SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 19: Pitcher Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants poses for a portrait during photo day at Scottsdale Stadium on February 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s here, friends! The start of another glorious season of San Francisco Giants baseball.
After four straight years of extreme mediocrity — since winning 107 games in 2021, the Giants have won 81, 79, 80, and 81 games in the following years — the Giants will hope to break from the middle of the pack, and return to their winning ways this year.
But will they be successful in that goal? We’ll have to wait many months before we know the answer to that question … in the meantime, you get to decide.
Ronald Nored will be returning to Butler as the head coach of the men’s basketball program, vice president and director of athletics Grant Leiendecker announced Wednesday.
Nored succeeds coach Thad Matta, who announced his retirement last week after leading Butler for the past four seasons, all of which the Bulldogs finished with losing records in Big East conference play. Matta will stay on board at the school as special assistant to the president and athletic director.
Nored graduated from Butler in 2012, helping the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA national championship games as the team’s starting point guard under coach Brad Stevens. He leads the program in games played (143) and postseason games played (16).
Nored brings experience coaching in various capacities for several NBA franchises, including the Hawks, Pacers, Hornets and Celtics. He was also the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets’ G-League team, the Long Island Nets, from 2016-18.
He most recently served as a Hawks assistant coach over the past three seasons.
“The term ‘dream job’ doesn’t do justice to how I feel about the opportunity to lead the Butler program,” Nored said in a statement. “Butler is an incredibly special place. As a player, I poured blood, sweat and tears into this program. No one appreciates both the responsibility and the potential that comes with this position more than me.”
Leiendecker describes Nored as “the absolute best leader to spearhead the future of Butler basketball.”
The Bulldogs finished the 2025-26 season with a 16-16 record following a 91-81 loss to Providence in the Big East Tournament on March 11.
“There is incredible momentum at Butler right now," Nored said, "and I can’t wait to hit the ground running as we elevate Butler to new heights.”
Apr 16, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles mascot waves a flag before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Guardians at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
The Orioles made their Opening Day roster official on Wednesday afternoon. They will head into the 2026 season looking like this:
Starting pitchers
LHP Trevor Rogers
RHP Kyle Bradish
RHP Shane Baz
RHP Chris Bassitt
RHP Zach Eflin
This group was settled several days ago when the Orioles optioned Dean Kremer to the minor league camp.
Relief pitchers
RHP Yennier Cano
LHP Dietrich Enns
RHP Rico Garcia
RHP Ryan Helsley
RHP Yaramil Hiraldo
RHP Anthony Nunez
RHP Tyler Wells
LHP Grant Wolfram
Keegan Akin is starting the season on the injured list due to an adductor strain. For the time being, it seems that Anthony Nunez is the beneficiary of that. Or maybe Yaramil Hiraldo is, and Nunez is the beneficiary of the team not choosing the out-of-options Jackson Kowar to make the team.
Catchers
Samuel Basallo
Adley Rutschman
This was the easiest one to predict of all of them.
Infielders
Blaze Alexander
Pete Alonso
Gunnar Henderson
Jeremiah Jackson
Coby Mayo
Ryan Mountcastle
Up until a couple of days ago, it seemed like Luis Vázquez might get the last bench spot here, but his broken thumb takes him out of the mix. Jackson gets the nod instead, with hot spring bat Bryan Ramos missing out.
Outfielders
Dylan Beavers
Colton Cowser
Tyler O’Neill
Leody Taveras
Taylor Ward
I don’t think that the Orioles were going to go with Heston Kjerstad instead of Taveras anyway, but Kjerstad’s hamstring injury settles that. He, too, is starting the season on the injured list.
**
The official roster moves that set things up this way:
Jackson Holliday (hamate bone), Heston Kjerstad (hamstring strain), Jordan Westburg (right elbow sprain) placed on 10-day injured list
Keegan Akin (groin), Andrew Kittredge (shoulder inflammation) placed on 15-day injured list
Félix Bautista (shoulder surgery), Colin Selby (shoulder inflammation) placed on 60-day injured list
Jackson Kowar and Bryan Ramos designated for assignment
José Barrero, Sam Huff, Albert Suárez, Luis Vázquez, and Weston Wilson reassigned to Triple-A Norfolk
Apparently, despite some noise that Suárez might exercise his opt-out clause because of other teams having interest in him, that interest did not materialize and he decided his best bet was to wait around in Norfolk.
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have taken the fun out of betting on the World Series odds, but there are still MLB win total odds to consider for all 30 teams ahead of Opening Day, even the ones that have no shot at making the playoffs.
My MLB picks and win total predictions for the 2026 season believe the Chicago White Sox will do a little surprising in the AL. I also see the San Diego Padres refusing to go quietly in the NL West.
American League win total picks
Seattle Mariners Over 90.5 wins (-115 at FanDuel)
The Seattle Mariners won 90 games and clinched the AL West last season, falling just short of the first World Series appearance in team history. The Mariners could be even better this year, so I'm pouncing on their Over.
The Mariners have arguably the best rotation in baseball, with Logan Gilbert getting the Opening Day nod. There's a case to be made that Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo could both serve as Game 1 guys on over half the teams in the majors.
They'll each make about half their starts in T-Mobile Park, one of the most pitcher-friendly venues in MLB. They're also backed by a rock-solid bullpen that features closer Andres Munoz.
This lineup is nothing to sneeze at either, with Cal Raleigh looking to build on a breakout year, and Julio Rodriguez featuring as one of the best hitters in the game. The addition of Brendan Donovan is a nice feather in the cap for this bet.
Chicago White Sox Over 67.5 wins (-108 at FanDuel)
The Chicago White Sox improved from 41 wins to 60 a year ago, and I think they're due for another spike in a weak AL Central in 2026.
I respect the Tigers, the probable division winner, but I'm not bullish on the Royals rotation, nor am I impressed with the Guardians lineup. The Twins were in full-on tank mode last season, and it could happen again if they start slowly.
This all points to more divisional wins for the White Sox.
Shane Smith and Sean Burke each figure to take a step forward after showing promise while getting meaningful experience in 2025. This bullpen also got better with the additions of Sean Newcomb and Seranthony Dominguez.
If Jordan Hicks can figure things out as he returns to a relief role, that will be all the better for the South Siders.
Finally, while I'm not bullish on the strikeout-prone Munetaka Murakami, I'm interested to see how Colson Montgomery will fare in his sophomore season, and how Luisangel Acuna will do as a full-time player after getting only limited exposure in the big leagues with the Mets.
I'm at a loss to explain why the San Diego Padres are expected to win six fewer games in 2026.
Yes, Joe Musgrove will start the season on the IL, and Yu Darvish is out for the year, but the Padres have more than enough pitching depth to ride out the storm. Nick Pivetta and Michael King both had monster seasons for San Diego in 2025 and can replicate them.
This lineup is still as potent as ever with Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill starring, and Sung-Mun Song joining them in a utility role once he's up to speed following a training camp injury.
And lest we forget, the Padres bullpen, led by Mason Miller, was tops in the big leagues in 2025.
Milwaukee Brewers Over 85.5 wins (-118 at FanDuel)
Oddsmakers are calling for the Milwaukee Brewers to fall off a cliff in 2026, and I'm more than happy to buy the dip.
The Brewers won 97 games last year, and their offseason was not nearly as bad as this line makes it out to be. Staff ace Freddy Peralta is gone, but we've seen this movie before with Corbin Burnes getting dealt ahead of the 2024 season, and Milwaukee still managed to win 93 games.
The rotation is still a decent one with rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski and proven veteran Brandon Woodruff anchoring it. Milwaukee's bullpen was sixth by ERA a year ago, and Trevor Megill is still there to shut the door in the ninth in 2026.
This lineup is young and highly underrated, with stars like Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang in the fold, along with veteran sluggers Christian Yelich and William Contreras.
Smith, 32, was released by the Nationals last week.
In November, the Mets declined their $2 million option on the right-hander for the 2026 season.
Smith had inked a one-year deal with the aforementioned team option in February of 2025 after having his second Tommy John surgery the summer prior.
In 17.2 innings over 19 games for the Mets in 2024, Smith had a 3.06 ERA and 1.52 WHIP while striking out 23 batters -- a rate of 11.7 per nine. His 2024 season ended after an appearance on June 23, and he underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal brace procedure on July 13.
Smith debuted with the Mets in 2018 and has posted a 3.48 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 196.1 innings over 191 big league appearances.
The Milwaukee Bucks will play their fourth road game in six days when they travel west to face the surging Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center tonight.
My Bucks vs. Trail Blazers predictions call for the home team’s defense to lock down the shorthanded visitors’ offense.
Read more in my best free NBA picks for this non-conference tilt on Wednesday, March 25.
Bucks vs Trail Blazers prediction
Bucks vs Trail Blazers best bet: Bucks Team Total Under 106.5 (-115)
It’s no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks have struggled this season, and that’s been strikingly evident across the team’s last 10 games.
In that span, the Bucks rank 29th in scoring at a paltry 107.2 points per game. They scored 106 points or fewer in five of their last 10, and they were held under 100 points in two of their last three.
On the flip side, the Portland Trail Blazers have allowed the fifth-fewest points to opponents across their last 10 games (108.8) and sport the second-best defensive rating at 106.9.
The Blazers have held opponents to 106 points or fewer in five of their last 10 outings, including two of their last three overall and two of their last three at home.
Over the last 10 games, Portland’s defense ranks top-12 in fewest points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers allowed.
Tonight’s matchup of a deflated offense traveling on the road to face a surging defense offers the perfect storm for the Bucks to post a dud in the scoring column. I’ll take the home team to put the clamps on Milwaukee’s lackluster offense.
Bucks vs Trail Blazers same-game parlay
The Bucks are hitting the skids right now, having lost by 30+ in two of their last three games on the current road trip. The Blazers have won four of their last five, including a 134-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. I’ll take the home team to win comfortably.
Donovan Clingan swatted seven shots against Brooklyn on Monday, and he’s averaged three rejections across his last eight outings. The big man has blocked multiple shots in six of his last eight.
Bucks vs Trail Blazers SGP
Milwaukee Bucks Team Total Under 106.5
Trail Blazers -12.5
Donovan Clingan Over 1.5 blocks
Our "from downtown" SGP: Blazers Bottle Up Bucks
Clingan has averaged 13.1 rebounds across his last eight games, corralling 13+ five times in that span. Toumani Camara has reached 5+ boards in five of his last 10 outings, and he grabbed seven in his first matchup with Milwaukee.
Camara has recorded at least one swipe in 13 of 17 games since the All-Star break. Scoot Henderson has averaged 1.5 steals across his last six games, recording at least one theft three times. Both players should have no problem picking the pockets of a depleted Milwaukee roster.
The Milwaukee Bucks have only covered the 1Q Spread in 19 of their last 50 games (-16.50 Units / -29% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Trail Blazers.
How to watch Bucks vs Trail Blazers
Location
Moda Center, Portland, OR
Date
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Tip-off
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-WI, KUNP
Bucks vs Trail Blazers latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: Andrew McCutchen #4 of the Texas Rangers warms up on deck during the third inning of the spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Surprise Stadium on March 10, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Former Pittsburgh Pirate and National League MVP, Andrew McCutchen, will be on the opening day roster for the Texas Rangers. This will be McCutchen’s 18th MLB season.
After going most of the offseason with little to no communication from Pittsburgh’s front office McCutchen signed a minor league deal with the Rangers on March 6. The 39-year-old was with the team for spring training in Arizona for just three weeks but impressed Chris Young, the Rangers’ president of baseball operations, with his play and leadership qualities.
“There were a number of factors that went into it, but ultimately we felt like Cutch earned it just with his performance,” Young said. “The way he’s hit the ball, the way his approach is — [we] felt very good that he’s going to help us win a lot of games.”
While in camp ‘Cutch only had 21 at bats, but made the absolute most of his opportunities. He’d finish spring training with a slash line of .429/.556/.714 with an OPS of 1.270. The former-MVP tallied nine hits, scored five runs, hit 7 RBIs and hit one homer while reaffirming that he’s still got some game left in him.
“I was wrote off in a lot of places, honestly told to retire. But I knew deep down there was something in me that told me that there was still more in the tank and that I could continue to keep playing,” McCutchen said. “For them giving me the opportunity … I’m going to make sure that it’s worth it from both of our ends.”
McCutchen who was drafted by the Pirates in 2005 and then made his MLB debut with the club in 2009 spent his first nine seasons with Pittsburgh. In that time frame he was Baseball America’s Rookie of the Year, the NL-MVP in 2013, a Gold Glove Defender in 2012, a four-time Silver Slugger, a five-time All-Star and was the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award in 2015. The Fort Meade native helped lead the franchise to a playoff berth in 2013 and beat the rival Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round. Prior to this the Pirates endured a period of 20 consecutive losing seasons, a North American sports record.
The Pirates traded McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants in 2018. ‘Cutch would go on to play for the Giants, Yankees, Phillies and Brewers before returning to the Pirates in 2023 where he would spend three more seasons with the club before not being resigned this offseason. Last season he had 13 home runs and 57 RBIs with the Pirates.
Now with the Texas Rangers the veteran outfielder and designated hitter is in a locker room with several budding superstars and his leadership will bring just as much to the clubhouse and his bat. Texas manager Skip Schumaker outlined what he envisions for his new leader as a member of the Rangers.
Look away Pirates fans — After hitting .444 in spring training for the Rangers, outfielder/DH Andrew McCutchen has made the opening day roster for Texas
“The more guys around that we can have like Andrew McCutchen, the better,” Schumaker said. “I think he’s going to really help a lot of these young guys play with a different mentality and edge. He came in and performed well right away. He fit right in in the clubhouse, can still play the outfield at times.”
Schumaker went on to say that while McCutchen won’t be a full time outfielder, he is a valuable piece to have in the clubhouse and on the bench.
“I don’t think you’ll see him all the time out there, but if we need him, he’ll play out there,” Schumaker said. “But just a really valuable piece to either come off the bench in a high-leverage spot or also potentially start against left-handed pitching.”
McCutchen echoed the importance of his new role.
“I told them I am at their disposal — no matter what it is, no matter what they need from me, I’m here, and that’s what I’m here for,” McCutchen said.
More than anything this is an opportunity for McCutchen to continue to play and if this is his last season to go out on his own terms, and he seems poised to take control of the situation both as a mentor and as a plug and play type of player in high leverage spots.
“This is the beginning for me to continue to keep doing what I’ve been doing since I got here. And understanding that just because I’m here doesn’t mean that I’m here to stay,” McCutchen said. “I have to remind myself of that every single day that I’m out here and that I am on the field. Even the days that I’m not starting, always knowing that there’s a way to improve, and for my peers and teammates, there’s something that I can do to be able to help them.”
The Rangers do not play in Pittsburgh this season.
Which means this was probably Andrew McCutchen's last ever at-bat at PNC Park: pic.twitter.com/IaQxpA1Oxv
The Texas Rangers open up their season in Philadelphia for a three game series with the Phillies. The Rangers will face the Pittsburgh Pirates in Arlington from April 21-23. Barring any kind of reunion with the Pirates this season or a move to a team that will play in Pittsburgh this season, McCutchen will not play at PNC Park in 2026.
Yesterday, I released my first college plus high school big board of the 2026 MLB Draft cycle, which you can find here. My college rankings were what shook up the most in the process of updating my board, as through 6 weeks of NCAA play, we’ve seen some players rise to the occasion and break out, and some have taken a step backwards. With about 3 1/2 months remaining until the draft in July, let’s take a look at some hitters who shot up my rankings and could be in play for the Nats with the 11th overall pick.
Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech
Lackey is my 6th-ranked prospect in the 2026 draft class after being ranked in the teens on my first college big board. Entering 2026, Lackey was a tooled-up backstop who I recognised the potential to have a big 2026 in, but needed to see a more consistent plate approach in, as well as more in-game power. So far through 24 games, he’s done both, more than doubling his BB/K ratio from 0.66 in 2025 to 1.50 in 2026 and surpassing his 2025 home run total of 6 with 9 already. His 85th percentile whiff rate and 77th percentile average exit velocity amongst all college hitters in 2025 demonstrated his ability to put it all together, and that’s exactly what he’s done this season for the Yellow Jackets.
Behind the plate, Lackey’s elite athleticism shines through, as he excels at blocking balls in the dirt and gunning down basestealers. He also has some great wheels, not only for a catcher, but for anyone, stealing 18 bags in 2025 and up to 7 already in 2026. Lackey has drawn comparisons to current Nationals catcher Harry Ford as a prospect, who was committed to play at Georgia Tech before being drafted by the Mariners, but Lackey’s success has been against ACC pitching, making it easier to project his success translating to pro ball.
Chris Hacopian INF Texas A&M
Hacopian moved up my college hitter rankings slightly from 6th to 5th, making him my 12th-ranked prospect in the 2026 draft class overall. After missing some games with a back injury to start this season, Hacopian has excelled for the Aggies, with a 134 wRC+ and 2.00 BB/K ratio in 10 games. He has one of the best eyes in all of college baseball, with an 87th percentile chase rate in 2025 and walking over twice as much as he’s struck out in both 2025 and 2026. There’s thunder in Hacopian’s bat as well, as he smacked 14 home runs in 52 games last season, with an impressive 97th percentile average exit velocity on the year, and he’s hit 3 in his 10 games in 2026.
Defensively, Hacopian’s most likely defensive home in pro ball would seemingly be third base, as he likely lacks the range necessary for shortstop at the big league level, but he’s gotten plenty of reps at second base as well for the Aggies. Hacopian has the potential to move quickly through a minor league system due to his excellent plate approach and raw power, and could be manning the 4 or 5 spot on the diamond for the Nats before the likes of Eli Willits and Gavin Fien arrive.
Sawyer Strosnider OF TCU
Like Lackey, I recognised the potential for a breakout 2026 for Strosnider due to his excellent raw power, but needed to see more consistency in his plate approach before I could fully buy in, as he struck out 18.7% of the time and posted a 0.43 BB/K ratio in 2025. He’s silenced all concerns of mine to begin 2025, nearly tripling his BB/K ratio from 0.43 to 1.29, as well as tapping more into his power in-game, with 8 home runs in 23 games, well above his 2025 pace of 11 bombs in 56 games. A draft-eligible sophomore this season, Strosnider is putting it all together offensively at the right time, with strong exit velocities and an improved chase rate resulting in a 139 wRC+ so far in 2026.
Defensively, Strosnider is athletic enough to handle center field, but he currently resides in right field for the Horned Frogs due to another draft-eligible outfielder, Chase Brunson, being out there. He’s shown plus run times before, and he’s gotten even better at swiping bags in 2026, with 8 steals so far in 23 games. Overall, if Strosnider continues to outwalk his strikeouts the way he has to start this year, he might outplay himself from Nationals territory in the draft. If the Nats did get their hands on him, he could immediately become the best current outfield prospect in the Nationals farm system, with the potential to be up in DC patrolling the grass by 2028.
With the Chicago Blackhawks passing the torch to the younger players, it's easy to get lost in the superstars already lighting up the United Center. In this weekly series, I break down the best performances from the next wave of Chicago Blackhawks. Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Newest #Blackhawks goalie, Ilya Kanarsky was outstanding in the MHL (Russia’s version of the CHL) this year. He posted a .938 Save%, 2.24 GAA, 4 SOs and a 22-8-1 record. Additionally, Kanarsky saved 67/68 in one playoff game last season. Here are his best saves from that game. pic.twitter.com/1Yr0ydqCsw
Kanarsky is an under the radar prospect quietly producing in the VHL, Russia's second tier league. Despite playing on a 13-28 AKM Tula Region team, Kanarsky won over half the team's games while putting up a .922 save percentage, a 2.67 goals allowed average and 1 shutout. He signed an extension of unknown length on May 20, 2023. If Kanarsky's deal is up, it wouldn't shock me if he goes to Rockford based on his Russian numbers. Especially given AKM Tula Region's lackluster performance on the whole and Kanarsky's numbers in spite of it, Rockford seems like a reasonable destination.
Forward A.J. Spellacy had a big, productive weekend for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, and some of his highlights were so ridiculous that I had to pull the clips
I don't envy any opposing players who are tasked with defending him on the rush pic.twitter.com/UyWaWO4RUi
The NHL is getting faster every year. That being the case, it makes sense that the Blackhawks selected A.J. Spellacy. His quickness and physicality makes him an asset to Windsor. The 6'foot 3, 205 pound defenseman has good puck control, running through opponents on his way to the net. Spellacy's maturity is a plus, exhibited in an interview with the Windsor Star. Despite playing the sub .500 Guelph Storm for their first playoff round, Spellacy remains focused on the task at hand.
“I don’t think we’ll take them lightly,” Spellacy said to Jim Parker of the Windsor Star. “Start with Game 1, think of it as it’s the biggest game of the season. I think we really have that playoff mentality. Take it game-by-game and obviously every game matters.”
That sort of mindfulness will serves Spellacy well in the professional game.
It's an exceptionally good thing when two of your top prospects in the same league are battling for the goal scoring title. Chicago had that great fortune with Marek Vanacker edging out fellow Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham for the OHL goals lead 47-46. Vanacker accomplished this through his five points (3 goals + 2 assists) during a pair of home games. The OHL's top team starts their playoff journey March 27 against the Sudbury Wolves, with Vanacker leading the charge.
Holmes has done well in his fourth line position this season with Brantford. He played a gritty, checking role while producing a respectable 17 points (6 goals + 11 assists) in 49 games plus 37 penalty minutes. With eight Bulldogs over 18, I think we will get a better sense of what his ceiling is in 2026-27.
Here are the 26 men who will line up on the third-base line at Wrigley Field Thursday afternoon before the Cubs’ season opener against the Nationals.
Most of these were well-known before; a few were added over the last couple of days. All groups are listed in alphabetical order, except for the starting pitchers, who I have listed in the rotation order where I believe they will begin the season.
Catchers (2)
Miguel Amaya, Carson Kelly
Infielders (5)
Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Scott Kingery, Dansby Swanson
Outfielders (5)
Dylan Carlson, Michael Conforto, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Matt Shaw
Designated hitter (1)
Moisés Ballesteros
Starting pitchers (5)
Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon
Relief pitchers (8)
Ben Brown, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Daniel Palencia, Colin Rea, Caleb Thielbar, Jacob Webb
Of these 26 men, nine (Bregman, Cabrera, Carlson, Conforto, Harvey, Kingery, Maton, Milner and Webb) were not in the Cubs organization last year. Three others (Ballesteros, Horton, Palencia) were not on last year’s Opening Day roster.
Three of these players (Carlson, Conforto and Kingery) were non-roster invitees to Spring Training. As such, three players had to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for them. Those moves began late Tuesday when Tyler Austin was placed on the 60-day injured list and Carlson was added. It’s entirely possible Austin will never play for the Cubs.
Here are the other two 40-man roster moves to add Conforto and Kingery:
Justin Steele was placed on the 60-day injured list. That would target a late May or early June return.
Right-handed reliever Jack Neely was designated for assignment. Neely, who was acquired along with Ben Cowles from the Yankees in the Mark Leiter Jr. deal in 2024, pitched in six games for the Cubs that year with a 9.00 ERA, but did not appear for the team in 2025.
Three other roster moves were announced Wednesday. Seiya Suzuki was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain (retroactive to March 22), right-handed pitcher Porter Hodge was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain (retroactive to March 22), and left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks was placed on the 15-day injured list with left forearm inflammation (retroactive to March 22).
There are your Opening Day Cubs. Looking forward to a big year for the North Siders!
Feb 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Doing the A’s and the Astros’ prospect previews was, to be honest, an exercise in schadenfreude. I had a great time doing it! But it’s time now for just freude, no schaden.
Evaluators Overview
Baseball America: 10th in organizational rankings, 4 prospects in Top 100 (SS Colt Emerson (#7), LHP Kade Anderson (#25), OF Lazaro Montes (#58), RHP Ryan Sloan (#60).
Baseball Prospectus: 11th in organizational rankings, 5 Top-101 prospects (SS Colt Emerson (#14), LHP Kade Anderson (#28), RHP Ryan Sloan (#32), 2B Michael Arroyo (#35) OF Lazaro Montes (#97) .
FanGraphs: Org rank not updated, but ended 2025 ~6th, 7 Top-100 prospects: SS Colt Emerson (#11), RHP Ryan Sloan (#20), LHP Kade Anderson (#50), OF Jonny Farmelo (#51), OF Lazaro Montes (#66) 2B Michael Arroyo (#78), SS Felnin Celesten (#86).
MLB Pipeline: 8th in organizational rankings, 6 Top-100 prospects: SS Colt Emerson (#9), LHP Kade Anderson (#21), RHP Ryan Sloan (#33), OF Lazaro Montes (#43), 2B Michael Arroyo (#67), OF Jonny Farmelo (#78)
In summary, there are 4 consensus Top-100 prospects from across the organization: Colt Emerson (averaging 10th in the rankings), Kade Anderson (avg 31st), Ryan Sloan (avg 36th), and Laz Montes (avg 66th). There’s another three who are consensus top-100 or adjacents in Michael Arroyo, Jonny Farmelo and Felnin Celesten.
The Mariners’ current farm system represents the restocking of the cupboards, another wave that’s beginning to grow after the last washed George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh, Bryce Miller and Matt Brash ashore. Will this wave of prospects match the group that’s produced, combined, a Rookie of the Year, 7 All-Star selections, 2 Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove, a Home Run Derby Championship, and 5 top-15 MVP finishes in four seasons?
No, probably not. The drop-off is steep after the top 12 or 13 prospects. There’s no longer a seemingly-endless supply of at least replacement level talent keeping Seattle’s farm in the second tier of organizations, and you can’t count only on your top-end guys to succeed – you have to hit on some breakouts from the depths.
That being said, the Mariners have put together a farm system that’s particularly rich at the top, even as they have traded away top-end talent; Harry Ford and Jurrangelo Cijntje (traded this offseason for José Ferrer and Brendan Donovan respectively) both make the back-half of most publications’ top-100 lists, and Tai Peete was also a top-10 prospect in the system. After those trades, MLB Pipeline still has the Mariners tied for the most top-100 prospects.
We are lucky enough to have Max Ellingsen, professional Ball Knower, writing prospect evals and content for Lookout Landing, which means you are all lucky enough to get to read his work, including the prospect rankings series that is currently underway. With that being said, it would be redundant and silly for me to give you prospect by prospect breakdowns for our top players. Instead, I’ll break this out by approximate ETA and give a high-level overview of who and what is to come, focusing on players in our informal top 4 tiers of prospects and when you might see them.
2026/2027:
Tier 1: Despite speculation that Colt Emerson might start the season at SS while J.P. Crawford recovers from his shoulder woes, the Mariners shut that down by assigning him to the Minors just this last weekend. It’s the right decision – 20-year-old Emerson should be given the time he needs to develop and be Ready, rather than be rushed up as an injury stop-gap and then sent back down. Emerson didn’t look as overwhelmed as he did last spring, but he still struck out twice as much as he walked, looking overmatched against the top pitching talent he faced. There’s no need to disrupt his development at this point, especially because he doesn’t need that much more time to cook – you’ll probably see Emerson up this summer, where he has a chance to be crucial to the Mariners’ playoff run.
Kade Anderson is a lefty starter with two plus breaking balls and a fastball that plays up in the zone. Are you sold yet? You should be. That’s basically all we need to say. He’s an incredibly polished 21-year-old who probably would be in the starting rotation for some teams with a weak staff. The Mariners do not, probably to his benefit – again, no need to rush a prospect who could be good now if he could be great in a year or so. He’ll be up next summer at the latest.
Tier 2: Michael Arroyo has been championed by our own John Trupin for long enough that we’ve all grown used to believing in him, but the national landscape has finally caught up to John. He’s well-regarded as a hitter at this point, shaking off the concerns about his 5’9” frame, showing a little bit of power as well. He’s been moved from shortstop to second, mostly for Seattle’s embarrassment of riches at the position, and will see time in the outfield. I expect to see him playing significant time this year if Refsnyder/Canzone and co. don’t get it done in right field.
Laz, Laz, Laz. You dirty bastards (and our own staff! shame!) predicted him as the biggest prospect faller for the Mariners in our annual predictions survey. You leave my large barely-adult son alone. Hating on Lazaro Montes is a symptom of 70-power and 6’5” jealousy. His pop is undeniable. His bat? Well. Put it down as potentially deniable. He has a tough road to staying in the outfield, even in the corners, but see him as a potential late 2027 DH fill-in to start.
Tier 4:Teddy McGraw is the best name in the system by far. Bryce Miller wishes he was named Teddy McGraw. If he can stay healthy, the starter-turned-reliever could see a debut as early as this season. His hot-and-heavy sinker and slider play off each other, and while two plus pitches does not a starter make, a reliever it just may, especially if it plays up in the pen. Call it late 2026 or early 2027.
2028/2029:
Tier 1: I’m not going to spoil too much for the aforementioned series, but Max messaged me today that he doesn’t recall a pitching prospect that he likes more than Ryan Sloan. There’s everything to love and nothing to hate about Sloan. There’s some minor disagreement about his ETA, and putting him as a 2028 debut might be conservative, but I am having a tough time seeing where he fits in the picture over the next two seasons given the currently-elite five starters the Mariners have.
Tier 2:Jonny Farmelo is a prospect I will be happy to be wrong about. I’ve never really understood the hype, but that is probably just a me thing. It might be that we’ve just yet to really see him play. He’s seen nothing but injuries over the last two seasons since being drafted in 2023. His talent has been displayed before, but only in short bursts, and I’m not sold enough yet on the bat to feel like it’s only a matter of time. He needs two full, healthy seasons to develop at the plate before sneaking his way onto the 2028 or 2029 lineup.
Tier 3:Felnin Celesten, the phoenix. A prospect that people loved to love from 2021-2023, and loved to hate the last couple of years. Chalk him up similar to Farmelo – he’s in a real prove-it moment this season. He doesn’t need to hit more than 15 homers if the bat can be plus with great placement into the gaps, and the glovework at shortstop can carry him. I have him as a better defender than Emerson, so perhaps Celesten will be what eventually moves Emerson to the hot corner in 2029.
Luke Stevenson is allegedly good, according to folks smarter than me. He’s in the same boat as Farmelo – I see him as having a decent floor but I think he’s got a real back-loaded bell curve of outcomes, unlikely to hit his top-end. I’d love to be wrong! He might be ready to backing up Cal by the end of 2028, giving the M’s a reliable backup catcher who can get Cal some more days at DH.
Tier 4: Korbyn Dickerson profiles, on the pessimistic end, as a dynamic center-fielder who can be a dependable 4th outfielder with plus defense at each spot. He’s a fun power-speed guy with a lot of upside but also a decent amount of downside. Planning on 2029 would give him a fantastic amount of runway to iron out some flaws on the hit tool.
2030 and Beyond:
Tier 3: Nick Becker won’t be in this tier for much longer. Max wrote in his prospect ranking write-up that Becker might have the highest upside in the system. Given that this is a farm heavy on the upside, that’s incredibly high praise. I’m worried about the janky swing, but he’s 18! This is stuff that can all be worked out. The middle-infield pipeline is thick and rich, so he’s got lots of time to develop. Tools galore – let’s check back in in 2030 and see where he’ll fit in.
What if Lazaro Montes had plus speed and a cannon for an arm? That might be Yorger Bautista. He’s just 18, signing during the 2025 J15 window, but the young outfielder has ridiculous potential. 70-grade pop in a 6’1” frame with the maturity of a player several years ahead of him should have you drooling. 2026 will be his first time stateside, so give him 4 years or so to develop.
Griffin Hugus, the funniest name in the system! The most nicknameable, for sure. The most currently Tommy-Johned. So, put the expectations back quite a bit. 2029 will be the first year we’ll be able to get him a real evaluation.
Tier 4: You’ve heard it first – Juan Rijo could be the real deal. I think that he has upside that rivals some of the prospects in the top tier of the system. I love, love, LOVE the swing – I love the bat path, I love the swing, and I think that as he grows into his frame, we can see true plus power and a plus bat. You don’t see 18-year-olds with this level of polish on the swing. No jank here! Like Bautista, let’s see him with 4 years to play stateside.
The Mariners are in a rare, blessed spot right now. The major-league club is ultra-competitive and has a wealth of cheap, controllable talent, while the farm is well-stocked with a dozen prospects that gives them the flexibility that every front office prizes. The Mariners can build a sustainable engine of consistent playoff appearances, extending their most key players now and letting this next wave fill in some gaps. Or, they can read the table, push in their chips, and go all in, now, and add great or elite talent for a shot at a title or two. Not a bad place to be.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - FEBRUARY 19: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a photo during the Tampa Bay Rays photo day at Charlotte Sports Park on Thursday, February 19, 2026 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Opening Day is here tomorrow and the bold predictions are flying in the Slack chat, so I’ve pulled together the hottest takes from masthead. Some are reasonable. Some are absolutely nuclear. All of them are compelling.
Let’s get into it with Daniel, who set things off:
Daniel Vonderwalde
Jake Fraley hits 20+ home runs
The Rays make the playoffs, with Brody Hopkins starting one of those postseason games
Ian Malinowski
Griffin Jax ends the season as a starter with a combined ERA under 3.00 across all roles
Drew Rasmussen finishes top-5 in Cy Young voting
Ben Williamson puts up more fWAR than Giancarlo Stanton
Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero all outproduce their projections thanks to the new pitching machines (nobody else has the old setup baked into the projections anymore)
Danny Russell
The Rays finally have a closer, and his name is Bryan Baker — he picks up 37 saves
But the Rays lose 80 games
Jason Collette
Bryan Baker records 20 saves
Ian Seymour picks up 10 wins
Chandler Simpson steals 100 bases and adds a bunch of infield hits (he had 58 steals last season) — he’s going to love playing on the turf instead of weather-hardened infields
Darby Robinson
Shane McClanahan wins Comeback Player of the Year
Carson Williams has a 20-20-20 season (20 HR / 20 2B / 20 SB)
My biggest hot take: the 2026 season will remind us a lot of 2018 Rays
Cole Mitchem
Jacob Melton posts the highest WAR/PA ratio of any Rays position player
Rays total catcher WAR ranks in the top half of baseball
Chandler Simpson has a strong first half, then gets surprisingly traded at the deadline for a controllable big-league pitcher
Brett Rutherford
Ryan Pepiot leads all Rays pitchers in fWAR, even after an early-season IL trip
The Rays trade Drew Rasmussen at the deadline but remain in contention, with Brody Hopkins seamlessly replacing him in the rotation
The Rays finish the season with two catchers who are not currently in the organization
Homin Lee
Nick Fortes has the highest fWAR by a Rays catcher since Mike Zunino in 2021
Three Rays pitchers will throw over 162 innings (I called this last year too… and it actually happened)
Adam Sanford
Kevin Cash is fired at the end of the season (Editor’s note: !!!)
Bradley Woodrum
Drew Rasmussen finishes 4th or better in Cy Young voting (much to the delight of whichever team employs him)
Xavier Isaac is traded mid-season (internal projections have soured on his contact rate, and the front office looks to cash out on his prospect value)
There you go — every hot take ready for print. Please now feel empowered to argue with (or defend) specific site contributors all season long.
Which hot takes are you buying? Which ones are you laughing at the most? Let us know in the comments.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 06, 2025: Jerar Encarnacion #59 and Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants celebrate a solo home run hit by Encarnacion during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 06, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Congratulations, everyone: you did it. You made it through the long, cold, winter months, and emerged onto the glorious other side, where baseball awaits you. The offseason is over. The preseason is over. San Francisco Giants baseball is here, in all her glory and looming disappointment.
After Tuesday’s camp cuts, the Giants Opening Day roster really started to come into focus. And now we have the full 26-player roster, as announced by the team.
There’s nothing surprising, based on what we knew going into the day, though plenty is surprising relative to what we knew when Spring Training started six weeks ago. The biggest news is something the team had been trending towards all offseason and preseason: outfielder Luis Matos was designated for assignment. San Francisco has been pessimistic about their chances of sneaking Matos through waivers, but they waited until the last possible moment to increase their odds. It probably won’t work, but we’ll see.
As had become increasingly clear in recent weeks, speedster Jared Oliva made the Opening Day roster, a remarkable achievement for a 30-year old NRI with just 26 MLB games to his name, and none since 2021. The Giants were enamored with his ability to come off the bench and steal a base, and didn’t feel the need for a stronger hitter given their everyday players in the grass.
Daniel Susac, a Rule 5 pick and little brother of Andrew, did as was expected and made the team as the backup catcher. Critically, his main competitor in camp, veteran Eric Haase, was released, not reassigned, which means Jesús Rodríguez is now the next man up behind the dish.
There seemed to be two spots in the bullpen for three righties: Keaton Winn, and NRIs Caleb Kilian and Michael Fulmer. The Giants thankfully went with stuff over veteran experience, opting to keep Winn and Kilian, while reassigning Fulmer to AAA Sacramento. To make a space on the roster for Kilian, lefty Reiver Sanmartín was placed on the 60-Day Injured List.
And finally, as we knew was going to happen but couldn’t officially be done until today, the Giants placed righty reliever Joel Peguero and southpaw reliever Sam Hentges on the 15-Day IL.
Here’s the full roster that will take the field tonight at 5:05 p.m. PT against the New York Yankees. It’s a balanced bullpen, but a bench that doesn’t have a left-handed bat.
Catchers (2) Patrick Bailey Daniel Susac
Infielders (6) Willy Adames Luis Arráez Matt Chapman Rafael Devers Christian Koss Casey Schmitt
Outfielders (5) Harrison Bader Jerar Encarnación Jung Hoo Lee Jared Oliva Heliot Ramos
Starting pitchers (5) Adrian Houser Tyler Mahle Robbie Ray Landen Roupp Logan Webb
Right-handed relievers (5) JT Brubaker José Buttó Caleb Kilian Ryan Walker Keaton Winn
Left-handed relievers (3) Ryan Borucki Matt Gage Erik Miller
It's been a memorable 24 hours for the crown jewels of the Ottawa Senators' 2024 NHL Draft.
On Tuesday, Carter Yakemchuk hustled to Detroit to play in his first NHL game and had a dream debut. Yakemchuk scored a goal and added an assist in an important 3-2 Ottawa victory over the Red Wings. Between that performance and the state of the Sens' banged-up blue line, he may be in Ottawa to stay.
Yakemchuk was the seventh overall draft pick in 2024, the rare right-shot defenseman with size (6'3", 220 lbs) and skill. After that, with the second pick in the draft, the Senators' scouting staff showed they have a type.
They went with a defenseman again... an even bigger one.
They selected 6-foot-7 Gabriel Elliason. Elliason doesn't have Yakemchuk's skill, but what he lacks in point production, he makes up for with physicality and unkind intentions.
On Draft Day, it was easy to imagine the two of them paired together someday, yin and yang, each bringing elements the other lacks.
On Wednesday morning, less than a day after Yakemchuk's big night, Elliason got his flowers, signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Senators, set to start in the 2026-27 season.
Image credit: Senators.com
Eliasson has spent the past two seasons with the Barrie Colts, who just won the OHL East's Central Division regular season title. With eight points in 61 games, he's clearly more of a shut down defenseman who uses his incredible reach and physical play to make life miserable for opponents.
And he plays with such a chip on his shoulder that part of his focus this season was dialling it back and picking his spots a little better. But fear not, fans of mayhem, Elliason still led the OHL in penalty minutes (122) and will now help ride the Colts into the playoffs starting Thursday against Niagara.
“Gabriel’s game has matured since we drafted him,” GM Steve Staios said in a club press release. “We’ve been pleased with his development, and his character and work ethic fit in perfectly with the team we’re building.”
Elliason will compete for an NHL job this fall, but will almost certainly spend a season or two in Belleville before he can truly be on Ottawa's radar. But just as we saw with Yakemchuk, thanks to all the injuries this month, you never say never.
And you can't teach big... or mean.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has reached another significant milestone.
Tuesday night, Bobrovsky and the Panthers defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-4 in a shootout at Amerant Bank Arena.
The game was a bit dicey toward the end, when Florida surrendered a 4-1 third period lead by allowing the Kraken to score three goals in the span of 2:21, but Bob stood tall after that, stopping all three Seattle shootout attempts en route to picking up his 26th victory of the season.
While not particularly significant in terms of Florida’s current campaign, the victory did carry some weight in the grand scheme of things for Sergei.
That’s because it was the 455th win of Bobrovsky’s NHL career, moving him into sole possession of seventh place on the league’s all-time wins list.
He’d previously been in a tie with Curtis Joseph, and now Bob trails Henrik Lundqvist by just four wins for sixth-most in league history.
Bob building records 🧱
Congratulations to Sergei Bobrovsky, who has moved into 7th in all-time NHL career wins with 455 under his belt to officially pass Curtis Joseph! pic.twitter.com/TyCQ1EZ2RX
What’s interesting to note is that Bobrovsky reached his win total in fewer games played than every goaltender around him on that all-time list.
Tuesday’s game was Bob’s 802nd in the NHL. Joseph, now in eighth place, finished with 454 wins in 943 games played, and Lundqvist’s 459 wins came during his 887 NHL games.
The next goalies on either side of those three include the legendary Terry Sawchuk, who earned 445 wins (now ninth-most) in 971 games played, and former Panther Ed Belfour in fifth place with 484 wins in 963 games.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility to think if Bobrovsky can catch up to Belfour, who is 29 wins ahead, that Bob will do it in less than the additional 161 games played it took Eddie the Eagle.
Beyond Belfour is another former Florida netminder. Roberto Luongo has won the fourth-most games in league history, earning 489 victories (five more than Belfour and 34 more than Bob) in 1,044 games played.
We’ll see how many games Bobrovsky, who will be 38 years old on Opening Night next season, has left in the tank, but if he comes anywhere close to Luongo or Belfour’s totals, it’s more than likely that he will fly past both in the wins department.
For those who may be wondering, Bobrovsky has won exactly 200 of his 455 victories since joining the Panthers, Luongo picked up 230 of his 489 victories during his time in Florida and Belfour earned 27 of his 484 wins while wearing a Panthers sweater.
That was also Belfour’s final season in the NHL, and he was 41 years old at the time. Luongo, meanwhile, was 39 when he played his final game, also with the Panthers.
It will be interesting, and kind of neat, if Bobrovsky also finishes his career with Florida, and the trio end up 4-5-6 on the all-time wins list (Patrick Roy, who sits in third place with 551 wins, will be difficult, but not impossible, for Bob to catch).
Bob’s future with the Panthers remains to be seen, as the veteran is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Both sides reportedly want to see Bobrovsky sign an extension, so we’ll see how things play out in the coming weeks and months.
For now, take a moment to celebrate the latest incredible accomplishment for Bobrovsky as he continues to write his Hockey Hall of Fame resume.
And while you probably could’ve guessed this, all the aforementioned goaltenders ahead of Bob on the all-time wins list that he’s chasing down, - four wins behind Lundqvist, 29 wins behind Belfour, 34 wins behind Luongo, 96 wins behind Roy – they’re all in the Hall of Fame.
On that note, a congratulatory tip of the cap to Mr. Sergei Bobrovsky on his 455th NHL victory.
It’s going to be fun to see how the rest of his story plays out.
Photo caption: Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) reacts after being scored on by Vancouver Canucks forward Aatu Raty (54) in the second period at Rogers Arena. (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
