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In watching Sean Manaea’s 2026 debut from the stands at Citi Field, it looked like the likable lefty was getting away with something against the Pirates. Velocity isn’t everything when it comes to pitching, but it definitely matters. Manaea averaged 89 miles per hour with his fastball yesterday afternoon, and his sweeper averaged just 75 miles per hour. His changeup averaged 84.

For context, all three of those pitches are down two miles per hour from their 2025 averages. And Manaea was in the 14th percentile of pitchers with an average fastball of 91.7 miles per hour last year. If his current averages were to continue, he’d certainly rank even lower.

In one-and-one-third innings against the Pirates’ best available hitters, Manaea gets credit for making it work. He struck out two, walked two, and gave up a hit, but he didn’t allow any runs. But you got the feeling that everyone in the stands and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza knew that the team couldn’t stick with him for too much longer in a tight game.

It’s still very early, and for what it’s worth, both Manaea and Mendoza downplayed concerns about the lefty’s velocity when the topic arose in spring training. But if things don’t improve, it’s hard not to be alarmed by the current reality. Even with the two extra miles per hour that he had last year, Manaea gave up a staggering 1.93 home runs per nine innings, the primary reason he finished the injury-shortened year with a 5.64 ERA.

Right now, it’s not easy to figure out which game the Mets can get him into next. It’s for the best that the team doesn’t face a division rival until late April, as Manaea’s current stuff doesn’t look like it’ll play well against more formidable teams like the Phillies and Braves. But the Mets are set to play four games in San Francisco immediately after their three-game series with the Cardinals that begins tonight.

St. Louis might be an afterthought in the projected standings, but the Giants very much are not. And coming off a season that saw the Mets miss the postseason by one game, it’s tough to go into a series like that with one of the pitchers in your bullpen looking like he needs to get work in extremely low-leverage situations to see if he can regain his past stuff.

Manaea dealt with a loose body in his elbow last year and opted to avoid surgery over the offseason. If things don’t improve with his velocity, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that an elbow issue like that could be used to justify an injured list stint. A rehab assignment that allowed him to get more work would certainly be appealing from our perspective as fans.

We’ll certainly be rooting or Manaea to get some velocity back or figure out a way to be effective in spite of the decline he’s seeing right now. If that doesn’t happen or it goes poorly, though, the Mets will be in a bit of a predicament with this season and next remaining on his three-year, $75 million deal.

Season Record: 2-1

Week Record: 2-1

Series Record: 1-0

GAME One: 3-5 Loss @ Philadelphia Phillies

GAME Two: 5-4 Win @ Philadelphia Phillies

GAME Three: 8-3 Win (10) @ Philadelphia Phillies

It’s once again baseball time in Texas!

With a new manager, pitching coach, and a few important lineup pieces, this could be an interesting season.

Especially getting their first series win in a relatively hostile stadium to start the season. Everyone wants to win game one but even with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound, but with a really strong Phillies team and a very vocal crowd, a loss wasn’t all that surprising.

My biggest take away from game one is the Rangers being able to score late in the game. We saw over the last few seasons, the Rangers get into a tendency of looking more complacent at the end of games. Not necessarily intentional, but if they weren’t score early, they weren’t going to score.

Game two? Game two felt like the bullpen we were used to and once again the nostalgia of a Joe Nathan closer spiked once again.

I must admit, I was over the Robert Garcia Closer Experience last season and thought maybe we would see something different with Skip Schumaker calling the shots, alas, we did not. However, color me impressed when he got Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper out pretty quickly. But he did not have the same luck with the next two batters.

And so the way of baseball.

But thanks to another new Ranger in Andrew McCutchen, the Rangers did not fully Ranger and they continued to battle through to win the game.

Sunday’s rubber game included another new Ranger, MacKenzie Gore. Gore looked great in his Ranger debut, going 5.1 innings giving up two runs on two hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts. In fact, it wasn’t until the first batter of the sixth inning that. he gave up a hit to the Phillies.

The Rangers held the lead the entire game and while it did get a little shaky in the 7th inning for rookie Carter Baumler who walked the first two batters he face, he managed to get out unscathed.

Next the Rangers will go to Baltimore where hopefully Jacob deGrom will make his season debut after being scratched for a stiff neck in Philly.

And while we may just be three games into the season, we never miss an opportunity to celebrate a first place Texas Rangers team.

It’s March 30 and the Braves are 2-1. That may not seem like the most impressive thing until you consider that it took the Braves until April 8 of last season to pick up their second win of the season and April 10 was when they finally picked up their first series win. Folks, we will gladly take this start to the season.

Hopefully the Braves will keep going in the right direction as they wrap up their first homestand of the season before going out West for seven games. The first four games of that seven-game West Coast swing will take place out in the desert, as Ketel Marte and the Diamondbacks will be looking to continue their first homestand of the season in winning fashion against our Braves.

Here’s a quick look at the week ahead as the Braves endeavor to get off to a much better start in 2026 than they did in 2025.

March 30-April 1: Oakland/Sacramento/Las Vegas Athletics

Current Record: 0-3 Projected Record: 78-84

The A’s certainly drew the short end of the stick when they ended up having to start their season North of the border against the reigning American League champions. It’s extremely early days but the Blue Jays have shown an indication that they’re serious about defending that crown and the A’s ended up suffering a three-game sweep during their time at the ol’ Skydome.

With that being said, it wasn’t as if the Blue Jays just completely rolled over the A’s in this one. Indeed, the green-and-gold gang led through the first four innings of the series opener and they pushed Toronto to 12 innings in the second game. A lot of that competitiveness was provided by old friend Shea Langeliers, who has gotten off to a scalding-hot start to begin this season. He’s currently got six hits (three of which are homers), three RBI and three runs scored so far. He did most of his damage during the first game of the series when he clubbed two solo dingers but he added a grand slam during the second game and also picked up another hit in the series finale on Sunday. Hopefully Atlanta’s pitching staff will be able to help cool him off once he comes down South to play his former organization.

The Braves could be in for some tough competition in terms of the starting pitching. Jacob Lopez will be starting Monday’s game and any time you see a guy getting compared to Chris Sale, it’s enough to make you pay attention to what he’s got going on. Aaron Civale ended spring training by exploding for 11 strikeouts against Seattle and while Reynaldo López may have just given everybody a reminder of how seriously you should take spring training results, that type of performance is also something to pay attention to heading into this season. Finally, the Wednesday pitching matchup figures to be Chris Sale vs. Luis Severino and that’s a matchup that could turn into a pitchers’ duel as well.

The Braves still figure to be the better team here but with guys Nick Kurtz, Lawrence Butler and old nemesis Jeff McNeil lurking, this is a team that figures to be a lot trickier to deal with than their current or projected record would indicate. I like the Braves to win this series but it’ll certainly be tough.

Game 1: Monday, March 30 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Game 2: Tuesday, March 31 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision, Gray TV)
Game 3: Wednesday, April 1 at 12:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

April 2-5: Arizona Diamondbacks

Current Record: 0-3 Projected Record: 82-80

The Braves once again have an early-season West Coast swing but I suppose that a trip through Phoenix and Anaheim surely beats having to visit Petco Park and Dodger Stadium to kick off the season like they did last year, right? Anyways, once the Braves hopefully leave town with two series wins under their belt, they’ll be flying for to the desert to square off with the Diamondbacks for four games.

This won’t be the home opener for the Diamondbacks, so the Braves won’t have to worry about an intense Postseason-like atmosphere in the regular season like they did when they started last season on the road in San Diego. With that being said, the Braves haven’t had too many issues out in the desert lately. They won the series last year and then split a four-game series back in 2024. Arizona will be happy not to see Chris Sale this time, though, as they had to deal with him in each of the past two seasons at Chase Field.

Arizona will be hosting the Tigers before the Braves come into town and they’ll also be looking to bounce back after getting swept by the Dodgers to start the season. As usual with any four-game series on the road, the Braves will be probably happy to get out of town with a split while focusing on trying to pick up a series win in Anaheim. For now, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll will be looking to trip up the Braves.

Game 1: Thursday, April 2 at 9:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Game 2: Friday, April 3 at 9:45 p.m. ET (Apple TV)
Game 3: Saturday, April 4 at 7:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 4: Sunday, April 5 at 4:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

The beginning of a baseball season is one that is full of unknown. How are all of the changes made over the offseason going to take? How will those new players take to their new surroundings in Philadelphia? Then the games are played and all of that goes out the window. Who made good impressions, who didn’t?

Three up

Cristopher Sanchez – Could it have gone better for Sanchez this past week? He gets the big money extension added to the end of his current contract (which is still a bargain), then he twirls a gem on Opening Day for the Phillies.

Cristopher Sánchez of the @Phillies is the only MLB pitcher in the modern era to have an Opening Day start where he:

struck out 10+ batters
allowed 0 walks
allowed 0 runs
allowed 3 or fewer hits
earned the win pic.twitter.com/8dfxw28ZAA

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 26, 2026

We have talked about his ascension into the pantheon of pitchers in the game today, but this should have clinched it for whatever person still may have had a doubt in their mind: he’s an Ace.

Justin Crawford – Listen, there were other rookies this weekend that probably had better weekends from the stat perspective. Kevin McGonigle, Chase DeLauter and J.J. Wetherholt are just to name a few. Yet from the Phillies’ perspective, Crawford’s weekend was a pretty good success. He did pretty much what he has done his whole minor league career: he hit and got on base. Three for nine isn’t the craziest stat line, but if he can do that in a few more series this year, while also playing a good defense like he did, the Phillies will be more than pleased with that effort.

ABS system – It’s just so much better knowing that when it’s needed, the ABS system can make sure the umpires are getting it right. There wasn’t anything as game changing or entertaining as what happened in Cincinnati, but knowing that there is a system in place to make sure calls are right when they are called upon helps the game.

Three down

Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper – It’s always the stars of the lineup that receive the brunt of frustration when a series doesn’t go well and this one was no different. The trio, outside of Schwarber’s home run on Opening Day, just kind of stunk this weekend.

Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber & Bryce Harper went a combined 5-for-37 (.135) with 1 Home Run during the Rangers series. pic.twitter.com/Owekzu3KZK

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) March 29, 2026

Again, it’s nothing really to worry about no matter what sports radio wants you to believe. It’s the first series of the season and there will be plenty more times this year when this trio flips that script and has fifteen hits in 37 at bats instead of five.

It just made for a rough weekend.

Zach Pop – Middle relief is not a glorious position. The more competent relievers have been rewarded better in the past decade or so, but it’s fungible guys that are still an issue. Pop is a fungible reliever that is already being looked at as the first to go when the injured pitchers return soon, this weekend a perfect example. He wasn’t able to keep a game scoreless on Thursday, he allowed the Rangers to scrape back the two runs the Phillies were able to get on Sunday, killing any momentum the team had.

He’s just not that good.

John Middleton – It’s arguable that the only multimillionaire in the sports world that had a worse week was Tiger Woods. First came the news that “Harry the K’s” had its name changed to something about ghosts and energy. Then came Middleton’s response to questions about the removal of the analog clock this season in favor of the huge sign for the upcoming All-Star Game.

John Middleton explains to @TimKellySports why the center field analog clock likely won’t be going back up after the All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/dPawCMVicR

— OnPattison (@OnPattison) March 24, 2026

Listen, sometimes, the owners just shouldn’t speak on topics.

Middleton has been a good owner for the Phillies. He’s opened up his wallet when needed, he’s been forthcoming about the team when needed.

But c’mon, man. Just pay the $20K and end this whole Harry Kalas thing. We can survive without napkins for a little bit.

The season is underway — and the Royals are already giving fans plenty to talk about.

In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco break down the Kansas City Royals’ season-opening series against the Atlanta Braves, including a detailed look at the series finale win and what it reveals about the team’s early trajectory. From lineup performance to pitching execution, the hosts provide a comprehensive analysis of how the Royals stack up coming out of their first test of the season.

A major focus is the bullpen, where emerging roles, injury updates — including Carlos Estevez’s status — and potential closer options take center stage. The discussion also examines how participation in the World Baseball Classic may have impacted player readiness, conditioning, and early-season performance.

Beyond the field, Jacob and Jeremy explore some of MLB’s newest innovations, including the ABS challenge system, its early effectiveness, and how it could reshape game strategy. They also dive into evolving broadcast technology, from wire cams to drone footage, and evaluate how these changes are enhancing — or complicating — the viewing experience for fans.

The episode wraps with insights into young contributors like Carter Jensen and Isaac Collins, updates on positional battles and roster depth, and a preview of the Royals’ upcoming matchup against the Twins. With a blend of analysis, perspective, and personality, this episode offers Royals fans a clear-eyed look at where the team stands after Opening Weekend.

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

BlueSky
– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

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– Podcast: @RoyalRundownPod

Walking away with two wins in four games against that very pesky and tough Guardians ballclub was a decent way to start the season. Even though the results didn’t exactly line up with their performance, there were a bunch of encouraging things we saw from the Mariners during Opening Weekend. The bottom of the lineup really came through with some clutch hitting and getting a healthy Luke Raley back is looking like it’s going to be a huge difference maker for the middle of the order. The pitching should be just fine, even if the bullpen — and its management — looked a little shaky. With the first series in the books, the Mariners host the Yankees for an early season clash with an AL heavyweight.

Game	Time	Yankees Starter	Mariners Starter	Yankees Win%	Mariners Win%
Game 1	Monday, March 30 | 6:40 pm	LHP Ryan Weathers	RHP Luis Castillo	46.3%	53.7%
Game 2	Tuesday, March 31 | 6:40 pm	LHP Max Fried	RHP Logan Gilbert	47.5%	52.5%
Game 3	Wednesday, April 1 | 1:10 pm	RHP Cam Schlittler	RHP George Kirby	44.1%	55.9%

Overview	Yankees	Mariners	Edge
Batting (wRC+)	119 (1st in AL)	113 (2nd in AL)	Yankees
Fielding (FRV)	8 (7th)	-30 (12th)	Yankees
Starting Pitching (FIP-)	92 (3rd)	100 (7th)	Yankees
Bullpen (FIP-)	97 (9th)	97 (10th)	Yankees

The Yankees won 94 games last year but wound up tied with the Blue Jays atop the AL East standings and wound up entering the playoffs as the first Wild Card team. They were eventually bounced out of the postseason by Toronto in the ALDS — a disappointing end to what should have been another deep playoff run. It was looking like there would be a ton of turnover on New York’s roster as the offseason began, but Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt all re-signed with the team pretty quickly. Devin Williams was the only significant player who didn’t return and Ryan Weathers is the one significant name that joined the roster from outside the organization. Running it back with essentially the same roster that won 94 games two years in a row and had a World Series appearance two years ago isn’t the worst idea in baseball, but it isn’t particularly inspired either. We know this team is good because they were good last year and they should be just as good this year too.

Player	Position	Bats	PA	K%	BB%	ISO	wRC+
Trent Grisham	CF	L	581	23.6%	14.1%	0.229	129
Aaron Judge	RF	R	679	23.6%	18.3%	0.357	204
Cody Bellinger	LF	L	656	13.7%	8.7%	0.207	125
Ben Rice	1B	L	530	18.9%	9.4%	0.244	133
Giancarlo Stanton	DH	R	281	34.2%	10.3%	0.321	158
Jazz Chisholm Jr.	2B	L	531	27.9%	10.9%	0.238	126
José Caballero	SS	R	370	26.5%	12.7%	0.111	97
Ryan McMahon	3B	L	586	32.3%	11.9%	0.167	86
Austin Wells	C	L	448	26.3%	6.7%	0.217	94

Whether you agree with the MVP voters or not, it’s undeniable that Aaron Judge had one of the best offensive seasons in the last half century last year. Of course, his seasons in 2024 and 2022 were better which makes his 2025 season somewhat of a step back. He “only” produced a 204 wRC+ with “just” 53 home runs. There’s plenty of talent up and down the Yankees’ lineup, but Judge is absolutely the linchpin that makes the whole engine run. Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are fantastic sidekicks to Judge’s super hero; both of them have thrived since joining New York after some ups and downs to both their careers. The Yankees were also fortunate to enjoy breakout seasons from Trent Grisham and Ben Rice. The latter had shown flashes of talent in the past but transformed his approach at the plate to maximize his contact quality and blasted 34 home runs last year. For his part, Rice outperformed a pretty mediocre prospect pedigree by changing his batting stance, allowing him to see the ball out of the pitcher’s hand a little better — the results speak for themselves. I’d be remiss not to mention former-Mariner José Caballero, currently the starting shortstop while Anthony Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery. Cabby was absolutely fantastic for the Yankees after they acquired him at the trade deadline and he should play a very valuable utility role on this roster as soon as Volpe returns.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Ryan Weathers	38.1	22.3%	7.2%	15.6%	43.5%	3.99	4.60
Luis Castillo	180.2	21.7%	6.2%	10.5%	41.3%	3.54	3.88

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	45.3%	45.2%	96.9	100	84	118	0.335
Sinker	2.3%	6.3%	95.0
Changeup	32.0%	18.3%	87.3	104	131	55	0.287
Slider	3.9%	2.4%	89.8
Sweeper	16.5%	27.8%	83.8	115	118	71	0.256

The new man in the starting rotation, Ryan Weathers is a product of the Marlins pitching development pipeline. He’s struggled with a bunch of different injuries over the last few years but none of them have required surgery. His raw stuff leveled up during spring training last year, adding a tick of velocity to his entire repertoire and adding a ton of movement to his changeup and sweeper. We didn’t get to see that revamped arsenal in action for very long before a lat strain derailed his season. His raw stuff was even more impressive this spring; his fastball was regularly touching 99 mph, which would make him one of the hardest throwing left-handed pitchers in all of baseball. His two secondary pitches are fantastic at generating whiffs and he’s confident enough with his changeup to use it against both righties and lefties. There’s a lot of unfulfilled promise with Weathers — he’s yet to prove that he can stay healthy and that all this raw stuff can produce outs regularly — but he’ll get an opportunity to prove it all with the Yankees this year.

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Max Fried	195.1	23.6%	6.4%	8.7%	52.4%	2.86	3.07
Logan Gilbert	131	32.3%	5.8%	14.8%	38.9%	3.44	3.35

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	13.0%	9.5%	95.9	107	111	99	0.268
Sinker	11.9%	38.5%	94.0	115	179	115	0.283
Cutter	32.5%	14.7%	93.6	103	81	114	0.322
Changeup	13.8%	0.4%	85.2	104	93	133	0.267
Curveball	18.4%	13.1%	75.2	113	132	89	0.237
Slider	9.0%	21.0%	81.5	113	110	84	0.305
Sweeper	1.4%	2.8%	85.5

After signing a massive eight-year free agent deal with the Yankees in December 2024, he posted one of the best seasons of his career in New York. His velocity was up two ticks and he rejiggered his pitch mix to emphasize his cutter against right-handed batters. With two fantastic breaking balls, a solid changeup, and three different fastball looks, he’s got a weapon for any situation. If he needs a swing and miss, he’ll turn to one of the best curveballs in baseball. If he needs a groundball out, he’ll go to his sinker or changeup. That deep repertoire paired with excellent command makes him one of the toughest pitchers to face in the AL.

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Cam Schlittler	73	27.6%	10.2%	11.6%	36.4%	2.96	3.74
George Kirby	126	26.1%	5.5%	12.8%	44.1%	4.21	3.37

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	49.9%	60.1%	98.0	103	127	94	0.313
Sinker	13.2%	1.1%	97.6	94
Cutter	23.0%	17.4%	92.0	120	118	50	0.294
Curveball	6.2%	20.9%	83.3	106	69	96	0.282
Slider	2.1%	0.5%	90.0
Sweeper	5.6%	0.0%	87.9

Cam Schlittler burst onto the scene last July with a hard fastball and a nasty cutter. He made a statement in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card series against Boston, firing eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in a winner-take-all game. That performance was the culmination of a breakout season for Schlittler. He had started the year in Double-A but wasn’t seen as one of the Yankees’ top prospects. His velocity climbed to start the year and it just continued to improve as he worked his way up to the big leagues. He added three (!) ticks to his cutter this spring and started throwing his sinker a little more often. Those three fastball looks make it nearly impossible for batters to sit on his high velocity and his hard curveball plays well off all three of those pitches. That breaking ball is essentially his lone secondary pitch, but his stuff is so overpowering, he doesn’t really need much else.

---

The Big Picture:

Team	W-L	W%	Games Behind	Run Diff	Recent Form
Rangers	2-1	0.667	—	+4	L-W-W
Mariners	2-2	0.500	0.5	+9	L-W-L-W
Angels	2-2	0.500	0.5	+3	W-W-L-L
Astros	2-2	0.500	0.5	-3	L-L-W-W
Athletics	0-3	0.000	2.0	-5	L-L-L

The Angels and Astros split a four-game series last weekend with both teams looking particularly shaky. The Rangers started off the season with a series win in Philadelphia while the Athletics struck out 50 times in three games (setting a major league record) as they were swept by the Blue Jays. The Rangers, Angels, and Athletics all continue their season opening road trips this week with stops in Baltimore, the north side of Chicago, and Atlanta, respectively. The Astros stay at home and host the Red Sox.

The Mets' offense struggled on Sunday against the Pirates, striking out 16 times as they lost, 4-3, in 10 innings.

Despite the offensive futility, New York was still in a position to win when the 10th inning started. But two things helped swing the game to Pittsburgh.

One was Richard Lovelady faltering after being called on to pitch the top of the 10th.

The other was a highly questionable send home by new third base coach Tim Leiper in the bottom of the 10th.

After the game, Carlos Mendoza and the players weighed in...

Why Richard Lovelady pitched the 10th

After Nolan McLean pitched the first five innings, Huascar Brazoban went 1.2 innings, Sean Manaea went an inning and a third, and Luke Weaver pitched the ninth inning.

When Weaver trotted out for the ninth instead of Devin Williams, it seemed likely that Williams was not going to be used under any circumstances -- something Mendoza confirmed in his postgame news conference.

Also unavailable was Brooks Raley.

Both Williams and Raley pitched on Saturday, with Williams throwing 19 pitches and Raley tossing 11. While Brazoban (four pitches on Saturday), Weaver (16 pitches on Saturday), and Lovelady (21 pitches on Saturday) were all utilized on Sunday in back-to-back situations, Mendoza said both Williams and Raley were unavailable. 

"They were down today," Mendoza noted, adding that he didn't want to use Williams after he warmed up on Thursday (but didn't enter) and pitched on Saturday.

Mets react to questionable send

With the Mets trailing, 4-2, and runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the 10th, Juan Soto smacked a double to left-center that bounced off the wall.

Running from second base, Francisco Alvarez scored easily.

Running from first base, Francisco Lindor was waved home by Leiper and nailed at the plate by a good margin.

The send was a head-scratcher.

With no one out and their 3-4-5 hitters coming up, the Mets would've had three chances to win the game with a hit (with the added benefit of a drawn-in infield) had Lindor been held. At the very least, they would've had two chances to tie the game with a sacrifice fly.

Instead, Lindor was thrown out, leaving Soto on second base as the potential tying run with one out. And the Mets were unable to get him in.

After the game, Mendoza and Lindor said they were fine with the call, with Lindor explaining that he expected to score.

Meanwhile, Mendoza said Leiper's decision fit New York's overall plan to be aggressive against Pittsburgh's defense.

"Coming into this series, this is a team that we targeted we are going to be aggressive," Mendoza explained. "And they executed. You gotta give them credit. ... Especially with having Lindor -- and he had a hell of a jump off the bat. As soon as the ball was put in play by Soto, he took off. I was the whole time saying 'stay in the ballpark, stay in the ballpark.' I didn't want that ball to bounce [over the wall]. And I thought he was gonna score. And you got to give them credit, because they executed pretty good cuts and relays there."

Astros fans, consider this your reminder to take a deep breath, step back, and relax. Opening Day and Opening Weekend in Major League Baseball have a way of magnifying everything. Every win feels monumental and every loss feels catastrophic. The reality is far less dramatic in the grand scheme of things.

The pomp and circumstance surrounding the start of a new season tends to distort perspective. Emotions run high, expectations are sky-high, and reactions often swing wildly based on just a couple of games. What gets lost in all of it is the simple truth: teams are fresh out of spring training. Pitchers are still building rhythm. Hitters are still finding timing. Fielders are still settling into form.

If this same series against the Angels had taken place in mid-June, the reaction would be entirely different. There would be frustration, sure, maybe even some concern, but not the widespread panic that seems to grip everyone during opening weekend. That’s the difference a calendar can make.

This Astros team is too talented to play consistently at the level they showed in the first two games. Over the course of a 162-game season, things have a way of evening out. That’s not just optimism, it’s baseball reality.

Saturday night provided the perfect example. A 6–0 deficit quickly turned into an 11–5 lead, likely after many fans had already turned off their TVs and written the game off as a loss. That single game serves as a microcosm of how quickly fortunes can change and how quickly reactions can look premature.

History backs this up. In years past, the Astros have been swept by some of the worst teams in baseball. At the time, it felt alarming. In the big picture, it proved meaningless. The team still found its footing, still played to expectations, and still reached its goals.

Think back just a couple of seasons ago when the Astros dug themselves into what many called an insurmountable hole. The noise was loud, the anxiety was real, but the outcome? They climbed out of it, regained their form, and kept pushing forward until they were exactly where they needed to be.

That’s why now isn’t the time for overreaction, it’s the time for perspective.

Keep a watchful eye, absolutely. Monitor progress. Evaluate trends. But save the bigger judgments for meaningful checkpoints like the quarter mark of the season or the halfway point. That’s when patterns start to solidify and when real assessments can be made.

There’s still plenty of time for growth. Plenty of time for adjustments. And plenty of opportunities for personnel moves that can strengthen the roster.

Looking ahead, the Red Sox series may appear daunting on paper, especially with pitching matchups that seem to favor the opponent. But baseball isn’t played on paper. Just as easily as the Astros stumbled out of the gate, they can flip the script and rise to the occasion. Winning a series that looks stacked against them wouldn’t be surprising, it would be baseball.

So yes, you can be concerned about how they’ve started. That’s fair. But don’t lose sight of what matters most.

Because as the old saying goes, this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.

And in baseball, it’s not about how you start. It’s about how you finish.