Category: Sports News

The beginning of the MLB season is always a time of hope. Other than a couple select teams (RIP Rockies, White Sox, et al) there is at least a chance they’ll make the playoffs, and that gives us all something in common. Sure, there are some teams far more likely, others nearly guaranteed, but we all have that hope.

Admittedly, that hope is hard to find at the beginning of this season if your a Diamondbacks fan. You’re looking at a team that failed by every objective measure in 2024, then did next to nothing to get better in the offseason. When your two biggest acquisitions are washed corner infielders and two pitchers that were on your team last season, it’s just not particularly inspiring. In fact, you could be forgiven if you think we actually got worse. Geno+ for Arenado isn’t exactly a trade most of us would make, if it were actually a trade. That’s before we get to the injuries that have already piled up.

Even beyond that, there are bigger picture reasons for a lack of hope. There is a distinct possibility, bordering on certainty, that this will be the end of MLB’s streak of no games lost to labor strife. So many factors are playing into it, including some that the Diamondbacks know well as members of the NL West. The environment the game occurs in has changed, but the game itself has largely stayed the same. That’s going to come to an end, and in a brutal, protracted way. That hurts the hope.

All that to say to feel less, or even no hope, at the start of this season is understandable. I’m the eternal optimist, so I still think we have a chance, but even for myself and my 92 win prediction… I get it. But let me take this time to remind us all that there is still a chance. Still a chance for this season, still a chance that MLB comes out stronger and healthier on the other side of the impending work stoppage, and maybe, just maybe, the Diamondbacks will find themselves on a more even footing with the multi-billion dollar investment groups that own other teams.

But now, the conjecture, the speculation ends. Baseball isn’t played on paper. It’s played on grass and turf and dirt. It’s time for baseball.

All stats from 2025. Game 2 and 3 Dodger starters are unconfirmed and projected by ESPN.

Game 1 – 3/26, 5:30 PM: Zac Gallen (13-15, 4.83 ERA/89 ERA+, 1.26 WHIP, 1.1 bWAR) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA/167 ERA+, 0.99 WHIP, 4.9 bWAR)

Zac Gallen has a lot to prove this season. He was untradeable at the deadline, unsignable in the offseason, and for good reason. He had an all time bad season. It was his worst personally, he was 45 worst by ERA in the entire league. He technically took less than the original qualifying offer to come back to the Diamondbacks on a one year deal. There is a lot on the line for him to show that he can reach the Cy Young finalist heights that he’s reached before, and much of the hope the Diamondbacks have is riding on him putting it all out there to get that contract he thinks he deserves. As far as that goes… well Merrill Kelly is already throwing bullpens, so we have a backup plan.

Yamamoto put together a stellar 2025 and more than earned his third place finish in the Cy Young voting. In another world, one where Paul Skenes doesn’t exist, he stood a decent chance at winning. His spring training has been much of the same, with an ERA just a tick higher than his last season. We all know that spring stats mean next to nothing, but personally I feel like if its just a continuation of what he did last season, it’s at least a decent sign. Going to be tough with him at the top of the Dodgers rotation again.

Game 2 – 3/27, 7:10 PM: Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.39 ERA/127 ERA+, 1.07 WHIP, 3.4 bWAR) vs. Emmet Sheehan (6-3 2.82 ERA/147 ERA+, 0.96 WHIP, 1.1 WAR)

It’s not a hard argument to make that Ryne Nelson has been the best pitcher on the Diamondbacks since about the trade deadline of the 2024 season, and finally that is being rewarded with being added to the opening day starting rotation. It’s been a long time coming, and many people said it should have been taken a step further with an Opening Day start, but at least it’s finally happened. Now it’s up to him to make it worth it. If he continues to pitch at the 3.16 ERA he had as a starter last year, he stands a good chance of again being the best pitcher on the team.

Emmet Sheehan missed the later part of the 2023 season, the entirety of the 2024 season, and just shy of the first half of the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, like so many Dodgers players do. When he came back, he pitched very well for the Dodgers, again like so many players do, but struggled in the postseason as a reliever. Obviously it did not matter much, however. Thanks at least in part to Blake Snell starting the season on the IL, Sheehan will once again be starting for the Dodgers and will look to continue what he had going during the 2025 regular season.

Game 3 – 3/28, 6:10 PM: Eduardo Rodriguez (9-9, 5.02 ERA/86 ERA+, 1.54 WHIP, 0.4 bWAR) vs. Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19 ERA/130 ERA+, 1.09 WHIP, 1.9 bWAR)

Eduardo Rodriguez is coming off a great World Baseball Classic, and I for one hope that experiencing winning baseball that he was a large part of will jump start the bounce back season we’ve been hoping for from him since, well, he joined the Diamondbacks. It’s been a rough road for him, and at no point has he lived up to the pretty hefty contract he was given by Hazen and the Diamondbacks. If, somehow, he were able to put it together and pitch even to an average result, it would go a long way to the Diamondbacks being Wild Card contenders this season. As a side note, I do find it interesting that the team did actually have a winning record in his starts in 2025. Just speaks volumes about how good the offense really was.

Glasnow is another oft injured Dodger pitcher, though that started long before his tenure in Los Angels. Last season he only pitched 90 innings for them, after suffering a shoulder injury in late April that took a while to come back from, and in 2024 it was an elbow sprain. When he actually takes the field, however, he is a good pitcher, having not had an ERA+ lower than 114 in his last five seasons. The only question for him is his health.

Conclusion

The scheduling gods are wasting no time in seeing what the Diamondbacks are made of. If their players and the team as a whole are going to have a bounce back season, it will have to start from the very first pitch. All roads to the playoffs have to go through the Dodgers, might as well get it started sooner rather than later.

Am I confident in this series? Not particularly, but hopefully they can prove me and the many other doubters wrong. I say they go 1-2, however. Go Dbacks!

The beginning of the MLB season is always a time of hope. Other than a couple select teams (RIP Rockies, White Sox, et al) there is at least a chance they’ll make the playoffs, and that gives us all something in common. Sure, there are some teams far more likely, others nearly guaranteed, but we all have that hope.

Admittedly, that hope is hard to find at the beginning of this season if your a Diamondbacks fan. You’re looking at a team that failed by every objective measure in 2024, then did next to nothing to get better in the offseason. When your two biggest acquisitions are washed corner infielders and two pitchers that were on your team last season, it’s just not particularly inspiring. In fact, you could be forgiven if you think we actually got worse. Geno+ for Arenado isn’t exactly a trade most of us would make, if it were actually a trade. That’s before we get to the injuries that have already piled up.

Even beyond that, there are bigger picture reasons for a lack of hope. There is a distinct possibility, bordering on certainty, that this will be the end of MLB’s streak of no games lost to labor strife. So many factors are playing into it, including some that the Diamondbacks know well as members of the NL West. The environment the game occurs in has changed, but the game itself has largely stayed the same. That’s going to come to an end, and in a brutal, protracted way. That hurts the hope.

All that to say to feel less, or even no hope, at the start of this season is understandable. I’m the eternal optimist, so I still think we have a chance, but even for myself and my 92 win prediction… I get it. But let me take this time to remind us all that there is still a chance. Still a chance for this season, still a chance that MLB comes out stronger and healthier on the other side of the impending work stoppage, and maybe, just maybe, the Diamondbacks will find themselves on a more even footing with the multi-billion dollar investment groups that own other teams.

But now, the conjecture, the speculation ends. Baseball isn’t played on paper. It’s played on grass and turf and dirt. It’s time for baseball.

All stats from 2025. Game 2 and 3 Dodger starters are unconfirmed and projected by ESPN.

Game 1 – 3/26, 5:30 PM: Zac Gallen (13-15, 4.83 ERA/89 ERA+, 1.26 WHIP, 1.1 bWAR) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA/167 ERA+, 0.99 WHIP, 4.9 bWAR)

Zac Gallen has a lot to prove this season. He was untradeable at the deadline, unsignable in the offseason, and for good reason. He had an all time bad season. It was his worst personally, he was 45 worst by ERA in the entire league. He technically took less than the original qualifying offer to come back to the Diamondbacks on a one year deal. There is a lot on the line for him to show that he can reach the Cy Young finalist heights that he’s reached before, and much of the hope the Diamondbacks have is riding on him putting it all out there to get that contract he thinks he deserves. As far as that goes… well Merrill Kelly is already throwing bullpens, so we have a backup plan.

Yamamoto put together a stellar 2025 and more than earned his third place finish in the Cy Young voting. In another world, one where Paul Skenes doesn’t exist, he stood a decent chance at winning. His spring training has been much of the same, with an ERA just a tick higher than his last season. We all know that spring stats mean next to nothing, but personally I feel like if its just a continuation of what he did last season, it’s at least a decent sign. Going to be tough with him at the top of the Dodgers rotation again.

Game 2 – 3/27, 7:10 PM: Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.39 ERA/127 ERA+, 1.07 WHIP, 3.4 bWAR) vs. Emmet Sheehan (6-3 2.82 ERA/147 ERA+, 0.96 WHIP, 1.1 WAR)

It’s not a hard argument to make that Ryne Nelson has been the best pitcher on the Diamondbacks since about the trade deadline of the 2024 season, and finally that is being rewarded with being added to the opening day starting rotation. It’s been a long time coming, and many people said it should have been taken a step further with an Opening Day start, but at least it’s finally happened. Now it’s up to him to make it worth it. If he continues to pitch at the 3.16 ERA he had as a starter last year, he stands a good chance of again being the best pitcher on the team.

Emmet Sheehan missed the later part of the 2023 season, the entirety of the 2024 season, and just shy of the first half of the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, like so many Dodgers players do. When he came back, he pitched very well for the Dodgers, again like so many players do, but struggled in the postseason as a reliever. Obviously it did not matter much, however. Thanks at least in part to Blake Snell starting the season on the IL, Sheehan will once again be starting for the Dodgers and will look to continue what he had going during the 2025 regular season.

Game 3 – 3/28, 6:10 PM: Eduardo Rodriguez (9-9, 5.02 ERA/86 ERA+, 1.54 WHIP, 0.4 bWAR) vs. Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19 ERA/130 ERA+, 1.09 WHIP, 1.9 bWAR)

Eduardo Rodriguez is coming off a great World Baseball Classic, and I for one hope that experiencing winning baseball that he was a large part of will jump start the bounce back season we’ve been hoping for from him since, well, he joined the Diamondbacks. It’s been a rough road for him, and at no point has he lived up to the pretty hefty contract he was given by Hazen and the Diamondbacks. If, somehow, he were able to put it together and pitch even to an average result, it would go a long way to the Diamondbacks being Wild Card contenders this season. As a side note, I do find it interesting that the team did actually have a winning record in his starts in 2025. Just speaks volumes about how good the offense really was.

Glasnow is another oft injured Dodger pitcher, though that started long before his tenure in Los Angels. Last season he only pitched 90 innings for them, after suffering a shoulder injury in late April that took a while to come back from, and in 2024 it was an elbow sprain. When he actually takes the field, however, he is a good pitcher, having not had an ERA+ lower than 114 in his last five seasons. The only question for him is his health.

Conclusion

The scheduling gods are wasting no time in seeing what the Diamondbacks are made of. If their players and the team as a whole are going to have a bounce back season, it will have to start from the very first pitch. All roads to the playoffs have to go through the Dodgers, might as well get it started sooner rather than later.

Am I confident in this series? Not particularly, but hopefully they can prove me and the many other doubters wrong. I say they go 1-2, however. Go Dbacks!

The Los Angeles Dodgers open the 2026 MLB season as reigning back-to-back champions. According to their new Opening Day video, narrated by a famous fan, they also open as this season's definitive 'bad guy' to kick off the proceedings.

While hope is high across MLB, the boos will be at the ready for any opposing fan base for the boys in blue. The Dodgers, along with the rest of the league, released hype videos to excite their respective fan bases. For LA, the goal was to also fan the flames of vitriol.

"What's wrong with being the bad guy," actor and longtime Dodgers fan Jason Bateman wonders. "If being the best makes you bad, then so be it."

The Dodgers won their Secon d World Series in a row after besting the Toronto Blue Jays in an unforgettable Fall Classic.

LA has not only won the World Series in three of the last six seasons but has also been to the playoffs in 13 consecutive years. Predicted to take the NL West again, that streak is expected to continue with roster additions like Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz.

How to watch Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks

• When: Thursday, March 26, 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT)
• Where: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock, Fubo

Dodgers projected starting lineup

P: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

C: Will Smith

1B: Freddie Freeman

2B: Miguel Rojas

3B:  Max Muncy

SS: Mookie Betts

LF: Teoscar Hernandez

CF: Andy Pages

RF: Kyle Tucker

DH: Shohei Ohtani

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA Dodgers embrace MLB villain narrative with Opening Day hype video

With reigning NL Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes on the mound and a host of offseason hitting acquisitions bolstering the lineup, preseason optimism was high in Pittsburgh.

It took less than one inning for that bubble to burst on Opening Day in Queens.

The Pirates, with Skenes staked to a 2-0 lead on newcomer Brandon Lowe's first-inning homer, imploded in the bottom of the inning as the New York Mets scored five runs and knocked Skenes out of the game after he threw 37 pitches and recorded only two outs.

It was the shortest outing of Skenes' professional career.

To be fair, Skenes' struggles weren't entirely his fault.

Brett Baty CLEARS THE BASES 😤

The @Mets are making some noise on #OpeningDay 💪 pic.twitter.com/Jwusemrx9E

— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2026

After issuing a leadoff walk to Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and a softly hit single to center by Juan Soto, he gave up a routine fly ball that plated a run.

First Chuck: 2:05 PM CDT (click here each week for a new anthem!)

The Tube: Twins.TV

The Dial: Treasure Island Baseball Network

Spies ‘R Us: Camden Chat

If you weren’t around this past offseason—and no judgement here—you missed our community Back to The Future discussion. When it comes to the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles clashing before May flowers spring from April showers, Old Biff sums things up nicely…

Since the year 2000, the Twins & Orioles have clashed 9 times (’00, ‘07, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13, ‘16, ‘18, ‘19, & ‘24) at either locale before the very merry month of May. I’m not sure if that is statistically significant, but it certainly seems like it is! Overall, our crew is 13-15 in these early-season Orange Bird contests.

A couple of the highlights…

• ’07: Behind some Justin Morneau HRs, Joe Mauer 2Bs, and wins from Johan Santana, Pat Neshek, & Ramon Ortiz, the Twins swept the O’s at the Dome to open the season.

• ’19: The Bomba Squad was born in a late-April Camden Yards clash, with the Twins blasting 11 bombas in a three-game sweep.

Of course, sometimes it hasn’t gone so well when the other guys are in Oriole Orange…

• ’12: MN opened the season in BAL and clocked just five runs in three games—an Oriole sweep.

• ’16: As you’ve already seen, the Total System Failure (TM) campaign kicked off with three debilitating losses on the banks of the Patapsco River.
• ’24: In their defense of the ‘23 AL Central title, the Twins were tripped up in Baltimore with a close loss, a blowout loss, and a walk-off loss.

Here we are again with another Twins/Orioles early season collision. Let’s see if our visiting boys of summer can start the 2026 campaign off on the right foot by clipping the wings of these Icterus Galbula!

Lineups

(I’m often out walking or busy right up ‘til first pitch and last-minute lineup inputs stress me out—so, a clickety-click above will give you the pecking orders provided to the robotscyborgs Men in Blue)

Spring training is over, the bunting at Camden Yards has been hung, and a new season of Orioles baseball is just about to start. No matter the quality of the team on the field, or the outcome of the game, Opening Day in Baltimore is a special. The 2026 iteration is shaping up to be particularly lovely.

You couldn’t ask for better weather for the occasion. Temperatures are expected to sit in the mid-70s for the duration of the game, and any winds in the area should be mild. If you are fortunate enough to be at the Yard, you are in for a treat.

Craig Albernaz’s first lineup as Orioles manager is about what you would have expected. Taylor Ward is your lead off hitter, as was teased throughout the spring. Both Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are in the lineup. Mr. Opening Day, Tyler O’Neill, begins the day in right field, where he looks to extend his home run streak on the first day of the season to seven years in a row. Blaze Alexander starts at second baseman.

That gives us a bench of Dylan Beavers, Jeremiah Jackson, Ryan Mountcastle, and Leody Taveras. That’s decent versatility to shore up a potential win later on.

We know Trevor Rogers will start the day on the bump, and if the Orioles have a lead late we can expect Ryan Helsley in the ninth. The bridge between the two, however, is a complete mystery at this moment. My best guess would be some combination of Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, and Tyler Wells, but that is based on nothing but vibes. Hopefully Albernaz has a more analytic-based plan in place.

Alright, enough talk! The road to the playoffs starts today. Let’s get it going with a win!

Orioles lineup

1. Taylor Ward, LF
2. Gunnar Henderson, SS
3. Pete Alonso, 1B
4. Adley Rutschman, C
5. Samuel Basallo, DH
6. Tyler O’Neill, RF
7. Colton Cowser, CF
8. Coby Mayo, 3B
9. Blaze Alexander, 2B

LHP Trevor Rogers (9-3, 1.81 ERA in 2025)

Yankees lineup

1. Austin Martin, LF
2. Byron Buxton, CF
3. Luke Keaschall, 2B
4. Ryan Jeffers, C
5. Matt Wallner, RF
6. Josh Bell, DH
7. Victor Caratini, 1B
8. Royce Lewis, 3B
9. Brooks Lee, SS

RHP Joe Ryan (13-10, 3.42 ERA in 2025)

Opening Day in Cincinnati has finally arrived!

After a long winter where we were left to ponder whether the Cincinnati Reds, who actually snuck into the playoffs for a minute in 2025, were going to take a giant leap forward in 2026 as their roster entered a fourth full year together post-rebuild. Today, we get the first glimpse of how this club has been constructed, as Andrew Abbott toes the rubber for his first Opening Day start with the mighty Boston Red Sox in town.

Boston, it should be noted, is pretty loaded this year. FanGraphs projects them to win 86 games in 2026, and only five clubs are projected to win more. Much of that optimism stems from their deep starting rotation, one that’s fronted by 2025 American League Cy Young Award runner-up Garrett Crochet, who will start on Thursday in Great American Ball Park against the Reds.

Today’s game will be viewable via Reds.TV, as the Reds are no longer in partnership with the shambles that was FanDuel Sports Ohio (previously Bally Sports Ohio). If you don’t have that, though, there’s a chance your cable provider or DirecTV may have them – hat tip to Redleg Nation for doing a deep dive on this over the last 24 hours. If you are out of market, you should be able to watch this one through MLB.tv.

First pitch is slated for 4:10 PM ET. Here’s how the Reds will line up on the day:

Welcome to 2026, folks. Go Reds!

The success of the 2026 San Diego Padres may hinge on the contributions from players beyond those on the Opening Day roster. Injuries to a team’s starting lineup are tough hurdles to clear in a given season.

Bowen was the Spring Training breakout star

One player who has an inside track for an in-season minor league call-up is Spring Training phenom Jase Bowen. His signing was not a blockbuster move; it may not even register on your smartphone’s breaking news alerts. Bowen came to Peoria as a non-roster invitee competing for the fourth outfielder position. 

No question, he outplayed Bryce Johnson by hitting .296 with four home runs and 11 RBI, which led all Padres this spring. Unclear where the power surge came from, it may have been temporary. Bowen has only 73 home runs in his seven-year minor league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Adding some pop to his approach at the plate is highly unlikely. He has only 188 career extra-base hits to his name. 

Despite all the positives, it was not enough to earn a roster spot. Instead, Bowen will begin his 2026 season with the Friars’ Triple-A affiliate, El Paso Chihuahuas.

Padres found a versatile bench player

Bowen is very versatile, as he can play all three outfield positions, as well as first and second base. Talent evaluators believe center field is his best position because they grade him as an above-average defender. The type of versatility he offers will help to give Padres first-year manager Craig Stammen some lineup flexibility. 

Selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Bowen was viewed as a promising prospect. Scouts deemed him to be very athletic, as the former Michigan State commit brought a football mentality to the diamond.

For Bowen, it is all about getting on base, as he posted a .733 OPS in his minor league career. Speed could be his greatest value at the big league level. 

Bowen has 114 stolen bases in 586 minor league games. The Friars could use an exceptional pinch-runner, especially late in close, one-run games. His aggressive running style puts him in scoring position without the need for a sacrifice.

Preller unearths minor league gems

The recent trades of Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller have forced him to upgrade the minor league system quietly. The organization expects to compete for a postseason berth, and having major league-ready talent in Triple-A will improve their chances.

Give credit to Preller’s staff for scouting other teams and identifying those prospects who might make a difference in San Diego if they were to become available. Some additions address positional needs, while others capitalize on acquiring talent surpluses elsewhere. It allows the Friars to stockpile players that could be used as trade bait at the deadline.

There are plenty of doubts about whether Bowen’s skills will translate at the major league level. But at 25, he is young enough to become baseball’s next late bloomer. 

Pittsburgh Pirates fans felt something different on Opening Day as Paul Skenes walked to the mound for the bottom of the first inning against the New York Mets.

Hope.

After the Pirates scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on Thursday, Pirates fans likely felt they could believe again, with their team’s ace walking to the mound to face the revamped Mets lineup.

After just two outs, and five earned runs, that hope was gone along with Skenes from the game.

The Mets knocked Skenes around in the bottom of the first inning, putting five runs on the board and sending the Pittsburgh ace to the showers early. The inning began innocently enough, with a walk to Francisco Lindor and then a single from Juan Soto that sent the Mets infielder to third. That’s when Bo Bichette, one of the new members of the Mets, lifted a fly ball to right:

The sacrifice fly brought one run home, cutting Pittsburgh’s lead in half.

But the Mets were just getting started.

An infield single followed by a walk loaded the bases for Brett Baty, who lofted a fly ball to deep center field. There was just one problem, however: Center fielder Oneil Cruz started in as the ball came off the bat, breaking a cardinal rule of outfield play.

The fly ball — that could have been a relatively harmless sacrifice fly — sailed over his head, allowing the Mets to clear the bases:

Cruz likely wanted to run and hide somewhere, but in a sport like baseball, sometimes it is in those moments when the ball has a knack of finding you again. Which is exactly what happened when infielder Marcus Semien lofted another fly ball to Cruz in center:

The outfielder fought the sun, and the sun won.

The play was ruled a double, which, ok sure.

Skenes was able to get the second out of the inning on a strikeout of Carson Benge, but then plunked Francisco Alvarez with a sinker that ran inside.

That is when Skenes’ time on the bump came to an end, as he was lifted for Yohan Ramírez as the Mets had built a 5-2 lead.

The final line for Skenes on Opening Day? 0.2 innings pitched, four hits, five runs, five earned runs, two walks, and one strikeout. Although to be fair, some of those could be scored as unearned given the plays in the field.

But as things stand, what is his current ERA? 67.50.

To quote Ted Lasso, “it’s the hope that kills you.”