Category: Sports News

With expectations higher around this Mariners team than any other this decade, it makes sense that fans want to know how to watch their hometown nine this season. Frustratingly, despite the early announcement of a new streaming option, details about the cable situation for non cord-cutters have been thin on the ground. Finally, we have some clarification on the eve of Opening Day. Mariners games will indeed be available on both Comcast/Xfinity and Charter/Spectrum cable in the Seattle/Tacoma area, but now we have an exact channel listing.

Xfinity: channel 1261

Spectrum: channel 414

While there was no announcement about DirecTV, this post indicates it will remain on channel 687.

If you had the ability to get Mariners games in the past, the games should still be part of your cable package. If you tune into these channels as a test and don’t get anything today, don’t fret; they’ll only be live during game time. RIP to Root Sports and the pre-game Mariners content where we learned about players’ first baseball gloves and the like, I guess.

You can also of course follow the team in-market with Mariners.TV as a streaming option. Out-of-market fans, as in years past, can watch on MLB.TV. All the various options are described here. [Pro tip: if you are a T-Mobile subscriber, you can get MLB TV free through March 31st by downloading the T-Life app.] On your smart TV, download the MLB app; you can access the games from there. If you can’t figure out how to do that, try an Amazon Fire Stick/Chromecast or similar and connect it through the HDMI port. I use the app on my LG TV, but I hear the external connection is more reliable.

And for those of you who love that old-time magic of a radio broadcast, the Mariners will continue to be on their flagship station Seattle Sports 710 with all the radio voices you know and love, including Rick Rizzs in his final season.

There are a few exceptions to the MLB TV/Mariners TV lineup. Two Mariners games will be broadcast exclusively on Apple TV’s “Friday Night Baseball” this year, and four on Peacock, taking over the Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. There are also a pair of games on whatever “ESPN Unlimited” is; I have a request in with the team to clarify if that will be exclusive for ESPN+ subscribers, available on cable, or will be broadcast on Mariners TV still. This story will be updated with clarification.

• March 27th vs. the Guardians (Apple TV, 6:45)
• March 29th vs. the Guardians (Peacock, 4 PT)
• April 11th vs. the Astros (ESPN Unlimited)
• April 14th at the Padres (ESPN Unlimited)
• May 1st vs. the Royals (Apple TV, 6:45 PT)
• May 17th, Padres at Mariners (Peacock, 4 PT)
• July 5th, Blue Jays at Mariners (Peacock, 5 PT)
• August 16th, Mariners at Astros (NBC/Peacock, 4 PT)

There are also a handful of Mariners games on MLB Network this year, but those games will still be broadcast on Mariners TV. Similarly, the games on TBS (March 31st vs. the Yankees) and FOX/FS1 (April 18th vs. the Rangers; April 27th at the Twins; May 11th at the Astros; May 16th vs. San Diego, May 23rd at the Royals; July 18th vs. the Giants; July 25th at the Rangers; August 1st vs. the Twins). All dates are subject to change.

Got any more questions about how to watch the Mariners in 2026? Let us know in the comments!

The 2026 MLB season kicks off tonight at 7:05pm tonight on ESPNFox Sports Netflix, because of course we are starting with some streaming. It is the first day of the new season, but there are only two teams playing, which never quite feels like an actual opening day. Either way I’m excited that we get real games again. Kicking things off, it will be the Yankees at the Giants.

It is a pretty solid pitching matchup plus plenty of star power in the lineups. What’s not to love?

Welcome to the 2026 season of Major League Baseball!

The Colorado Rockies won’t play until Friday, as MLB is doing a bit of a staggered start to the season. Roughly half of the league will start playing on Thursday, with the other handful picking up the action on Friday. However, there is just a single game tonight as the New York Yankees take on the San Francisco Giants to kick off the season and a new broadcasting partnership with the streaming giant Netflix.

Max Fried will take the hill for the Yankees after a spectacular season in 2025. The veteran lefty put his name in the Cy Young race consideration in his first season as a Yankee, where he went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA. The Yankees struggled with putting together the rotation thanks to injuries, but Fried was a constant and looks to replicate that success in 2026.

Taking the pill for the Giants will be Logan Webb. A model of consistency, Webb has become the de facto ace for the Giants and for good reason. He went 15-11 with a 3.22 ERA in 207 innings over 34 starts in 2025, and it seems only a matter of time until he wins a Cy Young in his career. The hope is that he will get a bit more support from the Giants’ offense this season, taking the pressure off the need to be near perfect in every start.

Now here are the details:

First Pitch: 6:05 p.m. MDT (Pregame show 5 p.m.)

TV: Netflix

Radio: KNBR 680, 1510 AM – KSFN (Giants), WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (Yankees)

Lineups:

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The Dodgers’ have been tested on their path to immortality, overcoming a wave of pitching injuries in 2024 and near-elimination in last year’s Fall Classic. Because of that, manager Dave Roberts said the pressure on the team actually feels lessened now.

“I think the back-to-back was more of something,” he said this spring. “I don’t think we feel any pressure. I felt it more last year.”

While that might be true internally, the external spotlight on the team has never been brighter.

The club’s record-breaking spending has caused consternation around the league, raising fears of a lockout at season’s end. The addition of two more star signings this past offseason –– Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, to go along with the blockbuster acquisitions of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and others in previous winters –– has fueled a narrative they are bad for the competitive balance of the sport.

Not since those late-90s Yankees has a single team been so polarizing.

And perhaps at no point in the game’s modern era has a roster ever looked so stacked.

Thus, their pursuit of a three-peat will be baseball’s central storyline all summer and into the fall. Plenty will be rooting for the Dodgers’ downfall this year. But history beckons if they can triumph again, with a case for “greatest team of all-time” to be made if they can return to the mountaintop.

First Base

Last year, Freddie Freeman paid for his heroics in the 2024 World Series. Though the former MVP was still good (.295 average, 24 home runs, 90 RBIs, and a ninth career All-Star selection), he was clearly limited by the ankle injury he played through the postseason before, resulting in increased strikeout rates and decreased defensive range. This offseason, however, the 36-year-old got back to full health. And now, he has eyes set on a resurgent campaign, raving about the feel of his swing during spring training.

Second Base

Eventually, this will be Tommy Edman’s spot. But as he recovers from an offseason ankle surgery that will sideline him for the start of the campaign, the Dodgers will have to get creative. Miguel Rojas figures to get plenty of early at-bats. Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland present left-handed options for him to platoon with. When Edman does return, the Dodgers will be hoping for him to also display improved production, after being hampered by his injury last year.

Shortstop

Mookie Betts proved himself as a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop in his move to the position last year. Now, he needs to show he can still be an MVP-caliber hitter, too. Coming off a 2025 campaign in which he posted career lows in batting average (.285) and OPS (.732), Betts has tried to “re-wire” his swing and regain the strength he lost last year following a spring training stomach virus. He voiced optimism about his play this spring. But time will tell if he can fully rediscover his once-elite form.

Third Base

Now the Dodgers’ longest-tenured player, Max Muncy is back for his ninth season with the club, trying to avoid the injury problems that have plagued him the past two years. When healthy in 2025, there were stretches Muncy still looked like one of the game’s premier slugging threats. But his oblique has long been bothersome, prompting changes to his training program this winter in search of better health and more consistent play.

Left Field

Despite offseason trade rumors, Teoscar Hernández returns to the Dodgers in a new position, going back to left field after last year’s struggles in right. Hernández was hampered by a groin injury in 2025, but also left much to be desired with his defensive consistency and at-bat quality. So, he got in better shape this winter, made a point of playing early and often this spring, and now is hoping to get back to his 2024 form, when he had a career-best, All-Star caliber season in his first year in Los Angeles.

Center Field

The Dodgers haven’t successfully integrated many prospects into their lineup in recent years. But Andy Pages has been the exception. He was almost an All-Star last year, batting .272 with 27 home runs in his first full MLB campaign. And despite a horrific postseason slump that led to a World Series benching, he still made a season-saving catch in Game 7 that will forever live in Dodgers lore. Now, he is looking to take the next step, and cement his place in the team’s long-term future.

Right Field

Entering the offseason, the Dodgers insisted they didn’t need another superstar acquisition. Then, they went and signed Kyle Tucker to a $240 million contract anyway. With that deal comes lofty expectations for the four-time All-Star. He has been one of the most prolific hitters in the majors the last half-decade, yet is still looking for a signature, MVP-caliber type campaign. The Dodgers think he’s capable of that this year, especially if he can get back to Gold Glove form defensively.

Catcher

Amid all the other memorable moments from last year’s World Series run, Will Smith’s extra-inning, title-winning home run in Game 7 has almost been forgotten. Within the organization, however, it was further validation of his status as arguably the best catcher in the sport. Smith will be seeking a fourth consecutive All-Star nod this year, but the Dodgers will also be mindful of his workload. Former top prospect Dalton Rushing will back him up, trying to rebound from a disappointing rookie performance.

Designated Hitter

The only real question with Shohei Ohtani this year is how he re-adjusts to full-time two-way duties. Because offensively, he has continued to put up historic levels of production. Last year, he captured his fourth MVP award while hitting a career-high 55 home runs. If there’s anything he can improve on, it’s cutting down on strikeouts (he had 187 last year) and upping a batting average that dipped to .282 a season ago.

Starting Pitching

If healthy, this should be the best rotation in the sport. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start opening day, aiming for a Cy Young Award coming off his heroic 2025 performance and World Series MVP honors. Tyler Glasnow has said his mechanics feel as good as they have in years. And eventually, Blake Snell will return from a shoulder injury that limited him this offseason and will keep him out for the start of the season. Roki Sasaki is the wild card of the group, returning to a starting role after his surprise emergence as last year’s playoff closer. Emmet Sheehan provides further depth, while River Ryan and Gavin Stone are returning from injuries (albeit, while facing limited workloads).

Relief Pitching

The biggest weakness from last year’s team, the Dodgers’ bullpen should be improved thanks to their offseason signing of All-Star closer Edwin Díaz. Still, Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen will need to bounce back from poor 2025 performances. Alex Vesia will need to remain one of the top left-handed relievers in the game. And younger arms like Jack Dreyer, Ben Casparius, Will Klein, Kyle Hurt and Edgardo Henriquez will need to provide depth. The unit should get stronger as the year goes on, with Brock Stewart, Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol coming back from injuries. Justin Wrobleski also offers a trustworthy multi-inning option.  

Bench

Alex Call will be the fourth outfielder. Rojas, Espinal, Kim, Freeland and Kiké Hernández will all be utility options. The Dodgers are unlikely to have many pinch-hit opportunities this year, given the stars populating their primary lineup. But an aging roster means injuries are bound to happen, so expect stretches of the year where depth will be tested.

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In what’s arguably the most stereotypical sibling relationship in professional baseball — and maybe all of sports — the Padres play the role of little brother extremely well. They’re always chasing the bigger, better, stronger — and back-to-back defending champion — older brother 124 miles to the north in the Dodgers.

The Padres have become one of the most lovable teams in professional sports, choosing to stay in San Diego and take pride in an incredible atmosphere at Petco Park. They’ve spent money building a championship-contending roster, yet for some reason, they’ve yet to break through to the game’s biggest stage.

They’ve made the postseason in four of the past six seasons but have been eliminated by their rival in the NLDS in 2020 and 2024 — two years the Dodgers won the World Series. They found success in 2022 when they eliminated the Mets and Dodgers, but Bryce Harper’s eighth inning homerun in Game 5 of the NLCS still stings to this day as San Diego ran out of pitching and fell 4-1.

Last year, the Padres fell 2-1 in the Wild Card Round to the Cubs.

So what happens this year?

With a first-time manager in Craig Stammen — who’d only been in the coaching ranks less than two years before being hired — does San Diego finally break through in 2026? Or does disappointment reign supreme and the Friar Faithful is left heartborken… again?

Most Important Hitter: Fernando Tatis Jr.

There are multiple players who can fit into this role for the Padres, which isn’t ideal, but the logic is that the players hitting in the middle of the lineup won’t matter if there’s no one on base for them. Enter Tatis Jr. He only hit .268 last season but had a team-leading .368 on-base percentage — numbers that must be higher this year. His ability to put pressure on opposing defenses — team-high 32 steals — will infuse energy into the rest of the lineup, something this team desperately needs. Simply put, the Padres will go as far as Tati takes them.

Most Important Pitcher: Michael King

By far the biggest concern with the Padres is the pitching. Can Nick Pivetta replicate last year’s breakout season? When will Joe Musrgive return from Tommy John surgery, and what will he look like? Will Randy Vasquez ever be anything more than a back-of-the-rotation starter? What will Walker Buehler look like? All of that makes Michael King’s emergence as the team’s ace that much more important. He flashed greatness in his first season with the team (13-9, 2.95 ERA in 2024), but injuries limited him last season. The bullpen will be elite again, but the Padres need an ace and King has to answer the call.

Who Will Have a Bigger Year Than Expected: Jackson Merrill

As a rookie in 2024, Merrill Jr. became a star with Padres and their fanbase when he hit .296 with 24 homeruns in 156 games. However, injuries derailed last season as he became more pull-heavy, which led to a .264 average in just 115 games. But he came on strong at the end of last year and looks good in spring training. That sets the stage for a redemption season as he’s expected to protect either Tatis Jr. or Manny Machado in the lineup.

Who Is Most Likely to Disappoint: Nick Castellanos

Conventional wisdom would say someone in the bullpen after losing Robert Suarez, but Mason Miller might be the best closer in the game. That leads us back to the offense and free agent signee Nick Castellanos. Once one of the most feared hitters in the game, Castellanos flamed out with the Phillies and they were begging for anyone to take him. The Padres took a flier on him, much at the behest of Machado. If Castellanos is good, it’s a game-changer. But there’s no real reason to expect that.

Key Call Up: Bradgley Rodriguez

With more questions on offense, Tirso Ornelas could be big for the Padres — but it’s more likely the Padres address that issue via trade at the deadline. While the bullpen looks dominant with Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon and David Morgan behind Miller, that’s where the depth ends. Rodriguez impressed in limited big league action last year and could provide a huge spark and added depth to keep this group fresh heading into the postseason.

Biggest Managerial Decision

It’s not so much a singular decision that will define Stammen’s season, but more about how he handles a veteran roster as a first-time manager. He was a part of the Padres locker room four years ago and played alongside the core of this current roster. How does he command the respect of the locker room? How does he make the tough decisions despite personal relationships with the players? How he handles the vibe check with the Padres will ultimate decide his success.

Don’t Be Surprised If…

… Tatis Jr re-enters the MVP conversation and the Padres push the Dodgers to the brink in the NL West. Tatis came on strong to end last year and was great for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, both of which are strong indications that he surges in 2026. And if Tatis Jr. can be that good, San Diego could challenge its older brother for their first NL West crown in 20 years.

Sure To Make Fans Grumble

The drama in the front office. Ever since Peter Seidler passed away in 2023 and his family took over control of the organization, the most fight the organization has shown has been with laweyrs in the court system — and the resolution looks nowhere close. How much of this drama hangs over the organization and those in the clubhouse, and does it affect the way San Diego approaches the trade deadline.

How Their Season Will End 

There’s always one team in each league that shocks, but this year won’t be the Padres. If healthy and the stars return to star status — and Musgrove and Castellanos provide legitimate sparks — the Padres have enough talent to win it all. But the primary problem that has plagued this franchise — execution on offense in the playoffs — will rear its ugly head again. San Diego will will win a round or two in the postseason but fall short of their ultimate goal.

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Napalm, as an incendiary agent, has nothing on the manner president of baseball operations David Stearns approached the roster after the Mets missed the playoffs last year.

Stearns blew up the foundation and rebuilt. The first look at his new vision for the Mets will be on display in Thursday’s season opener against the Pirates at Citi Field, with Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, as part of the resistance.

Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr., Carson Benge and Freddy Peralta are among those who will get their first exposure to the New York scene as part of the home team.

Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Díaz will be scattered across the continent, playing or preparing for Opening Day elsewhere.

In sum, the Mets subtracted the franchise’s all-time home run leader (Alonso), a fan favorite (Nimmo), a former batting champion (McNeil) and the most electric closer in team history (Díaz).

Seldom, if ever, have the Mets looked so different between the final pitch of one season and the start of the next.

Meet the (new) Mets.

“Opening Day, there’s always jitters regardless,” said Semien, who arrived in a November trade that sent Nimmo to Texas. “But go to a new team, and a team like the Mets, so much history, such a good fan base, energy and we are going to have to go out there and calm ourselves down.”

Robert, traded from the White Sox, already understands there’s a difference between playing in Queens and on Chicago’s South Side.

“I am sure that Thursday the stadium is going to be packed, which is something that over the last few years in Chicago I didn’t get to experience that,” Robert said through an interpreter. “It’s going to be a new experience for me.”

Bichette was the headliner, added to a lineup that will be more reliant on putting the ball in play than in recent seasons.

Juan Soto remains the focal point, following a season in which he placed third in the MVP voting.

Bichette, the new third baseman, was asked if there was anything he had come to realize by the end of spring training that he didn’t know about the Mets when camp began.

“I think with the WBC it was kind of go through the motions a bit until everybody got back,” said Bichette, who was signed to a three-year contract worth $126 million. “I knew we were good, but once I saw kind of our first full lineup, I think we’re even better than we thought we were.

“Everybody can hit from top to bottom, obviously great pitching, so we have the potential to do some really cool things. But now we have got to get out there to do it.”

Skenes, who followed his NL Rookie of the Year season in 2024 with a Cy Young Award last year, will add to the afternoon’s intrigue.

The right-hander posted a 1.97 ERA in 32 starts last season with 216 strikeouts in 187 ²/₃ innings.

If there isn’t enough newness to the Mets, the team will also unveil the rookie Benge, who won the starting right field job in spring training.

“I am seeing five tools,” Semien said of Benge. “Now just comes experience. Experience at this level outweighs everything, but when you have the tools and maturity, it puts you in better position to be ready for your first shot at it.”

The additional new piece on display will be Peralta, the rotation upgrade who arrived from Milwaukee in January for Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. The right-hander gives the Mets a proven ace, removing a weight that otherwise would have rested on stud rookie Nolan McLean’s shoulders after only eight major league starts.

“We are hungry to win and we are going to give everything we have to bring a championship to New York,” Peralta said.

At the dawn of the 2025 season, we published a column with the headline, “What’s the future for aging Angel Stadium? It feels like an increasingly uncertain one.”

With opening day 2026 upon us, we’d like to update that: “What’s the future for the Angels? It feels like an increasingly uncertain one.”

I don’t mean to be an alarmist. Nothing is happening today, or tomorrow, or in the very near future.

However, the Angels’ stadium lease expires in six years, so what might happen beyond then is starting to come into focus. Angels owner Arte Moreno turns 80 this summer. Moreno — or a new owner, if Moreno eventually sells the team — could simply exercise options to extend the lease for another six years.

Read more:In Anaheim and Sacramento, a two-front challenge to the Angels' Los Angeles name

But that would not resolve the larger issue of replacing or renovating Angel Stadium. In the coming months, the city expects to release an assessment of what it would take to keep the stadium up and running for years to come, and that could trigger a debate between the city and the Angels about who should pay for what.

The Angels are frustrated by all of this, and in particular by what they consider the curiously timed skirmishes over their 21-year-old Los Angeles name. They are annoyed that, for the second consecutive season, city issues have detracted from the hope and faith and joy that surrounds opening day. It is the city, after all, that walked away from two deals that would have secured the Angels’ long-term future in Anaheim.

During negotiations for the last deal, city officials made clear that keeping the Angels was the top priority, even if Anaheim could make more money selling the stadium property to a developer that would not need to retain the stadium.

Now, with six years left on the lease and no commitment beyond then, the mayor of Anaheim says it is time to prepare for a future with or without the Angels.

“We need to plan for what we see as a vision for that property when the lease has expired,” Mayor Ashleigh Aitken told me. “That’s going to take time. No matter how that deal goes, we’re not breaking ground on any project next year.

“But what we need to do, whether it includes the Angels — which I hope it does — or not, is come up with a vision that includes everything residents want to see happen on that land. And only then can we truly advocate for a project that makes sense for us.”

On the day of the home opener last season, Aitken issued an open letter inviting Moreno to meet with her for “an open and honest conversation about the future of baseball in Anaheim” and listing eight starting points for negotiations on a new deal, including the Angels’ restoration of the Anaheim name.

“They have not reached out to us about reopening negotiations for potential development around the property,” Aitken said.

Moreno previously explored other potential ballpark sites, including Tustin in 2014 and Long Beach in 2019.

In Tustin, the targeted land is no longer available. In Long Beach, the proposed waterfront lot remains vacant, but the challenge remains too: Over 81 games each season, how would tens of thousands of fans drive into and out of a ballpark primarily accessible by a single freeway?

Read more:Angels, with longest playoff drought in MLB, turn to first-time manager Kurt Suzuki

For the Los Angeles Angels, perhaps the solution could be found in Los Angeles County.

The Dodgers could bar every other major league team from moving into L.A., but not the Angels. Under MLB rules, neither team could stop the other team from moving anywhere within Los Angeles County or Orange County.

The logical landing spot would be Inglewood, where the Rams, Chargers and Clippers have moved since 2020. Inglewood Mayor James Butts said SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome have helped to revitalize the city, with unemployment down, home prices up, and municipal revenue up.

“Before, we were known for gangs and crimes and poverty,” Butts told me.

“Now, we are known as the sports and entertainment capital of the western United States.”

How about a baseball stadium in place of the Forum?

“The Forum parcel is absolutely not large enough for a baseball stadium,” Butts said.

Butts said he believes a baseball stadium there would require about 170 acres for the stadium and surrounding parking. Angel Stadium and its surrounding parking lots cover about 150 acres.

On the other hand, the Athletics are building a ballpark on a nine-acre site in Las Vegas, where nearby parking, entertainment and dining options already exist, with more on the way, and with the A’s not responsible for any of that. The same could be true for the Angels in Inglewood, with Rams owner Stan Kroenke and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer developing the land around the sports facilities.

However, Butts said he did not envision baseball coming to Inglewood, at least so long as he remains the mayor. Not enough room in town, he said.

“We’re maxed out when it comes to sports,” Butts said. “We are not going to reduce the housing stock and move residents out to have a baseball team.”

Anaheim has one, plus a 150-acre site perfect for a new stadium surrounded by restaurants and shops and homes. There will be days to be anxious and worried about the Angels’ future in the city they have called home for 60 years. Today is not one of them.

Read more:Shaikin: Angels should match Zach Neto's loyalty and give him a long-term deal

Take it from the mayor of Anaheim, who told me that even after telling me why she wants the city attorney to look into whether the Angels are violating their stadium lease.

“Opening day, to me, is nothing about clauses in a contract,” Aitken said. “It’s about family traditions. It’s about kicking off summer. And it’s about getting so many factions and neighborhoods of Anaheim together for a singular purpose, which is cheering on our hometown boys. That’s the beauty of baseball.”

And, as a lifelong Angels fan, she had one more thing to say.

“Right now,” Aitken said, “we’re tied for first place.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Dodgers’ modern-day dynasty is already cemented, with the club having won back-to-back World Series and three in the past six seasons.

Now, they are chasing history, trying to join the 1972-1974 Athletics and 1998-2000 Yankees as the only franchises in MLB’s expansion era (since 1961) to win three consecutive championships.

Such expectations might sound suffocating. Anything short of another title will be a failure.

Most important hitter: Kyle Tucker

The Dodgers roster is getting older, with seven of their nine projected starters in the lineup past the age of 30. That’s why the offseason signing of Kyle Tucker was so important. At 29, he still in the prime of his career. And by slotting into the No. 2 spot of the order, he will play a critical role, providing protection for Shohei Ohtani and setting the table for Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts behind him. The Dodgers think he can be an MVP-caliber player. He’s never had a better opportunity to prove it.

Most important pitcher: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Without Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers don’t win last year’s World Series –– and might have even been in danger of missing the playoffs. They’ll have more talent around him this year, thanks to Edwin Díaz’s addition as closer and Shohei Ohtani’s return to full-time pitching duties. But Yamamoto has established himself as the team’s ace, making his performance (and health coming off a burdensome October workload) paramount for a team that struggled on the mound at times last season.

Bigger year than expected: Teoscar Hernandez

After becoming a fan favorite during his debut Dodgers season in 2024, Teoscar Hernández had a frustrating encore last year after signing a three-year extension. His defense was bad. His at-bat quality was lacking. And he wasn’t 100% healthy. However, he transformed his body this offseason, put up huge spring numbers and looks poised for a resurgent campaign; capable of a bounce-back year as an overlooked member of the team’s star-studded lineup.

Most likely to disappoint: Roki Sasaki

In some ways, Roki Sasaki helped save the Dodgers season by returning from a shoulder injury and starring as an emergency closer in the playoffs. However, there remain many questions about his return to starting pitching. Can he command his fastball? Can he find a third pitch? Can he live up to the lofty expectations that accompanied his arrival from Japan? That’s a lot for a 24-year-old with eight career MLB starts. More growing pains could be ahead.

Key call-up: River Ryan

While it won’t technically be his MLB debut, after he appeared in four games in 2024, River Ryan’s return from Tommy John surgery will mark a new beginning in his career. During his brief 2024 debut, the right-hander impressed with a 1.33 ERA. Now, he might be even better, having added 30 pounds during his rehab and improved his six-pitch repertoire. His workload will be limited this year, meaning he is likely to open in triple-A. But at some point, he’ll be counted on in the rotation. Hopes are high for how he’ll perform.

Biggest managerial decision

Already, Dave Roberts has indicated an eagerness to give his biggest, and oldest, stars more days off. The only problem: Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and others have long been loath to days on the bench. Thus, striking that workload balance will be an ongoing challenge for Roberts all year, as he tries to keep guys both fresh for the long haul and happy over the course of a long season.

Don’t be surprised if…

… The Dodgers are looking for a frontline starting pitcher at the trade deadline. The easiest way for this season to go wrong, after all, is if injuries ravage a rotation that was pushed to its physical limits during last year’s playoffs. And if that happens, the Dodgers have shown a willingness to be aggressive on the trade market for impact players. Having a top-ranked farm system will give them options too.

Sure to make fans grumble

Bullpen usage. One luxury of having a team as good as the Dodgers’ is that they can take the long view, and occasionally punt on winnable games to keep their roster –– and bullpen, specifically –– fresh for the end of the year. That means, some nights, conservative reliever decisions might lead to frustrating losses. But if it means the Dodgers have a healthier pitching staff come October, it’s a trade-off they’re willing to make.

Will make playoffs if…

… Everything goes anywhere close to expected, thanks to the vast margin for error their $400-plus million payroll will provide. Even before opening day, a 14th-consecutive postseason trip seems assured.

Will miss playoffs if…

… A meteor crashes into Earth, perhaps? Plenty can go wrong, from pitching injuries to bullpen struggles to underperformance from an aging lineup. But even in a worst-case scenario, the Dodgers should still be playing in October.

Prediction

105-57: Even while winning back-to-back World Series, the Dodgers have somewhat underperformed the past two years by not winning 100 games. That should change this year, with the team looking better equipped to handle the rigors of a 162-game marathon.

How their season will end

Without a third-straight World Series. Right now, it’s difficult to see any team stacking up with the Dodgers. Yet, Fangraphs’ computer model gives them only a 26.7% chance of winning it all. That’s still three times as good as the next closest contender. But it serves as a reminder that, in the crapshoot of a long year and unforgiving postseason format, even the best team is more likely to lose than not. So, while the Dodgers survived a World Series scare last year, odds are they eventually trip up at some point. It’s just hard to see when, or how, right now.

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The Boston Red Sox enter 2026 with the clear expectation of returning to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in eight years.

The 2026 team stands on a foundation of exceptionally deep starting pitching, horses to stabilize the bullpen, and colossal pressure on Roman Anthony to carry a reshuffled offense. In fact, it’s basically the opposite of how they entered the season last year in terms of roster construction. Boston’s 2025 Opening Day lineup in Texas seemed poised to put on a power show all summer long; the pressure was on newly-acquired ace Garrett Crochet to anchor an injury-plagued, inconsistent rotation. But these two completely different roster constructions should land the Red Sox in the exact same place: A playoff berth, likely followed by an early exit in the building block years of a return to contention. 

The 2026 team, like last year’s version, should teeter around 90 wins, though playing through the gauntlet that is the American League East says more about Boston’s talent than the win total. What’s probably ahead for the Red Sox is a simple step forward. Host playoff action at Fenway Park and make it to the ALDS. Anything added on is gravy. 

You know what this two-year stretch feels like? The building stages we went through in 2016 and 2017. 

The Red Sox offense produced like an absolute wagon in 2016. That year featured David Ortiz’s retirement tour, the last healthy season from Dustin Pedroia, 31 homers from Mookie Betts, and the ascension of Xander Bogaerts. The offense told the story of the team. Despite a solid Boston introduction for David Price and a Cy Young award for Rick Porcello, pitching shortcomings led to a first-round sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Indians. 

That feels like the 2025 Red Sox. 

In 2017, the Red Sox got real with pitching, as Chris Sale racked up over 300 strikeouts and Craig Kimbrel cruised to 35 saves and a microscopic 1.43 ERA. Ultimately, the offense regressed without any real power threat and found the same result: 93 wins followed by an ALDS loss, this time to the Houston Astros. 

In shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone in the 2026 Red Sox trend in that direction. Boston structured two totally different rosters for Alex Cora to navigate to October. Understand the direction. Understand the growth. Understand the value of playoff experience.

These may not be the years the duck boats roll through the city. But what Boston should see this year is October baseball and the early chapters of the next true Red Sox contender.