Category: Baseball

Terry Francona had every reason not be a fan of the Automated Ball-Strike System, after the Cincinnati Reds‘ 3-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

However, the longtime manager was taking the long view after game one of 162.

Francona saw a walk by Eugenio Suarez on a full count overturned to a strikeout in the fourth inning while Connor Phillips‘ ninth-inning strikeout of Boston’s Roman Anthony — also on a full count — overturned to a walk.

“I think our pitchers are going to have to get used to thinking the inning might be over, and it’s not,” Francona said. “It’s almost like when a guy comes out and you say, ‘Hey, way to go. Can you get one more?’ So you’re going to have to stay dialed in.”

Teams had a 61.3% success rate on challenges, going 19 of 31 through the first 12 games of the regular season.

Using Hawk-Eye technology, 12 cameras measure whether a pitch crosses the strike zone with accuracy of about one-sixth of an inch.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora was pleased after they were 2 of 3 on challenges. Even though there was one challenge he wished one of his hitters would have made.

Trevor Story was up with two outs and runners on first and second in the fifth inning. Story was caught looking on a fastball by Andrew Abbott that looked to be a ball.

“You just have to make sure. There was one early where Trevor is in that situation again, he’d probably challenge,” Cora said. “We thought the pitch was up. We don’t mind him challenging there because it changes the whole thing, right? We were talking about it. It’s a different ballgame now.”

The Red Sox did have a successful challenge in the bottom of the inning when Garrett Crochet’s cutter just got the lower half of the strike zone against Suárez. Instead of Suárez drawing a walk, catcher Carlos Narvaez’s challenge resulted in the third out of the inning.

“He made a really good pitch right there. I thought it stayed down and it was a ball, but with the new ABS, good for him,” Suárez said.

[More MLB: A Three-Peat In Sight But Dodgers Aren’t Thinking October … Yet]

Anthony’s challenge paid off. Instead of the third out of the inning and a strikeout, it was overturned to a walk and put runners at first and second. Story and Jarren Duran followed with RBI singles to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.

“I knew it was a ball. I was pretty confident,” Anthony said. “It turned the game around in a sense. It was good to turn that around, get on base and score there. I trust my instincts and discipline at the plate. I’ve had many in the past, up, down, in and out. That was a good example. Probably not even close. Just kind of knew it there.”

Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz became the first batter to have a ball four overturned to strike three during the third inning against the Mets. New York catcher Francisco Alvarez challenged and it showed the pitch caught the inside corner. The Mets were 2 for 3 on their challenges.

Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox both went 3 for 4 on their challenges, while Tampa Bay was 2 for 2.

Phillies reliever Zach Pop failed his team’s first challenge in the eighth inning against Texas’ Brandon Nimmo. Pop challenged James Hoye’s ball four call but it was confirmed on replay and Nimmo walked.

Manager Rob Thomson didn’t mind the challenge.

“I was good with it. It was a 10th of an inch off. That pitch decided an at-bat late in the game, we’ve got the lead. On the defensive side you want to use that challenge,” he said.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

The Major League Baseball season is underway, but don’t sweat if you haven’t placed any season-long bets yet. It’s not 2005 anymore — you can make these bets through September and there’s a handful that are ripe. 

And, if you’re looking for L.A. Dodgers tickets, I’m not your guy.

It’s crazy to me that a team is as low as +115 ($10 wins $11.50) to win a baseball pennant. Sure, it speaks to the Dodgers’ loaded roster and their recent National League dominance, but come on.

Here are four bets I would make right now.

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Detroit Tigers to win AL Central 

“So, you won’t bet +115, but you’ll take +110?!”

Fair counter, but this bet is about being better than four teams in an extremely weak division. It’s not about surviving the entire National League side of the bracket at a coin-flip price. More on that in a little bit.

The Tigers have an insane 1-2-3 in the rotation with Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty. Then there’s 43-year-old Justin Verlander, who will win games, too. I really like the pitching depth and the bullpen, and if the lineup reaches its potential, we’re talking about a 90-win team here.

There’s a lot of Royals love around baseball circles and I get it. Kansas City will fight valiantly, but it’ll be Detroit’s division to lose down the stretch.

PICK: Detroit Tigers (+110) to win AL Central

Miami Marlins Over 72.5 wins 
Miami Marlins to make playoffs 

Let’s get frisky.

The Fish don’t possess heaps of depth, and they reside in the same division as the Mets and Phillies, but they’ve improved immensely over the last few years. Manager Clayton McCullough took a 62-win team in 2024 to 79 wins last season and I don’t think it was an aberration at all.

Miami starts the 2026 campaign with six winnable games against the Rockies and White Sox, and the schedule doesn’t get too difficult until late April when it heads west to San Francisco and Los Angeles. By that time, All-Star outfielder Kyle Stowers will be back from injury. Assuming this team doesn’t get buried early, it will find ways to stay afloat.  

Also, look out if 22-year-old righty Eury Perez puts it all together.  

PICK: Marlins (-110) Over 72.5 wins
PICK: Marlins (+650) to make playoffs

New York Mets win National League

I promise this is not an overreaction to the Metropolitans pinging around Pirates ace Paul Skenes on Opening Day.

That was impressive, though.  

Look, you’re either a Dodgers backer or you’re looking for a team down the board at a nice price to present a fighting chance in the postseason. The Mets’ front office is serious about winning, as evidenced by the offseason acquisitions of Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta and Marcus Semien to name a few.

And I like 7/1 a whole lot more than +115 on Los Angeles.

Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bichette anchor a deep lineup, and I would bet GM David Stearns deals for pitching help at the trade deadline. If anyone can beat the Dodgers, I think it’s the Mets. 

Famous last words. 

PICK: Mets (+700) to win National League

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

NEW YORK — Nobody could’ve predicted the first Citi Field standing ovation of the season would be for Paul Skenes.

The new-look Mets lineup pummeled the reigning National League Cy Young award winner, with contributions from fresh and familiar faces alike, in an 11-7 win over the Pirates on a sunny Opening Day in Flushing. Skenes shockingly gave up five earned runs and didn’t make it out of the first inning — much to the delight of the sold-out crowd of 41,449. Once they picked up their jaws off the floor, fans got on their feet and applauded as the Pirates ace gave the ball to the bullpen and walked off the mound with his head down. 

Considered the best pitcher in baseball, Skenes was pulled by Pirates manager Don Kelly after recording just two outs on 37 pitches. Yes, the Mets offense was that relentless. Skenes had only two whiffs on 17 swings. The first seven Mets batters all had productive at-bats, either getting on base or contributing with a sacrifice fly. Skenes, coming off an early-season start after pitching in this year’s World Baseball Classic, didn’t have his best stuff on Opening Day, and the Mets were all over it. Brett Baty’s three-run triple that Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz misjudged was the exclamation point of the Mets’ commanding opening frame.

“That first inning was pretty impressive,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said in the press conference room. “I’m not going to lie. If you want to beat guys like this, you’re going to have to play perfect baseball.”

It was the shortest outing of Skenes’ career, and the shortest Opening Day start ever by a reigning Cy Young winner. There was no better image than Skenes’ dejected face in the visitor’s dugout to portray just how dangerous this Mets offense can be this year. 

After the club’s humiliating end to the 2025 season, letting the Cincinnati Reds sneak into the playoffs while the Mets packed up their lockers in September, Mets fans waited five long months to feel any amount of hope or optimism that this winter’s extreme and emotional roster turnover just might work. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns took a sledgehammer to the team’s longtime core, and then he asked loyalists who have been waiting 40 years for the Amazins to win a World Series to trust him. After the fireworks show the Mets displayed on Thursday, it’s hard not to believe in Stearns’ vision.  

Mets right fielder Carson Benge’s first major-league hit was also his first-career home run, a solo shot to right field in the sixth inning. He became the first Met to homer in his MLB debut on Opening Day since Kazuo Matsui did so in 2004. New offseason additions Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien combined to go 5-for-12. Francisco Lindor (three walks and three runs scored) and Juan Soto (2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and run scored) set the tone at the top of the lineup. Francisco Alvarez sent a moonshot off the face of the second deck. The Mets’ 11 runs scored are tied for the second-most runs they’ve scored on Opening Day. 

New ace Freddy Peralta threw two mistakes in his Mets debut, and Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe took him deep on both of them. Peralta gave up four earned runs, struck out seven, and walked away with a win. Afterward, Peralta waited patiently for dozens of reporters to flood into the Mets clubhouse before answering questions on his debut in New York. The enormous media presence doesn’t compare to the smaller scrums he handled during his eight years in Milwaukee. If Peralta was phased by the ridiculous amount of microphones in his face, no one could tell. 

“Amazing,” the always-smiling Peralta said of the jubilant Opening Day atmosphere at his new home ballpark. “Personally, it’s something that helps me get better. I can’t wait to see the fans like that the rest of the year, the same way.”

The Mets clubhouse was already injected with new confidence before Thursday’s first pitch. Leaving spring training, the team had high expectations for itself. One look at a locker room brimming with championship-pedigree veterans and young stars with everything to prove, and it was obvious to anyone paying attention that this blend of big-leaguers might just be the answer to the organization’s championship drought. But after a win like that? Players flashed some noticeable swagger. They found an edge. They walked with an attitude. 

It showed up in the quiet confidence of Semien’s been there, done that perspective. It showed up in Soto’s unique and everpresent hunger to be the best, to do whatever it takes to win. It showed up on the field during the team’s no-error defensive day, despite the Mets rostering two players in Polanco and Bo Bichette who had never played their new positions in a major-league game. 

It even showed up in Bichette’s 13-pitch at-bat against Isaac Mattson in the fifth inning. Bichette fouled off seven straight pitches as the crowd’s interest and noise level grew on every swing. He eventually struck out on a high heater, but the entire at-bat was electric, and it was still advantageous to the dialed-in Mets offense. Polanco was in the on-deck circle watching Mattson empty his entire arsenal against Bichette. When Polanco came up to the plate, he worked a walk with the bases loaded, scoring the eighth run of the game. 

“We got a lot of guys that are going to grind at-bats,” Mendoza said. “And that was the perfect example. Even if we didn’t get the result we wanted in that particular situation, the other guy benefitted from it.”

Throughout all the high points of Opening Day, what stood out above everything else was Benge’s big smile and excitement about his headline-making debut. It was infectious. Nobody in the dugout could stop smiling after Benge rounded first base and leaped into the air once his home-run ball landed in the home bullpen. Not even a dead pigeon, which dropped with a “thud” next to Benge in right field at some point during the game, could break his positive attitude. Not even his first at-bat, a strikeout against Skenes, prevented him from keeping his head up.

“Just calm down,” Benge said of his internal monologue after he whiffed on three fastballs in his first-ever trip to a big-league plate. “Just take a deep breath. Calm down. Great atmosphere, great fans. Just trying to bring myself back down so I can compete.”

All the new personalities in the Mets clubhouse have helped to answer the myriad questions that followed the organization throughout the offseason. But, despite the good vibes in Queens after a celebratory season opener, players were cautious about how to describe their victory. They know they have to sustain Thursday’s level of excellence throughout the course of the full season. This was only the first page of a 162-game journey. And even after all that, these new-look, new-attitude Mets expect their year to end with a ring in November.

“That’s what we showed today, what we can do,” Bichette said in a quiet and steady voice in front of his locker, which is tucked away in a corner of the clubhouse. “But I think a great offense brings it every day. Today’s a good thing to build off for sure. But, looking forward to doing more.”

Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

The Chicago Cubs have made another move to ensure that their core will remain intact for the foreseeable future.

Second baseman Nico Hoerner has agreed to a six-year extension with the Cubs, ESPN reported Thursday. The value of the deal is unknown. 

Hoerner, 28, was entering his final season of team control prior to Thursday’s agreement. The standout infielder likely would’ve been one of the top position players in next offseason’s free agent class, which is headlined by New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm and potentially New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette.

Now, Hoerner will remain in the Windy City through his age-35 season as he could potentially play his entire career with the Cubs. Hoerner, who Chicago took in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft, has been one of the game’s top all-around players in recent years. While Hoerner’s power hasn’t been significant (33 home runs in the last four years), he’s been elite or nearly elite at everything else. He’s hit .284 over the last three years, averaging roughly 34 stolen bases per season over that stretch.

Defensively, Hoerner might be one of the best fielders in all of baseball. He’s won a Gold Glove in two of the last three seasons, and his 15 Outs Above Average was one of the top marks in MLB in 2025. 

News of Hoerner’s extension came a couple of days after star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong agreed to a long-term deal with the Cubs. Crow-Armstrong, who turned 24 on Wednesday, agreed to a six-year, $115 million contract to keep him under team control through the end of the 2032 season.

Chicago’s extensions for two of its top players also followed what was a pretty active offseason for the organization. The Cubs lost star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Los Angeles Dodgers a year after trading for him, but they were able to sign All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman. They also traded for standout starting pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins and bolstered their bullpen following their playoff appearance in 2025. 

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

To their fans and many players around the league, the Dodgers are the blueprint, an ideal model of the success and synergy that’s possible when a willing ownership group supports an adept front office. 

To the 29 other fanbases, they represent a different kind of poster child, a quintessential example of everything wrong with the sport’s economic system and competitive imbalance. 

The narrative hasn’t changed as they embark on a new season, certainly not after adding the best free agent on the market and the best closer available to their championship core. Only now, they’re looking to become the first team in a quarter-century to win three World Series in a row. 

The pressure of that task does not appear to intimidate a veteran group that is already coming off of one triumphant title defense. 

“It’s going to be weird to say, but this year feels, to me, almost a little more relaxed,” Max Muncy told me last month, attributing the ease he felt this spring to the Dodgers’ normal build-up after starting the 2024 and 2025 seasons early in Seoul and Tokyo, respectively. “With that, you don’t even think about, ‘Oh, we’re trying to three-peat.’… You can’t focus on October yet. 

“Obviously we know that’s our goal, and we expect to be there, but you can’t go about your work with that in mind. You’ve got to go about your work thinking, ‘How am I getting better today? How are we getting better today as a team? What are we doing as a team today?’ That’s the message we’ve always tried to preach here.”

Dave Roberts relayed similar thoughts to his group in February when the Dodgers reconvened for the first time as a full group this spring. On paper, he knows this is probably the best roster he has ever managed, no small feat for a team that has won three championships in the last six years and 12 division titles in the last 13 seasons. 

But Roberts, like Muncy, doesn’t feel any added pressure compared to recent years. In the midst of the Dodgers’ golden era, winning the World Series has become the annual expectation, and the Dodgers are returning all the core pieces from an experienced squad that already demonstrated its resolve last season. 

“I thought we did a very good job of keeping our eyes looking forward at our goal versus looking to the side and looking at who’s around us, who’s chasing us,” Roberts said. “Knowing you have a target — as we should if we’re the defending champions — but to still focus on yourselves and what’s forward, that’s what we do a good job of.” 

So the goal, and his message, remain largely the same. 

Had the Dodgers stood pat this offseason, they still would have been the favorites to win it all again in 2026. Instead, they targeted “needle-movers” and kept pushing, addressing the two biggest concerns on their roster by adding four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker and three-time All-Star closer Edwin Diaz. 

Both could have signed a longer deal elsewhere, but both chose the Dodgers on lucrative shorter-term pacts. The three-year, $69 million deal for Díaz set a record for average annual value for a reliever. The staggering four-year, $240 million deal for Tucker set a record for present-day average annual value for any player. 

“We’ve built something really special around here,” said Freddie Freeman, “and everybody wants to be a part of it.”

The Dodgers aren’t concerned about complacency, but the injection of new talent helps in that regard. 

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When Roberts gathered his team together for the first time in February, he discussed the 2025 championship run and the little things that got the Dodgers back to baseball’s apogee. Then he handed the floor to newcomers Tucker and Díaz, who shared their views of the Dodgers’ organization from the outside.   

“It was just more about what made the Dodgers attractive to them,” Roberts explained, “and I think it’s powerful for our guys to hear it from the other side, from somebody who hasn’t been here.”

For Díaz, who has yet to make it to a World Series in his nine-year career, he felt this move gave him his best shot to win. 

For the Dodgers, this winter’s spending was just the latest example of their desire to cement their place atop the sport’s pedestal, regardless of the staggering cost, the tax penalties incurred or the simmering hostility around the league as they operate in a different financial stratosphere. 

“When you see your front office go out and add more guys, saying, ‘We’re not done,’ it just kind of creates a message of we have to keep winning,” Muncy said. “It’s very invigorating for the players to know the organization wants to keep winning. They’re not just set with one win. They want to keep going, and that creates a hunger in itself.”

Building A Juggernaut

The Dodgers have built their juggernaut, and become the envy and epicenter of the sport, for a multitude of reasons. They’ve chosen their long-term deals carefully, they’ve drafted and developed well internally and they’ve spent exorbitantly, using their many revenue streams to invest back into the product unlike any team before. The result is back-to-back World Series championships and a team that is the overwhelming favorite to win a third straight, something that hasn’t been done since the 1998-2000 Yankees. Prior to that, it was the 1972-74 Oakland Athletics. 

Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA standings project the Dodgers to win 103 games, nine more than the next closest team. FanGraphs gives the Dodgers a 19.7% chance to win the World Series, 10% higher than the next closest team. 

“You always have to have somebody that teams and fans enjoy disliking,” Roberts said, leaning into the villain role. “That’s good for fans and sports, I think. I was one of those guys that didn’t like the Yankees but saw their value to the sport, certainly…when you can get put in that vein of the Yankees of the ‘90s, you’re doing something right.”

Whether or not the Dodgers win it all again, the acrimony felt by fans and owners of other teams is certain to bleed into the upcoming labor negotiations. Most of the players on those 29 other teams, however, don’t see any problem with the way the Dodgers operate. 

Last month, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the rival Padres both praised the way the Dodgers built their team. So did Bryce Harper, whose Phillies came up short against the Dodgers in last year’s NLDS. 

“They pay the money, they spend the money, they run their team like a business,” Harper said. “They run it the right way. They understand where they need to put their money into but also, people don’t look at this either, their draft and their development is unbelievable.”

Those supporting pieces make it feel inevitable that the Dodgers could sleepwalk their way to the 2026 postseason, even with Blake Snell, Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández and a plethora of talented relievers starting the season on the injured list and Roki Sasaki coming off an ominous spring. For most teams, those obstacles could derail a season. The Dodgers, however, are not most teams. They’ve built a roster seemingly deep enough to provide an answer for any problem that might arise. 

And yet, despite the fan vitriol, they are not an indomitable force. Getting to the playoffs hasn’t and shouldn’t be a problem. Once there, though, they know that nothing is guaranteed. 

In 2024, the Padres had two chances to knock off their rivals in the NLDS and came up short both times, despite the Dodgers needing to patch together bullpen games to survive the gauntlet. The Dodgers have harkened back to that series victory as a turning point for the franchise. 

In 2025, the additions of Snell and Tanner Scott seemingly pushed them to heights unseen. Many projected them to shatter the all-time wins record. Instead, they won 93 games, their fewest in a full season since 2018. They treated the regular season like a dress rehearsal, carefully handling their pitching staff so their best arms could be available when needed most at season’s end. And still, they needed to use their starters in relief to survive October. The Blue Jays came two outs away from conquering Goliath before falling victim to an unlikely protagonist. 

It was Miguel Rojas, not Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts or Freeman, who was the Game 7 hero with a game-tying, series-altering, life-changing home run. 

“I waited 20 years in professional baseball to have that moment, and it happens to me at the end of my career,” Rojas said last month. “In Italy, I’m walking around Rome and I’m seeing Dodgers fans over there saying, ‘Thank you for hitting that home run.’ It’s crazy. It’s overwhelming.” 

The ninth-inning blast from Rojas, who had just one home run the final two months of the season, and a back-and-forth World Series for the ages demonstrated the unpredictability of postseason baseball. 

The result made the target on the Dodgers’ back even bigger entering 2026.  

“It’s a challenge, but it’s something we get to look forward to,” Muncy said. “We get to embrace it. That’s what makes it fun.” 

In Touching Base, we check on which are the biggest topics in baseball and what comes next for the players and teams involved.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Expectations are rising on the North Side of Chicago. After breaking a four-year playoff drought, the Cubs know that simply getting a spot in the dance won’t be enough in 2026. 

Not after the breakouts of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton. Not after the additions of Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera. And not after losing in the National League Division Series to a Brewers team that won the NL Central for a third straight year. 

“Everyone had high expectations last year, and I think they’re higher this year,” Cubs owner Tom Ricketts acknowledged to reporters last month. “Obviously, we want to win the division. We should win the division.” 

His players stand by that assessment. 

“I fully expect us to win the division,” new Cubs reliever Hoby Milner echoed this spring. “I would assume everyone else expects us to win the division.”

They do, at least according to most projection systems. 

If the Brewers are going to shock the world again by winning a fourth straight division title, it will require defying the models. 

Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA standings project the Cubs for 90.5 wins and the Brewers for 82.2. BetMGM set the over/under for Cubs wins at 88.5 and the Brewers at 84.5. FanGraphs gives the Cubs a 43.1% chance to win the NL Central this year.

There’s a reason for all of that, beyond the typical Milwaukee neglect. 

The Brewers traded away from their big-league roster, dealing ace Freddy Peralta to the Mets and 2025 standout Caleb Durbin to the Red Sox. The Cubs, meanwhile, continued building this winter in search of their first division title since the shortened 2020 season. 

They needed another difference-maker in the lineup after Kyle Tucker hit free agency, and they added Bregman. They sought another impact arm, and they traded for Cabrera. They watched most of their relievers depart and replaced them with new ones, including a trio of arms in Phil Maton, Jacob Webb and Milner who helped lift a Rangers bullpen that defied expectations in 2025 by producing the fifth-best ERA among all relief units. 

“It’s the biggest market that I’ll have had an opportunity to play in,” said Milner, who played for the Brewers from 2021-24. “I’m looking forward to being on the road and having Cubs fans matching the home fans, that kind of thing. I’ve always been on the opposite end of that. Going to play in Milwaukee and it being a home game, for the most part, that sounds pretty appealing to me. But also being expected to win the division, that’s where I want to be.”

If it’s all going to finally come together for this Cubs core, it may need to happen now.

Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon are among the Cubs mainstays entering their final season under contract in Chicago. In addition, 2025 All-Star Matthew Boyd, catcher Carson Kelly and pitchers Hunter Harvey and Caleb Thielbar have mutual options in 2027, which rarely get exercised. Dansby Swanson, Bregman and Crow-Armstrong, who just signed a six-year extension through 2032, are the only players signed beyond 2027. 

“When the group knows each other and knows each other’s expectations — we know we’re going to play great defense, we know the expectation is to be the best baserunning team in baseball — and when you have that standard, it makes it a lot easier to just go out there and focus on winning,” said Happ, who was drafted in 2015 and a top prospect when the Cubs last won the World Series in 2016. “I think the expectations as a whole for the team are a deep playoff run, but that starts with your process every day.” 

Helping with that daily process is a new leader in the clubhouse. When the team reported to camp in February, many of the veteran Cubs players noted a different energy. The presence of a two-time world champion played a part. 

Within days of Bregman leaving Boston for Chicago in a move that shocked many around the sport, the three-time All-Star had already reached out to the Cubs’ front office for reports on all of his new teammates. 

“I feel like you want to know what people are working on because you don’t want to talk about conflicting messages,” Bregman told me last month. “You want to all be pulling on the same end of the rope, get to understand guys and learn what they’re working on. It’s just something I’ve always liked doing and something I’ve always seen my teammates do.”

In past stops, Bregman was renowned and respected for his ability to positively impact teammates. His new ones in Chicago are quickly understanding why. 

“He loves talking baseball, loves being around the field and loves talking about doing little things to help the group win,” Happ said.

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The same way Boyd felt he got better as a young pitcher simply by being around Justin Verlander in Detroit, he sees a similar gravitational pull with Bregman, who changed his number from 2 to 3 as he seeks a third championship title. 

“It’s not some magic equation or mythical thing,” Boyd told me. “It’s someone that shows up every day ready to win and trying to find wins in every single margin…Rising tide raises all ships. It raises the water level.”

As Bregman works to create new relationships and offer bits of advice, he’s just trying to play his part for a team that’s finally returning to relevance after a decade of disappointment. In the nine seasons since the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, they’ve only won the division twice. The last time was in 2020.

Since then, it’s been a slow rise back to prominence: 71 wins in 2021, 74 in 2022, 83 in 2023 and 2024 and 92 in 2025. They ended the four-year playoff drought last season, but another jump forward would likely mean finally knocking the Brewers off the NL Central pedestal. 

The Cubs believe that’s about to happen. 

“We’re a better version of what we were last year, and we’re hungry in that sense,” Boyd said. “We know where we’ve got to go.” 

In Touching Base, we check on which are the biggest topics in baseball and what comes next for the players and teams involved.

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Paul Skenes‘ first start of the 2026 season might not have even lasted a New York minute. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates‘ ace surrendered five runs in his Opening Day start against the New York Mets, and was pulled after pitching just ⅔ of an inning. All five runs were earned, with the Mets logging four hits and two walks off Skenes before he drilled catcher Francisco Alvarez. Skenes also recorded a strikeout.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor began the inning with a walk before star outfielder Juan Soto moved him to third on a single in the following at-bat. Third baseman Bo Bichette scored Lindor on a sacrifice fly in his first at-bat with the Mets. A single by first baseman Jorge Polanco and a walk from outfielder Luis Robert Jr. allowed the Mets to load the bases with just one out against Skenes.

That’s where Skenes’ day quickly unraveled, with Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz making a pair of mistakes to make matters worse for the reigning NL Cy Young winner. Designated hitter Brett Baty hit a bases-clearing triple that might have been caught by Cruz had he not misplayed the ball off the bat. On the very next pitch, second baseman Marcus Semien hit a pop fly that should’ve been caught by Cruz, but dropped in the gap. 

New York took a 5-2 lead by that point, negating the early lead Pittsburgh took off a two-run homer from Brandon Lowe in his first at-bat with the Pirates. While Skenes was able to strike out right fielder Carson Benge in the following at-bat, his day ended after he plunked Alvarez.

Skenes threw 37 pitches in the first inning before getting pulled. Thursday marked the shortest outing of Skenes’ young career, and just the second time he allowed five earned runs in an outing. It’s also the first time that the Mets have scored more than three runs in the first inning on Opening Day in franchise history. 

Skenes’ outing came on the heels of his impressive showing for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic. The righty allowed just one run in 8 ⅓ innings over two outings during the tournament. 

But Pirates manager Don Kelly expressed that he wanted to limit Skenes’ usage after things went south in the first inning. 

“It was all pitch count related, really, for him,” Kelly told the NBC broadcast. “We didn’t want to put him in harms way, up in the 40-pitch count mark. If we get in a foul ball battle there, we don’t want to push him in the mid-40s [in the first inning].”

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After an incredible finish to 2025, culminating with one of the best World Series in baseball history, it’s exciting to see what the 2026 Major League Baseball season has in store for us. 

Will the Dodgers become the first team in over two decades to win three consecutive World Series? 

Will the Yankees win their first championship since 2009? 

In a long season that will take us until midway through the NFL regular season, let’s take a look at some bets to keep us company along the way.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Trevor Rogers wins leader 

The Orioles’ lefty was brilliant last year, posting a 1.81 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, and striking out 103 batters to only 29 walks. Rogers was an All-Star early in his career with the Marlins, so his 2025 breakout can’t be dismissed, even if it was unexpected. He will serve as the ace for an Orioles team that is loaded with prolific bats and that also added Pete Alonso this winter. This means he should get plenty of run support. Staying healthy is a concern with any of these league-leader bets, but at 50-1, Rogers has the talent and the supporting cast to pile up a ton of wins.

PICK: Trevor Rogers (+5000) wins leader

St. Louis Cardinals Over/Under 69.5 wins

The Cardinals are like the Pittsburgh Steelers in football — they’re always competitive, and always have a respectable team that’s in the mix for postseason play at the very least. That might change this year, as the Cardinals’ brass seems to be embracing a full rebuild. Matthew Liberatore is a solid pitcher, but he will start on Opening Day for the Red Birds and is followed in the rotation by a whole lot of question marks, such as Dustin May and Andre Pallante. The Cardinals don’t have much starting pitching and don’t look like they will score many runs, with a lineup that lacks any difference-makers at the plate. It’s weird to see them near the bottom of the standings, but that’s where I expect they will be by late summer. 

PICK: Cardinals Under 69.5 wins

Shohei Ohtani NL MVP 

I admit, this isn’t very fun. But at this point, what does Ohtani have to do to not win MVP? He’s projected to hit around 50 home runs and is in the starting rotation for what’s expected to be the best team in baseball. Even during an off year, Ohtani hits, let’s say, 38 homers and wins 10 games on the mound. He’s one of the best hitters in baseball and one of the best pitchers, too, while playing for a first-place team. It’s going to be a season that is hard to top. Ohtani has won this award four times already, and, barring a serious injury, this year will be No. 5.

PICK: Shohei Ohtani (-145) to win NL MVP

Orioles-Mets World Series matchup

The Dodgers are the rightful favorite to repeat in 2026, but they could have easily lost to the Blue Jays in the World Series. Back in 2024, they were facing elimination in the NLDS, down 2-1 to the Padres before winning that series. This is not a mere formality for the Dodgers, so let’s look elsewhere. The Mets have a loaded roster in a division where the other contenders, like the Phillies and Braves, might have missed their championship windows. They also have an owner that is ultra aggressive and won’t be shy about adding before the trade deadline. The Orioles, as I mentioned earlier, have a ton of talent and were a playoff team in 2023 and 2024 before injuries ravaged their 2025 season. It’s extremely difficult to predict in March what will happen in a short series come October. But at 86-1, the Mets and Orioles both have teams talented enough to make deep runs in the postseason.

PICK: Orioles vs. Mets (+8600) World Series Matchup 

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The Yankees‘ Jose Caballero lost the first challenge taken to Major League Baseball’s so-called robot umpire, unsuccessfully appealing a strike by San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb in Wednesday night’s season opener won 7-0 by New York.

Webb started the fourth inning with a 90.7 mph sinker on the upper, inner corner that was called a strike by Bill Miller, a major league umpire since 1997. Caballero tapped his helmet, and the 12 Hawk-Eye cameras of the Automated Ball-Strike System upheld Miller’s decision in a graphic shown on the Oracle Park scoreboard.

New York was ahead 5-0 at the time. Caballero drove in the first run with an RBI single in a five-run second inning against Webb, who recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in the fourth.

The automated system had been tested in the minor leagues since 2019 and was used during major league spring training in 2025 and ’26. Some managers have said they will still find ways to argue and get ejected.

Before Wednesday’s game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke in support of the new system and the importance of discussing decisions on challenges with his team ahead of time.

“I hope so,” Boone said when asked if he was excited. “We’ve had a lot of dialogue at it, it’s something that we’ve poured a lot into, I’ve certainly. It’s become one of the things I’ve kind of tried to lead the charge on a little bit. Another kind of end-of-spring meeting with all the position players and catchers at the end just kind of running through different ones that came up and give my feedback on it. I’ve been very direct with them during spring as far as after the fact if I thought one was really good or conversely if one was terrible.”

Boone stressed this will be a learning process for everybody involved.

“I’ve tried to be real direct with them and why,” he said. “I feel like we’re going to be good at it, that’s the expectation. I’m sure we’ll continue to evolve with it.”

New San Francisco skipper Tony Vitello, who came to the Giants from the University of Tennessee with no professional experience as a player or coach, said he had to remind himself earlier Wednesday that the robots might take over at times.

“‘I’ve got to be honest with you, one thing I was looking at is who are the umpires tonight?” he said. “You get on google the first thing you see is there’s going to be a robot umpire. And it was only for a millisecond but I kind of freaked out.”

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Up-and-coming youngsters, players reaching their potential, or on-the-cusp stars who are about to hit their stride. 

Who is poised to make some headlines in MLB this season? Our picks for one breakout player for all 30 teams.

JUMP TO: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

Baltimore Orioles: Shane Baz, RHP

One of the many former first-round picks in this list, Baz has yet to reach his full, true-ace potential after being limited by injuries. Finally, last year the right-hander stayed healthy and delivered a career-best 31 starts for the Rays, who traded him to Baltimore in December. Now entering his age-27 season, Baz looks primed to use his excellent stuff and control to emerge as a breakout candidate this year.  – Deesha Thosar

Boston Red Sox: Wilyer Abreu, RF

With Alex Cora saying a 30-plus homer season is incoming, this is the year Abreu is expected to make the jump into an All-Star caliber everyday outfielder. He turned heads in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela, slugging a pair of clutch home runs against Japan and USA. Abreu only played in 115 games last year, but he hit 22 home runs and drove in 69. His offensive metrics indicate he’ll show off additional power this season. – Thosar

New York Yankees: Cam Schlittler, RHP

Schlittler is a fast-rising top-20 pitcher with grit and elite fastball velocity. This will be his second season in the majors after recording a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts for the Yankees last year. His breakout moment came against the Red Sox, the Walpole, Massachusetts native’s favorite childhood team, in the Wild Card series. Schlitter, in his first career postseason start, held Boston to eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts, sending the Yankees to the Division Series. The Yankees are counting on Schlittler to be a key arm of the rotation, and his elite stuff points to a bright future in the league. – Thosar

Tampa Bay Rays: Chandler Simpson, OF

Simpson stole 44 bases and in 109 games in his first major-league stint, while slashing .295/.326/.345. He’s projected to steal 50-60 bags this season while leading off for the Rays. Simpson’s 2025 batting average is for real; the 25-year-old has elite contact ability and is considered the fastest player in baseball. He’s poised for a major breakout year in what should be his first full-season in the bigs. – Thosar

Toronto Blue Jays: Cody Ponce, RHP

Ponce returns to MLB for the first time since 2021 after pitching the best season ever in the KBO. He went 17-1, recorded a 1.89 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 252 strikeouts in 29 starts and 180.2 starts. Sure, a lot of pitchers come back from overseas and struggle in the big leagues, but the Blue Jays felt so strongly about Ponce’s redefined arsenal and uptick in velocity that they gave him a three-year contract worth $30 million, which will be an enormous value if all goes as expected. – Thosar

Chicago White Sox: Miguel Vargas, 3B

The 26-year-old third baseman produced his best season yet last year, hitting 16 home runs while slashing .234/.316/.401 in 138 games. He hovered around league average, and this year Vargas is expected to take a big step forward in a White Sox lineup that will give him every opportunity to start at the hot corner everyday. – Thosar

Cleveland Guardians: Chase DeLauter, OF

DeLauter is a former first-round pick who’s been held back by injuries since his 2022 draft. The 24-year-old outfielder is finally fully healthy and projected to spend the entire year in the big leagues. Though his injury history is concerning, there’s also a lot to like. DeLauter is considered a candidate to have a high average and 20-homer potential. – Thosar

Detroit Tigers: Kevin McGonigle, SS

McGonigle is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Detroit’s top prospect and No. 2 overall. He improved his defense in spring training and the Tigers can deploy him on the left side of the infield, opening up playing time and allowing him to show off his high-contact rate and lengthen the Tigers lineup. McGonigle’s patient plate approach and impressive power is a boon in Detroit. – Thosar

Kansas City Royals: Jac Caglianone, RF

Caglianone mightily struggled to adjust to major-league pitching in his 62-game debut last year. But the power that led to him being a first-round pick and a highly-touted prospect is all still there. He’s projected for 20-plus home runs this season and his droolworthy hard-hit rate has made Caglianone everyone’s top breakout candidate of the year. – Thosar

Minnesota Twins: Mick Abel, RHP

Abel joined the Twins last summer as part of the trade that sent closer Jhoan Duran to the Phillies. He recorded a 2.00 ERA, 23 strikeouts and only three walks in five starts and 18 innings in spring training. The right-hander not only earned a spot in Minnesota’s rotation, but he could ascend to become a top-of-the-rotation arm. Abel refined his repertoire over the winter and looks primed to be the Twins’ second-best starter behind Joe Ryan. – Thosar

Athletics: Denzel Clarke, CF 

Clarke is one of the best defenders in the major leagues, if not the best. He put on a show last season with multiple defensive gems in center field, but his bat wasn’t good enough for the starting lineup. This year, he’s projected to improve his offense to at least league-average, or close to it. If he can put more balls in play, Clarke’s speed will be a lethal asset, and he could end up having a three-win season. – Thosar

Houston Astros: Tatsuya Imai, RHP

The Astros have a ton of confidence in Imai’s ability to succeed after giving him a three-year, $54 million contract with opt-outs. His mid-90s velocity and four-pitch mix will play in Houston, even if the team will have to accommodate his routine with five days rest. If Imai can work on his control issues and develop more movement on his fastball, he could make the jump from a mid-rotation arm to a front-end starter. – Thosar

Los Angeles Angels: Jose Soriano, RHP

The Angels’ 2026 Opening Day starter, Soriano is the best in baseball at inducing ground balls thanks to a heavy sinker and potent knuckle curve. The 27-year-old right-hander showed flashes of dominance last season, allowing one run or fewer in 14 of his 31 starts. If he can limit his meltdowns, Soriano’s triple-digit velocity, five-pitch mix and still-increasing strikeout rate points to his future as a true front-end starter. – Thosar

Seattle Mariners: Colt Emerson, INF

It might take a little longer for Emerson to make his major-league debut, but he’ll likely join the Mariners at some point this year, and when he does, he’s expected to make a lot of noise. Emerson, a top-10 overall prospect, crushed 16 home runs across three minor-league levels last year. He should be a significant factor in the M’s postseason push in the second half. – Thosar

Texas Rangers: MacKenzie Gore, LHP

Gore showed elite swing-and-miss stuff for the Nationals last year, putting up a career-best three-win season before Texas traded for him in January. The Nats received five players from the Rangers for Gore, indicating how high the expectations are for him in Arlington. Gore, 27, will pitch behind Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom and is expected to excel under the guidance of the pitching staff. – Thosar

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Atlanta Braves: Michael Harris II, OF 

Four years ago, Harris looked like the game’s next star when he won Rookie of the Year honors with a 5.1-WAR season while producing an .853 OPS as a 21-year-old. Instead, every year since then, he has seen his OPS trend the wrong direction. The first half of last season — he had a .551 OPS at the break — might have been rock bottom. Harris still finished the year as a below league-average hitter, but he had an .845 OPS in the second half and wrapped up 2025 with his first 20-20 season. That could provide a jumping-off point for Harris to realize his 30-30 potential. – Rowan Kavner

Miami Marlins: Eury Perez, SP 

Two years ago at just 20 years old, the top pitching prospect started his big-league career with a 3.15 ERA and a 28.9% strikeout rate in 91.1 innings, but then he needed Tommy John surgery. Pérez returned last season with the same high velocity and swing-and-miss stuff, and now he enters 2026 ready to pick up where he left off. If he can limit hard contact and keep the ball in the park, the 6-foot-8 righty has the upside to be one of the best pitchers in the sport. – Kavner

New York Mets: Francisco Alvarez, C 

Alvarez has yet to fully take off since his first call up four years ago, and injuries have limited him to 176 games the last two seasons, but it’s worth remembering that he’s still just 24 years old. And after a hamate fracture early last season, Alvarez starred in the second half — he had an OPS over 1.000 in July and August — before a thumb sprain halted his progress. With a healthy season, the breakout we expected to already happen could finally be ahead. – Kavner

Philadelphia Phillies: Justin Crawford, OF 

The opportunity is there for Crawford, as the Phillies have demonstrated their faith in the 2022 first-round pick by handing him the keys in center field following Harrison Bader’s departure. Crawford won the International League batting title last year with a .334 batting average and posted a .411 on-base percentage with 46 steals. He has stolen at least 40 bases in all three of his minor-league seasons. His tendency to put the ball on the ground limits his ceiling, but his bat-to-ball skills and elite speed could make him one of the game’s top base-stealers in 2026. – Kavner

Washington Nationals: Cade Cavalli, SP 

Six years after the Nationals took him in the first round, after a long Tommy John recovery and setbacks that followed, Cavalli is about to be the Nationals’ Opening Day starter. Cavalli pitched one game in the big leagues in August 2022 and then waited three years before his next appearance in August 2025. Cavalli had a pedestrian 4.25 ERA in 10 starts last year, but the hard-throwing righty averaged a 97 mph fastball, got a lot of chase and missed barrels. This spring, he didn’t allow an earned run in four starts. – Kavner

Chicago Cubs: Daniel Palencia, RP 

Palencia’s sensational start to the 2025 season was followed by an uneven second half that ultimately saw him lose his ninth-inning role. Now, Palencia is back as the Cubs’ primary closer coming off an electric World Baseball Classic that ended with him firing a 99.7 mph fastball by Roman Anthony to win the tournament for Venezuela. He struck out nine of the 17 batters he faced in the competition and didn’t allow a hit or a run, and he didn’t allow a run in four spring outings, either. Last year provided a taste of what Palencia could bring, but this year could be the star breakout as one of the sport’s top closers. – Kavner

Cincinnati Reds: Sal Stewart, 1B

The 2022 first-round pick has hit at every level, including in the big leagues after his September call-up last season, when Stewart hit 21% above league average in 18 games before knocking in four runs in two games as a middle-of-the-order bat against the Dodgers in the National League wild-card series. Stewart can knock the cover off the ball, and he does it while maintaining strong bat-to-ball skills. He could quickly put up big numbers in his first full season, especially while playing his home games at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. – Kavner

Milwaukee Brewers: Jackson Chourio, OF 

Chourio’s second season in the big leagues looked almost identical to his first, as he followed up a 21-homer, 22-steal rookie season in 2024 with 21 homers and 21 steals in 2025. It was a productive year, though not the superstar jump many expected. His slash-line numbers dipped slightly as his chase rate increased and walk rate decreased, and a nagging hamstring injury in the second half didn’t help his cause. In 2026, the full breakout could be ahead for the talented 22-year-old. – Kavner

Pittsburgh Pirates: Bubba Chandler, SP

Konnor Griffin will be the flashy pick here, and his arrival is on the horizon. But he’s starting the year in the minor leagues and, as this spring demonstrated, might need some time before he’s the superstar he is capable of being. In terms of 2026, give me Chandler, another top MLB prospect on the Pirates who made seven appearances last year (and should have made more) with a fastball that sat in the high-90s and a whiff rate over 30%. His 98.4 mph four-seamer this spring was the hardest on average of any Pirates pitcher, starter or reliever. – Kavner

St. Louis Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, 2B 

One of the top prospects in baseball, Wetherholt is set to break camp with the Cardinals and will be among the favorites to contend for Rookie of the Year. Wetherholt, the No. 7 overall pick in 2024, slashed .306/.421/.510 with 17 homers and 23 steals and nearly an equal number of walks and steals between Double-A and Triple-A last year. His keen eye and advanced approach at the plate could allow him to handle the jump to the majors better than most 23-year-old rookies. – Kavner

Arizona Diamondbacks: Jordan Lawlar, OF 

The former top shortstop prospect’s first couple tastes of the majors didn’t go to plan, but now Lawlar is healthy and has a clearer path to regular playing time after moving to the outfield. When he’s on the field, Lawlar has consistently produced at the plate in the minor leagues, amassing a .990 OPS over the past three seasons. Those results haven’t translated to his 42 career big-league games (.478 OPS), but he has excelled at the plate this spring, and this could be the year it all comes together for the 23-year-old former first-round pick. – Kavner

Colorado Rockies: Ezequiel Tovar, SS 

Tovar has established himself as one of the most important young building blocks in Colorado primarily for his defense, but the Gold Glove Award winner starred for champion Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic (.471/.500/.647) and hit two home runs for the Rockies this spring. He was limited by multiple injuries last year, and his underlying numbers were better than his .694 OPS demonstrated. A below league average hitter to this point of his career, don’t be surprised if his best offensive season is ahead. – Kavner

Los Angeles Dodgers: River Ryan, SP 

If it were only based on merit this spring, Ryan would already be in the Dodgers’ rotation. His four-seamer averaged over 97 mph. His slider generated 13 whiffs on 24 swings. He looks all the way back from Tommy John surgery, which cut a promising rookie season short in 2024 after he excelled in four big-league appearances. There are questions about opportunity and workload here — he’s starting the season at Triple-A, and the Dodgers will want to be careful with his innings coming back from injury — but his arm is too talented to stay in the minors for long, especially if Roki Sasaki struggles. – Kavner

San Diego Padres: Jackson Merrill, OF 

After finishing as the runner-up to Paul Skenes for NL Rookie of the Year in 2024, last season represented a step back for Merrill. His strikeout and whiff rates jumped, he only stole one base, and he ended the year hitting just 12% better than league average. But injuries were a significant part of his 2025 story and help explain the regression. He started heating up again late in the year, registering a .946 OPS in September before recording three extra-base hits in the Padres’ wild-card series. For the Padres to do anything of note in 2026, they need Merrill to be a star. And as long as he’s healthy, I expect that jump to happen. – Kavner

San Francisco Giants: Jung Hoo Lee, OF 

Lee looked like he was transforming into a star for the Giants early last year, producing an OPS over .900 through April before crashing back down to earth. He had a .612 OPS in June and a .551 OPS in July before settling back in late in the year, producing a .306/.351/.439 slash line from the start of August through season’s end. He finished the year hitting 10% better than league-average hitter, but his tremendous bat-to-ball skills could make him much more than that. He’ll just need to avoid another prolonged summer slump. – Kavner

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