Mar 24, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Jesper Bratt (63) skates with the puck on a breakaway during the third period against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Plenty of goals once again. Jack Hughes scored two goals, and the Devils hung on for a 6-4 win over the Stars on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]
Well!
Sheldon Keefe says that Gritsyuk will have to be evaluated tomorrow, get some imaging done before they can determine the severity of a potential injury. #NJDevilshttps://t.co/RPfhCePmcf
After a solid stretch of the season, a look around the roster at some players who are rising and and trending down: [Infernal Access ($)]
“It’s too little too late, but the New Jersey Devils have finally opened up their offense. After struggling to score for much of this season, they’ve started lighting the lamp more often since the Olympics.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
A look at the prospect pool: “The Devils’ pool lacks a top prospect up front, but they have a star goalie (as well as another who is intriguing), multiple legit D prospects and some peripheral forwards who could play games.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Anton Silayev, drafted 10th overall by the Devils in the 2024 NHL Draft, is currently battling with Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL playoffs. Once his post-season run comes to a close, the 6-foot-7 blueliner is expected to sign his entry-level contract with the Devils.” [The Fourth Period]
Hockey Links
“NHL goaltending is quickly becoming one of the most volatile positions in all major sports. Here’s some evidence to support that belief, along with possible explanations for why.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The New York Rangers were awarded an extra shot on goal on Tuesday as part of their 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators Monday night, bringing their total for the game up to 10. The additional shot helped the Rangers avoid the dubious record of being the first team in the salary-cap era to be held to under 10 shots on net in a game. The mark would have also been the fewest shots on goal allowed by the Senators in franchise history.” [TSN]
An impressive number for Paul Maurice:
Paul Maurice becomes just the second coach in NHL history to reach 2,000 games 👏 pic.twitter.com/vXlmiOCtzs
The former NBA All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year believes the New York Knicks are the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Starks is remembered for his long Knicks tenure, helping lead the team to the NBA Finals in 1994 along with Patrick Ewing.
The former undrafted guard became an All-Star the year the Knicks advanced to the Finals and he became the first player in NBA history to make at least 200 three-pointers in a single season when he accomplished the feat in 1994-95.
“We’re the best team in the East.”
While the Knicks have been behind the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons during the entirety of the season and have gone 0-3 against the Pistons.
However former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, John Starks said the Knicks, not the Pistons, are the team to beat in the East.
It's worth noting that Detroit's best player, Cade Cunningham, is out indefinitely due to a collapsed lung.
"That San Antonio game showed me that they're a championship-quality team."
- John Starks
"I feel like we're the best team in the East," said Starks in an exclusive interview. "I really do. I know Detroit has the record over us, and I know Boston is ahead of us right now. But when I saw that San Antonio game, it’s almost like when you dangle some meat in front of some guys and they go get it. That's what it looked like to me. That told me that they can beat anybody in this league."
Starks is referencing the New York Knicks' 114-89 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on March 1 when New York vastly outplayed the Victor Wembanyama-led squad.
However, he does preach that the Knicks need to be more consistent against the top teams in the NBA.
"They’ve got to be consistent when you're playing against these good teams, and they haven't shown that, obviously... But I think when it comes to playoff time, all these guys are going to lock in, because they've been there. Sometimes you start to look ahead and you forget you’ve got to play Detroit and you’ve got to play the Celtics. You’ve got to play the Cavaliers. You’ve got to play the Lakers. You’ve got to play all these good teams. But that San Antonio game showed me that they're a championship-quality team."
Starks: Knicks can make NBA Finals run
The former Knicks star said that he's confident that the team can make an NBA Finals run this year. It would be the first time since 1999 - when Ewing was still on the team - that they'd be in the championship round.
New York would have to go on the road and likely get through the Pistons in Detroit if they want to get to the Finals. They defeated the Pistons in six games in the first round in Detroit last season.
"No question," said Starks about the Knicks making a Finals run. "Understand one thing about this team: they know they can go on the road and beat anybody. The playoffs is all about going on the road and winning on your opponent's home court. That's the most important thing."
"You can always shift the home court. If you go seven games, then that game - that's the only thing the home court advantage means. Other than that, you can go in and just like what they did to Detroit last year. They had the home court, and then went in and shifted it in our favor. We're good."
Knicks Legend: “He's back to being Jalen Brunson.”
Starks gives tremendous credit to the Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns pairing. The duo is in their second season together and previously led the squad to the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
"I think Karl is doing a tremendous job and making conscious efforts on the defensive end of the court," said Starks. "He's starting to get a little bit more in that post where you like your big man. He's just not settling for jump shots. Now he's been more aggressive going to the basket. I like where he's at in his thought process."
"I think he didn't figure that part out. Now I think he's back to being Jalen Brunson."
- John Starks
"Jalen is going to do what he's going to do. I think he struggled over the last three or four weeks because teams are starting to play him differently. They're starting to take the ball out of his hand, and everybody's starting to double him early in the game. I think he was kind of struggling with that: how to be aggressive on the offensive end, how to get his teammates involved, and keep his teammates involved. I think he didn't figure that part out. Now I think he's back to being Jalen Brunson."
Starks: Knicks have turned up defensive intensity in recent weeks
The Knicks are currently hot right now, riding a six-game win streak entering their Tuesday night game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
"I like where we are headed and I like the way we are playing right now. We're getting back to our DNA, and that's on the defensive end of the court. I think we lost a little bit of that during that losing streak. Guys got so worried about the offensive end that if you're struggling on offense, you can get it on the other end."
"We kind of turned the corner when we played against San Antonio. We started off from a defensive standpoint. I haven't seen these guys move that fast in awhile. It was like eight guys out there on the court on defense. That's how you could see that intensity level step up."
Starks does mention the recent back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, but said that's probably just the Los Angeles effect of having to travel all the way from the east coast to the west coast.
"Obviously, we took a step back against the Lakers and the Clippers, but that could be the Los Angeles effect and the driving and flying. But after that they got back to playing aggressively. On the defensive end, Golden State woke us up again.
“You gotta play hard, and you can't go out there and underestimate anybody in this league because they can beat you, and they just carry that over into the next game and the next game."
"I like where we are from a mentality standpoint. A couple of guys have to get going with their shots, but other than that, defensively, I like where we are heading into the playoffs."
Defense Should Lead For The Knicks
The former All-Defensive Second Team guard said he believes the team's identity is on the defensive end. If they can execute on that end, the sky's the limit for the Knicks. New York is fifth in points allowed per game and in defensive rating.
"You have to have an identity. You can't just go into the game and say one night we're going to play defense and one night we're not. Offensively, we're going to shoot the ball great, one night we're not."
"I think when you want to hang your hat for any team, you hang your hat on the defensive end of the court, because that keeps you in the games until your offense gets going."
"That's always been our mentality when I was here, and it's going to continue to be that way here in New York, because when this crowd gets going and is hollering, 'Defense! Defense!', they want you to go out there and guard."
"I think we got enough on the offensive end of the court. Our shooting has been a little erratic lately, but I think overall once playoff time comes, we'll work out the kinks and we should be fine."
John Starks spoke exclusively with DJ Siddiqi on behalf ofCovers.com. All quotes in this article are taken from an exclusive interview conducted by Covers.com. Journalists and media outlets are welcome to use these quotes, provided they are attributed to Covers.com. Please ensure links back to the original article to provide full context for readers.
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.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31: Baseball fans look out to the baseball diamond before the Boston Red Sox play against the Baltimore Orioles during their Opening Day game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
A baseball game that actually counts will take place today. It’s the Yankees and the Giants, it’s at 8 p.m., and it’s only on Netflix. So I will be missing it, but at least it’s happening!
As for a game that we all care about around here, we have one more day to wait. The Orioles season will get underway tomorrow at 3 p.m. or thereabouts. Pre-game festivities on Opening Day always seem to run just slightly over their allotted time. They might still be rolling up the orange carpet at 3.
If you are heading to Camden Yards for the game, it seems like you will have a lovely day on your hands. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s and the chance of rain is basically non-existent. It should be a perfect day for baseball.
As for today, we will all be on the lookout for some finalizing of the team’s roster. The Orioles have to make their decisions by noon. That is when Opening Day rosters are due.
The team has already made some big decisions. Dean Kremer being sent to Triple-A was probably the biggest. They DFA’d Bryan Ramos on Tuesday. That was another significant move. He had a really good spring and looked like a potential infield option with Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg on the IL. Instead, he could be claimed and go elsewhere. We also need to learn if Dylan Beavers’ knee is fit enough for Opening Day. It seems like it will be, but a brief IL stint for him could open up a spot for someone else.
The bullpen is where most of the remaining question marks probably lay. We know Andrew Kittredge will make a rehab stop in Norfolk before he is ready. Keegan Akin could still go to the IL with his recent adductor issue. Jackson Kowar and Albert Suárez are both out of options. Yaramil Hiraldo could be sent down without issue, but he was quite good this spring and probably deserves a roster spot. And there is the possibility that the O’s pluck a reliever from someone else’s roster.
In general though, the O’s are in a good spot. They got the injuries to Holliday and Westburg out of the way early in spring, and then got through the Grapefruit League and WBC relatively unscathed. They won’t be a full strength on Opening Day, but it will be close.
Links
What MLB scouts say are the Orioles’ strengths and weaknesses | The Baltimore Banner None of this is particularly ground breaking. We are well aware of where the team could improve, but it can be interesting to hear outside opinions. However, something in this piece that I vehemently disagree with was the description of Kyle Bradish as a “two or a really good number three” on a championship team. I understand if you have to take his recent health into consideration when determining his overall value, but in terms of actual ability and output, Bradish is at the very least a number two.
New video board, sound system should excite Oriole fans this season | Baltimore Baseball Personally, I kind of liked the video board that the team used to have. It was a little awkward, but had a charm to it that the new one seems to lack. The sound system, on the other hand, was in desperate need of improvement. There were areas of the stadium where you could not hear anything being said. So that is certainly a welcome improvement.
‘It’s up to us now’: How O’s can make postseason run in 2026 | MLB.com Health and home runs. That is the formula. The team had some bad luck in 2025, but they also just weren’t very good. Much of the roster returns in 2026, but the front office also made several high-profile additions that they hope will pay off.
One last chance to wonder about the roster | Roch Kubatko I would love to see Elias pull off a late move for a quality reliever, but if that was going to happen it feels like it would have by now. At this point, it’s more likely they enter the year with the guys they have and figure it out as they go. Maybe the bullpen will be fine! Ryan Helsley looked pretty good over the weekend.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Tucker Davidson turns 30 today. He pitched in one game for the 2024 Orioles and is currently in the Phillies organization.
The late Woodie Held (b. 1932, d. 2009) was born on this day. He was a utility player for the Orioles from 1966-67, taking the field at every position but pitcher, catcher, and first base during his time in Baltimore.
This day in O’s history
It has been a slow day in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. Instead, here are a few happenings on this date from beyond Birdland:
1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
1965 – A group of nonviolent activists, led by Martin Luther King Jr, complete their four-day, 50-mile march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama to protest against segregation and encourage African-American citizens to exercise their right to vote.
1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbitor, dubbed Columbia, is delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to be prepared for launch.
Dealing with a busted bracket?
The Sweet 16 is almost here – who’s still alive? We’re reviewing the week that was in the first week of the NCAA tournament and turning our focus to remaining teams. How bad (or good!) is your bracket? Join us in the SB Nation March Madness Feed and let’s talk about who’s most likely to make a run to glory.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid will try to close in on a first semifinal appearance in the Women’s Champions League when it hosts three-time champion Barcelona in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Manchester United will make its debut in the last eight against Bayern Munich.
Barcelona will try to make it to a record-extending eighth consecutive semifinal appearance, and a sixth straight final in the competition that it has dominated in recent years.
The Catalan club is playing in its 11th straight quarterfinal and seeks to reclaim the title it lost to Arsenal last season. Barcelona topped the league phase with an unbeaten campaign that included 20 goals scored and three against.
Madrid, in its second consecutive quarterfinal, was eliminated by Arsenal in the last eight last season. If finished seventh in the league phase.
Man United has been thriving in its first European experience since a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in qualifying in the 2023-24 season. Bayern recovered from a 7-1 loss at Barcelona at the start of the league phase to finish fourth and qualify for the quarterfinals for the eighth time in 10 seasons.
On Tuesday, Arsenal defeated English rival Chelsea 3-1 in their first leg of the quarterfinals. Wolfsburg took a 1-0 lead over record eight-time champion Lyon in a meeting of two of the competition’s most storied names.
South Africa v New Zealand T20 series highlights schedule that is increasingly hard to keep up with
Clinical guidance suggests recovery from emotional trauma can take weeks or months. In some cases, the lingering pain can last for years. Elite cricketers, though, are expected to compress that timeline into days.
Take Mitchell Santner. The New Zealand captain oversaw his team’s crushing 96-run loss by India in the T20 World Cup final on 8 March. It was the Black Caps’ fourth defeat in an ICC final since 2019 and, having swatted aside South Africa in the semi-final, would have stung. Well, Santner had to do his contemplating on the flight back home as seven days later he was suited and booted for a T20 international against the Proteas at Mount Maunganui.
HAFJELL, Norway (AP) — Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath secured the World Cup slalom title on home snow Wednesday to conclude the season on a positive note after losing his temper at the Olympics when he squandered a big first-run lead.
McGrath, who won three slaloms this season, earned his first discipline title.
Timon Haugan, another Norwegian, won the race by finishing 0.44 seconds ahead of Olympic champion Loic Meillard and 1.03 ahead of Eduard Hallberg of Finland.
McGrath, who came eighth in the race, finished 64 points ahead of 2022 Olympic champion Clement Noel and 73 points ahead of Pinheiro Braathen.
McGrath, who was born in Vermont but grew up in Norway, entered the final run of the slalom at the Milan Cortina Games with a big lead. But after straddling a gate, McGrath angrily threw his ski poles away and ventured toward the woods to gather himself.
Marco Odermatt, who does not compete in slalom, secured his fifth straight overall title before the finals. He was awarded the large crystal globe after the slalom.
The 2026 MLB season is upon us, with nothing but possibilities and dreams of October celebrations ahead.
The journey begins on opening day as each team puts its best foot (or in this case, arm) forward in an effort to get off to that coveted 1-0 start.
Here is a look at the 30 pitchers who have earned the honor of being their team's opening day starter. Some are established veterans with plenty of experience in the role. Others are getting the call for the first time. And still others are being thrust into the maelstrom due to injuries or other complications.
No matter the circumstances, the feeling is the same. Let's play ball!
2026 opening day starting pitchers
Here's the schedule for the first three days of the 2026 MLB season, with each team's opening day starting pitcher in parentheses.
First things first: The extremes aren’t so very extreme in Major League Baseball this year.
These aren’t the dark days of the 2010s, when teams were blatantly trying to lose, making for some easy 100-loss seasons and an equal amount of moderately decent teams stacking wins like folded laundry.
In 2026, there’s probably no more than five teams who can be confidently counted out of postseason contention. And that makes the annual exercise of bold predictions a little trickier.
Yet even if there’s legitimate hopes in almost every precinct, we can still take some stabs at eye-opening feats and surprise outcomes. With that, a venture out onto the limb for 2026:
The Mets – not the Dodgers – are the real super team
Owner Steve Cohen, who still spends like no other individual in ownership, has gotten a free ride out of this whole Dodgers-ruining-baseball narrative. Credit to his players, we suppose, for not winning the past two World Series.
Yet after a highly-disappointing 83-win, no-playoffs season, the Mets are stacked, hungry and primed for a huge season. Maybe it’s just a 2026-only alignment, but there is no more dynamic 1-2-3 in the game than Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette. Freddy Peralta gives them a real No. 1 in the rotation.
Clay Holmes is fully stretched out. Rookie Nolan McLean (and, later, Jonah Tong) gives them high-end arms to miss plenty of bats. The bullpen is… different, anyway, which isn’t a bad thing.
Can they dislodge Philadelphia atop the NL East? It will be a great race. But more quietly than usual, we feel something special coming from Queens.
The Pirates will make the playoffs
Throwing this out there while it remains a “bold” stance to take.
We’re not patting ownership on the head for actually bringing in reinforcements but will begrudgingly allow that they’ve at least given the Buccos a chance. An always fallow lineup finally has definition.
And while we’re concerned they got too excited about trading away pitching, the Paul Skenes-led group – which should get Jared Jones back, too – is deep enough to contend. We’ll take the trades of Johan Oviedo and Mike Burrows as a rousing endorsement of top prospect Bubba Chandler.
And we’ll wait like everyone else for the arrival of Konnor Griffin, franchise shortstop. Nothing’s automatic about all this – but for once, the ingredients are there.
ABS will be kind of a bummer
This is ostensibly the year all the Screenshot Warriors have waited for – the automatic ball-strike system, or, colloquially, “robot umps” at least partially integrated into the game.
Hey, the system works great: Challenges must come in a timely fashion and the “Robot” cooks up a verdict far quicker than a judge in traffic court. Yet in a mild bit of be-careful-what-you-wish-for, the notion of fighting over 0.1 of an inch will seem silly.
Especially when a pitcher like Skenes paints a perfect pitch on the corner to ring up a hitter, only for the prince of pedantry – ABS – to say, “Nah, you’re not good enough.”
JJ Wetherholt is the NL’s Rookie of the Year
Players aren’t concocted in a lab, but if you had to put together a perfect package for the modern game – without simply saying, “Give me Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani” – Wetherholt might be your guy.
He’s speedy. He puts the ball in play. Has power that will only continue to develop. Is a natural shortstop but can play all over the field.
In this case, he’ll be at second base because there’s a Gold Glover, Masyn Winn, at short. They should make beautiful music together up the middle. And while the St. Louis Cardinals’ rebuild may get unsightly at times, Wetherholt, the seventh overall pick out of West Virginia in 2024, will be appointment viewing.
Tarik Skubal tosses a perfect game
The stars will align someday. Tarik Skubal’s combination of dominance and efficiency and his frequent dates against AL Central lineups will result in the ultimate pitching accomplishment: Twenty-seven up, 27 down.
The lefty many expect will get close to a half-billion dollars this offseason can get deeper in games quicker than most, thanks in part to a fastball-changeup combo that can bury hitters in an 0-2 hole before their walk-up music has faded. And consider some of his gems last year:
Nine innings, two hits, no walks, 13 strikeouts, 94 pitches against Cleveland.
Seven innings, two hits, one walk, 90 pitches against the Chicago White Sox.
Seven innings, three hits, no walks, 10 strikeouts, 93 pitches against Cleveland.
Seven innings, one hit, one walk, 13 strikeouts, 93 pitches against Minnesota.
At some point, every liner will find a glove, every blooper will hang up long enough for an outfielder to run underneath it. And while it won’t make Armando Galarraga whole, the Tigers will have instant replay this time as a backstop against injustice.
Jason Benetti’s star continues to rise
For now, from a national perspective, he’s something of a “guy you’re familiar with yet don’t totally know.” Now, as the man behind the mic for a rebooted Sunday Night Baseball on NBC and its streaming arm, Benetti has a platform to become the entertaining and familiar voice viewers want from their big-time broadcasts.
The Detroit Tigers play-by-play man has done plenty of baseball and college hoops for Fox, yet this is his first foray as a true No. 1 guy. The booth format on NBC – which will integrate analysts from the participating clubs – will keep the product fresh each week while allowing Benetti to tee up the visiting talent. Like he does with, say, Bill Raftery on a Big Ten hoops game.
In an increasingly complex viewing world - especially within baseball - Sunday nights will once again be a safe harbor for fans seeking the familiar.
Giants general manager Zack Minasian and President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey sought out Vitello because they wanted to do something out of the ordinary. They chose a new manager with no Major League Baseball experience, coming straight from managing the University of Tennessee.
"As much as this feels out of the box, Tony's name has been bouncing around Major League Baseball for awhile," Minasian said during Vitello's introductory news conference.
He added: "We kept coming back to 'this one would be really interesting' and just got even more interesting as we continued to speak."
Despite his lack of MLB experience, Vitello showed an eye for talent, dedication to his craft and passion for the game. That's what stood out to the Giants' decision-makers.
"It's something I've come to really appreciate about Tony and honestly made me feel more confident in this decision," Posey said. "This guy, he was hard to get ahold of. He was on the field all the time or he was bouncing from city to city recruiting, and just because this was on his plate, he was still full go with what his job was at Tennessee. I have a tremendous amount of respect for that. I wish it was easier to get in contact sometimes, but that's a little bit of how it played out."
Here's what to know about new Giants manager Tony Vitello:
How old is Tony Vitello?
Vitello is 47 years old. He was born on Oct. 9, 1978.
Tony Vitello contract, salary
Just weeks after his 47th birthday, Vitello signed a three-year contract (with fourth-year option) with the Giants. He will earn $3.5 million annually, according to The SF Standard.
Where else has Tony Vitello coached?
The elephant in the room is that Vitello has no MLB experience. He has coached MLB talent at Tennessee, however.
Vitello spent eight years as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, between 2018 and 2025, winning two SEC regular-season titles, two SEC Tournaments and the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament.
In that span, he coached Christian Moore, Garrett Crochet, Chase Silseth, Ben Joyce, Andre Lipcius, Trey Lipscomb, Jordan Beck, Seth Halvorsen, Chase Dollander and current Giants pitcher Blade Tidwell.
Posey praised Vitello's keen ability to build a culture. The coach's efforts have seemingly paid off.
"As a coach, I was just trying to make my way," Vitello said during his October introductory 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."
Prior to Tennessee, Vitello served as an assistant coach at Arkansas, TCU and Missouri.
March Madness is rolling in college basketball, but Major League Baseball has its own version of madness in March: roster finalization, anticipation and preparation for a lengthy season — and a series of predictions to go with it.
The 2026 MLB season begins with the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees playing at Oracle Park at 5:05 p.m. PT (8:05 p.m. ET) on March 25. There's lots for the Giants hopeful to be excited for ahead of the 2026 season, but die-hards might not be so optimistic.
San Francisco has a new manager in Tony Vitello, a standout college baseball coach who rose to fame during his eight-year tenure at Tennessee, where he won an NCAA Tournament championship, two SEC Tournament championships and two regular-season titles.
It is his first year ever as an MLB manager, the Giants hiring him in October 2025. With zero MLB experience, the talk is whether Vitello is the answer to the Giants' recent mediocracy, or whether his hire puts a stamp on who they've been the last five years.
They didn't make any splash signings, but the Giants front office didn't just sit on their tails and hibernate during the winter. Despite not landing Japanese pitching sensation Tatsuya Imai, losing out on the sweepstakes to the Houston Astros, the Giants still managed to land effective players.
San Francisco brought in pitcher Tyler Mahle on a one-year deal, infielder Luis Arráez on a one-year deal, and Harrison Bader, to name a few.
Still, it'll be a roller coaster to see how they fare in the NL West against the San Diego Padres or arch rival Los Angeles Dodgers, who are coming off back-to-back World Series championships.
Here are some bold predictions for the San Francisco Giants during the 2026 season.
Giants aren't as mediocre, but will still (barely) miss wild card
Giants fans can expect some life out of this new-look Giants team. The new additions will provide temporary excitement, but this team doesn't seem to have addressed its main issues: the bullpen, a closing lineup that'll make noise, and securing the outfield.
Personal drive, momentum swings, other teams being bad, are all legitimate reasons why the Giants won't be as bad as some think. But none of their offseason moves scream out NL West title, let alone World Series title ... but they can be more competitive than previous seasons.
In 2025, the team was the definition of mediocre at 81-81. They were just outside of a wild card spot.
This season, they will win more games, but others will, too, after improvements to their teams. Not sure if this is even a 90-win team, but nothing is off the table.
The Giants finish just under 90 wins at 85-77, which might not be enough for a wild card berth but it does provide more excitement this season. There will be times throughout the season where you ask yourself whether this team is a contender.
Luis Matos, Bryce Eldridge, other prospects emerge
The Giants have been investing in their prospects and one of them will emerge as a rotational guy.
Bryce Eldridge is a 6-foot-7 first baseman who showed the potential he has in spring training, bombing a three-run home run. Was it a fluke or a sign of more to come?
In 40 at-bats during the 2026 spring training, Eldridge compiled nine hits, eights runs, a homer and 6 RBIs. His OPS was .830, with a batting average of .225.
