Category: Baseball

Things haven’t quite gone as planned for Marcus Semien to start the season. 

The veteran is coming off back-to-back down offensive years with the Rangers, but the Mets landed him this offseason with the hope that he had a little something left in the tank. 

He showed signs of life with four extra-base hits over his 15 spring appearances, but hasn’t quite been able to carry that production over to the early part of the regular season. 

Semien has recorded just three hits through the Mets’ first seven games.

His first two knocks were a sun-aided, Oneil Cruz botched hustle double and a single off the pitcher’s glove on Opening Day, then he picked up another infield single on Thursday. 

His latest hit snapped a dreadful 0-for-20 skid at the plate. 

Semien’s also drawn just three walks, and he’s struck out eight times over his first 28 plate appearances. 

Certainly not the start the Mets or the 36-year-old were hoping for, but neither side is growing concerned yet.

“It’s taking some time, but definitely no panic in me,” Semien told Mike Puma of the NY Post. 

“It's just [six games], I am not worried about him,” Carlos Mendoza added. “I feel like [pitchers] are attacking him, they are getting ahead of him and then they are making him chase, but I feel good with him at the plate."

After all, it hasn’t just been Semien stuck in this early-season funk.

The Mets as a team have yet to find their footing offensively, averaging just 2.0 runs per game and hitting .107 with runners in scoring position since scoring 11 times on Opening Day. 

While it’s been hard of late, the skipper has been encouraged by his team's at-bats. 

“We’re creating traffic,” Mendoza said. “That’s the one thing with our offense because we’re deep and we’ve got guys who are going to get on and we’re going to create opportunities -- more times than not those guys will come through.”

Semien and the Mets will look to get going Friday night against the Giants. 

Well, that series against the Yankees exposed some of the lingering issues with the Mariners roster, as currently constructed. Left-handed pitching is going to be a huge problem for this extremely lefty-heavy lineup throughout the season, and there really isn’t much relief in sight — J.P. Crawford is back from his brief IL stint but bats left-handed and newly-extended Cole Emerson does too. It’s very early days so we shouldn’t put much stock into just seven games. Anyway, I’m sure this lineup will start hitting a bit better as soon as they hit the road. Speak of the devil Angels. The Mariners embark on the first road trip of the season with stops in Anaheim and Arlington.

Game	Time	Mariners Starter	Angels Starter	Mariners Win%	Angels Win%
Game 1	Friday, April 3 | 6:38 pm	RHP Bryan Woo	LHP Reid Detmers	55.6%	44.4%
Game 2	Saturday, April 4 | 6:38 pm	RHP Emerson Hancock	RHP Jack Kochanowicz	55.8%	44.2%
Game 3	Sunday, April 5 | 1:07 pm	RHP Luis Castillo	RHP Ryan Johnson	55.2%	44.8%

Overview	Angels	Mariners	Edge
Batting (wRC+)	92 (13th in AL)	113 (2nd in AL)	Mariners
Fielding (FRV)	-53 (15th)	-29 (12th)	Mariners
Starting Pitching (FIP-)	115 (14th)	100 (7th)	Mariners
Bullpen (FIP-)	110 (15th)	97 (10th)	Mariners

It’s so hard to parse who the Angels believe themselves to be. Are they trying to win? Gambling on bounce back seasons from guys like Grayson Rodriguez, Alek Manoah, and Josh Lowe isn’t a terrible idea if they’re looking to uncover some undervalued players but none of them are impact players in 2026. Are they building for the future? Signing four relievers with an average age of 36 and carrying Adam Frazier on the Opening Day roster instead of top prospect Christian Moore sends the wrong message. In an era where front office decision making has largely been homogenized by analytics, the Angels stand out as an outlier in the worst way possible. It’s easy to rag on them because things are so bleak for the franchise, but also, things are dire in Anaheim. Do you think the visitor’s clubhouse has air conditioning?

Player	Position	Bats	PA	K%	BB%	ISO	wRC+
Zach Neto	SS	R	554	26.9%	6.0%	0.217	116
Mike Trout	CF	R	556	32.0%	15.6%	0.206	120
Nolan Schanuel	1B	L	564	12.6%	10.5%	0.125	109
Jorge Soler	DH	R	315	29.8%	8.9%	0.172	88
Yoán Moncada	3B	S	289	26.0%	11.1%	0.214	117
Jo Adell	RF	R	573	26.4%	5.8%	0.249	112
Josh Lowe	LF	L	435	25.1%	7.6%	0.146	79
Logan O’Hoppe	C	R	451	30.8%	5.3%	0.158	72
Oswald Peraza	2B	R	265	30.2%	6.4%	0.219	32

For a brief moment during the first weekend of the season, Mike Trout was leading all of baseball in fWAR. He had a fantastic opening series against Houston, blasting two home runs, collecting six hits, and even stealing a bag. Then, he went hitless in three games against the Cubs to start this week. Zach Neto and Jo Adell are two of the most important players for the Angels’ future. The former has quietly developed into one of the best young shortstops in baseball over the last few years while the latter finally broke out last season after years of stalled development. Nolan Schanuel could be a core piece of the future if he could ever figure out how to hit for just a little more power. His bat-to-ball skills give him a decent floor, but right now, he’s profiling a bit too much like Casey Kochman.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Reid Detmers	63.2	30.1%	9.4%	12.2%	44.6%	3.96	3.12
Bryan Woo	186.2	27.1%	4.9%	12.8%	40.8%	2.94	3.47

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	51.4%	31.2%	95.8	114	141	96	0.300
Sinker	0.1%	6.9%	95.6
Curveball	25.2%	11.4%	73.6	102	71	69	0.286
Slider	23.3%	50.5%	88.3	126	123	99	0.294

Last year, the Angels moved Reid Detmers to the bullpen and he wound up seeing some high leverage work by the end of the season. Perhaps it was out of frustration with his slow development path despite possessing above average stuff, but that experiment lasted one season because a talented starter — even an inconsistent one like Detmers — is always going to be more valuable than a back-end reliever. If there’s one thing that he’ll carry forward from his time in the ‘pen, it’s a more aggressive approach that leans heavily on his two fantastic breaking balls to put batters away. He’s also added a splitter to his repertoire this spring in the hopes that it gives him a weapon to keep right-handed batters at bay.

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Jack Kochanowicz	111	14.1%	11.3%	18.4%	51.9%	6.81	6.05
Emerson Hancock	90	16.6%	8.1%	15.2%	43.0%	4.90	5.08

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	13.7%	21.9%	95.5	89	116	90	0.382
Sinker	52.2%	43.6%	95.5	97	104	93	0.366
Changeup	5.4%	19.7%	89.9	86	95	78	0.358
Slider	19.4%	11.6%	87.3	90	81	100	0.379
Sweeper	9.2%	3.1%	82.4	90	66	78	0.362

There’s a pretty serious disconnect between Jack Kochanowicz’s high velocity and extremely miniscule strikeout rate. Sure, he throws a sinker as his primary fastball, but his entire repertoire is simply too hittable. It’s really not a good thing when each of your pitches has an expected wOBA over .350. And when he pitches in the zone, batters run a contact rate over 90%, an outrageously high rate. That has forced him to start pitching out of the zone more often, but his secondary pitches just aren’t optimized to earn swings and misses. It’s a vicious cycle where his arsenal isn’t good enough to overpower batters, but not deceptive enough to get them to chase. Without those strikeouts, we’re left with a groundball specialist who doesn’t have great command and allows way too many balls in play. It’s not a great profile.

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Ryan Johnson (High-A)	57.1	29.7%	4.6%	6.7%	51.0%	1.88	2.38
Luis Castillo	180.2	21.7%	6.2%	10.5%	41.3%	3.54	3.88

Ryan Johnson is a perfect encapsulation of everything wrong with the Angels current player development philosophy. He was drafted in the second round in 2024 after dominating in college ball at Dallas Baptist. He made the Opening Day roster in 2025 as a reliever, skipping the minor leagues entirely. After a month and a half and a 7.36 ERA, the Angels pulled the plug and sent him to High-A to continue his development as a starter. He made 12 starts in the minors and looked really good. Fast forward a year and Johnson had a solid, but not outstanding, spring training and Los Angeles opted to start the season with Johnson on the big league roster again. His first start of the season did not go well; he lasted just 3.1 innings against the Cubs, allowing six runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out just two. It’s really too bad because Johnson has a really intriguing profile, and obviously has some raw talent, but the games the Angels have played with his development pathway have really hurt his ability to grow.

---

The Big Picture:

Team	W-L	W%	Games Behind	Run Diff	Recent Form
Astros	5-2	0.714	—	+13	W-W-W-W-W
Rangers	4-2	0.667	0.5	+5	W-W-W-W-L
Mariners	3-4	0.429	2.0	+3	L-W-W-L-L
Angels	3-4	0.429	2.0	-4	L-L-L-W-L
Athletics	1-5	0.167	3.5	-10	L-L-L-W-L

The Astros swept the Red Sox earlier this week, pushing their early season win streak to five games. They’ll travel to Sacramento this weekend, starting a long road trip that culminates in Seattle next week. The A’s offense has started the season in a huge funk, but maybe returning to the friendly confines of Sutter Health Park will give them the spark they need. The Rangers won their series against Baltimore and will open up their home slate with a series against the Reds this weekend.

The New York Yankees have completed their first road trip of the 2026 season, and while it’s definitely too early to take any bit of data too seriously, these six games leave us with some important takeaways. The most important one is reflected in the standings, as the Yanks boast the best record in the American League. Still, here are five fun ones:

Cam Schlittler is the real deal

Well, we are running out of adjectives to describe Schlittler. Not only did he post a 2.96 ERA in his 73-inning cameo last year, but he also dominated in the postseason and is at 11.2 scoreless frames in the young 2026 campaign, with no walks and 15 strikeouts.

He is now throwing harder than last year, Wednesday’s start notwithstanding (it was cold in Seattle), and has developed three different fastballs with elite velocity, command, and movement profiles: a four-seamer, a cutter, and a sinker. We don’t want to use the “a” word yet, but Schlittler is well on his way to cementing his place as one of the finest young starters in the league.

The Yankees’ offense is more than just Aaron Judge

Many MLB squads have scored more runs than the Yankees’ 24 as of Thursday afternoon. However, even with Aaron Judge sporting a 52 wRC+, New York has been able to win five out of six games, and to do that, the offense has to come up with some big hits.

Granted, the pitching has been doing most of the heavy lifting, but some of the non-Judge hitters are showing up. Four of them deserve a special mention: Giancarlo Stanton, Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt. Stanton is hitting .500 and slugging .750, Rice is sporting a .765 slugging percentage and a 19 percent walk rate, Bellinger has stolen two bases already and boasts a .400 OBP, and the Yankees don’t win on Wednesday without Goldschmidt’s huge three-run jack against George Kirby.

The pitching staff has a chance to be elite

Most teams have allowed more than 20 runs by now. The Atlanta Braves, the second-best pitching staff to this point, have conceded 12 runs. The Yankees, however, lead the league with just six runs allowed.

The starters have a 0.53 ERA, a 0.68 WHIP, and 35 punchouts in 33.2 innings. Only David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Paul Blackburn have allowed runs among relievers. A couple of pitchers on the roster bubble this spring, Jake Bird and Brent Headrick, have looked amazing. And the Yankees still have Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt due back at some point. In terms of quality and depth, the pitching staff has a chance to be elite.

Giancarlo Stanton still has it

Stanton has already hit his first home run of the season and boasts a 1.250 OPS. He might not be able to open a bag of chips, but he sure can swing a bat and murder a baseball. The veteran slugger leads the Yankees’ position players in fWAR with 0.4, and he hasn’t set a foot in the outfield. As long as he is healthy, he will be among the most productive players on the field. Staying in one piece has proven to be a challenge, though.

The Yankees know their strike zone

The Yankees, through Wednesday, rank second in baseball with 81.3 percent of ABS challenges won, only behind the Baltimore Orioles’ 85.7 percent. New York is a perfect 100 percent in challenges initiated by pitchers and catchers, and ranks fourth in MLB in challenges initiated by hitters, with a 72.7 percent success rate according to ESPN. Their 13 successful challenges overall are second behind the Minnesota Twins’ 16.

The Yankees sure do know their strike zone. They were even 5-for-5 on Monday with Mike Estabrook as the home plate umpire, the day in which manager Aaron Boone was this close to being ejected.

To spice things up for a new season of The Notes, there will be a new dedicated section called “Sequence of the Week”. This section will break down a fun pitching or hitting sequence that happened during the week.

I’ve done some video breakdowns in the past on TheGoodPhight but this section will be weekly and a bit smaller. Maybe there are plenty of other people doing it, but I haven’t seen many, so it seems like an original idea.

Sequence of the Week: Andrew Painter’s strikeout on James Wood

There were many impressive signs with Andrew Painter’s outing against the Nationals. His fastball command was great, the changeup became a huge weapon the second time through the Nationals lineup, and his composure seemed top-notch for someone making their big league debut.

But if there was one highlight that summed up so much of what Painter did well against the Nationals, it was what he did against James Wood to finish off the fifth inning.

He missed a four-seam fastball up in the zone, an uncompetitive take from Wood. However, it does help him with dropping a steal-a-strike curveball. Painter dropped several of those against a heavy left-handed Nationals lineup but a high four-seam fastball can keep hitters slightly off balance.

The backdoor and backfoot slider played like a weapon on Tuesday night. He struck out Keibert Ruiz earlier in the game on a backfoot slider, but he mostly used the pitch to backdoor it to left-handed hitters.

Wood swung at this one because Painter tried throwing one earlier to him. The movement and late reaction because of the high heater still gets him a whiff.

Because Wood took the curveball for a strike and just saw a backdoor slider that started above the zone, he will have to respect the outside part of the plate. JT Realmuto goes back to the high fastball and Wood can’t layoff.

Best outfield ever (except for Otto Kemp)?

It’s not but the outfield showed up for the first six games in a big way. Justin Crawford flashed some solid early count swing decisions, especially on his walk-off Wednesday afternoon. Brandon Marsh has worked the best at bats overall and is hitting the ball hard.

Then there’s Adolis Garcia, who worked great at bats against the Nationals and has shown an early spike in his bat speed. It is early, and it might be hard for him maintain for him because of his age but Garcia’s average bat speed is the highest it’s been since 2023.

Through the first week of 2026, the Phillies outfield ranks 9th in wRC+ and 4th in strikeout rate. Will it hold? Probably not but still a good sign.

The defense has been more impressive than at the plate, and more sustainable. This sliding play by Garcia had a 20% catch probability, and he made it with ease. This is the kind of play Nick Castellanos was never making as a Phillie because of his very limited range and straight line speed.

Justin Crawford flashed some leather in the second game of the season and has generally looked fine in the field otherwise.

Marsh, Crawford, and Garcia have plus speed and range for their positions. This could end up being the best all-around outfield defensively the Phillies have put together under Dave Dombrowski.

Except for Otto Kemp.

A tough away series awaits Missouri baseball this weekend as the Tigers’ travel to Kentucky Proud Park for a three-game set against No. 24 University of Kentucky. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. CT start Saturday and a noon CT finale Sunday. All three games will be streamed on SECN+.

Kentucky enters the series at 22-6 overall and 14-1 at home, while Missouri is 17-13 and 1-5 on the road. This series will set up an early April test for the Tigers, who are seeking redemption after a sudden loss to their rivals, Kansas. 

Pitching for the Tigers on Friday, April 3, will be Josh McDevitt, who is the Tigers’ most reliable pitcher, with a 3.93 ERA. McDevitt worked through three and a half innings against Texas A&M, on Friday, March 27, only allowing one run in. 

Mizzou Batters to Look Out For This Series 

Jase Woita, a Star

The most consistent hitter for the Tigers this season has been Jase Woita. He currently has a batting average of .354, with an elite OPS of 1.070 over 99 at bats. Woita has been a powerhouse for the team, with a 1.000 fielding percentage on top of his offensive play. During the first game against Auburn, Woita forced extra innings with his powerful single, keeping the game alive. 

Tyler Macon

Tyler Macon is close behind with a .360 batting average. He has a .952 OPS in 89 at-bats and has been a reliable run producer with 25 RBIs. Much of Missouri’s success this season has come from his ability to generate offense with singles and doubles.

Macon extended his hitting streak to 10 games during the series against North Dakota State and went 2 for 4 in the opener.

Cameron Benson

Cameron Benson rounds it out for the Tigers in third, as a very reliable presence for the lineup. He is batting .318, with an OPS of .933. Benson drove in four runs in the first game of the UIC series. 

Other Strong Offensive Notes 

Kam Durnin has continuously hit it off for the Tigers’, batting .319 with back-to-back singles during the first game of the Tennessee series. Juliomar Campos has only had 17 at-bats, but hit his first collegiate home run against Kansas on Tuesday, March 31, and will have lots more to show for during the remainder of the season. 

Pitching Remarks 

Javyn Pimental has been the team’s most efficient pitcher, allowing few baserunners and keeping hitters in check. His ERA stands at 3.33, and last pitched during the opener against Auburn, where he shook the crowd by allowing no runs and only three hits over six innings. 

Last but not least, Eli Skidmore has had 10 appearances this season, with his current ERA of 3.07 and a record of 2-0. Skidmore used just three pitches to get out of the eighth inning against Illinois, and will continue to shine this season. 

KU Game Highlights

A long awaited home game for the Tigers’ slipped away in a sudden loss to in-state rival Kansas on Tuesday, March 31. Missouri struggled to bring about timely hits which allowed the Jayhawks to pull through for their victory. 

The Tigers’ star player of the day was Macon, who went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Despite his efforts, Missouri was unable to bring runners home when needed most. On the mound was Pimental, who delivered a solid start and held Kansas to just three runs over six innings and struck out five batters. 

Skidmore went to battle as a reliever, but the Jayhawks’ rallied during the eighth inning. This loss was Missouri’s fifth in a row, but the upcoming series against Kentucky will hopefully provide another chance for the Tigers’ to secure a victory once again.  

Final Note

Missouri has not won in Lexington since April 28, 2018 so the Tigers’ will be looking to change that this weekend, while facing a top-25 team nationally in college baseball. 

With one of the Tigers’ best pitchers set to be on the mound for game one, this will hopefully set the tone early as they head into the next two games of the series. 

To follow along and read more about Mizzou Baseball, follow @Rock MNation,@SophBleedsLA and @Henry_C81, on twitter/x.

The Cubs will be part of their second home opener of 2026, after their own last Thursday, as Friday’s game will be the first 2026 game for the Guardians at Progressive Field.

For more on the Guardians, here’s Quincy Wheeler, manager of the SB Nation Guardians site Covering The Corner.

Hello Cubs fans!

Welcome to Cleveland for our home opening series. Guardians fans are excited to welcome their hometown club back after a very successful opening road trip against the Mariners and Dodgers that has seen the Guards find a way to a 4-3 record. Some things to monitor as you watch:

* Weather, as always, is the big factor. You are aware of this as residents or observers of the Great Lakes region experiencing April. Both Friday and Saturday have shower and thunderstorm chances late, at the moment. Looks like they should be able to start and possibly finish Friday’s game but Saturday’s may be more questionable. Rain clears out for Sunday – BUT it will be frigid. Such is life, but enough of meteorology for the moment.

* You will see Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi and Parker Messick in these three games. Cantillo had an uneven debut for 2026, but he’s a metrics darling. He’s a lefty, but actually has performed better against right-handed hitters than lefties so far. Cecconi flashed new pitch shapes and pitch mixes that had fans excited in Spring Training but he was apparently pretty ill for his first start of 2026. We will see how outing number 2 goes. Finally, Messick just finished dominating the Dodgers so that’s exciting for us. He has a magic changeup, so watch out for that. Metrics don’t love Messick as much as they do the other two, but the lefty’s got a bulldog mentality that seems to do a lot for him.

* It’s been a fitful start for the Guardians’ offense that has yet to see Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan and Kyle Manzardo (2025’s top hitters) take off. Instead, veteran Rhys Hoskins, rookie Chase DeLauter, and utility man Daniel Schneemann were the early stars. DeLauter’s health is always a topic of conversation here and he fouled a ball off his bad foot a couple days ago, so we will see if we can get him back for Opening Day at Progressive Field. If the Guardians can manage to get SOMETHING from Manzardo, Bo Naylor and their defensive-first middle infielders (Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio), they are a formidable offensive force. However, the cold, the rain and the wind may make scoring runs a challenge for everyone this weekend.

If you’re in Cleveland for the series, welcome! I always park down 4 blocks or so on Carnegie Street and walk a little bit to the games to get cheaper parking (I take my kids and have never felt unsafe doing so). I recommend the Killer Kilbane dog from Happy Dog, but there are a lot of great eating options, or, to save money, pack a soft-side cooler and bring an unopened bottle of water. Finally, the best deal in the ballpark for my money is the kid’s ice cream dish behind home plate. $5 but plenty of ice cream. Enjoy!

Fun facts

The Cubs were 3-1 at Cleveland when it mattered most, in the 2016 World Series, but they are 8-12 there in the regular season, compared to 11-8 at home. The Cubs’ 19-20 overall record is despite having outscored the Guardians by 27 runs, 186-159.

The Cubs have lost five in a row at Cleveland, two in 2021 and three in 2024. They won all three games vs. the Guardians last year at Wrigley Field.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Cade Horton, RHP (1-0, 2.84 ERA, 0.789 WHIP, 4.43 FIP) vs. Joey Cantillo, LHP (0-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.909 WHIP, 2.90 FIP)

Saturday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (0-1, 7.20 ERA, 1.600 WHIP, 4.17 FIP) vs. Slade Cecconi, RHP (0-1, 12.46 ERA, 2.077 WHIP, 7.32 FIP)

Sunday: Edward Cabrera, RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.333 WHIP, 2.00 FIP) vs. Parker Messick, LHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.833 WHIP, 1.50 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Friday: 3:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Saturday: 6:15 p.m. CT, Fox-TV (regional — coverage map, scroll to the bottom of that link)

Sunday: 12:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

I called for two of three in each of the Cubs’ first two series and was right once.

The Guardians are a better team than either the Nationals or Angels. And as noted by John, the Cubs have lost five straight games in Cleveland.

Nevertheless, I persist. The Cubs will win two of three.

Up next

The Cubs travel to Tampa to face the Rays in a three-game series beginning Monday afternoon. The first game of the series is the Rays’ home opener and the first game back at Tropicana Field after its renovation following the damage done there by Hurricane Milton in October 2024.

First Half Record: 45-22 (1/6, Eastern League Northeast Division)

Second Half Record: 45-24 (1/6 Eastern League Northeast Division)

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies began the season with a higher concentration of Mets top prospects than any other team in the system, beginning the year with Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean, Ryan Clifford, and Nick Morabito all rostered there. Their standout performances, combined with other farmhands stepping up, led the Rumble Ponies demolishing the division in the first half. The team won the Eastern League Northeast division by 10.0 games over the Hartford Yard Goats, their 45 wins were tied with the Erie SeaWolves for most in the league in the first half, and their .672 winning percentage was best in the Eastern League.

During the first half, and in second half, some of those players eventually were promoted and moved on, but they were replaced by other top prospects, such as Carson Benge, Jacob Reimer, Jonathan Santucci, and Will Watson. Their standout performances along with other previously unheralded players stepping up led to Binghamton making mincemeat of the competition once again. The Rumble Ponies ended the second half with a nearly identical 45-24 record, winning the second half by 7.0 games over the Somerset Patriots. Once again, their 45 wins led the Eastern League, this time the only team to win 40 or more games in the second half.

Binghamton’s 90 wins established a new season high, beating the prior record of 86, set in 2023. Their 90-46 overall record was second-best in all of minor league baseball, with only the 92-39 West Michigan Whitecaps outplaying the Ponies. Their record was the best of any Mets minor league affiliate since Capital City Bombers went 90-51 in 1998 and their .661 winning percentage was the highest of any Mets minor league team since the 1986 Columbia Mets went 90-42, good for a .682 winning percentage.

The Rumble Ponies met the Somerset Patriots in the Eastern League Division Series and swept them in the best-of-three series, 3-1 and 5-4. Facing the Erie SeaWolves in the Eastern League Finals, the Rumble Ponies lost the first game in a 14-5 blowout, but rallied in Game Two to win 5-4, and then won decisively in the clinching Game Three 8-2. With the win, Binghamton won their first Eastern League championship as the Rumble Ponies and their fourth overall, having won prior as the Binghamton Mets in 1992, 1994, and 2014.

Michael Collins will be taking the reigns as team skipper, replacing Reid Brigniac, who was hired by Tampa Bay to coach the Triple-A Durham Bulls. Joining him will be Mariano Duncan, who will be serving as bench coach, Matt Carasiti, who will be serving as pitching coach, and Rachel Folden, who will be serving as hitting coach. Duncan served as 2025 bench coach, while Carasiti will be replacing 2025 pitching coach Dan McKinney and Folden will be replacing 2025 hitting coach Nate Irving.

The 2026 season will be Michael Collins’ first in the organization. Prior to joining the Mets, he spent the last eight with the Houston Astros, acting as their catching coach. Additionally, he managed in the San Diego Padres organization, managing the DSL Padres, AZL Padres, Fort Wayne TinCaps, and Lake Elsinore Storm between 2012 and 2017. Collins, who is Australian-American and was raised in Australia, also managed the Canberra Cavalry in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Australian Baseball League seasons.

Mariano Duncan will be returning for his eighth year in the Mets organization, and his fifth season serving as Binghamton Rumble Ponies bench coach. Additionally, he served as bench coach for the 2021 Brooklyn Cyclones and the 2019 Kingsport Mets.

The 2026 season will be Matt Carasiti’s first with the Mets, and his second season overall as a coach. In 2025, he served as pitching coach for the Everett AquaSox, the Seattle Mariners’ High-A affiliate.

The 2026 will also be the first season in the organization for Rachel Folden. She spent the prior five seasons with the Chicago Cubs, serving as Triple-A Iowa Cubs hitting coach in 2025, Double-A Tennessee Smokies hitting coach in 2024, minor league hitting coordinator in 2023, and Arizona Complex League hitting coach in 2021 and 2022.

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies will be opening the 2026 season against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Delta Dental Stadium tonight. Here’s their full Opening Day roster.

Pitchers

• Felipe De La Cruz
• Saul Garcia
• Brendan Girton
• Kevin Gowdy
• Carlos Guzman
• Douglas Orellana
• Zach Peek
• Gabriel Rodriguez
• Jonathan Santucci
• Ben Simon
• Zach Thornton
• Matt Turner
• Will Watson
• Jefry Yan

Catchers

• Kevin Parada
• Chris Suero

Infielders

• Nick Lorusso
• Jacob Reimer
• JT Schwartz
• Marco Vargas
• Wyatt Young

Outfielders

• A.J. Ewing
• Jose Ramos
• Matt Rudick
• Eli Serrano III
• D’Andre Smith

As of last night, the Double-A Chesapeake season got under way. The highest-level Orioles affiliate that you don’t have to leave Maryland to watch is always a place with prospects to watch, at least as long as the Orioles farm system is well-stocked with prospects worth watching.

This affiliate had a lot going for it all through last season, starting with several players who are now in Norfolk, including pitching prospect Trey Gibson and outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., all the way to the end with some late-season promotions of pitchers like Luis De León and the since-traded (for Shane Baz) Michael Forret. It didn’t really translate to wins and losses for the Baysox team itself, as they ended up with a 59-77 record a year ago.

Orioles top 30 prospects

• LHP Luis De León
• 2B/OF Aron Estrada
• RHP Tyson Neighbors
• OF Thomas Sosa
• C/1B Ethan Anderson
• SS Griff O’Ferrall

With Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers graduating out of prospect status in the early days of the 2026 MLB season, the Orioles system is now down to just one player on the current MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects list. That’s outfielder Nate George, who will be beginning the season at Frederick.

One of the key stories for the organization as this year goes along is whether they can develop some more of their talent into top prospects who will either contribute to the MLB club or headline trades for established stars. If this happens, Chesapeake will probably be a place that plays witness to it. The highest-placed prospect here, De León, is now the #2 prospect in the Orioles system, and the top pitcher in the system. Can the Orioles finally develop a homegrown player into a useful starting pitcher for the MLB team?

Estrada, my current favorite outside of the top-tier prospects, is young, having just turned 21 in January. He just keeps getting interesting results while being a young guy for the levels he’s played. This included last year when, at Aberdeen, a place that was cursed for hitters, Estrada was able to bat .284/.369/.429 before getting promoted to Chesapeake. The scouting world isn’t sure what position he’ll be able to play at higher levels and he will have to keep proving the doubters wrong by hitting at each level also.

Sometimes guys like that end up like Trey Mancini. Sometimes they end up like Connor Norby. Sometimes they end up like Frederick Bencosme, a Baysox teammate who, if you remember that you’ve heard his name before just now, you’re an Orioles prospect sicko.

Neighbors is one of the players the Orioles got in the O’Hearn/Laureano trade with the Padres last year. He is, in fact, the closest to the majors from that trade. The reliever had a 0.59 ERA in 12 games after that trade. I hope he’s in Norfolk before long. The team has generally been aggressive in moving its older prospects. This is the age 23 season for Neighbors, which is old to be at Double-A and still be much of a prospect.

The Orioles have been aggressive in promoting Sosa, who only turned 21 in January, despite Sosa never really hitting good at any of the stops lower in the minors. The outfielder with big power potential has been more in what is often described as “holding his own,” which is what you get when you have a player who’s young for the level (he’ll be close to 2.5 years below the average player at Double-A) who is able to avoid completely collapsing numbers. He hit .222/.309/.407 for Aberdeen last year. It’s not good, but it’s good enough for the team to move him up and keep waiting for the breakout at the next level.

Anderson and O’Ferrall were each part of the high picks in the 2024 draft who encountered serious struggles at High-A last year. Anderson is a first baseman/catcher with no power (four homers in 90 games last year) and O’Ferrall is a shortstop/second baseman with no power (four homers in 121 games).

Starting on the injured list

• RHP Braxton Bragg (Tommy John)
• RHP Juaron Watts-Brown (shoulder)
• RHP Patrick Reilly (Tommy John)

When the break camp rosters for the minor league teams were announced, I was surprised that Watts-Brown wasn’t listed on the Chesapeake roster. Now I know why: He’s hurt. I hope he’s recovered soon and can get back to it, because I was excited for hyphenated Team Brown.

Bragg did not have his Tommy John surgery until the end of July last year, so it’s unlikely that he’ll pitch with this affiliate this year. Absolute best case scenario might be if he is able to do a rehab outing or two before Low-A Delmarva’s season ends. Reilly, on the other hand, had his surgery in the middle of May. A return to the Double-A level before this minor league season is through is more realistic, if not guaranteed. Both of these guys were showing some real promise last year before the elbow ligaments went pop. There’s a reason why the acronym TINSTAAPP – there is no such thing as a pitching prospect – is said frequently enough to be understood.

Others who may arrive later

Pretty much anybody who’s starting the year assigned to High-A Frederick, whose roster I’ll be previewing on Monday, is a possibility to make it to Chesapeake at some point during the season. That starts with the guy who is now the #1 prospect in the system, George. It also includes high 2025 draft picks Ike Irish, Wehiwa Aloy, and Joseph Dzierwa. A pitcher, Dzierwa put on a showcase in the Spring Breakout prospect game last month.

Potentially, Vance Honeycutt, who dropped off the radar after flopping at High-A last year, could make his way up a level if his spring home run prowess translates in any way to regular season improvement. Honeycutt or any of the guys from the previous paragraph advancing depends on them actually showing well in Frederick. That’s not guaranteed for anyone, but hopefully it’ll happen for at least a couple of them.

The Royals are underway — and the early storylines are already taking shape.

In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, hosts Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco, joined by Max Rieper, break down the Kansas City Royals’ recent series against the Minnesota Twins and what it reveals about the team’s early-season identity. From bullpen inconsistencies to encouraging signs in the starting rotation, the crew analyzes where the Royals stand and what needs to improve as the season unfolds.

A major focus of the discussion centers on roster construction and flexibility, particularly in light of injuries like Carlos Estevez landing on the IL. The hosts explore how Kansas City can adjust, including creative solutions involving emerging talent such as Jac Caglianone and the evolving roles of key contributors across the roster. They also examine early performances from players like Kyle Isbel and Lane Thomas, and what those trends could mean moving forward.

Looking ahead, the episode dives deep into the Royals’ farm system and top prospects for 2026, highlighting names like Dennis Colleran Jr. and Ramon Ramirez, along with broader organizational strategies for developing and integrating young talent. The conversation emphasizes the importance of depth and timing as the Royals aim to balance present competitiveness with future upside.

The episode also touches on MLB’s evolving technology, including the ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) challenge system, and how it’s impacting gameplay, strategy, and fan experience. Blending analysis, insider perspective, and personality, this episode delivers a comprehensive look at the Royals’ present and future.

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

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– Podcast: @RoyalRundownPod

The San Diego Padres needed a win like Wednesday afternoon’s.

As the Padres bludgeoned the San Francisco Giants, 7-1, to salvage the series finale, they finally put together an offense that matched what it looks like on paper.

The club (after only recording nine extra-base hits going into Wednesday’s contest) had five XBH, including four doubles and Ramón Laureano’s, club-leading, second home run of the year.

In addition, starter Nick Pivetta put his Opening Day jitters behind him, striking out eight Giants batters over five innings. The scoreless performance earned him his first win of the 2026 season.

The Friar Faithful hopes that it’s a sign of things to come and not a fluke. The test of that will come in this weekend’s road series against the Boston Red Sox.

Taking the mound

Sonny Gray (BOS) v. Michael King (SD)

After being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this offseason, Gray hopes to factor as an anchor for a dominant Boston rotation. Whether or not that’s the case remains to be seen.

He struggled in his first outing with the Sox, allowing three runs on six hits across only four innings pitched. It was a rough outing, needing 80 pitches to get through it.

If Gray can’t solve a Padres’ offense that seems to have finally unlocked some slug, Boston will have trouble in a hurry.

King, on the other hand, had a memorable first outing. He pitched five vintage innings that stifled a Detroit Tigers’ lineup that was decimating Nick Pivetta only a day earlier.

If he can do the same to a Sox group that has mostly underwhelmed offensively, the Friars will easily overtake Boston.

Batter up!

With San Diego facing a right-hander in Boston starter Gray, skipper Craig Stammen will likely use a similar lineup to Wednesday’s game against San Francisco.

That being said, putting Nick Castellanos in left field over Laureano on Tuesday night showed Stammen favors career matchups against a pitcher over who has a hot bat.

With that in mind, the lineup will probably look like this:

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Xander Bogaerts, SS
3. Jackson Merrill, CF
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Ramón Laureano, LF
6. Miguel Andujar, DH
7. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
8. Nick Castellanos, 1B
9. Luis Campusano, C

Almost all of those Padres have a batting average above .300 against Gray, with the lone exception being Campusano (no at-bats).

Machado has had a rough go of it lately and is looking for some slug. He could find it today against Gray (career .343 average against, 35 ABs).

Tatis is 3-for-3 in his career versus Gray and looks to do the same as Machado after starting the season 5-for-21.

Andujar and Castellanos will look to rack up some hits with their bench bats starting the season cold. They have a 2.334 (3 ABs) and .941 OPS (20 ABs), respectively, when facing Gray.

Relief corps

For a guy who was a relief pitcher, Stammen’s bullpen strategy has been… odd.

On Wednesday, Jeremiah Estrada came out and pitched a clean sixth inning before high-leverage lefty Adrian Morejon came in for the seventh.

Morejon wasn’t bad by any means, but he wasn’t his dominant self.

After giving up a leadoff double to former teammate Luis Arraez, he got two outs before surrendering a single to Harrison Bader, giving the Giants their lone run of the game.

He stopped the bleeding there but surprisingly returned in the eighth after not looking particularly sharp.

Normally, that eighth inning would be set-up man Jason Adam’s. But with him still rehabbing his way back, Morejon got the call.

He got two outs before allowing a walk to Rafael Devers. Stammen went to closer Mason Miller for the final four outs.

Miller dazzled, immediately flying out Heliot Ramos. He returned in the ninth and got all three outs by way of the K.

With the travel day, all of the relievers are available. But if King falters early, it’s likely Stammen turns to Ron Marinaccio or Wandy Peralta to cover multiple innings.

The San Diego Padres (2-4) open a three-game series in Boston against the Red Sox (1-4). The Red Sox have struggled to start the season, losing five in a row after winning their opener. Sonny Gray is scheduled to start for Boston while San Diego is expected to have Michael King on the mound.

How to Watch San Diego Padres vs. Boston Red Sox

• Date: Friday, April 3

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET / 11:10 a.m. PT

• Where: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

• TV Channels: NESN, Padres.TV Presented by UC San Diego Health

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team Records

• San Diego Padres: 2-4 (No. 5 in NL West)

• Boston Red Sox: 1-5 (No. 5 in AL East)

Odds

• Spread: Boston Red Sox +1.5

• Moneyline: Boston Red Sox -120.0 / San Diego Padres +100

• Over/Under: 8.5

Starting pitchers

San Diego Padres: Michael King (0-0, ERA: 0.00, K: 6, WHIP: 1.00)
Boston Red Sox: Sonny Gray (0-0, ERA: 6.75, K: 5, WHIP: 1.75)

Weather: 55°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 37,755 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

San Diego Padres Craig Stammen began his managerial tenure, winning only twice during the opening six-game homestand. For all the Spring Training talk, Stammen and company had very little to celebrate in the first week of the 2026 season.

Offensive woes continue in 2026

No question, the offensive production is a bit slow out of the gate.

The Detroit Tigers staff was not going to be an easy opening series foe. But the back end of the Giants’ rotation should have been a feast for the Padres bats. 

The Friar Faithful are confused whether the Spring Training lineup experimentation has come to an end. Stammen seems content to leave Fernando Tatis Jr. in the leadoff spot, but he did shuttle Jake Cronenworth into the top of the order in three games. 

The first-year manager spent the entire time in Peoria, Ariz. promising changes to the lineup. It was baffling to see him throw out the same batting order that continued the hitting struggles from a season ago. We expected a contact-driven top of the order that would put themselves in scoring position for Manny Machado and Tatis Jr. to drive them home.

In the final game of the Giants series, the Friars’ bats may have awoken for a possible promising road trip. The hitters looked more relaxed at the plate. Collectively, the lineup had more free and easy at-bats that generated more run-scoring opportunities. Moving forward, better execution should put more runs on the scoreboard.

Unfortunately, we did not see much of that in the first homestand of the season; instead, there were too many lunging, off-balance swings for my taste.

Pitching is promising to almost dominate at times

Starting pitching was another lowlight of the homestand. Randy Vasquez outclassed the Tigers for the team’s first win. Nick Pivetta was good in his second start of the season. However, he only lasted five innings after throwing 82 pitches in the contest. Pivetta allowed only one hit and struck out eight batters. 

Early results are encouraging in how Stammen deployed the bullpen to protect a lead. It made sense for him to aggressively use the pen (Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, and Mason Miller) to secure the win before heading out on the season’s first road trip.

A baseball season is very much like a rollercoaster ride with plenty of ups and downs before settling into a steady level of play. 

The Stammen era may have opened with a resounding dud, but the jury is still out on how he will run a major league club. From a strategic standpoint, we need more than six games to figure out if Stammen is a competent manager. 

It will be interesting to see how he keeps the momentum going from Wednesday’s victory.

The New York Mets (3-4) enter Friday’s game against the San Francisco Giants (3-4) on a three-game losing streak. San Francisco won Thursday’s opener of the teams’ series 7-2. Nolan McLean is scheduled to start for the Mets and Tyler Mahle is expected to take the mound for the Giants.

How to watch New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants

• Date: Friday, April 3

• Time: 10:15 p.m. ET / 7:15 p.m. PT

• Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco

• TV Channels: NBCS BA, KNTV, WPIX

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• New York Mets: 3-4 (No. 5 in NL East)

• San Francisco Giants: 3-4 (No. 3 in NL West)

Odds

• Spread: San Francisco Giants +1.5

• Moneyline: San Francisco Giants +115 / New York Mets -135

• Over/Under: 7.5

Starting Pitchers

New York Mets: Nolan McLean (0-0, ERA: 3.60, K: 8, WHIP: 1.20)
San Francisco Giants: Tyler Mahle (0-1, ERA: 4.50, K: 5, WHIP: 1.50)

Weather: 66°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 41,915 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass