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Major League Baseball became the most prominent U.S. sports league to partner with a prediction market platform and also signed an unprecedented memorandum with the federal agency that regulates trading exchanges. 

Key Takeaways

• The Memorandum of Understanding gives MLB a seat at the table with the regulatory agency, the CFTC. 
  
  
• The pro baseball league made the agreements to improve the integrity of the sport. 
  
  
• Polymarket gains exclusive marketing access to MLB.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced both deals on Thursday. Polymarket becomes the official prediction market exchange of the professional league, a partnership that Manfred recently told owners was likely coming, just days away from the beginning of the 2026 season. 

MLB established a regulatory framework with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that will give the baseball league a say in how its integrity aligns with rapidly expanding sports event contracts, which could prompt other leagues, such as the NBA and NFL, to explore involvement with prediction platforms. 

“The new agreements that we formed with Polymarket and the CFTC are imperative steps in proactively managing the new and rapidly growing prediction market space,” Manfred said in MLB’s announcement. “Protecting the integrity of the game on the field is our top priority. By engaging in this community, we are able to work together to create clear boundaries with the goal of mitigating risk while providing fan engagement opportunities.”

Rewriting the rulebook

The Memorandum of Understanding gives MLB a seat at the table with the CFTC, especially when it comes to policing prediction markets. MLB and the federal agency will exchange information, which will be kept confidential, to facilitate the integrity measures. 

Today the @CFTC and @MLB made history by signing the first-ever MOU between a sports league and federal agency.

We’ve committed to work together to protect the integrity and resilience of prediction markets relating to professional baseball.

Through this partnership, the… pic.twitter.com/SNfym65t0N

— Mike Selig (@ChairmanSelig) March 19, 2026

“The MOU is a collaborative step towards promoting the integrity and resilience of the prediction markets relating to professional baseball,” CFTC chairman Michael S. Selig said. “Through this MOU, the CFTC is well-positioned to add additional tools to protect these markets and its participants from fraud, manipulation, and other abuses. I thank MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred for partnering with the CFTC and taking a leading role in protecting the integrity of these growing markets.”

The agreement with the CFTC also means that MLB and the CFTC will work with other prediction market platforms, like Kalshi, DraftKings Predictions, and FanDuel Predict, to have those companies add baseball’s integrity protections to their rulebooks.    

Integrity concerns

MLB has been at the forefront of tighter integrity measures. The league was rocked by a gambling scandal after Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were arrested in late 2025 and charged with manipulating pitches and taking bribes to help two Dominican Republic bettors.   

Clase and Ortiz are scheduled to stand trial for the federal chargers this fall. 

Prediction markets, which aren’t held by the same standards as state-regulated sportsbooks, have come under fire for a lack of regulation of sports event contracts. U.S. leagues haven’t been as quick to partner with prediction market platforms as they were with sports betting operators. 

The MMA company UFC signed a prediction market partnership agreement with Polymarket last year, which has been prominent during fight broadcasts.  

Major partner

The deal with MLB is a major one for Polymarket, which launched in 2020 but left the U.S. market in 2022 because of regulatory issues. With the explosion of prediction markets, Polymarket acquired a derivatives exchange last year to regain access to the U.S. in December 2025.

Now, Polymarket gains exclusive MLB marketing rights through brand exposure and access to MLB marks and logos. The prediction market platform will also be able to use MLB’s official league data. 

Polymarket agreed to work with MLB to restrict markets that are at high risk of manipulation, such as individual pitches, managerial decisions, and umpire performance. 

“Polymarket is about bringing fans closer to the moments that define sports,” said Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of Polymarket. “By working collaboratively with Major League Baseball and regulators, we can create new ways for fans to engage with the game while protecting the integrity of the sport.”

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Legendary radio voice of the New York Mets Howie Rose made a video announcing his retirement after the 2026 season, which was posted to the Mets’ social media channels this morning. The Bayside Queens native began his broadcasting career in 1975, serving as the play-by-play broadcaster for New York Rangers games on WFAN from 1989-1995, including their Stanley Cup Championship season of 1993-1994, as well as the play-by-play announcer for the New York Islanders on Fox Sports New York from 1995-2016. He has been involved with Mets broadcasts since 1987 and began serving as a lead announcer in 1996 on television alongside Ralph Kiner, Tom Seaver and Fran Healy, among others. When Bob Murphy retired, Rose transitioned to the Mets radio booth and then worked alongside Gary Cohen before becoming the lead Mets play-by-play radio announcer in 2006—a role he has held for the past 20 years.

Rose has said in the past that he wanted to continue calling games until the Mets win another World Series. But health issues have forced him to cut back on his schedule in the past several years, especially travel for road games, which is difficult for him. In the video, Rose says he will not do any road games (besides the three in New York at Yankee Stadium) in his final season as the full-time Mets play-by-play radio announcer until the postseason.

“I did not arrive at this decision to retire easily,” Rose says in the video announcement. “I’ve been going back and forth in my mind about it for the past few years. But the simple reality is that I’m 72 years old and my wife Barbara, who has sacrificed so much for so long, deserves to have her husband around a little more often…whether she likes it or not.”

Rose will continue to be involved with the team as the master of ceremonies for Mets on field special events at Citi Field including Opening Day, Mets Hall of Fame induction day, and number retirements. “Because for me letting go of the Mets isn’t hard, it’s impossible,” he says.

“For nearly four decades, Howie Rose’s voice has been synonymous with New York Mets baseball,” said Mets Owners Steve and Alex Cohen in a statement. “His passion for the Mets has carried across the airwaves and into the homes and hearts of fans everywhere, bringing the franchise’s most memorable moments to life. Generations of Mets fans have grown up listening to Howie call the game with authenticity, energy, and a deep appreciation for what this team means to our community. We are grateful for the relationship we’ve built with Howie and for the dedication he has shown to the organization and our fans since 1987. We congratulate Howie on an extraordinary career and wish him the very best as he begins this next chapter with his wife, Barbara, and their daughters, Alyssa and Chelsea.”

Rose was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2023 along with Howard Johnson, Al Leiter and Gary Cohen, but the Mets have plans to honor him all season long in his final year in the booth with additional details to follow.

“Having grown up in Shea Stadium’s upper deck in the 1960s and early 1970s, my long career as a Mets broadcaster has been the epitome of ‘Living the Dream,'” said Rose. “I have been honored and blessed to follow the lineage of Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner and I look forward to savoring and sharing every moment of the 2026 season with the greatest fans in baseball.”

Meet the Mets

Citi Field introduced some delicious new options to their ballpark menu for the 2026 season.

NBC and Peacock have the Opening Day broadcast for the Mets and Pirates with former Mets Al Leiter and Neil Walker serving as analysts during the broadcast.

The team announced the prospects that will be participating in this year’s Spring Breakout game.

Bryce Harper had some high praise for Nolan McLean and thinks he is going to be a tough pitcher in the league for years to come.

This year’s WBC was a hit and the Mets can take away some lessons from the tournament for this season and beyond.

Veteran catcher Austin Barnes is hoping to extend his career with the Mets and wants to contribute any way he can.

Outside of the top pitching prospects who already made their major league debuts, the Mets have another wave coming who could make an impact sooner rather than later.

Around the National League East

The Braves came back late to defeat the Phillies 3-2.

The Marlins reassigned Robby Snelling, their number 2 prospect, to minor league camp.

Bryce Harper believes this year’s WBC showcased the talent spread out across the world which means great things for the future of the sport.

The Nationals optioned top prospect Harry Ford to Triple-A.

Around Major League Baseball

Over half of baseball’s top 100 prospects will participate in their Spring Breakout games which are set to be played over the next four days.

Rockies president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, thinks he is up to the challenge of turning the long-suffering Colorado organization around.

Shohei Ohtani made his spring training debut on the mound and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings.

Toronto starter José Berríos was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow and will miss the start of the season.

Gerrit Cole returned to the mound for the first time in over a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery and tossed a scoreless inning against the Red Sox.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Grace Carbone previewed Francisco Alvarez’s 2026 season.

Allison McCague updated the King of Spring Training for the third time.

This Date in Mets History

March 19 was not a kind date to two-thirds of the Generation K trio.

The lone high school talent taken by the Mariners last July, Nick Becker makes his LL organizational prospect debut at #9, beating out Tuesday’s entry Griffin Hugus by a healthy margin and setting the foundation of what we’d consider the upper echelon of present prospect pedigree. Hailing from the state of New Jersey, the cold weather prep bat has been a demographic the Mariners have invested in heavily in recent years, with both Cole Young and Colt Emerson preceding Becker as non-hotbed prospects that blossomed into top talents. Now one of the core pieces in what could be considered the “next wave” of prospects, Becker immediately possesses the highest ceiling of any one prospect in this entire system and is a “must know” for the 2026 season.

Becker’s tools are unreal. Packaged in a 6’3 190lb frame that’s still filling out, Becker immediately becomes one of the fastest players in the Mariners organization, posting 70 grade run times with tremendous athleticism. His approach has been consistently above average during his time against premium competition, showing good strike zone judgement and avoiding chase. The contact rates are more average as of now, but he’s shown some adjustability at the plate and the innate feel for hitting is present. The strength and physicality will come with maturation, and there’s a world where he packs on enough weight to get into above average juice if everything clicks. The glove, however, is of less concern. He’ll have little trouble staying at shortstop despite his size. His foot speed and arm alone are enough to give him a shot at an above average glove down the line.

The present product is unrefined, and he’s yet to put all of his tools together all at once, but it’s impossible to shake the feeling that Becker will turn into a damn good ball player. More than a “pray he hits” type of lottery ticket, Becker’s glove and speed give him a sound floor to pair with his blossoming offensive game that’s shown serious life against elite competition on the summer circuits. If anything, him being from New Jersey might be the biggest reason he fell to the M’s in the second round at all; many evaluators saw him as someone who would find his way inside the first forty picks, but a strong college commitment (his older brother Eric, Virginia’s current starting shortstop, is slated to be a first rounder this year himself, and the UVA coaching staff tried very hard to get the two teamed up) and the dearth of spring competition seems like it was enough of a deterrent for 29 other teams to pass.

Likely to be starting at Modesto this season, Becker will look to get his first full season underway in the coming weeks and establish himself as the top prospect the Mariners believe he can be. If everything clicks and he approaches anywhere near his ceiling, he’ll be ranked much higher than #9 in the system by midseason.

The Jays made a couple of announcements in one this morning. They are changing the ‘Level of Excellence’ to the ‘Hall of Excellence’, which will be a display on the 100 level right field concourse. I’ll admit I like the Level of Excellence because you can see it in telecasts, from most of the park if you are sitting in the stands, even from the field. The Hall of Excellence will be seen if you are in the 100 level concourse in right field. I’m taking it for granted that there will be more than the names up there, likely some information, pictures and all. Mark Shapiro said there will be an interactive display.

I guess I’ll save judgement until I see it, but I really do like seeing the names on the Level of Excellence. This move, to me, almost seems like hiding it.

If it were me, I’d keep the Level of Excellence as well.

But the other news is that they will be adding five names to the Level Hall of Excellence, over the next five years, and the first one will be Buck Martinez. Mark Shapiro talked about his lifelong service to the team, as a player, a manager and a broadcaster. If I was him I’d have skipped over the manager part. But he has been the public face of the team for a long time now.

It is nice and I’m glad they are doing it while he is around to see it. I think he’ll be touched.

And Shapiro said there will be fan voting for future inductees, which is a nice idea. I don’t know if that will skew the results more towards people from recent years.

Trey Yesavage will start the season on the IL. They are calling it shoulder impingement. I think we knew that was happen. He is throwing now. Shane Bieber and José Berríos will also start the season on the IL.

It looks like the Jays rotation, to start the season, will be Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer. The line about ‘you can never have too much pitching depth again turns out to be turn. Though I would say you likely can never have too much depth at any spot.

Who drops in if one of those five is a subject worthy of discussion.

Oh, and there is going to be a Buck Martinez bobblehead. I hate that they limit it to 15,000 fans. The park will be full, limit it to everyone that has a ticket:

Today’s lineups for the Yankees/Blue Jays game. The Yankees are playing split squad games, and obviously, they are sending the b-lineup to Dunedin. But there is Randal Grichuk. That will make it worth watching. I want to watch Cody Ponce.

Yimi Garcia is throwing off a mound:

The Houston Astros will face the Miami Marlins in this year’s Spring Breakout game.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, March 19, 11:05 a.m. CST

Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+

Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2

Slugger Eugenio Suárez is fresh off a season that saw him thwack 49 home runs and be valued at 3.8 fWAR (3.6 bWAR). He reached free agency at season’s end and signed a one-year deal to return to the Cincinnati Reds, the club that traded for him prior to the 2015 season – and the club for whom he thwacked 189 homers across 7 years previously in his career.

Despite the successes at the plate Suárez saw for the bulk of the 2025 season, the Reds managed to land him for just a $15 million guarantee for 2026, well below the three-year, $63 million predicted by the fine folks at MLB Trade Rumors earlier in the offseason. Perhaps it was the high strikeout rate, or the suppressed offensive numbers Suárez put up in the tough hitting environment in Seattle, but it’s pretty clear something suppressed the now 34 year old slugger’s value enough that he landed in Cincinnati’s lap for a year.

It certainly could have had something to do with the nature of this particular free agent class, one that featured a number of high-caliber sluggers. Kyle Schwarber and Kyle Tucker, for instance, were out there on the open market, as were each of Pete Alonso, Josh Naylor, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, and Cody Bellinger for every team looking to add thump to their lineup. Suárez, it seems, got overlooked just enough by other teams for the Reds to be able to pounce for cheap, and there’s every chance that Geno gets to hit free agency next year – when there’s expected to be a much lighter supply of sluggers – with a bit more leverage.

But, what if the Reds have already positioned themselves to have a little leverage here, too?

Suárez, who’ll turn 35 years old in July, has somehow managed to make it to this point in a career that’s seen him hit 325 homers and accrue 33.1 fWAR without ever having been issued a Qualifying Offer. That’s largely due to the long-term contract extension he signed with the Reds the first time he was in town, one that kept him signed despite trades from Cincinnati to Seattle, Seattle to Arizona, and from Arizona back to Seattle along the way. Somehow, this past winter – at age 34 – Geno was a free agent for the first time, but since he’d been traded mid-season the Mariners were not able to issue him a QO at season’s end.

If he stays with Cincinnati for the duration of the 2026 season, though, the Reds could issue him a QO at season’s end, much the same way they did with Nick Martinez one winter ago. And given that Geno only found a one-year, $15 million market for his age-34 season after swatting 49 homers and posting 3.8 fWAR, it’s hard to see there being a significantly bigger market for him entering an age-35 season even if he completely replicates the production in 2026 that he did last year.

(By default, that fWAR mark it going to be much more difficult to get to since he’ll be asked to DH much, much more than he ever has, and therefore won’t get granted any value at all from his glove.)

Granted, next winter could see a free agent slugger class devoid of the franchise-altering names that were available this winter. For all their talents, Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki, and George Springer entering his age-37 season don’t quite move the needle the way the previously mentioned group did. So, if Suárez does manage to go nuclear while playing another season in Great American Ball Park, there’s always the chance he finds richer pastures than what he’d get by simply accepting a QO from the Reds – something that’ll be akin to $23 million for the 2027 season. But even then, the Reds would get a draft pick out of the deal if Geno turned down the QO and found a better deal elsewhere.

So, there’s a chance Suárez could already be on a two-year, ~$38 million deal with the Reds, effectively, though there’s still a number of scenarios that let the Reds off that hook if they so desire.

Obviously, a poor year by Geno could allow the Reds to eschew even issuing him the QO at season’s end and allow him to simply reach free agency with no strings attached. That would effectively make it as if the Reds had a team option for him for 2026 that the declined with no buyout.

Things could very well go sideways for the Reds during the 2026 season, too, at which point they could trade Geno to someone else in July and escape even having to make these decisions. They could even decide to do that if things in town are going well, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Sal Stewart and Spencer Steer all hit well, and the fit simply doesn’t seem as obvious as it did this winter.

However, if the guy they turned to for his ability to sock baseballs over the fence continues to excel at that again in 2026 and they determine they want his gum-bubble ability back for a second year, well, that decision may well have already been made for them.

When evaluating a farm system, it always starts with the top-level prospects, and the Mets have some top-level ones in Nolan McLean and Carson Benge, both of whom should make a significant impact on the 2026 Mets. That means those two names are going to be graduating off prospect lists in the coming months.

The true sign of a functioning, quality farm system is its depth, and prospects who are not spoken about much, breaking out. Things can change quickly in the prospect landscape. An example: A.J. Ewing was not ranked in my Top 30 list this time last year, and he now is ranked No. 3 in the 2026 iteration and is considered a consensus Top 100 prospect.

Here are four under-the-radar prospects to keep an eye on heading into 2026.

1B/OF Randy Guzman

Guzman is teetering on no longer being “under the radar,” but he is a new name that is beginning to crack Top 30 lists for the first time.

The No. 19 prospect in the Mets system was signed as an international free agent in 2022 out of the Dominican Republic as a smaller-scale signing for $10,000. He is the younger brother of former Top 100 prospect Ronald Guzman.

After struggling in two stints in the Dominican Summer League, Guzman had a breakout 2025 in his first season stateside. In 75 games between the Complex League and Low-A St. Lucie, he hit .302 with a .898 OPS. He also added 22 doubles, 10 home runs and drove in 57 runs.

Guzman possesses the second-best power tool in the system, behind only Ryan Clifford. He has plus bat speed and his batted ball data was elite in the Florida State League. He consistently was able to barrel the ball and hit the ball hard. His 108.8mph 90th percentile exit velocity was at the top of the FSL, and he had a max EV of 112 mph.

Swing and miss is a part of his game, but the issue is more with chasing offspeed out of the zone. His in-zone contact rate of 82.7 is slightly above average. With some approach adjustments and continuing his special batted ball data, Guzman could take a big leap in 2026.

RHP Camden Lohman

The Mets drafted Lohman in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Fort Zumwalt North HS in Missouri. He received the third biggest signing bonus in the class at $797,500 to lure him away from a Missouri commitment. His bonus equated to roughly the value of the 96th overall selection, a third-round pick.

He was drafted as a projectable 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. The Mets put him on a strength and nutrition program, and he is already up nearly 20 pounds, reporting to camp around 212 pounds.

The No. 26 ranked prospect in the system was a late bloomer as a pitcher, but is up to 95-96 mph on his fastball and shows the natural ability to spin a slider and curveball. The Mets are also working with him on adding a changeup to his arsenal.

With the Mets' recent history of developing pitchers whom they drafted in the middle rounds, Lohman stands out as a high upside arm that will get his first taste of pro ball in 2026.

INF/OF Yunior Amparo

Amparo was another value international signing as a bit of a later sign. He signed in August of 2024 as an 18-year-old for $10,000.

He had a strong pro debut in 50 games in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .312 with a .903 OPS. He hit four home runs, stole 16 bases and had more walks (26) than strikeouts (24).

Mets people laud his bat-to-ball skills and he flashed some good exit velocity numbers despite a 6-foot, 170-pound frame. As he physically matures, there is belief that there is more impact in the bat to come.

Amparo is a hyper-versatile player, having played every single position on the diamond except catcher and pitcher in 2025.

He is following a trend where the Mets are going to focus on promoting the bat-to-ball type prospects stateside quicker. Amparo will likely start 2026 in the Complex League. While he did not crack the Top 30 prospects list, it should not be surprising if he makes it in there next year.

OF Yonatan Henriquez

The Mets signed Henriquez as an international free agent in 2022 out of the Dominican Republic.

He had a very strong second half with Low-A St. Lucie, posting a .916 OPS and carrying that over to his small sample size at High-A Brooklyn at the end of the season. He began to impact the baseball more as the season went on, averaging 89.5 mph exit velocities, which is a borderline plus number. His max EV of 108 mph was an average number, but he is working on his bat speed, so there could be more in the tank.

He is an above-average athlete with speed. In 2025, he played all over the diamond defensively, but the Mets will focus primarily on center field with him while keeping some versatility in the dirt, likely at second and third. He should start the 2026 season back with Brooklyn and is another name to keep an eye on that did not crack the top 30 prospect list this run, but could within the calendar year.