The Mets and Yankees both struggled mightily last week, costing the Bombers a few spots on the top 10 and the Mets to fall off the list. The Amazins’ have dropped nine games in a row after starting 7-4 and fundamentally look like one of the worst teams in baseball. And the Yankees got swept by the Rays, split a series with the Angels, and survived the Royals Friday with a late homer from Ryan McMahon.

It’s been rough for two teams projected to be among the best in their leagues. But they’re not the only “power houses” struggling. The Mariners and Astros are both 8-13 after positive starts, the Phillies are 8-11 and are on a three-game losing streak, and the Tigers are 10-10 despite a positive run differential.

Instead, it’s been teams that were supposed to be bottom feeders dominating early. The Twins through three weeks especially have been undeniably good. So much so I put them on the list. The Angels have also been right there with Minnesota, surging thanks to a renaissance from Mike Trout in the Bronx last week.

All this is the long way of saying the list has gone through another metamorphosis. And will continue to throughout the first month or so of the season. Remember last year when the Braves were regulars in the top-10 till May?

Also, before we get into the list, I want to personally attribute a portion of this article to Garret Anderson. The all-time great passed away at 53 Friday, shocking the baseball world. On the field, Anderson holds the Angels franchise record for games played (2,013), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489), grand slams (8), and RBIs (1,292). Anderson was also a crucial piece for the Halos in 2002, helping the club win its first and only World Series. He passed away from a heart attack and is survived by his wife and three children.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

1. Dodgers

We all knew the Dodgers were going to be insanely good. But it’s April 18, and the club still hasn’t lost to a National League team.

They swept the Mets last week behind dominant performances from Justin Wrobleski and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, then went to Colorado to play a snow game with the Rockies Friday. And yes, they won that game 7-1.

The usual suspects are dominating again, but I want to point out Dalton Rushing. The 25-year-old has scorched the baseball to begin the season, slashing .529/.556/1.353 with four homers in 17 at-bats. Yeah, you read that right. Four homers in 17 at-bats.

2. Braves

Atlanta is back in full force.

The club has started 13-7 in their first 20 games, getting production from their entire roster. Everyone in their lineup outside Michael Harris II has an OPS+ above 100. The pitching rotation features five arms with ERA+’s over 120, including Bryce Elder who leads the NL with a 0.77 ERA. The bullpen has four arms with ERAs in the ones. Oh they also lead baseball with a +53 run differential.

It’s been an incredible start for a team trying to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2025. And they’re still waiting for Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach to come back.

3. Pirates

Is placing the Pirates all the way to three aggressive? Yeah. But they have the firepower to stay.

Everybody knows about the treachorous staff the Pirates throw at the league, but the offense has finally clicked for Pittsburgh. The additions of Brandon Lowe (184 OPS+) and Ryan O’Hearn (149 OPS+) have infused runs into this lineup, Bryan Reynolds has bounced back from a mediocre 2025 with an .810 OPS, and Oneil Cruz is finally blossoming into a superstar with a .313/.382/.588 slashline, six homers, and nine stolen bases.

The offense has been steady. And the pitching staff led by Paul Skenes can carry this team through the ineviatable offense woes they go through later in the season.

4. Yankees

The media has been hyperfixated on the Mets. But the Yankees have been equally as bad.

They dropped a series to the Athletics at home, were swept by the Rays on the road, then returned to the Bronx to split a series with the Angels. All and all, they went 2-7 and endured a five game losing streak.

Still, the club stays this high on the list due to their underlying numbers. They’re 11-9 and are the only team in the AL East with a positive run differential. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler are carrying a despondent offense, which is really being carried by Ben Rice (1.205 OPS) and Aaron Judge (.929 OPS).

5. Twins

Minnesota? The Twins?

Yeah, in case you weren’t paying attention, the Twins are among the best teams in baseball right now. Trevor Larnach and company last weekend swept the Red Sox out of Minneapolis, including a game where they walloped Garrett Crochet for 10 earned runs.

It’s been a fun start for the Twins. And the decision to keep Joe Ryan may lead to a fun summer. The rotation is strong behind Ryan, which features a ressurgent Taj Bradley (1.25 ERA) and righty Mick Abel (3.98 ERA), who was one of the returns for closer Jhoan Duran.

6. Padres

Mason Miller. Korn. What else do you need?

Seriously, have you seen what Miller is doing. The flamethrower hasnt’ allowed a run in 9 1/3 innings, has a 22.2 K/9, and a -1.45 FIP. If the season ended today he would be the NL Cy Young winner.

Miller has spearheaded the best bullpen in baseball. Behind him are David Morgan, Bradgley Rodriguez, and Wandy Peralta, all who have ERAs under two. It’s been a winning formula for San Diego the past two seasons, and with the offense still finding its groove, the ‘pen has been the backbone for this 13-7 San Diego team.

7. Rangers

Jacob deGrom has a 2.21 ERA. Brandon Nimmo has a .313/.396/.538 slashline with four homers. The Mets must be good!

All joking aside, Nimmo and the pitching staff has led the Rangers out of the basement of the AL West. They’re 11-9, have a +17 run differential, and could make a run toward the division if their rotation stays healthy.

The Rangers have the fifth best team ERA in baseball (3.38), 12th best team OPS (.714), and seventh most homers (23). That’ll play.

8. Diamondbacks

Is Corbin Carroll the most underrated player in major league baseball?

I’m serious. With all the Shohei Ohtani hype around baseball, it’s easy to forget about the other superstars in the league. Carroll has quietly put up a .308/.395/.585 slashline with two homers, six doubles, and a major league leading three triples. He might win an MVP one day.

Him and José Fernández (122 OPS+) are carrying a cold D-Backs offense right now, which is getting bailed out Eduardo Rodríguez (1.96 ERA) and Michael Soroka (2.78 ERA).

9. Cubs

Chicago might be the hottest team in baseball right now.

They’ve scored 10 or more runs in three straight games, leading to a series win over the Phillies on the road and a win Friday over the Mets. Despite being in last in the NL Central, they have the best run differential among their rivals and second best expected record.

Nico Hoerner has been the biggest surprise this early season. He spent the offseason trying to improve his power output, which has led to three homers and a .973 OPS in 19 games. Hoerner has only clubbed seven homers the past two seasons. His career high was 10 in 2022.

10. Guardians

Cleveland has been trading wins and losses in the early season. Mostly due to their struggling ‘pen.

Coming into Saturday, the bullpen’s 5.55 ERA is 25th in baseball. It’s blown numerous leads already, including Friday where Shawn Armstrong and Erik Sabrowski blew a six scoreless inning outing from Tanner Bibee.

Fortunately for the Guardians, the offense and starting pitching has done enough to mitigate. José Ramírez is breaking out of a early, short slump and Angel Martínez has a 122 OPS+. Daniel Schneemann has also done a fantastic job, putting up video game numbers early (.313/.353/.563).

Rest of the Field

11. Brewers
12. Phillies
13. Mets
14. Mariners
15. Astros
16. Marlins
17. Orioles
18. Rays
19. Tigers
20. Angels
21. Reds
22. Athletics
23. Giants
24. Blue Jays
25. Red Sox
26. Cardinals
27. Royals
28. Nationals
29. Rockies
30. White Sox

Previous Rankings: W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Three Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

MLB umpire Emil Jimenez. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Long live the robots. The robots are here to stay.

After trial runs in both Triple-A and spring training, the Automated Ball Strike Challenge System [ABS] has made its way to the big leagues in 2026.

Starting on Opening Day 2026, players have been able to turn to ABS to issue a final judgment on close ball/strike calls. ABS is the first system to take away unilateral ball/strike decision-making from the home plate umpire’s discretion. Now, batters, pitchers, and catchers are granted an opportunity to challenge an egregious ball or strike call.

Once a player requests a challenge by tapping his helmet, 12 strategically placed Hawkeye cameras review the pitch’s location, and either overturn the on-the-field call or confirm the initial decision. Teams are granted two “challenges” per game, and retain the challenge if a call is overturned.

Early returns show ABS pretty evenly split on each side. As of publishing on March 31 before gameplay, 55% of challenges have been overturned. (Batter sit at 50% and pitchers and catchers sit at 58%.)

This change, the latest to incorporate cutting-edge technology into on-the-field play, will have major ramifications on the sport’s strategy.

Consider the delta in run value when a ball is called on the first pitch of an at-bat, compared to a strike. According to Baseball Savant, batters who started an at-bat with a 1-0 count were more productive by 9 runs, compared to batters who started with a 0-1 count. Nine runs are estimated to be worth an extra win, underscoring the importance of ensuring the accuracy of every single pitch.

Not every questionable call strike will be worthy of a challenge. Some teams may only use their objections at leveraged moments, such as when the game is on the line in the later innings.

Incorporating ABS into the granularities of calling balls/strikes represents a paradigm shift from the antiquated technologies that previously proliferated MLB.

In the mid-2000s, Pitchf/x emerged as the first regulated system to provide simple insight into pitch metrics, such as velocity and location. In the years since, TrackMan & Hawkeye have become virtually household names by disseminating new levels of pitch data at a rapid pace and furthering our understanding of “what makes a pitcher good.”

The Mets seemed primed to face any early ABS issues. Earlier this spring, Carlos Mendoza relayed the club’s spring training ABS strategy to the NY Post:

Asked how the team would approach the new rule this spring, the manager said, “Be aggressive. Challenge as much as possible. We want to see who’s good and who’s not [at challenging].”

While numbers in the spring should be taken with a grain of salt, and despite the guidance from their skipper, the Mets’ batters challenged only 19 times in the Grapefruit League; six were reversed. Their backstops tapped their heads 27 times, reversing the call 13 times.

Marcus Semein, Kevin Parada, and Christian Pache each led the club with three challenges; Semein and Pache overturned a call apiece while Parada was unsuccessful in his trio of attempts.

A handful of Syracuse Mets, projected to receive time with the big-league club in 2026, used ABS in 2025. Thanks to Baseball Savant’s new functionality, we’re able to identify the Mets players, a step away from the Majors, who were strong in their decisions to challenge ball-strike calls in 2025.

Veteran journeymen Gilberto Celestino & Yonny Hernandez each led the Syracuse Mets with 10 overturned challenges, with Hernandez’s 56% successful challenge rate just eeking out Celeistin’s 50%. Hernandez led the club with +2.7 “Net For” challenges, which gives a player credit for overturns on pitches thrown in similar locations to other players.

Celestino challenged at more opportune times. He had three strikeouts negated by a correct overturn on a strike outside the zone, while once correctly challenging a strike on a three-ball count.

Several Syracuse Mets hitters, who either previously garnered extensive major-league time or are projected to in 2026, familiarized themselves well with the challenge system in their debut season with ABS. Even with the small-sample caveat, Jesse Winker, Mark Vientos, and Jose Siri ranked in the team’s top three in “Challenge Rate vs Expected”, which takes into consideration the challenges a player is expected to win.

The club’s top hitting prospects in Triple-A, namely Jett Williams, Ryan Clifford, and Luisangel Acuna, overturned four calls in six tries.

Overturning calls via ABS isn’t just an option for hitters; pitchers are able to utilize it to reverse egregious ball/strike counts. During his time leading the Mets’ AAA staff, Nolan McLean‘s pitches were challenged 17 times by the Mets, with seven overturned. His seven reversals ranked second among Mets’ pitchers, trailing only former Mets farmhand Brandon Sproat.

A plethora of the Mets’ top pitching prospects, including McLean, got accustomed to ABS in 2025, a relieving note given the Mets tend to yo-yo pitchers between their Triple-A and big league rosters. McLean, Austin Warren, and Jonathan Pintaro, all members of the Mets’ current 40-man roster, each won three challenges in 2025.

Despite the individual success stories, when compared to the league, the Syracuse Mets, as an aggregate, performed poorly at overturning calls. In 2025, Syracuse won only 46 challenges, placing last in the International League. Their -42 expected net overturns ranked second-to-last in the minors, while 36% overturn rate trailed none.

Give Angel Hernandez his flowers. Calling ball/strikes isn’t an easy job to do. The nuances required, combined with 40,000 fans watching the real-time result, make this task a particularly grueling one. ABS provides a fix to baseball’s toughest job by putting the onus on the players to correct any inaccurate calls.

If you’d like to pull ABS data to an Excel file programmatically, via Python, please follow this request.

The post Statcast Breakdown: MiLB ABS Analysis appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Baseball began Wednesday night with the Yankees defeating the Giants 7-0, kicking off an exciting 2026 season. The Dodgers still have a target on their heads coming off back-to-back World Series rings, and will look to be the first team to three-peat since the Yankees from 1998-2000.

Meanwhile, the other 29 teams will look to dethrone the champs, especially in the National League, which features a loaded resume of teams. The Mets, Phillies, and injury riddled Braves will compete for an NL East title, the Reds bolstered their roster by re-signing Eugenio Suarez to battle the Cubs and Brewers for the NL Central, and the Giants will have a full season of Rafael Devers to try and keep up with the Padres and Dodgers, who have mainly fought for the NL West the past two seasons.

Will anyone knock the Dodgers off? Probably not. They spent another offseason reloading their roster with All-Stars, signing Edwin Díaz away from the Mets and winning the arms race for Kyle Tucker. But if anyone in the NL can’t end their season prematurely, maybe the Yankees and Aaron Judge can in the American League.

Still, it’s too early to be talking about October. It’s March. And I know you all missed these absolutely, positively correct power rankings every week. This season, every article will include a link to the old power rankings at the bottom of the article. Let’s kick off 2026 with a fresh top-10.

Juan Soto
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

1. Dodgers

Until they’re dethroned, the champs are No. 1.

The Dodgers loaded up again to go for a third consecutive World Series. They signed the best closer in Díaz after their bullpen was suspect in the playoffs, and poached Tucker away from the Cubs, Yankees, and Mets in free agency to shore up their offensive hole in the outfield.

They’re incredibly talented, but also banged up. This, funnily enough, might be the only time they sit in first on the power rankings. Their strategy of coasting to a playoff spot, then attacking with a healthy roster in October has worked the last two seasons.

That being said, there are some questions surrounding the Dodgers. Is Mookie Betts going to bounce back from a .732 OPS in 2025? What does Freddie Freeman offer in his age-36 season? And can the rotation provide enough to survive a strong division that holds the Giants and Padres?

2. Blue Jays

I won’t lie. I incorrectly slept on the Blue Jays the entire 2025 season. I won’t make the same mistake twice.

This roster is loaded, and the front office bolstered it in the offseason. The Jays inked Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract in the offseason, shoring up third base with a righty that OPS’d 1.014 with the Yomiuri Giants last season in Japan. They also signed power-throwing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal to lead a strong rotation already headlined by Kevin Gausman and rookie Trey Yesavage.

The Jays are ready to make a push at another pennant. And with power in their lineup and rotation, they’re positioned to win a tough division that features the Yankees, Orioles, and Red Sox.

3. Mariners

Seattle quietly had an impressive offseason. They traded for Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals, a gap-to-gap lefty bat who will fit nicely in T-Mobile Park.

They also signed Josh Naylor, who they acquired at last year’s deadline, to play first again, spacing out their big right-handed bats in Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena. The lineup is intimidating, even after losing Suarez and Jorge Polanco in free agency.

Of course, the talk of the roster is their loaded pitching. The lineup features four arms that could win the Cy Young. Take your pick against Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, or Luis Castillo, it most likely won’t end well. Then there’s the bullpen, which is anchored by the most underrated closer in the game: Andrés Muñoz. The flamethrower put up a 1.73 ERA and 38 saves in 62 1/3 innings, and has a cohort of strong options behind him in Matt Brash, Jose A. Ferrer, and Gabe Speier.

4. Phillies

Philadelphia is running it back with the same core for 2026. Which isn’t necessarily bad.

The club won 96 games last year and took home the NL East. They also re-signed Kyle Schwarber, who clubbed 56 homers last season and drove in 132 runs. So what is there to complain about?

The fan base will say this core hasn’t done anything since 2022. And that’s fair. But they did add Adolis García, who could return to his 2023 form, and will insert Justin Crawford into their lineup at center, the son of former major leaguer Carl Crawford who batted .334 with 49 stolen bases in Triple-A last season.

Additions were also made in the bullpen. Philadelphia signed Brad Keller, acquired Jonathan Bowlan from the Phillies, and will get a full season from Jhoan Duran and José Alvarado, the later who was suspended in 2025 for steroids. It has the potential to be the best ‘pen in the sport.

Pair that with a starting rotation that’s led by Cristopher Sanchez and Jesús Luzardo, and you’re in business. This team is good. World Series level good. Oh, and did I mention they’ll be adding Zack Wheeler and Andrew Painter at some point this season?

5. Yankees

The Bombers are poised to make a run at their 28th World Series title.

They’re the favorites again to win the AL, and it’s for a good reason. Judge is the best right-handed hitter of all-time (argue with a wall), and he’s backed up by household names in Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Giancarlo Stanton.

The narrative is the same as always with the Yanks. Health. Will Stanton play this season? Can Chisholm stay on the field? Can Bellinger and Trent Grisham play, and repeat their phenomenal 2025 seasons? If they can, they’ll push for the AL East title.

Pitching health will also be a storyline this season. Gerrit Cole is returning from Tommy John at 35, yet was sitting at 96 miles per hour Tuesday. If he can return, Cole has the juice to compete for a Cy Young. Luis Gil‘s return will also be massive for the Yankees, and give them much-needed depth. It’s reported the Yankees will begin the season with a four-man rotation, but a rotation that sends Max Fried and Cam Schlittler out will be fine to begin the first two weeks of the season.

6. Mets

The narrative of the Mets’ offseason was that they got worse. I disagree.

The lineup lost Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo, yes. But they added Polanco, Bo Bichette, and Luis Robert Jr. It’s deeper, and contact-oriented. Emphasis on contact-oriented. Too often last season, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto would get on base, then jog back to the dugout after consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. It’s completely rethought. And they removed two players in their top four who swung and missed a lot.

Also, remember the rotation is set to be healthy in 2026, and features a true ace in Freddy Peralta. That takes pressure off rookie Nolan McLean to pitch like a No. 1, allows David Peterson to slot into the third spot and hopefully return to his 3.06 first-half ERA, and Kodai Senga to be a No. 4 starter with No. 1 stuff. It’s all in front of them.

Plus if it doesn’t work out, the rotation has depth. Sean Manaea is waiting in the wings, Tobias Myers has the potential to be a back-end guy, and Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger are close to being major league starters. Last season, the rotation faltered. 2026 won’t see the same issue.

The fate of the season truly hangs on the bullpen. Is Devin Williams still among the best closers in baseball? Or did New York break him? And what are they going to get out of Luke Weaver? If one of those two arms don’t produce, this team’s in trouble.

7. Cubs

Give Chicago credit. The ownership has been blasted due to missing the playoffs since 2018 (COVID doesn’t count), and they added this offseason after an NLDS appearance in 2025.

The big signing was Alex Bregman. He’ll man third base and is coming off his third All-Star appearance in 2025, where he clubbed 18 homers and OPS’d .821 in 111 games with the Red Sox. Combine that with a loaded offense featuring Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, Nico Hoerner, and Michael Busch, and the Cubs are positioned to score more runs than in 2025 (793).

Don’t sleep on the rotation either. They traded for Edward Cabrera from the Marlins, who has always had the stuff to develop into a top-of-the-rotation arm. And even if he doesn’t, the rotation is top-heavy with Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd.

8. Red Sox

Boston has made moves the last couple of offseasons to build a championship team. Now, they’re ready to push for a pennant.

The young core of Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela will be the cog that turns the wheel for the Red Sox, and veteran bats of Trevor Story, Jarren Duran, and Willson Contreras will carry the weight.

The rotation will also limit runs, headlined by Cy Young candidate Garrett Crochet and young-budding star Brayan Bello, and finished by veteran additions in Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez. They’re talented, but find themselves in the toughest division in baseball.

9. Giants

San Francisco had a weird 2025. They went 81-81 despite a threatening roster, and missed the playoffs with an experienced manager in Bob Melvin.

I’m willing to bet on the 2026 Giants being a playoff-caliber team. The lineup is dangerous with Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Heliot Ramos, plus the additions of Harrison Bader and Luis Arraez should help lengthen it.

The rotation also is playoff caliber. Logan Webb is never talked about despite consistently pitching like an ace, and Robbie Ray made 32 starts last season and pitched to a 3.65 ERA. Round that out with Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser, and this team has the arms to compete with the top teams in the West.

The bullpen is a little suspect compared to the All-Star names on the Padres and Dodgers 40-man rosters. Ryan Walker registered a 4.11 ERA last season and will be the closer heading into 2026. Plus, the Giants should do themselves a favor and call up Bryce Eldridge.

10. Royals

Kansas City finalizes the first top-10 of 2026. And it’s not hard to love them.

They’re led by the best shortstop in baseball in Bobby Witt Jr., and rounded out by other impressive infielders in Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino.

It’s a scary top-three in the lineup. But the 4-6 are just as strong. Salvador Perez is coming off another 30-homer season, Jac Caglianone slashed .304/.448/.522 in spring, and Jonathan India provides a solid floor. Add in Carter Jensen as well, the Royals’ exciting top prospect.

The rotation also has a great floor. Seth Lugo looks to bounce back after an average 4.15 ERA and Cole Ragans is only one year removed from looking like an ace. The bullpen will also hold leads, primarily due to Carlos Estévez and Nick Mears, who was acquired from Milwaukee.

Rest of the Field

11. Padres
12. Orioles
13. Guardians
14. Braves
15. Tigers
16. Brewers
17. Astros
18. Rangers
19. Reds
20. Diamondbacks
21. Rays
22. Athletics
23. Pirates
24. Marlins
25. Nationals
26. Twins
27. Cardinals
28. Angels
29. White Sox
30. Rockies

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Opening Weekend appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets kicked off the 2026 season with a huge home win on Opening Day, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7. Carson Benge had a dream MLB debut and the entire offense was firing on all cylinders making for a fun home opener at Citi Field.

The Mets will have a customary day off on Friday before returning to Citi Field on Saturday for the second game of the series. It will be right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller on the mound for the Pirates against left-handed pitcher David Peterson for the Mets as he makes his first start of 2026.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets made history on Thursday. As noted by Sarah Langs of MLB.com, with the Mets starting Bo Bichette at third base for the first time in his career and Jorge Polanco at first base for just the second time in his career, the Mets became the second team in the last 100 years to start two non-rookie infielders on Opening Day with one or no prior MLB games at that position. They join the 1948 Brooklyn Dodgers, who started Jackie Robinson at second base and Billy Cox at third base.

Per Ryan Morik of Fox News, New York Mets legend Keith Hernandez says he still gets paid “close to $5,000” per year in “Seinfeld” residuals.

Mike Janela shared one of the newest Citi Field features: The Mets now display the title and artist for every Mets batter’s walk-up song.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Mike Tauchman had surgery on Thursday morning to repair his torn meniscus in his left knee. The surgery went as expected and he will be out another six weeks before being cleared to return to play.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Carson Benge became the 14th player with a home run and a stolen base in his MLB debut since the modern stole base rule was adopted back in 1898. He is the second Met: Lenny Dykstra on May 3, 1985 and the first MLB player to do so since Weston Wilson on August 9, 2023.

ESPN noted that along with Benge hitting a home run in his MLB debut, Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox and JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals both hit a home run in their first career MLB games as well. This marked the first season in MLB history that three players, each in his MLB debut, homered on Opening Day.

Mathew Brownstein of Metsmerized mentioned the three youngest players to record at least one walk, one home run and one stolen base on Opening Day. Those included Barry Bonds, who was 24 years, 254 days old (1989); Bryce Harper, who was 23 years, 171 days (2016); and now Carson Benge: 23 years, 65 days (2026).

Jorge Castillo of ESPN reported that the Mets and outfielder Tommy Pham are in agreement on a minor league deal.

Latest MLB News

The Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday announced that they placed outfielder Jackson Chourio on the 10-day injured list with a left hand fracture, retroactive to Wednesday. In return they recalled outfielder Blake Perkins from Triple-A Nashville.

Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, according to sources, the Chicago Cubs are in agreement with second baseman Nico Hoerner on a six-year deal, pending a physical.

Per MLB, 15-year MLB veteran Carl Crawford shared a moment with his son, Justin, after his Major League Debut.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block previewed the first series of the Mets/ 2026 season and their home opener against the new-look Pittsburgh Pirates.

Michelle Ioannou and the Metsmerized staff discussed their 2026 Mets hot takes in an MMO roundtable piece.

The Metsmerized podcast released its 2026 season preview.

Michael Simon recapped the New York Mets’ 2026 home opener, including Carson Benge’s home run and the Mets’ offense crushing Paul Skenes.

Alexis Farinacci recapped Carson Benge’s dream MLB debut.

On This Date in Mets History

1987: The Mets traded backup catcher Ed Hearn to the Kansas City Royals along with pitcher Rick Anderson in exchange for pitcher David Cone.

Born on This Date: Clay Holmes (1993), Brandon Nimmo (1993), Johnny Monell (1986), Michael Cuddyer (1979), Bill Sudakis (1946).

The post Morning Briefing: Mets’ Bats Get Off to Rip-Roaring Start appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Venezuela struck first in the top of the third. After McLean gave up a single to Salvador Perez and a walk to Ronald Acuna Jr., a wild pitch allowed the runners to advance into scoring position. Maikel Garcia then took advantage and hit a sacrifice fly to center field that drove in a run and made it a 1-0 lead for Venezuela.

Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

McLean started the fifth for the United States and gave up a lead-off home run to Wilyer Abreu that extended Venezuela’s lead to 2-0 over the Americans.

His day ended at 4 2/3 innings as Brad Keller came on in relief. McLean finished the day with two earned runs on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. Though he gave up a couple of runs, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online, the right-handed Mets prospect from North Carolina threw some of the fastest pitches of his career: 98.3 mph, 98.6 mph, 98.7 mph, 99.0 mph, and 99.2 mph. The fastest he threw in 2025 with the Mets was 98.4. McLean was fired up on Tuesday, and it showed in his pitch velocity.

On the other side of the mound, Eduardo Rodriguez shut down the United States. He threw 4 1/3, giving up just one hit, one walk, and striking out four to allow Venezuela to dominate the game.

Keller, Will Vest, and Griffin Jax kept the Venezuelan bats at bay and gave the United States a chance in the game through eight innings. After the bats were near silent through seven, the U.S. came back to tie in the bottom of the eighth.

After Bobby Witt Jr. walked, Bryce Harper came up and hit a long two-run home run to center field to tie the game 2-2, keeping the Americans’ hopes alive.

But then in the top of the ninth, Garrett Whitlock gave up his first run of the tournament to allow Venezuela to re-take the lead. After he walked Luis Arraez, Javier Sanoja replaced him on the base pads as a pinch runner and proceeded to steal second before Eugenio Suarez doubled to center field to score Sanoja and give Venezuela a 3-2 lead to immediately put the United States back behind.

The United States once again went flat in the bottom of the ninth and Venezuela went on to defeat the USA 3-2 and are the 2026 World Baseball Classic champions.

Tuesday’s victory marks the first time Venezuela has ever won the World Baseball Classic. This was the first year they made it into the finals and they came in and took advantage and now own the title of world champions for 2026.

The post Venezuela Upsets USA 3-2 for First World Baseball Classic Championship appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Two solo home runs in the fourth inning by Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony were enough. The lone Dominican Republic run came via a second-inning solo shot by Junior Caminero.

Paul Skenes started the game for the United States and went 4 1/3 innings allowing just the one run. Former Met, Tyler Rogers, got current Met, Juan Soto, to ground into a huge inning-ending double play in the fifth inning to preserve the slim lead.

Behind Rogers, Griffin Jax, David Bednar, Garrett Whitlock, and Mason Miller all turned in scoreless outings of their own.

Bednar got out of big trouble in the seventh as he struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ketal Marte back-to-back to strand the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Meanwhile, Miller ended the game with a controversial called strike three against Geraldo Perdomo. Perdomo was the winning run as the tying run was only 90 feet away at third base.

Two more former Mets factored in greatly on the pitching side of things for the Dominican Republic. Luis Severino started the contest and gave up the solo shot to Henderson. Shortly after, in relief, Gregory Soto gave up the other homer to Anthony.

As for current Mets, Juan Soto ended the game 0-for-4 with the aforementioned costly double play and a strikeout on a pitch well below the zone. Unfortunately, the final strike call was not the only that home plate umpire Cory Blaser got wrong. On a positive note, right-handed relief pitcher Huascar Brazobán overpowered the United Staes striking out three over his 1 1/3 innings of work.

The other semifinal game is slated for a 8:00 pm ET first pitch on Monday. As mentioned, the United States awaits the winner of that match between Venezuela and Italy. The championship game will be Tuesday, March 17.

The post U.S.A. Defeats The D.R. To Advance To The WBC Title Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The United States is set to face off against the Dominican Republic for a spot in the World Baseball Classic championship game.

The U.S. defeated Canada in the quarterfinals while the D.R. mercy-ruled Korea, 10-0, in their quarterfinal match. The Dominicans have not loss a game at the tournament while the United States’ lone loss was against Team Italy.

The winner will take on either Italy or Venezuela in the championship.

Team USA Lineup

1. Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
2. Bryce Harper – 1B
3. Aaron Judge – RF
4. Kyle Schwarber – DH
5. Gunnar Henderson – 3B
6. Will Smith – C
7. Roman Anthony – LF
8. Brice Turang – 2B
9. Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF

Starting Pitcher: Paul Skenes

Team Dominican Republic Lineup

1. Fernando Tatis Jr. – RF
2. Ketal Marte – 2B
3. Juan Soto – LF
4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
5. Manny Machado – 3B
6. Junior Caminero – DH
7. Julio Rodríguez – CF
8. Austin Wells – C
9. Geraldo Perdomo – SS

Starting Pitcher: Luis Severino

Three Things To Watch For

1. Juan Soto. The New York Mets superstar is slashing .316/.458/.632 (1.090 OPS) across 19 at-bats. He also has more walks (five) than strikeouts (four). Soto is the lifeblood of the Dominican Republic’s attack which will surely have the American Mets fans feeling very conflicted.
2. Paul Skenes. You really could not script it much better. Arguably the best pitcher in baseball against arguably the best lineup at the tournament. Skenes tossed four innings of one-hit ball his first World Baseball Classic outing. What does he have in him tonight?
3. Pitch Counts. In the World Baseball Classic, pitches are capped at a certain amount of pitches and it varies by each round. Skenes and his counterpart, Luis Severino, are capped at 80 pitches. If they begin an at-bat up against that number, they can exceed 80, but must be removed after that at-bat concludes. The title game pitch cap is 95 pitches.

The post WBC Game Chat: United States vs. Dominican Republic, 8:00 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Luckily for them, Italy kept them alive after they defeated Team Mexico by a score of 9-1 on Wednesday night.

Now, the United States have new life in the tournament and are set to face off against Canada in the quarterfinals at Daikin Park in Houston. Elsewhere, the electric Team Dominican Republic will take on Team Korea from loanDepot Park in Miami.

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Dominican Republic vs. Korea (6:30 p.m. EST, FS2)

After allowing three runs against Team Nicaragua last week, Cristopher Sanchez is back on the bump for the Dominican Republic. The Philadelphia Phillies ace will look to bounce back against a Team Korea lineup that features the likes of Jahmai Jones, Jung Hoo Lee, Bo Gyeong Moon and Hyeseong Kim.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays left-handed starter Hyun Jin Ryu will toe the rubber for Korea after giving up one earned run across three innings against Chinese Taipei in pool play.

Ryu has his work cut out for him, though, against a potent lineup that scored 41 runs in pool play thanks to the star power of Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ketel Marte, Julio Rodriguez and Manny Machado, among others.

The winners of this contest would move on to play the victor of the USA vs. Canada matchup on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. EST in Miami.

USA vs. Canada (8:00 p.m. EST, FOX)

The U.S. will call on San Francisco Giants All-Star right-hander Logan Webb in an attempt to shut down Canada’s lineup. Webb allowed one run on one hit with six strikeouts against Brazil in the opener of pool play.

Canada, meanwhile, will send Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka out for the start. He gave up one earned run over three innings in a victory over Colombia last week.

Team USA is looking to make it back to the semifinals of the WBC for a third-straight time, while Canada has never made it that far in the tournament throughout its 20-year history up to this point.

The post WBC Game Chat: Dominican Republic vs. Korea & USA vs. Canada appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mar 11, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Dominican Republic left fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a two-run home run against Venezuela during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Friday’s games

Korea vs. Dominican Republic at loanDepot park in Miami, 6:30 p.m. ET on FS2

Korea is the only team in the quarterfinals that lost twice, and it advanced by winning a three-way tiebreaker with Australia and Chinese Taipei. (Something seemed wrong to me at first about the runs allowed/outs recorded tiebreaker, but after some thought I like it.)

Korea is trying to make it to the semifinals for the first time since 2009, when it lost to Japan in the finals. It is facing a deep Dominican Republic team, looking for its second WBC title (2013, Robinson Canó was MVP).

Juan Soto is 5-for-15 with two home runs, four RBIs, five walks and a stolen base. He is one of five players on the team with two home runs (Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.). The DR outscored its opponents 41-10 while going 4-0 in pool play. Huascar Brazobán has thrown 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless ball. He’s struck out four (including Nicaragua’s Mark Vientos) and walked one.

USA vs. Canada at Daikin Park in Houston, 8 p.m. ET on FOX

Team USA survived a scare, and now Nolan McLean (a shaky outing vs. Italy) might get to pitch again. McLean, before the tournament, was named the starter should the Americans make it to the final. Clay Holmes (three scoreless innings, six strikeouts vs. Great Britain) is returning to the Mets.  Pete Crow-Armstrong and Aaron Judge have hit two homers apiece.

The United States is trying to win its second WBC (2017, Marcus Stroman was MVP) and it will have to go through Canada and Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie (7-for-14, a home run, a 1.458 OPS). Jared Young is 1-for-5 with two strikeouts for Team Canada.

Saturday’s games

Puerto Rico vs. Italy at Daikin Park in Houston, 3 p.m. ET on FS1

Puerto Rico lost in this round in 2023 and in the finals in 2017 and 2013. In 2023, Edwin Díaz suffered a torn patellar tendon while celebrating a win over the Dominican Republic. He is back and has thrown two scoreless innings with five strikeouts and a save. Italy pulled off the upset of the tournament so far with its win over the United States. Vinnie Pasquantino became the first player to hit three homers in a WBC game against Mexico.

Mets prospect Nick Morabito, seeing action as a defensive replacement in the Team Italy outfield, is 0-for-1.

Venezuela vs. Japan at loanDepot park in Miami, 9 p.m. ET on FOX

Shohei Ohtani is 5-for-9 with two homers, a double and four walks for defending champion Japan, and Seiya Suzuki has a couple of homers as well. Japan has won three of the five Classics and advanced to the semifinals every time. This will be its first time playing Venezuela, which had its best showing when it advanced to the semifinals in 2009.

Ronald Acuña Jr. is 4-for-13 with a home run, a double, six walks, a tournament-leading eight runs scored and two stolen bases. Luis Arraez has two home runs and nine RBIs. RHP Carlos Guzman (3.12 ERA in 49 innings combined at Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton in 2025), got into one game, recorded two outs and gave up a hit and a walk.

The winners of Friday’s games will play Sunday in Miami, and the winners of Saturday’s games will play there on Monday. The championship game is Tuesday in Miami at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Predictions

Anything can happen in one baseball game. But I don’t like the vibes from Team USA. I think it survives Canada and loses to the immaculately-vibing DR in the semifinals. I’ll take Italy to keep its magic going, Venezuela in an upset over Japan and DR over Venezuela in the finals. Soto will edge Brazobán for MVP honors.

The post World Baseball Classic: Quarterfinals Preview appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Team USA needed help on Wednesday night, and they got it with Italy beating Mexico. USA will now move on to the quarterfinal and play Canada on Friday in Houston at 8 p.m. ET.

Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

World Baseball Classic Results

As mentioned, Italy beat Mexico by a 9-1 score behind three home runs from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. Mets nemesis Jon Berti also homered for Italy, and Aaron Nola tossed five scoreless innings. Italy won the pool with a 4-0 record and will now face Team Venezuela on Friday at 3 p.m. ET in Houston.

Canada beat Cuba 7-2 to win Pool A and face USA in the quarterfinals. Abraham Toro was the star for Canada on Wednesday night, going 3-for-5 with his first home run of the tourney.

In the final game of the night, the Dominican Republic beat Venezuela 7-5 to win Pool D. Juan Soto, Ketel Marte, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Fernando Tatis Jr. all homered for the DR. Soto knocked in two runs, scored two runs and picked up a walk. Mets reliever Huascar Brazobán struck out three in a scoreless inning for the winning DR.

The Dominican team will play Korea at 6:30 p.m. ET in Miami on Friday. Venezuela will have the tough task of beating the defending champion Japan team on Saturday in Miami.

Latest Mets News

Max Goodman of NJ dot com wrote about how Craig Kimbrel is helping some of the young pitchers in Mets camp.

Apple TV announced their first half of the season schedule, and the Mets will be featured twice: May 15, Yankees vs. Mets and June 12, Braves vs. Mets.

In other Mets broadcast news, Matt Vasgersian will be the play-by-play guy for the Pirates vs. the Mets on Opening Day.

Latest MLB News

The Nationals announced that right-hander Cade Cavalli will get the start for them on Opening Day.

Netflix announced its Opening Night broadcast team.

Latest on MMO

We talked about the 30-26 ranked prospects in the Mets system.

The Mets’ offense was pretty good on Tuesday.

On This Date in Mets History

2003: Mike Piazza charged the mound after getting hit with a pitch by Guillermo Mota.

2013: David Wright knocked in five runs for Team USA in their win over Puerto Rico.

Born on This Date: Darryl Strawberry (1962), Carlos Muniz (1981), and Luisangel Acuña (2002)

The post Morning Briefing: Italy Helps Team USA Advance appeared first on Metsmerized Online.