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After 32 exhibition games over the last five and a half weeks, things get real on Thursday for the Dodgers, who host the Arizona Diamondbacks on opening day at Dodger Stadium.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the second straight opening day for the Dodgers. He joins Sandy Koufax as the only Dodgers to throw the final pitch of a championship followed by the first pitch the next season.

Zac Gallen starts for the Diamondbacks.

Los Angeles stalwart Keith Williams Jr. will sing the national anthem on Thursday, and Magic Johnson will throw the ceremonial first pitch. The opening ceremonies start at 4:45 p.m., and will include traditional opening day player introductions, plus the raising of the championship flag and 2025 World Series emblem at the stadium.

NBC will exclusively televise this game, with streaming on Peacock. Clayton Kershaw, in his new role as television studio analyst for NBC, will be on-site with Bob Costas for the NBC pregame show, which begins at 5 p.m.

Thursday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 5:30 p.m.
• TV: NBC (Jason Benetti, Orel Hershiser, Luis González)
• Streaming: Peacock
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

MESA, AZ — The Chicago Cubs and outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong have agreed to a six-year, $115 million contract extension, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports, with a press conference scheduled for later this week in Chicago.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not yet announced the deal.

The contract extension begins in 2027 and takes Crow-Armstrong through the 2032 season — two years past his original free agent date. The deal includes no option years, enabling Crow-Armstrong to still hit free agency again at the age of 30. It also includes contract escalators that could make the deal worth as much as $133 million.

It’s the largest contract with no club options for a player with five or more years of control at the time of the signing, ranking among the top three contracts for a player not surrendering team control past the age of 30.

While Crow-Armstrong will still earn $894,000 in 2026, the Cubs have spent $347 million this winter, the most by any team in baseball.

ESPN makes bold prediction about Giants ace Logan Webb for 2026 MLB season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Logan Webb always is in the picture for most innings pitched at the end of the year, but wins have been another story.

ESPN’s David Schoenfield weighed in on what the Giants can expect from Webb entering his eighth MLB season, all with San Francisco.

“It’s not bold to predict that Logan Webb will lead the National League in innings pitched,” Schoenfield wrote in a piece published Tuesday. “He has done that three seasons in a row.”

Webb barely had the edge on Garrett Crochet last season for innings pitched in the entire league with 207.1.

“The last pitcher to lead his league four consecutive seasons was Greg Maddux,” Schoenfield continued. “He did it five years in a row from 1991 to 1995. Before Maddux’s run, Robin Roberts was the last to do it from 1951 to 1955.”

Webb has been the ace in San Francisco for years now and has gained the respect of everyone in the clubhouse, from teammates to coaches. Schoenfield had a hot take that could age well when it’s all said and done this season.

“Let’s up the ante, though,” Schoenfield continued. “Webb also gets more run support than he’s used to and leads the NL with 18 wins — the first Giants pitcher to top the circuit since John Burkett tied with Tom Glavine in 1993 with 22 wins.”

Freddy Peralta led the NL in wins last season with 17, but Webb wasn’t too far behind. Going 15-11 last season, the run support for the Rocklin native was less than expected.

With the additions of Harrison Bader, Luis Arráez, and a full season with Rafael Devers, the Giants are expected to make a leap offensively this season.

If Webb is on the mound when the offense is clicking, 18 wins is an extremely attainable goal.

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The Mets announced Carson Benge as their starting right fielder Monday.

But the story behind the announcement is even better.

On Tuesday, the team released behind-the-scenes video of Benge finding out his fate. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza brought Benge into his office to give him the good news.

Mendoza first started his spiel.

“You carry yourself like a big leaguer. You play like a freaking big leaguer,” he told the rookie.

Then, he finished with one question.

“You come to Citi Field, you take batting practice, what was going through your head that day?” Mendoza asked.

"Holy s***, I want to be here."

The moment Carson Benge became a big leaguer pic.twitter.com/3Y2flYHjDa

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 24, 2026

“Holy s–t, I want to be here,” Benge responded.

“Well, guess what? On Thursday, you’re gonna get that opportunity,” Mendoza said. “You made the team, you’re gonna be in the lineup, you’re gonna be playing right field for the New York Mets.”

The decision came after Benge had a phenomenal spring training in Port St. Lucie, where he hit .366 with an .874 OPS in 14 games. His chances were also improved when outfielder Mike Tauchman suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee.

In the offseason, the Mets also shipped off Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers, leaving an outfield of Juan Soto, Tyrone Taylor, Luis Robert Jr. and potentially Brett Baty.

“I am happy that I carried myself in a really good way,” Benge said. “I showed everyone what kind of person I am and I feel like that is what spoke the loudest for me.

“Joy over everything, I would say,” Benge later added of how he felt after receiving the news.

Last year, Benge split time between High-A Brooklyn, Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. He had a batting average over .300 and on-base percentage over .400 at both High-A and Double-A but struggled in Syracuse, albeit in just 24 games.

He slashed .178/.272/.311 in 103 plate appearances, though his improvement this spring outweighs those numbers.

As Mendoza alluded to, Benge will likely mostly play right field, but the Mets also said he could rotate into center when Robert needs a day off.

His first MLB action won’t be easy, though — he’ll face Paul Skenes and the Pirates on Opening Day Thursday.

With the Yankees just a day away from their Opening Night matchup with the San Francisco Giants, the club announced a trade on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Bombers have traded veteran infielder Zack Short to the Washington Nationals in exchange for cash considerations. 

Short, 30, had 18 at-bats for the Yankees this spring, hitting .278 with one RBI. 

Signed to a minor league contract in December, Short had a chance to earn a bench role for the Yankees, but with the Opening Day roster now set, the Yankees sent Short to Washington.

Short has appeared in 241 career regular season games, including 10 games with the Mets in 2024.

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers opening day roster has been finalized, if not yet officially announced, since Sunday when Alex Freeland beat out Hyeseong Kim for a platoon role at second base. Antoine Kelly and Chris Campos were the last two non-roster pitchers remaining in camp, and made the trip to Southern California for the Freeway Series after having strong showings in Arizona.

Kelly signed to a minor league deal by the Dodgers in November after pitching six minor league seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Colorado Rockies systems. The 26-year-old left-hander has yet to reach the majors, but it’s not hard to see that changing some time this season after his impressive spring.

Kelly led Dodgers pitchers in Arizona with nine appearances, with 11 strikeouts and a 34.4-percent strikeout rate in 8 2/3 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and walked four, and was consistently pitching in the high-90s along with an effective slider.

“Big fastball, easy velocity, slider. He’s been filling up the strike zone. He’s had a tremendous camp. And I think as far as some guys that weren’t on our radar that are now, he’s one of them,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday. “For us, just getting him here on this trip was something that he earned, and we wanted him to kind of reward him with his spring. So yeah, he’ll go down to OKC, and won’t be surprised to see him at some point with us in a relief role.”

Campos grew up going to games at Dodger Stadium, born in Montebello and playing baseball at Damien High School in La Verne. He was a two-way player at St. Mary’s College, the same school that produced Corbin Burnes and Tony Gonsolin, to name a few.

Roberts said his son Cole while at Loyola Marymount played against Campos. Cole Roberts walked against Campos, who struck out seven in four innings in that 2022 game.

Campos pitched almost exclusively as a starter or in bulk relief in his four professional seasons since getting drafted in the seventh round in 2022. This spring as a reliever, he allowed only a run on 11 hits in his 10 innings of work over seven appearances this spring. Campos didn’t walk a batter until issuing two free passes Monday night in his Dodger Stadium debut, and struck out 12 of his 43 batters faced (27.9 percent).

“I like him. He’s just very confident, and I wish everyone carried themselves the way he carries himself on the mound, with the confidence that he has,” Roberts said of Campos. “He’s not a high velocity guy, he’s a command guy. Uses three, four different pitches, and so just probably lets his stuff play up in a relief role and see how he can, you know, bounce back”

They didn’t make the opening day roster, but Kelly and Campos sure pitched themselves into consideration for a call-up at some point this season.

MLB Opening Day is just two days away and while the iconic Dodger Dog is the go-to concession choice for fans headed to Chavez Ravine to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers begin their quest for a three-peat, they'll have some more options to fill up on this season.

Among the additions to the menu at Dodger Stadium for 2026 are a Habit Burger & Grill location in the centerfield plaza, cochinita pibil bone marrow tacos, char siu pork loaded fries, a "loco moco" bowl, PB&J smashburger, fried chicken bucket and to wash it all down, a watermelon habanero margarita -- tequila shaken with lime juice and a house watermelon-habanero mix, served in a souvenir cooler cup with Tajín on the rim.

The Dodgers will have a watermelon habanero margarita that you can get in a souvenir water cooler cup 🤩

It features tequila shaken with fresh lime juice and a house watermelon-habanero mix, served over ice with a Tajín-dusted rim

(via @LevyRestaurants) pic.twitter.com/j1YaWSpZnU

— MLB (@MLB) March 19, 2026

Here's a rundown of some highlighted selections from the many new food and beverages at Dodger Stadium for 2026:

The Washington Nationals have an interesting and exciting problem to figure out in the lower levels of the minor leagues. They have so many quality infield prospects and need to find a way to get all of them on the field. Between Eli Willits, Gavin Fien, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Marconi German, Ronny Cruz, Coy James, Luke Dickerson and Angel Feliz, the Nats are overflowing with infielders between 18 and 20 years old.

All of these players need reps to develop, but the Nats will have to juggle things around to get them all playing time. Some players will need to learn new positions on the infield or even get exposed to the outfield. Meanwhile, others may be held back in Rookie Ball for a longer than expected, while others might get exposed to High-A quickly. It is a good problem to have, but the Nats minor league decision makers will still have their hands full.

Only one player can play each position, and there are a lot of mouths to feed. In a perfect world, Willits, Fien, Fitz-Gerald, Cruz, Dickerson and Feliz would all start the year in Low-A. However, that may not be possible because all of these guys need to play. Some of these players may have to go to High-A before they are ready or stay. 

An article by MLB mentioned Angel Feliz could start the year in High-A, which is interesting. He only played 31 games in Low-A, and did not light it up with the bat. However, they want him to get reps at shortstop and must like what they are seeing this spring. It is also a bet on the person as well. They must feel comfortable with Feliz’s ability to deal with adversity.

There were also some other interesting nuggets in that story. The article mentioned that Gavin Fien is likely to see most of his time at third base. That is not much of a surprise, despite the fact he was technically drafted as a shortstop. Fien, who came over in the MacKenzie Gore trade projects as a bat first third baseman. Offensively, he reminds me a bit of a young Ryan Zimmerman.

We saw what Fien could do in the Spring Breakout game. He hit two doubles off of top pitching prospect Liam Doyle. Fien seems like a guy who could be among the league leaders in doubles with his line drive heavy approach, while also having enough strength to hit 25 homers one day. I love what I have seen from him so far and he should be a quick riser in prospect circles.

He is not the only guy that will have to change positions though. Nats executive Devin Pearson mentioned that Luke Dickerson will be playing mostly at second base and in the outfield. Dickerson got a massive over-slot signing bonus in the second round in 2024. He had a hot start to the season, but tailed off in part due to playing through an injury.

Like most of these guys, Dickerson was drafted as a shortstop, but will have to move around. I think the outfield could be a good home for him. His build reminds me of a Mike Trout or Wyatt Langford, which is why I think the outfield would be a good home. Obviously, he has a long way to go to be like those guys as players, but his build is similar. Dickerson is also very fast, but does not have the best hands in the infield.

Another guy who could bounce between the infield and outfield could be Devin Fitz-Gerald. The 20 year old was a big part of the MacKenzie Gore return and is a polished switch hitter. He played all over the infield as a Rangers prospect, but should mostly play second or third with the Nats. Devin Pearson also mentioned he could get some reps in the outfield.

Fitz-Gerald is a smart player with solid fundamentals, but he is not the twitchiest athlete. That sounds like a second base profile to me. I hope he can stay in the infield, because being a corner outfielder would put more pressure on his bat. That bat is very good though. His season was cut short due to injury, but he showed a very well rounded offensive skillset when he did play.

Fitz-Gerald is the son of a very successful high school coach, and that shows up on the field. Those smarts should allow him to play a number of different positions at a solid level. We are seeing more of an emphasis being placed on versatility at the MLB level so far this year, and the same thing is happening in the minors.

One player who will not be moving around much though is former first overall pick Eli Willits. The 18 year old is a no doubt shortstop and will be treated as such. He has the chance to be an above average to plus defender at the position. Even in his first taste of Low-A last year, Willits looked like a great defender at just 17.

He is the Nats crown jewel at the moment. Willits’ speed, defense, contact and plate discipline make him very well rounded. He may never hit for a ton of power, but he does not need to with how good the rest of his game is. Willits could look a lot like Geraldo Perdomo, who might be the most underrated player in baseball right now.

One final guy I want to touch on for a bit is Ronny Cruz. The Nats acquired him in the Michael Soroka deal last July. Based on how he is being talked about this spring, that could be a steal. Paul Toboni has had glowing praise for him on multiple occasions. I also saw him homer in a Spring Training game. Whenever I have seen him hit this spring, he has looked very comfortable.

That is very encouraging for a guy who was viewed as raw and did not light up rookie ball last year. Cruz should start the year in Low-A, and will play all around the infield. I have seen him play second, short and third base in my viewings of him this spring. He is a good athlete and a solid defender.

The Nats are just totally overflowing with teenage infield talent. I did not even get to Coy James and Marconi German, two talented youngsters who should start the year in Rookie Ball. There are so many mouths to feed that some of these guys may have to get out of their comfort zones.

The only time I can remember the Nats having a problem like this in the past was all the outfielders they had a couple years ago. Other than that, the Nats prospect pool has been too thin to have these kinds of first world problems. Paul Toboni and Devin Pearson will have to find a way to get all of these guys game time, but these are the kinds of problems front offices want to have.

Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo drop their official 2026 season preview episode of The Mets Pod, with help from new SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes.

Connor and Joe chat with Chelsea about her first spring training covering the Mets for SNY, what she saw in Port St. Lucie from Carson Benge, Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., the starting staff, bullpen, and more, plus ask for a player to keep an eye on this summer who may surprise.

Later, the guys take the big picture temperature of the starting rotation, bullpen, lineup, and defense of the Mets heading into the regular season, drop their 2026 season predictions that will of course be hilarious to recap later on, go Down on the Farm to review the Spring Breakout Game, and answer Mailbag questions about Nolan McLean and his old college teammate, Mr. Benge.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.