SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Kevin McGonigle #7 of the Detroit Tigers hits a two-RBI single during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on March 27, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (2-2) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (1-3)
Time/Place: 9:40 p.m., Chase Field SB Nation Site: AZ Snake Pit Media: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Casey Mize (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
* Note: Stats in the table below are Fangraphs’ 2026 projections
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 26: Cal Raleigh #29 and Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners gather at the mound during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at T-Mobile Park on March 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners recorded their first walkoff win of the season last night and in narrative-pleasing fashion, it was Cal Raleigh who dealt reigning MVP Aaron Judge’s Yankees the loss. Ah, that’s the good stuff. The Mariners really needed that win because they have two rough draws for the rest of this series, starting with Max Fried tonight. It’s a second straight day against a lefty, so once again I must implore you to read this piece on lefty lineup construction from Zach Mason if you have not. Or even if you have.
SS J.P. Crawford (shoulder) has reported to Tacoma, where he will begin a rehab assignment tonight. If you have Mariners TV, you also have access to the Mariners minor-leagues so you can watch the game if you are so inclined.
Today’s Game Information:
Game time: 6:40 PT
TV: TBS; Mariners.TV, which you can stream or watch on local cable. Details here. Aaron Goldsmith, Ryan Rowland-Smith, and Angie Mentink will be on the call.
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
ATLANTA (AP) — Francisco Trincão scored in the 37th minute, João Félix added a goal in the 59th and Portugal beat the United States 2-0 in a friendly on Tuesday night to deal the Americans their eighth consecutive defeat against European opponents.
U.S. star Christian Pulisic was moved from a wing to the top of the attack but failed to convert a pair of good scoring chances.
Pulisic, who played only the first half, is scoreless in eight national team games dating to November 2024 and in 12 games with AC Milan since Dec. 28.
Preparing to co-host the World Cup, the U.S. has been outscored 22-6 during its losing streak against Europe and is winless against the continent in 10 matches since 2021.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino announces his World Cup roster on May 26, and the Americans play their last warmups against Senegal five days later and Germany on June 6. The Americans open the World Cup on June 12 against Australia, face Paraguay a week later and close the first round vs. Turkey on June 25.
Before a pro-US crowd of 72,297 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Portugal went ahead after American midfielder Weston McKennie knocked a hard-to-control pass from Alex Freeman to Vitinha, who played a through ball to Bruno Fernandes. As defenders Chris Richards and Auston Trusty converged on the midfielder, he dropped a backheel pass to Trincão, who took a touch and slotted it past Matt Freese and inside the far post for his third international goal.
Félix scored his 12th international goal following Fernandes' corner kick. Left unmarked just outside the penalty area, Félix sent a half-volley in on two bounces off the far post.
Freese was back in goal after his streak of 12 straight starts ended when former No. 1 goalkeeper Matt Turner played in Saturday's 5-2 loss to Belgium.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning on Opening Day at Oracle Park on March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees finally took one on the chin Monday night, as Cal Raleigh delivered the walk-off winner for the Mariners in Seattle. After opening the season with a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants, New York dropped its first game of 2026 in a frustratingly getting walked off in a 2-1 loss.
It might be early in the season, but the games still count the same now as they do in September and these head-to-heads with the Mariners could have playoff seeding implications later in the year. The good news for the Yankees is that they could not ask for a much better bounce-back setup.
Thanks to the rare Sunday offday due to the Netflix Opening Night game on Wednesday, skipper Aaron Boone was able to skip the fifth spot in the rotation and line things up for Max Fried to take the ball tonight on normal rest. It is the kind of subtle early-season advantage smart organizations should exploit, and it gives New York exactly who they want on the mound after their first loss.
Fried looked every bit like the ace in his Yankees debut, tossing 6.1 scoreless innings, while allowing just two hits, and striking out four Giants. What made it even more impressive was that Fried did not appear to have his sharpest stuff or his best command, yet he still found a way to navigate through the Giants lineup down by the bay. Tonight, the task shifts from setting the tone for the season to resetting it after a loss, exactly what you have aces for in baseball.
Seattle counters with Logan Gilbert, one of the more underrated power right-handers in the American League. Gilbert might not be the definite ace of this loaded staff but he is a gem of a starting pitcher nonetheless. Gilbert’s combination of fastball shape, extension, and swing-and-miss secondaries gives this matchup the feel of another pitchers’ duel, which means the Yankees’ offense may once again need to capitalize on a small handful of mistakes. However, there is some reason for optimism.
History suggest the Yankees can make Gilbert uncomfortable. In seven career starts against New York, Gilbert is just 2-3 with a 6.57 ERA and 31 strikeouts, and several of those outings have turned into short, high-stress nights. That includes his lone start against the Yankees last season when the Bombers were able to chase Gilbert after 5.1 innings of five-run ball (one unearned) in the Bronx.
After mustering just one run Monday night, the Yankees will hope they can get to Gilbert early and often with the bats. Boone continues to tinker with the lineup, and tonight backup catcher J.C. Escarra gets his first appearance of the young season after four consecutive starts from Austin Wells. Escarra, Ben Rice, and Ryan McMahon all get their first cracks at Gilbert. That puts the focus squarely on the big bats of the order.
Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are the types of hitters who can change this matchup with one swing, especially against a pitcher who tends to live in the zone early with his fastball. If the Yankees are going to bounce back tonight, it likely starts with their stars doing damage rather than matchup specialists exploiting a split.
Can Judge and company cash in on their opportunities this time, or will Seattle’s pitching staff keep making life difficult in T-Mobile Park?
How to Watch
Location: T-Mobile Park — Seattle, WA
First pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
TV broadcast: YES Network, Mariners.TV, TBS (National broadcast)
Online stream: Gotham Sports App
Listen: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280, Seattle Sports 710 AM
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 11: Colt Emerson #85 of the Seattle Mariners looks on in the dugout during a Spring Training game against the Colorado Rockies at Peoria Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners surprised the baseball world today with the news of a record-breaking extension for prospect Colt Emerson. While much of the extension chatter has focused on the Mariners’ pitching core, the Mariners instead locked down the 20-year-old shortstop who has steadily climbed prospect lists since his draft year in 2022, when the Mariners took him 22nd overall out of John Glenn High School in East Concord, Ohio.
“[Colt] has run up the food chain so quickly because of his performance, maturity, work habits, etc.,” said Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto. “He is going to be a very young major league debut player and as such was trending toward being a very young major league free agent, and it was a priority for us to make sure that we kept him here as a part of this for longer.”
Emerson had a strong spring, but it wasn’t necessarily his performance on the field that impressed Dipoto the most. “The way he integrated with the other players and just how easily he fits,” is what Dipoto described as Emerson’s standout quality from the spring. “Listening to him talk in the cage with Rob Refsnyder, Brendan Donovan, the ease with which he was operating with guys who have been in the league a long time.”
This is something I saw firsthand at spring training; Emerson was hard to pin down to talk to, simply because he was always either participating in a drill, or deep in conversation with one of his teammates. He, Donovan, Naylor and Refsnyder were regular fixtures in the team’s newly-revamped batting cages.
Even more impressive is Colt Emerson the person: watching him do everything from encouraging a teammate to picking up an errant piece of trash in the batting cage and tossing it in the proper receptacle to the way he treated everyone, from teammates to media to complex staff, with equal measures of respect.
“You have to be a good player to garner this type of interest, this type of contract, but you also have to be the person at at 20 years old, you can say, over the course of the next nine years, we trust you to go do this. And if you’ve spent any time around Colt, you know that he checks every one of those boxes. He’s such a humble, mature, well-thought-out human being…Just as much as we think he’s an impact player, we think he’s an impact person.”
From the team’s perspective, locking down Emerson to an extension was a no-brainer. From a roster construction perspective, it’s a little trickier.
“We have no hard date [for his debut],” said Dipoto. “But I suspect he will be a big leaguer sooner than later, and he will contribute heavily to this season. And I thought that was the case before we signed him – this signing was more about the long term, than it is about the season, how it all fits, especially with Leo [Rivas] being the only one who hits from the right side.”
J.P. Crawford, Brendan Donovan, Colt Emerson, Cole Young – all hit from the left side. Leo Rivas is a switch hitter, meaning there’s no true righty in the infield mix other than Ryan Bliss. Dipoto says the team has an advantage, though, in the positional versatility for Brendan Donovan, as well as Colt Emerson, who is equally comfortable at either shortstop or third base; they just have to be “creative” in figuring out how to leverage it.
“We’re in no rush. We’re going to let Colt to continue to get his feet on the ground and do the things he’s been doing in his development. He’ll play in Tacoma…he’ll continue to get reps at third base, and we will continue to develop him the same way we always have, which is to give him exposure. Because when he gets to the big leagues, it’s no slam-dunk where he’ll be playing.”
It does sound like, for now, third base is the likelier option, at least as long as J.P. Crawford is healthy. Dipoto reasserted that after J.P. Crawford plays tonight and tomorrow in Tacoma “he’s our shortstop” [LL community, drink the beverage of your choice] when the team gets to Anaheim.
“That was always our plan,” affirmed Dipoto. “That’s why you saw Colt so frequently at third base in the spring. We were preparing for that. And third base came pretty easily for Colt.”
The left-handedness, unfortunately, is non-negotiable. It’s not the defense that will keep Emerson in Triple-A; the thing that Dipoto and the Mariners are looking for from Emerson in Tacoma is reps in the box.
“Upper-level pitching in general is something he hasn’t had…not a huge volume for him,” said Dipoto. “He’s played fifty-ish games above A-ball. But it’s the left-handed pitching and the exposure to it, you don’t get a lot of exposure to lefties with breaking balls that move away from you in rural Ohio as a high schooler.”
Emerson had mostly neutral splits against lefties and righties last year, but he did struggle with the more advanced lefties this spring, with an OPS of just .489 – under half of his OPS against righties. His challenge in Tacoma will be to maintain his positional flexibility while gaining experience against more seasoned pitching. It doesn’t sound like it will be a particularly difficult thing for the uber-learner Emerson to check off, especially after a self-directed swing change that’s helped him unlock more power while not sacrificing any of this plate discipline.
Getting this deal done required trust on both sides: the Mariners’ trust in their scouting and development of Emerson has been evident from the jump, and his steady progress up the minor-league ladder and into the lists of top prospects in the game has rewarded the team’s early faith in him. But Emerson, too, had to trust the organization that he was essentially signing away his 20s to, as a place where the ultra-competitive Emerson can win and be supported by a core built for sustained success.
“I think Colt always envisioned himself as a Mariner,” said Dipoto. “From the day he entered the organization, he has a vision for what it’s going to look like here. He is a championship type player with a championship mentality, and when we talk about our team, he always sees himself in it…
He finishes every conversation, ‘we’re gonna win a lot of games’. ”
ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 22: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Eduardo Quintero looks on during the MLB Spring Training game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels on March 22, 2026 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Sirota might have already been in Double-A were it not for a knee injury last July 5 that ended his season. In the 59 games he did play between Great Lakes and Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, Sirota hit .333/.452/.616 with a 189 wRC+, 13 home runs and 32 extra-base hits in only 59 games.
Quintero won California League MVP last season, then held his own with a 135 wRC+ in six weeks of his first taste of High-A, all before turning 20 in September.
Quintero and Christian Zazueta won Branch Rickey Awards in 2025 as the Dodgers’ minor league pitcher and player of the year, respectively. Zazueta is part of a Loons rotation that also includes Zach Root, the Dodgers’ first draft pick last year (one pick before his Arkansas teammate Davalan), and Sterling Patick, the West Covina native and 2023 draft pick who ended last season with two starts for Great Lakes.
The Utah Mammoth are bringing back their “Next Gen” game for a second time this season, presented by America First Credit Union, on April 11. When the Mammoth host the Carolina Hurricanes that afternoon, Delta Center will transform into a kid-powered experience, with young fans stepping into game-day roles throughout the arena, broadcast, and in-game entertainment.
Designed to celebrate and inspire the next wave of hockey enthusiasts, the event gives participants ages 8–14 a unique, behind-the-scenes opportunity to help shape the game-day atmosphere.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of it—secure your tickets now and join in supporting the growth of hockey’s future in Utah.
Playoff Hopes
If the Mammoth hold onto their wild card spot secure a postseason berth, their most probable first-round opponent appears to be the Anaheim Ducks.
There is no such thing as an easy series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The league’s parity has all but eliminated true underdogs from qualifying, but certain opponents present a less daunting challenge than others.
Earlier this month, Connor McDavid described the Pacific Division as a “pillow fight,” highlighting the relative lack of dominant contenders in that race. If Utah claims the first wild card position, it would remain within the Pacific bracket for at least the opening two rounds, avoiding Central Division powers such as the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild.
Anaheim and Utah find themselves in similar phases of their respective rebuilds. The Ducks have not qualified for the playoffs since 2018, but their recent high draft selections are beginning to emerge as key contributors at the NHL level.
Head-to-head, the teams have split their six all-time meetings evenly. Their most recent contest saw Anaheim pull away late with two empty-net goals in a 4–1 victory, while Utah previously delivered a decisive 7–0 win—though three of those goals came against a goaltender making his NHL debut.
One potential differentiator in a playoff series could be experience behind the bench. Anaheim is led by Joel Quenneville, a four-time Stanley Cup champion with 121 career playoff victories—third-most in league history. Utah’s André Tourigny, meanwhile, has coached more than 400 regular-season NHL games but has limited postseason experience, with his only appearance coming as an assistant in 2014. While Tourigny has enjoyed success internationally and in junior hockey, he has yet to capture a league championship at the professional level.
That said, coaching pedigree alone will not determine the outcome. Utah enters the matchup with advantages in team save percentage and goal differential, outpacing Anaheim by a margin of 30 goals. As is always the case in the playoffs, a variety of factors will ultimately shape the result—and only the games themselves will provide definitive answers.
Stephen Curry went through a full practice on Tuesday, his first in two months, and is targeting a Sunday return to the Golden State lineup.
Curry is officially day-to-day but took a big step forward with the practice and scheduled scrimmage on Tuesday, reports Sam Amick and Nick Friedel of The Athletic. Warriors' coach Steve Kerr said after practice that "being healthy is the No. 1 priority," and that he was out Wednesday against the Spurs and doubtful to play Thursday against the Cavaliers. That leaves Sunday against the Rockets, and with that return date he could play in up to five games before the postseason.
"He went through a full practice, but it was very light," Kerr said. "We didn't do anything live. He's gonna scrimmage right now five-on-five. It's a good step for him."
Curry has been out since Jan. 30 with "runner's knee" — and he strained his adductor during rehab — missing 25 games. Without him, Golden State has gone 9-16 and slid to 10th in the West, and it's unlikely it will climb up from there, meaning the Warriors would need to win two games just to get out of the play-in.
Still, the Warriors are optimistic that if healthy they can make a run.
Curry, 38, is at the heart of that optimism, it's his gravity that makes the Warriors' offense work. When healthy this season, he is averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists a game, shooting 39.1% from 3-point range. With Jimmy Butler (ACL) and Moses Moody (knee) out for the remainder of the season, the Warriors need Curry to be his vintage self to have a chance this postseason.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: Brandon Pfaadt #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gets set to throw a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on March 10, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
TIGERS
DIAMONDBACKS
Colt Keith – 3B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Kevin McGonigle – SS
Corbin Carroll – RF
Gleyber Torres – 2B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Riley Greene – LF
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Kerry Carpenter – DH
Alek Thomas – CF
Spencer Torkelson – 1B
Jose Fernandez – 3B
Zach McKinstry – RF
Carlos Santana – 1B
Parker Meadows – CF
James McCann – C
Jake Rogers – C
Jordan Lawlar – LF
Casey Mize – RHP
Brandon Pfaadt – RHP
Apologies, GDT today and Thursday are going to be terser than normal, for work-related reasons. Tonight see us complete the first run round the D-backs rotation, with Brandon Pfaadt making his season debut. If the first four games are any clue, this will be a pleasant surprise in terms of his performance. It’s also the major-league debut of Jose Fernandez, who will be playing third-base tonight. That’s in place of Nolan Arenado, who has had an underwhelming start to the season, with an OPS+ so far of -28. Yes, that’s a minus sign. At least that sets the bar low in terms of what’s expected from Fernandez…
ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 7: Jaren Jackson Jr. #20 of the Utah Jazz plays defense during the game against the Orlando Magic on February 7, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Utah Jazz are nearing the end of another season at the bottom of the rankings. Looking forward to next season, the question is going to be, how good can the Jazz be? The major issue with this team during this rebuild has been the defense. At no point has the Utah Jazz defense been even remotely good, and it does bear asking, can the Jazz become a good defense next year? With a potential front court of Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler, can they become at least top-10 in the league?
Speaking of next season, Utah has the potential to be one of the best starting lineups in the league. But who will stand out the most among them? My other question this week is, who is most likely to be an All-Star representing the Jazz? Chances are at least one player will, but it’s difficult to decide who.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Chicago Blackhawks had Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets in town on Tuesday night. This was Chicago's first game at home after a long four-game road trip.
This was also Anton Frondell's first game at the United Center as a member of the Blackhawks. On his second shift of the game, Frondell scored his first career NHL goal.
Frondell's goal came at the end of a shift in which he was all over the puck. There were a handful of other times that the puck could have ended up in the back of the cage, but he finally got it past Connor Hellebuyck for the first of his career.
On the goal, Louis Crevier got it towards the net, Ilya Mikheyev put it on the stick of Frondell, and he didn't miss this chance.
— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) April 1, 2026
Not only did he score his first career goal, but it came against a future Hall of Fame goalie in Hellebuyck. That is certainly a memorable way to score the first of many.
Frondell's first goal is the fifth point (the first four were all primary assists) of his NHL career in his fifth game. That's exactly the type of start that the Blackhawks were hoping for from the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 7: Tre Johnson #12 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball against Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 7, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards return to the friendly confines of Capital One Arena to take on the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.
Game info
When: Wednesday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Injuries: For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly (heel), Tre Johnson (foot), and Alex Sarr (toe) are questionable, while Trae Young (quad), Kyshawn George (elbow), Anthony Davis (hand), Cam Whitmore (shoulder), and D’Angelo Russell (not with team) are out.
For the Sixers, Johni Broome (Knee) is out.
What to watch for
The depleted Wizards host a 76ers squad that suddenly has a clean bill of health for the final stretch of the season. Both Joel Embiid and Paul George have been in Philly’s lineup for each of the last three games, and the pair has put up 54.3 points per game between them in those contests.
Will Riley found his scoring touch during Washington’s recently concluded 5-game road trip. He scored in double figures in each contest, pacing the Wizards with 17.2 points per game during that span. If Tre Johnson is cleared to play, he’ll also get his third crack at a head-to-head matchup against his longtime peer VJ Edgecombe.
With the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets both winning on Sunday, the Wizards are now tied with the Pacers for the No. 1 seed in this year’s tankathon with two weeks left in the season.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Wandy Peralta #58 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on March 30, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Francisco Giants (1-3) at San Diego Padres (1-3), March 31, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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The Chicago Blackhawks are in the final stretch of the season. Following their Tuesday night matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, the Blackhawks will have only eight regular-season games left.
With the 2025-26 campaign now nearing its conclusion, one Blackhawks prospect who fans should be paying extra attention to during these final games is defenseman Kevin Korchinski.
Korchinski was called up to the Blackhawks' NHL roster earlier this week and should get more opportunities to finish off the campaign. This is because Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill confirmed that defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Artyom Levshunov will be out for the remainder of the season.
With Korchinski getting called up, he will undoubtedly be looking to impress. It would be significant for him if he ends the year on a high note, as it would certainly help his chances of getting more opportunities on Chicago's roster next season.
Korchinski has played in five games this season with the Blackhawks, where he has recorded one assist. Down in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs this season, he has posted two goals and 26 points. Overall, the 2022 seventh-overall pick has shown promise in the AHL, and it will be interesting to see if he can shine during the final stretch of the season from here.
The gates to Dodger Stadium haven’t even opened yet, and the market has already spoken.
Ticket prices are surging for the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday night game against the Cleveland Guardians.
Sure, two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani is making his 2026 pitching debut and batting leadoff, but that’s not the biggest reason fans are lining up to get into Chavez Ravine. It’s because somewhere between the mound and a movie screen a cultural event is about to take place.
Fans lined up in the rain hours before the Dodgers-Guardians game on Tuesday night . (Photo by Edward Lewis)
The first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a “Yoshi” bobblehead as part of a crossover promotion between the adorable Nintendo star and 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yoshinobu, meet Yoshi.
Join us at Dodger Stadium on 3/31 for the collab we’ve all been waiting for! Get your Yoshi Bobblehead presented by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Tickets are available now at https://t.co/DZQkfNeXIj. pic.twitter.com/wlfyVxn4lY
The promotion is ahead of the release of the upcoming “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” that hits theaters on Wednesday April 1st, and the bobblehead features the beloved green dinosaur wearing a Yamamoto Dodgers uniform. The Japanese pitcher is also nicknamed “Yoshi.”
Yes, it’s clever, but it’s also driving ticket prices into the stratosphere.
A month ago, this was just another ticket. An average price of $75 and that was for a good seat. The get-in price was far cheaper. Now? The cheapest seat on secondary ticket reseller TIckPick ballooned to $172 on Tuesday morning with an average hovering near $289. That’s not inflation—that’s obsession.
Dodgers fans Stanley and Ana Leighton with their Yoshi bobblehead ahead of the Dodgers-Guardians game on Tuesday night.
Dodgers fans Stanley and Ana Leighton told The California Post they paid $160 each for spots in the reserve level and arrived at Dodger Stadium nearly three hours before first pitch in order to get their hands on the coveted Yamamoto bobblehead.
While Stanley, who donned a Yoshi cap on his head and a tattoo of an NES controller on his forearm, admitted the price was steep, he said he simply “had to be here for this night.”
The Yoshinobu Yamamoto bobblehead drew huge crowds to Dodger Stadium. CA Post
“I’m a huge Nintendo fan,” he said. “Mainly grew up playing the Super Nintendo games, all those Marios and Zeldas — all that stuff. Definitely Yoshi bobblehead night got me coming out here.”
Jose Godoy brought his little ones to Chavez Ravine specifically to get the collectible Yamamoto item, and even though he said paid “average price” for the tickets, he did note he and his family had to arrive at the ballpark far earlier than usual.
“We knew it was going to be crazy,” he said.
Fans showed up to take pictures with a life-size Yoshi mascot. CA Post
A Lakers game featuring generational stars is cheaper than a Tuesday night baseball game in March. Cheaper than the bobblehead, even. Because on resale markets, the Yoshi-Yamamoto collectible is already listing north of $230, with
Even stranger, Dodger Stadium holds a capacity of 56,000 people. Crypto.com Arena holds just over 19,000. The supply and demands alone should be enough to make the Lakers more expensive, but it’s the mass-produced bobblehead that is the real prize, and it’s skyrocketing prices.
I guess we know who the Dodgers Player of the Game will be on Tuesday.
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