TORONTO, ON- MARCH 29 - left fielder Jesús Sánchez #12 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a two run homer in the third inning as the Toronto Blue Jays play the Athletics at Rogers Centre in Toronto. March 29, 2026. Steve Russell/Toronto Star (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
The first two games of the season were a ton of fun, but it’s nice to keep the drama a little lower sometimes. Everyobody looked pretty good today, from Eric Lauer and the bullpen holding the A’s to two runs on five hits against 15 strikeouts, to the power bats showing up to the tune of three home runs. A season opening sweep is, by definition, the best start you can have.
Eric Lauer came out of the blocks looking like he wasn’t going to let Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease outshine him just because they throw 8mph harder. He struck out the side in the first, picked up another in the second, another in the third, and one more to lead off the fourth before a Nick Kurtz walk gave the A’s their first baserunner. His seventh closed out the inning without the A’s scoring. Sacramento got some back in the fifth, as Jacob Wilson lead off with a line drive double and (not that) Max Muncy went yard the other way, cutting Toronto’s lead to 4-2. It was a brief blip, though, and he got two more Ks and a pop out to end the inning there. Lauer returned to start the sixth, getting a fly out and counceding a ground ball single up the middle. At 87 pitches, John Schneider decided to call his afternoon there, pulling him in favour of Braydon Fisher. Ultimately, Lauer only managed 9 Ks, while giving up two runs on three hits and a walk over 5.1 innings pitched. I guess that’s why he’s only a swingman. Fisher picked up a strikeout of his own and got a ground out to end the inning.
Meanwhile, the offence rolled from the jump. George Springer his his 64th career game opening home run, pulling him within 9 of Rickey Henderson for the all time lead. They went quietly in the second, but jumped back on Luis Morales in the third. Tyler Heineman lined a single with one out, and Jesus Sanchez followed with a 417ft bomb to centre field that made it 3-0. Kazuma Okamoto added one of his own in the fourth to increase the margin to four.
After Oakland closed the gap in the top of the fifth, they turned to small ball to manufacture one more run in the home half. Heineman and Sanchez walked, prompting Mark Kostay to call for J.T. Ginn to take over. Ginn’s first batter, Vladimir Guerrero jr., hit a hard ground ball single. His second, Addison Barger, worked a walk that forced Heineman home and made it 5-2. Okamoto grounded into a double play that prevented a big inning.
Ginn handled the Jays quitely in the bottom of the sixth. Fisher returned for the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning while picking up his second strikeout. Ginn did it again in the eighth, retiring the jays in order. The top of the eighth fell to Tommy Nance. He got the first two A’s, but then gave up a single to Shea Langeliers and John Schneider decided to call for Mason Fluharty to face the lefty Kurtz. Fluharty had declared himself able to go after leaving the game yesterday when he took back to back come-backers to the knee. He apparently has a pretty gnarly bruise on the inside of his knee but no more serious damage, and he looked just fine freezing the Colonel on 93 on the top outside corner to end the inning.
Ginn stayed in for the bottom of the eighth and continued to look sharp, again facing the minimum and picking up two more strikeouts. That set up Jeff Hoffman for the three run save opportunity. Jacob Wilson managed a ground ball single, that was it.
Jays of the Day: Sanchez (0.18) is the only hitter who qualifies for either award. Lauer (0.11) and Fisher (0.10) make it on the pitching side.
Less so: Nobody!
That’s it for the A’s in Toronto this year. Tomorrow night we move on to the Colorado Rockies. Tomoyuki Sugano will represent the visitors, while Cody Ponce makes his official North American return for the Jays. First pitch goes at 7:07pm ET.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 27: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Friday, March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! At long last, the regular season has begun, and so far, it has gotten off to a fantastic start, with the Yankees securing their first two wins of the season without allowing a run to cross the plate. But we’re not here to talk about the performance on the diamond, we’re here to talk about their performance on social media — which has also gotten off to a fun start. And so, without further ado, let’s get started!
The Annual Hype Video
As always, on the night before Opening Day, the New York Yankees posted a regular season hype video. This year’s theme was focused on NYC being the concrete jungle, but that’s not where the story was. As with most videos, this video included one shot of a Yankees pitcher absolutely buckling the knees of an opposing pitcher — and perhaps unsurprisingly, the video selected was Max Fried striking out Juan Soto last season. The Mets outfielder made a comment on the post, started a brigade of Mets fans commenting — not the first time since October that Soto has commented on something Yankees-related, generated headlines, and then deleted it.
And in this case, it’s a shame that this became the headline, because that’s a well-edited hype video, and an even better pitch by Fried.
Generating much less drama was this Sinatra-themed video and the YES Network’s hype video, although I must point out how fun it is that Dellin Betances has now started commenting on everything the network posts that is Yankee-related.
The big story of the week, was Opening Day. Yankees players, coaches, broadcasters, and alumni got in on the excitement, starting with Suzyn Waldman posting about everyone packing their bags to head westward from Tampa.
After showing off their drip (or is it fit? I don’t know, the lingo is always changing these days), everyone began posting photos celebrating the season’s kickoff.
As we know, the game was unfortunately on Netflix, which meant, of course, shenanigans. Among these, though, we had Giants backup quarterback Jameis Winston do his signature “eating the W” with Yankees ace Max Fried, who earned the W on Opening Day with 6.1 shutout innings.
Netflix wasn’t the only one to have some fun, though. Making fun of some Internet jokes about Austin Wells playing for the Dominican Republic during the World Baseball Classic, the Yankees’ social media team posted this meme. And apparently, they got it wrong; the expression is supposed to be “Gloria a Dios, Gloria morisoñando.”
Following the win, Dellin Betances, Josh Hart (who, as you may recall, is related to Elston Howard), and others took to their social media accounts to celebrate the W.
So when I was a kid, I took piano lessons. I don’t really remember them all too well, although I still theoretically remember how to play, sort of. But my (admittedly not great) music background isn’t the point here. You see, one of those songs we had to learn at like eight years old was titled The French Fry Bandit. I don’t think that’s an actual song — my quick Google search is that it’s an exercise designed to teach things like rhythm and tempo, but again, not the point — but it came to mind this week when I saw Trent Grisham having some postgame fries as part of Netflix’s coverage of Opening Day.
I get it, Grisham. The Griffin family, we love our fries too. But maybe leave some for the guy whose name is literally Fried?
The Game Belt
This season, the New York Knicks have awarded a Defensive Player of the Game after every win (the comeback win over a depleted Warriors team the sole exception), taking a photo after the game with the DPOG dressed in Timberlands and a vest, like a NYC construction worker. Likely inspired by the popularity of these posts, the Yankees social media team has begun to post the recipient of each win’s Game Belt.
Cam Schlittler took the baseball world by storm with a dominant performance over the Red Sox in last year’s Wild Card Game 3, then with an equally dominant performance over Red Sox fans on Twitter. He has continued his strong trash talking on Twitter with the new year.
Congratulations to former Yankees pitcher Luis Severino, who reached ten years of service time this season and, in doing so, is now a fully vested member of the Major League Baseball Player’s Association. While not a big deal to outsiders, this is a massive milestone among players, and it’s always nice to see it commemorated.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 27: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves reacts as he rounds second base after hitting a solo homer against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning of the home opener at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, if you were hoping for a similar result as last night’s game, where the Atlanta Braves would rally late in the ninth to get ahead, today wasn’t that day.
The Kansas City Royals have avoided getting swept by the Braves, winning their first game of the year to cap off Opening Week with a score of 4-1.
The Royals first scored three straight runs in three straight innings and first appeared on the board in the third after a run from Nick Loftin after a RBI single from Bobby Witt Jr., Loftin would go on to score another run in the top of the fifth after a homer from Carter Jensen in the fourth.
As for the Braves’ offense, they couldn’t get a runner in scoring position until the bottom of the fifth inning first time braves runner was in scoring position was when Ozzie Albies singled on a line drive to center field and made it to third base due to an RBI single from Dominic Smith. This wouldn’t result in any progress, though, as Jorge Mateo would ground out to end the inning. Mike Yastrzemski would be the next player to reach second base with a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh.
It was in the bottom of the eighth where the Braves would see some run-action with a solo-shot from Drake Baldwin that would put the Braves on the Board (4-1) with his second homer of the season.
There’s something beautiful about baseball uniforms.
They are time machines stitched in fabric. They whisper history. They contain the greatness that wore them previously. They remind you that this game, at its best, is still played by grown men chasing something they first fell in love with as kids.
And then Nike came along and said, “Yeah … but what if we made it louder?”
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting a two run home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the third inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Enter: City Connect uniforms.
A bold, sometimes beautiful, sometimes baffling experiment where tradition takes a back seat to culture, identity and occasionally … chaos. These aren’t meant to replace the pinstripes or the Dodger whites. They’re meant to feel like the city itself — its heartbeat, its art, its grit, its late-night neon glow.
Some teams understood the assignment.
Others showed up like they forgot it was due.
So, as the 2026 MLB season gets underway, here is the definitive, unapologetic ranking of all 30 MLB teams’ City Connect (or lack thereof) uniforms — where culture meets creativity and sometimes crashes into it.
30. Athletics (Sacramento Alternate) — Not Even Invited
Let’s call this what it is. The A’s don’t have a City Connect jersey because they don’t have a city. That’s not a joke — it’s the reality of a franchise in limbo. Sacramento gold or not, this is a placeholder for a team waiting for Las Vegas to feel like home. You can’t connect to a city when you’re emotionally checked out of one and not yet rooted in another.
Getty Images
29. Yankees — Tradition Over Everything
Of course, they don’t have one. Of course, they said no. The Yankees treat alternate uniforms like a violation of sacred text. Respect the history, sure. But also … loosen up a little!
Blue and yellow. City flag inspiration. Blue-collar symbolism. I get the intent. I just don’t get the execution. These look like something you’d find on a clearance rack next to a knockoff Eagles hoodie. Philly deserves grit, not whatever this is.
Getty Images
27. Giants — A Swing and a Miss
They took a franchise dripping with visual identity — orange, black, timeless — and turned it into … this. The first iteration had a weird charm. This one feels like a design committee got lost halfway through the process. We get it, it looks like graffiti.
Getty Images
26. Rockies — Sweet Tarts Baseball Club
Baseball uniforms shouldn’t make you crave candy. The Rockies leaned too far into color theory and forgot about cohesion. Their first version had a pulse. This one feels like a sugar rush without direction.
MLB Photos via Getty Images
25. Guardians — Bridge to Somewhere
An homage to the Hope Memorial Bridge sounds poetic. It should look poetic. Instead, it feels flat. There’s history here, but it doesn’t translate visually in a way that grabs you. At least it’s not all black.
AP
24. Red Sox — Green Monster, Meet Identity Crisis
Yes, Fenway. Yes, the Monster. We understand the reference. But when your uniform looks like a highlighter exploded, subtlety might have been the better play.
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23. Nationals — Cherry Blossom Regression
The original cherry blossom jerseys were delicate, thoughtful, alive. They were our favorite original City Connect uniform. This new version? It feels like a remix nobody asked for. Sometimes the best move is knowing when not to touch greatness.
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22. Dodgers — The ‘Funfetti’ Debate
The Dodgers are No. 22 on this list in honor of the great Clayton Kershaw. But also, it’s probably time to retire these jerseys as well. Los Angeles is a global hub of art, fashion, culture — a city that practically breathes creativity. And this is what we got? Speckled whites that look like a birthday cake exploded. It’s different, sure. But different isn’t always better. This should’ve been iconic. Instead, it’s polarizing.
21. Cubs — Waiting on Something Better
“Wrigleyville” was safe. Too safe. There’s buzz that a new design is coming, and it’s needed. This franchise deserves something that captures the ivy, the day games, the generational loyalty. Not just a neighborhood name slapped across the chest.
Getty Images
20. Cardinals — You Can’t Improve Perfection
The Cardinals have one of the most beautiful uniforms in sports history. So when they go all red with a basic “STL” cap, it feels like watching a masterpiece get repainted in a single color. It’s not terrible. It’s just unnecessary.
AP
19. Tigers — Motor City, But Why Spell It Out?
The Old English “D” is sacred. One of the cleanest logos in sports. Writing out “Motor City” isn’t bad — it just feels like replacing poetry with a paragraph.
Getty Images
18. Diamondbacks — Serpientes in Purple
There’s something here. The identity, the language, the nod to heritage. But the execution doesn’t fully land. It feels like a concept that needed one more draft. The new night version is a cool color rush, though.
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17. Astros — Space City, Slight Upgrade
The space theme works. It always will in Houston. This version is better than the first but still feels like it’s orbiting something greater instead of becoming it.
AP
16. Twins — Lake Life Overload
The ripple concept is clever. The execution? A little too drenched in blue. It works, but it doesn’t wow.
AP
15. Mets — Subway Series Aesthetic
All gray. Industrial. “NYC” across the chest. It’s gritty in a way that fits Queens. The 7 train detail is brilliant. It’s not universally loved, but at least it has a voice.
AP
14. Rangers — Lone Star Storytelling
The “TX” branding. The peagle patch. The deep cuts into Texas baseball history. This one is layered, thoughtful and quietly strong. Not flashy, but it doesn’t need to be.
AP
13. Reds — Blackout Done Right
You can’t go wrong with black and red. It’s clean. It’s modern. It plays it safe, but sometimes safe looks good.
AP
12. Royals — A Step Back?
The “City of Fountains” jerseys had charm. Early leaks of the new design feel … less inspired. We’ll reserve full judgment, but the bar was already set.
11. Blue Jays — Night Mode Activated
Dark. Sleek. The skyline detail walks a fine line between cool and touristy. Still, this feels like Toronto after midnight — and that’s the point.
The original was electric. Baja colors, cultural depth, life. The new black version? Solid, but it traded personality for trend. The Día de los Muertos patch is a saving grace.
9. White Sox — South Side Meets ’90s Bulls
This is swagger. This is nostalgia. This is Michael Jordan walking through a baseball diamond. The White Sox may struggle on the field, but they won the uniform game here.
Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
8. Angels — Surf’s Up Simplicity
It’s clean. It’s coastal. It doesn’t try too hard. The surfboard-inspired lettering is subtle, and sometimes subtle wins.
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
7. Brewers — Brew Crew Blues
Baby blue done right. It feels like summer. It feels like beer gardens and day games. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s undeniably likable.
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Brewers
6. Rays — Skate Culture Energy
This is where City Connect shines. Risky. Different. Alive. The neon pops, the skateboarding nod is authentic, and the cap is one of the best in the entire series.
Tampa Bay Rays Tampa Bay Rays
5. Marlins — Vice City Perfection
Black and pink neon that feels like South Beach at 2 a.m. These aren’t uniforms. They’re a vibe. They understood Miami completely, and that’s the point, right?
Miami Marlins Miami Marlins
4. Orioles — Back to the Core
If the leaks hold true, this is a massive upgrade. Clean black, “Baltimore” across the chest, rooted identity. Sometimes the boldest move is simplifying.
3. Pirates — Finally, They Got It Right
If the leaked design is real, this is a home run. Dark, pirate-inspired, authentic. A massive leap from the forgettable yellow “PGH” jerseys. This feels like Pittsburgh.
Credit: X/dannotheiceman X/dannotheiceman
2. Braves — Hank Aaron Lives Here
This is how you honor history. A nod to 1974. To greatness. To Hank Aaron rewriting the record books. It’s emotional. It’s powerful. It’s almost perfect.
Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
1. Mariners — Steelheads Legacy
This is it. This is what City Connect uniform is supposed to be. A tribute to the Negro Leagues. To the Seattle Steelheads. To a part of baseball history that deserves to be remembered, celebrated and worn proudly. It’s clean. It’s meaningful. It tells a story bigger than the game itself. And in the end, that’s what the best uniforms do. They don’t just represent a team. They represent something deeper. Something lasting. Something worth remembering. Seattle is replacing their old city connect with these for every Sunday home game to honor their 50th season in MLB.
Feb 25, 2026; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners outfielder Rob Refsnyder against the Kansas City Royals during a spring training game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
I cannot emphasize enough the degree to which I think lineup construction is overrated in the discourse relative to the difference it makes in practice. I almost don’t even want to post this. But even with that caveat, lineup construction doesn’t not matter, and I think we saw a mistake last night. So thanks to a conversation between users GrasshoppingonNails, AJPDX, GrassRockFish, and rumdoodle in this morning’s Moose Tracks, I’m posting this despite my hesitance.
As noted on the broadcast, Rob Refsnyder has the third-highest OBP against LHP since 2023, behind only Vladito and Aaron Judge. So I totally get why the Mariners would want to have him in the leadoff spot to get on base ahead of the team’s big bats. And that’s what the Mariners did:
Rob Refsnyder – R (DH)
Cal Raleigh – S (C)
Julio Rodríguez – R (CF)
Josh Naylor – L (1B)
Randy Arozarena – R (LF)
Brendan Donovan – L (3B)
Víctor Robles – R (RF)
Leo Rivas – S (SS)
Cole Young – L (2B)
This makes a certain amount of sense. With Refsnyder at leadoff, you’re maximizing the odds that he gets three turns against a lefty, which is great. The problem is that the lineup is a circle. Having settled on a DH platoon of Refsnyder and Dominic Canzone, we know the Mariners are (correctly) anticipating pinch-hitting the lefty-swinging Canzone for Refsnyder once a reliever comes in. But once they do that, they’ve set up a Young-Canzone back-to-back of lefties for the next time through. That’s perfectly suited for a team’s left-handed reliever. Then you’re either getting Canzone versus a lefty or else using Mitch Garver or (gulp) Ryan Bliss as yet another pinch hitter. None of those situations are ideal relative to Canzone versus a righty or Refsnyder versus a lefty.
That situation is exactly what arose last night, as Ryan Bliss pinch-hit against Erik Sabrowski and then had to face Cade Smith with the game on the line in the ninth. You don’t have to be as down on Bliss as I am to guess how that went.
My proposed solution is pretty simple. Against LHP, make the 1-2-3 Julio-Refsnyder-Cal. That way, once Canzone is in, there’s no lefty pocket. If an opponent wants to bring in a left-handed reliever to face Young and Canzone or force a substitution, they have to make the sacrifice of letting Julio face a lefty. Maybe they’ll still do it, but at least they have to make a tradeoff. Historically, Julio doesn’t perform that much better against southpaws than northpaws, but he’s also almost never faced lefty relievers with big platoon splits. This construction would either give him that opportunity or else keep a righty in against at least one of Young or Canzone.
To be sure, this gets more complicated once J.P. Crawford returns. I’m expecting that lineup to look much the same but with a bottom four of Donovan, J.P., Robles, and Young in some order. Because Víctor Robles is platooning with Luke Raley, you end up with a similar situation of a lefty pocket. But because it’s at the bottom of the order, that pocket is much less likely to come to the plate twice after the starter comes out than the top of the order is. So once Robles is out and Raley is in, it’s less likely that pocket will come up again and be exploitable with a left-handed reliever.
And in any event, having those four at the bottom of the order is happening regardless of how the top three are set up. If anything, it’s yet another reason to move Refsnyder from leadoff to second. That helps split up the two platoon spots as far apart as possible.
Of course, baseball isn’t just names on a page. These are human beings we’re talking about, and there may be something the team sees in giving Julio and Cal the same lineup spots every day, no matter who they’re facing. Baseball players are famously creatures of habit, and those are the two most important bats. In particular, Julio didn’t love hitting in the leadoff spot since it guarantees he’ll have to lead off an inning at least once, and he doesn’t like having to get into focus so quickly after the long jog back from centerfield. If this is what’s motivating the team, then don’t let my machinations get in the way. But if not, I recommend shuffling the top three against southpaws.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 22: Jeferson Quero #7 of the Milwaukee Brewers catches during the fifth inning of the spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on March 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming off two straight wins, the Brewers will look to complete the sweep in their season-opening series against the White Sox.
Right-hander Brandon Sproat gets the ball for Milwaukee today. Sproat, acquired as part of the return in the offseason Freddy Peralta trade, will be making his first appearance as a Brewer. He debuted in the majors last September, posting a 4.79 ERA over four starts with the Mets. This spring, he struck out 15 batters in 13 innings of work on the way to making his first Opening Day roster. For more on why Sproat could be the Brewers’ next pitching success story, check out this article from last month.
On the mound for the White Sox today is 31-year-old lefty Anthony Kay, who hasn’t pitched in a major league game since 2023. He spent the last two seasons with the Yohohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball. Last year, Kay set the single-season ERA record for a BayStars pitcher (1.74), earning himself another shot at the big leagues in the process.
Making his major-league debut and hitting seventh today is catcher Jeferson Quero (no relation to White Sox catcher Edgar Quero). Quero was once considered a top-50 prospect in baseball, but slid down the rankings last year after he proved slow to recover from a labrum injury that sidelined him for over a year. However, in an interview yesterday, he said that he’s feeling back to “100%” heading into the season. The Brewers wouldn’t have called up Quero if they didn’t have confidence in him to produce, especially with two other catchers (William Contreras and Gary Sánchez) on the 26-man roster. Let’s see what he can do today.
The top of the lineup for the Brewers today is Brice Turang, William Contreras (at designated hitter), and offseason acquisition Luis Rengifo. Hitting cleanup and playing first base is Gary Sánchez, who has a career total of 16.2 innings played at first base. His only previous start at the position was on May 8th, 2024 — also with the Brewers. Sal Frelick will bat fifth, with the red-hot Joey Ortiz slotting in behind him. Rounding out the order are Quero, Brandon Lockridge, and Blake Perkins.
First pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m. You can catch the game on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network.
Brandon Sproat and Jeferson Quero make their Brewers debuts
Los Angeles, CA - March 26: Alex Freeland ,left, Ben Casparius, Emmet Sheehan and Jack Dreyer of the Los Angeles Dodgers diring the festivities prior to an opening day baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Last season all the way through the World Series, the Dodgers got major contributions from rookies and young players, and that carried over into the opening series of 2026 at Dodger Stadium.
You might have noticed in any of those highlights that Freeland wears number 76. He’s not alone among young Dodgers wearing high uniform numbers. A question I see a lot in the comments section or in my social media mentions is when are these young Dodgers going to get real numbers, or something to that effect.
So I asked them.
“I’d like to change it, but maybe when I get a little more service time,” Freeland said, though he admitted he wasn’t really sure how he would go about doing so.
Two years ago, in the second week of May 2024, three young Dodgers switched uniform numbers, going from their first-issued numbers to lower, more traditional numbers. Andy Pages, just a month into his time in the majors, switched from 84 to 44, Gavin Stone went from 71 to 35, and Michael Grove switched from 78 to 29.
Stone at the time had 69 major league innings under his belt, while Grove was at 119 1/3 innings and in his third season. Four Dodgers pitchers with similar experience don’t seem all that keen on changing uniform numbers anytime soon.
“I haven’t really thought about it at all,” said Ben Casparius, who’s worn number 78 since debuting in 2024. “I was always number five my entire life, and I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon [he glanced over at Freddie Freeman’s locker here]. But for me, seven plus eight is 15, and there’s a five in there somewhere.”
Like all of these players, they are wearing the number that was first assigned to them. But it’s grown on them. Grove was the only Dodger to wear number 78 before Casparius.
“I’ve embraced it. To be honest, I haven’t given too much thought into it. It does feel like my number,” Casparius said. “Throwing on a Dodger uniform in general is pretty cool, so I don’t think it will change anytime soon.”
Jack Dreyer made his major league debut last season. The left-hander made the opening day roster out of spring training, and joined Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the only two Dodgers pitchers to remain active through the entire regular season and postseason. All while Dreyer was wearing number 86.
Current Marlins manager Clayton McCullough wore number 86 with the Dodgers as first base coach from 2022-24, but Dreyer is the first player to wear it in team history.
“Growing up, 24 was a pretty common number because that was my dad’s number. But in high school and college, I was four, and then 33 and 41, I bounced around so much. It’s never really been anything consistent,” Dreyer said.
His father Steve Dreyer pitched parts of two seasons (1993-94) with the Texas Rangers, and wore number 24 in both years.
“I like 86. It was randomly given to me when I debuted last year, and I found out I was the first player ever to wear 86 for the Dodgers, so I kind of like how it fits,” Dreyer said. “My plan is to keep it as long as they’ll let me keep it.”
These high uniform numbers are a relatively new phenomenon in baseball. No Dodger player wore anything over 77 until Manny Ramirez donned number 99 in 2008.
Like several teammates, Sheehan hasn’t yet entertained the idea of a different number.
“I don’t think I’m going to change it anytime soon,” Sheehan said. “It’s just the one they gave me, and I don’t think anyone else has ever worn it, which I think is pretty cool. And a lot of my family bought jerseys and stuff like that, so I don’t want to make them buy more.”
Sheehan gave the most practical answer here, looking out for his family and friends. Justin Wrobleski, who wears uniform number 70, went in a different direction, with time-honored baseball superstition.
“Let me ask you this question: if you wore one number, and we won two World Series, would you change it?” asked Wrobleski, knowing the answer. “I can’t change it, unless there’s, like, severe fan intervention that he needs to change his number. … I’m trying to build the number 70.
“It’s kind of cool. Not a lot of guys keep a number like this.”
Mar 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) is greeted by Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
To call this an ignominious start to the season, even by White Sox standards, would be doing a disservice to the Oxford English Dictionary on the bookshelf behind me right now. Contemptible; opprobrious, vituperative; truculent; there are plenty of ways that one could sum up getting outscored 20-3 over the first two games of the season, much less while becoming the first team in big league history to record 30+ strikeouts in those opening two games. Not great, Bob!
I have to imagine most players would agree—given the relative success of Spring Training and the general vibe of “it’s going to be better this time!” surrounding this roster entering the last week of March, it’s an early-season faceplant that’s simultaneously surprising and perfectly on brand. Still, pardon my optimism, they’d also almost certainly agree that the sky isn’t falling yet.
Two games are still two games, and the adage does apply that we’re only paying attention to them because they have no surrounding context beyond the excitement of the season’s start, which often makes such flops feel outsized, even with as lopsided of a scoring margin as the first two games of this set. While the sheer volume of losing the last few years has been horrid, for my money, none of them has been as purely frustrated as 2022’s even 81-81 record. You may recall that the defending AL Central champs got off to a 6-2 start that year before engineering an eight-game losing streak from which they never really recovered. Perspective, my friends!
Anyhow, below you can find the lineup that Will Venable will be sending onto American Family Field as he tries to salvage the series.
Anthony Kay makes his South Side debut on the hill, seeing his first big league action since 2023 and his first start since 2021. Originally a first round pick of the Mets, Kay was dealt alongside now-Twins starter Simeon Woods-Richardson in a 2019 deadline deal that brought Marcus Stroman from Toronto to Queens. After washing out of the majors, Kay reinvented himself in two years pitching for the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars in the Japan Central League before catapulting back to the States on the strength of a 1.74 ERA and league-best 57.5% ground ball rate.
The main arsenal change that Kay brings back with him is a new sinker that serves as his primary fastball against lefties and helps generate all those ground balls. In Spring Training, he employed two distinct arsenals. He comes at lefties with the sinker and a low-80s sweeper, a classic ground ball combination of sinkers in on the hands with sweepers breaking off the outer edge of the plate. Against righties he pairs his traditional four-seamer with a 90 mph slider that has just enough break to be distinct from a cutter. That’s when he uses the change up as an out-pitch, typically employing it with one or two strikes and an aggressive hitter.
Thoughts and notes on the rest of the lineup:
• Per statcast, Chase Meidroth’s chopped a few inches off his bat path and has squared up virtually everything he’s made contact with, which to an optimist might indicate that he’s learning to leverage his excellent pitch recognition into attacking more of the pitches he likes.
• Murakami already strikes me as a three-true-outcome god, something in the vein of prime Adam Dunn (pre-White Sox version) with more athleticism, he should be batting in the two spot for the rest of time.
• While I don’t usually care about lineup construction, I am extremely concerned about Venable’s seeming dedication to alternating lefties with righties in the lineup. If the White Sox had the analytics department of the Yankees or Astros, I might think there’s something to it. At the moment, it feels as if hitters are arbitrarily being put in prime lineup spots based on where they swing it from.
• I know it doesn’t positionally work out, but one has to wonder if there are any thoughts in the clubhouse about Everson Pereira and Tristan Peters getting consistent burn while last year’s team home run leader rides the pine. If I had to make a guess, this is being treated as an extended Spring Training battle to see who gets to keep a spot once Brooks Baldwin is back from the IL.
Here’s how Pat Murphy and the Brew Crew are countering as they go for the sweep:
Brandon Sproat and Jeferson Quero make their Brewers debuts
The title of the tweet says everything that’s interesting about this one. Mark Attanasio’s stinginess may have spared the White Sox from having to face Freddy Peralta during this series, but today, they’ll see his replacement. Brandon Sproat was a second round pick of the Mets in 2024, and quickly found his way onto top-100 prospect lists the next two seasons while being the centerpiece of the deal that sent Peralta to Queens.
Also making his big league debut is another Brewer who’s spent the last two years on those lists in catcher Jeferson Quero (pronounced yeff-er-son). He’s unrelated to Edgar, but their profiles aren’t actually all that different, with excellent plate discipline and contact ability compensating for middling power. He’s a bit more tooled up behind the plate than his Cuban counterpart, but after watching the Brewers run wild over Reese McGuire yesterday, perhaps Sox hitters will be inclined to challenge the young backstop.
First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. CT, and will be available on TV via CHSN and radio via WMVP AM 1000.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 26: James Wood #29 reacts after catching a fly ball for an out in the ninth inning of a game between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs on Opening Day at Wrigley Field on March 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Griffin Quinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the Nats handled the Cubs in game one of the series, the North Siders stuck back with a big win in game two. Now, the two teams face off for an afternoon rubber match at Wrigley Field. The Nats taking two out of three in the friendly confines would be a nice statement to open the season.
With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera is rolling with the same lineup that put up 10 runs on Opening Day. The order is the same but James Wood will be at DH and Daylen Lile will be in left field. Otherwise, the Nats are running back that lineup that won them game one. Joey Wiemer and Andres Chaparro will look to continue their lefty killing ways. Jake Irvin will be making his first start of the season. He will look to bounce back after a rough 2025.
The Cubs lineup also does not have many changes. Carson Kelly will be back behind the plate after Miguel Amaya caught yesterday. Veteran Michael Conforto will be making his first start of the season in right field. That means former Maryland Terp Matt Shaw will be on the bench. Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga will be on the mound for the Cubbies.
The two teams each have one big win. Now, the Cubs and Nats will settle this thing in a rubber match. The wind is blowing out and both pitchers are homer prone, so the long ball could be a factor today. Hopefully the Nats will be able to keep it in the yard like they did on Opening Day. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Dustin May #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of a spring training game at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 11, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sunday is the final game of the season opening series versus the Tampa Bay Rays as the St. Louis Cardinals will start Dustin May. After another inspiring come from behind takedown of the Rays that ended with JJ Wetherholt’s first walk-off, the Cardinals will try to sweep the series today. According to MLB.com, the Cardinals will face former teammate Stephen Matz who is scheduled to take the mound for the Rays.
A year and two days ago, the Phillies had no answers for the then-Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore.
Their only comeback, besides their comeback win over Washington that day, was that they couldn’t see.
Shadows.
A common downside of a 4:05 start time, and a precursor to Gore’s career-high 13-strikeout afternoon.
On Sunday, the Phillies couldn’t lean on the same excuse against the now-Rangers’ Gore under a cloudless sky, as Philadelphia dropped the series finale to Texas 8-3.
The tall, lanky left-hander delivered a performance to remember, one that carried echoes of last March. The Phillies didn’t record a hit through the first five innings.
Gore attacked all afternoon against a righty-heavy Phillies lineup. He filled up the zone with his mid-90s heater, then played off it with a big-bending curveball. Bryce Harper has seen plenty of him over the years, and the assessment hasn’t changed much.
“He mixed [his pitches] well today,” Harper said. “The slider/curveball mix, but the heater was really good.”
And he did it in a spot where he hadn’t always been comfortable. Gore had struggled at Citizens Bank Park entering the day, carrying a 7.22 ERA in six career outings against the Phillies.
The Phillies did show some life against the North Carolina native.
In the sixth, they finally put Gore on the ropes. Justin Crawford dribbled an infield single, Trea Turner worked a walk and Kyle Schwarber lofted a single to load the bases.
Harper struck out, but then Gore hit Alec Bohm to force in a run and put the Phillies on the board. Gore’s day was done moments later. Adolis García brought home another run with a sacrifice fly, with that run charged to Gore.
Gore’s final line: 5 1/3 innings, two hits, two earned runs, three walks and seven strikeouts.
Rob Thomson pointed to the same thing he did all weekend: the Phillies are forcing the fight late, but they’re putting themselves in a hole early.
“We got to get something going earlier in the game,” Thomson said. “I think everybody in the lineup is trying to get off to a good start, maybe a little bit anxious, and they’ll settle in.”
Gore was one of the many notable arms on the move this offseason, much like fellow lefty and former NL East opponent Jesús Luzardo, who drew the start opposite him.
Sixes flew for Luzardo in the wrong direction. He went six innings and allowed six runs on six hits, all earned.
His first two innings on the hill were flawless. Six up, six down — paired with three strikeouts. Then, the middle innings of his outing took a turn.
Texas’ newcomers did most of the damage. Brandon Nimmo drilled a left-on-left two-run homer in the third, and former Phillie Andrew McCutchen greeted the crowd with yet another extra-base hit this series — this time a three-run shot that hooked right down the left-field line.
McCutchen even gestured an apology to the Philadelphia faithful, who rained him with boos, on his way back to the dugout.
Thomson’s view was that Luzardo’s stuff was still there, but a couple of mistakes got punished.
“Stuff was really good. Velocity was there. A lot of swing and miss,” Thomson said. “First two innings, he was lights out… just a couple bad pitches.”
Luzardo’s breakdown was similar. No mechanical excuse, just execution.
“No, nothing mechanically,” Luzardo said. “Just got to do a better job to keep the ball in the yard.”
On the Nimmo homer, Luzardo credited the swing more than anything.
“I would say [it was] a good swing on a good pitch,” he said.
The southpaw allowed just one homer on a sweeper to a lefty last season, a pitch he threw 52 percent of the time in those matchups — more than any other delivery.
Luzardo, who signed a five-year, $135 million extension just under three weeks ago, still managed to gut through the outing. He threw 99 pitches and struck out seven. He also didn’t sound like someone spiraling after one bad stretch.
“There’s always positives to take away,” Luzardo said. “We got 159 games left, so it’s not the end of the world… The stuff was probably the best it’s been all year, even throughout spring. So, you know, I’m healthy. I feel great.”
But two- and three-run homers will beat you. And without much run support for the second day in a row, it’s a tough way to win.
It was also the second straight day the Phillies had been no-hit through the first 4.2 innings or more. Turner didn’t chalk it up to panic. More timing, more rhythm, more early traction.
Turner also wasn’t buying into any early-season offensive doom, especially with how little spring camp tends to translate.
“Spring doesn’t really matter one way or the other,” he said. “You get your work, you get ready, if you get out healthy, I think that’s most important… When you get five at-bats every day, you get [into] a rhythm.”
The Phillies will wrap up their six-game homestand when they welcome Washington to town on Monday. Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter — who will make his Major League debut — and Cristopher Sánchez are lined up over the next three days.
The Houston Astros (1-2) continue their opening 4 game series against the Los Angeles Angels (2-1) this afternoon at Daikin Park.
RHP Tatsuya Imai will make his first big league start for the Astros opposite RHP Jack Kochanowicz and the Angels.
TODAY’S ASTROS STARTER: RHP Tatsura Imai is making his major league debut in a game every Astros fan has been looking forward to for months. Imai comes in with an excellent pedigree from the Japanese Professional League where he was 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA in 163.2 INN. Imai struck out 178 hitters and walked only 45 batters in those innings.
Imai put up great numbers this Spring, making three starts and posting a 0.00 ERA (0ER/6.0 IP) while allowing a microscopic .111 opponent batting average with 7 strikeouts.
Jack Kochanowicz Kochanowicz has been with the Angels since 2024. He spent most of last season in the rotation and pitched a portion of 2024 in Los Angeles. His best season came in 2024 when he was 2-6 with a 3.99 ERA in 11 starts. Last season he was 3-11 with a 6.81 ERA.
This spring, Kochanowicz was 0-0 with five starts. He had a 1.62 ERA in 16.2 INN. He had 15 strikeouts and four walks.
VS. THE ANGELS: The Astros open this season with a divisional series against the Angels, who the Astros went 8-5 against in 13 games last season. The Astros are 139-84 all time against the Angels and have won the season series against them in every full season dating back to 2015.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, March 29, 1:10 p.m. CST
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Sports
Streaming: Space City Sports
Radio: KBME 790 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2
MAI TO DEBUT: RHP Tatsuya Imai is making his MLB debut today after a stellar Spring Training, in which he worked a combined 9.2 scoreless innings across four starts…in January, the Astros signed Imai to a three-year deal…in 2025, he was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB), where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games.
TODAY’S AVAILABILITIES: The Astros clubhouse will be open to approved media at Daikin Park from 10:10-11 a.m. CT…Astros Manager Joe Espada will be made available in the Astros dugout at approx. 11 a.m.
FORT MYERS, FL- FEBRUARY 28: Connelly Early #71 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins on February 28, 2026 at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s the rubber match of the opening series of the season. Connelly Early makes his first start of the season against Rhett Lowder, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2024. Both bullpens are spent after a long game yesterday, so getting to the bullpen early should favor the offense. Masataka Yoshida makes his first start of the season in left field, moving Duran to center, Roman Anthony to DH, and Ceddanne Rafaela to the bench.
The Orioles and Twins close out the opening series this afternoon at Camden Yards, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET. The series is tied 1-1 after Baltimore won a dandy Opening Day opener 2-1 before the Twins took Game 2, 4-1, with Kyle Bradish allowing a two-run Royce Lewis homer in his debut and the offense ice-cold.
So far, O’s hitters have struck out 24 times and scored just three runs in two games. The starting pitching has been very good, though. Hopefully less of the former, more of the latter today.
On that note, is time to see what all the fuss is about: Shane Baz, the Orioles’ spendiest offseason acquisition and new owner of a five-year, $68 million deal—the largest pitching contract in franchise history, all before he’s even thrown a pitch for the team—makes his debut today. Baz is a phenomenally talented thrower, a former first-rounder and Rays No. 1 prospect with an electric fastball. He’s also struggled with elbow problems, having had Tommy John surgery in 2022 and missed most of 2023 and 2024 after that. In 2025, his first fully healthy season in four years, he posted a 4.87 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 176 strikeouts across 166.1 innings for Tampa Bay. Given what the Orioles have just paid him, he’ll look to improve on those numbers in his new home. This front office seems to believe in him.
Facing O’s hitters for the Twins is the gargantuan 6’9”, 260-lb right hander Bailey Ober. Now entering his sixth season, Ober is something of an unknown quantity. Ober was very good in 2022 and ‘23, with a combined 3.37 ERA in 37 starts, but he’s coming off a rough 2025 in which he posted a 5.10 ERA in 27 starts, and he didn’t inspire a lot of confidence this spring, allowing 17 hits and 6 earned runs in 13 innings with his fastball averaging below 90 mph in all four outings.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 28: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday, February 28, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Zach Gardner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Coming into the 2026 season, the Royals had a lot of hype and enthusiasm surrounding them, from the fans, local media and even the national media. I think it’s fair to say that two games into the season, a lot of that enthusiasm and excitement has dissipated. A shutout on Opening Day and a blown save in game two, puts the Royals on the verge of being swept to open the season.
Sitting at 0-2, the Royals will be deploying Seth Lugo for the Sunday afternoon contest in Atlanta. Lugo, pitched in the World Baseball Classic for Puerto Rico, but also a little bit for Kansas City in Spring Training. After a fantastic first season for the Royals in 2024, Lugo struggled last year and was also hurt at different times. Today, he hopes to start his third season with the club right and help lead them to their first victory as well.
It’s not much different than last night’s lineup against Reynaldo Lopez, except Nick Loftin starts at second base instead of Jonathan India, who is off to a rough start. Lane Thomas also gets the nod in left field over Isaac Collins, who is also struggling currently, and Carter Jensen and Salvador Perez change positions.
As for the Atlanta Braves, they are off to a great start despite missing a lot of their stars. They have mashed their way to two victories over the Royals. 4 home runs, make up 8 of their 12 runs on the season. Right hander Grant Holmes will start for them today.
Here is the lineup for the Braves against Seth Lugo.
Can the Royals avoid a sweep and not be winless going into their home opener? Can the offense do anything after putting up just two runs over the first two games of the season? Hopefully the answer to both of those questions is yes, but we won’t know until 12:35 p.m. CT to get our answer, as first pitch on Royals.TV will be then.
