Category: Baseball

The Mets added a bit of outfield depth ahead of their season opener, as the team has agreed to a minor league deal with Tommy Pham, per ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. If Pham gets called up to the team’s major league roster, he’d be on a $2.25 million salary with a potential $850k in bonuses, and he has an April 25 opt-out clause.

Pham is perhaps best known to Mets fans as a player who called his teammates with the 2023 Mets the “least-hardest working group of position players I’ve ever played with.”

In his stint with the Mets that year, Pham fared well, hitting .268/.348/.472 with a 124 wRC+ and 1.4 fWAR in 264 plate appearances. That led to the Mets trading him to the Diamondbacks for minor league infielder Jeremy Rodriguez at the deadline that year. His comments about his then-former teammates came later that season.

Since that trade, however, Pham hasn’t hit as well as he did with the Mets. He had a 92 wRC+ as he spent time with the White Sox, Cardinals, and Royals in 2024, and he finished the 2025 season with a 94 wRC+, having spent the entirety of the season with the Pirates.

In the short term, Pham figures to get some reps in the minors to get up to speed. Assuming he plays in Syracuse sometime soon, he’ll join fellow outfield depth options like MJ Melendez and some of the Mets’ top prospects in getting outfield innings there. Perhaps he’ll supplant Jared Young on the Mets’ major league roster before long, but it’ll be interesting to see if the team gives him a major league roster spot before his opt-out date.

Mets lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Jorge Polanco – 1B
5. Luis Robert – CF
6. Brett Baty – DH
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. Carson Benge – RF
9. Francisco Alvarez – C

SP: Freddy Peralta – RHP

Pirates lineup

1. Oneil Cruz – CF
2. Brandon Lowe – 2B
3. Bryan Reynolds – LF
4. Marcell Ozuna – DH
5. Ryan O’Hearn – RF
6. Jared Triolo – SS
7. Spencer Horwitz – 1B
8. Nick Gonzales – 3B
9. Henry Davis – C

SP: Paul Skenes – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 1:15 PM EDT
TV: NBC/Peacock
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio 880 AM, 92.3 FM HD2

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets, March 26, 2026, 1:15 p.m. ET

Location: Citi Field, Flushing, NY

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet-PIT

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the New York Mets at Citi Field looking to grab a win on Opening Day.

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This year marks the 65th season of Astros baseball and the 27th at Daikin Park.

The Houston Astros open the 2026 season at Daikin Park as they welcome in the Los Angeles Angels on Opening Day!

TODAY’S PITCHING MATCHUP: Today’s Opening Day matchup of RHP Hunter Brown vs. RHP José Soriano features a pair of starters both making their first career Opening Day starts.

Brown is coming off an All-Star season, in which he finished third in the AL Cy Young voting after going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA (50ER/185.1IP) in a career high 31 starts.

ON THE HUNT: RHP Hunter Brown, a 2025 All-Star, finished third in the AL in Cy Young voting last season after turning in the best year of his career with a 12-9 record, a 2.43 ERA (50ER/185.1IP) and posting a 1.03 WHIP. He held opponents to a career-low .201 average and posted 206 strikeouts in 185.1 innings pitched. His 2.43 ERA ranked 10th all-time among Astros starters and was the second-lowest by an Astros starter in the last 20 seasons (since 2005).

ON OPENING DAY: The Astros are 34-30 all-time on Opening Day, including a 25-20 record in home games on Opening Day.

The Astros are recently removed from an incredible, modern-day record, Opening Day streak of 10 consecutive wins from 2013-22. Following the streak, they lost on Opening Day in 2023 and 2024 before bouncing back for a 3-1 win over the Mets on Opening Day last season.

VS. THE ANGELS: The Astros will open the season with a divisional series against the Angels, who the Astros went 8-5 against in 13 games last season. This marks the second time the Astros have played the Angels on Opening Day, which also happened in 2022, resulting in a 3-1 Astros win.

OPENING DAY CORNERSTONE:2B Jose Altuve, who’s under contract for the next four seasons (2026-29), will be making his 14th career Opening Day start today, which marks the third-most in franchise history. Only 2B Craig Biggio (19, 1989-2007) and 1B Jeff Bagwell (15, 1991-2005) have more in Astros history.

ABOUT THE ROSTER: The Astros Opening Day roster includes 13 pitchers and 13 position players. Nine players are making their first appearance on an active Opening Day roster: RHP Mike Burrows, RHP AJ Blubaugh, RHP Tatsuya Imai, OF Joey Loperfido, IF/OF Brice Matthews, RHP Roddery Muñoz, RHP Christian Roa, RHP Kai-Wei Teng and RHP Ryan Weiss.

NEW FACES: The Astros focused their offseason efforts on acquiring pitching, landing RHP Mike Burrows and RHP Kai-Wei Teng in trades and RHP Tatsuya Imai and RHP Ryan Weiss off the free agent market. They also added a Rule 5 pick in RHP Roddery Muñoz, the Astros first Rule 5 selection since the 2017 Rule 5 Draft.

AT THE HELM:Manager Joe Espada is entering his third season as the Astros skipper.

In 2025, for the second consecutive season, Espada and his staff were forced to deal with an extremely high number of injuries. Despite an ever-changing roster that often was missing key players, to his credit, Espada managed to navigate his club to an 87-75 record, finishing in a tie for the final AL Wild Card berth (lost tiebreaker to DET).

IN THE BOX: Today is the fourth Opening Day for the Astros under GM Dana Brown, who was named the club’s GM in January of 2023.

It’s the 15th Opening Day for Owner & Chairman Jim Crane since he purchased the club in November of 2011.

TODAY’S FESTIVITIES: Today is Opening Day, presented by Adobe, at Daikin Park.

The day starts with Opening Day Street Fest, presented by Budweiser, which will take place from 12-3 p.m.

The ceremonial first pitch will be a celebration of the WBC, which was won by Team Venezuela, who were managed by Astros bench coach Omar López. López will throw out the first pitch to Javier Bracamonte, the Astros longtime bullpen catcher who also served that same role for Team Venezuela.

All fans in attendance will receive a 2026 Astros Schedule Magnet, courtesy of United.

SUSTAINED SUCCESS: Dating back to the 2015 season, the Astros have made nine postseason appearances in 11 seasons, winning seven division titles, four AL pennants (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022) and two WS titles (2017, 2022).

In that span, the Astros became the only team in history to advance to seven consecutive ALCS (2017-23) and have posted the second-most wins in the Majors (976), trailing only the Dodgers (1,036).

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, March 26, 3:10 p.m. CST

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+

Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2; TUDN 102.9 FM

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The Baltimore Orioles will try to put a disappointing 2025 behind them as they host the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day.

Baltimore has a rejuvenated lineup and a budding ace on the mound today, so I’m taking it to win outright in my Twins vs. Orioles predictions.

Read on to take a closer look at today’s matchup in my free MLB picks for Thursday, March 26.

Twins vs Orioles predictions

Twins vs Orioles best bet: Orioles moneyline (-138)

While both teams underperformed badly last season, their prospects are very different coming into 2026.

The Minnesota Twins face an uphill climb in the AL Central, but the Baltimore Orioles are a trendy dark horse World Series pick.

Those hopes hinge on a bounce-back season for Gunnar Henderson, and the addition of slugger Pete Alonso to the middle of the lineup.

Trevor Rogers is looking to repeat his outstanding 2025 for Baltimore, when he went 9-3 with a 1.81 ERA. I’m picking Rogers lead the Orioles to an Opening Day win over Joe Ryan and the Twins this afternoon.

COVERS INTEL: Joe Ryan went 3-5 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.309 WHIP over his last 10 starts to end the 2025 season.

Twins vs Orioles same-game parlay (SGP)

While I expect Baltimore’s offense to rebound a bit in 2026, it’s worth noting that they were a Bottom 10 offense in run-scoring last season, plating 4.18 runs per game – just behind Minnesota (4.19).

With both teams throwing their aces on Opening Day, I like the Under here. 

One player I do see generating a bit of offense is Henderson, who hit .400 with a 1.267 OPS for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

Even in a down year, Henderson scored 85 runs last season, and I like him to come across today.

Twins vs Orioles SGP

• Orioles moneyline
• Under 8.5
• Gunnar Henderson to score a run

Twins vs Orioles home run pick: Pete Alonso (+290)

Alonso was one of the biggest free agent moves in the offseason, and he’ll undoubtedly add a lot of punch to the middle of the Baltimore lineup.

The former Mets star has hit at least 34 home runs in every full season of his career, and his .871 OPS last season was his highest since his rookie season.

Ryan gave up seven homers in his last four starts of 2025, and I like Alonso to get off to a fast start in his new home.

Twins vs Orioles odds

• Moneyline: Minnesota +118 | Baltimore -138
• Run line: Minnesota +1.5 | Baltimore -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Twins vs Orioles trend

The Twins were 1-6 in Ryan’s last seven starts in 2025. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Orioles.

How to watch Twins vs Orioles and game info

Twins vs Orioles latest injuries

Twins vs Orioles weather

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Usually, this question of the day part is where we ask a niche question about the team. Maybe it’s about someone’s approach at the plate, their recent work at that craft, or what you think about a player’s recent play.

Today is simple. It being the Phillies’ home opener (and season opener), we’re looking for your predictions on how the season will go. You can be as specific as you wish, you can be as broad as you wish. But let’s talk about our prognostications together. Come back later today when we here at TGP give you our predictions for the season so you can all look down on us and ridicule us when we’re wrong.

Let the games begin.

I’ll save the big kahuna question for the Braves’ Opening Day, which is tomorrow. Today is Opening Day for most other teams, so we’ll go with this no-stakes variant.

Normally, I’m pretty excited for Opening Day. Baseball season has a great rhythm, and I look forward to transitioning into it every year. That said, I indulged in a paragraph of how MLB is getting less interesting to me yesterday, and it follows from there that I’m less excited about this season. Maybe some of that is related to the Braves directly — it’s just less interesting to watch a sprinter try to navigate around banana peels than nearly any other story or framing device (other than a rebuilding entirely non-contender), and the self-inflicted season-ruining change they made offensively last year is like the ultimate excitement-excoriator for me.

So, I dunno. I think I’m less excited for this season than for any for 2018-onward. Yesterday’s snoozefest of an Opening Day contest between the Yankees and Giants didn’t help. Nor the fact that I usually take a day off on Opening Day, but the Braves have a night game so there’s no point in pushing it.

But, none of that has to apply to you. So, tell me, where’s your relative excitement meter at?

Ah, a fresh season. Unlimited potential. Anything is possible! Or at least, it feels that way until the moment your favorite team fails to score after having a runner on third base with no outs, or if the bullpen blows a five-run lead. That is when you remember that baseball, while beautiful, may be the most frustrating game of all.

Alas, the Orioles will enter yet another brand new campaign anyway. This one does genuinely begin with lofty aspirations. They were one of the busiest clubs over the winter, and on paper they look like a team that could do some great things. At the very least, they should improve upon their 75 wins from a season ago

The Twins, on the other hand, seem like they could be headed in the opposite direction. They went 70-92 in 2025, which cost Rocco Baldelli his job as manager. Derek Shelton will take the reins. He was last the skipper of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020 through May of last year, when he was canned after a 12-26 start to the year. It’s not the most aspirational of hires, but Shelton is familiar with the organization, having served as bench coach back in 2018 and ‘19.

This past offseason was highlighted more by what the Twins did not do rather than what they did. Neither Joe Ryan nor Byron Buxton was traded. That would have made sense if the organization then went and made any sort of impact additions to their roster, but they largely sat on their hands. Josh Bell, Victor Caratini, and Taylor Rogers were the “marquee” free agents brought on. While each of them are fine major leaguers, they won’t elevate this team at all.

Instead, their hopes will be pinned on Buxton and Royce Lewis being the best versions of themselves. That is asking a lot of Buxton, entering his age-32 season, who always seems to miss some amount of time. The 126 games he played in 2025 was his most in a season since 2017. Lewis gets hurt a lot too. He played in 106 games last year, the most he has ever played as a big leaguer.

The rotation will be without Pablo López. He had Tommy John surgery in February and will miss the entire 2026 season. He only tossed 75.2 big league innings last year due to a right shoulder strain that became a forearm strain during rehab. But they were stellar innings as he had a 2.74 ERA and 1.11 WHIP prior to being shut down.

Who knows what will happen in the AL Central. Once again it looks like one of the league’s weaker divisions. So maybe the Twins could get some luck and sneak up on a few clubs. But the more likely outcome is that they deal with major injuries again and slump to be one of the worst team’s in the AL. That was the case in 2025, and they still managed to go 6-0 against the Orioles. That can’t happen again for an O’s team with postseason aspirations.

Game 1: Thursday, March 26th, 3:05 p.m., MASN

LHP Trevor Rogers (9-3, 1.81 ERA in 2025) vs. RHP Joe Ryan (13-10, 3.42 ERA in 2025)

Rogers threw just 109.2 innings last year, but he was so dominant that he earned some consideration for the AL Cy Young award anyway. OK, it was just one down-ballot vote, but it’s hard to argue the logic. The southpaw was spectacular, generating 5.4 bWAR, only 1.1 bWAR less than the award winner, Tarik Skubal, who threw nearly twice as many innings. He deserves the start here even if he is a strong candidate for some negative regression.

Ryan is likely to be one of the most sought after players at this year’s trade deadline if the season goes poorly for the Twins. The 29-year-old had a 3.42 ERA and struck out 194 over 171 innings last year, and he won’t hit free agency until after the 2027 season.

Game 2: Saturday, March 28th, 4:05 p.m., MASN

RHP Kyle Bradish (1-1, 2.53 ERA in 2025) vs. RHP Taj Bradley (6-8, 5.05 ERA in 2025)

The great X-factor of the 2026 Orioles could be Bradish. We know how good he can be. Over the last three seasons he has a 2.78 ERA and is striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings. Of course, he only has 240 total innings across those three seasons due to Tommy John surgery in mid-2025. So the big question will be how healthy he can remain. The O’s are likely to be conservative with him early, shortening starts, and skipping his turn occasionally. But when he does pitch it should be dynamite.

It’s not usually a good sign when the Rays trade away a pitcher. That’s an organization that tries to hoard pitching talent as much as possible, but they were OK with swapping Bradley for Griffin Jax last year. Bradley was even worse (6.61 ERA in 31.1 innings) for Twins than he was for the Rays (4.61 ERA in 111.1 innings). Minnesota is hard-pressed to find starting options, so Bradley will get plenty of chances to prove himself.

Game 3: Sunday, March 29th, 1:35 p.m., MASN

RHP Shane Baz (10-12, 4.87 ERA in 2025) vs. RHP Bailey Ober (6-9, 5.10 ERA in 2025)

The Orioles have talked about Baz as the rotation’s ceiling-raiser all offseason. In essence, they swap him into Grayson Rodriguez’s place in the rotation. Right now, that looks like a wise decision. Rodriguez is opening the season on the IL for the Angels while Baz looked quite good in his final spring tuneup against the Nationals. There is no denying the stuff. It’s great. Now he just needs to harness it.

Ober was a disappointment in 2025. After back-to-back seasons worth 3.0 bWAR and an ERA under 4 in 2023 and ’24, he flopped badly last year. His numbers this spring were rather ugly too. Across 13 spring innings he had a 1.769 WHIP and struck out just 4.2 batters per nine innings. You gotta take those stats with a grain of salt, but his trajectory is not what you want if you’re a Twins fan.

Good morning. Unless you’re manager Tony Vitello or on the Giants, in which case I just say I hope tomorrow is a better morning for you. Because the Yankees’ spanked the Giants 7-0 in the first game of the year.

• There was one thing that happened last night that has never happened in an official MLB game before. The Yankees’ José Caballero made the first ever Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge. The call was upheld, so we’re still waiting on that first overturn.
• Christina De Nicola explains how the Marlins practiced using the ABS system.
• Former umpire Richie Garcia blasted the ABS system, saying it will unjustly embarrass the umpires. Not if they get the call right in the first place.
• One thing the Giants did last night was break the weirdest streak in baseball. After 19 seasons of having a different left fielder start for San Francisco on Opening Day, Heliot Ramos made his second-straight Opening Day start for the Giants. This streak goes back to Barry Bonds’ final season in 2007.
• Speaking of Bonds, on the broadcast last night he revealed how he almost became a Yankee, only to hang up on George Steinbrenner when the “Boss” wanted an answer immediately. There’s been some question of the accuracy of the story, as Steinbrenner was officially banned from baseball during the time Bonds described.
• Jordan Schusterman has a preview of the Tony Vitello era in San Francisco. For someone with no professional experience before showing up to camp, he has certainly won over a lot of grizzled MLB veterans.
• Last night’s game was a Netflix exclusive, and Gabe Lacques was thoroughly unimpressed with the Netfilx broadcast, including the constant self-promotion that put Fox in the World Series to shame.
• Andrew Marchand writes that it has become increasingly difficult to watch the Yankees (or any team) on TV these days. (The Athletic sub. req.) He uses the Yankees as an example, but it’s true for most teams.
• The MLB dot com writers have one thing that needs to go right for each MLB team.
• The biggest question for every MLB team.
• One “unknown” factor for every team from MLB dot com.
• Davy Andrews has a semi tongue-in-cheek preview of every team’s best-case and worst-case scenarios in 2026. Here’s every National League team and here’s every American League team.
• Ken Rosenthal has the top 12 storylines for the 2026 season. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Ben Clemens has five big questions for the 2026 season.
• Keith Law makes his pre-season predictions. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Jayson Stark has the numbers that will define baseball in 2026. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Matt Snyder explains how the Dodgers can three-peat.
• Jack Baer has five reasons the Dodgers will win the World Series and five reasons they won’t.
• Will Leitch has four bold predictions for the Cardinals.
• Michael Baumann wonders if injuries to the pitching staff have already doomed the Braves this year.
• MLB dot com has conveniently made up one big butcher’s bill this year. Here’s everyone who will start the season on injured reserve.
• Jason Beck details how Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told touted rookie Kevin McGonigle that he’d made the Opening Day roster.
• Jay Jaffe looks at some well-known names who will start the year in Triple-A.
• The MLB Pipeline crew has one player to watch in each Triple-A affiliate this year.
• Tyler Kepner examines the disappearance of the .300 hitter. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• We now know who the fourth bidder is to buy the Padres. It’s Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores.
• Larry Holder reports that White Sox legend Frank Thomas is suing the White Sox, Nike and Fanatics for using his name without authorization. So that’s a good look for the South Siders.
• Anthony Gharib presents many of the splashiest new concession items at an MLB ballpark near you.
• This, however, is a crime against humanity.

• I never thought I say that the Marlins did something right that the Red Sox messed up. But this looks delicious.

• A lot of teams are featuring a custom-made “9-9-9 Challenge” of nine hot dogs, nine beers over nine innings with team-branded boxes.
• The Giants’ challenge, however, is under fire for only giving you one beer for the “9-9-9 challenge.” Gabe Fernandez reports.
• Joey Votto has installed a new nearly 17-foot clock outside of Great American Ballpark as a thank you to Reds fans.
• And finally, MLB Japan released this new video of Baseball and Breakfast. English explanation at the link.

Last year’s National League East race ended with the Phillies (96-66) winning their second consecutive division crown, while the Mets (83-79) and Braves (76-86) both underperformed expectations and missed the playoffs entirely. The Marlins (79-83), meanwhile, came close to .500 as they showed promise and play a key role in ending the Mets’ postseason dreams on the final day of the regular season, and the Nationals (66-96) showcased their potential with their young, up-and-coming talent, despite finishing in the cellar.

Heading into Opening Day, the NL East race promises to be one of the most exciting ones to watch around the league. The Mets are projected to bounce back and contend for their first division title since 2015, while the Braves are expected to rebound and the Phillies once again have a roster built for a run at the postseason. So let’s review where things stand at the start of the 2026 season, and what Mets fans might expect from the team’s division rivals.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are coming off back-to-back NL East crowds and four consecutive playoff appearances, though they have failed to make it beyond the Division series in either of the previous two seasons after going to the World Series in 2022 and reaching the NLCS in 2023.

In many ways, the Phillies are “running it back”, as they enter 2026 with a very similar roster to the one they showcased last year. Their key offseason moves were re-signing Kyle Schwarber to a 5-year, $150 deal—Mets fans will recall that the club was also reportedly in on the Schwarber sweepstakes—and catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year deal. The Phillies also, very recently, extended two cornerstones of their rotation in left-handers Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo, which should offer them rotation stability for years to come. In terms of new faces, the club added slugging outfielder Adolis Garcia and reliever Mitch Keller. On the departure side, Philadelphia parted ways with Nick Castellanos, Harrison Bader, and Matt Strahm. The team will start the year without ace Zack Wheeler as he recovers from thoracic outlet surgery, but after a “successful spring,” he is set to begin a rehab assignment and could be back in April.

Both ZiPS and PECOTA have the Phillies taking a step back in 2026 and relinquishing their NL East crown, and that’s to be expected for a team that’s a year older and not necessarily better. Fangraphs projects the Phillies to win 87 games, which is actually down from their projection of 91 wins and an NL East crown from late January. This update lands them squarely in third place in the NL East but would secure them the second Wild Card in the National League. Baseball Prospectus is a little more bullish, projecting them to finish at 84.9 wins in their up-to-date model on March 25. The Phillies will once again go as far as Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber can carry them, as their veteran core remains strong but, again, one year older. Their rotation remains a strength, even as they wait for Wheeler’s return, and they have the benefit of a full season with closer Jhoan Duran, whom they acquired ahead of last year’s trade deadline.

Atlanta Braves

The Mets’ collapse stole the headlines around the league and took a lot of heat off the Braves, who unexpectedly fell flat on their faces and finished in fourth place after seven straight postseason appearances. The Braves, who won six straight division crowns from 2018-2023, fell below the .500 mark for the first time since 2017.

Atlanta enters the year with a new skipper at the helm, as Walt Weiss is set to succeed Brian Snitker, who held the position for ten years but chose to step down into an advisory role. Weiss previously served as Snitker’s bench coach. On the field, the team added reliever José Suarez and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. They also claimed Osvaldo Bido from the Yankees, inked Rowdy Tellez on a minor league deal, and brought in old friend Dom Smith, who is in position to potentially make the roster out of spring. Atlanta will be managing some injuries heading into this year, specifically to Spencer Strider, who begins the year on the injured list with a left oblique strain. Joey Wentz (torn ACL) and Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow inflammation) both begin the year on the 60-day IL.

Their roster is still loaded with talent, and the project models seem to agree that they will get back on the horse in 2026. Both ZiPS and PECOTA have them narrowly missing a division crown, falling just behind the Mets but handily securing the top Wild Card spot in the NL. Fangraphs sees them winning 88 games (matching the Mets) but falling short in the end. Baseball Prospectus, meanwhile, has them at 88.7 wins, just shy of the Mets’ simulated projection of 89.4.

Ronald Acuña Jr. remains their key player, and a healthy and elite season from their star outfielder could make all the difference (emphasis on ‘healthy’). There’s also Matt Olson, who played 162 games for the fourth straight season and finished with a 136 wRC+ and a 4.7 fWAR. Atlanta also desperately need a bounce back year from Austin Riley, who struggled last season and has not come close to his All-Star self from 2022 and 2023. The biggest bright spot for Atlanta last year was catcher Drake Baldwin, who earned Rookie of the Year honors after a stellar debut season, and he will now be thrust into a more prominent role going forward.

Miami Marlins

The Marlins surprised some folks last year when they came close to .500 and hung around the NL Wild Card picture until the late stages of the season—some of this is certainly due to the subpar competition, no doubt. They also flirted with trading ace Sandy Alcántara, who missed all of 2024 and struggled to regain his form in 2025 until well after the All-Star break. You can be sure that the team will again explore a trade this year, if they are not realistically in a playoff spot—Alcántara’s contract expires at the end of the 2026 season.

The Marlins did what they do best, which is trade their talented players for prospect capital. They made two headline moves in this vein: trading right-hander Edward Cabrera to the Cubs in a package centered around outfielder Owen Caissie, and trading left-hander Ryan Weathers to the Yankees for four prospects. It’s worth noting that Cabrera is under team control through 2028, and Weathers through 2029, which brought in a bigger return. To fortify their roster, the club signed utility player Christopher Morel and acquired Esteury Ruiz from the Dodgers. They also acquired right-hander Bradley Blalock from the Rockies and left-hander Kade Bragg from the Twins.

Unsurprisingly, their season last year has done little to sway perception of their team or inspire much from the projection models. They are, pretty much across the board, viewed as the fourth team in this division, as ZiPS sees them finishing 75-87 and PECOTA has them basically right around that with a sim W total of 74.7. In both scenarios, they fall well short of the third Wild Card spot, failing to earn a postseason spot for the third straight yea after their Wild Card appearance in 2023. They still have some bright young players to watch, including Xavier Edwards and 2025 All-Star Kyle Stowers. At the very least, Mets fans should take comfort in the fact that New York does not play Miami during the final week of the season—their final games against the pesky Marlins are September 7-9 at loanDepot Park.

Washington Nationals

Despite some promising young talent, the Nationals still came close to 100 losses and seem to be nowhere close to contention in the division. They confirmed those thoughts by trading one of their best veterans, pitcher MacKenzie Gore, to the Rangers for a package of five minor leaguers. On the major league side, they made some minor moves, adding Zack Littell, Foster Griffin, and Miles Mikolas, all on relatively affordable one-year deals. The rest of their roster was filled in by waiver claims.

The Nationals are projected to finish right near the bottom of the league yet again. ZiPS sees them finishing the year 69-93, a three-game improvement from their 2025 results. This would give them more wins than just the Colorado Rockies, and would tie them with the projected win total of the Chicago White Sox. PECOTA, meanwhile, is a bit more pessimistic, simulating a total of 67.1 wins for Washington, ahead of just the Rockies (59.4) and Angels (65.5) in their model. This year will be all about the growth of rising stars James Wood and CJ Abrams, and their continued growth will be the main point of concern for Washington in what is ultimately another rebuilding year.

Projections and Predictions

The Mets have been a popular pick to win the 2026 NL East title, and not just from ZiPS and PECOTA (see standings below) but also from several seasoned baseball journalists at MLB, ESPN, SNY, Newsday, the NY Post and more. However, as we have learned far too many times, projections and predictions are a far way off from reality. With that said, the Mets find themselves in a good position and should be able to size up well against the Phillies and Braves as they look to capture their first division crown in over a decade.

Well, here we are at the earliest-ever home opener for the Cubs. You already know how I feel about March baseball in Chicago (they generally shouldn’t, ever). And the forecast for the opener Thursday has temps falling from an early high of near 60 into the 40s. There’s a chance of rain that hopefully will hold off until the game is over.

For more on the Nationals, here’s Sam Sallick, manager of our SB Nation Nationals site Federal Baseball.

There is a lot of “new” for the Washington Nationals this year. They have a new front office, a new manager and a brand new coaching staff. It is a lot of change for an organization that had the same GM/manager combo for nearly a decade before this.

Paul Toboni and Blake Butera want to modernize the Nationals process. They have also provided an infusion of youth. Toboni is just 35 and Butera is the youngest manager in the league at just 33. The roster is also very young, especially on the position player side of things.

The Nats star players at the plate are James Wood and CJ Abrams. Wood had a tough spring after tailing off in the second half last year. However, he has some of the most impressive raw power in the game. Abrams saw his name in trade rumors, but unlike fellow Juan Soto trade piece MacKenzie Gore, he stayed in DC.

Speaking of Gore, the Nats pitching staff has looked very solid this spring. They are short on big names, but they’ve been throwing the ball well. Opening Day starter Cade Cavalli has been throwing the ball as well as anyone. He threw 14 scoreless innings this spring, which helped get him the Opening Day nod despite just 11 career starts.

Cavalli has an impressive arsenal. His mid to upper 90’s fastball and his power curve provide a strong foundation. However, he added a sweeper to give him a better weapon against right handed hitters, who he struggled against last year. I am bullish on Cavalli and think this will be a breakout year for him.

Behind him, the Nats actually have a few veterans in the rotation. Cubs fans know Miles Mikolas very well, and he is in DC now. They also picked up Zack Littell and Foster Griffin. I am intrigued by Griffin, who dominated in Japan the last few years before coming back to the States this offseason.

The Nats probably won’t be good, but hopefully they are better to watch this season. This new regime is rebuilding the rebuild in a lot of ways. However, I trust these new guys to get it right eventually.

Fun facts

The Cubs have a .486 winning percentage against the Nationals franchise since it began play in 1969 as the Montreal Expos. But they are .519 (69-64) since the team moved to Washington after 2004.

They are .526 overall at home vs. the Expos/Nationals, including .523 since 2005.

From 2021-24, the Cubs were 9-4 when hosting the Nationals. Last year, they won the series opener, then lost the next two games.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

(2025 records in parentheses)

Thursday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (14-8, 3.21 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, 3.65 FIP) vs. Cade Cavalli, RHP (3-1, 4.25 ERA, 1.479 WHIP, 4.53 FIP)

Saturday: Cade Horton, RHP (11-4, 2.67 ERA, 1.085 WHIP, 3.58 FIP) vs. Miles Mikolas, RHP (8-11, 4.84 ERA, 1.318 WHIP, 5.08 FIP)

Sunday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (9-8, 3.73 ERA, 0.988 WHIP, 4.86 FIP) vs. Jake Irvin, RHP (9-13, 5.70 ERA, 1.428 WHIP, 5.64 FIP)

NOTE: The Cubs do not have starters officially listed for Saturday or Sunday as of the time of this post. Horton and Imanaga are listed here because that’s the order they last pitched in Spring Training games after Boyd. The Cubs are one of only three teams (also Angels and Rockies) that don’t have a starter listed for Saturday. Those three and the Braves are the only teams that don’t have a starter listed for Sunday.

Times & TV channels

Thursday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

I don’t see any reason the Cubs shouldn’t take at least two of three here.

Up next

The Cubs host the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field in a three-game series beginning Monday evening.

Get to know the 2026 Cleveland Guardians’ Opening Day Roster with the cheat sheets introducing you to the players you need to know below:

First, our hitters. You can save and paste on to a Word Document and print.

Now, the Guardians pitchers:

For friends, family and co-workers who want a brief refresher on which players will be part of this year’s unfolding Guardians’ story, please feel free to share the above images. Can’t wait to root for our guys!

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The Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers begin their 2026 campaign this afternoon with the series opener of a three-game set at American Family Field. 

Jacob Misiorowski gets the baseball for the hosts, and my White Sox vs. Brewers predictions are eyeing him to be lights out on Opening Day. 

Read more for my MLB picks for Thursday, March 25. 

White Sox vs Brewers predictions

White Sox vs Brewers best bet: Jacob Misioroski Over 5.5 strikeouts (-152)

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski was solid in a brief 15 appearances in his rookie season in 2025, pitching to a 5-3 record and 4.36 ERA. The youngster has serious swing and miss stuff, and that was clear from his 87 strikeouts in just 66 innings of work.

While the righty has never faced the Chicago White Sox, they were 15th in the majors last season in team strikeouts with nearly nine per game.

Misiorowski cashed the Over in Ks in two of his three starts in spring training, and the adrenaline will be at an all-time high for his first career Opening Day start. 

He’ll miss numerous bats in the series opener.

COVERS INTEL: Misiorowski struck out a lot more hitters in Milwaukee last year, racking up 53 Ks in 36 2/3 innings of work compared to just 34 strikeouts in 29 1/3 frames on the road.

White Sox vs Brewers same-game parlay (SGP)

William Contreras is a perfect 2-for-2 lifetime vs. White Sox starter Shane Smith with a pair of singles. That's a small sample size, but he also swung it relatively well in spring training, collecting at least one hit in seven of his eight appearances. 

Sal Frelick has faced Smith three times, and his lone hit was a double. He also had a double in two of his final three Cactus League contests. The outfielder also ranked in the 87th percentile in sprint speed, making it easier for him to stretch a single into a double or to ensure he gets into second on a hard-hit ball in the gap.

The Brew Crew is 8-1 in its last nine meetings with Chicago, and the last time the White Sox came to American Family Field, Milwaukee swept them. Misiorowski will throw a gem and set the tone.

White Sox vs Brewers SGP

• William Contreras to hit a single
• Sal Frelick to hit a double
• Brewers moneyline

White Sox vs Brewers home run pick: Christian Yelich (+540)

Christian Yelich had a bounce-back campaign in ‘25, smacking 29 home runs. That was his highest total since 2019, when he went deep 44 times. Twenty-five of his bombs last year were off right-handed pitchers, and Smith surrendered 17 long balls in 2025, with 13 coming off the bat of lefties. 

Yelich also went yard 14 times at home. He got some confidence back last year, and I like him to start the campaign with a bang.

White Sox vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Chicago +154 | Milwaukee -184
• Run line: Chicago +1.5 (-138) | Milwaukee -1.5 (+116)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)

White Sox vs Brewers trend

The Milwaukee Brewers have hit the Moneyline in 86 of their last 142 games (+21.35 Units / 11% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Brewers.

How to watch White Sox vs Brewers and game info

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White Sox vs Brewers weather

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Record and Finish

95-67, first place in the AL East: The time is now! It’s not a perfect Red Sox team, but it’s the best Red Sox team they’ve fielded so far this decade, and its time for them to start making serious waves in the American League. There’s enough talent here where the goal should be to win the division and the pennant.

— Matt Gross

89-73, second place in the AL East: I don’t know why, but it feels like there’s something missing with this team.I like the pitching staff, but the lineup leaves a little something to be desired. Just one or two injuries and the offense could be seriously lacking. I think it’s a good team, but I see one of the Blue Jays or Yankees finishing ahead of them in the regular season. Maybe I’m just too conditioned to the Wild Card Red Sox, though.

— Jacob Roy

92-70, second place in the AL East: If they had gone out and acquired the middle-of-the-order power bat that was publicly stated as a priority for the offseason, I might feel differently, but I still have Toronto a notch above Boston at the moment. I don’t care how they looked on Opening Night, the Yankees running back the same squad and a staff that is mostly injured entering the season is lunacy. The Wild Card game will be at Fenway in 2026.

— Bob Osgood

90-72, second place in the AL East. This is a good team, kind of like last year, with a lot of improvements. The Roman Anthony-less September is looming like a shadow over everything Breslow has built here. Will a run of lefties shut down the roster? We know Duran and Abreu looked better against southpaws this spring but will it carry over? Can Trevor Story repeat his healthy year? Largely I think “yes” to these questions. But some will probably be “no.“ And that’s the difference between 90 wins and projecting, say, 95.

— Mike Carlucci

92-70, second place in the AL East. I think it’s immensely doable. Not adding a big bat is holding them up from taking the division, in my eyes, but putting the attention into the defense and rotation will pay off.

— Maura McGurk

This team sure looks an awful lot like the Seattle Mariners of recent vintage to me: A pitching rotation that could be the best in the game, but a lineup filled with question marks that could go through some ugly stretches this season. Over the past five years, those Mariners have averaged 88.6 wins, and that sounds about right to me. But the Mariners have been in a division with only two other legitimate playoff contenders, and I see three others in this AL East. This team definitely could win 92+ games and the division, but there’s just too much uncertainty on the roster for me to predict that. 88-72, third place in the AL East.

— Dan Secatore

94-68, first place in the AL East. Pretty simple calculus for me, folks: the offense is at least comparable to the 89-win team from 2025, while the pitching has certainly been improved by a considerable margin. It’s a tough division, yes, and maybe I’m too big of an optimist in your eyes. But hope springs eternal, and I think we can make some big strides in 2026.

—Fitzy Mo Peña

Who will have the most pleasantly surprising season?

I’m the Johan Oviedo guy, so I’m supposed to say Johan Oviedo, but his fastball shape in his final spring training start was concerning, to say the least, so I’ll pivot. Just about everyone is counting Triston Casas out. If he can get healthy, I’m willing to bet he’ll hit his way into the lineup. He’s too talented not to become a good player somewhere, at some point, so why not this year?

— Jacob Roy

Let’s go with Caleb Durbin here. His acquisition to play third base was one of the more interesting moves of the offseason, one that left the Brewers without a “true” third baseman themselves. Known as a strong contact hitter, I think that Durbin’s defense is what might truly become standout, leaving the Red Sox at worst with a solid enough infield to not be a liability and, at best, a team that excels finally with the glove. He’s still an unknown quantity going into his age-26 season, but I think the team will be well-served not having a sieve at third, not to name names.

— Jake Reiser

With Romy Gonzalez not ready for Opening Day, the infield bench options will have watchful eyes set upon them by Red Sox Nation. While pennant races usually aren’t won or lost by the bench, there are key moments down the stretch that are defined by a good pinch hit or a heads-up web gem by a guy not in his usual position. Andruw Monasteriomay only have 600 career at-bats, but he may surprise some folks as a righty option on an otherwise lefty-heavy club, and he’s also defensively versatile. Romy Gonzalez and many before him started with the same level of uncertainty. I’m not going to say he’ll be a world-beater or even an every day starter, but he’ll have some moments.

— Dean Roussel

Masataka Yoshida. It’s going to be a tough fight for at-bats but Masa is finally healthy again. He’s adjusted to the American schedule of baseball. His winter was mostly defined as “release him as a sunk cost.” I don’t know exactly what pleasantly surprising for a veteran looks like. 18 home runs, 150 games, and a lot of perfect running form?

— Mike Carlucci

Connelly Early. I think he’s the real deal and knows exactly what he’s doing with all of his vast array of weapons on the mound. He’s constantly getting better, takes the coaching, shows up ready every time it’s his turn, and is probably extra motivated to stay in the rotation now that he’s been handed Sunday’s slot in Game 3 of the season. I would not be shocked if he’s the second most reliable starter behind Crochet by the end of the season.

— Matt Gross

Brayan Bello. Now that he’s the fourth (or fifth?) starter in the Red Sxo rotation, it feels like counting Bello out is the trendy thing to do. But Bello is still just 26-years-old and is signed through 2029, with a club option for 2030. His peripherals may not back it up, but the full-season picture on Bello a year ago was solid. He threw 166 2/3 innings with a 3.35 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. In an 18-game stretch from May 23rd to August 27th, Bello was 8-5 with a 2.69 ERA, going 6+ innings in 13 of those starts! Move on from the shaky final month of the season; Bello has something to prove in ‘26.

— Bob Osgood

I’m going to say Caleb Durbin, even though it wouldn’t be a true surprise to have him do well. He’s a young and motivated head-down guy. His competency at third will be refreshing, and I think he’s going to truly lean into his speed and any possible tool he can wield in service of the team.

— Maura McGurk

Wilyer Abreu: If he steps up against lefties and stays healthy enough to show the power Boston knows he has, the national audience will have no choice but to bring Abreu’s name to the forefront.

— Tim Crowley

I’m optimistic that Ceddanne Rafaela can continue to make some improvements offensively while playing Platinum Glove-caliber defense in center. His xwOBA has climbed each of the last three seasons (2023 wasn’t a big sample size to be fair to him), and while I’m not even expecting him to be a bang average hotter compared to players league wide, it would be great if he could even be a perfectly cromulent back-of-the-order hitter.

—Fitzy Mo Peña

Does anyone even remember that Triston Casasis alive? We don’t know when he’ll be healthy, or whether he’ll have a position waiting for him when he is. But we do know this: There are only two players on the Red Sox capable of hitting over 30 homers and putting up an OBP around. 380. Casas is one of them.

— Dan Secatore

Who will have the most disappointing season?

I’m reluctantly going to say Trevor Story. He cut down on his strikeout rate considerably year over year, but also saw a huge jump in pitches over the heart of the plate. Very few hitters with his power saw as many pitches to hit. I’d expect pitchers to be more careful with him, and I don’t know if he has the discipline to take his walks.

— Jacob Roy

Color me the pessimist here, I don’t see Connor Wong bouncing back to anywhere near his earlier career form. I understand he was injured for a good deal of last season, but that doesn’t prevent me from thinking he’ll be a replacement level defensive-first, ok-framing, poor-hitting backup to Narváez. It’s my biggest question mark on the roster entering 2026.

— Jake Reiser

Regression is a pain. Sonny Gray has been dropping off since 2023,and I don’t see that changing as he transitions into his late-30s. The discrepancy between his FIP and ERA last year would suggest that perhaps he’s gotten a bit unlucky. And, he says in games long enough to allow him to be unlucky. But his hard hit percentage historically, along with the 6.84 ERA in his career at Fenway (albeit with a small sample size), worry me.

– Dean Roussel

I’m feeling the same as Jake but the other way: I think it’s Carlos Narváez. There was nothing expected of him last year. And teams last year seemed to be scouting him to trigger nonsense interference calls. Challenges will hopefully make “framing” less valuable. I honestly think he is still fine. They don’t need a new catcher. But against expectations Narváez might come up short.

— Mike Carlucci

I don’t think there’s any way Aroldis Chapman is as good as he was a year ago, when he was so automatic the game was pretty much over if the Sox took a lead into the ninth. In fact, he was so automatic that the bullpen isn’t really getting any discussion compared to the rest of the team this spring, and bullpens have a funny way of cracking when that happens. Chapman just turned 38 last month, and while he can still dial up the velocity, some regression seems guaranteed. The only question is how far is the fall off.

— Matt Gross

Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Is it a hot take to say that a backup/utility infielder will not take the world by storm this season? No. But if he’s signed for $6 million, putting the team over the second luxury tax threshold, and prevents them in any way from adding additional payroll for a true impact hitter? Yes, I plan to be disappointed. IKF had an OPS of .631 in 2025, with a career rate of .660, alongside an 82 career wRC+. His speed and defense are average at best, and he hit .227 against left-handers a year ago, an area that the team badly can use help in. Nate Eaton can do what Kiner-Falefa has been signed to do.

— Bob Osgood

I’m torn between Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Narváez, simply because I don’t think they can replicate the shockingly good years they had last year, and that will register as disappointment. Particularly in Chapman’s case, when the plan is to rely on him being lights-out again. I hate writing this because I don’t like to throw up any jinxes.

— Maura McGurk

Brayan Bello: Despite the weight of a top rotation starter off of him, Bello still struggles to attack with his arsenal and shows similar struggles to a tough 2025 finish.

—Tim Crowley

Going to, unfortunately, piggy back on what Mr. Roy said about Trevor Story. If anyone is going to disappoint, there’s a good chance it’s the guy with some iffy stuff under the hood who has injury question marks as well. Hope I’m wrong!

—Fitzy Mo Peña

It seems like a lot of Red Sox Nation is already sold on Caleb Durbin being a good to very good infield piece for the next ~5 years. And, sorry, but it’s hard for me to see a guy who hits baseballs with all the force of a rolled-up newspaper being a good big leaguer over the long-term.

—Dan Secatore

Amongst the newcomers, whose City Connect jersey will we see the most at Fenway come September?

The world could collapse into an apocalypse, and sports could be stopped entirely, but Payton Tolle would find a way to say something goofy into a camera. His happy-go-lucky personality, juxtaposed with his pure power on the mound, will make him a fan favorite.

— Jacob Roy

It’s Payton Tolle, full stop. He’s charismatic alongside pretty darn talented.

— Jake Reiser

Connelly Early. He’s young, his stuff is incredible, and he’s a homegrown talent. Plus, he’s a big lefty. Red Sox fans love that.

– Dean Roussel

Given that Fanatics/Nike basically ignore most players these days I think it has to be Sonny Gray who, as a veteran, will have jerseys made. Demand might be Early but good luck finding any number other than 34 in stock.

— Mike Carlucci

If Tolle manages to pop production wise, it’s going to be him with his combination of velocity and personality, but I’ll stick with my guy Connelly Early, who I’m more confident in being a solid rotation piece out of the gate this year, which fans should gravitate towards by midsummer.

— Matt Gross

It’s Payton Tolle. Anyone who has this much pride for the WBC sendoff needs to be a part of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.

— Bob Osgood

Payton Tolle, no doubt.

— Maura McGurk

Tolle. The kid is charming, man.

—Fitzy Mo Peña

Tolle. Could he even be top-five in team jersey sales?

— Tim Crowley

So, um, what’s going to happen with Kristian Campbell this year?

He finally is given a true lane to run in but is stuck in the minors for most of the season…again. His mechanics are still one heck of a work in progress at the dish; it feels like he isn’t the first call-up at all from Worcester. Between Eaton, Hickey, Romero, Sogard, there’s more than enough spot guys that will be called to the big club before Campbell gets a shot.

— Jake Reiser

Some success at Triple A but remains completely blocked. Flipped at the deadline for a bullpen arm.

— Mike Carlucci

I’m not optimistic he gets out of Worcester this year. We’ve pretty much established that Campbell can’t play infield defense at the major league level, which means he’s now buried under the already overcrowded outfield/DH logjam the front office did little to alleviate this winter. This means Campbell really only has two paths to Boston this summer: One, he demolishes Triple-A pitching so much the Sox have to call him up and give him serious at-bats in favor of some combination of the Roman Anthony / Ceddanne Rafaela / Wilyer Abreu / Jarren Duran / Masataka Yoshida (and maybe even Triston Casas). Or two, a bunch of guys get injured and he’s the next best option. Unfortunately, that second scenario feels far more realistic as his quickest ticket back to the big leagues. To be fair though, the one thing he does have going in his favor is he’s right handed, which may lower the bar a little for him to get back to Boston’s unbalanced lineup.

— Matt Gross

He needs to dominate Triple-A LHP to earn the chance to platoon and fill in up in Boston. The roster construction as it stands in the infield makes it really hard for him to play his way back into a starting role.

—Tim Crowley

He works out the kinks in his rebuilt swing throughout the first half of the season and plays a role on the Red Sox in the second half. Injuries will happen with the big club, and the team has made far too big an investment in Campbell to allow a Blake Swihart situation to happen again.

— Bob Osgood

Speaking of jinxes! I would love to see him turn it around but where’s the evidence? His finding a home in the outfield is a mixed blessing; at least he can focus now, which presumably relieves some amount of pressure. But for godsakes this is the worst team to find yourself on in 2026 if you’re trying to make it to the big leagues as an outfielder. Campbell will be available for depth in the second part of the season (I guess) but I think it’s very possible he gets traded at the deadline—and that the fresh start might be good for him.

— Maura McGurk

It’s illegal for you to ask me that.

—Fitzy Mo Peña

In 10 years the 2026 Red Sox season will be remembered for…

The next steps forward. Remember, the name of the game here is CONSISTENCY in making and winning in the playoffs, not just one-and-done. This team is still very young, even with the additions of 3o-year-old Ranger Suárez and 36-year-old Sonny Gray. Roman Anthony is still 21. Marcelo Mayer is 23. Caleb Durbin is 26. Garrett Crochet is 26. Wilyer Abreu is 26. Jarren Duran is 29. The core of this team is well on the short side of 30. This team is still most likely a playoff team, but it’s about your stars of the future taking the next step to being great—and guys like Anthony, Abreu and Duran showcased that in the spring. Let’s see how it translates to 162 games in Boston.

— Jake Reiser

Establishing a floor. This team didn’t really shock anyone when they made a playoff run last year, but just how good how quickly Roman Anthony was surprised even the most optimistic of champions of the young outfielder. Same may be able to be said of Garrett Crochet, who is a bonafide Cy Young candidate…. hopefully perennially. Still, though, a lot of the new additions are guys who come with some volatility, although not as much as last season. Sonny Gray is getting older. Wilson Contreras is getting older. Caleb Durbin has a small sample size in his career. Johan Oviedo does too. If half of these lottery tickets don’t cash in, we’ll still get a playoff team, or one on the verge. Maybe we get a team that goes to Game 3 of the ALDS. Maybe we see a team popping champagne. We don’t know if either result is the lowest or highest result a team can expect, but this year will help establish a floor and give some clarity.

— Dean Roussel

It better be a deep postseason run. This team is as good as any of the other flawed contenders in the American League. With the Dodgers on the other side of the board, this Red Sox team should be right in the mix down to the very end, and this season should be remembered for whatever happens in very meaningful baseball games in the fall. Anything less is an underachievement.

— Matt Gross

A team that took a major step forward to shed the disappointment of the 2019-2025 era. This is a team that feels like it could make the ALCS on the back of its pitching rotation and bullpen, while being an impact hitter short. Hopefully I’ll feel differently after the trade deadline or if Tristan Casas can return and look like the player he was in 2023.

— Bob Osgood

Step two if things go ok. They hang in the division race a while but settle for a Wild Card. Maybe win that first round. We celebrate the progress made since 2022-2024. If Roman is a star, the lefties make gains against same-handed throwers, Early and maybe Tolle are breakouts, well, it’ll be remembered a while no matter how far they go into October as the real Red Sox rebirth.

— Mike Carlucci

For the drastic reduction in errors and once more plying the old-fashioned craft of good infield defense.

— Maura McGurk

Roman Anthony’s MVP campaign and a wild card series victory at Fenway Park.

— Tim Crowley

For being the Red Sox team that formally confirmed that we are back, baby. Even if we don’t end up on top by season’s end, 2026 is going to be the year that confirms it for folks who may not have been convinced after 2025: we’re in a new age, one that will be delicious (to quote a former Boston mayor) for Red Sox Nation.

—Fitzy Mo Peña

Winning the World Series, obviously. Because there’s no other reason why. The Red Sox are the balls!

— Jacob Roy

The near holy ascension of Roman Joseph Anthony.

—Dan Secatore