stressful things. But I do think that’s the number one issue with Walker, he’s not relaxed in the batter’s box.
Masyn Winn, who noted that he at least got a month in 2023 to prepare for a full season at the big leagues unlike JJ, is just hoping to make the transition as easy possible.
“I’m really looking forward to playing with JJ,” Winn said. “I want him to come in comfortable and be himself. I don’t want him to be walking on eggshells. I want him to go out there and have a lot of fun. I want to be there for JJ and let him be great.”
I think we’re good guys. I don’t think JJ Wetherholt will be a repeat of past experiences. He has the kind of hit tool and approach that typically translates, and it seems like nothing will faze him. I don’t know if he will bat leadoff later today, but I think he can handle it. One thing is for sure: JJ Wetherholt is ready for the big leagues.
“It’s always a good sight to see (Busch Stadium),” Wetherholt said. “This place is beautiful. It definitely gives you that feeling of ‘I don’t want to play in these minor league stadiums anymore, I want the real deal.’”
Also, on Friday, the AAA teams will have start their seasons. Here is everything you need to know about it.
Luinder Avila was tabbed as the one AAA prospect to keep an eye on for the Royals.
Avila debuted for the Royals last August and posted a 1.29 ERA with 16 strikeouts and six walks over 14 relief innings in the Majors but was unable to secure a spot back in Kansas City this spring, part of which he spent as a member of Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic-winning staff. The Royals plan to use him as a multi-inning arm with Omaha — someone who gets starts but doesn’t have a full starter’s workload in order to preserve the rotation and bullpen routes for him back to the bigs. Avila’s best pitch remains his low-80s curveball, and he was showing a pair of 96-97 mph fastballs in limited Cactus League looks.
David Lesky talked about five numbers that will define the Royals this season.
Kevin O’Brien of Royals Keep made five bold predictions about Royals players.
O’Brien also voiced concern about Carlos Estevez and his velocity.
MLB play started last night, as the Yankees blanked the Giants 7-0. Aaron Judge made the wrong type of history however.
The Sweet 16 starts tonight, and there is more baseball teams getting their first game in as well.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 04: Overall view of Truist Park in the seventh inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 4, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All games can be listened to on the radio on 680 The Fan/93.7 FM or in the 680 The Fan App.
Mar 31, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Opening Day ceremonies before game between Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
We’ve finally made it to Opening Day everyone. No, we’re not counting whatever happened on Netflix last night. Sit back and get ready for a full slate of games today and for baseball to be on your television every day (except the All-Star break) until early November.
Opening Day is more than a designation on a calendar. It is a feeling, a mantra, a phrase you can repeat during meditation to promote relaxation and shift mindset. Summer is coming. Baseball is back.
The experience of becoming a baseball fan hasn’t changed much over generations. People care about their teams, their players, and classic stats like home runs. Fans love their local announcers. They love going to their home ballpark, and when traveling, going to a stadium that a different set of fans calls home.
There are certain aspects that have changed considerably. I’m old enough to have become a baseball fan when no one knew or cared how much any of the players earned.
Salaries and payrolls weren’t public knowledge, and even MLB players didn’t know what other players earned. Not saying it was a good thing for players to be unaware. It wasn’t. It was just different for media covering the sport and fans that enjoy the game.
Now, young fans who have zero knowledge of banking and financial terms can rattle off their favorite team’s players whose contracts have a mutual or vesting option. They probably know how much of Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract is deferred.
They know that Framber Valdez and Bo Bichette turned down qualifying offers in the offseason, while Trent Grisham accepted his Q.O. and returned to the Yankees.
Is it just one more aspect of the game for rabid fans to know? There’s an endless supply of information available to baseball fans today. I understand the appeal of learning analytics. Having data to show Max Fried not allowing hard contact, or Paul Skenes’ fastball velocity, makes perfect sense. But knowing and caring how much they earn?
When I was growing up, there was little or no attention to the general manager, which has morphed into a department headed by the “president of baseball operations.” Now, young fans want to work in front offices as their dream job.
Does knowing about the salaries enhance the fan experience, or take away from it? Does the fact that the Dodgers have a payroll of around $400 million lessen their achievement of winning the World Series?
The salary information just isn’t why I love baseball. I love baseball numbers. Here are the numbers that just sing to me.
Shohei Ohtani scored 146 runs last season.
a) Ohtani scored 146, and no one else in the National League scored more than 120 (Juan Soto).
b) Those 146 runs mean Ohtani scored 146 of the Dodgers’ 825 runs. Since the start of baseball’s integration in 1947, of players with 140+ runs scored in a season, only two player seasons have scored a higher percentage of their team’s runs than Ohtani’s 2025 season of 17.7% (Craig Biggio in 1997 and Sammy Sosa in 2001 both scored 146, each accounting for 18.8% of their teams’ 777 total runs).
c) Ohtani’s 146 runs in a season are the third most since 2000 (Jeff Bagwell scored 152 runs in 2000, Ronald Acuña, Jr. scored 149 runs in 2023).
d) Ohtani has scored 280 runs in the last two seasons. In the last 80 years (since 1946) only one player has scored more (Bagwell scored 295 runs in 1999 and 2000 seasons).
e) Ohtani scored 159 runs last season (including postseason) and only Aaron Judge (142) scored more than 120 besides the great Ohtani when you count playoffs.
f) The only players in the modern era of baseball history (since 1900) to score more than 159 runs in one season (regular plus postseason) are Babe Ruth (3 times), Lou Gehrig (2 times), and Rogers Hornsby (160 runs in 1929).
g) Shohei Ohtani led the majors in 2024 with 134 runs scored (next most: 128 by Soto), and 148 runs including postseason. Ohtani scored 14 runs in 16 playoff games.
h) Shohei Ohtani has scored 307 runs the last two years including postseason. Do you have any idea how outrageous that is?
Most Runs in Two Consecutive Seasons including postseason
Now, I know that Ohtani plays in an era which allowed him to accumulate 33 postseason games in the last two years. And Ruth and Gehrig played in the era with 154 games, not 162. Ohtani scored those 307 runs in 350 games, more than Ruth (300 games) and Gehrig (314). But no one else in history -- not DiMaggio or Williams or Pujols or Bagwell or Jeter -- no other player scored 300 times in consecutive seasons.
Ohtani’s run-scoring ability makes him one of the greatest leadoff batters ever. He’s a natural in the No. 1 spot in the order, but it wasn’t always the case. In his six seasons with the Angels, he batted in the No. 1 spot just 63 times. In his first year with the Dodgers, Mookie Betts batted in the No. 1 spot in 72 of the first 73 games. Beginning on June 17, 2024, it became Shohei at the top of the order and Dave Roberts’ easiest decision.
That sent me down a rabbit hole wondering how and why Ohtani didn’t bat leadoff for, say, the 2023 Angels. Ohtani batted leadoff just five (of the 135 games he played) in 2023. Who did the Angels’ manager Phil Nevin bat leadoff that season? The answer is: NOT Mike Trout.
Most games out of leadoff spot for the 2023 Angels (73-89)
Should I say it was Goofyto bat Mickey (Moniak) ahead of Ohtani and Trout in all those games in Anaheim? Maybe. But the real issue is this: You want to give as many chances to your best hitters as possible.
Moniak batted .250/.277/.509 and scored 12 runs out of the leadoff spot in 2023. Taylor Ward batted .236/.308/.373 in 55 games (52 starts) hitting leadoff.
I know that over a season, it’s only about 15-18 more plate appearances that the No. 1 spot gets over the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Still, you want to load up as many plate appearances as possible for the MVP. Seems simple enough, but as you can see, it hasn’t always played out that way.
There are so many numbers that get thrown around when people discuss Ohtani. They are entranced by the home runs, the stolen bases, his strikeouts and velocity on the mound, and so much more. They discuss aspects of his massive and historic contract. I prefer looking at his runs total. In the end, baseball is a game made up of which side can score the most runs.
Editors' Note: Elliott Kalb - dubbed "Mr. Stats" decades ago by Marv Albert and Bob Costas - is the former Senior Editorial Director at MLB Network and a longtime contributor of research and information to NBC Sports' telecasts.
The Detroit Tigers open up their 2026 campaign on Thursday in San Diego against the Padres, and the excitement for the team’s opening day can be felt from Lakeland all the way to the Motor City.
AJ Hinch’s roster looks like a beefed-up version of last year’s — one that started hot, bringing the best record in baseball into the All-Star break, only to go ice-cold in the second half. The Tigers still made it to the playoffs, but their epic collapse allowed the Cleveland Indians to snatch the American League Central crown from them in embarrassing fashion.
Detroit fell in the wild-card round to the Seattle Mariners in a series that took all five games, ultimately succumbing in a 15-inning affair. That elimination game was the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history.
Now, it is a new season with a few new — and one notably old — faces, and as they say, hope springs eternal before the first pitch is thrown. As is our custom, the Bless You Boys staff came together in roundtable fashion to discuss our predictions for the boys of summer, using the following format.
AL Division Winners
NL Division Winners
World Series
League MVP
League ROY
League Cy Young
Many of our responses are pretty much what you would expect from this group, but as always, there were a few spicy submissions as well. Take a look at what we have to offer ahead of the first pitch on Thursday.
Patrick O’Kennedy:
AL ROY- McGonigle
AL Cy Young- Skubal
AL MVP- Witt Jr
AL MOY- Hinch
NL ROY- Konor Griffin
NL MVP- Ohtani
NL Cy Young- Yamomoto
NL MOY- Don Kelly
Playoffs
NL East- Phillies
NL Central- Cubs
NL West- Dodgers
NL Wild Card- Padres, Pirates (okay, just kidding, Padres and Mets)
AL Pennant- Tigers over Jays
NL Pennant- Dodgers over Phillies
WS- Dodgers over Tigers
Ashley MacLennan:
AL Division Winners: Detroit Tigers. Why not? Let’s go optimistic. Otherwise, I’d have to pick the Blue Jays and people will think I’m doing it because I’m Canadian.
NL Division Winners: Sigh. The Dodgers.
World Series: I have to pick the Tigers because — historically speaking — when I say anything else I curse the team.
League MVP: Nothing is new or fun under the sun, so it’ll be Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, unless someone gets hurt or Bobby Witt Jr makes another wish on his monkey paw.
League ROY: Kevin McGonigle AL/Konnor Griffin NL
League Cy Young: Tarik Skubal threepete! and Paul Skenes. Nothing inventive here, friends.
Cannon at the Hot Corner: I’m pretty sure you get to pick a winner for each division (AL/NL West, Central, East), not just an AL/NL champion if you’d like.
MacLennan: No, I’m tired and lazy. (Tigers, Blue Jays, Mariners… Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, I guess. Battle Royale for who wins what)
Cannon:
Division winners:
AL: Tigers, Red Sox, Mariners
NL: Brewers, Mets, Dodgers
WS: Red Sox over Dodgers. Them some freaky good pitching staffs, folks
MVPs: Bobby Witt Jr and Juan Soto
Cy Youngs: Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes
ROYs: Kevin McGonigle and Nolan McLean
Zane Harding:
AL Division Winners —
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Mariners
NL Division Winners —
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Ohhh, I don’t know, the Brewers seem to know what they’re doing (I seriously considered the Pirates; this division feels weaker than usual!)
NL West: Dodgers
World Series: I imagine we hear a lot of Dodgers and a lot of Tigers. The last time the Tigers won, my 63-year-old father was younger than I am today… by a good margin. Dodgers
League MVPs — gets easier every year
AL: Judge
NL: Ohtani
League ROY —
AL: Kevin McGonigle
NL: Konnor Griffin
League Cy Young —
AL: TARIK SKUBAL (three trophy emojis) BOTTOM TEXT
NL: Paul Skenes. Skenes is the best, Webb is about equal because he gets more IP, but we vote FLASHY
Peter Kwasniak:
I’m just throwing things at the wall:
AL Division Winners
AL East: Skankees
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Mariners
NL Division Winners
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Reds
NL West: Dodgers
World Series: Dodgers
League MVPs (BORING)
AL: Judge
NL: Ohtani
League ROY
AL: Kevin McGonigle
NL: Konnor Griffin
League Cy Young (EXCITING BUT BORING)
AL: Tarik Skubal
NL: Paul Skenes
Cam Kaiser:
AL Division Winners
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Guardians
AL West: Mariners
NL Division Winners
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
World Series: Dodgers
League MVPs
AL: Julio Rodriguez
NL: Shohei Ohtani
League ROY
AL: Chase DeLauter
NL: Sal Stewart
League Cy Young
AL: Garrett Crochet
NL: Paul Skenes
The Tigers are better than Cleveland on paper, but paper didn’t seem to matter at all last year, considering the Guardians, despite a paltry Pythagorean record, pulled off the largest comeback in AL division history to win the Central.
Until I see the Guardians falter, I’m going to continue to believe that the horseshoe the size of the moon stuck up their bum will propel them and any player they touch to success when it matters.
Jay Markle:
AL East winner: New York Yankees
AL Central winner: Detroit
AL West winner: Seattle
NL East winner: Philadelphia
NL Central winner: Chicago Cubs
NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series: Philadelphia
AL MVP: Aaron Judge
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle
NL ROY: JJ Wetherholt
AL Cy: Tarik Skubal
NL Cy: Paul Skenes
Brandon Day:
AL East winner: Boston Red Sox
AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
AL West winner: Seattle Mariners
NL East winner: New York Mets
NL Central winner: Milwaukee Brewers
NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers
AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle
NL ROY: Nolan McLean
AL Cy: Garrett Crochet
NL Cy: Paul Skenes
Mr. Sunshine: Uh, Tigers win World Series, MVP is Gleyber Torres, ROY is McG, CY is Skubal.
That’s right, I’m on the feel-good meds at the moment. NL stuff, who cares?
Fielder’s Choice:
AL East: Blue Jays
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Astros
NL East: Marlins YEAH I SAID IT
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
World Series: Not The Dodgers
AL MVP: Nick Kurtz
NL MVP: Corbin Carroll
AL ROY: Carter Jensen
NL ROY: Carson Benge
AL CY: Hunter Brown
NL CY: Eury Perez
David Rosenberg:
AL East winner: New York Yankees
AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
AL West winner: Seattle Mariners
NL East winner: New York Mets
NL Central winner: Milwaukee Brewers
NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series: Detroit Tigers (YOLO)
AL MVP: Roman Anthony
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle
NL ROY: Nolan McLean
AL Cy: Tarik Skubal
NL Cy: Paul Skenes
Adam Dubbin:
AL East: Rays
AL Central: Kansas City
AL West: Astros
NL East: Mets
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
World Series: Tigers
AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
NL MVP: Juan Soto
AL ROY: Tatsuya Imai
NL ROY: Bubba Chandler
AL CY: Garrett Crochet
NL CY: Logan Webb
The Tigers once again fail to secure the AL Central title after some significant regular-season underperformances, but make a 2006-esque run to the World Series, where they finish the job that the previous teams since 1984 could not.
Now that you know where the Bless You Boys staff stands entering the 2026 campaign, give us your takes in the comments below!
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31: The Baltimore Orioles are introduced before playing against the Boston Red Sox play during their Opening Day game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Does it feel like the air is a little bit sweeter today? That there’s an extra pep in your step? Of course it does. Because IT’S OPENING DAY, y’all!
The 2026 Orioles season has arrived at last. This afternoon a huge, raucous crowd of O’s fans will converge at the newly renovated Camden Yards to welcome a new-look — and hopefully vastly improved — Orioles team.
Prize offseason signing Pete Alonso will debut in the orange and black and, with any luck, will sock a dinger or two. Surprise 2025 breakout hurler Trevor Rogers, who last year at this time was an injured afterthought, will take the mound for the Opening Day assignment. Rookie slugger Samuel Basallo and six other Orioles will be experiencing Opening Day for the first time. And rookie skipper Craig Albernaz will manage his first major league game that counts. Of course, plenty of familiar faces will be there too, as Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and other fan favorites will hope to lead a bounceback from that dud of a 2025 season.
It’s going to be fun times at Oriole Park today. The pre-game introductions begin at 2:30, with first pitch scheduled for 3:05. The weather is supposed to be beautiful — a high of 77 degrees around game time and no rain in the forecast. For my money, Opening Day is the best holiday of the year. Don’t miss it!
So how are you feeling about the season to come, Camden Chatters? Are you excited to see how it all plays out, or do you have an uneasy feeling in your stomach? Feel free to give your predictions for the season, and while you’re at it, let us know your thoughts about the Orioles’ Opening Day roster.
For better or worse, we’ve got 162 games ahead of us, folks. It all starts today.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Orioles’ opener. The biggest question, of course, is: will Tyler O’Neill hit another Opening Day homer? It’s kind of his thing.
Albernaz isn’t the only new head coach in Baltimore who will be on site today, as Jesse Minter will serve as guest splasher in the second inning. I like this guy already.
Anthony Nunez definitely qualifies as the most surprising inclusion in the Opening Day bullpen, considering he was sent to the minors two weeks ago. Not to mention that he was an infielder two years ago.
Keith Law not only picks the Orioles to grab the top wild card spot, but even has them winning a postseason series. I did not expect Keith Law to be the pie-in-the-sky Orioles optimist, but here we are.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 26th to Jeremiah Jackson, who got a wonderful birthday gift by making the first Opening Day roster of his career. He’ll be a bench guy, likely making starts at second and third and perhaps occasionally in the outfield, and hopefully swinging the bat as well as he did last year. Former Orioles born on March 26 include outfielders Jesús Tavárez (55) and Jarvis Brown (59), right-hander Mickey Weston (65), and lefty Dan Morogiello (71).
On this date in 1979, the Orioles released catcher Elrod Hendricks, who had spent a decade playing with the Birds over three different stints. The O’s brought Hendricks back that September to get one final MLB at-bat, but it was far from the end of his time in Baltimore. He became the Orioles’ bullpen coach and served in that role for 28 years, making him the longest tenured coach in O’s history.
And on this day two years ago, the O’s made a last-minute signing of veteran second baseman Tony Kemp to complete their Opening Day roster. Giving $1 million to Kemp was a curious decision at the time, made even more so by the fact that he lasted only five games in Baltimore before the O’s released him to make room for Jackson Holliday. It was the end of Kemp’s nine-year MLB career.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 4: Dwight Evans reacts after a pre-game ceremony honoring the 1975 American League Champions 50th Anniversary Reunion before the 2025 Opening Day game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox on April 4, 2025 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well folks, we made it! The offseason is over and Red Sox baseball is about to begin anew this afternoon in Cincinnati.
While we wait through the final few hours between the last Red Sox out of 2025 and the first pitch of 2026, let’s take a few moments to talk about our favorite Opening Day memories. It can be a game, an experience you had at the ballpark, or just a tradition you might have with friends and family. Personally, I find Opening Day a good opportunity to keep certain baseball loving people in your life by texting them “Happy Opening Day!” when you otherwise haven’t been in contact with them for a while. After all, this is pretty much our Christmas morning.
Talk about this and whatever else you like, and as always, be good to one another.
Dodger Stadium is expected to be filled to the brim with more than 50,000 fans, with several more vying to score tickets last minute to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto take the mound behind a star-studded offense led by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker.
Here's everything you need to know about where to buy Dodger tickets for Opening Day, and how much you can expect to pay:
Where to buy Dodgers tickets on Opening Day
The official way to buy tickets to any big league game is through the MLB Ballpark app, or through the Dodgers official ticket website if you're on a computer. Tickets are also available on the secondary market through apps such as Ticketmaster, Gametime, SeatGeek, Stubhub and TickPick.
It's worth noting that even if you buy from the secondary market, you'll still need the MLB Ballpark app as your tickets will be automatically transferred over to there after purchasing.
For fans wanting to go a more old school route and avoid buying online, tickets can be bought in person at the box office at Dodger Stadium, which opens three hours before first pitch. Tickets sold at the box office are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
How much are Dodgers Opening Day tickets?
While the Dodgers have traditionally been one of the more affordable tickets in town, that's begun to change in recent years as demand — and the team's payroll — has skyrocketed. You can expect to spend quite a bit for Opening Day especially, though the prices tend to come down the closer it gets to first pitch.
As of 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, the get-in price on the Dodgers website is $155.60 — including fees — for a single ticket in the right field reserve level. The most expensive ticket is going for $3,137.10 behind home plate.
Tickets are going for around the same prices on most of the secondary apps, with the average somewhere around the $200-$400 range.
And don't forget parking; the price of general admission is going up to $45 this season.
When Blake Butera scrawls out his Opening Day lineup – he’s gone through “seven or eight” iterations already – and heads out to the Wrigley Field first-base line March 26, managerial history will be made.
Sure, at 33, he’ll be the youngest major league manager since 1972, a fact he and his Washington Nationals charges would prefer fade into the background. Yet there’s another bit of managerial minutiae that symbolically indicates the game is moving firmly into the Millennial era, with Gen Z coming up quickly, as well.
Butera will be the first big league manager named Blake.
He was mildly tickled when learning this factoid, though perhaps an oversize check or, better yet, a proven bullpen and a full-time first baseman might have been more thrilling.
“Anytime you’re the first of something,” he muses to USA TODAY Sports, “it’s kind of a cool opportunity.”
Opportunity is what the Nationals sold to Butera, a highly valued member of the Tampa Bay Rays who wore many hats in the organization – from Carolina League manager to senior director of player development – and now finds himself in a big league manager’s office.
And while names and labels aren’t everything, a Blake planting his flag in one of the game’s most coveted positions isn’t exactly nothing.
Out with the Bruces, in with the Blakes
Butera, you see, was born in an era of Peak Blake: The name did not appear on the Social Security Administration’s top 200 names for baby boys through the 1960s and ‘70s. But the Blakes broke through in the ‘80s, landing at No. 116 and reaching their apex in the 1990s at No. 84.
And in the state of Louisiana, where Blake Matthew Butera was born on Aug. 7, 1992, the Blakes outkicked their national average, landing at No. 36 in popularity in the Bayou State.
The Blake buzz has faded a bit, as it slid to No. 86 and No. 95 nationally in subsequent decades. Yet all the while you’ve likely heard the name far more often, perhaps at a child’s preschool, or on a youth sports team, the Blakes growing older and older until now – where Butera is a new father himself, his daughter Blair born Oct. 29.
That was the same day it was first reported that new Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni – himself a 36-year-old father of four – was making Butera his first manager.
It was one of eight jobs that needed to be filled last fall and almost the most surprising, aside from San Francisco hiring Tony Vitello to jump from college baseball to the Giants dugout. And while many of 2025’s ex-managers may manage again – Derek Shelton’s already been hired by Minnesota after Pittsburgh fired him – it’s worth noting who’s likely headed for retirement.
Bruce Bochy and Brian Snitker were born six months apart in 1955, won World Series as managers and likely left the managerial chair for good after 2025. Speaking of which, have you seen any babies lately named Bruce?
When Bochy was born, you sure did.
“Bruce” ranked No. 32 for boys in the 1950s, held steady at No. 47 in the ’60, fell all the way to No. 185 in the ‘80s and hasn’t been seen since. (“Brian” is a different story, staying in the rankings all the way, along with Michael, Christopher and Matthew. Tough to beat those Irish Celtic roots, along with saints, archangels and disciples).
Bochy is one of the greatest managers of all-time, winning four World Series titles with two franchises. Beloved for his gameday chops and old school demeanor, he was a master communicator.
And perhaps that’s one trait that’s lasted from the Bruces to the Blakes.
No time like the present
The Nationals just got done with their first training camp under an almost entirely new regime following the July firings of club president Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. Butera urged his very young team to take chances early in camp, to try to stretch the limits of their potential and do “uncomfortable” things.
“Everything’s been good work,” shortstop CJ Abrams, an All-Star in 2024, tells USA TODAY Sports. “A lot of productive stuff. A lot of information and technology we’re putting to use. I think we’re ready.
“He’s the skip, and anything we need, communication has been good. We’re ready to go.”
Butera won’t be the first manager to be younger than some of his players; most recently, Rocco Baldelli, then 37, managed 39-year-old Nelson Cruz for the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
Somewhat remarkably, the Nationals are so young that only veteran starter Miles Mikolas, 37, is older than Butera, with 28-year-old catcher Keibert Ruiz the oldest regular. While the Nationals downplay the notion that their skipper’s age aids his relatability, Butera has proven he can appear well in any company.
“Blake is even-keeled and I admire that in him – how he can really regulate his emotions,’ says first-year Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz, who worked alongside Butera in the Rays’ organization. “He’s someone that could’ve stayed the front office route and been a GM someday, and now he’s a big league manager.
“It shows his versatility and how impactful he is and a lot of that stems from being able to navigate different conversations with different people – front office, players, coaches.”
Butera figures his youth sets an ambitious example, one that could resonate through what could be a lengthy rebuild: If you’re ready to achieve, why wait?
“My job is to work my butt off, make sure all these guys are fully prepared to play and we’ve set them up to have success,” he says. “I know I’m younger, and if it helps someone feel like they can accomplish something at a young age, I hope I can be that person to help them.”
'Treat people the right way'
You might say that as a young manager, Butera’s goal is to one day be an old manager. Should that come to pass, an entire wave of groundbreaking names will have inhabited the dugout.
Get ready for a Kai: Mets bench coach Kai Correa, born in 1989, should lock down a top job in coming years, perhaps ahead of the curve for a name that didn’t rank until the 2010s.
There are Jakes, Codys and Connors dispersed throughout major league staffs, and even two more Blakes on the Marlins staff – third base coach Blake Lalli and infield coach Blake Butler, the latter born a year after Butera.
Looking way down the road, the Liams, Masons and Logans who dominated maternity wards in the 2010s should one day get their due.
But for now, there’s just one Blake, just 33 yet offering advice that would play in any era.
“At the end of the day,” he says, “I’ll just tell anybody regardless of age, work your butt off, treat people the right way and care about people. And the rest is out of your control.”
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.
