Issue #590
The goal with The Baseball Buffet series is to provide the best daily dose of relevant baseball info in a smart-brevity format (mostly short bullets, getting to the point, with quick analysis/insights.) Think of it like what baseball fans of a certain age would look forward to in their morning newspaper’s sports section each day!
⚾ Welcome! ⚾
As I noted yesterday, we made it! Last night was Opening Night, and featured one game I’ll discuss shortly. Today is Opening Day, with many teams kicking off their 2026 season today, and the remainder starting up tomorrow.
But on a personal note, today also marks one full year of The Baseball Buffet daily newsletter. That’s right… I’ve somehow managed to publish this newsletter 365 days in a row at this point, starting on March 27th, 2025. We’ll see how much longer my “consecutive days played” streak, so to speak, can continue!
As for the one game from last night:
NYY 7, SFG 0 - SFG SP Logan Webb had 7 K in 5 IP, and reached the 1,000 K milestone for his career. But not much else went well for him last night, as he also allowed 9 H, 1 BB, 7 R, and 6 ER. There weren’t any homers in this one, but the Yankees scored five runs in the second and added another two in the fifth. Trent Grisham had a triple and 2 RBI, while Giancarlo Stanton showed he was healthy by going 2-4 with a run and a RBI. Every Yankee hitter had at least one hit—except superstar Aaron Judge who went 0-5 with 4 strikeouts. Meanwhile, NYY SP Max Fried did well (6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K), and three Yankees relievers combined for the shutout.
For more on Opening Night, see the article by Manny Randhawa, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, and Theo DeRosa at MLB.
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Who’s on the move?
This section will soon have key injuries, demotions, call-ups, etc. There are usually at least a handful each and every day. For now, during these first couple of days of the season, there is a flood of players being placed on the various injury lists, as teams finalize their Opening Day rosters. So I’m simply going to provide two links:
MLB transactions - day-by-day full list of all MLB transactions, which can be filtered by team for each day.
FanGraphs 2026 Injury Report - this is an outstanding resource that by default shows all injured players, sorted by team. It provides information on the type of injury, which duration IL the player is on, their expected return date/timeframe, and more.
Top-100 Prospects in the Majors
Most of the current MLB top-100 prospects are starting the year in the minors. Some of them struggled during Spring Training. Others did well but for a variety of reasons still didn’t get a major league roster spot, e.g., they are blocked by experienced veterans, they are very young or lack much professional experience, or the team is keeping them in the minors for a while due to service time rules (meaning they are likely to be called up in May).
But according to an article by at MLB, here are several MLB Top-100 prospects who are beginning the 2026 season in the majors (excluding those currently injured). I’m providing some relevant Spring Training stats for each, provided by this useful page at MLB:
#2 - Kevin McGonigle, SS, DET - 10-42, 2 HR, 2 SB, .238/.407/.476
#5 - JJ Wetherholt, IF, STL - 7-32, 2 HR, 2 SB, .219/.381/.406
#6 - Nolan McLean, SP, NYM - 4 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1 BB, 6 K
#8 - Samuel Basallo, C/1B, BAL - 13-37, 3 HR, 0 SB, .351/.442/.730
#11 - Bubba Chandler, SP, PIT - 11 IP, 6.55 ERA, 11 BB, 17 K
#16 - Carson Benge, OF, NYM - 15-41, 0 HR, 1 SB, .366/.435/.439
#18 - Carter Jensen, C, KCR - 9-42, 3 HR, 1 SB, .214/.283/.429
#22 - Sal Stewart, IF, CIN - 16-48, 3 HR, 4 SB, .333/.439/.604
#28 - Andrew Painter, SP, PHI - 11.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 2 BB, 8 K
#42 - Owen Cassie, OF, MIA - 2-15, 0 HR, 1 SB, .133/.350/.133
#46 - Chase DeLauter, OF, CLE - 15-34, 3 HR, 0 SB, .441/.525/.853
#53 - Justin Crawford, OF, PHI - 11-49, 0 HR, 3 SB, .224/.269/.306
#55 - Moisés Ballesteros, C/DH, CHC - 15-42, 2 HR, 0 SB, .357/.413/.619
#56 - Connelly Early, SP, BOS - 17 IP, 1.59 ERA, 5 BB, 16 K
#63 - Carson Williams, SS, TBR - 10-32, 1 HR, 1 SB, .313/.324/.469
#69 - Dylan Beavers, OF, BAL - 7-31, 1 HR, 0 SB, .226/.250/.516
#86 - Rhett Lowder, SP/RP, CIN - 13 IP, 3.46 ERA, 5 BB, 14 K
#95 - Parker Messick, SP/RP, CLE - 19.2 IP, 4.12 ERA, 5 BB, 17 K
#96 - Hunter Barco, SP/RP, PIT - 11.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 8 BB, 15 K
#100 - Brandon Sproat, SP/RP, MIL - 13 IP, 3.46 ERA, 4 BB, 15 K
Today’s Trivia Question
One of today's Birthday Boys (see below) is Kevin Seitzer. In his first full season in 1987 he had 207 hits, which at this point ranks sixth on the Royals single-season Hits leaderboard. How many of the four players can you name who have had more than 207 hits in a season? (One player did so twice.)
Trivia answers are always provided towards the bottom of each issue of The Baseball Buffet.
On this day in baseball history…
Here is what stands out to me for this day in baseball history. All quoted descriptions are from baseball-reference.com.
📅 On March 26…
1937: Joe DiMaggio takes Ty Cobb’s advice. “On the advice of Ty Cobb, Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio reduces the weight of his bat from 40 ounces to 36 ounces.”
1973: Hall of Famer George Sisler dies at the age of 80. “George Sisler dies in Richmond Heights, Missouri, at the age of 80. Sisler batted .340 with 2,812 hits over a 15-year major league career. In 1920, he set a major league record by collecting 257 hits, which will last into the next century. Sisler gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1939.”
1974: Red Sox drop Aparicio and Cepeda. “The Boston Red Sox dump two future Hall of Famers when designated hitter Orlando Cepeda and shortstop Luis Aparicio are both given their unconditional releases. Aparicio, who elects to retire, finishes his career with 2,677 hits and 506 stolen bases and will enter the Hall in 1984. Cepeda will eventually wind up with the Kansas City Royals, where he will complete his major league career this year. He will win election to Cooperstown in 1999.”
🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉
Kevin Seitzer, Shane Reynolds
Kevin Seitzer (1962)
12-year major league career, spanning from 1986-1997, mostly with the Royals, Brewers, and Indians
Two-time All-Star
Had a strong first full season in 1987, batting .323 with 15 HR, 12 SB, 105 runs, and an AL-leading 207 hits
Played mostly 3B, but shifted to some 1B late in his career
Overall had a .295/.375/.404 slash line and a 111 OPS+
Shane Reynolds (1968)
13-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1992-2004, mostly with the Astros
Won 16+ games three times, including in 1998 when he finished the year with a 19-8 record, a 3.51 ERA, and a career high 209 strikeouts
Overall had a 114-96 (.543) record, a 4.09 ERA, and a 103 ERA+
Currently active players who were born on March 26 include HOU Cristian Javier, SEA Rob Refsnyder, BAL Jeremiah Jackson, MIL Rob Zastryzny, and Michael A. Taylor (free agent).
New Baseball Books!
The following are some books that are newly published in March, 2026:
Death in the Strike Zone: The Mystery of America’s First Baseball Hero
by Thomas W. Gilbert
David R. Godine, Publisher
March 24, 2026
192 pages
The Finest in the Field®: A History of Baseball Through 50 Iconic Gloves
by Ed Wheatley (Author), Johnny Bench (Foreword)
Rizzoli
March 24, 2026
272 pages
Unhittable: How Technology, Mavericks, and Innovators Engineered Baseball's New Era of Pitching Dominance
by Rob Friedman
Harper
March 24, 2026
288 pages
Hot Foot: My Hijinks and Upside-Down Life with the World Champion New York Mets
by Roger McDowell with Doug Feldmann, and foreword by Keith Hernandez
Triumph Books
March 24, 2026
256 pages
Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People's Team
by A.M. Gittlitz
Astra House
March 31, 2026
496 pages
Your Detroit Tigers: The Great, the Good, and the Neither
by Tom Gage with Alex Avila
Triumph Books
March 31, 2026
256 pages
Today’s Matchups
As readers from last season will remember, each day I will usually highlight game matchups that seem particularly interesting, whether because of the pitchers involved, current winning streaks, or other factors. But today is special, so here is the full list of 11 games, with the starting pitchers for each:
PIT Paul Skenes vs. NYM Freddy Peralta - This matchup is last year’s NL ERA leaders vs. last year’s NL wins leader (while with MIL). Lots of new faces on both teams.
CHW Shane Smith vs. MIL Jacob Misiorowski - Both are making their first Opening Day starts. Smith was originally signed by MIL. Misiorowski is coming up on his 24th birthday.
WAS Cade Cavalli vs. CHC Matthew Boyd - First Opening Day start for Cavalli, while it’s the third time for Boyd. CHC 3B Alex Bregman is playing for his third team in three years.
MIN Joe Ryan vs. BAL Trevor Rogers - Second Opening Day start for Ryan, and the first for Rogers after he had an outstanding 1.81 ERA in 18 starts last year. New power sources in Baltimore include Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward. Plus there is Tyler O’Neill who has hit a HR in a record six consecutive Opening Day games (2020-2025).
BOS Garrett Crochet vs. CIN Andrew Abbott - Third consecutive Opening Day start for Crochet, while this is the first for Abbott.
LAA Jose Soriano vs. HOU Hunter Brown - First Opening Day starts for both pitchers.
DET Tarik Skubal vs. SDP Nick Pivetta - Third consecutive Opening Day start for Skubal—can he win a third consecutive Cy Young Award also? This is the first Opening Day start for Pivetta
TBR Drew Rasmussen vs. STL Matthew Liberatore - First Opening Day starts for both pitchers. Presumably rookie prospect JJ Wetherholt will be making his major league debut and play 2B in this game.
TEX Nathan Eovaldi vs. PHI Cristopher Sánchez - This is the sixth Opening Day start for Eovaldi, while it’s the first for Cristopher Sánchez, who just signed a hefty 6-year extension for the Phillies.
AZ Zac Gallen vs. LAD Yoshinobu Yamamoto - Fourth Opening Day start for Gallen, and second for Yamamoto. This is game one in the Dodgers’ quest for a three-peat.
CLE Tanner Bibee vs. SEA Logan Gilbert - Second Opening Day start for Gilbert, but the first for Bibee after he was a late scratch last time around due to an illness.
For more on each of these matchups, see the loaded article by Brent Maquire and Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru at MLB.
Hitter Watch
The following hitters have done well historically against the SP they are facing today:
PIT Bryan Reynolds - 15-39 (.385) with 1 HR vs. NYM Freddy Peralta
MIN Josh Bell - 6-13 (.462) vs. BAL Trevor Rogers
SEA J.P. Crawford - 4-8 vs. CLE Tanner Bibee
PHI J.T. Realmuto - 4-9 with a 1 HR vs. TEX Nathan Eovaldi
The following hitters have not done well historically against the SP they are facing today:
PIT Oneil Cruz - 1-13, 4 K, though with 1 HR vs. NYM Freddy Peralta
LAA Zach Neto - 1-11, 3 K vs. HOU Hunter Brown
SDP Ramon Laureano - 2-17, 6 K vs. DET Tarik Skubal
STL Ramon Urias - 0-12, 2 K vs. TBR Drew Rasmussen
AZ Corbin Carroll - 1-17, 6 K vs. LAD Yoshinobu Yamamoto
AZ Alek Thomas - 1-9, 6 K vs. LAD Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Pitcher Watch
The following pitchers have done well against players on the team they are facing today;
LAD Yoshinobu Yamamoto - 75 AB, 26 K, .147/.210/.251
DET Tarik Skubal - 54 AB, 19 K, .167/.237/.307
HOU Hunter Brown - 62 AB, 16 K, .177/.283/.340
LAA Jose Soriano - 46 AB, 15 K, .196/.298/.254
SDP Nick Pivetta - 71 AB, 24 K, .197/.260/.351
Baseball Quote of the Day
For obvious reasons, it seemed appropriate to have a selection of quotes today on the theme of Opening Day:
"It's like Christmas, except it's warmer." - Pete Rose
"The good thing about Opening Day, at the end of the day, it counts. It's in the record." - Jimmy Rollins
"There are opening day pitchers, and pitchers who start on opening day." - Roger Craig
"An Opener is not like any other game. There's that little extra excitement, a faster beating of the heart. … You know that when you win the first one, you can't lose 'em all." - Early Wynn
"You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen." - Joe DiMaggio
Today’s Trivia Answer
Here is the Royals single-season Hits leaderboard:
230 - Willie Wilson (1980)
215 - George Brett (1976)
214 - Johnny Damon (2000)
212 - George Brett (1979)
211 - Bobby Witt Jr. (2024)
207 - Kevin Seitzer (1987)
206 - Whit Merrifield (2019)
206 - Mike Sweeney (2000)
201 - Melky Cabrera (2011)
Good Reads
Here I am providing one or more links to baseball articles I’ve enjoyed recently, whether by writers at MLB.com or elsewhere.
This incredible Giants Opening Day streak is over, by Sarah Langs at MLB, 3/25/2026
Who has longest Opening Day streak at each position?, by Andrew Simon at MLB, 3/25/2026
What needs to go right for each team this season, by MLB writers, 3/25/2026
The Most Fun Teams in Baseball, by Joe Posnanski at JoeBlogs, 3/25/2026
See recent issues of The Baseball Buffet for more recent good reads!
How did you like this edition of Now Taking the Field?
Did you know? I wrote a 600+ page book with the same title as this newsletter/blog? Now Taking the Field: Baseball’s All-Time Dream Teams for All 30 Franchises was published in early 2019, by ACTA Sports. It is available at Amazon and most other major booksellers.
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