Folks, I’m excited for a couple of reasons. First, it’s officially Opening Day, and even though it’s not the traditional way that MLB used to do things, with every team taking the field on the same afternoon, it’s still special. By the end of Friday, all teams will have played at least once.
My job this season is to get everyone pumped up for the most intriguing upcoming series every Monday and Friday. In one of Pitcher List’s new features, MLB Series Preview, I’ll be giving readers the top five series to follow during the week and on weekends. It’s going to be fun.
For the first series preview, I’m going the extra mile. Below is a preview of all 15 series taking place beginning Wednesday on Netflix, with the Giants hosting the Yankees, all the way to the final season opener on Friday night between Kansas City and Atlanta. There’s no top five or any other rankings system below. Starting Monday, that’s what you’ll get. Instead, the order below is based on the day and time of each opener, with no bias. I want everyone to get a feel for what we might see this weekend around the majors. It’s baseball season now. Let’s get this done!
*Parentheses show the team’s 2025 record
Yankees (94-68) at Giants (81-81)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Welcome to the big leagues, Tony Vitello. Not only do the Yankees and Giants kick off the season on Netflix all by their lonesome on Wednesday, but for the first time in history, a former college baseball coach will make his MLB managerial debut without any prior experience on the professional level. Now, the former Tennessee Volunteers coach, who led his team to the 2024 national championship, will have the spotlight completely on him as he tries to get the Giants off to a good start against Aaron Judge and the Yankees. You could easily make the argument that Wednesday’s pitching matchup between San Fran’s Logan Webb and New York’s Max Fried is the best Opening Day pairing of all 15 series being previewed. At the very least, there’s no argument that, based on last year’s numbers, these were two of the true workhorses in MLB. Webb led all of baseball with 207 innings pitched, while Fried ranked fourth with 195⅓ innings pitched. Can we get two quality starts right out of the gate? We’ll find out soon enough. Enjoy this one.
Pirates (71-91) at Mets (83-79)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 1:15 p.m. ET
OK, after making a case for the Webb vs. Fried duel mentioned above as the best Opening Day pitching matchup, there is one other that you could probably convince me of as a more intriguing battle. Last year’s NL Cy Young, Paul Skenes, and the Mets’ new ace, Freddy Peralta, will go at it on Thursday afternoon in New York. Peralta, who’s no stranger to the Pirates after spending the first eight seasons of his career in a Brewers uniform, finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting last year. This should be a great matchup.
I’ll admit, as I think many fans would, that I’m a bit down on Pittsburgh’s decision to start baseball’s top prospect, Konnor Griffin, at Triple-A. Saying that, it will still be interesting to see if the Buccos’ offense shows any improvement this year in the power department after ranking last in MLB in ’25 with a .350 slugging percentage. As for the Mets, the biggest question entering the season after losing Pete Alonso via free agency, is how the new players like Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, and former White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. will mesh with a team that had the best record in MLB on June 13 last season, only to miss the playoffs in the end. Two teams with some questions to answer should make for an exciting three-game set.
White Sox (60-102) at Brewers (97-65)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 2:15 p.m. ET
Do we begin with the Brewers shocking the baseball world with an MLB-best 97 wins last season? Or, should this story begin with a White Sox franchise that lost 100-plus games for a third straight year? I’m going to start with Milwaukee, a team that always makes my preseason predictions look silly. I continue to overlook how well this organization is run. I have them finishing third in the NL Central and missing the playoffs, which probably means they’ll win the NL Central for the fourth time in a row. Recall, last year, in my 7 Bold Predictions for 2025, I picked the Brew Crew to finish last in their division. That was a terrible call on my part, and I can’t get myself to do that again despite the loss of Peralta to the Mets. Saying that, there is still one young staff ace with plenty of intrigue who will get the nod on Opening Day. Jacob Misiorowski, who struck out 87 batters over 66 IP in his rookie campaign last season, will take the ball on Thursday against Chicago’s 25-year-old right-hander, Shane Smith.
As for the White Sox and their three consecutive miserable seasons, if former Nippon Professional Baseball slugger Munetaka Murakami provides anywhere near the numbers he displayed in 2022 with the Yakult Swallows (.318 BA, 56 HRs, and 134 RBIs), then at the very least, even if this club finishes in last place once again, they’ll have something to get excited about as the rest of their young roster develops. I want to see what Murakami does in this series, and we’ll go from there.
Nationals (66-96) at Cubs (92-70)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 2:20 p.m. ET
As of this writing, the only thing we know for certain as far as the starting pitchers are concerned is that Chicago’s Matthew Boyd (14-8, 3.21 ERA in ’25) will face Washington’s Cade Cavalli (3-1, 4.25 ERA in ’25). The Cubs are the headline team in this matchup and are considered by many as the NL Central favorite. They’ve replaced one former Astros star, Kyle Tucker, with another former Houston star, Alex Bregman. On Monday, it was reported that Chicago’s young All-Star Pete Crow-Armstrong received a six-year extension with the club, and overall, once this team gets its RBI leader from a year ago back on the field, Seiya Suzuki (sprained right PCL), this lineup will be as formidable as any in the division.
My biggest question about Washington is whether they will finish last in the NL East for the sixth time in seven seasons. They no longer has their former ace, MacKenzie Gore, and instead will deploy a pitching staff made up of veterans like Cavalli, Miles Mikolas, and Zack Littell. Can anyone not named CJ Abrams or James Wood help the offense enough to get this franchise out of the NL East basement? Let’s first see how the bats hit this weekend at Wrigley Field before jumping to conclusions.
Twins (70-92) at Orioles (75-87)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 3:05 p.m. ET
I’ll give props to these teams for knowing who their starting pitchers will be for the entire three-game series. As far as the opener, we know that Minnesota’s five-year veteran Joe Ryan will take on Baltimore’s southpaw Trevor Rogers, who posted a 1.81 ERA over 109.2 frames last season. This is a new-look Orioles squad, having brought in sluggers Alonso and Taylor Ward. The two combined for 74 long balls in ’25 and certainly add some thump to the lineup. The question is: Will shortstop Gunnar Henderson rebound and put up similar numbers to 2024 when he belted 37 homers and drove in 92 runs? If so, and catcher Adley Rutschman returns to being something far better than a .220 hitter, then this offensive attack could be the most potent in the AL East.
The Twins lost their ace, Pablo López, in the offseason (TJ surgery), and whether or not Ryan, Bailey Ober, and the rest of their starting rotation can handle the workload remains to be seen. Right now, CF Byron Buxton and 3B Royce Lewis appear to be healthy, and if they are, then maybe with the help of younger bats like Luke Keaschall, this offense will be solid enough to keep the Twins in the AL Central race. A lot to watch for this weekend in Baltimore.
Red Sox (89-73) at Reds (83-79)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 4:10 p.m. ET
It’s always fun to see managers go head-to-head with their former teams. That’s the case here in Cincinnati, where manager Terry Francona welcomes the franchise he won two World Series titles with in ’04 and ’07, the Boston Red Sox. The man Francona will face on the other side is Alex Cora, also a championship manager with Boston (2018). Both squads earned wild-card spots last year. Cincy was swept by the Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Series, while Boston lost in three games to New York in the ALWC.
The Reds will not see their ace, Hunter Greene, on the mound in this or any series until at least July (elbow surgery), which certainly puts their regular-season hopes in question. They also received news that SP Nick Lodolo will begin the season on the IL with a blister on his throwing hand. This means Cincinnati will go with Andrew Abbott in Thursday’s opener, followed by Brady Singer on Saturday and rookie Rhett Lowder in Sunday’s series finale. As of now, Boston will counter with last year’s AL Cy Young runner-up, Garrett Crochet, on Opening Day, followed by newly acquired Sonny Gray and 23-year-old Connelly Early.
Angels (72-90) at Astros (87-75)
Series length: 4 games
First game: Thursday, 4:10 p.m. ET
One of only two four-game sets this weekend has a pair of division rivals battling at Daikin Park in Houston. Once again, the Angels fell well short of the playoffs last year after tallying only 72 victories. Their run of 11 straight seasons without a playoff berth might continue in ’26 if they can’t get more production from their oft-injured star, Mike Trout. The three-time AL MVP did manage to play 130 games last season for the first time since 2019. However, if the Halos have any shot at competing in the AL West, he’ll have to improve on his .232/.359/.439 slash line from a year ago.
The Astros fell short of the playoffs in 2025 for the first time in nearly a decade. Just as the Angles need a healthy and productive Trout, Houston’s slugger Yordan Alvarez must stay healthy and mash if the ‘Stros want any shot at the postseason — let alone competing with Seattle in the AL West.
Thursday’s pitching matchup will feature Houston’s Hunter Brown (12-9, 2.43 ERA in ’25) versus Los Angeles right-hander José Soriano (10-11, 4.26 ERA in ’25).
Tigers (87-75) at Padres (90-72)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 4:10 p.m. ET
Of the many interleague series this weekend, this may be the most intriguing. Not only do we get to witness two playoff squads from last year go at it in San Diego, but the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, Tarik Skubal, will take the mound in Thursday’s opener. San Diego will counter with Nick Pivetta, who had a nice bounce-back 2025 campaign after going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA for the Friars.
I’m looking forward to watching both offenses in this series for different reasons. I want to know if Detroit’s bats will be good enough to give what is arguably the best pitching staff in the AL enough run support to win the AL Central. I say yes, but I need to see some improvements from most of the hitters in the projected lineup. This weekend might tell us a lot.
As for the Padres, my main question is about their star right fielder, Fernando Tatis Jr. Can he get back to the pre-PED numbers that made so many of us believe a true superstar was coming to San Diego? Since his 80-game suspension in 2022, Tatis’ numbers have been solid, but not great. The Padres need great Tatis if they have any hopes of dethroning the Dodgers in the NL West.
Rays (77-85) at Cardinals (78-84)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 4:15 p.m. ET
I think it’s fair to say that if either of these teams finds a way to a division title in 2026, we’ll all be a bit surprised. On paper, both pitching staffs leave a lot to be desired. The Opening Day matchup between St. Louis southpaw Matthew Liberatore (8-12, 4.21 ERA in ’25) and Tampa Bay veteran Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.76 ERA in ’25) will probably be the best one of the three upcoming contests.
The Rays are looking to build off 3B Junior Caminero’s monster 45-homer, 110-RBI season. I’m fascinated to see what the 22-year-old has in store for this weekend. Meanwhile, the Cardinals might very well have the most questions regarding their offense as anyone in baseball. Will their top prospect, JJ Wetherholt, who officially made the big league club this week, continue to show great plate discipline in the majors as he did over his two minor league campaigns? Can their former top prospects Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman finally break out and deliver some promising numbers? I have no idea what to expect with this team, but I’m fascinated to see if they can make a run at the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Rangers (81-81) at Phillies (96-66)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 4:15 p.m. ET
For as many questions as I have about the Cardinals, perhaps the most difficult team to judge in the majors until we see them compete this weekend is the Texas Rangers. Can they trust the aging arms of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi to stay healthy for the entire season? I have my doubts. Can they trust the two-time World Series MVP, Corey Seager, to play more than 130 games? Not if you believe in his recent games played numbers over the last three years (119, 123, and 102). Can the younger bats like Josh Jung, Wyatt Langford, and Evan Carter produce at the level many pundits believe they are capable of? I don’t have the answers to any of those questions, but if the pitching staff remains healthy and the bats produce up to their capabilities, then Texas could be on its way to October baseball.
The Phillies are my early favorite in the NL East despite being down SP Zack Wheeler for a bit. They’ve got the usual suspects atop the batting order with Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper. The pitching staff is led by Cristopher Sánchez, who is coming off a terrific year (13-5, 2.50 ERA in ’25), followed by Aaron Nola and southpaw Jesús Luzardo. I’m liking the depth of the opening-series pitching matchups. Thursday: Sanchez vs. Eovaldi. Saturday: Nola vs. deGrom. Sunday: Luzardo vs. Gore. I’d argue that this series has the best pitching matchups of any this weekend. Tune in.
Diamondbacks (80-82) at Dodgers (93-69)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET
The second series between division rivals this weekend pits the Diamondbacks vs. the Dodgers. Arizona is looking for a rebound season from its Opening Day starter, Zac Gallen, who re-signed with the Snakes in the offseason. While the Diamondbacks wait on the return of their other ace, Corbin Burnes (TJ surgery, expected back in July), they’ll have to survive in the loaded NL West against offensive goliaths like the Dodgers. We all know where the Dodgers stand as far as projections. They are the hands-down favorite to win their third straight World Series title. They have the pitching, the bats, and the defense to do something that hasn’t been done since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.
Gallen will face Dodgers World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Thursday’s opener. This should be a fun series to follow between two playoff hopefuls.
Guardians (88-74) at Mariners (90-72)
Series length: 4 games
First game: Thursday, 10:10 p.m. ET
One thing in particular stands out to me in this series. This is the only matchup of the weekend between two division champions from last year. The Guardians stormed back from a 15½-game deficit to steal the AL Central from the Tigers, while the Mariners held off the Astros in the AL West and won by three games. I’ve learned not to doubt Cleveland as long as 3B José Ramírez is on the roster. This franchise has never finished worse than third place in the AL Central since Ramirez made his Guardians debut in 2013. Therefore, anything less than third place in this division should surprise most of us.
The Mariners have one of the best all-around squads in the game, and at full health, their rotation is as good as any out there. We’ll get a chance to see how good when they deploy Logan Gilbert on Thursday versus Cleveland’s No. 1, Tanner Bibee. Seattle hasn’t officially announced as of this writing what starters will get the nod for the rest of the series, but between Bryan Woo, George Kirby, and Luis Castillo, it’s hard to go wrong. There were 178 wins combined in the regular season between these squads last year. That should be enough of a reason to tune in this weekend.
Athletics (76-86) at Blue Jays (94-68)
Series length: 4 games
First game: Friday, 7:07 p.m. ET
We’re going to find out quickly if there’s any hangover for Toronto after last year’s devastating loss at home to the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. I don’t expect that as much as I am Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to make a run at the AL MVP. It’s going to be fascinating to follow Toronto this entire season, given how well they played in October. The Jays’ pitching staff will be tested immediately against a young and talented offensive squad led by last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, first baseman Nick Kurtz.
Honestly, I don’t trust any staff led by Luis Severino, who went 2-9 at home last season with an ERA north of 6.00. If this is their ace, and the rest of the arms behind Severino perform to their norms, then it won’t matter how many runs the A’s score this season because it won’t be enough to keep them in the AL West race. I think it’s safe to say that both staffs will be tested this weekend. Friday’s opener will see Severino take on Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA).
Rockies (43-119) at Marlins (79-83)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET
Would anyone be offended if I said this was the least intriguing series of the weekend? Not only does this matchup involve the worst team by far in 2025, the Colorado Rockies (43-119 record), but the third-place finisher in the NL East will be without their top offensive weapon from last year, Kyle Stowers (IL with hamstring injury). That’s right, the Marlins were one of the most improved franchises in MLB last year, increasing their win total by 17 games from 2024. Neither team has high expectations, but the beauty of a series like this, especially for the teams playing, is that someone has to come out of it with a winning record. What better way to start the new year than with an opening series win? The first contest will pair Rockies veteran, Kyle Freeland (5-17, 4.98 ERA in ’25) against Miami’s former NL Cy Young winner, Sandy Alcantara (11-12, 5.36 ERA).
Royals (82-80) at Atlanta (76-86)
Series length: 3 games
First game: Friday, 7:15 p.m. ET
Finally, the last series to officially get underway this weekend will be this one between Kansas City and Atlanta. Opening Day will pit two talented lefties when the Royals send Cole Ragans to the bump (3-3, 4.67 ERA in ’25) to face Atlanta’s 36-year-old ace Chris Sale (7-5, 2.58 ERA). You noticed I mentioned Sale’s age? There’s a reason for that. After it was announced that their No. 2 arm, Spencer Strider, would miss the beginning of the season with an oblique strain to add to Atlanta’s already depleted starting staff (Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep also on the IL), it made me wonder if it’s fair to assume that this team cannot compete in the top-heavy NL East with New York and Philadelphia.
I think it’s going to come down to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley finding their grooves at the dish. At full strength, Atlanta’s offense can match any in this league, but I don’t believe the aging and oft-injured Sale is enough to keep this team afloat. The pitching staff will have a good test this weekend against a solid Kansas City lineup led by shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.. I’m feeling a lot of runs on the board in this series. If you like the idea of high-scoring affairs, tune in for these contests.
That concludes the first MLB Weekend Series Preview of the year. I hope you enjoyed it. I’ll be back on Monday with the top five series for the beginning of next week.
