PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 30: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Joey Wiemer #21 after scoring a run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on March 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Nationals defeated the Phillies 13-2. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a comprehensive 13-2 beatdown of the Phillies last night, the Nats are looking for more in game two of the series. The Nats are red hot and the Phillies are looking to find a foothold in this new season, so this should be a fun matchup. We will also see a couple new Phillies.
Against a right handed starter, the Nats are going with a lefty heavy lineup. The first five hitters are all left handed and Joey Wiemer is the only true right hander in the lineup tonight. Brady House will get his first off day of the season, with Jobit Vivas filling in at third. Keibert Ruiz and Nasim Nunez also return to the fold after days off yesterday. The Nats will actually use PJ Poulin as an opener to deal with the lefties at the top of the Phillies lineup. Zack Littell is likely to follow him and make his Nats debut.
There is a good bit of rookie talent in this Phillies lineup, which we are not used to seeing from this veteran laden group. Justin Crawford will be in the lineup tonight and will patrol center field. He is the son of Carl Crawford and one of the team’s top prospects. Andrew Painter is another top prospect for the Phillies, and he will be making his MLB debut tonight.
The Nats have had such a positive start to the season and the beat down they delivered to the Phillies was so satisfying. Hopefully that can continue tonight, with the Nats hot bats facing a rookie pitcher. This opener strategy will also be something fun to monitor. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 23: Zach Eflin #24 of the Baltimore Orioles throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 23, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Probable pitchers: RHP Zach Eflin (6-5, 5.93 ERA, 71.1 IP, 50 Ks in 2025) vs. RHP Jacob deGrom
Four games into the Orioles season and we’ve already gotten a solid glimpse at the volatile nature of this O’s team. We’ve seen a great outing from Trevor Rogers and several middling outings from the rest of the rotation. We’ve seen one offensive outburst in the series finale against the Twins and three other games where the offense left something to be desired. Baltimore has been competitive in every game they’ve played, and yet the 2-2 record also feels a bit generous.
Through these first four contests, the O’s have been a bizarro version of the team most expect them to be. The pitching has largely been good, with the staff ranking Top 10 in FIP and K/9 while also being above average in ERA, BAA and opponent OPS.
The offense, which most projected to be among the best in baseball, has been a disappointment so far. Baltimore is currently in the Bottom 10 in runs/game, slugging percentage and strikeout rate, while also being below average in batting average, on-base percentage and hard hit rate. Marquis free agent signing Pete Alonso is yet to register an extra-base hit as an Oriole, while Gunnar Henderson is 3-for-16 to start the season.
The Baltimore bats will be tasked with the tough ask of breaking out of their mini-slump against two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom. The longtime Met is coming off his first healthy season with the Rangers, posting a 2.97 ERA and 185 K in 30 starts last season. That output was good enough for a Top 10 Cy Young finish as the 37-year-old earned his fifth career All-Star selection.
The Orioles will hopefully fare better against deGrom this season than in their encounter with him last year. The O’s faced off against the veteran right-hander last June in Camden Yards, with the Rangers starter tossing seven shutout innings while only allowing one hit and punching out seven. DeGrom’s 1.34 career ERA against the Orioles is his third-best against any single opponent, and he’s never lost to the O’s in five starts.
Zach Eflin will also return to the Camden Yards mound for the first time since late last July, as he returns from back surgery. Eflin last faced the Rangers in April 2024 when he was still a member of the Rays, pitching 6.1 innings while allowing one run and striking out five in a 5-2 win. The Orioles will need that type of outing from Eflin if they want to take down deGrom and even the series.
Another quality pitching matchup awaits us in the second of a three-game set between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners. We like one of the most improved arms in baseball last season to carve up a swing-heavy Yankees lineup.
My Yankees vs. Mariners predictions and MLB picks break down why we like the plus money over price on Logan Gilbert's strikeouts for Tuesday, March 31.
First pitch is set for 9:40 p.m. ET from T-Mobile Park in Seattle, with the game airing on TBS.
Yankees vs Mariners predictions
Yankees vs Mariners best bet: Logan Gilbert Over 7.5 strikeouts (+110)
It’s fair to ask if Luis Castillo can mow down the New York Yankees with seven strikeouts rather comfortably than why would a better pitcher be any different a day later?
Logan Gilbert's 32% strikeout rate ranked in the 94th percentile last season, and his 33% whiff rate sat 93rd. Those are not empty numbers.
He posted an 11.9 K/9 last year across 131 innings, and the Yankees are the right matchup to push him over this number.
If Gilbert records 18 outs, his strikeout total projects to just over 8. I’ll take that at this price point.
COVERS INTEL: Logan Gilbert's 7+ foot extension is the longest in baseball. That release point makes his fastball arrive on hitters roughly a foot closer to the plate than the average pitcher.
Yankees vs Mariners same-game parlay (SGP)
I’m pairing a scoreless first frame with my best bet.
I like the angle of backing Gilbert early against a swing happy lineup after a rough season opening stat.
On the other side, I trust the strong peripherals that heavily tilt towards Max Fried against the 1 through 4 hitters in the Seattle Mariners lineup.
Yankees vs Mariners SGP
Logan Gilbert Over 7.5 strikeouts
No run in first
Yankees vs Mariners home run pick: Giancarlo Stanton (+260)
Giancarlo Stanton’s raw power makes him attractive here. Over four games, he’s posted one of the highest chase contact numbers of his career.
The sample is hardly meaningful but if it can continue for another night, it will give him a boost in this matchup as Gilbert is a chase reliant pitcher.
Stanton gets to one and it’s likely going to be hit quite hard.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets:2-1, +.80 units
SGPs:2-1, +2.81 units
HR picks: 0-4, -4 units
Yankees vs Mariners odds
Moneyline: New York -110 | Seattle -110
Run line: New York +1.5 (-225) | Seattle -1.5 (+195)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-110) | Under 7.5 (-102)
Yankees vs Mariners trend
The New York Yankees have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline in 42 of their last 70 games (+16.15 Units / 14% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Mariners.
How to watch Yankees vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
First pitch
9:40 p.m. ET
TV
TBS
Yankees starting pitcher
Max Fried (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcher
Logan Gilbert (0-0, 5.06 ERA)
Yankees vs Mariners latest injuries
Yankees vs Mariners weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Apr 22, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) pitches against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
In Game 1, the Colorado Rockies (1-3) managed to absolutely bludgeon the American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays (3-1) in a 14-5 win that saw them facing a position player pitching before the evening had ended.
Tonight, they will look to take the series from the Blue Jays.
Something to watch: Colorado has not had a starter throw at least five innings this season, the only team in 2026 that has failed to do so.
Starting for the Rockies is RHP Ryan Feltner in his first start for the Rockies in the 2026 MLB season. Through parts of five seasons with the Rockies (2021-25), he has gone 9-26 with a 5.19 ERA (339.2 IP, 196 ER) through 68 games (67 starts).
His 2025 season was limited due to injuries. Feltner posted a 4.75 ERA (30.1 IP, 16 ER) with 12 walks and 25 strikeouts in six starts.
Taking the mound for the Blue Jays will be Mad Max himself, RHP Max Scherzer who returns for his second season with the team. In 2025, he started in 17 games and finished the season with a 5.19 ERA. He signed late and did not report to spring training until March 2.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 21: Josue De Paula #95 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is tagged out at home in the third inning during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Tulsa Drillers, the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate, announced its preliminary roster to start the 2026 season on Tuesday, two days before the Drillers play their first game on the Texas League schedule.
Top prospects Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope headline the roster, with those two likely flanking 100-steal man Kendall George in the all-21-year-old outfield. All three were non-roster invitees this spring and saw considerable playing time in camp, with Hope playing in 22 games, De Paula 15, and George 13.
De Paula and Hope were promoted to Tulsa for the final week of the 2025 regular season, and also played in the Drillers’ playoff series. Both were named to top-100 prospect lists entering this season by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, MLB Pipeline, ESPN, FanGraphs, and The Athletic, with an average ranking across those six outlets of 18.5 for De Paula and 37.5 for Hope.
Left-hander Adam Serwinowski, acquired by the Dodgers from the Reds as part of the three-team Hunter Feduccia-Ben Rortvedt trade last July, also got a small taste of Double-A in the final week of last season, allowing five runs (three earned) in three innings in a start last September. Serwinowski across High-A had a 3.89 ERA with 136 strikeouts and 53 walks in 108 2/3 innings between Dayton and Great Lakes, with a 28.7-percent strikeout rate. He turns 22 in June.
BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 23: Bubba Chandler #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning against the New York Yankees during a Grapefruit League spring training game at LECOM Park on February 23, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, SportsNet Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Cincinnati Reds looking to grab a win at Great American Ball Park.
Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Bucs Dugout is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
The commenting system was updated during the summer. They’re still working on optimizing it for Game Day Threads like ours. If you don’t like clicking “Load More Comments”, remember that the “Z” key can be your friend. It loads up the latest comments automatically.
BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 04: Pitcher Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers looks on from the dugout during the World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Brazil at Surprise Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s a pretty good chance of rain this evening in Chicago (weather forecast link below). Here’s the local radar to keep handy.
Tuesday notes…
TWO-OUT RUNS: The Cubs scored five of their seven runs last night with two outs, raising their season total to 14 such runs, which is 56 percent of all 25 runs they have tallied. Last season, they scored 36 percent with two down, 286 of 793. Those 286 were an average of 1.77 per game. So far this year, they are averaging 3.50. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THAT OTHER LEAGUE: A win tonight will be the Cubs’ 300th against American League teams since interleague play began in 1997. They have lost 277, for a winning percentage of .519. Only the Dodgers have fared better in interleague play among National League teams, at .548 (326-269). The Braves (311-292) and Brewers (288-270) are tied for third, at .516. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
CALLING ALL ANGELS: The Cubs are 17-10 all-time (since 2004) vs. the Angels, including 9-5 at Wrigley Field. They swept the Angels in Anaheim last season and took two of three games from them at Wrigley Field in July 2024.
EARLY STATS: The Cubs are third in MLB with six steals so far in 2026. No Cub has been caught stealing yet. They rank tied for sixth in runs with 24 (three teams with 24 or more have played one more game than the Cubs have). And, they rank fifth in walks with 21 (three of the four teams ahead of them have played one more game than the Cubs have).
Jameson Taillon had a horrid spring: 17.55 ERA, 10 (!) home runs allowed in 13.1 innings, also nine walks. Awful.
He also had one very good outing for Canada in the WBC during that time. So, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
In any case, I don’t expect those spring results to carry over. His last start against the Angels was Aug. 24, 2025 in Anaheim — five innings, three hits, one run (a solo homer by Taylor Ward, who isn’t on the Angels anymore), no walks.
I’m expecting something more like that.
José Soriano was the Angels Opening Day starter. I daresay he wouldn’t have had that role for most other teams. He’s good, no question, but that good?
Soriano did throw six shutout innings vs. the Astros on Opening Day, so there’s that.
His last start against the Cubs was July 7, 2024 at Wrigley Field. He allowed three runs in five innings. No current Cub has more than three at-bats against him.
Soriano’s pitch selection chart below is from his one start this year. Taillon’s is from 2025.
Please visit the Angels site Crashing The Pearly Gates. If you do go there to interact with Angels fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Jonny Farmelo #98 of the Seattle Mariners swings the bat during a Spring Training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday the Mariners’ Double-A affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers, announced their 2026 roster, highlighted by the inclusion of the Mariners’ two top pitching prospects, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan. That unfortunately doesn’t leave a lot of frontline starter talent for High-A Everett, but the AquaSox will still boast five of Seattle’s Pipeline Top 30 prospects, and three of the top ten.
OF Jonny Farmelo (#6) returns to Everett after battling an ACL tear in 2024 and a related stress reaction in his ribs in 2025, both of which curtailed his plate appearances in his first two professional seasons. Farmelo got a long look with the big-league club this spring, making up for some of those lost plate appearances, and showcased his top-of-the-scale speed at times, motoring around the bases and showing why he has the nickname “Jonny Ferrari.” Farmelo has a solid sense of the zone, running double-digit walk rates anywhere he’s played, and immense raw power, but needs to work on his bat to ball skills.
Another Mariners prospect who has dealt with health issues in his young career is SS Felnin Celesten (#7), who also returns to Everett. Like Farmelo, his primary goal will be staying on the field consistently, and to continue refining his approach in the box: the switch-hitter’s strikeout rate spiked to over a third in his brief time at Everett last year, and the raw power he flashed at times in the California League got swallowed up in the heavy upper-Northwest air. Celesten has made improvements in his fielding and now looks like someone who could stick at short full-time; he’s not immune to making a blunder at the six, but this spring he was reliably making the routine plays and black diamond-level ones.
MLB Pipeline’s #8 prospect for the Mariners will also join Everett, this one a newcomer in catcher Luke Stevenson. Stevenson is young for a college player, just 21, but has experience commanding a staff and could be a quick mover, especially if the team wants to reunite him with Anderson and Sloan in Double-A. The problem is there are still lingering questions over what kind of player Stevenson will be, as the soft-spoken, painfully earnest catcher is weirdly a divisive prospect among scouts. Some scouts see a whiff-prone average defensive catcher who sells out for power, and others see a potential power/defense threat at a premium position reminiscent of a young Cal Raleigh (it’s me I’m others). Similar to Raleigh, Stevenson tore up the Cal League, although at a lower level now; this year he’ll have a chance to try to match Raleigh’s otherworldly numbers at High-A, and shift the national conversation around his prospect potential, much like Cal did in 2019.
Other Pipeline Top-30 prospects at Everett include OF Carlos Jimenez (#21) and RHP Lucas Kelly (#29). Jimenez makes his High-A debut after being with Modesto the past two years. Kelly, a sidearm reliever drafted in 2025, is well-known to AquaSox fans, punching out a hitter for the final out of Everett’s championship-winning Game 4 against the Eugene Emeralds. The ASU product only pitched in a half-dozen games in Everett, so he returns to the AquaSox, but could be a quick mover so long as he keeps pounding the zone.
Here’s the complete roster:
Post-hype prospect to watch: RHP Walter Ford
It sucks to put one of the Mariners’ own post-hype prospects here rather than a reclamation project from another org, but sadly, Ford’s career hasn’t taken off yet after he was drafted with some fanfare in the competitive balance rounds in 2022. The stuff just hasn’t really taken off, and while he commands the zone well, the upside is starting to look much lower than it did. But hey, maybe now that he’s the only prospect in the system named Ford he’ll get some Highlander, there-can-be-only-one power back.
Will be ranked on the Top 30 before the end of the year: Christian Little
He didn’t have very long at Everett last season, but we at the site are buyers of the former pre-draft hype prospect. Little has the pedigree, the size, and the stuff, and this year will be huge for his development. Read John’s prospect writeup on him and get yourself out to Everett to see him and judge for yourself.
Sleeper prospect: RHP Casey Hintz
This is cheating because Hintz has been talked up by everyone from Justin Toole to Justin Hollander this spring, but witness him anyway: the former Arizona sidearmer is exactly the kind of prospect who moves quickly through this system. If he’s throwing strikes, expect to see him in Arkansas soon.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 13, 2026: Andrew Painter #76 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch during the second inning of a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at BayCare Ballpark on March 13, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Phillies lost their third straight game on Monday night, and each loss has seemed to get progressively uglier. They’ll try to turn that around on Tuesday behind rookie starter Andrew Painter making his major league debut.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Petco Park on March 30, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With momentum from Saturday’s win against the Detroit Tigers, the San Diego Padres felt poised to take the series opener against the division rival San Francisco Giants.
Sadly, it was not to be.
After getting shutout for eight full innings by a combination of starter Landen Roupp (6.0 IP), Matt Gage (1.0 IP) and Keaton Winn (1.0 IP), the Friars attempted a late rally off Ryan Walker.
Jake Cronenworth led off the inning with a walk and got to second on a Manny Machado groundout. With two outs, Jackson Merrill launched a payoff slider into left field for the Padres’ first runs of the game.
Now, with the tying run at the plate, Xander Bogaerts stepped into the box and promptly grounded out, ending what might have been.
Taking the mound
Logan Webb (SF) v. Germán Márquez (SD)
San Diego struggled to score in the few opportunities it had. The Padres will need to flip that script today against ace Logan Webb.
Webb looked mostly solid in his Opening Day start against the New York Yankees, but he was ambushed for five runs in the second inning. After that he mostly settled in.
If the Padres can hammer his mistakes like the Yanks did, they’ll be able to push him out of the game quickly. If not, they’ll have an even harder time than they did last night against Roupp.
For Márquez it marks a debut in the Brown and Gold. After Buehler had a solid (though uninspiring) debut (4.0 IP, 3 ER), the former Colorado Rockies ace will seek to top his back-end counterpart.
Batter up!
Jake Cronenworth looked mostly solid in his first time batting leadoff on Saturday. He did not look that way last night.
With that being said, it’s a small sample size of only two games. So he could still leadoff today. My guess, though, is that the lineup looks something more like this:
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Ramón Laureano, LF
Miguel Andujar, DH
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Freddy Fermin, C
It’s still early, so manager Craig Stammen could experiment more than that, but it seems likely Merrill moves up to the third spot in the order.
Backup catcher Luis Campusano struggled at the plate, so Fermin will probably start.
It’s also probable that Andujar gets the DH start after Nick Castellanos failed to reach base last night. Andujar got a pinch-hit opportunity late in the game but grounded out.
Relief corps
Good news for San Diego: almost all of the high-leverage guys are available.
The only one of those to be used last night was righty David Morgan. Beyond him, Wandy Peralta (1.0 IP) and Ron Marinaccio (2.0 IP) were used. The three combined to put up five scoreless innings after Buehler exited the game.
So that leaves Jeremiah Estrada (seeking to rebound after his blow-up on Friday night), Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and closer Mason Miller.
Miller’s only been used to close games, and the Friars have only entered the ninth with the lead once (March 28). They’ll seek to give him a lead he can work with tomorrow night.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 29: Texas Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran #20 is shown during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers on March 29th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for March 31, 2026 against the Baltimore Orioles: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Zach Eflin for the Orioles.
Texas looks to extend their winning streak to four games this afternoon. Josh Jung, who has started the season on an 0 for 17 streak, is on the bench. Ezequiel Duran is starting at third base.
Lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Burger — 1B
Pederson — DH
Smith — 2B
Jansen — C
Carter — CF
Duran — 2B
5:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -130 favorites.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 25: Fans of the New York Yankees receive autographs prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The New York Yankees are off to as good a start as you can ask for in the 2026 Major League Baseball season. After a series sweep of the San Francisco Giants on the road, they travel up the west coast and play the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series before a day off and their first home series of the year against the Miami Marlins.
With the strong start and some excellent performances from the necessary players to steer this ship toward a World Series, there was certainly some optimism among the Yankees fanbase coming out of opening weekend (also with the understanding that the Giants are a team still trying to find their footing in the National League West). However, according to a recent article in The Athletic, Yankees fans were generally less optimistic about the 2026 season and its potential results. In fact, they were about as optimistic as a few teams firmly within the rebuild territory.
More than 11,000 fans participated in our fifth annual MLB Hope-O-Meter.
Overall, 72 percent reported they are optimistic about their favorite team this season, compared to 66 percent in 2025. pic.twitter.com/ywvrqQAsGs
The first observation from the optimism survey is precisely that: the Yankees, a team that tied for first in the American League East with 94 wins and made it to the American League Divisional Series (even though that’s not nearly the standard that has been set), are sandwiched by the Chicago White Sox, who finished last year with 102 losses — the second-most in all of MLB — and the Miami Marlins, who finished four games below the .500 mark. They’re also only three spots higher than the St. Louis Cardinals, who finished six games under .500 last year and have made it pretty clear that they’re in rebuild territory.
Suffice to say, for a team that finished with such a good placement in the standings last year and had a legitimate chance of making it back to the World Series, it was unexpected to see them surrounded by those other franchises.
Below are the Yankees’ finishes in the “Hope-O-Meter” polls in other seasons and how their final results turned out.
2025: 68.1 percent (17); 94-68, T-1st in AL East, lost in ALDS to Toronto Blue Jays 2024: 80.7 percent (11); 94-68, 1st in AL East, lost in World Series to Los Angeles Dodgers 2023: 71.1 percent (18); 82-80, 4th in AL East, Did not make playoffs 2022: 48 percent (21); 99-63, 1st in AL East, lost in ALCS to Houston Astros
Within these results there is a little bit of correlation here — the highest finishing year being the year where they made it to the World Series, the third-highest being when the team tied for first and made it to the ALDS — but the other two years showcase that just because the fans aren’t optimistic doesn’t mean that the plan of attack will or won’t work out. Yankees fans in 2022 finished 21st (one spot above where they are for 2026) and made it to the ALCS after winning the division with 99 wins. The year following, they finished 18th and went almost .500.
While the Yankees did take a more unpopular approach to the offseason moves they made this winter, it’s important to note that it’s a lot easier to look at your house and say it’s burning when you’re looking for every tiny ember versus not looking nearly as closely at all the other houses around you that are burning or have the potential to do so. And, of course, it’s important to remember that the entire attitude around the Yankees organization is “championship or bust.” It’s a noble concept in practice. Everyone wants their sports franchise to be run that way. But it can provide a bit of a “rose colored glasses” view of how a team operates relative to the others around it.
The Hope-O-Meter is not a predictor of results, and it never has been. Instead, it’s more of a fun experiment done by an outlet that lets fans voice their feelings (good or bad) about where they believe their franchise is heading into the season. And while Yankees fans were clearly not thrilled with how things were handled over the offseason and heading into the regular season, there’s a reason they play the games.
Mar 29, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Mike Yastrzemski (18) slides into second base after hitting a double against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Braves will be going for the series win against the A’s behind Jose Suarez, in a matchup of fringy starting pitchers with the opportunity to give Chris Sale a chance to secure a sweep tomorrow. The Braves are running with what is probably their best possible lineup on true talent available on the active roster, facing the righty in Civale, as Mike Yastrzemski bats fifth and plays left field. Walt Weiss continues to be comfortable stacking Baldwin and Olson at 2 and 3 in the lineup, despite them both being lefties. At the back of the lineup, Dominic Smith rejoins the lineup at DH and Mauricio Dubon plays shortstop once again.
On the other side, the A’s shuffled their lineup a bit, as Nick Kurtz drops to third and Jacob Wilson takes the leadoff spot. Former Braves first round pick Shea Langeliers catches for the A’s and bats second.
Tonight’s game is on BravesVision and Gray TV at 7:15 PM ET. This may be a game high in runs scored, given the pitching matchup and offensive talent, so let’s hope the Braves can bring the lumber.
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 17: Brandon Williamson #55 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kareem Elgazzar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s been since September 17th, 2024 since Brandon Williamson has taken a mound in a professional baseball game at any level, let alone at the big league level. His grind back after having Tommy John surgery on the UCL in his left arm, though, is finally complete.
Williamson will start for the Cincinnati Reds tonight at home in Great American Ball Park with the Pittsburgh Pirates in town, the second game of this three-game set between the NL Central rivals. The Reds took home the first game of the series last night behind an excellent start by Chase Burns and a rock solid effort from some inexperienced arms in their bullpen, and Williamson will hope to lead the charge tonight that gets them a second straight series victory.
The lefty looked good all through Cactus League play, eventually earning his way onto the team’s Opening Day roster despite a positional battle with former 1st rounders like Burns and Rhett Lowder. After Nick Lodolo’s blister issues flared up, though, the team’s ‘six for five’ plan with their starters was reduced down to a five-man rotation that needed Williamson to be a starter from the outset.
That’s what we’re going to see for the first time tonight.
Spencer Steer will be the odd-man out of the starting lineup for this one after having started each of the team’s first four games of the year, the team’s utility-man extraordinaire sure to make an appearance at some point later in the game. Will Benson will slide over and start in LF with RHP Bubba Chandler on the mound for the Pirates, while Noelvi Marte is back in the starting lineup in RF after getting last night off.
Here’s how the Reds have stacked their lineup for the evening:
COVERS INTEL: Logan 
