Category: Sports News

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We have a slew of early baseball games this Good Friday, so let's make some quick money with some of the earliest bets that cash out: the “run first inning” markets.

My MLB picks are expecting some early scoring in a trio of games today, including a West Coast clash between the Mariners and Angels.

Here are my best free YRFI and NRFI bets for April 3.

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

Phillies at Rockies: YRFI (-122)

Getting the YRFI at -122 in a game at Coors Field is a bargain, and today's pitching matchup suggests we'll get plenty of runs.

Philadelphia Phillies righty Aaron Nola is coming off his worst season as a pro (6.01 ERA over 17 starts) and allowed five runs in five innings in his first outing this year. 

The Colorado Rockies are giving the pill to Michael Lorenzen, who surrendered seven hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings in his season debut. Lorenzon had a 4.64 ERA with the Royals last year, and his subpar ground ball rate and exit velocity suggest he'll struggle at Coors.

Especially against a hard-hitting Phillies lineup that has some big bats at the top of the order. 

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC Sports Phil | Rockies.TV

Reds at Rangers: YRFI (-102)

The Cincinnati Reds haven't been productive at the plate, but the analytics suggest positive regression. Anchored by rising stars Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, the Reds lead the majors in exit velocity while ranking fifth in barrel rate.

Today, they take on the Texas Rangers and Mackenzie Gore, who generates strikes but gives up too much hard contact. The lefty was in the 20th percentile in barrel rate and exit velocity last year while posting a 4.33 xERA. 

Reds starter Brady Singer had an almost identical 4.27 xERA last, and he allowed three runs in four innings in his 2026 debut. I don't trust him to navigate a Rangers lineup that is sixth in the majors in runs per game (5.33) and third in hard-hit rate.

• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rangers Sports Network | Reds.TV

Mariners at Angels: YRFI (+114)

The Seattle Mariners mashed away from home last season, posting 5.09 runs per game. Expect the same production as they begin their first road trip this year.

The M's retained Josh Naylor while adding leadoff man Brendan Donovan to a lineup anchored by MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena. 

They'll have success against Los Angeles Angels lefty Reid Detmers, who has been shaky as a starter and is better out of the bullpen. Detmers didn't make a single start last year but had a 6.70 ERA in 17 starts in 2024. He started last Saturday and gave up three runs in 4 2/3 frames. 

Meanwhile, Seattle will start Bryan Woo, who has been great at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park but can be inconsistent on the road.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel SN West | Mariners.TV

What is a NRFI bet?

NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.

A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.

NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.

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

San Diego Padres (2-4) at Boston Red Sox (1-5), April 3, 2026, 11:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Fenway Park – Boston, Mass.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Good morning from Boston. pic.twitter.com/HMPD3fM7tR

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 3, 2026

How we're lining up for the home opener! pic.twitter.com/NHmGvf5uDs

— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 3, 2026

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• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
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Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, welcome (back) to Fenway Park!

The Red Sox look to get their mojo this season as Don Orsillo and Xander Bogaerts return to Boston with the San Diego Padres. Gonna be a cool and cloudy one out there!

⚾️ First Pitch: 2:10pm ET — Fenway Park, Boston, MA

📺 TV: NESN

📻 Radio: WEEI

RED SOX LINEUP

PADRES LINEUP

Well, I lied to you. I hope you’ll forgive me. In yesterday’s roundup, I said that Thursday would finally bring the return of multiple-game days days for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. Turns out I was wrong, as AAA Sacramento had their game rained out and postponed. Actually, it apparently stopped raining, because the official postponement is for “wet grounds.” It will be made up on Saturday, when they play a doubleheader against the Salt Lake Bees, presuming Utah soil has dried by then.

So just one game it was, but it was a good one. Lets jump into it.

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

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News

Just two small transactions for the affiliates on Thursday. AAA Sacramento lost one of their pitchers, as RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL) was called up to San Francisco to replace the injured José Buttó. Tidwell got into Thursday’s game against his former team, the New York Mets, and made his Giants debut by recording a 3-inning save. Gotta love it!

Replacing Tidwell on Sacramento’s roster is RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL). Bednar was an NRI at Spring Training this year, but curiously opened the year on the Development List. Now he’s off it, and will prepare to make his season debut.

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Low-A San Jose (1-0)

San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 12-8
Box score

The Baby Giants kicked off their title defense on Thursday night by heading up the road to Stockton. And what a glorious start to the season it was, as San Jose found all the offense they were looking for (and then some), while also featuring a stellar pitching performance from an exciting arm.

One of the fun things about Low-A in this era of Minor League Baseball is that when the season starts, so do the debuts. So many young players get drafted (or sign as undrafted free agents) and don’t debut until the next year, and so this game featured a whopping 5 San Jose players who were playing in a professional baseball game for the first time in their life. A day to remember!

It’s quite fitting, then, that the 2 position players who were making their debuts were the ones who carried the offense. First baseman Hayden Jatczak and catcher Junior Barajas would have remembered Thursday for their debuts alone, but now they’ll really remember the game, because they had star showings.

Jatczak positively carried the offense, with a nearly perfect day: he hit 3-4 with a 3-run home run in the 8th inning, plus a triple, a walk, 4 RBIs, and a strikeout. It’s hard to do much better than that, especially since the home run was positively majestic and towering.

HAVE A NIGHT HAYDEN! A three-run bomb in the eighth gives the Giants a 10-6 lead. pic.twitter.com/0U2vKFKkE2

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) April 3, 2026

The Giants have had some remarkable success with undrafted free agents in recent years, both in the form of their own signings (Bo Davidson and Trent Harris) and players they traded for (Parks Harber). Jatczak, a 24-year old out of Kent State, will try to be the next in that line of overlooked talent.

As for Barajas, he wasn’t far behind. He also homered, as part of a 2-5 day that also included a double, 3 RBIs, and a strikeout. The son of Rod Barajas (the younger Barajas is technically Rod Barajas Jr., but goes by the eternally-cool “Junior” moniker), the lefty catcher was an 11th-round pick in July’s draft, but it’s been clear from the buzz around him that the team has been highly impressed with his bat. While not undrafted like Davidson, he may have been overlooked for one of the same reasons: a collegiate career spent at a junior college, rather than an NCAA school.

BOOM. First home run of the year belongs to Rod Barajas Jr! pic.twitter.com/5kDyiAyio0

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) April 3, 2026

The Giants don’t have a lot of intriguing backstop bats in the system, so it will be very exciting if Barajas can hit as well as they hope — and perhaps think — he will.

While Jatczak and Barajas were the stars of the day on offense, the star of the team is shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), and he followed up his breakout 2025 with a solid day at the top of San Jose’s lineup, as he hit 3-5 and stole a base, while striking out twice. It will be interesting to see how San Jose handles infield reps for Level and Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), last year’s 4th-round pick, who is a dynamic defensive player. In this game, Level played short while Meola (who hit 1-4 with a double and a sacrifice fly) handled second base, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they switch off assignments.

Jhonny Level with his first RBI of the year! Giants take a 2-0 lead in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/gU4f0DNLBL

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) April 3, 2026

Level, who dominated the Complex League last year before holding his own for a month in San Jose, will be hoping to rid himself of that tandem by playing his way up to High-A Eugene by the summer, though a similar predicament will await him there, as last year’s 1st-round pick, Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) will be handling shortstop for the Emeralds. Good problems to have, especially since Level just turned 19 earlier this week.

Center fielder Andy Polanco, who was an 11th-round pick in 2024, also had an intriguing day, hitting 1-4 with a hit by pitch and stealing 2 bases, though he also had 2 strikeouts.

On the whole, the pitching wasn’t good, but only because the Giants used the bullpen. The game started brilliantly thanks to another debuting player who has been building a lot of buzz: RHP Cody Delvecchio, the organization’s 12th-round pick in July’s draft.

Delvecchio, a recently-turned 22-year old who played at UCLA, earned quite a bit of hype in his first pro camp, and even got into a Spring Training game, where he impressed with 2 strikeouts in a scoreless inning. Opening Day assignments are symbolic, even in the Minor Leagues, so it’s telling that Delvecchio got the nod on Day 1 in a rotation that also features RHPs Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) and Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL). Don’t take that to mean that the Giants think Delvecchio is a better prospect than Martinez and Cayama, but it might mean that they think he’s their best pitcher right now (he’s a bit older than those two fast-rising prospects).

And Delvecchio certainly rewarded that decision with a dynamic game against the Ports, pitching 4 scoreless innings while allowing just 1 hit (a single), 1 walk, and 1 hit batter. The righty lived in the strike zone, with 42 of 64 pitches going for strikes, and he struck out 6 Stockton hitters. That’s a pretty phenomenal debut, and one that will have us excited to see what he does with his next start.

Cody Delvecchio with a strong professional debut, hurling four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while punching out six batters.

He lived at the top of the zone with his flat VAA heater, mixing in his cutter, slider, and changeup from time to time. pic.twitter.com/Au43QfOuJy

— Giant Prospective (@giantprospectiv) April 3, 2026

Unfortunately, the bullpen was awful through and through. LHP Ricardo Estrada and RHP Cooper McGrath (last year’s 18th-round pick, who was debuting) each walked 4 batters, with Estrada only recording 4 outs and McGrath only recording 1. RHPs Dylan Carter and Garrett Langrell (the final debuting player, and last year’s 16th-round pick) each gave up a trio of hits and a free pass (a walk for Carter; a hit batter for Langrell), with the former ceding 3 runs in 1.1 innings, and the latter 2 runs in as many innings. Better days ahead for all of them!

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Home run tracker

1 — Junior Barajas — [Low-A]
1 — Hayden Jatczak — [Low-A]

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Friday schedule

Sacramento: 5:35 p.m. PT at Salt Lake (SP: Carson Seymour)
Richmond: 3:05 p.m. PT at Erie (SP: Greg Farone)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Hillsboro (SP: Niko Mazza)
San Jose: 7:05 p.m. PT at Stockton (SP: Jordan Gottesman)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV

After a highly successful 5-1 road trip to open the season, the Yankees return home to Yankee Stadium for the first time in 177 days to open a three-game set with the Miami Marlins on a rare Friday matinee. The Marlins come into this one on a roll to start the season, taking advantage of hosting the Rockies and White Sox on their season-opening homestand to match the Yankees and Brewers’ league-best starts.

Will Warren will look to keep the rotation dominance going in his second start of the season after a solid opening effort in San Francisco. The 26-year-old threw some of the fastest pitches of his career in the first inning, but lost considerable velocity as the game went on and was removed after 4.1 innings of one-run ball. It’ll be interesting to see if the adrenaline has him throwing 97 to start again, or if he’ll look to maintain normal velocity throughout.

Eury Pérez gets the start for the Marlins after throwing seven strong innings against the Rockies last week. After missing all of 2024 and the start of 2025 with Tommy John recovery, he’s healthy to start 2026 and will be looking to power through this Yankee lineup. Pérez, who turns 23 later this month, doesn’t even have 200 MLB innings under his belt, but has the potential to be one of the game’s best pitchers.

Pérez leans heavily on his high-octane four-seamer, which has consistently sat at 98 mph even after elbow surgery. He utilizes five other pitches, but throws none of them more than 20 percent of the time. Look out for curveballs and changeups to lefties, sweepers and cutters to lefties, and sliders as his primary secondary pitch. The big weakness that has bedeviled Pérez is that, when hitters do make contact, it’s usually very loud and in the air, which makes for an interesting matchup against an offense like this at Yankee Stadium (compared to last August in the Marlins’ more spacious home).

It’s a usual lineup for the Yankees, featuring the same nine players that it has for four of the six games this season. They do mix up the bottom third, however, moving Austin Wells up to seventh and putting the struggling Ryan McMahon in the 9-hole.

Jakob Marsee—who had a spectacular debut series against the Yankees when Miami swept them after the 2025 Trade Deadline—leads off for the Fish, followed by Xavier Edwards and former Baby Bomber Agustin Ramírez. Liam Hicks, Otto Lopez, and Owen Caissie (acquired from the Cubs for starter Edward Cabrera) are all off to great starts this year and will be the heart of the order, as Connor Norby, Griffin Conine, and Graham Pauley bring up the rear. That’s five lefties and a switch-hitter against Warren, who needs to be better against lefties.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium — New York, NY

First pitch: 1:35 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, Marlins.TV/CBS Miami

Radio broadcast: 560 WQAM, WAQI 710 (MIA), WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY)

Online stream: MLB.tv (out-of-market only), Gotham Sports App

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Home Sweet Home. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/L26MeGWXhw

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 3, 2026

📍The Bronx

📺: https://t.co/pMAEOPHNJ8
👂: @MarlinsRadio, @radiomambi710, 560 WQAM
⏰: 1:35 PM ET #FightinFishpic.twitter.com/o1URkTKezz

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) April 3, 2026

Happy Home Opener, everyone!

The Rockies had a lot of turnover this offseason and we needed to get to know the new coaching staff. As it turns out, Purple Row also had some turnover with Mac Wilcox headed off to do other projects, but we’re also pleased to welcome Cory Cohen, Zeke Perez Jr., and James Riggenbach to the staff!

So in the spirit of introductions, we wanted to introduce ourselves to you — or reintroduce in some cases since we recognize (and appreciate!) that some of the Purple Row community have had a long-term commitment to the site.

And in addition, we’d like to invite you to introduce yourselves, too, by copying and pasting the questions below and answering them in the comments:

Name:

Location:

On Twitter or BlueSky, I am:

How I became a Rockies fan:

Favorite Current Rockies:

Favorite All-Time Rockie:

Favorite Non-Rockie:

Favorite Rockies Prospect:

Metaphysical Position on the Diamond:

Ballpark I’d Most Like to Visit:

Favorite Baseball Movie:

What was the best thing about your past year:

When Not Rowing, I:

Baseball Card Back Fun Fact:

Walkup Music:

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Name: Sam Bradfield

Location: Phoenix, AZ

On Twitter or BlueSky, I am: @sammieb27.bsky.social

How I became a Rockies fan: Rocktober was during my freshman year of high school, so I became glued to every inning during that magical run! When I went off to college in Arizona a few years later, I took my love of the team with me (wearing Rockies gear is always a conversation starter). I took a few years off to watch other sports, and some life happened, but when I discovered the Arizona Fall League in 2016, it reignited my passion for baseball and the Rockies were the obvious choice to root for as my hometown team. And then I applied for Purple Row a year later and the rest, as they say, is history!

Favorite Current Rockie: I have a lot of guys I really like, but I think my favorite right now is Ryan Feltner. He’s been through a lot, and he and I always have good conversations about baseball and art.

Favorite All-Time Rockie: Troy Tulowitzki — he was my first favorite Rockie in the World Series run and I haven’t let go of that since. I’m so bummed that his career didn’t pan out the way folks thought it would.

Favorite Non-Rockie: Ryan McMahon — I know he’s a former Rockie, but he and I “debuted” right around the same time (him in Aug. 2017 and me in Dec. 2017) so he has a special place in my heart. He was the first Rockies prospect I started following after meeting him in the AFL, and was also my first Purple Row interview in 2018. If we’re talking about guys who never played on the team, I really like David Peralta. He always seemed like such a stand-up guy as well as a good baseball player, and I loved watching him play for the Diamondbacks.

Favorite Rockies Prospect: I’m really excited for Charlie Condon. I think he has a ton of potential to do some damage and be good in this league for a long time.

Metaphysical Position on the Diamond: Probably one of the corner outfield spots — I’m more of an introverted extrovert, so I’m happy to both be part of the action and also let others have their moments.

Ballpark I’d Most Like to Visit: I’ve heard excellent things about PNC Park, so I’m excited to check it out!

Favorite Baseball Movie:A League of Their Own, hands down

What was the best thing about your past year: Moving back to the Phoenix area from LA — sure, I grew up in Colorado and still love the state, but Phoenix is really where I call home (plus I’m happy to be out of Dodgers country!).

When Not Rowing, I: Work as an Academic Advisor for first-year students studying English and Communications, and previously advised for students studying Theatre. In my free time, I hang out with my cat Simon, play piano in my living room, and love watching TV shows (I’m currently watching Shrinking, the Scrubs revival, The Americans and The Pitt) and the Phoenix Suns.

Baseball Card Back Fun Fact: Usually writing for Purple Row is my “fun fact” but I guess in this case, I was a music major in college and never played a sport beyond eighth grade rec league volleyball. Most of my sports knowledge is self-taught because I was in marching band and wanted to know what was happening on the field/court.

Walkup Music: Ok, I’m going to be weird and say Test Drive from How to Train Your Dragon. I know it doesn’t have words or anything, but this score just pumps me up:

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Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The St. Louis Cardinals begin their first road series of the season as they take on the Detroit Tigers for their home opener in Comerica Park. According to MLB.com, Michael McGreevy will make his second start for the Cardinals after his epic effort against the Tampa Bay Rays where he held them hitless through 6 innings. Framber Valdez is expected to the Friday’s starter for the Tigers. Game time is set for 12:10pm. Note that Masyn Winn is in the lineup today after the car accident after Wednesday’s walk-off victory.

Detroit Tigers (2-4) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (4-2)

Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Viva El Birdos
Media: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (0-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. RHP Michael McGreevy (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Valdez	1	6.0	20.0	4.0	47.4	2.00	0.2
McGreevy	1	6.0	23.8	9.5	28.6	2.50	0.2

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Kansas City Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Earlier this week, Carlos Estévez went on the Injured List with a foot contusion. Until he returns, the Royals will need someone else to close games. So we asked who Royals fans would choose if they could have their druthers. The results were overwhelming in selecting one guy.

73% of respondents said they preferred that Lucas Erceg do all the closing for KC until Estévez gets his mojo back, and it seems like Matt Quatraro agrees with them. In three save opportunities since Estévez’s injury, Erceg has gotten the call twice. The third game went to John Schreiber, but only because Erceg had already pitched two games in a row.

Interestingly, fans were not at all high on once-and-now-again reliever Matt Strahm; he received only 4% of the vote, barely ahead of potential rookie Luinder Avila’s 3% – Avila is set to make his first major league start tonight, in any case.

One in five thought that a closer by committee would be the best option since the Royals have so many relievers on their roster with late-game experience. Closers by committee always seem like shaky endeavors to me, so I’m perfectly happy to just let Erceg handle things with Matt Strahm seeming to take over quasi-fireman duties, pitching in whatever situations late in the game. For example, pitching the seventh in yesterday’s game because that was when the heart of the Twins order was due up, hoping that the lower part of the lineup would be easier for Steven Cruz to handle. Obviously, it didn’t work out that way, but it made a lot of sense in the moment.

Now, what I’m curious about is whether everyone thinks Lights Out Lucas should just continue saving even when – or if – Estévez has his foot and mechanics fixed. Depending on how long he’s out and how well Erecg does, it could end up being a controversial decision either way.

Today is the day where Columbus and Augusta get their seasons underway, meaning all four levels of the Atlanta Braves system are now underway. With that in mind I decided to make this guide for following where our Top 30 prospects, and honorable mentions, will open the season.

Below you will find the players in order of their rankings in the Battery Power Top 30 Braves prospects, followed by where they will open the season as well as the positions you can expect them to play. At the bottom you can find a guide on which prospects are a part of which team.

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1. Cam Caminiti – A+ Rome, LH Starting Pitcher
2. JR Ritchie – AAA Gwinnett, RH Starting Pitcher
3. Didier Fuentes – AAA Gwinnett, RH Starting Pitcher. Note Fuentes also was a part of the Atlanta Opening Day roster, but was sent down to stretch out as a starter
4. Owen Murphy – AA Columbus, RH Starting Pitcher
5. Diego Tornes – Extended spring training. Tornes will likely open with the FCL club next month playing mostly center field.
6. Tate Southisene – A Augusta, SS/2B/3B/CF
7. Briggs McKenzie – Extended spring training. McKenzie will likely open as a starting pitcher with the FCL team when that season begins.
8. Luke Sinnard – Extended spring training. Sinnard wasn’t included on any of the rosters, meaning he will start in Florida. He will likely move to Columbus, or possibly Rome, once he is ready.
9. John Gil – A+ Rome, SS/3B/2B
10. Alex Lodise – A Augusta, SS/2B/3B
11. Jhancarlos Lara – AA Columbus, RH Reliever
12. Garrett Baumann – AA Columbus, RH Starting Pitcher
13. Luis Guanipa – A Augusta, CF/RF
14. Conor Essenburg, A Augusta, RF/LF/1B
15. Isaiah Drake – A+ Rome, CF/RF/LF
16. Cody Miller – A+ Rome, SS/2B/3B
17. Owen Carey – A+ Rome, CF/LF/RF
18. Blake Burkhalter – Extended spring training. Burkhalter will likely move to Gwinnett shortly after his return and pitch in relief.
19. Lucas Braun – AAA Gwinnett, RH Starting Pitcher
20. Herick Hernandez – AA Columbus, LH Starting Pitcher
21. Jose Perdomo – A Augusta, SS/3B/2B
22. Rayven Antonio – TBD. Antonio is on the roster for Augusta on the website, where he spent all of last year. However he wasn’t named in any of the roster tweets for the four affiliates.
23. Raudy Reyes – N/A. Reyes is out with Tommy John surgery according to his social media.
24. Eric Hartman – A+ Rome, CF/LF/2B
25. Ethan Bagwell – A Augusta, RH Starting Pitcher
26. Dixon Williams – A+ Rome, 2B/3B
27. Cade Kuehler – A+ Rome, RH Starting Pitcher
28. Hayden Harris – AAA Gwinnett, LH Reliever
29. Carter Holton – A Augusta, LH Starting Pitcher
30. Drue Hackenberg – AA Columbus, RH Starting Pitcher

Honorable Mentions

• Jeremy Reyes – A+ Rome, RH Starting Pitcher
• Brett Sears – AA Columbus, RH Starting Pitcher
• Juan Mateo – A Augusta, SS/3B/2B. Will open on the injured list
• David McCabe – AA Columbus, 1B/3B/DH
• Landon Beidelschies – A Augusta, LH Starting Pitcher

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By Team

Triple-A Gwinnett

2.JR Ritchie

3.Didier Fuentes

19.Lucas Braun

28.Hayden Harris

Other Prospects of Note: Rolddy Munoz, Jim Jarvis

Double-A Columbus

4.Owen Murphy

11.Jhancarlos Lara

12.Garrett Baumann

20.Herick Hernandez

30.Drue Hackenberg

HM.Brett Sears

HM.David McCabe

Other Prospects of Note: Elison Joseph, Ambioris Tavarez, Patrick Clohisy

High-A Rome

1.Cam Caminiti

9.John Gil

15.Isaiah Drake

16.Cody Miller

17.Owen Carey

24.Eric Hartman

26.Dixon Williams

27.Cade Kuehler

HM.Jeremy Reyes

Other Prospects of Note: Cedric De Grandpre, Ian Mejia, Logan Braunschweig

Low-A Augusta

6.Tate Southisene

10.Alex Lodise

13.Luis Guanipa

14.Conor Essenburg

21.Jose Perdomo

25.Ethan Bagwell

29.Carter Holton

HM.Juan Mateo (IL)

HM.Landon Beidelschies

Other Prospects of Note: Cristobal Abreu, Luis Arestigueta, Davis Polo, Zach Royse, Nick Montgomery, Junior Garcia

Extended Spring Training

5.Diego Tornes

7.Briggs McKenzie

8.Luke Sinnard

18.Blake Burkhalter

22.Rayven Antonio

23.Raudy Reyes

The Phillies’ ninth inning comeback and extra inning win on Wednesday afternoon shifted the narrative of the early season. While a 3-3 homestand is a disappointment, it feels so much better than 2-4.

The Phillies will now head on the road for the first time all season as they visit Coors Field, a stadium that has largely vexed them over the years. However, most of that vexing came when the Rockies were a quality – or even halfway competent – baseball team. The 2025 Rockies were about as far from quality as a team could get, and perhaps not coincidentally, the Phillies did much better when they visited Coors last year.

And from the looks of things, the Rockies of 2026 are not much better than the 2025 edition.

Colorado Rockies

Record: 2-4, Fourth place in National League West (2 games back)

The last time they met

As mentioned, the Phillies used to seem to save some of their worst games for Coors Field, but that didn’t matter when facing a team as uncompetitive as the 2025 Rockies were. The Phillies visited Colorado for four games in May 2025, and won all four, finishing off a 7-0 season sweep of the Rockies.

The finale was a 2-0 win, closed out in dominating fashion by Jordan Romano, during that split second when it looked like he might be getting his act together. (I’m serious, Romano really did have a good stretch last year.)

What’s the deal with the Rockies?

They’ll likely be better than they were last year, but aside from clearing that exceptionally low bar, the Rockies aren’t expected to be very good this season. They didn’t bring in a lot of free agents expected to make much of an impact and are hoping that some of their younger players can develop.

As far as the actual talent on hand, Hunter Goodman might be the best catcher in the National League, and WBC hero Ezequiel Tovar looked like a burgeoning star in 2024 before injuries cost him almost half the season last year.

Ezequiel Tovar’s first homer of the season is in the same park he took down USA for a WBC title! pic.twitter.com/0SVhAf1O2d

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 28, 2026

The pitching situation is dire, with Kyle Freeland and Michael Lorenzen being the team’s best starters. They added a reliable veteran in Joe Quintana in the offseason, but he was recently placed on the Injured List and will miss this series.

Featured Rockies player: Kyle Karros

Justin Crawford will face off against another young second-generation player this weekend. Second year third baseman Kyle Karros is the son of former Rookie of the Year Eric Karros.

After being drafted in 2023, Karros rose rapidly through the Rockies system, making his major league debut in 2025.

Kyle Karros, son of Eric Karros, hits his first career home run against his dad's former team 💙 pic.twitter.com/2E9WbAZxnq

— MLB (@MLB) August 20, 2025

Karros is regarded as a plus defender at third base but didn’t wow anybody with his bat in his rookie season, putting up a .585 OPS in 43 games. He’s fared even worse in 2026, going 4-19 with just one extra base hit. The Rockies first six games have been on the road, so it’s possible that playing in Coors Field could help his numbers. However, he had a higher OPS on the road in 2025.

The one good thing about a rebuilding team is that they can have plenty of patience with their young players. If Crawford were to struggle as the year progresses, the Phillies might start looking at trade candidates for the stretch run.

Remembering a guy who used to play for the Rockies

David Nied was the Rockies’ first pick in the 1992 expansion draft. At the time, it wasn’t clear what effect the thin Denver air would have on pitchers, so the Rockies were trying to stockpile power arms. Taking a top 50 prospect from an elite Atlanta Braves farm system seemed like a decent proposition.

Nied joined the Rockies in 1993 and didn’t immediately excel with a 5.17 ERA in 16 starts. He showed some improvement the following season, but injuries soon took their toll. He pitched in just eight games over the next two seasons, and his career was essentially over.

David Nied is smiling here because he still had a perfect 3-0 record and a career 1.17 ERA when this photo was taken.

Little did he know, putting on the Rockies pinstripes would send his career ERA to 5.06 within just a few years. He would retire at age 27 with a losing record. https://t.co/QOlZANkSeK

— Not Gaetti (@notgaetti) February 20, 2026

What about the Phillies?

It’s been a strange first six games for the Phillies. They’ve looked very bad for stretches and have gotten some bad luck (The Nationals certainly found grass on a lot of balls put in play). On the other hand, they’ve already had two ninth inning comebacks, and the rookies have been impressive.

What can we conclude from this?

Pretty much nothing. It’s been six games!

Pennant year song battle

Everybody Wants You by Billy Squier knocked off Here We Are Again.

The next challenger as suggested by CarterAndCo is:

My Sister, Julianna Hatfield, 1993

The song is supposedly partly about existential longing. And isn’t that what being a sports fan basically is?

Closing thought

You’d think a series in Colorado against an unimpressive Rockies team would be just the thing to get the Phillies’ offense going consistently. But just because they should hit doesn’t mean they will. Late game comebacks are fun and all but getting off to an early lead can also be fun, and the Phillies should try doing it more often.