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It’s really difficult to make any concrete assertions about a baseball team after only four games. Sure, these games make the term “lethargic” look positively energetic, but even in the most negative point of view, there isn’t really much we can tell about this team yet. The only thing these games have done is reinforced preconceived notions that clouded judgement in the first place.

Instead, we can try and see if there are any trends beginning to take shape. Ideas maybe we had before the season even began that maybe there is a shred of data that can be looked at to see if something is there. Here are a few to maybe keep an eye on as the season progresses, particularly in these early weeks.

Otto Kemp: left fielder?

Sunday’s game was a demonstration that maybe the team’s belief in Kemp as a viable option as one of the platoon partners for the outfield was a bit ambitious in the first place. 2025 showed several examples of why this idea was misguided in the first place, yet the team continued to assert that Kemp would be fine.

There is the likelihood that the team will continue to put him out in left field in a lefthanded pitcher is on the mound. They want to have the platoon advantage there and they believe their best option is to have Kemp, which is odd considering they have Dylan Moore on the roster, a player that has actually played left field in the past. If he cannot play the position, one has to wonder about Kemp’s place on the roster.

Bryce Harper

There is no reason to belabor the point about elite/not elite that was beaten in the offseason. It’s tiresome and boring. Instead, let’s re-shape the question. What would make Dave Dombrowski even say that?

Pitchers are going to try and see what Harper still has. One might think that they’ll try and get him to chase since that was one of his issues with his season last year. We only have a sample of 71 pitches thrown to him, so as you can imagine, the heat map is all over the place.

This doesn’t really tell us much about anything, so instead, how are pitchers trying to approach him? We’ve seen a steady decline in pitchers throwing him fastballs since that is where he does a lot of damage. The rise in breaking ball usage is continuing, even if it, again, is just 71 pitches in total.

Yet this is worth watching as the season progresses. Harper’s bat speed so far suggests that there hasn’t been a falloff there, but the steady diet of breaking pitches that are going out of the zone are going continue from the looks of it. How he fares will likely determine the next chapter of his career.

Rob Thomson’s decision making

The Opening Day usage of Kyle Backhus was fine in theory. The team was up five runs, they only needed three outs and Backhus’ funk was probably something that the Rangers hadn’t seen much of. He wasn’t good, thus forcing Jhoan Duran into the game to give the Phillies their only win of the season thus far. In game two, Jacob deGrom was scratched from the lineup, a left handed reliever taking his place, yet Thomson left in his usual platoon players in Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh. The team was no-hit through several innings afterwards. Getting Stott and Marsh plate appearances against southpaws is fine, particularly if one hopes for their improvement against them, yet it was another curious decision.

Justin Crawford sitting on Monday evening was interesting as well, giving fodder to something else to watch as the season goes on: what goes behind the decisions Thomson regularly makes? Early in the season, he has shown a willingness to sit players often coming out of spring training as the baseball version of load management. That would help explain some of the lineup decisions made early on, but as the season keeps going, when do the lefties (Stott, Marsh and Crawford) sit? What about the bullpen usage patterns? With a trip to Colorado looming, it made some sense to let Taijuan Walker eat some innings Monday, preserving as many arms as possible, but again, what about the situational usage patterns? What will end up being the bullpen pecking order?

As stated before, it’s still only four games. There is plenty of baseball to go, likely most of it good baseball. These are only a few things to watch as the season goes forward, but they are still rather significant things to track.

It’s safe to say we are on the roller coaster ride that is the baseball season. This early season has been filled with ups and downs. It’s fun that no matter how baseball changes, how many ways we can analyze it, it’s still a lot the same game. Oh sure, if this were 50 or 60 years ago, Cubs starter Edward Cabrera would probably have thrown (at least) another inning or two. After all, when your starter has allowed just one hit and one walk over six, you keep running him out there.

Just for kicks, I went all of the way back to 1969 to see what Ferguson Jenkins did on Opening Day. It was a perfect compare and contrast to the modern game. Fergie threw only eight innings on Opening Day that year. Was it great restraint by the famed Leo Durocher? Well, not really. Fergie allowed five runs in eight innings of work (he didn’t walk anyone, though). Also, let’s be clear. Fergie started the ninth, pitching with a three-run lead. He allowed two singles and a three-run homer. That finished Fergie’s day after throwing 109 pitches. The Cubs did score two in the bottom of the 11th (after allowing one in the top) to walk it off.

The game changes. Teams don’t rely on starters anywhere near as much as we used to. They hope that more pitches can be thrown at or near max effort. They hope that more pitchers, when effective, can pitch much longer into their careers. We know that first thing is happening more and more. We think maybe that second thing is happening. Less is being asked of starters. And yet, little is more valuable than a strong start from your starter. The Cubs have had two quality starts in the young season and they’ve won both games. They lost the other two.

Eleven teams came through the first weekend of the season without a quality start. Those teams combined for a record of 12-24. That record is buoyed by the Brewers who, annoyingly, swept their opening series without a single QS. Of course, the White Sox didn’t have one either in that series. So I guess that was a wash, at least for starting pitching. The Nationals didn’t have one over the weekend either, but did beat the Phillies in Philadelphia, 13-2. Clearly, no one has told the Nationals that they are supposed to be God-awful. For that matter, no one has told Joey Wiemer that he’s not going to be the MVP. Who doesn’t love an early season line of .800/.846/1.600? I think that’s maybe some kind of record pace.

I’ll be a broken record here early. Because it’s early. Very little of this matters much. It would definitely matter a lot if Cade Horton and Edward Cabrera were elite. We have reason to believe one is and hope that the other can be. It would definitely matter a lot if Matthew Boyd and Shōta Imanaga were bad. I think we fear that one is and expect the other to be at least decent, coming off of an All-Star season. Drawing conclusions in April is a fool’s errand. Doing so in March is a waste of time.

The Cubs got a good pitching performance and the bats shined. More of both, please. And hey, even when one has an off night, there isn’t any particular rule that says both have to be off. I like to think of baseball having four quadrants. These two wins are in the best quadrant which is good pitching/good hitting. So let’s hope that those other two quadrants (good hitting/poor pitching, and poor hitting/good pitching) eke out some wins too. The best teams can win games in all three of the better quadrants (it’s an unusual scenario to win a game with poor/poor performance). And let’s hope the Cubs spend an awful lot of time in that best quadrant. They’ve got a lot of winning to do and a lot of working out who the best 26 are. And there are only 158 games left to get all of that done.

Three Stars:

1. Edward Cabrera. Six innings, five strikeouts and just one walk. No runs and only a single hit. I only had one eye on it at the time, but I didn’t think the one hit looked particularly crushed.
2. Ian Happ had a solo homer and a walk. This is the third straight game he’s homered in, matching a career high. It very well could have been four had the wind not knocked down a crushed ball in the opener.
3. On the third game in three days, with two more to follow, Colin Rea got nine outs with a huge lead. In the modern game, you use a ton of pen. In early games, that’s particularly exacerbated. With Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd to follow, who knows what you get? Giving everyone else a night off allows you to go much more aggressively at the next two. The Cubs high-leverage relievers have seen no leverage at all yet.
4. Honorable mention to the whole offense. Nine hits, seven walks. Angels starter Ryan Johnson was really shaky and the Cubs had a very patient approach to that. Happ only stands out for the homer. Otherwise, the Cubs offense just showed a steady, relentless approach and wore the Angels down. And their troubles were complicated by the early conditions at Wrigley Field on a pop fly that almost certainly should have been caught and led to two runs.

Game 4, March 30: Cubs 7, Angels 2 (2-2)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Edward Cabrera (.174). 6 IP, 19 BF, H, BB, 0 ER, 5 K (W 1-0)
• Hero: Carson Kelly (.122). 1-4, 2 RBI
• Sidekick: Ian Happ (.075). 1-4, BB, HR, RBI, 2 R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Alex Bregman (-.039). 1-4, BB
• Goat: Michael Conforto (-.014). 0-2
• Kid: Matt Shaw (.001). 1-2

WPA Play of the Game: Carson Kelly batted with runners on first and second and two outs in the first, the Cubs up one. He skied one into shallow center. The Angels failed to make a play on the ball and Pete Crow-Armstrong motored around from first to make this into a two-run single. (.155)

*Angels Play of the Game: Ryan Johnson faced Alex Bregman with a runner on first and no outs in the first inning, the game scoreless. He got Bregman to pop out for the first out. (.035)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Yesterday’s Winner: Alex Bregman received 124 of 148 votes.

Up Next: Game two of the three-game set with the Angels. Jameson Taillon makes his season debut. Last year he was 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 23 starts. Taillon’s numbers as a Cub do not in any way justify the negative perception of his value. In his age-34 season last year, he dealt with some injuries but was pretty effective when healthy. At this point in his career, it’s hard to imagine he can’t be a fifth starter who produces more good starts than bad and provides value to this team.

The Angels start 27-year-old José Soriano. Soriano started Opening Day this year for the Angels. He threw six scoreless and struck out seven in Houston. He’s pitched in parts of three seasons for the Angels previously, having an 18-21 record and a 3.82 ERA across 92 appearances (52 starts). Could the 27-year-old Dominican product be finding himself? We shall see. He didn’t face the Cubs last year. He threw five unremarkable innings against them in July 2024. Michael Busch took him deep and Miguel Amaya had a pair of hits. Plan to see Miguel back in the lineup to try to continue his hot start at the plate.

How about the first back-to-back wins of the season?

Opening Day of Major League Baseball is one of the best days on the sports calendar. Its even more sweet when you can turn it on to take your eyes away from the brutal sweep that was happening in Oxford this past weekend.

Nonetheless, when you have a program that has succeeded at the level coach Mike Bianco’s has over the years, you are likely to have some MLB talent come through (or skip by — looking at you Roman Anthony). So let’s see where our former Rebels landed at the start of the 2026 MLB season.

MLB/40 Man Roster

Gunnar Hoglund – A’s, IL-15

Ryan Rolison – Chicago Cubs, 40 Man (AAA Iowa)

James McArthur – Kansas City Royals, IL-15

Drew Pomeranz- Los Angeles Angels

Nick Fortes – Tampa Bay Rays

Minor League Roster

Tim Elko – IL, ACL recovery (CWS)

Jacob Gonzalez – AAA Charlotte (CWS)

Calvin Harris – AA Birmingham (CWS)

Drew McDaniel – High A Winston-Salem (CWS)

JT Quinn – High A Frederick (BAL)

Dylan DeLucia – AA Akron (CLE)

Doug Nikhazy – AAA Columbus (CLE)

Luke Hill – Low A Hill City (CLE)

Sam Tookoian – High A Tri-City (LAA)

Houston Roth – AAA Tacoma (SEA)

Cooper Johnson – AAA Round Rock (TEX)

Connor Spencer – High A South Bend (CHC)

Kemp Alderman – AAA Jacksonville (MIA)

Grae Kessinger – AAA Syracuse (NYM)

Jacob Waguespack – AAA Nashville (MIL)

Derek Diamond – AA Altoona (PIT)

Josh Mallitz – AA San Antonio (SD)

Mason Morris – Low A Daytona (CIN)

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The Cleveland Guardians take on the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight in Chavez Ravine for the second game of a three-game series.

Shohei Ohtani makes his season debut on the mound for the hosts, while Tanner Bibee makes his second start of the season for the visitors.

See why my Guardians vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks are targeting the Under on Tuesday, March 31.

Guardians vs Dodgers predictions

Guardians vs Dodgers best bet: Under 8 (-105)

Shohei Ohtani’s arsenal of pitches is downright filthy (115 Stuff+), and he was dominant at home a season ago (.151 BAA, 1.71 ERA). 

There’s a fully stocked bullpen behind him after Sunday’s off day and yesterday’s three-pitcher outing, so they should limit a Cleveland Guardians lineup with poor numbers (.279 wOBA, 79 wRC+). 

Tanner Bibee (104 Stuff+) has been a dependable arm, recording an xERA below 3.75 in each of the last three seasons (87 starts). The weather favors these two strong starting pitchers, as there’ll be rain in Southern California.

COVERS INTEL: Tanner Bibee ranked in the 67th percentile or better in xERA, xBA, average exit velocity, walk rate, and hard-hit rate. Shohei Ohtani didn’t have enough innings to qualify, but he’d be in the 90th percentile or above in every category.

Guardians vs Dodgers same-game parlay (SGP)

Ohtani was positively electric on the mound a year ago, and effectiveness (areer 3.00 ERA, 3.18 FIP) hasn’t been the issue — it’s all about health. 

He’s healthy now, striking out 11 batters in his most recent exhibition outing. That gives the Los Angeles Dodgers a leg up on the mound, and they have one at the plate, too. 

You could argue the bullpen is a wash, but the Dodgers have been elite in relief (2.19 FIP) and have all their best arms rested, whereas Cleveland closer Cade Smith threw 29 pitches in Monday’s series opener.

Guardians vs Dodgers SGP

• Under 8
• Dodgers -1.5

Guardians vs Dodgers home run pick: Max Muncy (+330)

Bibee’s primary flaw is the home run ball. He allowed 1.33 HR/9 a year ago despite a 10-point uptick in groundball rate, so it’s definitely the L.A. side I want to target with a home run prop.

Max Muncy posted 16 of his 19 home runs off right-handed pitchers a season ago, tagging them for a 157 wRC+ with substantial power (.247 ISO).

He hits Bibee’s three-pitch mix against lefties (primarily four-seamers and change-ups with a dash of cutters) well, with decreased whiff rates and increased effectiveness against all three offerings.

Guardians vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Cleveland +220 | Los Angeles -270
• Run line: Cleveland +1.5 (-105) | Los Angeles -1.5 (-115)
• Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8

Guardians vs Dodgers trend

The Guardians have cashed the Under in 39 of their last 60 road games. Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Guardians vs Dodgers and game info

Guardians vs Dodgers latest injuries

Guardians vs Dodgers weather

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Jacob deGrom will start for the Texas Rangers tonight against the Baltimore Orioles, the team announced this morning.

deGrom was originally scheduled to start this past Saturday in Philadelphia against the Phillies. He woke up that morning with a stiff neck, however, and with it being a blustery 45 degree day, the Rangers opted to push their 37 year old ace back and use Jacob Latz as a spot starter in his place. Latz responded with four no-hit innings in the Rangers’ 5-4 victory.

The Rangers indicated at the time that the deGrom issue was minor, and they anticipated him starting on this road trip, which concludes tomorrow. deGrom will have the benefit of pitching in balmy 80 degree weather this evening, which I have to think is preferable to pitching in 45 degree weather.

The Rangers have not yet announced a starter for Wednesday’s matinee game in Baltimore, which starts at 11:35 a.m. Central. Kumar Rocker, who was originally expected to start today before deGrom was pushed back, could get the nod. Alternatively, the Rangers could go with Nathan Eovaldi, who started the season opener on Thursday, and would be going on five days rest.

The Astros have set their rosters for opening day of the minor league baseball season. There are a lot of intriguing players at each level and could be a big year for a few prospects. Below are a couple players to watch at each minor league level!

Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Triple-A)

Hitter – Zach Cole, OF

Cole was drafted in the 10th round in the 2022 draft. The left-handed hitting outfielder has plus speed and some big time raw power, though that comes with some swing and miss. Overall in 2025, Cole had a 22 doubles, 7 triples, 19 home runs and a system leading 151 wRC+ over 97 games. He also earned a late season promotion to Houston. While he will start in Triple-A, he should be back up in 2026 at some point.

One More: Collin Price, C/1B

Pitcher – Hudson Leach, RHP

Leach was signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 draft. Leach was dominant at times in 2025, but his command would get away from him and he ended up with a 5.54 ERA overall, though he had a 3.51 FIP. He did finish with 63 strikeouts in 39 innings, including some run in Triple-A. He turned some heads in the AFL with a really good breaking ball and a fastball that was sitting high 90s, touching 99 MPH. With some nice outings in Sugar Land, Leach could find himself in the Houston bullpen.

One More: Alimber Santa, RHP

Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A)

Hitter – Lucas Spence, OF

The Astros signed Spence as an undrafted free agent in 2024, and he made the most of his first professional season. He started the 2025 season in Fayetteville and after hitting .286 in Single-A, he was promoted to High-A where he connected on 6 home runs with a .774 OPS. He was promoted to Double-A where he added 4 more home runs with 17 runs batted in. He finished the season with 31 doubles, 27 stolen bases and a .771 OPS in 116 games, and an impressive 14.3% walk rate. Spence flew up the rankings last year and has the tools to be a plus defender too.

One More: Joseph Sullivan, OF

Pitcher – James Hicks, RHP

Hicks was a 13th round pick by the Astros in 2023 and has flew through the system initially with a breakout 2023 where he posted a 3.82 ERA with 115 strikeouts over 106 innings across three different levels. Hicks had some injuries in 2025 and struggled for the most part posting a 5.59 ERA in 46.2 innings in Double-A. He did finishthe year on a high note striking out 23 to just 4 walks over his final 14.2 innings and then carried that into a dominate Arizona Fall League showing posting a 0.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 14 innings. He should be in Triple-A in 2026. 

One More: Bryce Mayer, RHP

Asheville Tourists (High-A)

Hitter – Caden Powell, INF/OF

Powell was selected by the Astros in the 6th round of the 2024 draft and signed overslot for $422,500. The 21-year-old is listed at 6’3″ and 200 lbs with room to grow. He started his college career at Oklahoma but transferred to Seminole State College where he was named the D-1 junior college player of the year. Powell started the 2025 season great in Single-A posting an OPS over .800 while showing off power and speed. He missed some time with an injury and had some struggles when coming back, but his power and upside with the bat is legit.

One More: Ethan Frey, OF

Pitcher – Cole Hertzler, RHP

Hertzler was drafted by the Astros in the 5th round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Liberty University. Hertzler has pitched limited innings due to injury but has dominated hitters in Single-A with a four pitch mix. In 21 professional innings, he has a 1.29 ERA with 28 strikeouts. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90s and can tough 96 MPH. Hertzler’s best secondary pitch is his slider that has continued to progress. His also added a changeup and curveball. He is healthy now and has a chance to make a big impact in 2026.

One More: Parker Smith, RHP

Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Single-A)

Hitter – Xavier Neyens, INF

Neyens was selected by the Astros in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $4.12 million. A left-handed hitter out of Washington, Neyens boasts some of the most impressive raw power from his class. While he has a strong arm suited for a corner infield or outfield spot, it’s his powerful bat and advanced hitting ability that made him a top pick. The 19-year-old will be in full season ball and get a chance to show why he was a first round pick.

One More: Kevin Alvarez, OF

Pitcher – Jagger Beck, RHP

Beck was signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 draft. He pitched sparingly in 2025 but then went off to winter ball in Australia and dominated striking out 36 over 37 innings while posting a 3.16 ERA. The right-hander has a mid 90s fastball and is an imposing figure on the mound at 6’6″ and 205 lbs. The 19-year-old will be one of the youngest pitchers on the Fayetteville roster.

One More: Nick Potter, RHP

In an unexpected announcement Tuesday morning, Seattle Mariner top prospect Colt Emerson reportedly agreed to an 8 year, $95 million contract extension with the organization. The deal includes a ninth year club option as well as various escalators that can bring the total up to $130 million. Additionally, Emerson was granted a full no trade clause in the deal.

In signing, Emerson has secured the largest pre-debut contract in MLB history, surpassing Jackson Chourio’s 8/$82 2023 contract with the Brewers.

The team’s first round draft pick in the 2023 draft, Emerson has graced the top of prospect lists since joining the professional ranks and is considered a consensus top ten prospect in the sport. At just 20 years old, the uber-talented shortstop now figures to be on the fast track to debuting with the club and will be locked up in the PNW for the next decade.

A sweet-swinging lefty shortstop, Emerson possesses some of the best bat-to-ball skills in all of minor league baseball and is renowned for his plate discipline, a trait that’s given him an incredibly high floor as a player since his time of drafting. His game, however, has taken a jump, as he’s now posting some very intriguing underlying power numbers without sacrificing his contact rates all that much, rounding out his game and making him a complete player that looks like a threat for 20+ homers a year. Offensively, there’s not a ton to poke holes in.

His glove is where the most progress has been made. Once considered a strong candidate to move to third base, Emerson is now a true shortstop defender that should have little issue manning the six. He’s got an excellent arm and solid range, and though he may have to play a different position to get his reps in on this roster, shortstop is undoubtedly his long-term home.

Whether Emerson is expected to join the roster right away or remain in Triple-A for extra seasoning is yet to be announced, but it seems reasonable to assume the Mariners would promote Emerson now that he’s officially on the big league payroll. Though clarifying the Mariner roster for most of the next decade, this move undoubtedly muddies the water for how the 2026 roster shakes out, and how they choose to handle it is a fascinating discussion that needs to be had. Have your own thoughts? Sound off in the comments below!