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The Joe Sheehan Newsletter
Season Preview 2026: Opening Day
March 26, 2026
Zac Gallen hasn’t given up a hit yet. Riley Greene hasn’t struck out yet. Ryan Helsley hasn’t blown a save yet.
The Rockies haven’t lost yet. The Angels haven’t lost yet. The Nationals haven’t lost yet.
Paul Skenes vs. Juan Soto, appx. 1:28 p.m.
No one has flown the W, or raised the Jolly Roger, or hung their 2025 pennant yet. No one has asked for peanuts and Cracker Jack yet, or serenaded Caroline, or thanked god for being a country boy.
Hunter Brown vs. Mike Trout, appx. 4:15 p.m.
You haven’t tasted the hot garlic fries yet. You haven’t wiped sticky pink cotton candy off your daughter’s cheeks yet. You haven’t had that first beer, second pretzel, or third hot dog yet.
Tarik Skubal vs. Fernando Tatis Jr., appx. 4:22 p.m.
Some time today, Pete Crow-Armstrong will turn a triple into an out, and Masyn Winn will turn a single into two outs. Chandler Simpson will go home to second, Trea Turner will go first to third, Kyle Schwarber will go home to home, and Elly De La Cruz will just go.
Jacob Misiorowski will throw his fastball. Nathan Eovaldi will throw his curve. Cristopher Sanchez will throw his change-up. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will throw whatever comes to mind.
Corbin Carroll vs. Will Smith, appx. 8:37 p.m.
Think about being nine years old, bat in your hand, sun in the sky, stirrups pulled up, dreaming of Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, of being in that club. Well, Kevin McGonigle joins the club today. JJ Wetherholt joins the club today. Carson Benge joins the club today. Dreams, held since childhood, come true today.
Andres Muñoz vs. Jose Ramirez, appx. 12:37 a.m.
No one has surprised us yet. Maybe Austin Hays, or Brooks Lee, or Caleb Durbin, the baseball cards you shuffle past hoping to find a Shohei Ohtani or a Bryce Harper, elevates his game for six glorious months.
That’s the thing about Opening Day. We get handed this beautiful present, these 2,430 games over 186 days, and today we open it up and see what’s inside. It’s never the same thing twice. Last-to-first might be in there. 60 homers might be in there. A perfect game might be in there. A ballpark you’ve never been to might be in there. Seven games in five parks in nine days with your dad might be in there.
Joy...joy is definitely in there.
So whether you’re at home with Gary, Keith, and Ron, or shivering in the bleachers at Wrigley, or just taking as much of it in as you can at your desk with three screens and some leftover pizza, enjoy it. It’s Opening Day, and anything is possible.
