Category: Baseball

Major League Baseball's Opening Day is upon us, and with it comes the annual exercise of trying to predict the seven-month puzzle before a single pitch is thrown.

After an offseason and spring training of roster moves and position battles, the 2026 season officially kicks off in earnest with a clean slate for all 30 clubs. Can anybody take down the Los Angeles Dodgers? The two-time defending World Series champions added another star this winter in Kyle Tucker, infuriating fans across the baseball world.

Should we just name the MVP awards after Aaron Judge (three) and Shohei Ohtani (four)? And who are the rookies set to make the biggest impact in 2026?

Here's how USA TODAY Sports' MLB writers and editors see the season unfolding:

Bob Nightengale

• AL East: Blue Jays
• AL Central: Tigers
• AL West: Mariners
• AL Wild Cards: Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox
• NL East: Phillies
• NL Central: Cubs
• NL West: Dodgers
• NL Wild Cards: Brewers, Giants, Mets
• ALCS Winner: Tigers
• NLCS Winner: Phillies
• World Series: Phillies over Tigers
• AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr. – Royals
• NL MVP: Bryce Harper – Phillies
• AL Cy Young: Framber Valdez – Tigers
• NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes – Pirates
• AL Rookie of the Year: Kevin McGonigle – Tigers
• NL Rookie of the Year: Nolan McLean – Mets

The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System is …

A welcome introduction. Recent years have seen a tactical flattening of the game with the introduction of the universal DH, the banning of the shift and the three-batter minimum rule, but this adds an interesting wrinkle to game management. The league table of catchers’ challenge percentages will be fascinating. AE

The robo-ump makes me sick, but I also didn’t love the pitch clock and I could never go back to 3hr 45min games. In the end I think we’ll all get used it fairly quickly. Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo claimed he wouldn’t use it all year and didn’t make it one inning before he reversed course. BAG

Count me among the naysayers. There’s something pure about a pitcher figuring out the nuances of a particular ump’s strike zone. And ABS minimizes an important aspect of a catcher’s repertoire: framing. MJ

Umps have gone from God to gotcha thanks to instant replay and now, ABS. It’s been a slow, painful demise for the men in blue and now umps will be emasculated even more acutely. That said, strike zones will become more consistent, and once the umps just give up and learn what the computer likes, we’ll probably see fewer challenges and fewer embarrassing moments. DL

Shohei Ohtani is the greatest player since …

Eddy Merckx? Michael Phelps? Jan Zelezny? Leonidas of Rhodes? Secretariat? At this point you have to look beyond baseball and start making comparisons with other sports’ greatest ever competitors. What he is doing should be impossible. AE

He’s the greatest to ever do it, full stop. Ruth never faced 100mph sliders. Bonds never took the mound. Ohtani’s doing both at historic levels in the analytics age. BAG

There really is no comp for the value and domination Ohtani has brought to the game. No offense to The Babe, but he wasn’t exactly hitting off flamethrowers or throwing the ball 100mph like Ohtani. MJ

Himself! Ruth made 36 starts over two years before his hitting prowess forced him off the mound, while Ohtani has made nearly 90 starts over the past four seasons in which he has hit full-time. You can’t take your eyes off him. DL

What I’m most looking forward to …

Last year was supposed to be the year the Orioles’ young stars properly broke through. Instead, it was a disaster – players couldn’t find a rhythm, injuries piled up and the rest of the American League East was the strongest it had been in years. But the young core is back, Pete Alonso has joined, there’s a new manager, and the new owners seem to be more ambitious than the Angelos family was. AE

Seeing whether October bends to LA once more or finally breaks them. We haven’t seen this kind of superteam-v-the field tension since the fin-de-siècle Yankees. The Dodgers feel like a team all but nailed-on for a coronation, which usually means something weird is coming. The fun will be finding out which contender, if any, is bold enough to disrupt it. BAG

Exciting prospects. From elite infielders Konnor Griffin (Pirates), Jesús Made (Brewers), Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) and JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals) to power hitters Travis Bazzana (Guardians) and Sebastian Walcott (Rangers), there’s a great chance at least a couple of these prospects become household names. MJ

Related: Baseball should be riding high. Instead the salary cap debate has it gearing up for war | Howard Bryant

MLB and the MLB Players’ Association using every minute of this season to get together and figure out the next collective bargaining agreement. This is hard to believe, but baseball is actually on the rise for the first time in for ever after a great season, World Series and World Baseball Classic. It has real momentum, and to have an extended work stoppage that cancels or shrinks next season is sports suicide. DL

Young player to watch …

Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo played 31 games last year and averaged just .165, but the Camden Yards front office clearly saw something in him and signed him to an eight-year extension. Spring training is largely meaningless but the 21-year-old finished it with an OPS of 1.115 including several big home runs. Everyone in Baltimore loves Adley Rutschman, but if he has another down year, Basallo will be waiting in the wings. AE

Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony feels like the next face-of-the-league test case: a blue-chip prospect with only 71 games of big-league experience fixed to be the everyday leadoff hitter for an AL East contender. One of the World Baseball Classic’s breakout stars, the 21-year-old has even been hyped as a MVP candidate. BAG

Travis Bazzana. It’s not just that Bazzana, drafted first overall by the Guardians in 2024, is Australian. The kid was balling out this spring. The infield prospect’s power was on display for Team Australia in the WBC and for the Guardians – he hit two homers in a game last weekend. Bazzana will start in Triple A but there’s already buzz around his presumed call-up, which could turn the back-to-back AL Central winner into even more of a juggernaut. MJ

Well, the Pirates have a two-for-one now that pitching phenom Bubba Chandler has earned a spot on the rotation. The onetime two-way player who gave up the dream to focus on pitching will be Pittsburgh’s fifth hurler after Buccos brass wisely decided to start the 23-year-old rather than put him in the bullpen. DL

MVP winners will be …

It’s hard to look beyond Ohtani in the National League, for reasons outlined above. In the AL it’s trickier – Cal Raleigh deserved it last year, but Aaron Judge plays in a major market, is relentlessly consistent, and has shown he’s not a one-off. AE

It’s Ohtani in the NL and the Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez in the AL. The 25-year-old Rodríguez, just entering his prime, has the supporting cast in place to turn his electric tools into a season too overwhelming for voters to overlook. BAG

Ohtani (NL) and Bobby Witt Jr (AL). Make that four in a row for Ohtani. The AL race is a tad more fun, and I’ll cast a vote for Witt to double down on his all-around dominant 2025 and regain the batting title he won in 2024. MJ

Let’s be honest: the only way Ohtani and Judge don’t win the MVP awards is if they get hurt. DL

AL East winners …

The Yankees. Toronto were one the league’s luckiest teams last year and rode that fortune to within one out of winning it all, but are likely to fall back a bit. It’s the strongest division in baseball again, and any of the five teams could win it, but there is always an inevitable feeling about the Yankees. AE

Blue Jays. It’s the most volatile division in baseball, but Toronto’s recent October experience and offensive ceiling give them the narrowest edge. Health is the swing factor, yet if even a portion of the rotation stabilizes, their lineup can outslug anyone in a division where margins are razor-thin. BAG

Red Sox. There are safer picks. The Yankees have a superhero hitter and mostly unchanged roster that was successful in 2025. The Blue Jays were inches away from a World Series victory. It will be hard for Toronto to duplicate that effort, though, especially with Bo Bichette’s departure. But I’m smitten with Boston’s potential give their young talent, how well Anthony hit in the WBC, and adding Ranger Suárez to a rotation already featuring Garrett Crochet. MJ

If Gerrit Cole comes back and is healthy and effective, the Yankees will have a superb pitching staff, but I still like the Blue Jays to repeat as AL East winners. Yes, they lost Bichette, but they did sign Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto to help fill their power gap, and the pitching staff is still rock solid. DL

AL Central winners …

The Royals. Tarik Skubal will depart the Tigers at some point, leaving them significantly weaker. The Guardians are arguably past their peak, which makes it time for the Royals’ decade of rebuilding to finally pay off. AE

Tigers. This is less about dominance than comparative stability. Detroit’s pitching foundation, bolstered by the Framber Valdez addition, gives them a higher floor than rivals with more obvious flaws. In a division defined by uncertainty, the Tigers are the safest pick. BAG

Tigers. Detroit were already the favorite in baseball’s weakest division. Then they signed Valdez. The Royals are intriguing by virtue of Witt’s presence. But none of the teams in the division did much this offseason to bolster their chances. MJ

Oh, the middling Central, where you never know who to pick because, well, who knows? That’s why I’m picking the Royals, with their young talented roster about to be infused with one of the best catching prospects in the sport, Carter Jensen. DL

AL West winners …

The Mariners have such a fun, likable team and it still feels as if they’re on an upswing. All the projections put them well ahead of their division rivals. And even though it would feel extremely Mariners-y for them to miss the playoffs regardless, they are just too well-rounded to fail completely. AE

Mariners. The consensus favorite on merit, Seattle’s elite pitching and improved offense make them the most complete team in the AL. Raleigh may not belt 60 homers again, but paired with a fully unleashed Rodríguez and a deeper, more balanced lineup, Seattle won’t need a historic outlier to score enough runs. BAG

The Astros are on a clear downward trajectory. The Rangers’ big acquisition of MacKenzie Gore could easily be a bust. The A’s may hit a billion home runs this season, but it won’t be enough to compensate for a weak pitching staff. That leaves the juggernaut Mariners. MJ

We know who it won’t be – the Angels, whose owner Arte Moreno doesn’t believe winning is a top priority for the team’s fans. That’s a hot take! They do actually enjoy winning in Seattle, where the Mariners fell just a game short of reaching their first World Series. Their three-headed pitching monster of Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo, mixed with Raleigh and company should have enough to hold off Houston for a second consecutive season. DL

NL East winners …

It’s been a strange offseason for the Mets, but they’re clearly trying to get over their disappointing 2025 quickly by focusing on the immediate future, with short and short-ish contracts for newcomers Bichette, Luis Robert Jr and Freddy Peralta. All have proved their quality and if they gel, they could dominate the division. AE

Phillies. How many more times can Rob Thomson and Co run it back with this core? The answer may be one. But the lineup can still rake and the rotation is deep even before Zack Wheeler’s anticipated return in late April. The free-spending Mets will push them, but Philadelphia’s October-tested identity gives them the edge over 162 games (even if their final grades have left something to be desired in recent years). BAG

This shapes up to be a tight one. The Mets and Phillies are clear contenders, but the Phillies are old, and the Mets’ collapse is too recent to have faith. Enter the Braves and Ronald Acuña Jr, who returns to earlier career form. Atlanta also didn’t lose anyone significant and enter the season with a stacked, healthy roster. MJ

Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski said Bryce Harper’s 2025 season was “not elite”, and despite that being a correct assessment, it still hurt the first baseman’s feelings. That’s water under the bridge according to the pair, but I don’t buy it. Wheeler is recovering from injury, Suárez is now in Boston, and suddenly the Phils seem stale. So they’re no match for a revitalized Mets roster filled with multiple defensive gamers playing out of position. Yes, they’re the Mets, and yes, the team is a bit weird, and yes, it’s a make-or-break season for team president David Stearns, but the worn-down Phils will yield to the team in Queens as things turn around for the Amazins’. DL

NL Central winners …

The Pirates have been awful for a decade, but this may be the year that ends. Paul Skenes is the most exciting pitcher in the league, and Griffin is MLB’s top prospect. The Pirates weren’t quite ready last year and didn’t meet expectations, but the young stars and a weak division could mean Pittsburgh’s window is opening. AE

It’s a coin-flip division, but Chicago’s balance – enough pitching, enough lineup upside, fewer glaring weaknesses – makes them the safest bet. Milwaukee’s development machine keeps them close, yet the Cubs’ incremental improvements across the roster give them the slight advantage in a division no one has put their stamp on. BAG

It’s hard not to be smitten with the Cubs give their monster offseason additions, Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera. They finally have to depth the overcome the Brewers. Look for the Pirates to make a run after adding several powerful bats. MJ

It’s the Milwaukee miracle: nine seasons, seven playoff appearances, just one finish below second place. For a tiny market, you can’t do much better than that, and if it weren’t for those pesky Dodgers, the Brewers might have even made it to their second World Series. That said, they traded Peralta and Caleb Durbin, so they’re going to rely on their younger up-and-comers to bridge the gap, hold off the Cubs and win their fourth straight division title. DL

NL West winners …

The Dodgers, obviously. But to make it a bit more interesting, I’ll predict they win more than 105 games but fewer than 110. AE

This isn’t really a race so much as a formality. The question isn’t whether they Dodgers win the division, but how hard they’ll gun it during the regular season. With unmatched depth and star power, they’re playing a different game than everyone else. BAG

Let me think. Oh yeah, the Dodgers. The only time in the past 13 years they haven’t won the NL West, they still cranked out 106 wins. They are the ultimate destination for free agents too, this year snagging Kyle Tucker, the best overall free agent, and the best available relief pitcher, Edwin Díaz. MJ

I picked the Rockies last year and was let down. I’m not picking them again this year, but am wondering, will they win 60 games? Not necessarily, but it is possible. What does this have to do with the Dodgers? Nothing. Will LA win the West? Yes. Who will finish second? San Diego, despite looking weaker in 2026. DL

AL wildcards …

Orioles, Blue Jays, Astros. AE

Yankees, Red Sox, Royals. BAG

Blue Jays, Royals, Yankees. MJ

Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers. DL

NL wildcards …

Cubs, Braves, Padres. AE

Mets, Braves, Brewers. BAG

Brewers, Pirates, Mets. MJ

Cubs, Phillies, Padres. DL

ALCS

Yankees over Orioles. AE

Mariners over Blue Jays. BAG

Mariners over Yankees. MJ

Mariners over Red Sox. DL

NLCS

Dodgers over Mets. AE

Dodgers over Phillies. BAG

Dodgers over Cubs. MJ

Mets over Dodgers. DL

Your World Series winners will be …

Dodgers over Yankees. The Dodgers are the best team in the league for boring reasons: they have the biggest payroll by far, and the best player in history. The depth of their roster is ridiculous – an injury to any other team’s ace could derail an entire season, but the Dodgers would barely notice. If they’re stuttering in July, they’ll just overpay at the trade deadline for whoever’s having a good year. The Yankees are probably best placed to try to stop them, but it’s hard to imagine any other outcome than a third consecutive title. AE

Mariners over Dodgers. All $ign$ point to three-peat in Chavez Ravine: unmatched rotation depth, a lineup with no soft spots and Ohtani elevating the whole operation’s confidence. It should be a cakewalk for an LA team who can beat you in so many different ways, but baseball is funny sometimes. Seattle have a deep rotation of their own that can go toe-to-toe with anyone, while Andrés Muñoz anchors a bullpen built for tight postseason games. Once they finally shed the dubious distinction of being the last active major-league club to have never appeared in a World Series, look for the Mariners to take it one further in unforgettable fashion. BAG

Dodgers over Mariners. Back in Tiger Woods’s prime, every major would lead with the question, Tiger or the field? Only a fool would bet the field. That’s the current Dodgers who, barring disaster or lots of weirdness, will three-peat. They plugged two minor holes this offseason, nabbing Tucker to fortify their outfield defense and signed star closer Díaz. The Dodgers have no weakness. Even if Ohtani’s batting is hurt by an increased load on the mound, he’s still the best player in baseball by a mile. The Mariners, so close to making this World Series happen last year, will snag a win or two thanks to an excellent rotation and closer. Jack of all trades Brendan Donovan is a nice boost and prospect Colt Emerson could add some pop, but Seattle just don’t match up toe-to-toe with the Dodgers. MJ

Mets over Mariners. Just imagine the confetti flying out of the windows on a crisp October afternoon. Hot pretzels fly off the carts. Four million souls line Broadway as the floats make their way down towards City Hall. The Mets beat Seattle in seven with a walk-off home run – I’m not sure who will hit it, that hasn’t come to me yet. When it does, I’ll let you know. What I do know is that Stearns is building meticulously, and though he had to make hard decisions, and did have a disastrous 2025, the team have a different quality. With a few deadline additions, they’re championship calibre. DL

The Athletic | Andrew Marchand: As MLB, and sports leagues around the country, tries to keep juicing television revenues, it becomes harder and harder for fans to keep track of where their favorite team’s games will be shown. The Yankees’ opener on Netflix last night was symbolic of the fractured nature of the TV landscape, with fans needing a paid subscription to access the opening night game, the only Yankees game Netflix will broadcast this year. Regular season Yankee games will be broadcast on eight different platforms this year, plus two more if they make the playoffs, though it should be noted that fans that have access to a cable subscription and Amazon will at least be able to watch the vast majority of Yankees games. It forces one to ask, were we better off before we started cutting the cords?

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Luis Gil didn’t make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster, a move that makes plenty of sense given the team’s early-season setup. Not only do the Yankees not need a fifth starter until April 11th, but Gil now has a chance to continue to work on some adjustments to his arsenal and mechanics. “We feel good about the adjustment he made going into the last outing,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “Got the quality of the fastball back, the velo up.” Rather than a setback, this trip to the minors could prove to be a stepping stone for Gil, who will look to recapture his 2024 Rookie of the Year form in 2026.

The Ringer | Ben Lindbergh: José Caballero made history last night, becoming the first player in history to challenge a ball/strike call (he lost). Lindbergh writes that the ABS challenge system, which rolls out in full this season, might soon be history too. The system was tested to very positive reviews in the minors, but that’s just the thing; once fans and players see how easy it is to overturn missed calls, how long will it be before calls for fully automated strike zones take over?

MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: The Dodgers signed former Yankees reliever Jake Cousins to a major-league contract for a guaranteed $950K. Cousins had a bit of a breakout with the 2024 Yankees, posting a 2.37 ERA over 38 innings, but underwent Tommy John surgery last June. He projects to return some time this summer.

And, before the season officially started last night, the Yankees got through some roster housekeeping:

No surprises here. Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe, and Gerrit Cole all start the year on the injured list, all with target return dates over the next couple of months.

SAN FRANCISCO — Max Fried signed with the Yankees before last season with the idea of pitching at the top of the rotation, alongside Gerrit Cole.

But when Cole was lost for all of last season with Tommy John surgery, Fried took charge as the ace of the rotation.

With Cole approaching a return at some point in late May or early June, he and Fried should be able to provide that anticipated one-two punch soon enough.

In the meantime, Fried picked up where he left off in Wednesday’s season-opening 7-0 win over the Giants at Oracle Park, pitching 6 ¹/₃ scoreless innings.

It came after he began his outing with a four-pitch walk to the free-swinging Luis Arraez and then gave up a one-out single to Rafael Devers.

Fried got out of the inning unscathed, and after the Yankees gave him a five-run lead in the top of the second, the lefty cruised the rest of the way.

He retired 10 of 11 after Devers’ hit and pitched into the seventh despite being limited to around 90 pitches.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

Fried left after 86 pitches and was dominant after the first despite insisting he didn’t have his best stuff — a sentiment Aaron Boone agreed with.

“It was one of those outings you’ve got to try to figure out how to get it done when you aren’t the most locked in out of the gate,” Fried said. “You grind through it.”

Boone said of Fried: “He can beat you in different ways … his arsenal is so vast that he makes you have to account for a lot of things.”

It includes a four-seam fastball, cutter, sinker and curveball, with some sweepers, changeups and sliders mixed in.

Boone noted that since Fried’s cutter wasn’t as effective as it usually is, his four-seamer was even more important.

It all added up to Fried easily outpitching San Francisco ace Logan Webb.

“That’s what an ace looks like when he’s grinding,’’ Boone said.

Certainly, something must have changed after that rough top of the first, when Fried found himself in trouble almost immediately with Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee coming to the plate.

“He was a little more in the zone early and got ahead [in counts],” Austin Wells said.

And Fried credited the early five-run advantage for giving him some breathing room for most of the outing.

“It gives you a little more room for error and you can be aggressive and make adjustments,” Fried said.

It also helps to have filthy stuff, as Ryan McMahon noted.

The third baseman scoffed at the notion that Fried was anything but excellent in his first start.

“He really knows how to pitch,” McMahon said. “He probably told you he didn’t have his best stuff, which is crazy with what he did. He knows how to compete, and we feed off that.”

What is ABS? Explaining MLB's new challenge system starting in 2026 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The future is now.

With a new Major League Baseball season here, a major change will play a unique role in how the year progresses.

Coming to the majors this season is the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System, or ABS for short. After many years of players and coaches resorting to ineffective arguing with umpires on controversial pitch calls, the technological advancement will aim to reduce human errors while adding new layers of strategy.

The system has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022, working its way up to MLB Spring Training games last year. It works similarly to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in soccer, but with slightly different regulations and team control.

It came into play on Opening Day, when New York Yankees utility option Jose Caballero lost the first ever MLB challenge when facing San Francisco Giants star Logan Webb.

Here’s everything to know about how the ABS Challenge System will work in MLB as it debuts in 2026:

What is ABS in MLB?

ABS stands for the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System that is being used in baseball and coming to MLB starting in 2026. It helps to ensure important calls are being made correctly and offers balance between human umpires and previously incorporated “robot umps.”

How will ABS work in MLB?

The system monitors the exact location of each pitch, relative to the batter’s zone. Players can request a challenge on a ball or strike call that they disagree with, which can either be confirmed or overturned after a brief review. A graphic displaying the result will also be available for fans to view on the videoboard inside the respective stadium as the review unfolds.

Challenges will be available at every MLB ballpark, but not at the Mexico City Series, Field of Dreams game or Little League Classic, as those venues will not be able to support the technology.

Ballparks are also required to display the number of challenges remaining for each team using the code “ABS.”

How many ABS challenges will MLB teams have? What about extra innings?

Each team will start the game with two challenges apiece.

If a game goes to extra innings, teams can get an extra challenge in the 10th if they are out. If they use it in the 10th, they can get another in the 11th and so on until the game concludes.

But if a team still has challenges left entering extra innings, they will not get another for that inning until it is used, if necessary. Then they’ll receive another for possible subsequent innings and so on.

Are successful ABS challenges retained?

Yes. But a challenge will be lost if the challenge is not overturned, so they must be used wisely.

Who can issue ABS challenges?

Only the batter, pitcher and catcher can issue challenges, and it must be in the immediate aftermath of an umpire’s call (roughly within two seconds). Outside assistance is prohibited, even from a team’s manager. Umpires can refuse a challenge if they deem the call was aided by non-eligible teammates or coaches.

To issue a challenge, the player can tap their cap or helmet to alert the umpire, but are also encouraged to verbalize it if necessary.

In the event of technological issues, umpires can inform teams that challenges will not be allowed until the situation is resolved, along with an in-park announcement.

Are there any instances a pitch may not be challenged?

Challenges are not permitted when a position player is pitching or right after replay reviews, though it can be case by case.

How will ABS work on broadcasts?

It will remain up to broadcast networks on how they want to display the strike zone box on screens. The main change is that MLB is requesting broadcasters to no longer differentiate the circle in the box depending on whether the pitch is a ball or a strike.

Will ABS challenges be a statistic for MLB players?

Yes, Baseball Savant will include challenge statistics for players. For example, the catchers that are most successful not just at framing pitches but challenging calls will be available to dig through.

For more on the ABS and how it’ll work in MLB, click here.

What is ABS? Explaining MLB's new challenge system starting in 2026 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The future is now.

With a new Major League Baseball season here, a major change will play a unique role in how the year progresses.

Coming to the majors this season is the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System, or ABS for short. After many years of players and coaches resorting to ineffective arguing with umpires on controversial pitch calls, the technological advancement will aim to reduce human errors while adding new layers of strategy.

The system has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022, working its way up to MLB Spring Training games last year. It works similarly to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in soccer, but with slightly different regulations and team control.

It came into play on Opening Day, when New York Yankees utility option Jose Caballero lost the first ever MLB challenge when facing San Francisco Giants star Logan Webb.

Here’s everything to know about how the ABS Challenge System will work in MLB as it debuts in 2026:

What is ABS in MLB?

ABS stands for the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System that is being used in baseball and coming to MLB starting in 2026. It helps to ensure important calls are being made correctly and offers balance between human umpires and previously incorporated “robot umps.”

How will ABS work in MLB?

The system monitors the exact location of each pitch, relative to the batter’s zone. Players can request a challenge on a ball or strike call that they disagree with, which can either be confirmed or overturned after a brief review. A graphic displaying the result will also be available for fans to view on the videoboard inside the respective stadium as the review unfolds.

Challenges will be available at every MLB ballpark, but not at the Mexico City Series, Field of Dreams game or Little League Classic, as those venues will not be able to support the technology.

Ballparks are also required to display the number of challenges remaining for each team using the code “ABS.”

How many ABS challenges will MLB teams have? What about extra innings?

Each team will start the game with two challenges apiece.

If a game goes to extra innings, teams can get an extra challenge in the 10th if they are out. If they use it in the 10th, they can get another in the 11th and so on until the game concludes.

But if a team still has challenges left entering extra innings, they will not get another for that inning until it is used, if necessary. Then they’ll receive another for possible subsequent innings and so on.

Are successful ABS challenges retained?

Yes. But a challenge will be lost if the challenge is not overturned, so they must be used wisely.

Who can issue ABS challenges?

Only the batter, pitcher and catcher can issue challenges, and it must be in the immediate aftermath of an umpire’s call (roughly within two seconds). Outside assistance is prohibited, even from a team’s manager. Umpires can refuse a challenge if they deem the call was aided by non-eligible teammates or coaches.

To issue a challenge, the player can tap their cap or helmet to alert the umpire, but are also encouraged to verbalize it if necessary.

In the event of technological issues, umpires can inform teams that challenges will not be allowed until the situation is resolved, along with an in-park announcement.

Are there any instances a pitch may not be challenged?

Challenges are not permitted when a position player is pitching or right after replay reviews, though it can be case by case.

How will ABS work on broadcasts?

It will remain up to broadcast networks on how they want to display the strike zone box on screens. The main change is that MLB is requesting broadcasters to no longer differentiate the circle in the box depending on whether the pitch is a ball or a strike.

Will ABS challenges be a statistic for MLB players?

Yes, Baseball Savant will include challenge statistics for players. For example, the catchers that are most successful not just at framing pitches but challenging calls will be available to dig through.

For more on the ABS and how it’ll work in MLB, click here.

Per site tradition, we make our picks and lay them bare for all to see. And this year, 10 of us took on the challenge. Here are our section-by-section picks, which we’ll revisit and tabulate in October to reveal the best and worst. And by all means, feel free to listen on four of our writers discussing their picks in our Sox Populi podcast, found on The Feed here on site:

By all means, praise and chide in the comments — and feel free to chip in with your own prognostications, tough guys and gals.

The Tigers and Mariners are clear division favorites in the AL, with a much tougher fight in the AL East. Over in the NL, it’s the Brewers, Mets and Dodgers looking fine in our eyes.

And yes, trust us, dear readers, site suspensions of at least a full week have been discussed for Hannah Filippo, David James and Joe Kiang-Resis. We’ll let you figure out why.

The race for the AL’s best seems quite a fight, at least opposed to the NL. In the case of league worsts, there is fight between two teams in both leagues — and in the AL, no one picked the White Sox! Novel.

And yes, trust us, dear readers, a site suspension of at least a full year has been discussed for Hannah Filippo. We’ll let you figure out why.

Most of us have learned our MVP lessons and are meekly prognosticating repeats wins for Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. It looks like a two-arm race for AL Cy Young, with the NL looking like a runaway for Paul Skenes.

As for the White Sox-specific picks, our wins total ranges from 66 to 80, and for once it is not Brett Ballantini as the most dour pick. It seems an absolute runaway for team MVP and best pitcher, and frankly for Best Rookie as well. And is the usual super-fun contradiction, Hannah Filippo picks Luisangel Acuña as best rookie, while David James has Acuña as the team’s worst player. Most likely, he won’t be either extreme — but that’s why we play the games!

The formatting of our final “tiebreaker” categories (mostly just an excuse to goof off with topical takes of the moment) is a little too difficult to fit onto the page here, but the questions for us all to consider were:

Do the White Sox have a winning record at any point after Tax Day?
Do the White Sox select Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 pick?
Will Justin Ishiba become owner by December 31?
Will the White Sox trade Andrew Benintendi?
Will the Birmingham Barons Win a Third Straight Southern League Title?
Will the White Sox extend Munetaka Murakami?

SAN FRANCISCO ― It was a beautiful day in the Bay and a perfect evening for Major League Baseball as a sold-out Oracle Park had all the vibes on a 65-degree peak day.

Red, white and blue streamers dropped in the stands to celebrate the start of the new season.

Opening Day was highly anticipated for the 40,856 in attendance, but the home fans left disappointed as the New York Yankees shut out the San Francisco Giants, 7-0.

There's been lots of commotion surrounding the Giants' offseason splash hire to bring in Tony Vitello as new manager with no prior major league experience. Vitello had a stellar stint at Tennessee where he led the Volunteers to multiple College World Series appearances and won the national title in 2024.

His debut in the majors wasn't as favorable – a lopsided loss.

"On a personal level, but also the whole team, everybody would like a better result, but the results are going to fluctuate," Vitello told reporters after the game. "I think the biggest thing is, I guess ... a more competitive effort would have been better."

SAN FRANCISCO — The New York Yankees heard all about that effusive energy coming out of the San Francisco Giants’ clubhouse, that ol’ college spirit that was going to be a game-changer in Major League Baseball, and how the Yankees would be the first to bear witness to the new sheriff in town.

Well, by the end of the night, the Yankees were the ones who let Giants rookie manager Tony Vitello know that energy can be nice, but it’s absolutely worthless when you have a pitcher that can shove that energy where the McCovey Cove kayaks can’t float.

The Yankees, behind Max Fried’s brilliant performance, completely shut down the Giants, 7-0, on Wednesday night in the 2026 season opener, with all of that energy vanishing into the night in front of a sellout crowd of 40,856 at Oracle Park.

The Yankees, with Fried giving up just two hits in 6 1/3 innings, with the seven-run defeat equaling the Giants' most lopsided in a season opener.

The Giants had one hit in the first inning.

Another hit in the fourth inning.

One in the eighth inning.

That was it.

It was the Giants’ fewest hits on Opening Day since April 12, 1965.

Welcome one and all to Twins Opening Day! As always, we will have our game thread up this afternoon to make predictions about the rest of the season based off a single game, but for now you can read our predictions before a single game is played. All your favorite Twinkie Town writers have pitched in their thoughts. Leave yours as well!

Who will be the Twins’ best hitter in 2026?

Ben Jones: Byron Buxton this, Luke Keaschall that. How about Matt Wallner? He has major flaws but he’s also not that far away from being one of the best hitters in baseball, frankly. Wallner has his best season as pro, hits 45 dongs, and leads the team in every major offensive category including, yes, strikeouts.

Matt Monitto: Seeing a lot of buzz for a Luke Keaschall breakout, and I have to agree with it, especially if he bats leadoff ahead of Buxton: that would suggest pitchers go after him to avoid facing Buck with men on, giving him more chances to hit.

Zach Koenig: I think we may have seen the apex of Buxton in 2025. Now, slightly-regression Buxton may still be the best hitter on this squad, but I’m gonna go with Luke Keaschall. He really impressed me last year I sometimes wonder if he hadn’t gotten hurt maybe the Pohlads wouldn’t have gone scorched earth on the bit. Extremely inexperienced, I know, but that speed really plays.

James Filmore: Byron Buxton

John Foley: Byron Buxton. It’s still best to look at things for Buck on a rate basis, even after he played in 126 games last year (his most since 2017), but we shouldn’t overthink this question. Since the 2020 campaign, Buxton has solidified his place as one of the game’s premier sluggers. By isolated slugging, Buxton trails only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani over that span.

John Von Mosch (aka our good friend Imakesandwichesforaliving): Byron Buxton. He’ll carry over from last season. Maybe a 30-30 season?? 

Hans Hollander: Buxton continues to be a star with another fantastic season…this time earning top-10 MVP honors. 

Who will be the Twins’ best pitcher in 2026?

Ben Jones: This was a more fun question back when Pablo Lopez was healthy and Bailey Ober could crack 90 MPH on his fastball. Now, the only real answer is Joe Ryan. However, I’ll add a caveat that I think there’s like a 80% chance Ryan is dealt at the deadline, leaving space for someone to catch him on overall impact. In that case, 2027 All-Star Taj Bradley is on the case.

Matt Monitto: Joe Ryan for as long as he remains a Twin.

Zach Koenig: I’m going chalk here with the Joe Ryan Experience. When he’s right, he’s a top-flight MLB starter. With Pablo out, I don’t see an obvious challenger to that mantle.

James Filmore: Joe Ryan

John Foley: Joe Ryan for the first half of the season. Again, let’s not overthink it. Who will be the best pitcher in the second half is anyone’s guess because Ryan won’t be with the Twins past the trade deadline. If the outlook going into 2027 is going to be improved over this past winter, the answer needs to be Taj Bradley and Mick Abel. 

Sandwiches: Joe Ryan. I think he’s the only pitcher on the staff, isn’t he? 

Hans Hollander: Joe Ryan will lead the staff…and will stay with the Twins for the entire year! And, as a unit, the rotation is tops in the division. As for the bullpen, Taylor Rogers regains the closer title and leads the team with saves. 

Who will be their breakout star?

Ben Jones: I really think Brooks Lee puts it together this year. That doesn’t mean he’s suddenly a mid-order bat, but a .750 OPS and 20 home runs would unironically make him one the Twins’ three most important position players. With Kaelen Culpepper on his heels, he’ll feel the pressure to get back to his top-prospect status and it’s now or never.

Matt Monitto: I already said Keaschall, but I’m going to add another and say Eric Orze becomes a high-leverage option in the bullpen. My justification is that I had Orze as a solid relief options for several seasons in my Twins Out of the Park save, so I’m rooting for him.

Zach Koenig: A bit of a swerve here, but I’ll say manager Derek Shelton. I know from all accounts that Rocco seemed to be really good behind the scenes with player relationships. But to me, that never translated to fans. He never showed much emotion and, quite frankly, at times (too many times, by the end) didn’t seem to be having much fun at all. I’ve heard a few Shelton interviews and he seems to bring a new energy.

James Filmore: Taj Bradley because the Twins are due for a great young starter.

John Foley: Austin Martin in a nearly everyday super utility role. (Editor’s note: the heart yearns for 2024 All-Star Willi Castro)

Sandwiches: I have a feeling Luke Keaschall will tear it up this year. 

Hans Hollander: Austin Martin proves he belongs in the lineup, leading off more than any other Twin. 

Which top prospect will have the greatest impact in 2026?

Ben Jones: I don’t think he’s the best of the Twins’ top 100 quartet, but the answer here is probably Connor Prielipp. Minnesota’s bullpen is so vacant of impact arms that he would probably be their best reliever right now. As it stands, he’s in St. Paul working as a starter, but the Twins will likely want to lighten his load as the season wears on, giving him a chance to step in as their best reliever down the stretch.

Matt Monitto: Gabriel Gonzalez because eventually they’ll call up a right-handed-hitting outfielder.

Zach Koenig: I have to plead the fifth on this one, as I simply do not follow the minor leagues or prospects enough to have an informed opinion. As I always say, a player “becomes real” to me when he hits the majors. (Editor’s note: that makes Zach’s answer 30-year-old career minor league catcher David Bañuelos according to the TT bylaws. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.)

James Filmore: Prielipp because his name sounds kinda kinky.

John Foley: Mick Abel. His improvement in throwing strikes last year appears to have carried over into this spring. Abel has been hard to square up throughout his minor league career and generates frequent ground balls when hitters do put it in play. Avoiding free passes at a much higher rate has changed the trajectory of his outlook. 

Sandwiches: I’ll have to go with Emmanuel Rodriguez. I don’t keep tabs on the prospects well enough, but I think he’s been healthy and had a great spring. He’ll get the nod at some point and impress folks.

Hans Hollander: Culpepper ends the season as the starting shortstop, starting to make Twins fans optimistic about the position. 

Predict the Twins’ final record and whether or not they make the playoffs.

Ben Jones: Most projection systems have the Twins between 78-80 wins. Outside of the bullpen, I think that’s about where they stand as a team with the opportunity for more if some combination of Wallner, Larnach, Roden, Lewis, Lee, Martin, and Bell can turn into true mid-order bats. That’s about where you want to live as a team who is mid-rebuild (despite what Tom Pohlad will tell you). Bullpens are fickle and it’s just as likely that Cole Sands has the best year of his life that the entire thing implodes. I’ll be the positive one and say they finish 85-77 and sneak into the final Wild Card slot.

Matt Monitto: 64-98, but incredibly, they finish first in the Central after a string of tornadoes sweeps through opposing clubhouses and leaves them without uniforms for the entire sea— actually, no, they finish last.

Zach Koenig: No playoffs—I just don’t see even a Wild Card berth happening. I do think this squad still has enough talent to not be 92+ loss bad. At the same time, they have enough holes that unless everything comes up 21, I don’t see them all that competitive. I’ll go with 74-88—four games better than last year based on the fact that morale won’t be quite as low as August/September ’25. But also not enough to really move the needle.

James Filmore: 72-36 (wait for it…)

Marea Anderson: Somewhere around 65-97, and that’s being generous. I’m not blaming players at all; this is based purely on the ownership. I’m convinced they’re trying to recreate the movie Major League into a documentary, and are doing everything they can to make the fans and players hate it here so they can move to a larger or warmer climate. 

John Foley: 74-88. I think the chances they finish below the White Sox in the standings in 2026 are higher than their chances of making the postseason. 

Sandwiches: 72-90, and I sadly think I’m being optimistic. If they make the playoffs with that record, something went terribly wrong in MLB.

Hans Hollander: The Twins finish at .500 and out of the playoffs. BUT, they finish with one of the stronger Septembers in the sport and clarity on a direction for the next season. 

Give me a bold prediction for this season.

Ben Jones: I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but I absolutely know that Austin Martin’s hair will cause him to make a game-losing mistake. Maybe it gets in his eyes during a crucial at-bat. Maybe his glove gets caught in it as he goes to make a leaping grab in left field. Maybe a bird takes up residence in his luscious mane, they develop an unbreakable bond, and said bird hears the high frequencies of the PitchCom device and starts whispering pitches into Martin’s ear but often gets it wrong because it’s still new to english.

There’s no way to know the specifics, but I guarantee it will happen. I can feel it my bones.

Matt Monitto: Due to a positional change forcing them to use their DH in the field, Kody Funderburk is forced to bat in a late June game and homers.

Zach Koenig: If by some chance the Twins are in contention on August 13—the Field of Dreams game—they are able to summon the ghost of Walter Johnson out of the corn. He hadn’t shown up with the 1919 bunch back in the Ray Kinsella Era because the notoriously above-board Big Train would never associate with known gamblers. Because he is, well, Walter Johnson, he immediately pitches a perfect game in Dyersville and the Twins are the new AL favorites. Because Minnesota is, well, Minnesota, he feels “a little something” in his elbow the next day and is diagnosed with a torn ACL. Because he can’t step over the chalk line of any ballpark, the surgery must be performed by Archibald “Moonlight” Graham, who of course botches it because he lived decades before Tommy John’s landmark procedure. The Twins collapse the rest of the way.

James Filmore: The Twins finish 72-36 because… the season will be canceled in August when the Twins are on the verge of clinching a #1 playoff seed, just because MLB hates YOU personally. Not Twins fans in general, just YOU. YOU know who YOU are and YOU know what YOU did.

John Foley: No fewer than five Twins finish the season with 10+ home runs and 10+ stolen bases. (They had 3 do it last year, none in 2024, and 1 in 2023).

Sandwiches: The Twims will set the record for the most innings pitched by position players in a season by a long shot, most of them by Kody Clemens, enough for him to qualify for some sort of award. Maybe best K/9 by a reliever.

Hans Hollander: T.C. Bear announces he has twin sons: Lil’ Minnie and Paulie B(ear). (Editor’s note: the notoriously litigious Disney Corporation already has a cease-and-desist in the mail, Hans. Nobody infringes upon Michael Theodore Mouse’s wife’s copyrighted name, image, or likeness. You can’t just say things like this on Al Gore’s internet!)

At long, long, long last, baseball returned on Wednesday. The San Francisco Giants took the field, the fans poured through the gates, and the kayaks flooded the cove. For the first time in 178 days, Giants baseball was back.

But seriously, you couldn’t have waited 179 days? We had to do this today?

Apparently. And so the Giants returned to your screen and Aaron Judge struck out four times for the first time since 2024, and other than that, the evening was a gigantic, awful, no-good mess.

The game was a fiasco from the get-go, and it started before it even started. The Netflix baseball era began with an All-Star display of solipsistic streaming. It seemed the company’s lone goal was to convince you to sign up for a service that you already had to be signed up for to see said streaming, creating a capitalism ouroboros, with baseball nowhere to be found. Somehow, despite the day supposedly being about celebrating the return of America’s pasttime, we were forced to confront three of the people I least want to listen to when watching baseball: Bert Kreischer, Jameis Winston, and Rob Manfred. On top of all that, Netflix had all winter to prepare for this one game, and still ended up with the worst graphics in the history of organized sports.

Finally and mercifully, the game began, only 20 minutes late. And for a few glorious moments, not only was all right with the world, but the Giants were cooking. Logan Webb took the mound for his fifth consecutive Opening Day assignment, but just his second at home. He struck out Trent Grisham. Then he struck out Judge. Then he got Cody Bellinger to fly out to cap a perfect inning.

The good vibes and times would only amplify in the opening moments of the bottom half of the inning. Facing the inevitable Max Fried, Luis Arráez — who walked just 58 times across 1,257 plate appearances the last two years — began the season, and his Giants tenure, with a four-pitch walk. Naturally. After Matt Chapman narrowly legged out a potential double play, the Giants had their first moment that made you consider that the day just might be special (beyond the obvious theatrics).

Rafael Devers, fearsome as he may be, got up in the count 2-0, was handed a challenge sinker by Fried, and swung out of his boots for it. He popped it up, at a decidedly unintimidating 74 mph, high into the San Francisco wind.

But it landed in the glorious dead area where the middle infield can’t quite reach the middle outfield, try as it may. And Chapman, reading the arc of the looper so deftly that I initially thought he had mistaken the situation for having two outs, made it all the way to third on Devers’ bloop. Here, in the bottom of the first, with their ace on the mound and dealing, the Giants had a prime opportunity to strike first, and seize control.

Instead, Willy Adames struck out and Jung Hoo Lee ground out, and we went to the second inning, where the game was lost.

The Yankees, it seemed, had a plan against Webb: attack early. Ben Rice swung at the first pitch of the inning, and while he grounded out, it set the tone. Giancarlo Stanton swung at the second pitch of his at-bat, singling it into center for New York’s first baserunner. Webb got in on the action himself, hitting Jazz Chisholm Jr. with his next pitch. José Caballero showed the most patience of them all, waiting until the third pitch of his at bat to blister a ball down the third-base line for an RBI double.

Old NL West foe Ryan McMahon also waited for the third pitch, dribbling a seeing-eye single through the middle for a two-run single. Austin Wells took the very next pitch into the outfield for a one-bagger. Grisham took the very very next pitch into the outfiield for a three-bagger. Six consecutive batters had reached base, and they’d seen a combined 11 pitches.

It was the type of performance that left you feeling like the Yankees were better prepared than the Giants. The type of performance that made you wonder if New York was picking up on a tell with Webb’s pitches. The type of performance that leads you to overanalyze a game that represents just 0.617% of the schedule.

Webb recovered. He ended that nightmare sequence by striking out Judge again, and then Bellinger. He set down the side in order in the third. He handled the fourth easily, while handing a Judge a hat as he punched him out for a third time.

But in the fifth, the same thing happened. The Yankees, as if remembering what had worked in the second, hit the “replay” button on the strategy. Bellinger singled on the first pitch of the inning. Rice singled on the second pitch of the inning. Stanton singled on the fourth pitch of the inning. And then, because this is what happens when things aren’t going your way, Webb got what he assumed would be a double-play grounder from Chisholm, but Adames’ throw was low and Casey Schmitt couldn’t dig it out, resulting in an error that scored the second run of the inning, and the seventh and final run of the game.

That was six runs more than was necessary for the Yankees. The Giants offense, so potent in February, was nowhere to be found in the first meaningful game of the year, be it against Fried or the trio of relief arms the Yankees employed, which included Camilo Doval. When all was said and done, Devers’ bloop stood as one of just three hits off the Giants’ bats, joining mild-mannered singles by Arráez and Heliot Ramos. Arráez also had his walk, as did Chapman, while Schmitt was hit by a pitch, and those were the only Giants to earn a spot on base, though Adames also found a residence at first thanks to an error.

It was a 7-0 loss that humbled not just the Giants, but all of us who dared pretend like we know things about baseball. The talk all offseason and preseason was about the team’s revamped and exciting offense. The least concerning part about the Giants was Webb. The glaring issue and question mark was the bullpen.

And yet the offense was nonexistent, and Webb had his first five-run inning since 2023. The bullpen, meanwhile, was the only thing that went right for the Giants. Keaton Winn was downright filthy, striking out Judge and Bellinger in a powerful sixth-inning appearance.

JT Brubaker needed just 22 pitches to handle two scoreless innings. Caleb Kilian took on the heart of the order — Judge, Bellinger, and Rice — and retired them in order, on 10 pitches in the ninth.

It’s a funny game like that. Maybe the bullpen will prove to be the star of the team. Or perhaps, as is more likely, we’ll soon be reminded that one game is just that: one game.

Today I went to the store to load up on snacks for the game. The woman checking out in front of me saw my basket and asked if I was hosting a party. I told her that no, I just like to buy ballpark foods for the first day of the baseball season. That seemed to please her greatly.

Thankfully she didn’t ask what team I was rooting for. I’d like to think she’s out there somewhere, envisioning that I had a much more enjoyable evening than I actually did.

Maybe it’s irresponsible to extrapolate much from an opener, considering how soaked in pomp the first game of the season can be, both teams fresh out of spring camp and no one yet in midseason mode. Yeah, it’s early and the season is soooooo long.

But it’s hard not to like what the Yankees did Wednesday night in routing the Giants, 7-0, in the first game of the Major League Baseball season in San Francisco. Love, really.

The Yankees offense, tops in the majors last season, scored seven times without the benefit of its best weapon, the home run, or its best hitter. 

Aaron Judge, the game’s biggest offensive force, was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, and the Yanks flourished, anyway. In the big pinstriped picture, Judge’s forgettable night didn’t matter a whit except to social media wiseacres shopworking jokes.

There were other glowing pluses, too, including a superlative outing from Max Fried, who threw 6.1 shutout innings, and 2.2 scoreless frames from the bullpen. After an early wobble in the first inning, Fried basked in the comfort of the five-spot the Yankees put up in the second inning off one of baseball’s best pitchers, San Francisco ace Logan Webb.

If Fried can battle like this when he’s perhaps not his sharpest and then unleash brilliance when he’s at his best, the Yankee rotation profiles as a monster, what with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón slated to return during the season. Especially if Cam Schlittler is what Yankee fans hope he is and what he showed last year.

There’s more: Judge was the only batter without at least one hit. Austin Wells and Giancarlo Stanton had two apiece. The Yankees took an aggressive approach against the Giants, getting five of their 10 hits on the first pitch of an at-bat. If you are a Yankee fan who’s been crying for their favorite team to not rely so much on the home run, maybe this game’s in your Louvre. They still struck out 12 times – no offense is perfect.

The Yankees leaned on the longballs last year, scoring 50.1 percent of their MLB-best 849 runs via the home run. Don’t get us wrong – hitting home runs is a great way to win. The Yankees had a .632 winning percentage when they hit a single homer last year and that figure ballooned to .707 when they hit two-plus longballs.

But for years, the Yanks have felt like a team that could use a little offensive diversification. That’s why it’s great they have an able basestealer like José Caballero on the roster. Caballero drove in the first run of the game and, while he made an error at shortstop, he also had a nice pickup toward the middle.

If Caballero continues to have positive moments, the chatter around shortstop will only get louder as Anthony Volpe, who struggled last year, recovers from offseason surgery. His shoulder fix might explain why he backslid last year, but Caballero doubtless made fans Wednesday night, which could bring up thorny questions for the Yanks when Volpe’s ready again.

Speaking of questions, there were plenty about bringing Trent Grisham back to play center. But Grisham on Wednesday gave doubters something to chew on, lashing a key two-run triple. It’s one game, we get it, but it was a big hit. A few more of those, and maybe skeptics won’t doubt his ability to flash numbers similar to last year.

Oh, and were you fretting about Ben Rice’s defense at first? He made several tough scoops there. Early days, yes, but something to build on. And while Jazz Chisholm Jr. might have a rep as someone who blanks on defense sometimes, he sure was paying attention in the sixth inning when Matt Chapman lashed a low, 106.7 mph liner at him. Chisholm didn’t catch it cleanly, but snagged the ball out of the air with his bare hand, a nice second-chance snare for an out.

It was only the first night and maybe we should be careful about any conclusions we draw. Early metaphors are cheap and easy, and we don’t know how long early sizzle will last. Who in their right mind would draw any lasting impression from Judge’s game, right?

Still, for one night, the Yanks didn’t mask big flaws with big homers or pummel some bad team to shine up their runs-per-game stats. They beat an ace and soundly. Maybe they have a couple of different ways to beat teams.

Lots to like. But plenty to still prove, too.

It’s early, after all.

Well we now have a waiting game for the Braves’ regular season to start. We did get to see Max Fried have a good start in the first game of the regular season (which was on Netflix and was weird). The Braves’ roster is really rough compared to what we thought it would look like two months ago. The path to this team being what we wanted it to be is getting a ton of production out of the offense, the bullpen being nails, and the team getting a bunch of pitching talent back off the IL and pitching well. It’s not exceedingly likely, but the path is still there for a very good season.

Braves News

The Braves announced their Opening Day roster and there were no surprises, as late acquisition Osvaldo Bido took the last roster spot that would have been occupied by Spencer Strider, who is now on the IL.

The Braves won the Grapefruit league, which is pretty fun and has made Spring Training more enjoyable, but also has very little predictive effect on their regular season.

MLB News

The Royals DFA’d former Braves’ top prospect Drew Waters, as the Braves clearly did well to get the pick that turned into JR Ritchie for him when he still had prospect value.

The Cardinals placed outfielder Lars Nootbar on the 60-day IL, enabling them to carry top prospect JJ Wetherhold on their Opening Day roster.

Max Fried and the Yankees routed Logan Webb and the Giants in the first game of the regular season on Netflix.

Spring Training ended for the San Diego Padres on Monday with a win over the Seattle Mariners, giving them a 15-15 record over their spring schedule. While the starting rotation remains the biggest concern for the organization, no trades or signings took place after games began to address that concern.

The Friars will begin the season with a presumed five-man rotation of Nick Pivetta, Michael King, Randy Vasquez, Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez. Multiple questions remain regarding health and effectiveness for this group. During the last days of spring, JP Sears joined Triston McKenzie and Marco Gonzales in the minors to work on their command. Matt Waldron, still needing to stretch out to starter length, will begin the season on the IL.

Roster injuries and transactions for the start of the season

Joe Musgrove, Bryan Hoeing and Griffin Canning will begin the year on the 15-day IL. Musgrove has not pitched in a game since March 4 and there have been no reports of pitching at all since March 8. He continues to work back from Tommy John surgery while Canning is working back from Achilles surgery. Jhony Brito is on the 60-day IL and Yu Darvish was added to the Restricted List.

Bullpen pitchers Yuki Matsui (groin strain) and Jason Adam (quad tendon rupture surgery) are working their way back and will begin on the IL. Matsui has worked on the back fields in Arizona but needs a rehab assignment. Adam pitched in two Cactus League games, throwing 22 pitches and faced six hitters without allowing a hit. He just needs to be tested further and have increased work to assure his leg will hold up. He can be backdated to March 22 and return as early as April 6.

Utility player Sung-Mun Song (oblique strain) had two plate appearances in the final game; he walked and struck out while playing second base. He will begin on the IL to get at-bats and also play shortstop. It remains to be seen if they keep him in the minors to get repetitions at shortstop and outfield so that he can be tested at the positions they originally hoped he could cover.

It should be noted that when Song is activated, Ty France cannot be sent to the minor leagues without clearing waivers. That would be unlikely, the Padres will have a difficult situation to deal with when Song is ready. None of their bench players have minor league options.

Márquez’s effectiveness

Germán Márquez had a difficult time with command to begin his time this spring. He gradually worked into a much better spot, flashing a 97 mph fastball and a dominant knuckle curve that he leaned on for outs. He finished with 16.1 innings pitched and 23 strikeouts, tops among Padres pitchers. His 7.16 ERA reflects his early struggles but his last two starts were big improvements. He and Randy Vasquez showed improved command and velocity this spring.

The bullpen rocks

Despite Matsui and Adam starting on the IL, the Padres bullpen looks formidable again this season. Featuring Mason Miller as the closer, the rest of the staff is solid despite the lack of two of their arms. Adrian Morejón, who quietly pushed his fastball velocity to 101 mph this spring, can ably sub for Adam as the setup man. They will carry both Ron Marinaccio and Kyle Hart as swing/bridge pitchers. Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriquez will be on the team until Matsui and Adam are activated. Marinaccio no longer has options and cannot be sent to the minors without clearing waivers.

Positional depth

With the roster fixed, the Padres depth this season is significantly improved from 2025. Gavin Sheets will be the starting first baseman against right-handed pitching. He surged at the end of spring with three home runs in four games and has played solid defense. Against left-handed pitching it looks like Nick Castellanos will get looks and Miquel Andujar can also work in. They both can DH and come off the bench. Both mash lefties and should give the Friars multiple options. France is a Gold Glove-winning first baseman and can be used for defensive relief as well as a solid bat.

Jake Cronenworth will be the backup shortstop. There isn’t anyone else on the roster to relieve Xander Bogaerts. France can back up Cronenworth. It seems that getting Song into multiple roles at the minor league level would be the best approach to add more depth. Mason McCoy is in the minors in case of injury. Will Wagner has an oblique strain and has missed most of the spring and will start the season on the 10-day IL.

Bryce Johnson has won the fourth outfield job. It makes sense, as he is a solid defender with speed and base running skills. His bat broke out last year and he has no options remaining, so they lose him if they don’t keep him on the roster. Outfielder Jase Bowen impressed mightily this spring and will undoubtedly be with the team when anything happens to an outfielder this season.

There isn’t another catcher on the 40-man roster so if Luis Campusano doesn’t rise up to the challenge placed in front of him, the Padres have two options in the minors that they can place on the roster. Blake Hunt, who is currently hurt, and Rodolfo Duran are more advanced than the other catchers available. It appears Campusano will get every opportunity early in the season to prove he belongs.

Spring Breakout first team

MLB named their Spring Breakout First Team players after all games were completed. Padres prospect Ethan Salas was named at catcher and outfielder Kale Fountain was honored as well. Both hit big homers in the Padres’ losing effort, and Salas put on a show in making his return to the field. Fountain is making the switch from infield to outfield now that he has completed the rehab from Tommy John surgery. Both will be watched for breakouts in their careers during this season.

Minor signs

The Padres signed RHP Jose Leclerq to a minor league contract. He missed all of 2025 due to a lat strain. The 32-year-old had late inning stuff in his past and will start his attempt to return to form in the minors.

RHP Julio Dilone was also signed to a minor league contract. The 25-year-old Dominican will return to the minor leagues after spending last season in the Atlantic League. He was previously in the Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins organizations but not above Single-A.