Category: Sports News

As Opening Day approaches the vibes are immaculate, if you will, for the local teams after the Mets and Yankees each gave their fans reason for optimism with spring trainings full of promise and good health.

As such, there is plenty of intrigue as each team’s season figures to be a referendum of sorts on near-opposite offseason approaches with Brian Cashman deciding to run it back with much the same Yankees’ team that lost to the Toronto Blue Jays last October while David Stearns overhauled a Mets’ roster that underachieved badly.

Meanwhile, it’s hard to ignore the dark cloud hanging over the sport, as a bitter labor war is expected after the season, one that may feel even more inevitable if the Los Angeles Dodgers’ high-spending ways -- $60 million a year for Kyle Tucker! -- result in a third straight World Series title.

With all of that in mind, here are my 10 bold predictions for the 2026 season, centering mostly around the Mets and Yankees.

10. CARLOS LAGRANGE EMERGES AS YANKEES BULLPEN WEAPON

Carlos Lagrange won the spring as a somewhat unknown pitching prospect who astonished the Yankees with his eye-popping velocity, his fastball reaching 103 mph. And while he was sent to the minors to open the season, there seems little doubt he’ll bring that high heat to the Bronx at some point in 2026.

Maybe it will be as a starter, but it would take multiple injuries in the rotation for that to happen. It seems more likely the Yankees eventually will groom the 22-year old right-hander for a bullpen role, even if it’s just for this season, as Lagrange could be a huge late-inning weapon down the stretch of a division race and into the post-season as well.

9. JUAN SOTO HITS 50 HRS, OUTDUELS SHOHEI OHTANI FOR NL MVP AWARD

Juan Soto talked openly with MLB.com this spring about how much he wants to win an MVP award, and to have any hope of dethroning Shohei Ohtani on that front, he’s going to need something beyond his typically outstanding offensive numbers.

Something like 50 or more home runs. Soto surely knows that and he’s capable of it, considering he’s only 27 and his power numbers are still ascending, as reflected by his totals of 35, 41, and 43 home runs over the past three seasons. It may require him to be a little more aggressive, perhaps not taking as many walks, and the Mets would be fine with that.

Ohtani, of course, could make it all moot if he returns to full-time pitching in a big-splash way, but it’s also asking a lot of him to hit and pitch over a full season at age 32.

8. PIRATES RIDE PAUL SKENES, KONNOR GRIFFIN TO WILD CARD BERTH

It’s kind of a trendy prediction, I know, but it would be fun to see it happen, as bad as the Pittsburgh Pirates have been for a decade. And it seems possible, considering they finally should have a capable offense to go with their strong starting pitching, led by NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.

Toward that end they acquired veterans bats in Marcell Ozuna, Ryan O’Hearn, and Brandon Lowe, and even more significantly, in Konnor Griffin they have perhaps the top offensive prospect in the game, and another in Jhostynxon Garcia. As such, FanGraphs and other analytical models are projecting a massive improvement in runs scored, which, paired with their pitching, could give them a shot at the third wild card.

7. JOE RYAN WILL BE BEST AVAILABLE STARTER AT TRADE DEADLINE

It might not matter to the Yankees or Mets if their pitching stays healthy and lives up to expectations, but for any team looking for a starter at the trade deadline, Joe Ryan is likely to be the best available.

The Minnesota Twins should have traded the right-hander in the offseason, after essentially committing to a rebuild at last season’s trade deadline, and it would be a surprise if they’re anywhere near contention come July. At age 30 in June, Ryan has high-strikeout stuff that has many scouts believing he still hasn’t reached his full potential as a No. 2-type starter, and with another year of team control before free agency, he’ll draw plenty of interest.

6. NOLAN MCLEAN MEETS HYPE, METS’ ROTATION LEADS LEAGUE

I’m all-in on Nolan McLean living up to the hype. He wasn’t perfect in the WBC but neither was the moment too big for him, as he showed plenty of dominance in his two starts. So I think he’ll have an All-Star type season, and when you combine that with Freddy Peralta’s track record, the Mets should have a playoff-worthy 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.

Even more significantly, in terms of the overall rotation, Kodai Senga had a strong spring, looking like the guy who had a 1.39 ERA before the hamstring injury last June that wrecked his season, while Clay Holmes wowed observers with his work at the WBC.

Questions hang over Sean Manaea about his low velocity this spring, but David Peterson figures to be at least solid again, Christian Scott and Jonah Tong offer promise if needed along the way, so this rotation should be the strength of the 2026 Mets, perhaps leading the NL in ERA.

5. TARIK SKUBAL, FRAMBER VALDEZ PITCH TIGERS TO WORLD SERIES

The Detroit Tigers made the go-for-it decision not to trade Tarik Skubal, knowing they’re likely to lose him to free agency after the 2026 season, and I think it could pay off in a big way. By signing Framber Valdez they now have a 1-2 punch capable of not only winning the AL Central but making a deep run in October.

So who knows, maybe Justin Verlander will get a storybook ending, returning to Detroit at age 43. The Tigers aren’t great offensively but they should get some impact from two top prospects, shortstop Kevin McGonigle and center fielder Max Clark, and if they win the relatively weak AL Central, the pitching could carry them in the postseason.

4. AARON JUDGE HITS 50 AGAIN TO SET RECORD AND INCREASE SCRUTINY

Don’t let his failures at the World Baseball Classic overshadow what Aaron Judge did last season. It’s remarkable that he out-hit every other player in baseball by at least 20 batting average points, leading the majors at .331, and oh by the way hit 53 home runs as well. Even as he enters his age-34 season, Judge still seems to be getting better.

If he hits 50 or more home runs again, and I think he will, he’ll become the first player in major league history to do it as many as five times, and that likely would earn him a fourth AL MVP Award. Of course, that would also further the ever-increasing need for him to win a World Series title and cement his status with Yankee fans as being equal to the likes of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle.

Unfortunately for him…

3. YANKS LOSE TO JAYS IN OCTOBER. AGAIN.

Until proven otherwise, the Toronto Blue Jays have the formula to beat the Yankees, putting pressure on them last season with good contact hitting and aggressive baserunning that forced defensive mistakes and had them on their heels.

As such, I think the Jays will prevail in a tight AL East race and from there the various team records will determine the matchups. Maybe the Yankees will figure it out against the Jays. But if they couldn’t beat them last October with Judge hitting .600 in the ALDS, the odds are against them with essentially the same team back for 2026.

2. METS WIN NL EAST, LOSE TO DODGERS IN NLCS

Have to admit, I like what I saw in spring training from the Mets, and that’s always a risky basis for making predictions, but I’m picking the Mets over the Phillies in what should be a tight NL East race. It could develop into a spicy rivalry this season as well, with seemingly all of Philadelphia outraged by the Mets swooping in to land Bo Bichette when the former Blue Jay was on the verge of signing a long-term deal with the Phillies.

I think the Mets should be more consistent offensively, with proven clutch hitters Bichette and Jorge Polanco hitting behind Soto, than they’ve been in recent years. That and their potentially dominant pitching gives them the edge over Philly, at least for me, especially with Zack Wheeler coming back from thoracic outlet surgery. But beyond that, well, the Dodgers are the Dodgers, built to win in October with their power and pitching. And in the end, the bullpens could be the difference in a seven-game series, specifically closers Edwin Diaz and Devin Williams.

1. DODGERS WIN IT ALL AGAIN, ENSURING A FIGHT OVER SALARY CAP

It’s kind of nuts for the Dodgers to pay Tucker $60 million a year, but he does fit perfectly into their star-studded lineup and likely will play a pivotal role in helping them win another championship.

Last year, LA won a second straight title even without much of a bullpen, so signing Diaz away from the Mets figures to make the Dodgers even tougher to beat come October. As a result, I think they get their three-peat, beating the Tigers handily in the World Series and in the process further angering other owners in baseball, all but ensuring a lockout next winter and a bitter fight with the MLB Players Association over a salary cap.

Detroit Tigers’ infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee didn’t have the type of camp he was looking for this spring, but he remains one of the club’s best hopes for hitting help from the farm system in 2026. He was far enough ahead of the curve as a prospect that even now, after a full season of Triple-A ball, Lee only just turned 23 years old last month. So while his momentum has stalled out somewhat, there remains plenty of time for him to take the next step and contribute to a club that could use a right-handed hitting infielder, both this season and for the foreseeable future. Here, Lee rounds out our 45 future value tier in the system.

The Tigers acquired the Taiwanese infielder in the Michael Lorenzen trade with the Philadelphia Phillies back in 2023. At the time, he was a 20-year-old with good power potential and advanced hitting ability who was already tearing up the High-A level. The Tigers pushed him straight to Double-A as a 21 year old in 2024, and he more than held his own despite some minor injury trouble, posting a 143 wRC+ with 12 home runs and very good strikeout to walk numbers in 87 games with the Erie SeaWolves.

So very quickly, Lee showed off precocious hitting ability. The question entering 2025 was whether he could continue his torrid pace through the minors and push his way through to the major leagues. It didn’t quite work out that way, but it wasn’t a bad season either. He played all 126 games, hit 14 home runs, and his 20.2 K-rate and 11.9 percent BB-rate were good for the level, as was his .342 OBP. He just didn’t hit for quite as much power as he needs to in order to really breakout into an everyday player at second or third base. Still, he’s close, and even as he is there’s a good chance he can handle a part-time role as one of Tigers few right-handed hitting infield options this season.

Lee left the club pretty early into the Grapefruit League season and only got 14 plate appearances before joining Team Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) for the World Baseball Classic. Unfortunately, he suffered a left oblique strain and missed the tournament. He’s been back in games on the minor league side of camp over the past week, ramping back up to begin his season, and doesn’t seem likely to miss much, if any, time with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens season kicking off on the 27th of March in Lehigh Valley against the venerable IronPigs.

Beyond his bat, the things that make Lee compelling as a prospect are his aggressive, intense mindset on the bases, and his ability to play a very solid second base, and even handle third base in a pinch. He only started playing some third base last season, and while he was shaky there initially, his hands, reactions, and arm are all good enough to approach average there if he continues to improve his footwork and the finer points of the hot corner to help him make all the throws despite just average arm strength. Lee is only an average runner, but he stole 22 bases last year, mainly by being quick off the mark and learning to read pitchers first moves. His aggression will sometimes lead him into a mistake, but more maturity should smooth off the rough edges from his game, and he plays a very heads up, intelligent brand of baseball generally, endearing himself to Hens’ manager Gabe Alvarez.

Hao-Yu Lee is already a pretty good fastball hitter. He handles velocity well, and gets the barrel to heaters in all parts of the zone. His tendency to get caught out in front has at times left him struggling to pull the baseball and do as much damage as his plus raw power is capable of. He made this jump at Double-A, but he showed a similar issue against top shelf heat at the Triple-A level last year against right-handed pitching.

Where Lee has really struggled is with good breaking balls. He has the plate discipline not to chase too much, but right-handers with good sliders down and away are still a problem. Even in the zone his relatively flat swing sees him getting under the ball a lot against breaking stuff, with predictably weak contact in the air even though his two-strike approach is good enough to battle through long at-bats and still put something in play.

So, there’s still an issue or two keeping Lee from breaking out as an everyday infielder for the Tigers. He’s got to shore up his game more against better right-handed pitching to start profiling as a 2-3 WAR everyday player who needs to be in the lineup full-time. His defense and baserunning are pretty solid, but he’s not providing much surplus value there. It has to come from the that.

Fortunately, Lee already has a clear pathway to major league playing time against left-handed pitchers. With Javier Báez, Gleyber Torres, Spencer Torkelson, and Jahmai Jones presumably all on the Opening Day roster, there isn’t a lefty masher spot open right now, but if not this season, then next season that profile will become more valuable as Torres at least likely moves on.

Lee posted a .437 wOBA and a monstrous .271 ISO against left-handers’ fastball last year. He’s also a lot better at handling breaking stuff when it’s moving towards him rather than away. Lefties can get him reaching for changeups and splitters away at times, but they’re hard-pressed to do so. Even then, he can still do enough damage to fill Jahmai Jones’ role with the club, while bringing a lot better defense and versatility to the table.

There’s no rush this season as Lee is still pretty young, but the Tigers did have to add him to the 40-man roster back in the fall, so the clock is beginnging to tick already. There are probably going to be opportunities for either he or Max Anderson to play some infield and hit mostly against southpaws for the Tigers this year. Lee would do well to get off to a good start and show some signs of handling right-handers with good sliders more effectively this year. Even if he just continues to crush lefties, he’s got a good chance at his first tour of the major leagues, but it would really boost his stock above Anderson if he starts to sort out his issues with the top right-handers at the Triple-A level.

In the years ahead, the Tigers are almost certainly going to have to commit a lot more of their payroll each year toward rebuilding a post-Skubal rotation. To do that, they need a steady flow of young positional talent to keep things affordable without slipping offensively. Hao-Yu Lee still looks like a solid part of that plan, and it would be a huge gift to the organization if he can take the next step and round out his offensive game in 2026.

Didier Fuentes’s stuff has been electric this Spring. A 17/0 K/BB ratio in 9 innings attests to that. Yeah, it’s Spring Training, but he clearly has something. Do you know what he doesn’t have? His curveball.

Didier Fuentes, Nasty 80mph Curveball. 😨

1st MLB K pic.twitter.com/TpxcZgQ0GJ

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 20, 2025

Per our 2026 Preseason Top 30 Prospect list coverage, Didier “is working to develop a curveball.” It’s not bad at all in this brief video. It looks pretty good in the minor league numbers and the video. But we haven’t seen it this Spring.

He’s been basically fastball-slider this year with the splitter thrown it. All of his strikeouts were with the fastball-slider mix. It’s nearly a carbon copy of Spencer Strider’s 2022 season.

With respect to pitch types, Spencer Strider’s 2022 season and Didier Fuentes’ 2026 Spring are nearly identical. Fuentes only adds the splitter and Strider with the changeup. So where’s Didier Fuentes’ curveball? It’s probably left in Gwinnett for now. Let’s hope he can get enough results at the Major League level to worry about Triple-A this year.

Meet the Mets

The Mets have set their Opening Day rotation. We already knew that Freddy Peralta is slated to start on Opening Day, but he will be followed by David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Kodai Senga in that order.

Meanwhile, Sean Manaea, whose velocity has been down this spring, will be used in a piggyback role initially to start the season with the Mets expanding to a six-man rotation in mid-April if Manaea is pitching well. “I consider myself a starter,” Manaea said after manager Carlos Mendoza announced the decision on Saturday morning. “To not be that is frustrating. But at the end of the day, I’m just going to let my pitching do the work in whatever capacity that is, and go from there.”

Will Sammon of The Athletic contributed three thoughts about the decision to have Manaea in the bullpen to start the season.

Mike Tauchman, who left yesterday’s game with a knee injury, will get an MRI to determine the severity of the issue, which will influence the Mets’ decision regarding the final bench spot on the roster.

One positive that came from yesterday’s spring training games was a home run by the slumping Mark Vientos.

The Mets optioned catcher Hayden Senger to Triple-A Syracuse yesterday.

Around the National League East

Dylan Moore, who triggered his opt-out clause with the Phillies on March 19, has been signed to a major league deal by Philadelphia. He will be on their Opening Day roster.

The Braves released non-roster invitee Kyle Nelson, who was an unlikely candidate to make the Braves bullpen.

Battery Power made their final 2026 Braves Opening Day roster projection.

The Nationals released former Met Drew Smith, who they had signed to a minor league deal this winter.

Spencer Nusbaum did a deep dive into the metrics the Nationals are using to track how their pitchers are performing this spring, as well as all the data their hitters can now access.

Both Kyle Stowers and Esteury Ruiz are undergoing testing after leaving Friday night’s split squad games due to injuries.

Around Major League Baseball

Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com ranked the ten best pitching staffs in baseball and the Mets rounded out his list at number 10.

The Pirates reassigned top prospect Konnor Griffin to minor league camp yesterday.

MLB.com surveyed the players regarding who they think will be the best at ABS challenges this season. Not surprisingly, Juan Soto was at the top of the list.

“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction,” Randy Arozarena said in a statement, via the Mariners. “Cal [Raleigh] and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates. He’s family, and we are both focused on helping the Mariners win the World Series.”

Michael Conforto had made the Cubs’ Opening Day roster.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Brian Salvatore discussed the uncertainty surrounding Jorge Polanco at first base in Polanco’s season preview.

Linus Lawrence continued his Mets Madness Out of the Park Baseball tournament with the Round of 32.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1962, the Mets and Yankees faced off for the very first time.

Colin Rea threw four efficient innings Saturday night in Peoria, Arizona and the Cubs defeated the Mariners 7-1.

Rea threw 77 pitches (50 strikes) and generally looked like the solid pitcher he was for the Cubs most of last year. He’ll be in a long relief/spot starter role to begin the season and he seems to thrive in that role. The Cubs are lucky to have a guy like that.

Here’s more on Rea’s outing [VIDEO].

The Cubs scored first, in the top of the first. With one out, Moisés Ballesteros doubled. Really, that guy is amazing. He might not look like the traditional ballplayer, but man, that guy can hit.

Miguel Amaya singled in Ballesteros. (Had hoped to have video of this, but it doesn’t appear to be available.) I think Amaya is primed to have a huge year, if he stays healthy.

The Mariners’ only run off Rea was unearned, scoring in the second on this missed pickoff [VIDEO].

Dylan Carlson homered in the sixth to give the Cubs the lead [VIDEO].

That ball went a long way [VIDEO].

The Cubs added more in the sixth on a two-run single by Ben Cowles [VIDEO].

Michael Conforto, who was told Saturday that he’s made the team, had two hits on the night. Personally, I’d rather see him start in right field in place of Seiya Suzuki than have Matt Shaw out there.

Jonathon Long, trying to make up for lost time this spring, also had two hits.

Collin Snider and Corbin Martin threw scoreless innings in relief. Minor leaguer Evan Taylor threw two scoreless frames. After all the regulars departed, some Cubs minor leaguers put three more on the board in the eighth. Cowles had another RBI in that inning, his third of the game.

The Cubs return to Sloan Park Sunday afternoon to take on the Brewers. Cade Horton will start for the Cubs and Chad Patrick will go for Milwaukee. Game time is 12:05 p.m. CT and this one’s being televised all over the place: Marquee Sports Network, Brewers TV and ESPN Unlimited. There’s also a radio broadcast on WSCR The Score.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that baseball’s top prospect, Konnor Griffin, has been reassigned to minor league camp and will start his season in Triple-A Indianapolis.

This news comes after Griffin had a fairly strong outing in Bradenton in Spring Training and was trending towards being the Pirates’ big league shortstop come Opening Day. While he flashed great power at times in camp he did only hit .171 in Grapefruit League play. It appears that the Pirates’ organization are being cautious with his development and are giving him every opportunity to earn what could likely be a massive contract extension before he even turns 21-years-old.

Pirates manager Don Kelly announced the move on Saturday at LECOM Park and what led to the decision.

 “You see a young kid who was maybe pressing just a little bit and trying really hard. Konnor Griffin the person is elite. Allowing him to go and get back to basics and being Konnor Griffin out there,” Kelly said. “We know there’s an elite talent level that comes with him. Just looking forward to him being in Pittsburgh whenever that time comes.”

🚨 BREAKING NEWS
Konnor Griffin has been reassigned to minor league camp per @Piratespic.twitter.com/t7Zy33hRmp

— SleeperPirates (@SleeperPirates) March 21, 2026

Griffin of course impressed in his first year as a professional baseball player after being drafted ninth overall in 2024. Despite him starting in Low-A Bradenton he would finish 2025 in Double-A Altoona and received numerous end of season awards, to include a minor league All-Star nod and an invitation to participate in the Futures Game. Griffin slashed 333/.415/.527 in 122 minor league games last season.

Pittsburgh was similarly patient with Paul Skenes’ development, despite him seeming to be major league ready after less than a season spent in the majors. The club was certainly look out for their best interests in the respect that they have more control over a player’s future with the amount of service time they have spent in their minor league ranks. The club also has more control over what a long term extension could look like, and there have been reports that the Pirates and Griffin have already discussed what that contract could look like.

Griffin looks to be every bit of the promising prospect that the Pirates are hoping he will be, but it still might be in both parties best interest that he start his season in the minors. Some fans will be understandably disappointed with this move, especially considering that Griffin might already be the best option at shortstop for the Buccos. With that being said giving Griffin the opportunity to go out and be another prospect in Indianapolis will alleviate some of the pressure that he has undoubtedly been feeling. At just 19-years-old Griffin already has a huge magnifying glass on him as the best prospect in baseball and as possible savior for the Pirates. Having the opportunity to go to Indy will let Griffin slow things down and decompress and get back to playing more within himself with less outside pressure.

Make no mistake, Griffin should see big league action this season. With the way the team is currently constructed there really isn’t a solidified every day option at shortstop. Nick Gonzales has performed great in Spring Training, but of course has limited experience playing short at the major league level. Jared Triolo fits best there defensively but he figures to be the team’s third baseman. Nick Yorke is also in the mix but is much like the other candidates as he is largely unproven. If the Pirates can perform well as a team and Griffin can continue to excel he should find his way to Pittsburgh before season’s end.

Konnor Griffin casually fielding grounders while he’s mic’d up. 🔥

(Via: @MLB) pic.twitter.com/gpiLxUpkk4

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 21, 2026

Kelly described the decision to send Griffin down as difficult but maintained that he was impressed with his play and his character while he was in Bradenton.

“When you’re talking about a kid who came into big league camp playing shortstop for the first time … the talent that you see, I think he handled himself really well, professionally,” Kelly said. “We’ve talked about the maturity level as a 19-year-old in big league camp. Really excited about him being a Pirate and what that means for the future of Konnor Griffin and the Pirates.”

Griffin finishes his spring in Bradenton with a slash line of .171/.261/.749 with seven hits and four homers in 41 at bats.

What’s This Team’s Deal?

This team has won one World Series since the year 2000. I haven’t looked into what happened in the hundred years before that. 

In 2025, after winning a three-game Wild Card series against the Red Sox, New York went down to the Toronto Blue Jays 3-games-to-1, allowing 37 runs in those four games. They have chosen to shake nothing up and bring back the same manager, the same GM, and almost the exact same team in 2026.

How Good Are They?

When their entire team is healthy, they could be “Best in the American League” good, but will that happen? Nearly all of their best players have some risk attached to them. 

Starting with the staff, Gerrit Cole is working his way back from Tommy John Surgery before last season, hoping to return by June 1. Carlos Rodon had surgery on his elbow at the end of last season to remove bone spurs. Rodon hopes to return in April, but will not pitch in a Spring Training game. Ryan Weathers has excellent stuff, but has had trouble staying on the field, yet to eclipse 95 innings in a season over his five-year career. If those three are healthy, alongside ace Max Fried and playoff nemesis Cam Schlittler, look out. But that’s a big “if”. 

At the back end, both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver bolted across town to the Mets, leaving a ‘pen that could use a couple more arms. David Bednar is a strong closer, but is backed up by Camilo Doval and the 36-year-old Fernando Cruz as high-leverage arms. Doval had a 4.82 ERA and a 12.6% walk rate after being traded to the Yankees last July. And while Cruz’s strikeout numbers are elite (13.8 K/9 in his career), he had a 4.52 career ERA before 2025. Tim Hill, Jake Bird, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, and Cade Winquest are not likely to scare anybody. 
On the hitting side, DH Giancarlo Stanton self-reported that he “can’t open a bag of chips” last month due to continued pain in both of his elbows. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm went 30-30 a year ago and should have plenty of motivation in a contract year, but has had issues staying on the field throughout his career.

Shortstop Anthony Volpe had shoulder surgery last October and could miss multiple months of the season, although some might argue that this could help the Yankees, considering Volpe made 13 throwing errors and hit .212 a year ago.

With 3-time MVP Aaron Judge, a returning Cody Bellinger, and Ben Rice hitting two through four in the Yankee lineup, there is plenty of firepower returning. The Yankees hit 274 home runs a year ago, 30 more than any other team in baseball. 

Of course, we all know who Aaron Judge is when it truly matters, which was on display once again during an abysmal World Baseball Classic performance. Judge’s .236 career batting average in the playoffs, with a 31.1 K%, makes it fair to ask whether he or Clayton Kershaw is the least clutch great player of this generation.

Most Likable Player: 

None. 

Least Likable Player: 

Gerrit Cole. After a year away, I wouldn’t want anyone to forget how unlikable Cole is. 

Schedule Against The Red Sox

The Yankees will come to Fenway for a three-game mid-week set April 21-23, as well as a four-game weekend series from June 25-28. Boston will head to the Bronx for a couple of weekend three-game series, June 5-7 and August 28-30. 

Season Prediction

88-74, 3rd in AL East. Too many arm injuries, along with a subpar bullpen, hold the Yankees back in 2026. New York will finish behind the division-leading Blue Jays, as well as the Red Sox. If that lines things up for a Wild Card rematch in 2026, the games would be at Fenway this time. 

On paper, the Dodgers’ starting rotation consists of a four-headed behemoth comprising of All-Stars and a pandora’s box of options to fill in the final spot. With Blake Snell and Gavin Stone set to begin the season on the injured list, it opened up a wild horse race to see which young pitchers could support the back-end of the rotation.

Both River Ryan and Kyle Hurt enjoyed fruitful springs after having their entire 2025 season wiped away due to injury, but they were both demoted back to Triple-A Oklahoma City before Saturday’s Cactus League finale. Roki Sasaki, despite his ongoing struggles, will be a fixture in the rotation— for now. The final spot comes down to either Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski, but the Dodgers are still uncertain as to whether they’ll implement a five or six-man rotation, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was less definitive Friday, not naming a fifth starter when asked. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the situation between Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski was more “nuanced” than one being the fifth and the other the sixth starter with “piggyback” outings a possibility early in the season.

Sheehan struggled over 10 2/3 innings on the mound this spring, posting a 5.91 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP, while Wrobleski posted a slightly better 5.40 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 8 1/3 innings.

Links

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was stellar in his final tune-up of spring on Friday, where he silenced the San Diego Padres over five shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out seven on 68 pitches.

Yamamoto spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA post-game about his most recent start as he prepares to spearhead the Dodgers regular season on Thursday.

“There were a few things I wanted to try, and today I was able to get into the game very nicely, so I think that was good. With runners on base, I was able to calmly throw my pitch. There were a few pitches, especially like a first pitch strike, and that was something that I was focused on going to.”

The Dodgers now have a better idea as to how to approach the new ABS system, as Sonja Chen of MLB.com notes that challenges will be used conservatively and predominantly on the offensive side of the at-bat.

“I feel like as hitters, we kind of laid off a little bit and didn’t use it the way that we were supposed to use it early on, because we were saving it for the catcher and to have a conversation,” [Miguel] Rojas said. “But now that we have a little bit more clarity of how we’re going to use it, I think the team is going to start getting better.”