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Good morning! I am so excited for baseball.
Opening Day: Baseball is all the way back
On the national stage, most of March is when baseball lurks. Diehards dive into spring training, but most of the collective consciousness is focused on NCAA tournaments, not to mention the NBA playoff race and whatever stories the NFL scriptwriters cook up.
Today, baseball emerges. In true baseball fashion, there is simply too much to cover. We have 13 games today (full schedule here). There is plenty of preview content to be had — more on that in a bit — but I wanted to get a lay of the land with Windup writer Levi Weaver first:
Is there a club or player that surprised you in spring training? Maybe a deeper question: Is it folly to think spring training performances automatically carry over into the regular season?
Levi: I knew that Wyatt Langford of the Rangers was going to be a good hitter. I did not expect him to lead all of baseball in spring training RBI (20) and finish one short of the home run lead (he had six). There was some talk of him being added to the World Series roster when Adolis García was injured last year, so I’m not surprised he made the Opening Day roster, but sheesh.
As for whether his (or anyone’s) performance in spring training can be predictive … not really. It’s thin desert air and occasionally A-ball pitchers. But comparing apples to apples, Langford drove in more apples than anyone else.
What’s the team or story you’re most interested in following over the first month of the season?
Levi: The easy answer is the Dodgers, but I’m also really interested to see what the Brewers do this year. It does seem like everything is pretty primed to fall apart over there, but I can’t help thinking Rhys Hoskins and Jackson Chourio joining Christian Yelich, Willy Adames and William Contreras could make for a fun lineup. The rotation isn’t good enough, but the NL Central isn’t exactly stacked. If everything goes well …
Dodgers vs. field for World Series champ: Who’s your pick?
Levi: I’m taking the field only because that gives me the Braves, Orioles, and any other team that goes on an October heater. The Dodgers are clearly a better team on paper, but the playoffs are a crapshoot, and anything can happen in a seven-game series. Either way, I’m just excited we’ll (probably) get to see Ohtani in the playoffs.
Levi will have much more in today’s Windup, which you should subscribe to as nascent baseball begins.
Jayson Stark, as he is wont to do, has a brilliant preview focusing on the numbers that will define this season. Did you know 64 pitchers threw 100 mph or more last year? If you don’t have a flamethrower, better find one.
Meanwhile, Jim Bowden has award picks. The MVP comes from the Dodgers, but isn’t who you think it is. I also loved Eno Sarris’ 10 bold predictions. A Royals wild card berth? Sign me up.
Happy Opening Day, everyone.
News to Know
Draymond ejected, again
Warriors forward/firebrand Draymond Green drew two technical fouls less than four minutes into Golden State’s win over the Magic, his fourth ejection of the season. And yet many Warriors were instead upset with referee Ray Acosta, who they felt had an unfairly quick trigger for Green. It is unclear if Green will be suspended, but the distraction comes at the worst time, with the Warriors trying to fend off Houston (who beat West-leading Oklahoma City in overtime last night) for the final Play-In spot.
Former Cuse guard accused of aiding Diddy
Miami police arrested former Syracuse basketball player Brendan Paul yesterday on two drug-related charges, both stemming from a lawsuit against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. In the suit, Paul is described as a “mule” who allegedly “acquires and distributes Combs’ drugs and guns.” Read the full report here.
More news
Hi, My Name Is: The most charming man in the NCAA Tournament
It is hard to miss DJ Burns, and not just because of his husky stature and gap-toothed smile. Watch any interview with the NC State forward/bulldozer and you’ll fall for his charm, too.
Burns and the Wolfpack are on a special run. Kyle Tucker illustrated the full story on Burns yesterday in a great piece. Burns’ arc is fascinating:
- The 6-foot-9, 275-pound Burns started his career way back in 2018 at Tennessee and made a stop at Winthrop before landing at NC State last year. The 23-year-old Burns has played a staggering 162 college games.
- His road has been inconsistent. His talent was always obvious — the footwork and touch are top-tier — but he’s struggled with his weight. It can be a boon, as we’ve seen when he’s bullied defenders, but it’s hindered his performance in the past, as recent as earlier this season.
- In late January, Burns and the coaching staff had a reset. The forward committed to eating better and prioritizing his health. It clearly worked — just two weeks ago, the Wolfpack were slated for the NIT. They’ve won seven straight, including both the ACC and NCAA tournaments, all on the back of Burns.
Teams NC State has beaten during this run: Duke, North Carolina, Texas Tech and tourney darling Oakland. There is no fluke here. Don’t be surprised if Burns muscles the Wolfpack past No. 2 seed Marquette tomorrow, either.
Read Kyle’s full story here.
Watch This Game
MLB: Cubs at Rangers
7:35 p.m. ET on ESPN
Former Brewers manager Craig Counsell is now manager for a Chicago team with major aspirations. They get to test those against the defending World Series champs in primetime on national TV. Fun.
NCAAM: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 Iowa State
10 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV
What a day indeed. On top of MLB’s opening festivities, we have men’s Sweet 16 games tonight, none more intriguing than this one. The Pulse bracket has the Illini advancing, but the Cyclones have been suffocating thus far in the tourney.
Pulse Picks
The Dodgers had maybe the most impressive offseason in the history of baseball. Ken Rosenthal and Fabian Ardaya put together an incredible hour-by-hour account of how it all happened, with input from players, team executives, country star Brad Paisley and “Office” actor Brian Baumgartner. Yes, all of them.
Atlanta’s Spencer Strider loves striking people out. He also loves … working on stand-up comedy? David O’Brien has a really fun story on the Braves’ Opening Day starter.
Peter Keating and Jordan Brenner are back to explain how, in college basketball’s portal era, offense is the new defense.
The San Diego Wave’s $120 million sale sent shockwaves through the soccer community — and is another sign of the NWSL’s skyrocketing growth.
NFL players are still vehemently split when it comes to the hip-drop tackle. Interesting takes in there.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The story behind Jordan Montgomery’s late — and possibly division-altering — deal with the Diamondbacks.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Chiefs owner Clark Hunt responded to the F- grade the franchise received in the NFLPA’s annual survey. Ouch.
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(Photo: John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
