Los Angeles, CA - March 15 : Los Angeles Dodgers second basemen Miguel Rojas (72) seen in the dugout prior to the start of a MLB spring training game between the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium on Sunday, March 22, 2026 in Anahiem , CA. (Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Over a career spanning 12 seasons, Miguel Rojas has gone from an overlooked bench player in 2014 to hitting one of, if not, the most important home runs in Dodgers history.
Rojas’ legacy as a Dodger icon is now cemented, his ninth inning home run against Jeff Hoffman in Game 7 will be remembered for generations, and he can end his career knowing that his name will be attached to a pair of the most triumphant plays in baseball history. As Rojas enters the 13th and final season of his playing career, he has a lot to be grateful for.
Rojas spoke with Jack Oliver of Jomboy Media, known on social media as Jolly Olive, during the early parts of spring training as to how the veteran infielder feels about his final season. Rojas noted that he is eager to get every opportunity to play, not wanting to have his playing time reduced solely because of his age.
“This year, I have a different perspective, because I’m not afraid to empty the tank anymore. I’m going to have a conversation with Doc, and I’m going to tell him not to be afraid to put me in spots that he always kind of took care for me in the past… I’m going to tell him, ‘Hey, use me as much as you can. Don’t feel bad because I’m one of the veterans…’ I want to take every single opportunity, every single at-bat that I can, and help the team in any capacity.”
Rojas is coming off a remarkable spring where he slashed .362/.380/.532 with two home runs and eight RBI over 48 plate appearances, and with the recent demotion of Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A, he is the most likely candidate to get the starting nod at second base on Thursday.
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From one Japanese right-hander on the mound on Monday to another on Tuesday, Shohei Ohtani was masterful against his old team, pitching into the fifth inning while striking out 11 hitters in the Dodgers’ 3-0 loss to the Angels.
After his first full offseason to recover on both sides with the Dodgers, the benchmark for a healthy season is 25 starts for the two-way superstar, notes Courtney Hollman of MLB.com. Should he stay healthy as a part of a six-man rotation, he’s on pace to make 27 starts.
“I do see that as an important benchmark as a starting pitcher,” Ohtani said following his Arizona debut. “Ideally in a situation where everybody makes 25 starts. That’s the ideal situation.”
To little surprise, Ohtani was named as the early season favorite to win his third consecutive NL MVP award by Theo DeRosa of MLB.com.
Max Ralph of MLB.com writes about Kyle Tucker getting used to how the Dodgers celebrate hits, needing a quick 101 lesson from Miguel Rojas on the “hip-lock” celebration.
The Detroit Tigers have generally maintained a policy of not playing any of their prep draft picks until the following year, and so the Spring Breakout games each spring have become a sort of coming out party for the next wave of prospects each March. This year we saw Jordan Yost, Michael Oliveto, and Cris Rodriguez in the teenagers’ first televised showcase. Of course, Yost had already announced himself by popping over to Tampa to join the Tigers for a game and crunching a grand slam in his first at-bat. 2024 first rounder Bryce Rainer set a bit of a precedent with a jaw dropping pro debut in the 2025 Spring Breakout game. An injury spoiled much of his pro debut campaign at Single-A Lakeland, but Rainer is healthy and ready to take over as the Tigers’ top prospect by season’s end.
Rainer starred in high school for Harvard-Westlake HS in North Hollywood. He was actually tracking more like a good pitching prospect who was also a solid shortstop with a cannon hanging from his right shoulder until his junior year when the bat perked up. By his senior year, Rainer was showing off big-time power and much improved contact ability through some swing changes and additional muscle. The Tigers were suitably impressed and happy to sign Rainer for $5,797,500, just slightly overslot as the 11th overall pick in the draft. That was two spots after the Pirates took Konnor Griffin, indicating that often it’s top the top five spots that end up with the most talented player in a draft.
What we knew about Rainer at the time was that he had some developing plate discipline, and potentially plus raw power. He could run, and while not the most athletic shortstop around, his 80 grade arm helped him play a step further back than most to give himself an extra beat on balls in play, and easily make up for it by throwing lasers across the diamond to first base. There were some questions about his contact ability, and some wondered if he’d really add that much raw power to his profile in his late teens and early 20’s, but overall the pick was well regarded. The Tigers strategy of taking athletic, up the middle prep hitters in the first round continues to pay dividends, as Rainer immediately silenced one of those questions.
The first plate appearance we ever saw from Rainer ended with a 113 mph line drive rocket the opposite way for a single. That was his first at-bat in a “real” game since high school. And that at-bat was a sign of things to come as Rainer destroyed fastballs and showed off near 70 grade raw power at times. Combined with his long levers and opposite field tendencies, Corey Seager comparisons became very popular, very quickly in prospect circles.
Even better, Rainer’s agility and footwork were rapidly improved from his high school days. He stalked the left side of the infield making all the plays and showing good reactions and softer hands than expected around second base. And as always, he could fire 90+ mph seeds to first base to record outs even when ranging far in the hole.
It only took a few weeks until Single-A hitters stopped throwing him fastballs over the plate and began dumping heavy amounts of breaking and offspeed in for strikes and then trying to get him to expand the zone when he saw a heater. This is a strategy MLB pitchers are built to execute, but at the Single-A level they weren’t qualified. Of course, Rainer wasn’t yet qualified either. For a week or two, he just started walking a lot more. Eventually, the 19-year-old ultimately couldn’t resist chasing more close pitches as he saw less and less fastballs to hit.
The cat and mouse game didn’t get time to play out. On June 3, Rainer separated his right shoulder diving back to first base on a pickoff play. Technique there might be something the Tigers want to emphasize to prep rookies a little more as both Colt Keith and Carson Rucker suffered similar injuries early in their pro careers. In both cases, throwing velocity took years to return after they rehabbed the shoulder. Rainer and the Tigers probably wisely elected for a surgical repair, and while Rainer has been limited to a DH role in minor league camp, reports that his arm strength has returned have been positive so far.
Rainer is a pretty good sized shortstop, standing 6’3” and probably weighing in a good 15 pounds of muscle more than his listed 195 pounds. He hits from a modest crouch with a high left elbow, and he maintains that elbow as he drops his hands and stretches back to load up before the pitch is released. It’s a bit exaggerated and he probably needs to trim that down to remain quick to high fastballs, but he’s made it work so far, having no issues with velocity in Lakeland. Even with that move, he doesn’t get too steep to the ball and generally has nice natural loft to his swing. The prospect of a plus defensive shortstop with plate discipline, who has posted numerous 113-114 mph balls in play is really tantalizing. He’s still only 20 years old after all and looks even a bit more built this spring in our few looks at him.
The question is the most elemental one of all. Can he translate his good eye for the strike zone into a good eye from breaking and offspeed stuff? He’s had so few at-bats that everyone is just guessing right now, and we’ll just have to see how that plays out over the next few seasons. Based on his batspeed and command of the strike zone, his chances seem pretty good, but that has to be proven. Still, this is an extremely exciting player, and once McGonigle and Clark graduate, Rainer is going to do just fine as the Tigers’ top prospect. Hopefully he has a healthy season and the arm strength is all the way back. If so, we’ll have a better idea of his full potential as a hitter by season’s end.
Look for Rainer to start the season in West Michigan. Jordan Yost will take the shortstop reps in Lakeland, and Rainer showed enough already to promote him to High-A despite not getting nearly as many reps as hoped in his pro debut. Facing a better brand of college pitchers, there may be some struggles early on, but as long as he’s mashing again in the second half, everything will be on track for him to push to Double-A in 2027, and perhaps debut late that year or more likely in 2028 when he’ll be closing in on his 23rd birthday.
It’s here, it’s here! Opening Day is upon us, and excluding the All-Star Break pause, we won’t have to deal with another baseball-free day until November. It may just be spring, but the Boys of Summer are back, and it’s time to get excited because starting today, all the stats matter. It’s the best day of the year!
Before we get into all the excitement of the regular season, we also wanted to touch on one of the sweetest stories from the World Baseball Classic. Ondrej Satoria, the Czech pitcher who defied the odds and toppled some of the best batters in baseball, made waves especially because he wasn’t even a full-time athlete: he’s an electrician. The everyman story captured peoples’ attention and made him a bit of a hero to audiences, and he’s finally speaking about the experience. When he spoke about his final outing against Team Japan, he said:
“In my eyes, it’s as valuable as the Olympics, because it’s only once every four years. It’s a fully professional world championship. The team has to qualify, and there you get to face players you usually only watch on TV, which is the most magical thing for us. We can shake hands with them on the field, and for us amateurs, that’s the best part.”
He also spoke specifically about striking out Shohei Ohtani, perhaps the most famous player in the world:
“It changed my life quite a bit, because it got me noticed, and it also put Czech baseball on the map. That’s really thanks to this. Of course, it’s something I’ll always remember fondly. I’m glad it’s on video, so if anyone ever doubts it, I can prove it. I have the ball from that strikeout on my shelf at home. But still, the most important thing for me is the medal from the European Championship, which I always carry with me… I wouldn’t call myself a legend, but unfortunately, everyone else does. I guess I just have to accept it.”
It was a really sweet interview, and a reminder of the importance of an event like the World Baseball Classic which can create excitement about baseball in countries where it isn’t as popular. Read more here.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies throws during the second inning of the spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Spring training has finally concluded, the Colorado Rockies roster is set, and the 2026 season officially begins for the club on Friday. With the conclusion of a successful Camp Schaeffer, it seems appropriate to hand out some superlative predictions for the new-look Rockies as we head into the regular season with hopes high and the team looking to leave the 2025 season far in the rearview mirror.
Most Likely to Rebound in 2026: Willi Castro
The only position player free agent the Rockies signed to a major league deal, Willi Castro, projects to be the regular at second base. He’ll get his chances to move around a little bit, but after struggling in a part-time role with the Chicago Cubs to close out the 2025 season, he’s back in a starting role with Colorado and there is optimism.
Castro had an excellent performance in Cactus League play as well as with Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Castro is a model base runner and could be the epitome of the type of player they hope will take this club to the next level. He isn’t far removed from an All-Star season, and a fresh start in Colorado could get him back to that level of production.
Team Rookie of the Year: T.J. Rumfield
The best “feel-good” story from camp has to be the fact that T.J. Rumfield earned his spot with the Rockies for Opening Day. After having his path blocked in New York, Rumfield came over to the Rockies in a trade and lived up to the opportunity.
He was named the recipient of the Abby Greer Award, an honor bestowed on the Rockies’ spring MVP, and has a chance to do some great things this season. The front office is hoping not to have to rely on rookies out of desperation as they did in 2025, so Rumfield coming into camp and earning his keep is a nice development.
If he can stay on the roster throughout the season and find a way to be a productive member of the lineup, he’ll easily be the Rookie of the Year for the team and perhaps even a candidate for the National League.
Team Cy Young: Kyle Freeland
In a sense, Kyle Freeland earns this early designation by default.
If things go according to plan, there’s a chance none of the three veteran free agents could be on this team beyond the deadline. Ryan Feltner and Chase Dollander have the talent but need to take big steps forward, while other options — including a mix of prospects in Triple-A — are primed for a second-half appearance.
Freeland has been a rock of this rotation for a long while and is entering his 10th season with the Rockies. He is in the final guaranteed year of his contract with a vesting option for 2027 that becomes guaranteed if he tosses 170 innings, so a fantastic year could do a lot for him personally.
Team Reliever of the Year: Zach Agnos
The bullpen will have an interesting mix heading into the season, but one addition that may be able to rise above the rest by season’s end is Zach Agnos. The righty started off strong after his debut in early 2025, but after landing on the bereavement list following the death of his grandfather, whom he was very close to, Agnos struggled to settle himself the rest of the year between the majors and Triple-A.
Refocused and determined, Agnos entered camp with a new pitch and has looked phenomenal on the mound. The Rockies aren’t expected to use much in the way of a standard closer at the start of the season, but Agnos could find himself in some big situations.
Biggest Surprise: Tomoyuki Sugano
When the Rockies signed Tomoyuki Sugano it raised quite a few eyebrows. Why would a team that plays 81 games at Coors Field want to signed an aged arm that led the league in home runs allowed last season? Well, the team valued his experience, his ability to manipulate the ball, and his capabilities of pounding the zone.
Between his start in the WBC and couple of appearances in spring training, Sugano has shown what could make him successful. He knows home runs were an issue last season, and he is entering a difficult environment, but there is a determination and maturity that will enable him to have a solid season with the Rockies, whether it’s for the whole year or just half the season.
Most Likely to be an All-Star: Brenton Doyle
This could easily go to Ezequiel Tovar, but for the sake of variety let’s talk about Brenton Doyle.
After a breakout 2024 campaign, injury and personal tragedy hindered Doyle in 2025. He began to return to form in the latter half of the season, leaving him in a good position to break out further in 2026. Doyle’s defense will always be a calling card but if he bring a consistent approach out the gate and find his power, there is a strong chance he can be a representative for the Rockies at the All-Star Game.
He may not make much headway in the popular vote if he is in a position to do so, but joining the ranks of the many All-Star outfielders in franchise history would be a huge accomplishment.
Breakout Candidate: Kyle Karros
Kyle Karros showed off plenty of what could make him a great player in his brief spell with the big league club last season. Entering spring training, however, he was adamant that no one was going to take the third base job away from him. Making sure he was physically ready for the demand, Karros delivered a standout performance at the plate in Cactus League play. He’s already proven capable of playing at a Gold Glove-caliber level in the field, but if he can settle in offensively at the plate and continue to lace line drives, Karros can be on his way to living up to his goal of being one of the best third baseman in franchise history.
Team MVP: Ezequiel Tovar
A return to form for Ezequiel Tovar would be a huge boon for the Rockies. Injuries plagued him last season, and he never found a rhythm. We saw hints of some of the offensive growth, but things just fell apart in 2025. This year, Tovar delivered a standout performance with Venezeula in the WBC and didn’t seem to miss a beat when he returned to Rockies camp. With a new front office and coaching staff in place, 2026 is the chance for Tovar to finally live up to the lofty expectations that led the team to sign him to a long-term extension and become the superstar they so desperately need.
A new season means plenty of new food concoctions around the league. The Rockies are introducing a two-foot hot dog and a giant cinnamon roll, and the 9-9-9 challenge is also making its way to Coors Field.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 03: Jacob Misiorowski #32 os the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the game between the Team Great Britain and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Sydni Griffin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Our contributors at Brew Crew Ball are excited to get the 2026 season underway after an offseason that saw quite a bit of turnover across the league. Here are our bold predictions and storylines to watch for the Brewers in 2026.
Bold Predictions
Paul Dietrich: The Brewers have a pair of 30/30 players
If I wanted to get extremely bold, I would say three… but I don’t think Christian Yelich has another 30/30 season in him, which he has done only once, in 2019. But: Jackson Chourio has gone 20/20 in each of his first two seasons, and if he makes the kind of jump we all think he can make, it’s definitely in play. The other one would have to be Brice Turang, who so far this spring has given us no reason to believe that the late-season power surge that got him to 18 homers last year was a mirage. Thirty homers is probably a stretch, but that’s what makes the prediction bold… and he’s averaged 36 stolen bases per season as a big leaguer, so that seems doable even if he only had 24 in 2025.
Harrison Freuck: Jacob Misiorowski reaches the 200-strikeout threshold
This isn’t overly bold, especially given how easily Jacob Misiorowski manages to rack up strikeouts, but this prediction would require him to make at least 20 starts (and that’s if he averages 10 strikeouts/game). Last season, he totaled 87 strikeouts in just 66 innings, so at that pace, he’d need to pitch roughly 150 innings. The bold part of this prediction is that Miz’s career-high in innings pitched came last year, when he totaled 129 1/3 innings between Triple-A and MLB. Hitting the 200-strikeout mark would also make him the eighth Brewer since 2021 to reach that threshold (and give the Brewers a 200-strikeout pitcher for the sixth consecutive season).
Dave Gasper: Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio both have 30/30 seasons, finish top 10 in NL MVP voting
The power surge that Turang saw in the second half last season was proof that he was finally able to get his raw power to click in game action. With that knowledge, over a full season, I believe he has a very good chance to reach 30 homers. Turang’s speed is also elite, and with a change in first base coach to Spencer Allen, I imagine stealing bases will be a renewed priority for this team, and Turang should reach 30 steals easily.
Jackson Chourio has gone 20/20 in each of his first two seasons in MLB, but there’s plenty more in the tank. After all, he just turned 22 years old. If not for a hamstring injury last year that took him out for much of August, Chourio likely would have well surpassed his rookie year numbers. I expect with a fully healthy season this year, Chourio can reach 30/30 as well and continue his superstar trajectory. If both he and Turang can do that, they’ll help lift this team to another NL Central title and should receive enough MVP votes to finish in the top 10.
Jason Paczkowski: Brice Turang finishes in the top five for NL MVP
In the award predictions, I said that Turang could finish in the top 10 for NL MVP. Looking at his performance from last year, he should have been in the top 10 anyway. A big factor there is name recognition, and while stats can carry quite a bit, having a reputation can help gain votes. It’s likely part of the reason that Christian Yelich — who finished 12th in the NL MVP vote — finished ahead of Turang last season. If he posts a similar season to last year, he will definitely be in the top 10 this time. If he improves on it, the top five will be within his reach.
Adam Zimmer: Jacob Misiorowski is a top-five NL Cy Young finisher
I’m a big believer in Misiorowski, who has the stuff to eventually win a Cy Young someday. He’s not there yet, particularly given the stiff competition he’ll face in the National League. Still, Misiorowski showed flashes of greatness in an up-and-down season. With former ace Freddy Peralta now in New York, the Brewers will need their new Opening Day starter to serve as a steady option at the front of the rotation. If his command is even slightly improved after an offseason of work with the Brewers’ pitching lab, the sky is the limit for the Miz.
Storylines to Watch
Paul Dietrich: Who is the first blue-chip prospect to break through?
Given that we expect the Brewers to contend this season, it’s a bit strange to call it a transitional year… but it is, in some ways. Luis Rengifo was brought in for one year, as a cadre of exciting infield prospects make their way up the minor league ladder. Joey Ortiz is either going to prove he deserves to start on a good major league team, or he’s going to quickly fall out of the Brewers’ plans. The same goes for Garrett Mitchell, who needs to produce in addition to staying mostly healthy for a full season.
It would not be a shock if the 2027 Brewers had an Opening Day lineup that included Jesús Made, Cooper Pratt, and Jett Williams in place of Rengifo, Ortiz, and Mitchell. My question is whether we see any of those guys this year. Made is probably not going to happen, and Pratt needs to show he can hit at Triple-A. But Williams could be a candidate for the roster if anyone struggles or gets hurt, even if it’s early in the season. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Pratt made it to Milwaukee for his debut sometime late this summer.
Harrison Freuck: Can Milwaukee’s 2025 breakout stars repeat in 2026?
The Brewers won 97 games in 2025 largely on the backs of some previously unsung players. Brice Turang took another big step forward to lead the team with 5.6 bWAR. Quinn Priester and Chad Patrick broke out in the rotation as two of the best pitchers on this team. Andrew Vaughn, who was a star prospect before struggling in the majors with the White Sox, seemed to find his groove in a new place as he was a key part of Milwaukee’s late-season push for the NL Central crown. If those players (and others) can repeat in 2026, this team will have what it takes to claim a fourth consecutive NL Central title.
Dave Gasper: Which starting pitchers ultimately earn job security?
The Brewers have loaded up on starting pitching depth. With everyone healthy, the Brewers have 11 legitimate starting pitching options on the 40-man roster, and that doesn’t even include Aaron Ashby or DL Hall. Jacob Misiorowski is pretty locked in to a spot, as are Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester when healthy. Chad Patrick is in a pretty good spot right now, but will that remain the case as his sophomore season goes along? Tobias Myers lost his job pretty quickly last year.
Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sproat appear to have won the early-season spots in the rotation, but will they be able to keep them as the season goes along? Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, Carlos Rodriguez, and Coleman Crow can step in at the first sign of trouble. The Brewers will likely use all of these starting pitchers throughout the year. With so much depth, the cream will rise to the top. Who will that be? Who can stake a more permanent claim on a rotation spot? It will be fascinating to watch.
Jason Paczkowski: Can Andrew Vaughn maintain his 2025 performance?
When the Brewers acquired Andrew Vaughn for Aaron Civale in 2025, it felt like they were just trying to get anything for a disgruntled player. It was entirely possible that Vaughn would have just lingered down in Triple-A for the rest of 2025. However, when Rhys Hoskins went down injured, Vaughn became one of the Brewers’ legends. He went from hitting .189 for the White Sox to hitting .308 for the Brewers. All of his numbers saw dramatic jumps. His biggest moment may have come in NLDS Game 5, where his solo home run put the Brewers ahead for good.
The big question for Vaughn is if he can do it again. The track record with the White Sox wasn’t great, but it was also the White Sox. It’s hard to tell if his struggles were due to playing on a bad team or if he would be struggling regardless of where he played. The Brewers need the 2025 version of him to shine through if they want to hold the division title again in 2026.
Adam Zimmer: Who’s going to play third base?
The majority of the Brewers’ infield is pretty much set. Andrew Vaughn will be the regular first baseman, spelled occasionally by Jake Bauers. Second base is locked down by Brice Turang, and shortstop is Joey Ortiz’s job to lose. After trading last year’s starting third baseman, Caleb Durbin, to the Red Sox, the Brewers didn’t exactly find a clear replacement. Luis Rengifo appears to have the inside track for the job, but if he struggles, the Brewers could turn to fellow offseason acquisition David Hamilton. Given the Brewers’ infield depth in the minor leagues (Jett Williams, Brock Wilken, Cooper Pratt, and even Andrew Fischer), there’s a chance their third baseman down the stretch isn’t currently on the 40-man roster.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: A general view of play between the Bay FC and the Washington Spirit at Oracle Park on August 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/NWSL via Getty Images) | NWSL via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Today is Opening Day for the San Francisco Giants! And that is the best sentence I’ve both written and read in a long time. Every year, it feels like the season takes longer and longer to get here. But today, the long winter is over and baseball returns to Oracle Park.
As a reminder, today’s game will only be available on Netflix. And while that is a sentence I have written before, it was only in jest as a satirical statement on the state of streaming services nickle-and-diming us out of our regularly scheduled baseball broadcasts. Kind of a sour note to start the season on, in my opinion, but I guess that’s what we get for playing the New York Yankees in the first series. And also being the only game scheduled for today.
Regardless, we’ve got Giants baseball at Oracle Park today and that feels great!
If you’re heading to the game, make sure to keep us posted down in the comments! Also, to keep us occupied until first pitch, what are some of your favorite Opening Day traditions/memories?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants and Yankees play tonight at 5:05 p.m. PT.
Baseball America tosses in Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Kendry Chourio as a candidate for the next overall top pitching prospect.
Under the sweltering heat in Goodyear, Chourio proved to be every bit as advertised. And so far in the backfields and in spring training this year, it’s been more of the same, suggesting a ceiling for the 18-year-old righthander, even if his timeline is a little longer than more experienced prospects.
Still, there is a lot of development that needs to happen. Chourio’s fastball sat 96-98 in Spring Breakout, and he used his curveball as his secondary pitch. What stood out is that, despite the speed of the curve and its usage (57%), he got no whiffs on the pitch. In addition, he didn’t throw his changeup once in Friday’s game, so he needs to hone in on a lockdown third pitch to really be considered as a top pitching prospect.
The top four or five is what we’ll see the majority of this season, but facing Sale is a tough first assignment. Pasquantino will play regardless, but we might see other lefties swapped out for matchup reasons. Between Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel, there will likely have to be one lefty in the lineup, so we opted to keep Jensen in there at DH, while putting righties Starling Marte in right field and Lane Thomas in center field. It’s not that right fielder Caglianone won’t play against left-handers … it’s just that Sale is an especially tough lefty to face. The Royals still could put Caglianone in right field, though, while having Marte DH and Jensen on the bench for Opening Day.
Maikel Garcia, 3B Bobby Witt Jr., SS Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B Salvador Perez, C Isaac Collins, LF Jonathan India, 2B Carter Jensen, DH Starling Marte, RF Lane Thomas, CF
An all-around star, Witt missed out on the 2024 AL MVP Award because of an incredible year at the plate from Aaron Judge. The Kansas City shortstop finished fourth in MVP balloting in 2025, behind only Judge, Cal Raleigh and José Ramírez. This year, our voters project it will be Witt’s turn to take home the hardware — but they think it will be close.
Witt, who had a .295/.351/.501 slash line with 23 homers and 38 steals in 2025, was picked to beat out Judge — by only one vote! — to win AL MVP. MLB’s best defender by Outs Above Average last season, Witt certainly has the talent to do it, but he’ll have to put up a campaign comparable to his outstanding ’24 and hope Judge doesn’t eclipse him once again.
Others receiving votes: Judge, Julio Rodríguez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Roman Anthony, Nick Kurtz, Ramírez, Gunnar Henderson
The 9-9-9 Challenge is back and will be available at even more ballparks in 2026 👀
Where will you be attempting the challenge? 🌭 New York Mets – Citi Field Philadelphia Phillies – Citizens Bank Park Colorado Rockies – Coors Field Houston Astros – Daikin Park Kansas City Royals… pic.twitter.com/GYn32rRRT8
Kansas City Sports Network’s Joel Penfield chatted with Royals general manager J.J. Picollo ahead of Opening Day. You can watch the full interview here.
.@Royals general manager J.J. Picollo following the club's dominance in the @WBCBaseball:
"Since then, I’ve gotten a lot of messages from different people around the country, whether it’s other clubs or writers, ‘you guys may have something special brewing there.'" 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/NBSVXVqWDl
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The days are longer, it’s getting warmer, and baseball has arrived. MLB Opening Day is upon us, and with it, the hope that 2026 can finally be the year our team turns it all around. Sure, functionally this is another season where everyone is trying to catch the seemingly-unstoppable Dodgers’ monolith, but everyone is 0-0 right now and that means we can dream.
It’s time to take stock of the Major League Baseball landscape before the first pitch and dive into the players who will shape the grand narrative of the season. These aren’t necessarily the best players in baseball (though there will naturally be some overlap), but more so the players whose performance will write the chapter on this season.
No. 1: Shohei Ohtani — Los Angeles Dodgers
Ohtani has such gravity that all of baseball revolves around him. It’s a quality we almost never see, and perhaps haven’t seen in any sport since peak LeBron James. This isn’t a case of thinking Ohtani won’t have a monster year, or won’t win MVP (again), but rather a case where everything in MLB is defined by the most influential player on the league’s best team.
No. 2: Gerrit Cole — New York Yankees
The Yankees are settling in as one of the few teams that could actually stop the Dodgers from running a three-peat, but that all depends on the return of ace Gerrit Cole. If he is able to bounce back from Tommy John surgery then the rotation in the Bronx of Cole/Fried/Rodón might be one of the most terrifying in all of baseball. If he comes back as a shadow of his former Cy Young self, well, the Dodgers might just take home another championship without much resistance.
No. 3: Cal Raleigh — Seattle Mariners
The most difficult part of capturing lightning in a bottle is holding onto it. In 2025 Cal Raleigh went from being one of baseball’s best catchers, to one of its best players without a positional qualifier. Seattle was one of the best stories in baseball last year, but if they want to turn that into perennial success then Raleigh needs to be close to what he was in 2025. That’s easier said than done.
No. 4: Alex Bregman — Chicago Cubs
2025 marked the return of the Chicago Cubs to being a team you actually needed to pay attention to. Topping 90 wins for the first time since 2018, their big free agency acquisition this year was to fix their gaping hole at third base. Bregman might not be the elite MVP candidate he was in Houston — but he’s still a massive upgrade whose bat could become the difference in the North Siders becoming a true contender.
No. 5: Dylan Cease — Toronto Blue Jays
It’s rare you see a team as good as the 2025 Jays go through so much roster upheaval. Right now it looks like they might be better on paper? It’s difficult to know. One thing is certain though, any chance of putting up a fight to the Dodgers’ crown will require the signing of Dylan Cease to pay off in the hopes he can slot into an aging rotation and give the team a chance for its prolific batting to make a difference.
No. 6: Ronald Acuña Jr. — Atlanta Braves
It feels like both yesterday and forever ago that Ronald Acuña was a transformative star. An injury-shortened 2025 season was the downfall of the Braves, who failed to make the postseason for the first time in seven years. If they want to get back on the right side of the ledger and prove they can be a force in the National League then Acuña needs to return to being the MVP caliber player he is.
No. 7: Bo Bichette — New York Mets
One of the weirdest free agent periods for a player in recent memory resulted in Bo Bichette landing in Queens, where he will either be the missing piece — or another misstep. Nobody spends more money on mediocrity than the Mets, who are so hungry to break the cycle they’ll do anything. Bichette is another Mets swing at finding their missing piece. If he can be additive, then they might finally get over the hump. If not, well, this signing will be another overpaid punchline in Queens.
No. 8: Ranger Suárez — Boston Red Sox
Who needs bats when nobody can hit your gas? That’s more or less Boston’s approach this season as they lost Alex Bregman in free agency, then decided to load up their rotation even more. It’s truly ridiculous that the Red Sox are going to trot out Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and now Ranger Suárez. It’s a rotation that evokes memories of the World Series-winning teams Boston had in the past, and we’ll see if history can repeat itself.
No. 9: Tarik Skubal — Detroit Tigers
Skubal is going to be amazing. We don’t need tea leaves to see that one coming. He will dominate the competition, probably win the Cy Young, and be a key factor in the Tigers’ success this year. What this placement is really about is free agency in 2027. A big year from Skubal could make him the first $500M free agent pitcher in MLB history, making his performance this season a definitive step in baseball.
No. 10: Ketel Marte — Arizona Diamondbacks
The D-Backs have a pretty darn good lineup. It’s just a shame they have atrocious pitching, which will probably sink their season. That makes Ketel Marte a player to watch who could easily be dealt at the deadline to a contender, which could make him the biggest name to move in the trade market this year.
No. 11: Trea Turner — Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are going to be a top-tier team again, but Trea Turner once again missed over 20 games in a season. For the Phillies to be a legitimate contender, they will hope Turner can give them a full slate of games, and if that happens, there’s a real chance that he could exceed his 5.4 WAR from last year and be a league-defining player.
No. 12: Gunnar Henderson — Baltimore Orioles
Gunnar Henderson’s incredible start to his MLB career was slowed by a shoulder injury in 2025 which in part caused the Orioles to fall back to earth. There’s a real chance they could return to form this season with a healthy Henderson leading the charge. Gunnar is one of baseball’s most exciting young players who will get a big lift from Pete Alonso, who will make this list in a couple of spots. Henderson edges out his new teammate, purely by virtue of the fact that 2026 could cement him as the future of MLB..
No. 13: Roman Anthony — Boston Red Sox
We expected Roman Anthony to be good, but didn’t think he’d immediately become one of baseball’s best players in his first season. With one of the best pitching rotations in baseball the Red Sox just need bats, and if Anthony can show up once more then we’ll be talking about Boston as a team that can upend the top of the AL East.
No. 14: Pete Alonso — Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles made the big play to sign Pete Alonso in free agency primarily to give the team a massive bat, and someone who could slot in beside Gunnar Henderson to give Baltimore a much-needed one-two punch. We know the five-time All-Star has power for days, but reliability is what will determine the Orioles fortunes this year.
No. 15: Konnor Griffin — Pittsburgh Pirates
Konnor Griffin might be starting the season in the minors, but it won’t be long before the Pirates call him up. The No. 1 overall prospect is garnering a level of hype rarely seen for a rookie after registering a ridiculous 161 hits in 123 Minor League games last year. If Griffin can live up to the billing, Paul Skenes will inevitably be brilliant once more — and we can start talking about Pittsburgh as a team to watch in 2027.
No. 16: Trey Yesavage — Toronto Blue Jays
The odds-on favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year honors, Yesavage showed unreal potential in limited time in 2025. Now he arrives on a Blue Jays roster that is stacked with talent, and part of a rotation that’s rich with veteran experience. It might not be long before we talk about him as the ace in Toronto, which could lead to serious postseason success.
No. 17: Kyle Tucker — Los Angeles Dodgers
The rich just keep on getting richer with the Dodgers solving a “weakness” by upgrading at right field and adding one of the most patient batters in the game. The big thing with Tucker is whether or not he can stay healthy for a full season slate. At his current rate the Dodgers will get better, if he hits his high water marks then it might be impossible for anyone to catch L.A.
No. 18: Jackson Merrill — San Diego Padres
It was a down year for Merrill in 2025, but there’s plenty of reason to believe the Padres’ CF can bounce back. If he does then we’re looking at a San Diego roster that’s one of baseball’s best on paper, and a legitimate contender after the Dodgers in the NL West.
No. 19: Jarren Duran — Boston Red Sox
Which version of Jarren Duran will show up in 2026? The Red Sox had been waiting for the outfielder to take that next step, which he did in 2024, then regressed once more in 2025. Is he closer to the 8.7 WAR monster that he was a couple of years back? Or the barely-above replacement player? This season could determine if Duran is part of Boston’s future plans, or shipped away at the trade deadline.
No. 20: Blake Snell — Los Angeles Dodgers
If you need evidence of how good Los Angeles was last year then look at the fact the Dodgers won the World Series while having one of the best pitchers in baseball on IR for four months of the season. A returning Snell helped lift the team in the postseason, and a strong return to form in 2026 will set the tone for the season.
No. 21: George Kirby — Seattle Mariners
One of the rare players on the Mariners who didn’t lift his game during Seattle’s incredible run was the rotation’s most promising pitcher, George Kirby. This organization will need their top players to return to form, as well as guys like Kirby to lift their games to prove they’re contenders in 2026. The potential is there, now we wait to see how it plays out.
No. 22: Jazz Chisholm Jr. — New York Yankees
One of the best defensive infielders in baseball, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is back to his natural spot at second base where he can make a big impact this season after spending last season at 3B. It’s a contract year for Chisholm Jr. which will amp up the urgency to have a big year, and his performance will be key to how far the Yankees can go this season.
No. 23: Julio Rodriguez — Seattle Mariners
Rodriguez is already an elite player, but there’s been just a little bit lacking to his game up to this point. Promising signs at the end of the season when it comes to reliability could very well carry over into 2026, making this a potential MVP season in the AL for him. If we see a 7 or 8 WAR year from him then we’ll be talking about Seattle as serious threats to the Dodgers. If not, well, it might be like last year — which was brilliant, but just a little too short.
No. 24: Bobby Witt Jr. — Kansas City Royals
The Royals don’t figure into being threats, but Bobby Witt Jr. is poised to ascend into being one of the faces of Major League Baseball. There might have been a small step back last season for the MVP-caliber shortstop, but this season could see him surge back into being one of the most dominant all-around players in the game.
No. 25: Yordan Alvarez — Houston Astros
The Astros’ chances to make noise in the postseason feel slim, at best — but they hinge on Yordan Alvarez getting back to his old self. The 28-year-old went from being a high-level player to a 0.7 WAR guy who lost a lot due to injury — but there’s little doubting he can bounce back. Houston needs him to be a top talent this year to have any chance of getting back to contention.
No. 26: Munetaka Murakami — Chicago White Sox
Putting a White Sox player in last place just feels right. It wasn’t long ago that Murakami conjured almost-Ohtani levels of hype when it came to making his MLB debut after hitting 56 home runs in 2022 and breaking the single-season record in Japan’s NPB. From there he went on a serious slump, wrecking high-level dreams and settling for a two-year deal with the White Sox. In spring training there have been some signs of promise, and it will be fascinating to see if Murakami can find his bat once more, or if time has passed him by.
The San Francisco Giants are set to make their season debut in a home opening series against the New York Yankees beginning Wednesday, March 25.
It's also the debut for Giants manager Tony Vitello, who's getting his first crack at the major leagues after a successful collegiate baseball coaching career for the Tennessee Volunteers.
He's the first collegiate coach to make the jump straight to the majors as a manager. It's an honor he doesn't take lightly, especially as he lives out a dream to be a MLB manager.
"As a coach, I was just trying to make my way," Vitello said during an October news conference. "I got thrust into a position at a young age that I probably didn't even deserve, so I was just trying to do a good job, and fortunately it helped get me to the next spot and the next spot and the next spot, and eventually this did become a dream, where I just decided if it was, if I was blessed enough to receive an opportunity, this is something I wanted to do before I was done coaching, in general."
He added: "It is a dream come true, but it's a very recent dream. It wasn't one I had for a while and, as much as I'd like to sit up here and promise things and pound my fist on the desk, really all I want to do is a good job."
That's all that San Francisco fans want too. His track record says he will. Everyone in orange and black is hoping that success will translate. Here's a look at his résumé:
Did Vitello win a national championship at Tennessee?
Vitello had a successful seven-year stint at Tennessee that spanned from 2018 to 2025.
In that span, he coached the Vols to two SEC regular-season titles, two SEC Tournament titles and a 2024 national title, being crowned 2024 NCAA Tournament champions. He's appeared in three College World Series, in 2021, 2023 and winning 2024.
Tony Vitello record at Tennessee
Vitello was a bona fide winner at Tennessee. He became the fastest coach in UT baseball history to reach the 300-win mark.
He left the university with an overall record of 341-131 (.722).
MLB players who played for Tony Vitello
Vitello has coached several of players at Tennessee that went on to play MLB, including Christian Moore, Garrett Crochet, Chase Silseth, Ben Joyce, Andre Lipcius, Trey Lipscomb, Jordan Beck, Seth Halvorsen, Chase Dollander and current Giants pitcher Blade Tidwell.
Did Drew Gilbert play for Tony Vitello
Also included in that list is Drew Gilbert, who currently plays outfield for the Giants. He played Vitello at Tennessee from 2020 to 2022.
Did Tony Vitello play in MLB
Vitello has no MLB playing experience. However, he hopes that isn't a problem when coaching in the pros.
"Dues have come in a different way," Vitello said in reference to the fact that he never played in the majors. "Hopefully respect will be earned in different ways, and the only way I know how to do that is through hard work."
SAN FRANCISCO — Three-time New York Yankees MVP Aaron Judge will be hanging in right field. Home run king Barry Bonds will be sharing his thoughts for the world to hear. Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols will be on a microphone. Future Hall of Famers Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy and Buster Posey will be sitting together in the San Francisco Giants executive suite.
But the most high-powered microscope will be zeroed in on the 47-year-old dude who never played a professional baseball game, never managed a professional baseball game, and has never even attended an opening day game.
Tony Vitello will make baseball history by becoming the first person to ever manage a major-league game directly out of college with zero professional experience.
The San Francisco Giants' new manager will be baseball’s guinea pig for the 2026 season, which could either open the floodgates for collegiate coaches to fill MLB vacancies – or close the door for any organization to ever consider such an idea again.
“Well," Vitello says, “I’m ready.
“I’ve got no other choice at this point, right?’’
Vitello, who coached at Tennessee, winning the 2024 national championship, looks into your eyes and won’t lie to you. He’s going to be nervous. He’s used to big games being against LSU on Friday nights on the SEC Network. Now, he’s facing baseball’s most historic franchise, with 27 World Series championships and Hall of Fame alumni from Ruth to Gehrig to DiMaggio to Berra to Mantle to Jeter to Judge.
So, you can imagine the national uproar with one lineup malfunction, a wrong pinch-hitting move, a bullpen blunder or a slip-up in a mid-game interview?
There will be millions of keyboard warriors waiting to pounce.
“I’ll be ready," Vitello says. “People critique, and when your pay for your ticket, that’s what you get to do. Or even if you're in our dugout, you're allowed to have second thoughts on anything. But the one thing I'll say is any decision we make is going to be a group effort, and there will be no stone left unturned prior to doing it.
“Whatever it is we choose to do, we're going full steam ahead, and I take responsibility from this point on. Ultimately, I have the final say, so that’s on me, but I love that I can rely on my guys."
'We couldn't be happier'
The Giants front office, who believed they’d rather have an unproven collegiate coach than hiring back Bochy, bringing in former Cubs manager Joe Maddon or David Ross, or giving recently fired Brandon Hyde or Davey Martinez another shot, know they’ve opened themselves up for ridicule.
They are paying more for a manager than any team in history, with $3.5 million paid directly to Vitello, $3 million to Tennessee for the buyout, and $4 million to Bob Melvin, who was fired.
Yet, instead of being anxious about their decision, the Giants left their Scottsdale, Arizona spring training complex convinced more than ever that they made the right move.
“I've been fortunate to be around some great managers," Giants GM Zack Minasian tells USA TODAY Sports, “from Johnny Oates to Buck Showalter to Melvin to Bobby Valentine to Boch. But watching Tony on the field during drills this spring is something different than I’ve ever seen. He makes it a lot of fun for the players. He just brings so much energy each and every day, and it’s something intentional.
“We want people excited walking into the doors in the clubhouse every day and I feel like so many people are and in a great frame of mind. I really think our players, our staff, are having fun. It’s fun to be around.
“Really, we couldn’t be happier."
There was so much outside noise about how the players may respond to a manager with zero experience, but the Giants haven't had internal complaints.
“It’s been an extremely seamless transition," Minasian says. “He’s been really able to build relationships quickly. The one thing I wasn't expecting is just how well connected he is to so many different people in professional baseball. You hear a lot, obviously, about him being the first manager to make the jump. And you assume that maybe they don't have the contacts that maybe someone else who had been in professional baseball for a long time would have. And he has just a huge address book that's full of people who have been in professional baseball a long time, from executives to agents to players.
“When we're having conversations about different possibilities, we've got a pretty good way to go and get information to help us."
There wasn’t a time a player publicly questioned anything Vitello tried, whether it was having the entire team involved in infield drills, having piercing noise blaring over the stadium loudspeakers during pop-ups to resemble a hostile crowd crowd, or watching Vitello taking grounders as if he’s one of the boys.
“It’s definitely different," Giants veteran backup catcher Eric Haase says. “Overall, he’s really brought in good energy, unmatched energy. He also has a very acute attention to detail. He’s got his hands in everything, but he’s given us a lot of freedom to have the clubhouse be our clubhouse. The guys have really gravitated towards Tony, and I’m excited to see what it looks like during the year."
'Ready or not, here we come'
It may have only been just spring training, a time where stats and standings are forgotten by the time the team boards the plane home, but for Vitello, it was a chance to establish the culture of winning.
The Giants went 19-9, finishing just one-half game behind the two-time World Series champion Dodgers (20-9), producing the highest batting average in the Cactus League with the lowest ERA.
“Tony brings a lot of passion," Giants ace Logan Webb says, “and I think he wants us to play with passion. I’m not saying he wants us to play like a college baseball team, but he wants us to play hard and be aggressive."
And yes, he badly wants to win, finally returning the Giants back to the postseason for the first time since 2021, failing to even produce a winning record.
“There’s a competitive nature with Tony that you just can't turn off," Minasian says, “in a good way. And so if we're out there playing a game, whether it's spring training or the regular season, he wants to win the game. There's an intensity and he's driven to succeed, no matter what time of year it is."
There will be growing pains, Vitello says. But the best managers learn from their mistakes and aren’t afraid to embrace them either.
He’s already been cautioned about the etiquette of being a major league manager, which he still may slip up at times this year.
“I assume I'm not going to be allowed to carry my bag on the plane," Vitello says, “even though I'm the one that packed it. I've kind of been warned of that by like seven people."
And on this Wednesday evening in San Francisco, the Vitello era begins.
“I know things will be completely different from spring training as far as the pace and the circumstances,’’ Vitello says. “The crowds will be bigger. The stadiums will be bigger. But you know, I think the baseball is going to be the same.
1935 – The Yankees purchase pitcher Pat Malone from the Cubs. Malone had led the N.L. in wins in 1929 and 1930, but Malone will only post a 19-13 record with the Yankees for the next three seasons.
1985 – An Illinois judge rules that state and city laws effectively banning night baseball at Chicago’s Wrigley Field are constitutional. After being forced to give up a home game during the 1984 NLCS (** note below), and threatened with playing future postseason games at another stadium in order to accommodate network television’s prime-time schedules, the Cubs had sued to overturn the laws.
2008 – Opening Day in Major League Baseball is held in the Tokyo Dome. The game was put in doubt earlier in the month when the Red Sox planned to “strike” due to disagreements with MLB over payment for coaches who make the trip. Daisuke Matsuzaka battles control problems, walking five, and allows two runs in five innings in a homecoming of sorts. In the sixth inning, Manny Ramirez hits a two-run double off Joe Blanton to tie the score and Brandon Moss singles him in for the lead. Oakland retakes the lead, 4-3, entering the 9th. Moss then delivers more heroics with one out in the ninth, homering off A’s closer Huston Street to tie the score. Hideki Okajima tosses a scoreless bottom of the inning for the win. In the 10th, Ramirez hits a two-run, two-out double off Street for a 6-4 lead. Oakland scores once off Jonathan Papelbon in the 10th, but he hangs on for the save.
The Detroit Tigers open up their 2026 campaign on Thursday afternoon on the West Coast against a National League opponent for the second-straight year, looking to make it to the playoffs for a third-straight season.
This summer’s edition of the Olde English D has a bit more beef to it than that of last year’s, especially with the addition of Framber Valdez to the starting rotation, as well as a late-career reunion with the legendary Justin Verlander.
Looking ahead to what we all hope is a run to the World Series, the Bless You Boys staff convened to offer their predictions in roundtable fashion. The categories up for discussion were as follows:
Tigers Record
Tigers MVP
Tigers CY Young
Tigers ROY
A good portion of the responses were pretty much expected, especially when it came to a certain consecutive Cy Young Award winner and the top prospect in the big leagues. But there was plenty of variation in the record predictions, plus a few cheeky picks as well.
Take a long look at what the Bless You Boys staff had to offer.
Cannon at the Hot Corner:
Record: 92-70
This is a better team than last year. Valdez is important, JV is back, Finnegan and Jansen stabilize the bullpen, and you might have heard of Kevin McGonigle. This isn’t some flawless super team or anything, and the bottom of the division is gonna give us fewer easy wins than last year, but it’s a great roster to start a championship chase with.
MVP: Colt Keith. Why the f not? I’ll put my money where my mouth is. I love Keith, I think he’s gonna turn into a .280/30 HR kinda guy, and I hate being boring. My next two picks are super boring.
Cy Young: Well, here’s boring. It’s Skubal. We all know it’s Skubal.
ROY: Ok, here’s boring answer two. If this is someone other than McGonigle, I fear things will have gone terribly wrong.
Patrick O’Kennedy:
Tigers Record: 88- 74
Tigers MVP: Tarik Skubal
Tigers CY Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: Kevin McGonigle
Peter Kwasniak:
For some reason, I’m not feeling very bold on predictions this year. I’ll go with the obvious choices all around.
Tigers Record: 90-72
Tigers MVP: Skubal
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
Hopefully, the Tigers put together a solid season, not the wild, hotter-than-the-sun first half and colder-than-arctic finish.
Frisbee Pilot:
Tigers Record: 92-70
Tigers MVP: Kerry Carpenter
Tigers Cy Young: Framber Valdez
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
I enjoy being both optimistic and unconventional… except for ROY, we all know McG’s gonna absolutely kill it out there.
Brandon Day:
Tigers record 91-71
Tigers MVP: Greene
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
Boring takes, but I believe in them. I really think the combination of McGonigle and hopefully healthy Gleyber is going to make this a more consistent offense, and this is the best pitching staff they’ve had since 2014. They have good depth beyond the starting five in the rotation. Just have to hope the big boys stay healthy and do what they’re supposed to do, but that’s the way it is for everyone.
Frisbee: I was thinking maybe Riley for Tigers MVP, but I’m really worried about his physical decline so far. Or maybe it’s just a bump in the road, who knows?
Day: Yeah, hard to know. He’s 25, but he is going into his fifth season already and thrown himself around a lot in the outfield. Not so surprising that he lost a step but the metrics definitely agree that he was a bit below average runner last year after always being on the faster than average side his first few years. I would bet Riley has a 40 home run season or two ahead of him though and hasn’t really peaked as a hitter. May just need to get him into the DH spot once a week going forward to help keep him fresh. But Riley has never really failed as a hitter his whole life until the second half of last year and he didn’t like it. I bet he comes back strong.
Cam Kaiser:
Tigers Record: 88-74
Tigers MVP: Skubal
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
On paper, the Tigers got better this offseason in a way that fans haven’t seen since Mike Ilitch was dolling out six-figure contracts like hot cakes. With the acquisition of Framber Valdez and future Hall of Famer and Detroit legend Justin Verlander, it’s exciting to see them back to being players for major free agents.
Hopefully, it’s a sign of what’s to come for the future of the pairing of Chris Ilitch and Scott Harris. There are still major concerns, though. Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize had very discouraging springs, while potential rotation solutions in Reese Olson (entire season) and Troy Melton (foreseeable future) find themselves on the shelf with arm injuries. Kenley Jansen and Drew Anderson should elevate the bullpen over the goofballs Harris acquired at last year’s deadline, Kyle Finnegan — welcome back! — not withstanding, though they are still lacking in the strikeout department.
Finally, the offense wasn’t upgraded externally. Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Gleyber Torres should be solidly above-average hitters. Spencer Torkelson and Dillon Dingler will probably hit. But this is a middle-of-the-pack offense that was inflated in the first half of 2025 by All-Star (half) years from Javier Báez and Zack McKinstry.
The biggest upgrade to the lineup rests with the bat of the team’s top prospect in Kevin McGonigle. McGonigle had an excellent spring and, by all indications, seems to be breaking camp with the big club, but expecting an immediate impact from any rookie is asking a lot. We’ll see what the kid can do; the season might depend on him.
Ashley MacLennan:
I’m choosing to go high on this season like an absolute fool.
Tigers Record: 90-72
Tigers MVP: Riley Greene (please, Riley, please)
Tigers Cy Young: Tarik Skubal
Tigers ROY: Kevin McGonigle, duh
Jay Markle:
Tigers Record: 89-73
Tigers MVP: Skubal
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
Fielder’s Choice:
Tigers Record: 88-74
Tigers MVP: Skubal
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
Zane Harding:
This was an 87-75 team last year that was a massive collapse away from 90-plus wins. Nevertheless, that’s a .500 team without Skubal.
All else equal — a bold assumption, I know — we added Valdez/Verlander in free agency, 6.2 fWAR last year, and are promoting McGonigle, a Bobby Witt Jr. level prospect who is projected for 2.6 fWAR by ZiPS in just 91 games of action… (he’s projected to exceed Witt’s rookie season, to speak to his hype.)
I’ll still factor some for entropy, but I’m coming in bullish relative to the roundtable.
Tigers Record: 96-66
Tigers MVP: Skubal
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
Easiest answers for MVP Cy and ROY ever.
MacLennan: Poor Kevin if it turns out he just has a somewhat okay rookie season, lol. We’re literally pinning our hopes and dreams on him and Skoob.
Day: Well, add Framber and Kevin to last year’s squad, and I like their chances over the Mariners. Postseason ball is impossible to predict, of course.
Harding: Witt was worth 2.3 fWAR in his 150-game rookie season, FWIW. He was 22; McGonigle is 21.
Mr. Sunshine:
Tigers Record: 98-64
Tigers MVP: Gleyber Torres
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
Harding: NOOOO Sunshine out-wins again!
Cannon: Wow, 98 is crazy. I like this guy’s thinking
Les Lim:
Tigers Record: 95-six seven
Tigers MVP: McGonigle
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: Max Clark
Adam Dubbin:
Tigers Record: 87-75
Tigers MVP: Spencer Torkelson
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
It’s the year of the Tork, baby! But I think the team will underperform overall.
David Rosenberg:
Tigers Record: 91-71
Tigers MVP: Greene
Tigers Cy Young: Skubal
Tigers ROY: McGonigle
I’m not really picking anything too spicy this year, but that’s because this is a good team that has a chance to be great. The Tigers were a win away from the ALCS in 2025. The pitching staff is better and the lineup has more experience, and adding Kevin McGonigle to the roster is the offensive addition that they needed.
Now that you know where the Bless You Boys staff stands entering the 2026 campaign, give us your takes in the comments below!
JUPITER, FL - MARCH 18: Ryne Stanek #55 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game between the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Colten Strauss/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The season is finally almost here! Opening Day is tomorrow for the Cardinals at 3:15pm CST. It will be Drew Rasmussen taking the mound for the Rays in St Louis, and Matthew Liberatore will be your Opening Day starting pitcher for the Cardinals. The Cardinals will have their work cut out for them because Rasmussen is a legit ace pitcher, going by his rate stats, while Liberatore’s portfolio of stats isn’t nearly as exciting. However, Liberatore isn’t walking anyone lately, and the Rays lineup shouldn’t be that scary for him. Could/should be a really good opener.
Who showed up to Spring Training this year ready to demolish some baseballs? Josh Baez and Nelson Velazquez! Neither of whom made the team out of spring training. I am willing to believe that neither were going to make the team before spring training even started, but they both gave us a glimpse of some powerful reinforcements down on the farm. Somehow Velazquez hardly struck out at all and took some walks, showing some possible veteran poise. Baez showed monster power, and that’s not potential, that’s real in game home run power. Sure he’s going to strike out, but damn.
Speaking of monster power, Tai Peete struck out over half the time but had an ISO of .455. Alec Burleson had a high batting average and an OBP of .458! Hoping he can be a key part of this offense, because basically, he has to. Nolan Gorman and Nathan Church are showing a lot of promise with wRC+ around 135-140 this spring! That’s a lot better than not bad. Spring training sample size caveat reminder! Even less meaningful were the positive offensive performances of Thomas Saggese and Jimmy Crooks III, who outhit JJ Wetherholt, the last player I’ll mention as a positive from Spring Training. Sure JJ wasn’t a lot above an average hitter, but it was better than seeing him flounder and possibly not make the team. Although, I’m pretty sure he would’ve anyway.
Which players weren’t ready for spring training or weren’t really trying to impress, maybe working on some things batting-wise? Yohel Pozo, Ramon Urias, and Victor Scott II will surely be below average hitters. Ivan Herrera’s mystery swollen knee held him back from making much progress, at least in spring training. He has certainly set back the schedule regarding catching, but they already had Pozo and Pages in place, so it’s tough to know what the real plan was there. Regardless, he wasn’t quite ready for spring training. Buddies Masyn Winn and Jordan Walker could barely hit at all all spring long. The hitting performances of Jose Fermin and Cesar Prieto did nothing whatsoever to instill any confidence in their offense. But the worst hitter of all this spring was Pedro Pages! Showing a -10 wRC+. How does one even do that? A batting average worse than a pitcher’s with absolutely zero power. I will yawn at every Pedro Pages at bat until August!
Pitching-wise, only 6 pitchers got past the 10 IP mark. Liberatore and Leahy dominated the xFIP rates, Liberatore and Dustin May looked really good by FIP, and May, Liberatore, McGreevy, and Pallante all had good springs by ERA. You can tell why Oliver Marmol was fond of his pitching staff. Quinn Mathews also got a good look in spring, but his Fielding Independent Pitching stats weren’t too impressive in 11 IP. What was impressive was his K/9. Batters weren’t hitting him well, he was just walking too many people.
Beyond that, there isn’t much to say other than the bullpen looks to be at least mediocre. Pushard didn’t have a good spring but made the cut. Roycroft did have a good spring and will be a part of the bullpen, at least to start the season. Blewett, Svanson, Bruihl, and Romero seem like they will be just fine. One standout was George Soriano, I think he’ll be an important piece to the bullpen puzzle this year. And don’t forget Ryne Stanek! Maybe they’ll trade Soriano, Stanek, Romero, and Pushard, maybe Roycroft at the deadline. I don’t know. Gotta make way for Luis Gastelum etc, eventually.
So we are picked as a last place team this year, but how could they avoid the basement? The Reds are already helping by losing Hunter Greene for a while. The Pirates are waiting on Konor Griffin. The Brewers may finally come back down to earth. The Cubs would need to be devastated by some big injuries to drop off. So it’s probably up to the Cardinals to overperform their projections.
Masyn Winn might just be a 3 WAR player this year, if he doesn’t hit much. But maybe he finally meets his potential in 2026. It’s ok to ignore spring training. If Ivan Herrera gets more playing time and he really is a 130-140 wRC+ hitter, he will have no problem beating every projection system that has calculated his forward potential. JJ Wetherholt is expected to top out at 2.5 WAR or so, but what if he just goes off instead? Will this be a season where ROY is determined by WAR?
If Alec Burleson continues his trend of being a better hitter every season, he will have no problem outdoing his WAR projections, which hover around 1.5 to 2 WAR. Then you have spring training Nolan Gorman who looks like a candidate for comeback player of the year award.
I might be crazy but I think the starting rotation is better than the projected totals. It doesn’t take much to imagine them as better than a bunch of 1.5 WAR guys. My picks to totally beat that are Liberatore and May. Liberatore because I think he’s one of those slowly improving players each year, and May because I think he will finally be healthy a full season and reach his true potential. Will I be wrong about that? Maybe so! But I’m not going to just expect him to get hurt again. Track record be damned.
HOT TAKES
Here are my hotter than hot takes! List your’s in the comments! Nolan Gorman MVP and Dustin May Cy Young Award Winner. Cardinals make the playoffs despite Winn, VSii, Walker, and Pages not hitting. The pitching ends up being a strength, and Gorman, Herrera, and Burleson fuel a surprising offense. Wetherholt ends up being an above average hitter but a more notable defensive second baseman, teaming up with Winn to prevent almost anything from making it through the middle infield. Gorman and Burleson end up being average, good enough at the corners. The blend of Church and Scott II make the outfield defense air tight. The Cardinals set some records with run prevention. Herrera ends up being the catcher by the end of the season and Nelson Velazquez the DH. Baez ends up being at AAA all season because of Jordan Walker. But it ends up being good for him, development-wise.
Thomas Saggese, Jimmy Crooks III, and half the bullpen get traded away, but the second half ends up being spectacular for the Cardinals. Innings are managed to allow the better starting pitchers to get more time on the mound during the last two months of the season. Walker doesn’t hit all season but goes red hot in the playoffs, making the management and owners look like geniuses. Rally rabbit hops all over the field.
So of course my hot take involves the hopium, give me your most negative takes. Or your most over the top positive predictions. It will be tough to beat some of the 100 loss hot takes, though. How about an earthquake splits Busch Stadium III asunder! And some get their wish for the Cardinals to move out of St Louis. HOT HOT HOT! Give me those hot takes. Imagine, if you will, a world even more insane than this one.
1983
Bonus! a big writing project is underway: writing about each year of my life. I’m only up to 1983 so I’ve a ways to go on this.
The first commercial cell phone call was made in Chicago on October 13, 1978, and it was the beginning of the internet as we know it that year too!
Return of the Jedi was the big movie that year, and I got to see it in the theaters multiple times just after its release. Episodes 4-6 is one of the best trilogies ever made. It was mostly downhill after that, but I cherish my early Star Wars memories and Christmas was always full of toys back then. Especially Star Wars toys!
My less obvious 1983 must see movie picks:
Videodrome by David Cronenberg
V on NBC (a reptilian sci-fi drama series that was a big part of the early 80s!)
Fire and Ice fantasy animated movie directed by Ralph Bakshi
Strange Brew (Canadian beer comedy!)
Going to be focusing mostly on music this week! Turns out 1983 is another one of those ridiculously stacked years… lots and lots of punk rock coming to fruition and plenty of other cultural movements happening!
Tom Waits – ‘Swordfishtrombones’ I want people to hear this who haven’t heard it, and if you have, you know it is one of Tom Waits’ best albums! Absolutely fantastic listen. It’s with this album Tom Waits gets really good and never looks back. His songwriting was always top notch, but Waits adds a signature sound to his already masterful equation. Standout track: “16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six”
Swans – ‘Filth’ I heard this later on in my musical life experience, and it was still utterly mindblowing decades later! I cannot imagine what it must’ve sounded like upon its release in 1983. Holy Ffffff. Some of the nastiest, machine-like playing by actual humans you’ll ever hear. Far darker and heavier than just about anything you could hear from a rock or punk band, Swans create a whole new thing here. Every track stands out and just smashes you down, grinds you up in some kind of clanking, strange machine.
Minutemen – ‘What Makes A Man Start Fires’ this is my big revelation this week, I either haven’t heard this particular Minutemen album, or it’s been so long I forgot how good it actually is. The Minutemen pave a lot of new ground and meld several styles into their own thing. Mike Watt’s bass playing on this is nothing less than phenomenal. What Makes A Man Start Fires’ inherently ultra high, positive energy is rarely matched by anyone. Except maybe by Jerrys Kids which I’ll list later…
Pylon – ‘Chomp’ another big 1983 find! This album is catchy as hell, has some depth to it, and the album cover cracks me up every time! Lots of variety of 80s and punk rock songs in a standard guitar bass drums rock format. A total 80s classic! Must listen! A lost gem. One of the big reasons I’m enjoying doing this so much is all the obscure bands not even I have heard of. Another album that I wonder what people thought of when it came out. They were supposedly influential on early R.E.M. The vocals of Vanessa Briscoe Hay really make the band for me, as does the up-front, in-your-face bass playing, and the creative guitarist.
Talking Heads – ‘Speaking In Tongues’ Probably my favorite Talking Heads album, and that’s saying a lot! They’re making my best of the year lists A LOT. What makes this one my favorite is the production is better than the others before it, and there is an even more expansive variety of styles on display by the band, all the while serving each song well. They also sound more mature and experienced here.
Metallica – ‘Kill Em All’ some albums will just never get old, and that’s true for Metallica’s debut. Sure Metallica had some influences, but the way they fused them together and the energy they put into it was next level, especially for the time. It still sounds fresh, which is not easy to do considering it’s from 1983! Metallica were not the heaviest, fastest, or choppiest of the thrash metal bands, but they were one of the first, and what they excelled at was songwriting and high energy, memorable guitar solos. But don’t forget the James Hetfield downpicking guitar riff would propel them through all their most amazing albums.
Eskaton – ‘Fiction’ the strange genre of Zeuhl meets the oddball goofiness of the 80s! It retains all of its prog rockness and the funk influences, but sounds like they had no problem fitting that into the realm of 80s music. Somehow, they were able to make the change more naturally than other prog-oriented bands.
Cocteau Twins – ‘Head Over Heels’ another album from the future, music-wise. The production sounds a bit muted, but I bet at the time it was insanely groundbreaking! What they are doing musically is way ahead of their time. One of the signature bands of the 80s, I love it. The way the drum machines and guitars, vocals sound on this album, is the stuff of legends…
Bad Brains – ‘Rock For Light’ the first Bad Brains album is almost indecipherable production-wise, but Rock For Light shines through production-wise and with a whole new scope of top-tier reggae interlude songs. The punk is still young energy hyper-fast and intense, but with more variety. A good introduction to the world of Bad Brains! This album is another one ahead of its time.
Jerrys Kids – ‘Is This My World?’ I think I asked the same question as a kid and felt a little depressed. Is this really the world we live in? I grew up in the Cold War era with emergency drills for tornadoes, nuclear war, and even earthquakes. But at least I didn’t have the shooter drills. This is one of the best punk rock albums ever made, and the drummer sounds like he is going to explode the whole time! Another big find in my hunt for good albums from 1983. It might only be 24 minutes, but it gets its message across just as well or better than many 40-minute+ albums. What a shot of adrenaline!
Steve Hiett – ‘Down On The Road By The Beach’ had never heard this one before, but it didn’t sound like anything else from 1983, or much else after. It has such a chill but warm sound, throughout. Relaxing. Summer daydream vibes.
Crass – ‘Yes Sir, I Will’ I was in some improv punk bands and had never heard this before, it reminds me of what we were doing which wasn’t easy listening, either! Life is chaos. Advanced listening anarchy.
Takeo Moriyami – ‘East Plants’ next level jazz genius from Japan! The thunderous but precise drums are from Takeo himself, a drummer and band leader. Masterclass jazz series.
Dio – ‘Holy Diver’ It makes the list for the songs Holy Diver and Rainbow In The Dark! But the whole album is perfect. Also, I love how prominently the bassist is in the mix, making it a unique standout heavy metal album. The whole album has a stripped down to the bolts sound that works really well for the band.
Amebix – ‘No Sanctuary’ this band gave birth to the crustpunk genre right here, and heavily influenced the futures of both grindcore and black metal. Another short and to the point listen, clocking in at 27 minutes. The whole damn thing sounds so epic.
Misfits – ‘Earth A.D./Wolf’s Blood’ dingy production but high energy, hyper stylized punk rock! Legends.
Disciplina Kičme – ‘Sviđa Mi Se Da Ti Ne Bude Prijatno’ I don’t know much about this but the music is amazing! A truly fun foreign art punk find. Super catchy. Probably should be ranked higher!
Mercyful Fate – ‘Melissa’ an early metal classic on par with ‘Kill Em All’ except for the impossibly silly vocals, which only appear half the time at least, on this album. I don’t exactly hate the vocals, but it renders the band to a few songs at a time for me. Maybe slowly I will get more used to those ridiculous satanic vocals, but for now I must admire how early the metal is here, the band kicks ass. Mercyful Fate was one of the tightest instrumentally of any of the early metal bands.
Suicidal Tendencies – ‘self-titled’ and to round out the top 20 albums of 1978, the legendary debut of the band who brought us the 1980’s punk songs on many a mix tape: “Institutionalized” and “I Saw Your Mommy”.
Honorable Mentions: Madonna is a really fun listen and part of my childhood soundtrack, you heard it everywhere along with Hall and Oates and Men At Work. She’s So Unusual by Cindy Lauper! Another part of my childhood memories soundtrack. And Jon Hassell ‘Magic Realism’. I forgot to include his album with Brian Eno in my 1980 writeup! Massive overlook on that one. While I do like Magic Realism I do not find it to be one of his top tier albums, so if this one feels a bit like background music, this is one of his more ambient albums. Still love it though.
Cannot believe opening day is finally here tomorrow wooooooo. To help make the time go by faster, time for some hot takes…
Philadelphia Phillies hats on display in the New Era Team Store at a preview event at Citizens Bank Park on March 24, 2026. | Brandon Holveck/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Opening Day is tonight. Kind of. Well, the Yankees and Giants play tonight, on Netflix, so I guess it’s Opening Night.
And there will be stars on the broadcast.
From other sports. Not baseball, mind you. There will be wrestling people.
After a long offseason, the wait is finally over. Opening Day has officially arrived on the calendar, and the New York Yankees are going to be one of the two teams marking the start of the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
As the only game of the day—well, evening—the eyes of every baseball fan will be tuned in to the action at Oracle Park out in San Francisco. The Yankees begin their season out west in front of a hostile crowd rooting on their Giants, now led by former University of Tennessee Volunteers manager Tony Vitello, a curious choice made by team legend and president of baseball operations Buster Posey.
San Francisco has made the playoffs just once since 2016 and looks to improve upon a 2025 season in which they finished at exactly the .500 mark and third in the National League West, while the Yankees once again move toward the goal of winning a World Series in the era of Aaron Judge. For more on the Giants as a whole, check out my colleague Matt’s team preview, and of course we’ve done a full player-by-player preview for everyone on the Yankees. Their roster is all but finalized.
All first pitch times below are Eastern Standard Time; Yankees starters were confirmed by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and the Giants by Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. Happy 2026 season, everyone! Let’s play ball.
Wednesday — Max Fried vs. Logan Webb (8:05 pm)
After Gerrit Cole went down with a season-ending arm injury in March 2025 that required Tommy John surgery, it was the newly-signed Max Fried’s job to step in and take over the role of ace, which he did extremely well. He finished last season with a 19-5 record and a 2.86 ERA with 189 strikeouts in 195.1 innings pitched. He earned an All-Star nod, a Gold Glove, and finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting. Cole’s injury happened late enough in camp last year that the Yankees elected to have Carlos Rodón start Opening Day rather than move Fried off schedule, but he was clearly prepared for the Opening Day nod this time around (Cole continues to work back into shape and get ready for a return). The southpaw previously started three Opening Days for the Braves from 2021-23, and is raring to go in 2026.
However, at the other end of the spectrum is a pitcher who had a spectacular season last year as well: Logan Webb. The Giants’ workhorse ace pitched 207 innings, the most of anyone in MLB, and tallied 224 strikeouts, pacing the National League. Webb recorded a 3.22 ERA and also finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting. So, not only will baseball fans get a glimpse at a couple of exciting offenses, but these two aces are coming off fantastic seasons and will be sure to battle it out against one another — especially in a pitcher’s park like Oracle. This will be Webb’s fifth consecutive Opening Day start for the Giants, remarkably passing Posey’s old batterymates Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner (among others) for second in team history, only trailing Hall of Famer Juan Marichal.
As a reminder, the Opening Day game will be broadcast exclusively on Netflix.
After a day off, the Yankees and Giants will take the field again for the second matchup of three and the first familiar telecast of the season on YES Network. This pitching duel will be between a young, up-and-coming right-hander and a well-established, veteran left-hander.
Last year, Cam Schlittler made waves, pitching in 14 games for the Yankees, racking up 1.3 fWAR and a 2.96 ERA in 73.0 innings pitched. The rookie’s best performance came in the AL Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox, his childhood team. He pitched eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in the winner-take-all game, all as a rookie. Now, Schlittler begins his first full season at the major-league level, and he will have to use his excellent stuff to beat the man across from him.
Robbie Ray had his best season in a few years in 2025, pitching 180+ innings for the first time since 2022—the season after his Cy Young Award-winning year in Toronto earned him a big contract—and ending with a respectable 3.65 ERA. While his strikeout stuff declined relative to his stellar earlier career, he lowered his walk and home run rates in the process, and entering the season at age 34, he’s looking to start off another solid campaign. It will be his third in San Francisco since coming over in a January 2024 trade with the Mariners, mid-Tommy John surgery rehab.
Saturday — Will Warren vs. Tyler Mahle (7:15 pm)
In the final matchup of MLB opening weekend before an odd Sunday offday, two hurlers look to prove themselves for their respective clubs. This one will be broadcast on Fox.
Will Warren pitched 162.1 innings last year for the Yankees and tied for the AL lead with 33 starts, but his 4.44 ERA likely isn’t something he’s satisfied with, especially given his upgraded role in the rotation for the time being. He still finished the 2025 season with 2.1 fWAR, which is more than respectable enough for a 26-year-old in his first full major league season. However, with up-and-down results leading to more offseason work, there’s an opportunity for Warren to truly cement himself as a key member of the top five.
As for righty Tyler Mahle, he is a new member of the Giants organization, having played last season down south with the Texas Rangers. He pitched only 86.2 innings in 16 games due to a right rotator cuff injury and shoulder strain, but in those 86.2 innings, he pitched well. His 2.18 ERA looks excellent (despite the predictive numbers suggesting he should be around the 4-4.5 mark), and because of that, he finished the season with 1.9 fWAR. That being said, last season, he didn’t finish with the best numbers in terms of strikeouts, so there could be some room for bat-to-ball skills from the Yankees to be utilized. Mahle also pitched well in limited time during spring training, not givinp a run in four games and 10 innings pitched. New Giants skipper Vitello feels comfortable with his stuff and will have him close out this series.
