Feb 20, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Dane Dunning (27) throws in the first inning against the San Diego Padres during a Spring Training game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the weekend!
Though the Mariners lost to the Dodgers 10-7 in yesterday’s spring bout, we saw the first Cactus League homer of the year from Colt Emerson in the latest stages of the contest. It’s been a sleepy spring so far for the young infielder, but it’s good to see him get some opportunities.
What are you most looking forward to this weekend? Got any plans? Hoping to just relax and watch some sports? Or, do you have any major obligations such as work or activities with the kids?
In Mariners news…
With Bryce Miller likely to start the season on the injured list, Brent Stecker thinks the Mariners should try to bring James Paxton out of retirement.
Daniel Kramer provided an update on his projection for the Mariners’ 2026 Opening Day roster.
Michael Clair spoke to Mariners right-hander Dane Dunning about his experience repping his mother’s home country of Korea in the WBC.
In the World Baseball Classic…
Team USA earned a hard-fought victory against Josh Naylor’s Team Canada in the quarterfinal, squeezing out a 5-3 win.
Former Rangers and A’s reliever and current free agent José Leclerc is targeting a return to play in July. Leclerc has been recovering from shoulder surgery since last summer.
Jorge Castillo wonders which Japanese stars will be the next to make the jump from WBC fame to MLB.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 7: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres gets set to throw a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michael King and the San Diego Padres were cruising through the first three innings of their Cactus League matchup against the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz. on Friday, but then the fourth inning happened. King, who had not allowed a hit through three innings, allowed five runs and was replaced on the mound by Fernando Sanchez after allowing a single to Shea Langaliers. Sanchez allowed a home run to the first batter he faced, which allowed Langaliers to score and King was charged with six runs in the inning. The Padres entered the inning with a 6-0 lead, but when the bottom of the fourth was complete the Athletics held a 7-6 lead. King came back out for the bottom of the fifth inning and allowed a double before striking out Henry Bolte for the first out of the inning, ending his day. King’s final line was four innings with six runs allowed on seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts. He also hit a batter. The most surprising stat of the day from King was that he allowed three home runs and they were back-to-back-to-back. San Diego came back to beat the Athletics thanks to a five-run eighth inning and secured a 13-9 win in a back-and-forth battle. The Padres head to Surprise, Ariz. to take on the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium today at 1:05 p.m.
Padres News:
Xander Bogaerts has returned to the Peoria Sports Complex and rejoined the Padres after his time with Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. Bogaerts told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he feels good and hopes to be good for San Diego all season.
Four potential buyers of the Padres visited the Spring Training complex this week according to Acee. The identities of the potential buyers have not been confirmed, but the report from Acee states the team could sell for more than $3 billion and the sale could take place before April. The Athletic is reporting the final bids are expected in April, but also reported there are four groups still in the running to purchase the franchise.
Triston McKenzie has improved his velocity, but his control has been an issue this spring. He did enough Friday to help the Padres get past the Athletics, but he is a long shot to secure the fifth spot in the rotation with the club out of camp. Jackson Wolf is pushing to join the San Diego bullpen and could take advantage of the loss of Bryan Hoeing, who is having season-ending elbow surgery.
The US and Dominican Republic teams won their quarterfinal games against Canada and Korea respectively and will face each other in the semi-finals with the winner advancing to play for the WBC title. Paul Skenes will return for the US to face the D.R. in the decisive game.
Puerto Rico and Italy and Japan and Venezuela play their quarterfinal matchups today and the winners will faceoff to determine who will play the winner of US and D.R.
Mar 7, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) walks off the mound in the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets played two last night, with the away squad defeating the Nationals 8-3 and the home team falling to the Marlins 1-0.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 13: Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Michael Oliveto as the thirty-fourth overall pick by the Detroit Tigers during the 2025 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Coca-Cola Roxy on Sunday, July 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Drafting prep position players with their top picks has been the core of the Detroit Tigers’ draft strategy since Scott Harris took over the club from Al Avila. It’s gone very, very well. Despite fears about the longer timelines involved, Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, and Bryce Rainer are all ranked in the top half of national top 100 prospect lists already, with McGonigle set to debut as soon as Opening Day. That’s a pretty spectacular win rate through two drafts, and this year we’ll see the debut of first round prep shortstop Jordan Yost, and prep catcher Michael Oliveto, their top two picks in the front office’s third draft class last summer. Perhaps in a year’s time the Tigers will have hit big on another pair of prep prospects at the top of the draft.
Oliveto was the Tigers selection in the competitive balance pick A round between the first and second rounds last summer. Selected 34th overall out of Hauppauge HS on New York’s Long Island, the Tigers paid him $2,447,500, about $400K underslot, to pry him from his commitment to Yale. As is the case with all catchers, especially if you ask them, Oliveto is a bright young man who posted a 1460 SAT score with the outstanding grades you’d expect.
The recently turned 19-year-old didn’t necessarily get the notice that a top young prep hitter would garner coming from baseball hotbeds in the south and out west, but he was comfortably the top prep hitter in the northeast. Between his junior and senior seasons, Oliveto broke into national consciousness in a big way with his monster performance in the Perfect Game WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Florida where he mashed a pair of home runs and three other extra base hits in just 13 at-bats. While there are questions about his ability to stick as a catcher, this was one of the most exciting prep bats in the whole draft class.
Oliveto is a left-handed hitter, standing 6’3” and weighing in at 185 pounds on draft day. There is plenty of projection for him to get stronger, and a good chance that he develops plus power as he gets stronger. He has the athleticism to project as an outfielder as well as a catcher, but that athleticism gives him a good chance to develop into a top shelf backstop as well. The main defensive question is whether his current average arm strength will improve over time, and whether his bat may outpace his defense to a degree where the Tigers decide moving him to an easier position is the better option to get his bat into the lineup.
Those decisions are still years away, but the Tigers coach catchers very well in the minor leagues. Oliveto was the top prep hitter in his region as a catcher, while posting perfect grades and getting into Yale, so we can at least say that the intelligence, motivation, and overall work ethic are in place for Oliveto to develop his talent as far as it will take him. Whether his arm strength will tick up to make him more viable as a starting major league catcher is a question that won’t be answered for a few years.
The key selling point is Oliveto’s advanced plate discipline, eye for the zone, and power potential. He’s got the relaxed, confident approach you want to see in the batter’s box, and a smooth powerful left-handed stroke with present pull power. Whether he’ll develop the pitch recognition and batspeed to handle MLB caliber pitching can only be answered much further down the road. There’s always some skepticism for players in the northeast and Midwest who don’t face elite high school pitching that often, but Oliveto has shown everything you could ask against the competition he did face. You’ll recall some similar questions about Kevin McGonigle as a Philly area prep star, and we can only hope it goes that well.
The Tigers have already brought Oliveto over to major league camp for two games to get him a plate appearance or two in front of the bigger crowds. He’s put the ball in play twice. The fact that the Tigers figured he deserved those appearances as a treat bodes well for how he’s looked on the backfields this spring. A few clips from reporters on hand have shown him hitting some tanks in BP, but he’s already shown average raw power and a little more at times despite his youth, so no surprise there. We haven’t seen Jordan Yost in Grapefruit League action yet, for whatever that’s worth, but both are scheduled to be on the squad for next week’s Spring Breakout game, when the Tigers’ prospects will take on baseball’s top prospect, Konnor Griffin, and the Pirates’ farm on March 20th. Expect both to get at least one at-bat, as Bryce Rainer did last year in making his public pro debut.
My sense is that Oliveto is advanced enough at the plate that the Tigers will send him to play for the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers right away in April. If they’re comfortable with his catching enough to work behind the plate at that level, there isn’t much point to him spending a lot of time in Complex League ball. Long-term, Oliveto runs well enough to play corner outfield, and if his bat develops quickly, playing him there and at first base may be the move. For now, a good season at the plate with the Flying Tigers will end any lingering concerns about him facing weaker high school level pitching than prep hitters elsewhere in the country. That alone would send him up national rankings pretty quickly, especially if his work since draft day and throughout this season shows him refining his catching game.
Didier Fuentes announced his presence with authority yesterday. It’s only Spring Training, but a 5/0 K/BB ratio will get you noticed. Watch this 98.7 MPH fastball yesterday.
Didier Fuentes struck out two in a perfect first. He ended the frame by getting Bellinger to swing through this 98.7 mph heater pic.twitter.com/hKeQa4C8oR
Now pair that with this sweeper. Didier definitely showed off the goods yesterday against the Yankees road lineup. It’s definitely enough to get him involved in the Braves’ rotation conversation. But he’s not the only prospect knocking on the door. JR Ritchie has also looked good this spring.
Imagine Atlanta Braves producing Rookie of the Year winners Back-to-Back and securing draft compensation picks for two consecutive season! 😳
Ritchie offers a fastball, sinker, sweeper, curveball, changeup, and cutter. He’s not tinkering; He’s administering, as JR appears to get results with all of them.
So who gets the most 2026 innings: JR Ritchie or Didier Fuentes? If I had to guess, JR Ritchie has a path to the Opening Day rotation, and failing that might debut in Atlanta before Fuentes returns. They’l send Didier Fuentes to AAA save a nighmare scenario. He has less than 50 innings in the upper minors. I’m not sure the Braves can quit Bryce Elder to start the year. Martin Perez is hanging around as well. But you know the prospects will get their chance. If I had to lean one way or another, I’d say JR Ritchie. Though after watching yesterday, Didier Fuentes make become undeniable.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24, 2026: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners throws to second base during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
As the Red Sox approach Opening Day, it’s time to start taking at look at the other American League playoff contenders. First up, a team that finished with one more win than the Sox in 2025.
What’s This Team’s Deal?
After a heartbreaking loss to the Blue Jays in Game 7 of the ALCS kept the Mariners from their very first World Series, they are looking to maintain that momentum and do one better in 2026.
They are hungry for more, and it’s not just the players; the front office has gotten in on the act too. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s infamous 2023 quote, where he professed to aiming to win only 54% of the time, typifies the past approach. Not this season. The Mariners believe their time is now, and they have made offseason moves to take charge of their own destiny. They locked down Josh Naylor at first base. They signed Brendan Donovan to stabilize third base; both of these players improve the offense as well.
Their starting rotation, which has remained nearly unchanged for the past three seasons, barring fluctuations for injuries, remains upper echelon, though unfortunately Bryce Miller will likely start the season on the IL.
How Good Are They?
Many are already predicting they will represent the American League in the World Series. At this point, Jon Morosi thinks they have the most balanced, talented distribution of players of all the teams in the AL.
Recent Mariners rosters have leaned into streaky players, and some like Julio Rodriguez, who take time to warm up. This has led them to rely too much on Cal Raleigh for offense. In 2026, that weight should be distributed more evenly with a full year of Naylor and the addition of Donovan. They are reliable bats, not just defensive upgrades. Second-year player Cole Young, who will likely start at second base, had some impressive moments in the summer, including whaling the longest Mariners home run of the season. An extended and ugly slump cost him the starting job, but spring training reports suggest he used his winter productively, returning as an improved hitter and defender. If he can be part of the infield turnaround, as well as provide flashy pop from time to time, the Mariners will have finally put the pieces together.
Typically, as with most teams, there is some uncertainty around the bullpen. Morosi and others note that Mariners relievers pitched a lot of innings in the postseason, and several (notably Andres Muñoz, Gabe Speier, and Eduard Bazardo) also played in the World Baseball Classic. Did they have enough time to reset over their shortened offseason? Time will tell. There are a number of new relievers, like old friend Alex Hoppe, who are getting some serious looks in spring training. For others, it may be more like the front office kicking the tires. Expect the Mariners to bolster the bullpen at the trade deadline no matter what, at least as a line of defense against injury.
Most Likable Player
The Mariners are full of likable players but for our purposes, it comes down to two:
Cal Raleigh is the backbone of this team. His historic 2025 season included doing just about everything: supporting the pitching staff, winning the Home Run Derby, hitting 60 HRs, captaining the team deeper into the postseason than they have ever been before, and being the most serious MVP runner-up in years. With his New England family ties, grinder mentality, and Red Sox Nation’s potboiling anger over Aaron Judge beating him out for said MVP, he’s the guy.
Rob Refsnyder. I was sorry to see him leave Boston, but if he had to go, I’m glad I can still watch him with the Mariners.
Least Likable Player
The whole team is genuinely likable, but Randy Arozarena raised eyebrows during the WBC by beefing with Raleigh. (Not his parents though! Notably not his parents.) If this tension doesn’t get resolved or blow over once Arozarena and Raleigh are teammates once again, Arozarena will be the bad guy.
Old Friends
Although the teams have resisted repeated calls for high-profile trades with each other, there are a number of old friends to keep an eye on this year:
Rob Refsnyder (sniffle)
Cooper Criswell, who is off to a good start in the Mariners organization
Alex Hoppe, former Sox prospect who may see the bigs this season as right-handed relief, but will likely be up and down between Triple-A and Seattle
Eduard Bazardo, who pitched very well in the 2025 postseason
Gabe Speier, who began his career with the Red Sox minor league system, but was traded away years ago in the package for Rick Porcello
Honorable Mention
Dominic Canzone, Brewster Whitecaps alum.
Schedule vs. Red Sox
The Sox and Mariners will face each other in the regular season for two three-game series. The Sox visit T-Mobile Park June 19-21, while the Mariners head to Boston August 31-September 2.
Season Prediction
It would be extremely unlikely for Raleigh to repeat with another individually historic year, but he will channel that competitiveness and drive toward the greater good of the team. The AL West is the Mariners’ to lose. Last year, they were 90-72 and won the AL West by three games. With their strong pitching and improved overall roster, they’ll gain five wins and finish the regular season 95-67, sitting pretty for a deep run in October. They’ll likely make the Series against the Dodgers, barring some catastrophe on either side. And if that happens, given how well-matched the Blue Jays (who barely escaped the Mariners’ clutches) and Dodgers were in 2025, it will be a fair fight.
BRONX, NY - OCTOBER 01: Romy Gonzalez #23 of the Boston Red Sox at bat during the American League Wild Card Game 2 against the New York Yankees on October 1, 2025 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is off to a 13-5 start in 2026 but the ‘Canes are only 1-3 in the ACC and finished 0-2 against the Florida Gators in a weather shortened series. While UM might struggle a bit in a talented ACC, there are some ‘Canes in the pros this season as spring training gets into full swing as well as the World Baseball Classic.
Boston Red Sox IF Romy González is Miami’s best bet at an every day player in 2026. González had a .826 OPS on nine HR’s in 2025. González is projected to have over 300 AB’s playing first and second for the Sox.
Cleveland Guardians hitter C.J. Kayfus is another Hurricane on a major league roster. Kayfus had a .707 OPS last season and is projected to log 200+ AB’s in ‘26. Kayfus is playing 1B and RF for the Guardians.
Slade Cecconi and Andrew Walters should be on major league rosters in 2026 as pitchers. Cecconi started 23 games in ‘25 for the Guardians posting a 7-7 record on a 4.30 ERA. Cecconi is posting a strong spring training with 4.67 SO/W and a 2.13 ERA. Walters, another Guardian player, struggled in limited duty in ‘25 after a solid ‘24 campaign.
Miami will be well represented in the minor leagues with Victor Mederos, Carson Palmquist, Rafe Schlesinger, Gage Ziehl, Yohandy Morales, Alejandro Rosario, and Dominic Pitelli along with Freddy Zamora and Zach Levenson who are in the WBC.
ZachLevenson (St. Louis Cardinals) represented Israel in the WBC and FreddyZamora (Milwaukee Brewers) represented Nicaragua. Levenson was 3-for-14 in the WBC while hitting .250 in spring training for the Cards. Zamora was only 1-of-9 in the WBC, but is hitting .333 in spring training for Milwaukee.
Mederos and Palmquist are on the LA Angels and Colorado Rockies 40-man rosters, respectively. Mederos made three starts with an 0-2 record and 7.41 ERA in ‘26, while Palmquist really struggled in the majors in ‘25 posting an 8.91 ERA and 0-4 record in seven starts.
2025 top picks Griffin Hugus and Brian Walters have yet to make their spring training debuts in the Mariners and Phillies organizations, respectively. Both players will be in the minor leagues in 2026.
Feb 20, 2026; North Port FL, USA; Atlanta Braves infielder John Gil (93) poses for a photo during media day at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves continued to trim down the roster on Friday, with John Gil and Tayler Scott being the next victims. After these two were reassigned to minor league camp, the Atlanta roster stands at 47.
The #Braves today reassigned INF John Gil and RHP Tayler Scott to minor league camp. Atlanta now has 47 active players in camp.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 09: Pitcher River Ryan #77 of the Los Angeles Dodgers takes the sign during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 09, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
River Ryan is scheduled to pitch one of the Dodgers’ split squad games on Sunday, getting the home game at Camelback Ranch against the Texas Rangers. The right-hander who had Tommy John surgery in August 2024 and missed all of 2025, is now vying for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation, or at least a spot on the opening day roster in some role.
He’s also having a solid spring training, with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, with a solo home run his only hit given up so far in Cactus League play.
Ryan was listed in two different articles this week about strong performances this spring, including by J.J. Cooper at Baseball America:
Back from Tommy John surgery, Ryan needed one spring training outing to dial in the strike zone, as in his first appearance against Arizona he landed strikes with only 42% of his pitches. But he showed no control problems in his next two outings, and he’s sitting 96-98 mph with a swing-and-miss 90-91 mph slider. That slider has generated eight whiffs in 14 swings.
“Ryan has looked excellent in the early going in Arizona after not pitching since 2024,” McDaniel wrote. “He has the components to start but his deep arsenal of plus stuff can work in any role.“
Links
Major League Baseball this week released a report about Game 7 of the World Series regarding Miguel Rojas throwing out Isiah Kiner-Falefa at home plate in the ninth inning, that the play was not as close as it originally seemed From Ben Walker at The Associated Press:
“After reviewing all relevant angles, the replay official definitively determined the catcher’s foot was touching the plate when the ball contacted the interior of his mitt,” read the official report by MLB, which recently provided it to The Associated Press.
Mark Simon wrote about the Dodgers team defense at Sports Info Solutions: “The one thing that could go against them is age, with Betts, Muncy, Freeman, Rojas, and Hernandez all being 33 or older and on the downside of the aging curve. If it came apart for all of those players at once, the Dodgers could be in trouble.”
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
Jun 30, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (28) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Good morning Birdland,
MLB’s regular season is inching ever closer. The World Baseball Classic will wrap up in just a few days. The Grapefruit League enters its final week. And the Orioles have named an Opening Day starter.
Team USA is still alive in the WBC, although the road has not been as easy as they probably expected it to be. They had to sweat out the final game of Pool play in order to squeak into the quarterfinals. That set the stage for a matchup with Canada on Friday night. That was a game they ultimately won 5-3, and now they will face a very impressive Dominican Republic squad on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Even if you aren’t a WBC fan overall, that is a game worth checking out. Will USA skipper Mark DeRosa come to his senses and put Gunnar Henderson (5-for-10, home run) in the lineup ahead of Alex Bregman (2-for-11, five walks)? Don’t count on it.
One week from today, the Orioles will play their final game in Florida. After that, they are due to head north for a home-and-home pair of exhibition games with the nearby Nationals. Those will be the last tune ups before Opening Day on March 26. It’s practically right around the corner!
And we now know who will be pitching for the Orioles on March 26. The team announced on Friday that Trevor Rogers will take the hill as the unofficial “ace” of the staff. On one hand, it’s no surprise to give a veteran coming off of a Cy Young-contending season the Opening Day start. But on the other, Kyle Bradish is far more established within Baltimore, and still felt like the favorite to a degree coming into camp. Instead it looks like he will get to work in Game 2 of the year.
In the meantime, there is still plenty of baseball to watch. In the WBC, Puerto Rico and Italy will play at 3 p.m. ET, while Venezuela and Japan meet up at 9 p.m. ET. The Orioles will head to Bradenton for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch against the Pirates. Rogers will be on the bump.
Links
Gunnar Henderson, underrated? WBC treatment is puzzling for Orioles star | The Capital Gazette Bregman is still a good player, but he is years past his prime. Meanwhile, Henderson might still be ascending. There is no question about who is the better player right now. The only arguments for Bregman being in the lineup is that he has more experience, has won big tournaments (World Series), and he plays third base everyday. And I will say that those are not without merit. Would I still pick Henderson? Yes, but I am openly biased.
How the Orioles built a potentially special draft class of pitchers in 2023 | The Baltimore Banner The Mike Elias era of Orioles baseball is not without its pitching success stories. Bradish was plucked from the Angels when many saw him as a relief pitcher long term. Rogers has found a new level in Baltimore. Dean Kremer has been far more productive than many expected when he was a prospect. But the team has not really built a player from draft pick up to impact big leaguer yet. Maybe that changes soon.
Trying to learn more about Albernaz’s leadoff plans, Jackson on playing second base, teammates happy about Rogers’ Opening Day start | Roch Kubatko The lead off consideration is interesting. The team probably still wants Jackson Holliday to be that guy at some point, but he’s hurt and still needs to prove some things at the big league level. Given the current state of the team, I would probably go with Henderson. It feels like a waste for his power potential, but he does so many things well on offense. For me, he is the best choice to set the table ahead of Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso.
More than 750 players have appeared in a Rockies game — but only about 200 have ever started on Opening Day.
As spring training is in full swing and Opening Day is approaching quickly (seriously… how is it March 14th already?!), there are still plenty of roster battles playing out. The Colorado Rockies will open the season in Miami on March 27, and the lineup is undecided to say the least.
With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to look back over previous Opening Day lineups in Rockies history. And I’m glad I did.
This exercise won’t suddenly explain how the Rockies can become competitive, but it does reveal some interesting — and occasionally funny — takeaways.
Roster Churn
Turnover from year to year is very real. According to Baseball-Reference Opening Day lineup records, not once since 1993 have the Rockies opened a season with the same lineup as the year before. Given injuries, roster churn, and offseason changes, that result isn’t surprising.
The most consistent stretch came from 2016 through 2018, when seven starters carried over year to year, including Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story, Gerardo Parra, Charlie Blackmon, and Carlos González. Not coincidentally, that stability helped produce back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018.
Jon Gray started Opening Day in both 2017 and 2018, providing rare stability on the pitching side as well.
The Stable Positions
First base, shortstop, and right field have historically been the most stable spots in the Rockies’ Opening Day lineup.
Todd Helton is the model of consistency, having started at first base in a club-record 16 consecutive Opening Day lineups. Few players in franchise history have come close to that level of stability, and Helton’s mark feels safe for the foreseeable future.
Shortstop was anchored for 15 seasons by Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story. Tulowitzki started nine Opening Days at the position, with Story adding six more.
Right field also saw extended stability. Hall of Famer Larry Walker started seven Opening Days there while Brad Hawpe and Charlie Blackmon each started five.
Blackmon ranks second in franchise history in Opening Day starts, and his appearances came at multiple positions — center field (5), right field (5), and DH (1).
Left field, meanwhile, has been anything but stable. If Jake McCarthy gets the nod this year, he would become the eighth different Opening Day left fielder in the past eight seasons, making LF arguably the Rockies’ most inconsistent position over the past decade.
On the Mound
The franchise leader in Opening Day starts is Kyle Freeland. The Denver native has made four Opening Day starts and appears likely to make his fifth this season.
Germán Márquez is next with three starts. Others include familiar names like Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Jennings, and Aaron Cook — along with surprises like Kyle Kendrick, Kip Wells, and Joe Kennedy.
Opening Day Oddities
There are also some strange historical oddities buried in these lineups.
After trading Nolan Arenado, who had started seven consecutive Opening Days, the Rockies replaced him at third base for Opening Day 2021 with… his cousin, Josh Fuentes.
It was the first Opening Day after the trade, and the family connection made for one of the stranger trivia notes in franchise history.
Kris Bryant’s lack of availability has been unfortunate. Seeing him on the field in a Rockies uniform sometimes feels about as rare as spotting a puffin, yet he has somehow appeared in the last four Opening Day lineups — starting at left field, right field, first base, and DH.
Another fun tidbit involves Chris Iannetta, who holds the franchise record for Opening Day starts at catcher with six. Those starts came across two separate stints with the Rockies.
Iannetta made his fourth Opening Day start with Colorado on April 1, 2011, then didn’t make another until March 29, 2018 — a seven-year gap between Opening Day starts with the same franchise.
To me, the strangest Opening Day lineups came in 2004 and 2005. Those were years when the Rockies were cycling through veterans, short-term roster fixes, and rebuilding pieces before the club eventually turned the corner toward the 2007 pennant.
Those lineups featured names like Kit Pellow, JD Closser, Jeromy Burnitz, Dustan Mohr, and Shawn Estes — a group that reads today like a particularly deep baseball trivia question.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead to 2026, several players are hoping to make their first Opening Day lineup, while a few newcomers are vying for their first Opening Day start with the Rockies.
Dominic Minchella highlights why the Rockies are hopeful that Chase Dollander could become a key piece of the team’s future rotation. The article acknowledges Dollander hasn’t yet found consistent success in the majors and that Coors Field presents a uniquely difficult environment for young pitchers. Still, learning how to pitch effectively at Coors is part of the challenge— and part of what could define Dollander’s development this season.
In this article from MLB.com, Thomas Harding looks at Jordan Beck’s continued development as he tries to take another step forward. The piece notes that Beck reached the majors after a relatively short time in the minor leagues, which means he’s still learning and adjusting at the big-league level. If that growth continues, the Rockies believe Beck has the tools to become an important piece of their outfield.
In this 18-and-a-half-minute video from Mile High Sports, Drew Creasman breaks down the Rockies’ unsettled first base battle as spring training winds down. He looks at several candidates — including T.J. Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Charlie Condon — and weighs their chances of claiming the job.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 04: A detailed view of the Rawlings baseball gloves used by Casey Schmitt #10 of the San Francisco Giants is seen in the dugout prior to the start of the game against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on June 04, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants will be at home for the two games this weekend.
First up, they will play the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:05 p.m. PDT on Saturday, which will have broadcasts on NBC Sports Bay Area for local fans and MLB Network for out-of-market fans. Radio coverage will be available on KNBR.
Sunday, they will play the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:05 p.m. and this game will have radio coverage available on KNBR.
While we wait, I thought we’d watch another fun video from the Giants social media team. Earlier this week, I shared a video from their YouTube channel of Ron Washington running first base drills with Jerar Encarnación. They recently put out another in that same series, with Washington working with Luis Arraez. So I thought we could watch that this morning.
Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) leads off first base against Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) during the ninth inning of game four of the ALDS round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The MLB regular season is less than two weeks away, and teams and players across the league are just about geared up and ready, whether they’re fine-tuning in Arizona or Florida or letting it fly in the World Baseball Classic. Thanks to the WBC, relevant baseball is already here, and not a week after the tournament concludes will we have Opening Night between the Yankees and Giants to greet us.
With the season about to kick off, we asked Yankees fans who they thought was the Yankees’ primary foe entering the year:
Unsurprisingly, the reigning AL champs won this poll in a landslide. The Blue Jays tied with the Yankees for the most wins in the American League last season before handling the Bombers in the ALDS en route to the pennant. Though they fell just short in the World Series, Toronto moved aggressively in the offseason to bolster their chances at a repeat run through the AL, landing Dylan Cease on a seven-year deal, while also adding NPB star Kazuma Okamoto and pitchers Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers. To wit, most projections have the Yankees and the Blue Jays neck-and-neck at the top of the AL East.
The Red Sox come in second here above the Mariners, in part perhaps because Boston is obviously a direct (and hated) division rival, while Seattle feels like a far-off threat. But the Mariners, in the grand scheme of things, might be strongest AL team the Yankees have to deal with this year. Those projections that have the Yankees and Jays locked at the top of the AL East? They also have the Mariners projected to lead the AL in wins. The M’s didn’t have a super flashy offseason, but made a couple solid moves to augment a roster that came achingly close to the pennant last year, re-signing Josh Naylor and then adding Brendan Donovan in a trade with the Cardinals. If Seattle’s typically strong rotation bounces back from an iffy 2025, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Now, on to the cellar of the Junior Circuit:
This is Chicago’s crown to lose, though the Angels are pushing them in the race to the bottom. The White Sox “rebounded” from their historically poor 2024, looking more like a normal, terrible team rather than a mind-bendingly bad one. A few young talents, like Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, and Shane Smith provided bright spots, though unfortunately Teel is already down after injuring his hamstring in the World Baseball Classic. The White Sox also added Munetaka Murakami to the mix, the kind of risky but high-upside play that it feels like the Pale Hose should be making.
If you squint, it’s possible to see the White Sox rebuild moving in a positive direction. The Angels, though, seem stuck in purgatory, aimlessly wandering through the desert. Their roster is close to barren beyond Zack Neto, Yusei Kikuchi, and the still-fighting Mike Trout, and their farm system looks unlikely to provide much help any time soon. Dark times indeed in Anaheim.
These next two are MLB-wide polls:
PED’s are unfortunately in the headlines right now, with Jurickson Profar getting suspended for the entire 2026 season after a second positive test, while Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas received an 80-game suspension after his first positive test. Profar has fully torpedoed what was once a great story, one of a former top prospect finally making good after a decade-long journey through the majors. Instead, he will likely always be remembered for his two PED suspensions.
Less than half of fans feel that PED’s aren’t a major problem, and it’s easy to argue that recency bias is suppressing that number bit. As disappointing as it was to see two big leaguers popped in the span of a week, from 2023 to 2025, just five players were suspended under the league’s doping policy. Unless MLB is simply failing at detecting juicers, there just haven’t been many guys turning to PED’s in recent years, with the exception of the couple of cases that just came down.
Fans are rather split on whether the league’s current punishments are harsh enough. Currently, a first positive test nets an 80-game suspension, a second yields a season-long suspension, and a third leads to a lifetime ban. These punishments, which have been in effect for 12 years now, are notably harsher than previous PED policies, which had much shorter suspensions for first- and second-time offenders. That those harsher policies have coincided with a pretty low number of positive tests would suggest that players are being sufficiently deterred from turning to drugs, but it stands to reason that unless the league adopts a literal zero-tolerance policy, some fans will be left feeling that the rules aren’t stringent enough.
More than half the Spring Training games are in the books. The Cardinals have played to a winning record, showed off some top prospects, and avoided catastrophic injuries. This is the first year that all spring games have been Statcast tracked, giving us plenty of data to keep an eye on while we wait for the real games to begin. Today I’m checking in on a few early Statcast indicators to see which Cardinals might be showing real underlying changes. As always, small-sample-size, spring training caveats apply to every word of this article!
Starting Pitchers
Counter to most of our offseason discussions, Oli Marmol has repeatedly mentioned that he sees the pitching as the strength of the Cardinals. Early spring Statcast numbers offer at least a little support for that optimism.
Velocity
As has been widely discussed, Dustin May and Richard Fitts rolled into camp ready to rip the fastball as both are averaging above 97 MPH on their four-seam fastballs at 97.7 and 97.4, respectively. Matthew Liberatore’s velocity has hovered around 94 MPH on both his fastball and his sinker, but his stuff has looked great overall (more on that shortly). Kyle Leahy’s velocity is down about 1.5 MPH as he ramps up and moves from the bullpen to the rotation. Andre Pallante started off the spring in the low 90s, but was up to 94 MPH in his last outing, so probably nothing to be concerned about there. Michael McGreevy’s fastball is down almost 2 MPH and it has actually gone down each of his last two starts. This has probably reached the keep an eye on it stage as he does not have the fastball shape to get away with too much of a velocity drop. On the prospect side, Quinn Mathews has maintained his regained velocity sitting in the 94-95 MPH range in each of his appearances.
Swing and Miss
Matthew Liberatore has quietly put together a dominating spring training with a 14/1 K/BB rate across 10 innings. Yesterday, Eno Sarris tweeted the Stuff+ pitching leaders among starting pitchers this spring.
Spring Training Starting Pitcher Stuff+ leaders includes two young Yankees and two young Cardinals pic.twitter.com/fM5x2Tnqlt
If these improvements for Liberatore and Fitts hold, this would be a huge development for the staff. The Cardinals haven’t had a starting pitcher register above a 107 since the inception of the statistic in 2020. For Liberatore, this improvement in stuff is backed up by the numbers as he is generating the second-lowest contact rate in baseball this spring, behind only Chase Burns, as batters are making contact on only 60% of their swings against him (min 60 swings against). Liberatore isn’t the only lefty that has proved tough to square up. Brycen Mautz ranks 4th in all of baseball so far this spring, generating swing and miss with a 61% contact rate. He had good success with his fastball (65% contact rate), but his slider was absolutely devastating, generating a swing and miss almost half the time. Mathews has missed a ton of bats too with 66% contact rate in aggregate. Here are the contact rates against so far for the starting pitchers.
As a point of reference, the league-wide contact rate against is 77%. For starting pitchers, 70% is elite, potential Cy Young votes territory. Small-sample-size caveats abound here, but you can start to see the outline of a staff that can miss some bats here. Leahy’s contact against will be worth watching as we get into the season. He has never been great at missing bats, despite having stuff that grades out well, so seeing him start off slow in this department is not ideal.
Speaking of Contact Rates
On the hitting side, Joshua Baez and Nolan Gorman have largely had their careers defined by power and ability, or lack thereof, to make contact. Both have had good springs offensively, but in very different ways.
Baez did not disappoint in his Spring Training cameo as he blasted three home runs and slashed .333/.417/.762 in 24 plate appearances. Baez hit four out of 15 balls in excess of 100 MPH and showed off his ability to drive the ball in the air, which is crucial to get to in-game power. While his strikeout rate was acceptable at 25%, his underlying numbers were concerning as he ran only a 59% contact rate. As a point of reference, the lowest contact rate among qualified major leaguers last season was 67.6% by Aaron Judge. Christopher Morel has a career contact rate of 65.5%. 24 plate appearances is nowhere near the number needed for this statistic to stabilize, but this will be one of the key numbers that I will be watching for Baez as he moves up to Memphis. If you can take anything away from a spring training performance, Baez confirmed why he is one of the more polarizing prospects in baseball. If you are high on him, you can look at his results and see a player that will be ready to hit in the middle of a big-league lineup by this summer. If you are a non-believer, you can see the unplayable contact rate that plagued Baez for his first four professional seasons. My prediction: if Baez can keep his contact rate from Double-A in the mid-70s, he will be a star.
Nolan Gorman, plagued by a career strikeout rate of 34%, has fanned in only 12.9% of his trips to the plate this spring. Is this small sample-size noise, or has Gorman made a real adjustment? Looking at Gorman’s seven-game rolling average K% for his entire career, you can see he hasn’t touched a stretch like this in over two years.
I am not sure what to make of this, but given where Gorman has been over the last two seasons, I will take this as an encouraging sign that he has made an adjustment of some kind. If the improved contact ability is real, it will allow Gorman to access more in-game power and perhaps give the Cardinals the home run pop the lineup is currently missing.
