Category: Baseball

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One of the most intriguing baseball betting options is the “run first inning” market, where you can wager on whether there will be a scorer plated in the opening frame.

With two potent offenses facing off in tonight’s NL West duel between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, my MLB picks expect early fireworks. 

Check out the rest of my free NRFI and YRFI bets for Friday, March 27.

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

Pick	Odds
/ - NRFI	-125
/ - YRFI	-102
/ - YRFI	-113

Rockies at Marlins: NRFI (-125)

The Colorado Rockies have the worst offense in the majors, especially on the road, where they posted a pathetic .589 OPS and averaged just 2.81 runs per game last year.

Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins had a .693 OPS with 3.91 runs per game at home. Neither team has made significant lineup upgrades, and 10 mph winds are blowing toward the infield at LoanDepot Park tonight.

Miami is handing the ball to former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, who struggled last season coming off Tommy John surgery. Now two and a half years removed from the procedure, he could be in line for a resurgent campaign.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marlins.TV | Rockies.TV

Angels at Astros: YRFI (-102)

Although Houston Astros righty Mike Burrows looked good in the preseason, I’m not convinced he’s a true No. 2 starter.

Burrows posted a 4.33 xERA last year, and the Los Angeles Angels ranked third in the majors in first-inning scoring percentage (33.3%). The Halos lack depth, but they’re strong at the top of the lineup — at least when Mike Trout is healthy.

L.A. will counter with lefty Yusei Kikuchi, who had a 4.48 xERA last year and sported a 6.00 ERA in the first inning. The Astros hit well against lefties, and with a healthy Yordan Alvarez back in the lineup, they should be more productive offensively this season.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Apple TV

Dodgers at Diamondbacks: YRFI (-113)

These were two of the most productive offenses in the majors last year, with the Los Angeles Dodgers leading the NL in OPS (.768) and the Arizona Diamondbacks sitting third (.758).

L.A.’s murderers’ row has gotten even stronger after adding Kyle Tucker. Meanwhile, the top of the D-Backs’ lineup remains formidable with Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, and Ketel Marte.

Arizona is starting Ryne Nelson, who posted a 3.93 xERA last year and ranked in the bottom fifth percentile in average exit velocity.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MLB Network

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There are eight games on the MLB slate today, and prediction markets like Kalshi allow baseball bettors in every state (excluding Nevada) a chance to lock in their favorite MLB best bets.

We've asked our baseball experts for their favorite MLB picks today — as well as offering extra MLB expert picks from the rest of the Covers staff for Friday, March 27.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Price
Josh Inglis: DET ML	+104
Jon Metler: MIA ML	-186
Joe Osborne: MIA/COL o7.5	+100

Prices courtesy of Kalshi.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Tigers ML

Price:49¢ (+104) at Kalshi

The Detroit Tigers hold a clear starting pitching edge in Game 2 after an 8–2 win over the San Diego Padres yesterday, who got just nine outs from Nick Pivetta in the opener. I’m backing Detroit on the moneyline at 49% and would buy at 52% or better, with a projected fair price closer to -122.  Framber Valdez has a significant edge over Michael King, who struggled this spring (20 runs allowed in 17+ innings) and tends to lack efficiency — opening the door to the Padres’ bullpen early. Detroit’s young bats also looked legit in Game 1, and this lineup has real upside.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Marlins ML

Price:65¢ (-186) at Kalshi

The Colorado Rockies can’t catch a break — it’s Opening Day, and they’re already being targeted as a team to fade. The Miami Marlins are priced at 65 cents, and I think that number should be closer to 69 cents, so I’m hitting the button. Miami has a clear platoon advantage here, with a starting lineup featuring eight right-handed hitters against Kyle Freeland, a lefty who allowed right-handed batters to hit .300 with an .821 OPS last season. With a lineup built to exploit that matchup and Sandy Alcantara unveiling his revamped sweeper, I’ll back the Marlins in this spot.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Marlins/Rockies Over 7.5 runs - Yes

Price: 50¢ (+100) at Kalshi

This total of 7.5 is showing way too much respect for these starting pitchers. Alcantara is coming off an awful season, where he posted a 5.36 ERA and looks nowhere close to regaining his 2022 Cy Young form, and Freeland is average at best, yet somehow posted a 4.51 FIP on the road in 2025 — which was worse than his mark at Coors Field. He also got smacked for eight hits and six earned by Miami late last season. While bullpens can change year to year, both of these units were consistently among the worst in 2025.

More MLB best bets for today

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The Gwinnett Stripers have released their initial roster for the 2026 season today, ahead of today’s first game of the season. The roster below is mostly as expected, though there is one big, surprising omission in Jhancarlos Lara not being part of it after spending a good chunk of time in Gwinnett last season.

Starters

The biggest story is probably that Lara is not here, though Brett Sears is also not after reaching Gwinnett last year and making 15 quality appearances in Columbus last season. Among the guys who are here, top prospect JR Ritchie is the best prospect on the team, and a candidate to quickly be promoted to Atlanta with a strong start to the season. Fellow prospect Lucas Braun is also back here after making three starts with the Stripers last year. The 39-year-old Carlos Carrasco may be the biggest name on the entire squad, making 286 career big league starts. They may also be looking to Dylan Dodd and Elieser Hernandez to round out the starting rotation. It is also in the plans for Didier Fuentes to join this group at some point, and this group will further deepen when Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and potentially AJ Smith-Shawver return to action at various points in 2026.

Relievers

Hayden Harris is probably the top relief prospect who is here, after the lefty dominated in his stint last year. Anthony Molina and Rolddy Munoz are also a pair of younger relief arms that the Braves like. Ian Hamilton, Javy Guerra, Tayler Scott, and Hunter Stratton are relievers with a decent amount of big league games on their resumes, and candidates to help the big club in some capacity this year – however the most interesting arm of the bunch may be James Karinchak. Karinchak seemed on his way to being one of the top young relievers with the Guardians not too long ago, but has dealt with injuries and hasn’t appeared in a big league game since 2023. Anderson Pilar and Austin Pope are the other arms here, though both of them are guys the Braves wanted for their Triple-A affiliate, which makes this a deep and talented relief corps.

Catchers

Sandy Leon is arguably the biggest name among this group, as the 37-year-old has 559 games of big league experience under his belt, but he will have to split time here. Chadwick Tromp has received big league time in Atlanta in each of the past four seasons, and figures to factor in heavily in the playing time. Jair Camargo is a younger option who has five games of big league experience back with the Twins in 2024. While they may not have a guy who stands out as THE guy, all three of these options are more than capable at the Triple-A level.

Infielders

Nacho Alvarez is easily the most interesting young hitter on this roster, though he has lost his prospect status last year as he surpassed the rookie maximum for at bats. That would make Jim Jarvis the most interesting hitter prospect on the roster, which is kind of telling as he is more of a utility type of prospect. Recent minor league signing Rowdy Tellez could absolutely mash in Triple-A, and is likely the reason David McCabe isn’t here to open the season. Former Georgia Bulldog and 2019 second round pick Aaron Schunk is also here and should add even more offense to a Striper team that has been inconsistent in recent years with their bats. Contact oriented Luke Waddell and utility piece Luke Williams round out the infield. This is another group which looks improved heading into 2026, as it isn’t hard to picture a group led by Alvarez, Tellez, and Schunk holding their own offensively.

Outfielders

Although there aren’t any true prospects, this may be the most talented outfield we’ve seen in Gwinnett since the group with Cristian Pache and Drew Waters, back in 2021. Ben Gamel, Brewer Hicklen, and even DaShawn Keirsey Jr should provide power, and will be candidates to get called up to Atlanta this year should a temporary bat be needed. Jose Azocar is more of a speed guy with limited power, and he too has some big league experience on his resume.

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.

Earlier this week, we asked Yankees fans to predict how far the team would go in 2026 in addition to our usual monthly GM approval poll. The results are in, in addition to some broader MLB-wide prompts about potential World Series outcomes. Let’s see how the voters voted!

Our first question asked fans to predict how successful the Yankees season would be when all is said and done.

Over one-third of responders believe that the Yankees will suffer the same fate as last season, when they were eliminated in four games by the Blue Jays in the ALDS — a series which was never particularly close. Some of that is down to the whole Toronto lineup getting hot at the same time, while a significant portion of the blame falls on the Yankees’ pitching staff. Perhaps the front office’s decision to run it back with essentially the same squad of players as last year helps explain Yankees fans’ pessimism that the team can do better this year — same team, same result. It’s encouraging that the next most popular response reflected faith that the Yankees will win their first World Series in 17 years, while roughly eight in nine voters believe they will at least make the playoffs.

Our next question asked whether Yankees fans approved of general manager Brian Cashman, specifically the course he charted over the offseason.

It’s not surprising that less than one-third of voters polled approve of the GM. This prompt goes hand in hand with the previous question. Yankees fans want the team to go farther in the postseason than last year, and a healthy proportion of the fanbase felt that the front office needed to upgrade the roster to achieve that goal. Instead, the two biggest offseason outlays saw the Yankees bring Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger back into the fold, each a year older than last season. It’s hard to argue with the strategy considering they scored the most runs in MLB last season, but the lack of ambition also deserves criticism.

We also have a pair of MLB-wide polls to review, starting with a question about the Dodger’s chances of a three-peat.

Only two teams — the 1972-’74 A’s and 1998-2000 Yankees — have won three World Series in a row in the last fifty-plus years, yet 29 percent of those polled believe the Dodgers will join that pair in pulling off the three-peat. It’s understandable given the Dodgers’ dominance over this decade, the team adding Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz to an already star-studded roster that boasts the most valuable player in baseball in Shohei Ohtani. Baseball fans are slightly more optimistic about the Dodgers’ chances than the two most cited projection systems, FanGraphs setting the Dodgers’ World Series winning odds at 22.6 percent and PECOTA at 20.8 percent.

Those same fans were than asked about which team they felt had the best chance of preventing the Dodgers from winning their third crown in a row.

The Blue Jays topped the responses at 24 percent, with the Mariners right behind them at 23 percent. Toronto came within two outs of winning Game 7 and the World Series last year, only for Miguel Rojas to hit the game-tying home run in the ninth and Will Smith the game-winner in the 11th. However, they are a weaker team relative to last year — despite signing Dylan Cease to be their ace, they lost one of the their biggest offensive contributors in Bo Bichette after he signed with the Mets in free agency. The Mariners are right there behind them, which makes sense give that both FanGraphs and PECOTA projected them for the most wins in the AL. They’ve got a full year of Josh Naylor and added All-Star Brendan Donovan, and have one of the best starting rotations in baseball that’s healthier than last season to start the campaign. The Yankees are in third place with roughly one in six voters believing they have what it takes to avenge their 2024 World Series loss to LA, while a trio of NL teams in the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs round out the most popular responses.

These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.

A dynamic start from their ace. Two stars clubbing huge home runs. A rookie making a splashy debut. Some drama late, exterminated by their closer.

Yep, 2026 Opening Day had pretty much everything you wanted to see from the Philadelphia Phillies.

On a gorgeous spring day at Citizens Bank Park, a lot of things went right and, for just a little while, the memories of last October’s crushing defeat at the hands of the Dodgers in the NLDS faded.

This baseball team is going to play another 161 of these things, all for a chance to try once again to push their Sisyphusian rock up the hill. But we’ll get to all that. On Thursday, the blueprint for regular season success was clear for all to see. Their 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers had all the ingredients we’ve seen this team successfully cook with over the last four seasons.

Cristopher Sanchez’ incredible performance was a continuation of the blossoming we’ve seen from him over the last three years. Not since Curt Schilling in 1997 has a Phils starter piled up 10 or more strikeouts in an Opening Day start.

That’s right. Roy Halladay never did it. Neither did Cliff Lee. Or Zack Wheeler. Or Cole Hamels. Or Aaron Nola. And that ain’t all.

His changeup was once again unhittable, generating a 54% whiff rate against the Rangers, who had absolutely no answers for him. His Game Score of 76 ranks tied for the 16th-best Opening Day performance by a starting pitcher in Phillies history (out of 129 starts). After Pittsburgh starter Paul Skenes was absolutely raked by the Mets for five runs in two-thirds of an inning on Thursday, the shortest outing of his career, Sanchez leapfrogged the reigning Cy Young Award winner in at least one odds-makers listing of ‘26 Cy Young contenders.

That didn’t take long!

While Sanchez was busy doing the “ace” thing, Kyle Schwarber once again gave fans an early Schwarbomb, a Ryan Howard Special to the opposite field in left-center. Two batters into the 2026 season, the Phils had a 2-0 lead, and Schwarber was 1/50th of the way to a second-straight 50-homer season.

Schwarber has a knack for these Opening Day dingers, especially after signing big free agent deals. He did the same thing in his very first at-bat as a Phillie on Opening Day in 2022, too.

Straight from the Irony Department, after an off-season in which everyone (including me) was bemoaning the idea of Alec Bohm hitting cleanup once again this year, it was Bohm who ended up smashing the biggest blast of the game, another oppo-shot, this to right field, to put the Phillies up 5-0.

You typically don’t want to have a player like Bohm in that spot in the lineup. We all know that. His career high in home runs is 20 (2023), and last year he hit just 11 in 120 games. He’s never had a slugging percentage above .448 in any of his first five MLB seasons. He’s simply miscast there.

But after all the talk of Bohm not providing enough “protection” for Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, it’s ironic that he was the one to pick up the slack for his teammates, both of whom struck out ahead of him with two runners on base. Had the Phils signed Bo Bichette this winter, Bohm wouldn’t even be here.

And then there’s rookie center fielder Justin Crawford, making his long-awaited MLB debut, hitting in the No. 9 hole. He was active early on, lacing line drive singles to center in his first two at-bats. It would have been icing on the cake if he could have delivered with the bases loaded and two outs in the 8th, but we’ll have to save that moment for some other day.

The Phils have had their share of dramatic Opening Day moments over the last 20 years. With a 5-0 lead entering the 9th, this wasn’t looking like one of them, but spring superstar reliever Kyle Backhus left his good stuff down in Florida. After a two-run blast, a couple more baserunners and some poor defense by Bryson Stott and Harper, Jhoan Duran entered the fray to secure the final two outs of the ballgame.

Manager Rob Thomson could have brought Duran in to start the 9th, even though it wasn’t a save situation, given the team is off on Friday. In the end, he had to use him anyway. Perhaps it’s just that Thomson forgot that, for the first time in his managerial career, he actually has a lock-down 9th inning pitcher at the start of the season. After Duran shut the door, it was revealed he became the first reliever in franchise history to record a save, at home, on Opening Day.

As Jayson Stark noted, eight Phils closers had earned saves on the road on Opening Day, but never at home.

It’s always fun to mix in a little “weird” on Opening Day.

For one day, everyone forgot about the World Series drought. Baseball was back, and the Phillies were doing what they’ve done every season since Thomson took over the reigns as manager.

They won a baseball game.

They’re going to win many more of them before the season is out.

They’re probably going to look a lot like this one did, too.

Paul Skenes is arguably the best pitcher in the league even after a rough start on Opening Day to the New York Mets. So it should be no surprise that teams would have interest in the former Cy Young winner, especially teams with a lot of money like the New York Yankees. 

 Skenes is under contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates through the 2029 season. However, that reportedly didn’t stop the New York Yankees from pursuing him as early as last season. 

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday that New York “tried for Skenes at the deadline but were shut down so quickly the Pirates didn’t even listen to the offer.”

Heyman said a deal might have included a combo of Cam Schlitter, Carlos Lagrange, George Lombard Jr, and Spencer Jones. The Bucs disliked the offer and never called the Yankees back.

If the rumors are true, those are some of the Yankees’ top prospects, but it makes sense for Pittsburgh to not entertain that trade. Skenes is an already proven ace in the league, and he is still young with plenty of years ahead of him.

We have seen the Pirates make trades like this in the past, and they have not paid off. A lot of times, the prospects don’t pan out, and the last thing fans in Pittsburgh want is to trade their best player for a bunch of busted prospects.  

While Heyman reported the Pirates have “no intention to trade Skenes … in the foreseeable future,” he also explained there is “little hope to sign him long term under current rules since he’ll probably be a $50 million-a-year pitcher assuming a payroll cap isn’t implemented.”

If there comes a time in the next year or two where Pittsburgh is out of the NL Central race and has no chance of making the postseason and staring at what could be a long rebuild, a package of top-notch prospects could start to look good for the franchise.

The Cleveland Guardians, with a 1-0 record, face the Seattle Mariners, who are 0-1, in this regular-season matchup. Cleveland's Gavin Williams (ERA 3.06 in 2025) will start against Seattle's George Kirby (ERA 4.21 in 2025). The Mariners are favored with a -1.5 spread and a moneyline of -175, with the over/under set at 7 runs.

How to Watch Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners

• Date: Friday, March 27

• Time: 9:45 PM ET / 6:45 PM PT

• Where: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

• TV Channel: Apple TV

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

Team Records

• Cleveland Guardians: 1-0 (#1 in AL Central)

• Seattle Mariners: 0-1 (#4 in AL West)

Odds

• Spread: Seattle Mariners -1.5

• Moneyline: Seattle Mariners -175 / Cleveland Guardians +145

• Over/Under: 7

Starting Pitchers

• Cleveland Guardians: Gavin Williams (2025 stats: 12-5, ERA: 3.06, K: 173, WHIP: 1.27, BB: 83)

• Seattle Mariners: George Kirby (2025 stats: 10-8, ERA: 4.21, K: 137, WHIP: 1.19, BB: 29)

Weather: 55°F at first pitch

The New York Yankees (1-0) face the San Francisco Giants, who are 0-1 after losing their first game of the series on Opening Night. Starting pitchers are second-year pitcher Cam Schlittler for the Yankees, who posted a 2.96 ERA as a rookie, and Robbie Ray for the Giants, with a 3.65 ERA in 2025. The Yankees are favored with a moneyline of -130 at BetMGM.

How to watch New York Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants

• Date: Friday, March 27

• Time: 4:35 p.m. ET / 1:35 p.m. PT

• Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA

• TV channel: ESPN Unlimited, MLB.TV (Local broadcasts: NBC Sports Bay Area, Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network)

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

Team records

• New York Yankees: 1-0 (#3 in AL East)

• San Francisco Giants: 0-1 (#5 in NL West)

Odds

• Point spread: New York Yankees -1.5

• Moneyline: New York Yankees -130, San Francisco Giants +110

• Over/Under: 8.0 (Over -120, Under +100)

Starting pitchers

• New York Yankees: Cam Schlittler (2025 stats: 4-3, ERA: 2.96, K: 84, WHIP: 1.22, BB: 31)

• San Francisco Giants: Robbie Ray (2025 stats: 11-8, ERA: 3.65, K: 186, WHIP: 1.21, BB: 73)

Weather: 71°F at first pitch

“If you can’t beat them, join them.“ Or, in this case, have them join you.

In a move that is not quite as dramatic as someone like Roger Clemens eventually making his way from Boston stardom to the Bronx, the Yankees recently signed right-handed pitcher Luis Garcia to a minor-league deal. And if you were wondering? Yes, it’s that Luis Garcia, the former Houston Astro — the man whose windup kind of makes me seasick even while sitting on the couch, but that’s a conversation for another time.

A pretty successful starter for the Astros in 2021 and 2022, Garcia ascended alongside other young arms who rose to prominence in the post-sign-stealing-scheme environment, like Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier. He had a 3.60 ERA with 324 strikeouts in 312.2 innings for the back-to-back American League champions, winning a ring in ’22.

It’s been a tough road for Garcia since then, as he’s dealt with one scarily large injury bug over the past few years, limiting the righty to just 34.2 innings since the start of 2023. It’ll be a while before Garcia can suit up in the Yankees minor-league system, reserving the entirety of this 2026 campaign for his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent at the end of last season. Alarmingly, it was Garcia’s second TJS in a rather short period, as his first came in May 2023.

If you remove the health aspect, there were never a ton of performance-related concerns around the now-29-year-old Garcia, as he delivered some productive seasons for the Astros. At the same time, two major surgeries in the span of three years put his career in jeopardy. If the Yankees can rehabilitate him, there might be a solid pitcher in here.

The dominant storyline regarding the Mets all offseason was about the roster turnover. If you look up and down yesterday’s Opening Day lineup, about half of the players in it are new faces, most of whom weren’t even in the organization last season. Yesterday’s 11-7 victory over the Pirates in which the Mets got the best of one of the premiere aces in the game was a total team effort that included contributions from nearly all of these new Mets.

For starters, the pitcher that took the mound to ring in the season in front of the Citi Field faithful was one of those new players. Freddy Peralta’s performance wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to earn him his first win in a Mets uniform. After giving up the two-run homer to Brandon Lowe in the first, he bounced back to strike out the next three batters and ended up racking up seven strikeouts in total. Other than the mistakes Peralta made to Lowe, who either simply had Peralta’s number or is about to enter a new era of dominance as a Pittsburgh Pirate, he had a strong Mets debut.

The Mets were able to erase the deficit created by the Lowe two-run homer yielded by Peralta and then some in the bottom of the first, which became a marathon rally that knocked Paul Skenes out of the game with just two outs in the first. The newcomers in the Mets’ lineup were huge contributors to this rally. Bo Bichette plated the Mets’ first run of 2026 with a sacrifice fly. Jorge Polanco then singled and Luis Robert Jr. worked an 11-pitch walk—one of the key at-bats in the inning because of the bases-clearing triple that followed.

Though of course the sun played a role, Marcus Semien gets credit for a double and an RBI in the inning all the same. Both Robert and Semien would go on to have a multi-hit game. Robert notched RBI knocks in both the fourth and fifth innings, the latter being a slow grounder that he beat out with his speed for an infield hit. In his very first game as a Met, Robert showed why the Mets traded for him (and why they have been trying to do so for years now). His skills on both side of the ball were on full display, as he made a diving catch in center to end the third inning as well. In fact, for all the hemming and hawing about players learning new positions, the Mets played a solid game defensively. The Mets’ new infield contingent made all of the plays—fundies that would have made Keith Hernandez proud if this game had been broadcast on SNY.

It is fitting that Freddy Peralta was followed in the game by Tobias Myers, who came with him in the trade from the Brewers. Myers gave up a solo homer to Ryan O’Hearn and nothing else over three strong innings of work, demonstrating right away the value he provides as a long man in the bullpen—a role the Mets have not had consistently filled for quite some time now.

The only new addition whose day did not quite go as well was Luis Garcia, who was tasked with protecting a six-run lead in the ninth inning. With how Myers was cruising it seemed like he might finish the game, but it seems like the Mets opted to save his bullets and turn to Garcia instead with the more comfortable lead. Garcia was shaky in the ninth, but ultimately got through it with the lead in tact. Overall, yesterday was still a very good day for the new look Mets.

Of course, not all 162 games of this long season are going to look like this—“a near perfectly executed offensive inning,” as Howie Rose described the first-inning rally in what turned out to be a near perfectly executed game all around. There are going to be bad moments where it feels like the team isn’t gelling. But you can see David Stearns’ vision for the Mets within yesterday’s win—a microcosm of what he wants this next Mets era to look like. Some of these new faces, like Bo Bichette, who has an opt-out after this season, may be fleeting pieces as this Mets puzzle comes together. Others, like Freddy Peralta, with whom the Mets are still negotiating on a potential extension, may end up staying awhile. We have a lot of season left to see if this new group has the secret sauce of a championship club. But yesterday was a good start.

Kansas City has a favorable April schedule and needs to take advantage

The schedule to begin 2026 is a bit of a gift for a Royals team that has not gotten off to the strongest starts historically. Last year’s team made it to the end of April at 16-15 and even stayed above .500 through May before having one of the most atrocious months I have ever seen in June, which ended up being too much to overcome in the end. This year, the MLB schedule makers have deigned to give the Royals an early season scheduling gift. Here are the series that they will play through April:

• 3 games at Atlanta Braves
• 3 games vs. Minnesota Twins
• 3 games vs. Milwaukee Brewers
• 3 games at Cleveland Guardians
• 4 games vs. Chicago White Sox
• 3 games at Detroit Tigers
• 3 games at New York Yankees
• 3 games vs. Baltimore Orioles
• 3 games vs. Los Angeles Angels
• 3 games at Athletics

Outside of the nine-game stretch at Detroit, at New York, and home for Baltimore, the other opponents are all fine-to-bad. Milwaukee has a habit of being quite good, but they are projected for a win total in the low 80s. Atlanta is currently missing Sean Murphy, Ha-Seong Kim, Spencer Strider, and several other players right now and is quite vulnerable. Minnesota was gutted last year and only has starting pitching to lean on. There are a lot of opportunities to pick up early wins, and maybe more importantly for this team, early confidence.

The Yankees, Brewers, Braves, Orioles, and Tigers are projected to have winning records, but the Braves are not at full strength. That means half of the teams faced are projected below five hundred and they are projected to be further below .500 than the first five are projected to be above. The projected weighted average win percentage for these 31 games is just .493 helped out by that bonus fourth game against the White Sox. Of the 31 games, 16 are at home and 15 on the road, giving the Royals a slight advantage in their ballpark with new dimensions to fit them.

Getting off to a good start can be huge for this team. They have a chance to get the momentum early in a winnable division. There is only the one short stretch of nine games against Detroit, New York, and Baltimore where the goal would be to win four out of nine, and you would be happy not to have dropped more. The rest of those are all series you should feel like you can win, and it is a matter of banking as many of those as possible. Something like an 18-13 start looks very possible, which would be a nice step toward a successful season.

That would not be enough to guarantee anything over a long season, but for a team like this, it could make a huge difference.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won a World Series title in the abbreviated 2020 season, doing so with the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen, and Corey Seager as key parts of their core.

Every last one of those players is now gone, with all but Kershaw having skipped town long before the 2024 season (when the Dodgers also won a World Series). Kershaw stuck around through the end of the 2025 season before hanging up his spikes for good, and he managed to get a ring as part of the 2025 World Series champion Dodgers, too.

The Dodgers franchise has become an absolute juggernaut, the latest iteration of an Evil Empire that Major League Baseball has so often featured during its glory days. With a trio of titles over the last six seasons, they have seized ownership of the league from the likes of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants, staking claim as the behemoth on every single team’s schedule. And if they continue to have their way with the league this season, it’ll be a three-peat for them come October.

So, it’s not at all surprising that a significant plurality of MLB fans in the latest MLB Reacts poll think it’s the Dodgers who will win the 2026 World Series, too, putting together a three-peat on the backs of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, & Co.

It only took two games for the Dodgers to dispatch the upstart Cincinnati Reds in the first round of last year’s playoffs, an amount of time that makes it hard to even remember the Reds participating on that grand stage. And while the Reds went out and acquired Eugenio Suárez to bolster their offense and can now lean into Sal Stewart for a full season, the Reds face a mountain to climb to even get the chance to take down the Dodgers again at the end of this season.

In fact, the Reds aren’t even on the shortlist of likeliest suitors to tackle the Dodger dynasty. That honor goes to the Toronto Blue Jays, who battled the Dodgers to a scintillating Game 7 just last fall before ultimately dropping the series on a dramatic Will Smith home run.

At least, that’s according to those who responded to the latest MLB Reacts survey.

The revamped New York Mets, a Philadelphia Phillies club reunited with Kyle Schwarber, and a Chicago Cubs club that splurged big to sign Alex Bregman stand as the top competition from the National League side, according to the survey.

The Cincinnati Reds were not among the top contenders to take down the Dodgers, per survey results.

Hunter Brown was strong in his Opening Day start, but only lasted 4.2 IP due to his high pitch count following 4 walks and 9 strikeouts. A.J. Blubaugh then pitched 2.1 IP in relief, likely giving us a look at how the Astros intend to use their bullpen.

You can call the rule dumb. You can call the rule outdated. However, the rule was properly called on a play that cost Yordan Alvarez a first inning home run because his towering blast hit the roof scaffolding at Daikin Park.

They did walk 6 times, so there’s that. However the offensive slumber from spring continued to Opening Day.

Chandler Rome addresses what is still wrong with the Astros’ offense, and 9 prospects to watch this season:

Isaac Paredes got in the game at 1B yesterday:

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There are eight games on the diamond today, and I’ve got a trio of MLB player props to cover you through the night.

My top MLB picks start with Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho, and Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel rounds out the betting card for Friday, March 27.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Daulton Varsho	Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI	-135
Heriberto Hernandez	Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI	-125
Nolan Schanuel	Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI	-105

Daulton Varsho Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-130)

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho posted a rock-solid .355 wOBA and .865 OPS against righties last season, and Athletics starter Luis Severino finished the year with a 4.80 xFIP against left-handed hitters.

Varsho has been on a heater during Spring Training, racking up 19 hits, 12 runs, and 14 RBI while posting a mammoth 1.246 OPS across 53 plate appearances.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MLBN, Sportsnet

Heriberto Hernandez Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-125)

Miami Marlins outfielder Heriberto Hernandez posted a .976 OPS this spring after recording a respectable .782 mark against lefties last season.

Hernandez is projected to hit in the middle of the lineup and also draws a favorable matchup against Colorado Rockies southpaw Kyle Freeland tonight.

Freeland has allowed a .361 wOBA to right-handed hitters, posting a 4.98 ERA and 4.78 xFIP over the past three years.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MIAM, COLR

Nolan Schanuel Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-105)

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel went deep in the season opener yesterday, and the 2023 first-round pick projects to return to the middle of the lineup again in a neutral matchup against Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows (career 3.90 ERA and 3.95 xFIP across 99 1/3 MLB innings). 

In addition to being positioned to rack up counting stats, Schanuel has worked on adding bat speed during the offseason. Expect another big performance from the Halos’ youngster at Daikin Park. 

• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Apple TV

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (1-0) face the Arizona Diamondbacks (0-1) in the second game of their series, with the Dodgers favored by a 1.5-run spread and a moneyline of -250. Starting pitchers are Ryne Nelson for Arizona, who had a 3.39 ERA in 2025, and Emmet Sheehan for Los Angeles, whose 2025 ERA was 2.82.

How to Watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers

• Date: Friday, March 27

• Time: 10:10 PM ET / 7:10 PM PT

• Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

• TV Channel: ARID

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

Team Records

• Arizona Diamondbacks: 0-1 (#3 in NL West)

• Los Angeles Dodgers: 1-0 (#1 in NL West)

Odds via BetMGM

• Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

• Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers -250 / Arizona Diamondbacks +200

• Over/Under: 8.5

Starting Pitchers

• Arizona Diamondbacks: Ryne Nelson (2025 stats: 7-3, ERA: 3.39, K: 132, WHIP: 1.07, BB: 41)

• Los Angeles Dodgers: Emmet Sheehan (2025 stats: 6-3, ERA: 2.82, K: 89, WHIP: 0.97, BB: 22)

Weather: 72°F at first pitch