You’re nipping at the heels of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the NBA MVP Award. You’ve led the Lakers to nine straight wins, the franchise’s longest winning streak since the 2019–2020 season when it won a championship.
And you’re going to get in your own way now?
Lakers guard Luka Dončić argues a call during Thursday’s game against host team Heat. AP
Dončić picked up his 16th technical foul Saturday after he and Magic reserve Goga Bitadze exchanged words as he shot free throws with 1:19 left in the third quarter of the Lakers’ 105–104 win. (Bitadze was also assessed a technical.)
Luckily for Dončić and the Lakers, the technicals got rescinded Sunday, preventing him from having to serve a one-game suspension Monday against the Pistons.
But this should be a warning.
Dončić knew he was at the technical foul threshold. And he still opened his mouth. He needed to be better at that moment. Smarter. That was not worth it.
Especially not amid his breakthrough stretch, averaging an eye-popping 40 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.6 steals over the last nine games.
His MVP odds have quadrupled over the last five days. He had a 51-point performance and a 60-point performance within a week. Oh, and he made a game-winning jumper in a 127–125 overtime thriller against the Nuggets on March 14. He has been playing brilliantly. He has been hustling on defense. He has been the best player in the league lately.
The Magic’s Goga Bitadze got into a verbal altercation with the Lakers’ Dončić on Saturday. NBAE via Getty Images
And he nearly allowed words from a player who’s averaging 5.7 points over 15 minutes a game to get under his skin so deeply that it could’ve messed with his availability?
That’s self-sabotage.
“Obviously, I let my team down getting that last tech,” Dončić said Saturday after finishing with 33 points, eight assists and five rebounds. “But honestly, I wasn’t trying to. He said at the free throw, he would f–k my whole family. And at some point, this is a basketball court. At some point, I just can’t stand it. I gotta stand up for myself.”
Wrong.
That nearly cost him a game. It could’ve curtailed the Lakers’ momentum. All for what? So he could’ve spewed some venom back? Where would that have gotten him?
If anything, the incident showed other NBA players his kryptonite. It taught them that a taunt could make him lose his cool. It gave other players the cheat code on how to unravel him.
What’s the point of it all?
Bitadze claimed things went down differently. In a phone interview with ESPN and the Orlando Sentinel, the forward/center from Georgia said Dončić cursed at him in Serbian and he just repeated those same words back to him.
“He said something about my mother, which, it’s really inappropriate,” said Bitadze, who played professionally in Serbia from 2016–2019. “We don’t say that stuff during the game. … So I just said whatever he told me or [about] my mother [and] said it back.”
Honestly, the details don’t even matter. Who cares who said what first? Who cares if someone dissed his mom or his daughter or his grandmother or his ex-fiancée.
The words are empty. Meaningless. They have no teeth.
Dončić avoided a one-game suspension when the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season Sunday. Getty Images
It’s tough because what makes Dončić great also makes him a liability. He’s fiery, intense and as competitive as they come. He was assessed 16 technicals twice during his tenure with the Mavericks, but both times the 16th technical was rescinded.
Against the Bulls a little over a week ago, he used trash talk with Matas Buzelis to inspire his 51-point, 10-rebound, nine-assist explosion. He claimed Buzelis said something “not very nice” to him, and that woke him up.
It’s funny because that situation was also a “he said, he said” moment. Dončić claimed Buzelis trash-talked him first, while Buzelis insisted Dončić initiated things and he merely responded.
Again, the details don’t matter. But there’s a theme here.
Trash talk can bring out the best in Dončić. Or the worst.
And on Saturday, with his 16th technical foul and a one-game suspension looming, it wasn’t worth him taking the risk.
He shouldn’t have engaged.
He should’ve put his head down and found a different form of motivation. He should’ve shrugged off any insult. He should’ve made Bitadze pay for his alleged indiscretion by going on a scoring tear.
With only 11 games left, a one-game suspension is the last thing a surging superstar and a team on a heater need.
Dončić got lucky this time.
But he can’t put himself in this position again.
His team needs him too much.
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Feb 20, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) drives against LA Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (10) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
There are just a dozen games left in the Milwaukee Bucks’ season and the first of them takes place tonight at Intuit Dome against the LA Clippers. Coming off a gritty win against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, the Bucks continue their west-coast road-trip against a Clippers team that has been staggering to the play-in, going 1-4 over their last five games. Despite being the 71st game of the Bucks’ season, tonight’s is the first against the Clippers, with another to come on March 29.
Where We’re At
This Bucks season might’ve felt like Cormac McCarthy’s TheRoad—post-apocalyptic, sorrow at every turn, death ever-present—but, like in the novel, there’s just enough positivity to keep hope alive; just enough promise that next year will be better. Saturday’s win over the Suns is the most recent example of this, Ryan Rollins and Ousmane Dieng coming up clutch in the fourth in a glimpse of what could be for years to come—dynamic guard and dynamic wing. Of course, like the ending to The Road, nothing is for certain. Hope exists, but it’s fragile, conditional, unproven.
The Clippers’ future is also unclear, with the team shipping off stalwart centre Ivaca Zubac at the trade deadline and relying heavily on an older trio of Kawhi Leonard (34), Brook Lopez (37), and Kris Dunn (32). Yet, they also have in-his-prime Darius Garland (26) and entering-his-prime Bennedict Mathurin (23). Unlike the Bucks, the Clippers have weathered the storm of their season—a brutal 6-21 start and recent 1-4 skid—to be in the thick of postseason action; Los Angeles currently sits 35-36 and is all-but-guaranteed a play-in performance. Most recently, they won 138-131 in overtime against the Dallas Mavericks behind a season-high 41 points and Clippers-high 11 assists from Garland, to go along with 34 points and five assists from Leonard.
Injury Report
For the Bucks, Giannis (Left Knee; Hyperextension; Bone Bruise) and Kevin Porter Jr. (Right Knee; Synovitis) remain out, while Kyle Kuzma (Right Achilles) is questionable, and Gary Harris (Left Groin; Contusion) is probable.
For the Clippers, Bradley Beal (Left Hip; Fracture), Bennedict Mathurin (Right Toe; Injury Recovery), and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Right Lisfranc Ligament; Tear) are all out. In addition, Kawhi Leonard (Left Ankle; Sprain) is questionable, while John Collins (Left Ankle; Sprain) is probable.
Player to Watch
Despite being waived, Cam Thomas came to Milwaukee with expectations. And he did not disappoint in his first few games, going off for 34 points against the Orlando Magic and 27 points two games later against the New Orleans Pelicans—both wins. In fact, he was so prolific that—for a stretch—he was second in the entire league in points per minute:
But after another efficient night in a blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors, Thomas’ minutes reduced from the low 20s to the mid teens and he soon found himself collecting DNP-CDs. Part of this is a cold shooting stretch, part of it is his singular focus on scoring, and part of it is his defensive struggles. But these were all well-documented prior to Milwaukee signing him and the Bucks have been thin in the backcourt, especially with KPJ in and out of the lineup. Over the last two games, Thomas has been re-activated, putting in 14 points and four assists vs. Utah and seven points—including an important foul-drawing cameo to start the fourth—against Phoenix. So, with just 12 games left and next season’s roster almost certainly in a state of flux, it’ll be worth monitoring Thomas’ role and if he can be part of it. That is, of course, unless a decision has already been made.
How To Watch
Tune in at 9:30 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
Inter dropped more points at Fiorentina but young striker showed yet again that he can step up and deliver for club and country
Is Francesco Pio Esposito immune to The Fear? Even as Inter threw away another two points on Sunday night, drawing 1-1 at Fiorentina and giving fresh encouragement to their rivals in a title race that was supposed to have been done and dusted by the end of February, their 20-year-old striker remained untouched by it.
He opened the scoring inside the first minute at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, rewarding Nicolò Barella’s cross with a firm header past David De Gea. When the ball reached him again in the dying seconds of injury time, Esposito once again met the occasion, keeping his feet as Luca Ranieri grabbed at him with both hands, and turning brilliantly to fire towards the bottom corner. This time, however, the goalkeeper was equal to it.
The Yankees followed up their first World Series appearance in 15 years with a season that fell far short of expectations.
Sure, injuries marred what would have been an incredible starting rotation featuring Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, but that same rotation crumbled in the postseason, and the Yanks could not even make it back to the ALCS, falling to the eventual American League winners, the Toronto Blue Jays.
It's a tough pill to swallow for GM Brian Cashman and the rest of the organization, especially after Aaron Judge put together his second consecutive MVP season -- and his 2025 was arguably the best season he's ever had.
But many saw the flaws in the 2025 Yanks before the ousting, disregarding key injuries to Cole and the departure of Juan Soto in free agency. To Cashman's credit, he addressed those issues at the trade deadline, and the Yankees were healthy and near-complete headed into the postseason. But they could not get it done.
Entering 2026, Cashman and the brass saw that the team that lost to Toronto in four games and essentially decided to run it back.
Whether you agree or not, this is what the Yankees are starting the season with. Don't forget, this is the team that finished tied with the Blue Jays for the most wins in the AL (94) and were 18-8 in September -- the second-best record in baseball.
Will the "run-it-back" Yanks get over the hump this time?
With the Yankees starting the season on the road in San Francisco to take on the Giants, here are five big storylines to watch...
Returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon
The Yankees made it through 2025 without their ace throwing a pitch in the regular season. A big part of that was Fried's dominance and Rodon having his best season in pinstripes -- along with the emergence of some young hurlers.
While Cole is still weeks away from returning, his recovery from Tommy John surgery is, by all accounts, going swimmingly. Cole pitched in a Grapefruit League game and was effective, showing he still has a high-90s fastball, which is very encouraging. But baseball fans know returning from TJS is always tricky.
How much can the Yanks depend on Cole, and how do they plan to limit his workload?
Luckily for the Yankees, they have more than enough starters to perhaps even use a six-man rotation. With days off, it will be a four-man rotation to start, with Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Ryan Weathers. The Yankees also have Luis Gil, Ryan Yarbrough and even Paul Blackburn.
Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) reacts after a double play during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
On a similar note, Rodon will also start the season on the IL.
The southpaw has an expected return date sometime in April.
Rodon had a bone spur shaved down and loose bodies removed from his throwing arm, so it's not as intensive as Cole's recovery, but getting Rodon back and seeing if he can return to his 2025 form will be something to look out for. Don't forget, Rodon had a 3.09 ERA across a career-high 33 starts.
Anthony Volpe's future
Volpe is another starter who will begin the season on the IL, but this is a different situation from Cole and Rodon. Those two have their spots in the rotation ready for them when they return. The same can't be said for Volpe.
Sure, the Yanks will likely give Volpe back the starting shortstop job -- barring insane production from Jose Caballero -- but that leash won't be as long as it was last season.
Volpe regressed both offensively and defensively in 2025, and although the youngster played through a shoulder injury that likely affected his play on both sides of the ball, he'll need to show something when he returns. With his shoulder fixed, Volpe will need to hit the ground running, or at least show that his Gold Glove-level defense has returned.
A season ago, Volpe committed a career-high 19 errors, and the play of Paul Goldschmidt at first base certainly kept that number from eclipsing 20.
In addition to Caballero, the Yankees have George Lombard Jr. lurking in the minors. The Yankees' top prospect has shown this spring that his defense is major league ready, and if he can do some damage offensively in Triple-A, his timeline could be pushed up. There's also the trade market to solve the team's shortstop problem if Volpe proves he can't be reliable as an everyday starter.
A CJ Abrams deal with the Nationals could be possible. Abrams batted .257 with an OPS of .748 to go along with 19 home runs, 60 RBI and 31 stolen bases last season. While not a perfect player, Abrams would give the Yanks lineup a lift, especially at their left-hander-friendly stadium.
Perhaps a deal for an established shortstop like Abrams or someone else at the deadline could spell the end of Volpe's tenure.
Aaron Judge MV3?
There have only been two players in MLB history to win three consecutive MVP awards, the most recent being Shohei Ohtani (2023-25). Barry Bonds (2001-04) was the first, but Judge could add his name to that illustrious list this season.
Why not?
Judge followed up a crazy 2024 campaign, where he launched 58 homers and drove in 144 runs, with a 2025 season that was arguably better. A year ago, Judge batted .331, winning the AL batting title, smashing 53 homers and driving in 114 runs. The captain has not shown any sign of slowing down, and with his closest peers (Ohtani, Soto, etc.) being in the National League, who could pry the MVP away from him?
Aug 26, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrate after defeating the Washington Nationals 5-1 at Yankee Stadium. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals is an intriguing option. He was runner-up to Judge in 2024 and the young infielder could see his production increase with Kansas City bringing in its outfield walls. The Royals could also return to the postseason after missing out in 2025, and Witt would be a big reason why. And then we had Cal Raleigh in 2025. The Mariners catcher gave Judge his best shot, breaking all sorts of MLB records while hitting 60 homers as a catcher and helping Seattle capture the AL West title.
Barring any injuries to Judge, if a record-setting performance from Raleigh couldn't knock Judge off his perch, it might take something truly special -- or voter fatigue -- to unseat him.
Follow-ups to justify the run-back
One key factor to the "run-it-back" mantra is that a lot of young and surprise players stepped up in 2025. However, if they want to get back to the World Series, they'll need a follow-up that matches or exceeds what they did prior.
First and foremost, the rotation to start will have youngsters the club will need to keep the ship afloat until Cole and Rodon return. A lot is expected of Warren, Schlittler, and Gil, and those expectations are warranted.
Gil won the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year before injuries nearly wiped out his entire 2025. The right-hander will need to find his groove again, as spring training was not kind. Taking his last spring start out, Gil pitched to a 6.28 ERA.
Warren was the opposite of Gil, pitching the entire 2025 season without injury -- to varying degrees of success -- and the second-year starter has had a magnificent spring. Heading into his final spring start, Warren has allowed just four earned runs while striking out 16 batters across 20.1 innings.
And then we have Schlittler, the hero of the Wild Card round last year.
The electric right-hander had a setback early in spring, but since his return, he's just as advertised. He's allowed just one run and struck out 11 batters across 9.2 IP (three starts).
Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) pitches during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
On the offensive side, Ben Rice will be given the reins at first base. The left-handed slugger had a great second half last year, and continues to show his plate discipline and power this spring, all while showing more comfortability playing the position.
Austin Wells is entering his third year and took a step back in his sophomore season. While his defense behind the plate is still very good, the Yankees hope to get more out of him -- he has 20-homer power -- to lengthen the lineup. Wells showed that potential playing for Team DR in this year's WBC, hitting .267 and smashing two home runs, including a walk-off.
And while Trent Grisham isn't a youngster, the Yanks will see if they'll get similar production out of the 29-year-old. Now, it's unreasonable to expect the 34 home runs and 74 RBI out of the leadoff spot they got from Grisham a year ago, but the Yankees hope their $22 million man can produce. If not, it'll be interesting to see how patient the team will be before Jasson Dominguez or even Spencer Jones gets a shot.
Reclaiming the AL East
The Blue Jays were a bad matchup for the 2025 Yankees, it was as simple as that. However, if the Yanks won the division and had home-field advantage, then perhaps the series could have been different.
While we can talk hypotheticals all day, the road back to the World Series is easier as a division winner and preferably as the top seed. New York used that advantage in 2024 and they should do whatever it takes for that again.
Now, the AL East is going to be more difficult than a year ago -- at least on paper.
The Red Sox will have another year of experience for their youngsters, while they acquired Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez to build a rotation on par with the Yankees. The Blue Jays have a similar team to a year ago, but did add Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto, who could be in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
The Orioles signed Pete Alonso, are healthier and still have some of the most talented youngsters (Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday) in the league. And the Rays will also be a pest and somehow always find a way to be in the mix.
It'll be tough, but it's imperative that the Yankees win the division. Scoreboard watching will be a daily routine this season.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 21: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers rushes the ball up the court during the second half of their game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on March 21, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah.(NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After an ugly yet ultimately victorious night against the Jazz on Saturday, the Sixers have gone 4-1 in their last five games. Sure, it may have included a few opponents trying to tank, but it isn’t too bad considering the Sixers have been missing all their stars. Crucially, it’s kept them alive in the playoff picture at seventh in the East, rather than slipping any further down the incredibly tight conference standings.
The story might be a little different on Monday, though: they’re welcoming the best team in the NBA to Philly.
Even though the Pistons and Spurs are within three or four wins of the Thunder, OKC still sit atop the league with their 56-15 record.
The Sixers are going to have to compete shorthanded yet again too. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Johni Broome all remain out. And as if they weren’t already down enough rotation players, Dominick Barlow is only doubtful to return after suffering a left ankle sprain against Utah.
For the Thunder, the notable absence is starting guard Ajay Mitchell, who’s suspended one game following the Wizards-Thunder altercation.
Meanwhile, the the Thunder are getting more firepower back — as if they even needed it for this game. 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams, who was having another quality season this year before being out since mid February with a hamstring injury, is now available.
With an excellent offense and the league’s top defense, stellar top-end talent and unbeatable depth, the Thunder comfortably have the league’s top net rating at a ridiculous +11.0 — way ahead of the second-place Pistons and Celtics, tied at +8.0.
There are obviously going to be nightmare matchups across the board in this one. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is yet again playing like an MVP-level force this season after winning the award last year. His scoring has somehow become even more efficient, as he’s racking up 31.6 points per game with improved three-point accuracy (39.0 percent), an absurd career-high of 60.0 percent from two-point range (including 76.2 percent within three feet) and, unsurprisingly, a career-high 66.5 true shooting percentage as a result.
Shai is going to get his points against anyone, but it’s good experience for VJ Edgecombe to compete his hardest, utilize his athleticism, and see if he can disrupt some of Shai’s possessions at least.
First-time All-Star Chet Holmgren is having his best season yet too, and will give these smaller Sixers (and Adem Bona and Andre Drummond when he’s at center) plenty of work to cover ground against his mobility, size, and range from the arc. Paired with Isaiah Hartenstein’s skill, size and strong rebounding at center, the Sixers’ frontcourt is really going to be bullied without Embiid around.
With a host of other talent in their guard and wing rotation as well, providing shooting and/or top defense — from Cason Wallace to Lu Dort and Alex Caruso — there really is no letup when facing the Thunder.
And then finally, there’s the other guard we have to mention… Jared McCain. He was always going to thrive in an offense with as much balance, playmaking, and spacing as OKC’s, and he hasn’t hesitated to do just that with the solid play time he’s had already. McCain already has four 20-point games in his brief spell with OKC, compared to a mere one with the Sixers this season.
He’s averaging 12.3 points on a 62.0 true shooting percentage through his first 19 games there. McCain looks right at home in the Thunder offense with the way he’s getting open off the ball, running off screens, and creating off the bounce for himself. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him bring a bit of extra fire against the team that foolishly traded him away.
As special as Edgecombe’s arrival has been for the Sixers this season, and as good as he’s looked over the last two games with his career night against the Kings and 22-point, 13-rebound double-double against Utah, trying to lead the way against this Thunder defense is another kind of game altogether. That said, even if (when) the Sixers get crushed, Edgecombe delivering against the NBA’s best defense would be a fun statement for the rook to come away with.
Hopefully for the Sixers, Quentin Grimes can keep his strong play rolling after averaging 24.6 points over the last five games. And if Justin Edwards can find the kind of groove he had in his 32-point, seven-triple outburst against Kings too, that’ll make things a little more interesting.
None of that will really matter much in this one, though. It’s hard for any team to beat the Thunder on a good day, let alone the Sixers in their current state.
At least last week was a success for the Sixers’ place in the East. And once they get through what will likely be a brutal loss on Monday, life will at least get easier for them for the rest of the week with the Bulls then Hornets for their next two games.
Game Details
When: Monday, March 23, 7:00 p.m. ET Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 19: Members of the New York Mets warm up on the field prior to the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 12: Cade Winquest #80 of the New York Yankees pitches during the spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 4-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Among decisions to be made throughout spring training, the ones that can change the most as the preseason progresses is the bullpen. Often, the low-leverage arms will be the 25th or 26th guys on an Opening Day roster, and are not immune to trips back-and-forth to the minors. For the Yankees, Cade Winquest may end up fitting the spirit of that description quite well — albeit with a catch.
Acquired this offseason, the 25-year-old righty has not pitched in The Show to this point in his career, and has worked primarily as a starter in various levels of the Cardinals’ organization. In the 2026 season, both are likely to change. Although he won’t be getting any high-leverage appearances out of the ’pen (especially early on), he’s likely to get some work, and the Yankees clearly had enough interest to bring him aboard back in December.
In the 2025 Rule 5 Draft, the Yankees selected Winquest from the Cardinals. Again, he has no MLB experience as of yet, but has been a respectable run preventor between A-ball and Double-A, relying on a solid fastball-curveball combination that clearly sparked a baseline level of interest from New York in the righty, if they already considered them potentially big-league ready.
During the 2025 season between High-A and Double-A in the Cards’ system, Winquest worked easily the most innings of his professional career with 106. He did so while striking out more than a batter per inning, and did enough to warrant the Yankees taking him via the Rule 5 in December. Almost any player acquired in this fashion is a flier, but in this case, there is a good chance that Winquest will see MLB time in his first season in the Yankees organization.
New York partially rebuilt the back end of their bullpen at the trade deadline last year, when they acquired David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Jake Bird. All three righties remain with the Yankees for 2026, and at least Bednar and Doval figure to get plenty of high-leverage work, not to mention the presence of Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill, who played key roles in out of the ’pen in 2025.
Winquest is the youngest pitcher projected to be a part of the Opening Day bullpen, and the only one with under three years of service time. All of that considered, along with the talent at the top of the depth chart, meaningful innings may be hard to come by for Winquest. That being said, there’s a reason bullpens run so deep, assuming he’s actually in the fold, he’ll get his opportunities.
It is theoretically not out of the question that Winquest makes a spot start here or there as well, but there are several others in the projected bullpen with starting experience, namely Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough. Tellingly, the Yankees haven’t started him once this spring, preferring to use him in relief.
The right-hander did a solid job last season, managing a 3.57 FIP in over 100 innings as a starter, though that was in the lower levels of the minors, and big league lineups could prove to be an issue for him. He features a solid curveball, with a fastball and slider that leave some room to be desired, as well as a cutter, all of which the Yankees will likely try to develop and optimize while he’s in the Bronx. His eight spring training appearances have been forgettable, as he’s allowed six runs and three homers, but it’s a small enough sample that hope hasn’t completely run out. At worst, Winquest offers immediate depth, and if they don’t like what they see when the games count, then they can just return him to the Cardinals (he will have to stick with the Yankees all year to remain in the organization past 2026). It’s a relatively low-risk endeavor, and the Yankees’ decision to roster him or not will be a signal about what they think about his stuff.
Getting any meaningful or high-leverage work will be an uphill battle for Winquest with the Yankees this season, but their acquisition of him says something of their interest. He will surely get some looks in the early part of the season; the onus will just be on him to capitalize on the rare opportunity to be an impactful Yankees Rule 5 pick.
Following a 2025 season where the Mets went from the team with the best record in baseball to one that missed the playoffs, president of baseball operations David Stearns overhauled the roster, which included trading or letting go of a bunch of its core players.
While the club led in part by Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil helped make New York go during its magical run to the 2024 NLCS, that group was also part of the incredibly disappointing 2025 season, the massive failure that was 2023, and the 2022 team that squandered the division lead late and was eliminated in the Wild Card Series at home to the Padres.
Also gone from the recent core is Edwin Diaz, though his departure seemed less intentional from the Mets' end and more like a negotiation gone wrong.
In any event, out are Diaz, Alonso, Nimmo, McNeil, and most of last year's bullpen.
With the Mets opening the regular season this week at Citi Field against the Pirates, here are five big storylines to watch...
Is the starting rotation a strength?
It was the rotation that was largely responsible for the Mets' downfall last season.
While injuries impacted things, the starting staff in 2025 was a debilitating combination of ineffective and allergic to pitching deep into games.
The group heading into 2026 has been bolstered in a big way by the addition of Peralta, and should be further transformed by getting a full season from Nolan McLean -- who made eight starts toward the end of last season in what was his first taste of the bigs.
Back are Clay Holmes and David Peterson, with the latter's struggles late in 2025 possibly attributable to fatigue as he tossed a career-high 168.2 innings.
Also back: Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea, whose campaigns last year were marred by injury and underperformance.
Mar 7, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Senga looked terrific in spring training, with his fastball routinely reaching the high-90s, and Carlos Mendoza repeatedly said Senga simply looks like a healthy player again.
Manaea's spring was up and down, with his decreased fastball velocity (which hovered around 88 mph) being the main focus.
If you squint just a bit, you can see a staff that could have three top-of-the-rotation starters and three solid mid-rotation starters.
But it's fair to wonder how Manaea's stuff will play in the regular season and whether Senga will stay healthy. And the Mets are seemingly wondering about Manaea, too, with the lefty in a bullpen/piggyback role to start the season.
Fortunately for the Mets, their depth is very good, including Christian Scott (who is healthy after recovering from Tommy John surgery), Jonah Tong, and Jack Wenninger.
While the Mets haven't announced Benge is on the team, it will be a massive shock if he doesn't come north. He has earned the right field job and is the clear best option.
Stearns said last November that Benge would get a real chance to win a starting job out of camp, and held that position all throughout the offseason and spring training, including when Juan Soto unexpectedly shifted to left field.
And Benge, who has played just 24 games above Double-A, looked the part all spring.
It wasn't just the results (which were great). It was Benge's approach at the plate, his long at-bats, his ability to hit the ball with authority to all fields, his defense, and his demeanor.
Most of the focus has been on Benge's offense, but he's also a plus outfield defender, which includes a cannon of an arm.
While there will be pressure on Benge to perform, he should have a bit of a soft landing since he won't be viewed as a lineup anchor from the jump, with him likely hitting in the lower third of the order.
Lindor returned to game action over a week before Opening Day, as he completed his recovery from hamate surgery in his left hand.
The shortstop's presence in the lineup for the start of the season was never really in doubt, but it's fair to wonder how the surgery might impact his power -- at least in the short-term.
Mar 15, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits a single in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Clover Park. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Earlier this spring, SNY spoke with Deepak Chona, MD, a Stanford and Harvard-trained orthopedic sports surgeon and founder of SportsMedAnalytics, to get insight regarding Lindor's surgery and what it could mean for his 2026 season.
"The amount of time varies," Chona said about the power aspect, "but generally projects to six weeks after returning."
In other words, while the impact to Lindor's power should not be significant, it could still be notable -- as was the case with Francisco Alvarez last season.
"Most likely, this timing correlates with the recovery of grip strength and control of the bat," Chona explained. "This dips after surgery (1) because of the generalized trauma/swelling to the muscles of the hand and (2) because the part of the bone (called the hook of the hamate) that they cut out to treat the fracture is involved in generating grip force as well."
Chona added:
"The area near the hamate sees greater force on a left hand when batting right-handed, so it’s possible – if not likely – that Lindor being a switch hitter may help him bounce back faster than other batters.
"Limited data exists, but we’d anticipate a greater effect when he bats right-handed early on in the recovery. By one-to-two months post-return, most data suggests he’d be near his baseline level from both sides of the plate."
The Mets' bullpen would undoubtedly be more fearsome if it had Williams and Diaz.
But Williams' relative struggles last season should not cloud the kind of reliever he was for his entire career before that.
Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Devin Williams (38) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Over the first six seasons of his career, Williams had a 1.83 ERA (2.39 FIP) and 1.02 WHIP in 235.2 innings while striking out 375 batters -- a rate of 14.3 per nine.
While he didn't perform up to his standards in 2025, with a 4.79 ERA over 62.0 innings, pretty much all of Williams' underlying metrics suggest it was largely a fluke.
Specifically, Williams' 2.68 FIP was more indicative of how his stuff played than his top line numbers. Meanwhile, his WHIP, HR/9, BB/9, and SO/9 were all near his career rates.
As far as the stuff? Williams' fastball remained an above average offering, and his vaunted changeup was in the 95th percentile.
Put it all together, and it's fair to expect Williams to be elite again in 2026.
The first base plan
Jorge Polanco got lots of time at first base in spring training games as he learns a position he has yet to play in a regular season game.
And in those games, Polanco looked pretty comfortable.
However, Brett Baty also got a significant amount of burn at first base in Grapefruit League play as he also learns the position.
With Baty frozen out at third base byBo Bichette and at second base by Marcus Semien, it's fair to believe he'll be mainly at designated hitter or first base when he's in the lineup.
Add to that the mild health concerns surrounding Polanco and you get a situation where it might make sense to use Baty at first base and Polanco at DH more often than not -- if he handles the position as well or better than Polanco.
Mar 4, 2026; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott (5) scores a run during the fourth inning against Team Canada at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Now that the roster is (unofficially) set, here is what we can find.
Phillies have a roster:
Realmuto, Marchán, Harper, Stott, Turner, Bohm, Sosa, Moore
There are a lot of moves here that are unsurprising. Much of this team has been set for a while now, but there are still at least maybe a few eyebrow raisers here. Among them
Dylan Moore getting to keep his 26th man spot, giving the team really only three true outfielders
Tim Mayza getting the nod over Rule 5 pick Zack McCambley as the last member of the bullpen to be added before either Orion Kerkering or Max Lazar come off the injured list
Rob Thomson coming to his senses and not keeping Garrett Stubbs over Rafael Marchan
I’m sure there are thoughts about this roster, so let’s share them. What thoughts do you have about this Opening Day roster right now?
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Reynaldo Lopez #40 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Results were not kind to Reynaldo Lopez in his final Spring start on Sunday. His velocity was down while the Twins production at the plate was up. Lopez has seen mixed results this Spring, including less than ideal velocity on his fastball. While there are no reports of injury, it is fair to wonder how effective Lopez can be as the season starts. Hopefully results will be better once the games start to count.
ELMONT, NY -- Once the final buzzer sounded on Sunday night, signaling the New York Islanders' 1-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, that meant one thing: The Islanders were back in a playoff spot with 11 games to go.
With the newfound two points, the Islanders leapfrogged the Detroit Red Wings to sit in the second wild-card spot with 85 points. The Red Wings, who have 84, do have a game in hand, but a game in hand only matters if that team wins the game.
After falling out of a playoff spot last Thursday following a devastating 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, the Islanders had the chance to rebound against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. However, they fell 7-3, making Sunday's game against Columbus, the team holding down the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, incredibly important in keeping their playoff hopes alive.
"That was probably one of the high-stress games of the year for our group," Islanders forward Bo Horvat said. "I mean, it was a hard-fought battle by everybody. Everybody was contributing tonight. All four lines were rolling, and obviously, Sorokin was phenomenal."
The Islanders, who kicked off a stretch of 10 of the final 12 games on home ice Sunday, host the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night at 7 PM ET, a must-win as they continue onward with their playoff push.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 1: Alex Freeland #76 of the Los Angeles Dodgers participates in a fielding drill prior to a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Camelback Ranch on March 1, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the third inning on Sunday night in Anaheim, the Dodgers plated 10 runs against the Angels thanks to seven walks (five in a row at one point) and four hits (Teoscar Hernández had the first two hits in the frame, including a home run).
The last time the Dodgers scored double-digit runs in an inning in a game that counted was June 2, 2021 against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium, putting up 11 in the first inning.
Hyeseong Kim was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, with Alex Freeland earning the heavy side of a platoon at second base to open the regular season. Manager Dave Roberts explained the roster move on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium.
“There’s no doubt that Hyeseong at some point is going to come help us out. I think the driver, as far as at the outset, is giving Hyeseong an opportunity to play every day, play all over the diamond,” Roberts said Sunday, as shown on SportsNet LA. “He’s going to play some short, some center, some second base there. Whereas here, he wouldn’t have the runway to do that, to play more frequently.
“I think with Alex, with what he’s done in Triple-A already, he’s really played well. There’s nothing left for him to prove there. For us to give him a little bit of runway to see what we’ve got in him, to give him an opportunity to play here for us against right-handed pitching, and just kind of see where it goes.”
Dave Roberts spoke ahead of tonight’s #FreewaySeries opener about Alex Freeland earning his opportunity, evaluating spring performance, and maximizing Hyeseong Kim’s versatility. pic.twitter.com/59DgU8i7pG
While his stats haven’t really reflected it yet, his contact rate took a big dip in 2025, and a change in contact rate is one of those Statcast indicators that is predictive of big downside risk. I’m hoping this isn’t how things play out, but I think this might be the first year in a long time in which Freeman won’t have a case for being the NL’s best first baseman. Either way, I look forward to checking his name on a Hall of Fame ballot sometime in the 2030s.
Freeman walked twice and doubled in Sunday night’s win in Anaheim, his first game this spring not played at Camelback Ranch. He’s up to 44 total plate appearances this spring, for those of you keeping track of Project 47.
DENVER, CO - MAY 20: A detail of a baseball on the field in the first inning of a game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on May 20, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Massey will stay back in Arizona as the team heads to Texas, allowing him to get more at-bats in Minor League Spring Training games and fully test his running. He played second base on Saturday and is scheduled to play the outfield on Sunday. By Tuesday, the Royals hope to have a better idea of whether they can have him on the roster, which has to be set by Wednesday because of the Yankees and Giants beginning the 2026 season that night.
“If Massey’s ready, he’ll be on the team,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “It may affect which way we go if he’s not on the team. We’ve got Drew Waters, we’ve got Nick Loftin. Trying to figure out how they fit. The good thing is we’re confident in anybody. We’d like to have Michael on the team. But it’s a deeper roster, and that’s a good thing. We’re in a good spot either way.”
He did throw a scoreless inning, but it was ugly. He threw 28 pitches but literally seven were in the zone. That’s brutal. He got just two chases on the 21 pitches outside the zone. His average velocity was 89.0, which was better than we’d seen when he was last in camp, but not good enough. And he maxed out at 90.7 MPH. I was concerned, but when it was going up somewhat steadily, I figured it was just something to monitor. We’re a week from Opening Day and he has two more outings to get this figured out. Look, maybe he does and we look back on this the same way we looked back on spring last year. But this is also worse than last year. Not every game had Statcast last year, but he pitched on March 17, March 20, March 22 and March 25 that was tracked. His average velocities were 92.8, 92.5, 93.9 and 93.2. He hasn’t touched any of those numbers on any pitch this spring.
In 2024, my bold prediction was the Kansas City Royals to make the playoffs on the strength of their emerging young offense. Bold Predictions HQ took a win on that one despite the fact that their playoff berth was more due to pitching than anything else. But we’re going back to the well and being more specific this time. The offense. It’s ready to bust out.
Cameron’s cutter is key to his success—the pitch comes in fairly slow at just 88 mph on average, but it’s got loads of induced horizontal break to it and it works beautifully, posting a 33% chase rate (78th percentile among cutters) a 34.5% ICR (71st percentile), and a 47.1% groundball rate (76th percentile).
As most of you know, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Winter Warmup as a reporter. Last year, I used that experience to write several season previews. Due to the late start of the top 20 prospect series (caused by waiting for Brendan Donovan to be traded), my Winter Warmup stories have been pushed to now instead of at the beginning of spring training. Thus technically, these could also be called season previews, but there’s a good chance I write a couple of these after the season has already started. I’ll try to pick stories that are not outdated for the ones during the season.
If you’re dissatisfied with Victor Scott’s offense, I have some good news. Victor Scott agrees with you.
“I do a lot of reflecting and a lot of looking at myself in the mirror so I like to see where there are areas I can grow, but I told them I wanted to come back a totally different player,” Victor Scott said. “I know I have two calling cards: the defense and the speed aspect, but I’m not complete without my offense.”
And yes, from a performance standpoint, Scott’s spring training has not gone well, but we all understand how important spring training stats are: they’re not. Especially if a player is working on a new swing. Because he wanted his offense to get better, he looked at why his swing was not working the way he wanted it to.
“What I didn’t realize is what a lot of what my swing was doing before, I was loading the ball of my foot which was basically cheating my rotation, so with that my knee would drive the rotation which then spins my upper half off the ball,” Scott said. “I had no idea I was doing that. That’s why you kind of get that pull-across swing and you start to pull groundballs to second base. For me, groundballs aren’t necessarily a bad thing, they are when they are at 2nd base because I can’t run that out.”
He and the coaches, as he describes it, knew he had to crawl before he walked. He went to West Virginia for motion capture and force plate testing to see how his body was moving. In other words, he was trying to see if he was doing something wrong and if there was something he could do.
“We found out that some of my movements were kind of inefficient and didn’t really help me with being adjustable which I thought they did, but they got exposed,” Scott said.
He did movement prep to get his hips to rotate the right way and to create better shin angles. These would give him a firmer front ankle so that he could better use his energy.
“We’re to the point where we are hitting lives, the swing is much shorter, much more compact and I’m able to be more adjustable and more athletic, so that’s fun for me.”
His slow decline as the season went along means that he was not doing a good job adjusting once pitchers figured out how to pitch to him. There are reasons for optimism on how he should be better positioned to make adjustments due to a couple factors. The Cardinals have made a serious investment in tech and coaching.
“That speeds up development and a lot of things can be done in-house instead of going outside and having to get that information. That’s kind of how I viewed this offseason working with Casey (Chenoweth) and working with Brownie (Brant Brown), so when I need help or when I need to make an adjustment or something is a smidgen off, I can correct it faster.”
Chenoweth in particular is a new addition to the MLB staff. He will be an assistant hitting coach, but Scott worked with him before back in 2023 when Chenowith was the hitting coach for the Peoria Chiefs. That year, Scott had a 117 wRC+ and got promoted midseason to Springfield.
“He’s a guy who understands what he’s talking about, he understands the swing, he understands kind of how to talk to the player and present that information, so that’s a guy I like to use for assistance for help.”
One person who does not need to be sold about Victor Scott is his manager. Oliver Marmol brought up Victor Scott twice during his Winter Warmup interview and Scott’s named was not brought up in any question by a reporter. He went out of his way to talk about Scott. He was asked a question about the rotation and after sharing how he was excited about that group, he then specifically called out Victor Scott.
“When I’m going into spring training, that’s one of the things I’m most excited about, in addition to our centerfielder,” Marmol said. “I’m excited to see Victor Scott and see what he’s capable of this year. Those two things excite me daily.”
Nobody asked a follow-up about Scott, but clearly Marmol wanted to talk about Victor Scott, because later on in the interview, he was asked a question about Masyn Winn and how he wanted to become a more well-rounded player and not just a “defense” guy. And in the process of answering the question about Winn, he decided to give another shout-out to Victor Scott.
“Like Vic, the ceiling is so high for both those guys offensively, I don’t think we’re close to seeing what they’re capable of doing, but I do think because of the way they’re going about it, they’ll close that gap sooner or later,” Marmol said.
These comments were made towards the end of the interview and I think he was genuinely disappointed nobody asked about Victor Scott. So instead of waiting for a question that never came, he wanted to make sure we knew that he believed in Scott. The reason I am emphasizing this is because this is bad news for anyone who thinks Nathan Church should play CF over Scott. I don’t think you’re going to get your wish.
Old school fans should love what Victor Scott wants to be this upcoming season. One of his personal goals this season, with the logic that he plans to get on base more, is to steal twice as many bases as last season. His personal goal is 70 bases. The last time a Cardinal stole 70 bases, it was Vince Coleman in 1988 when he stole 81 bases. To put it another way: I’ve never personally seen a Cardinal steal 70 bases, so that would be cool to experience.
“When this works this year, I’ll be on base more, stealing bases,” Scott said. “That’s what I like to do. I like to put myself into scoring positions in order to score more runs. Driving the ball in the gap more; homers is not in my cards, that’s not me. I can do it every now and then, but I’m a guy who is a line drive guy; gets on base, hits the ball the other way. That’s my brand of baseball.”
And this will annoy some of you, I am sure, but still he plans to bunt. I think the difference between the average fan’s thinking and Victor Scott’s thinking is that fans see how successful Scott was at bunting last season (not very) and think “this is his true talent success rate at bunting” while Scott thinks he is capable of getting bunt hits more often.
“This shorter and more compact swing is going to help me utilize those abilities and I don’t want to miss the fact that I’ve been bunting like crazy this offseason,” Scott said.
If you want a little insight into why he was still bunting in spring training, I believe that is why. And for now, I am personally okay with it for two reasons. First, this is the season to do it. This is a season of experimenting to some extent and honestly he was a very good at bunt hits in the minors. I am willing to accept the possibility that he underperformed last year in his bunt attempts.
Secondly, at least for now, he’s pretty much a singles hitter anyway so I don’t see some huge missed opportunity that he’s not actually swinging the bat. He needs to improve on his bunt attempts no question, but it’s not a terribly high bar he has to reach for a bunt to make sense. He batted .216 last season with not much power. Obviously if his changes to his swing work like he hopes, this argument will not apply and I would honestly love to face that reality.
Masyn Winn
Another player who hopes to steal more bases is Masyn Winn, who is under no illusions that he has no shot at stealing as many bases as Scott.
“Vic is track speed,” Winn said. There’s a difference between track speed and baseball speed. Now if I could be within five, I would love that.”
Sadly, we can not interpret that as Winn saying he’d love to steal 65 bases. There’s a very good chance he did not know Scott’s personal goal was to steal 70 bases or that Scott would say that to the media later. Since Scott stole 35 bases last season however, I do think something like 30 bases is what Winn is hoping for.
“I need to take my shots – in the right situation of course – but I didn’t even give myself a chance last year,” Winn said. “This year, with a healthy knee, I’ve been working a lot on running in PT, getting it back for a reason, I want to be able to use that speed.”
Winn is also redirecting his offensive goals for this upcoming season. Last season, he wanted more homers. This year he just wants to get on base more.
“I wanted to hit a bomb every time and that’s just not gonna happen,” Winn said. “That’s something I need to take pride in, is just being annoying at the plate, a guy pitchers don’t want to throw to, just cause they’re going to waste pitches.”
One cannot also underestimate what a healthy knee can do for Winn’s offense. He played through a slight meniscus tear and it required arthroscopic surgery. Only after the surgery was Winn able to realize how much it hampered his game.
“I walked out of surgery and it was almost like a week after, I was like “this is what it’s supposed to feel like to walk” and I had just gotten so used to the pain of playing through it that I was like this is my normal,“ Winn said. ”I do think last year, looking back on it, probably affected me more than I thought it did.”
After Nolan Arenado got traded and Arenado said his goodbyes to the Cardinals group chat, Winn joked to Arenado that if Arenado robbed him of a hit, he would slide in cleats first. Arenado told him that he’d try to rob Winn like he robbed Andrew Knizner.
“I’m sure he’s gonna hit one over to me,” Winn said. “I’m going to rob it, take my time, let him get down to first base, make him think he’s got a hit. I’m sure he’ll do the same.”
(Winn was the most effusive in last year’s Winter Warmup about wanting to play next to Arenado, so in case it wasn’t clear, this is joking with your friends, not any kind of dig at Arenado. Well except his speed. I do think it’s clear, but I know how easy it is for people to misinterpret these kind of things.)
Paul DePodesta, Josh Byrnes, and Ian Levin look on at Rockies spring training. | Kyle Cooper | Colorado Rockies
Here we are on the eve of the 2026 MLB season, and we’ll have Colorado Rockies baseball this weekend. Finally, we will get to see the Paul DePodesta–Josh Byrnes rebuild strategy in action.
That also means it’s time for my yearly SWOT analysis. (Read 2024’s here and 2025’s here.)
As a refresher, my preference is to write a (very rough) SWOT analysis that examines strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This year’s column poses a challenge. After all, these 2026 Rockies are a very different team than they were in September of 2025. With a new front office and coaching staff, deeper roster, enhanced analytics capabilities, and an updated approach to the game, it’s an exciting, albeit unpredictable, time.
That’s a long way of saying that we don’t really know what 2026 will look like, but we do know (with some certainty) that it will be different.
With that said, here’s my best attempt to evaluate the 2026 Rockies though I would add one caveat. I am not confident of the categories in which I have placed the evidence. Is the new front office a strength or an opportunity? I’m not sure, but I went with strength. You get the idea. And one of the things I hope we discuss in the comments is how these factors should be evaluated and which ones I’ve missed.
(And for those of you who do this professionally, please forgive my amateur application of the form.)
Strengths: Characteristics that give an organization an advantage over others
A new front office — This is not exactly a strength since the Rockies are playing catchup to other organizations, and they won’t be caught up in six months when the season ends. However, the Rockies now have a serious MLB front office. While we should expect to see improvement from players on the field, the real changes will be happening behind the scenes, and it will be some time before we know their effectiveness. This front office is going to rely on more than “guys playing better,” and they may even surprise folks.
A coaching staff the players like — The players have been clear — pretty much all of them — that they like manager Warren Schaeffer and the ways in which the coaching staff is working with them. After a miserable 2025, Schaeffer earned their trust and managed to get young players through an unforgettable (derogatory) season. This is no small feat. That terrible season gave Schaeffer a chance to hone his skills and build trust, and this season, he should be able to capitalize on that investment. Someone commented a couple of weeks ago that if Schaeffer can get this team under 100 losses, he should be under consideration for Manager of the Year. I agree.
The bullpen — Bullpens are, of course, volatile conglomerations, but the potential is there for the Rockies to have a bullpen that much of MLB overlooks. That may prove valuable during the season and certainly as the trade deadline approaches.
Hunter Goodman — I suspect the Rockies All-Star and Silver Slugger came as a bit of a surprise to MLB, but Rockies fans always knew the bat was for real. Will Goodman regress? We don’t know. But if he doesn’t, the Rockies will have a catcher with significant offensive upside, which is a valuable commodity.
Weaknesses: Characteristics that place the organization at a disadvantage relative to others
The Rockies are behind — For all those strengths outlined in the previous section, the fact remains that the Rockies are woefully behind their peers. Should fans expect losing? Yes. Should they expect a lot of it? Also, yes. But should things be improved? Probably. Still, losing is hard on professional athletes, and while DePodesta and Byrnes implement their system, there will surely be some grim games lying in wait.
The offense is bad — This may change, but based on what we saw last season, the Rockies had an offense that couldn’t hit and struck out a lot. That’s no way to win baseball games. Hopefully this is an area in which the Rockies will improve, but based on what we saw last season, there’s work to be done.
The starting rotation will have its work cut out — Last year’s starting rotation was historically bad, and it’s not possible for the Rockies (or any team) to win without at least a replacement-level rotation. To their credit, DePodesta and Byrnes have set out to correct this by signing veterans with diverse arsenals who aren’t afraid of pitching at elevation.
The farm system is marginal — Ranking systems have been down on Rockies prospects since last year. The question remains whether this is a lack of talent or a lack of player development. By September, we will have a better idea.
Opportunities: Elements in the environment that the organization could exploit to its advantage
Coors Field should be weaponized — We’ve talked about the “Coors Effect” ad nauseam, and the Rockies talk a lot about the challenges of playing at elevation. This year, it feels like, finally, they have a front office ready to transform Coors Field into a visiting pitchers’ house of horrors.
The Rockies will have players to deal at the trade deadline — I expect the Rockies to be very active at the trade deadline — as in, “I-wonder-if-Purple-Row-will-be-able-to-keep-up” active. DePodesta and Byrnes have said that they will listen to offers on any player, and the Rockies may have players — especially pitchers — to move in July. Add to that the possibility of trading Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, and Ezequiel Tovar, and the Rockies can begin rebuilding their farm.
A curious fan base — We hear a lot about how “Rockies fans show up no matter the team’s record,” but serious fans know that’s a fiction. Much of the gate is driven by fans of visiting teams who are either transplants or taking a three-day weekend. Just go to any series with the Chicago Cubs or the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Houston Astros or the Baltimore Orioles . . . I could go on, but you get the idea. One thing that has happened because of the front office and coaching changes is a fan base that is ready for winning and a front office that is ready to answer questions and build relationships. The Rockies need to spend this capital wisely.
Threats: Elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the organization
The NL West — The Dodgers have built a juggernaut. They want a third consecutive World Series (and to their credit, who wouldn’t?). They made offseason moves in signing Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz to load up to take another run at it. The Rockies luck against the Dodgers has rarely been good, and that trend will probably continue in 2026. In addition, I think the Arizona Diamondbacks are sneaky good. In addition, the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants are solid. Before the Rockies can contend, they must find a way to win in the NL West.
The looming lockout — Strictly speaking, this is beyond the scope of the 2026 season, but any momentum the Rockies build they risk losing in the event of a lockout that extends into the 2027 season. Certainly, no team would be immune from its effects, but for a young and rebuilding team, the impact might be especially devastating.
Predictions
Okay, so here are my (probably wrong) predictions.
The Rockies will go 63-99. That would mean three additional wins per month, and that strikes me as reasonable given the improvements the front office has made. Any record that includes fewer than 100 losses is an unquestioned win for this organization.
Three players will surpass 30 home runs: Hunter Goodman, Ezequiel Tovar, and T.J. Rumfield.
The Rockies will be in the top 10 teams in terms of stolen bases.
So that’s what I’ve got.
Let me know what you think.
This week on the internet
I know the World Baseball Classic happened last week, but I feel compelled to share this Ezequiel Tovar video:
Thomas Harding talked with Rockies coaching, pitching, and catching staffs to get their takes on pitching “suggestions” coming from the dugout. Truly, this one is worth your time.
