Andy Johnson
With the 2026 Major League Baseball season now underway, let’s take a look at some of the winners and losers from MLB Opening Day.
Winner: New York Yankees
The New York Yankees had the privilege of playing a standalone game on Netflix against the Giants Wednesday night, and they did not disappoint, winning 7-0. For a team with championship aspirations, New York lived up to the hype, at least on day one.
Winner: New York Mets
The New York Mets revamped their lineup this offseason, bringing in Bo Bichette, Luis Robert, and Marcus Semien to replace Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso. In their first game together, that revamped lineup scored 11 runs off the Pirates, which is even more impressive considering Paul Skenes was on the mound for Pittsburgh.
Winner: Mike Trout
Trout walked three times and hit a home run in one of his two at-bats. He looked fresh in center field, and even stole a base. For a superstar who has dealt with nearly every injury in the book over the past half-decade, it’s a good sign that 2026 could be a comeback season.
Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
How do you follow-up your second straight World Series title? By winning convincingly against your division rivals on Opening Day. The Los Angeles Dodgers did just that, beating the Diamondbacks 8-2. Everyone in their lineup reached base at least once.
Winner: Brandon Lowe
One of the more underrated moves of the offseason was the Pittsburgh Pirates bringing in Brandon Lowe to play second base. Lowe entered Pittsburgh with a bang, hitting two home runs in his Pittsburgh debut.
Loser: Paul Skenes & Oneil Cruz
Skenes allowed five runs in just two-thirds of an inning before being pulled from the game, but it’s hard to blame him for his centerfielder’s mistakes. Cruz made a pair of blunders in centerfield, costing the Pirates two potential outs that could have gotten Skenes out of the inning.
Loser: Chicago White Sox Bullpen
The Chicago White Sox have been the laughing stock of the league for a few years now, and their first impression in 2026 did not look promising. The Brewers defeated Chicago 14-2 in a blowout, scoring ten runs against a weak Chicago bullpen.
Loser: Astros, Reds, Giants
Those three teams failed to score on Opening Day, the only three teams who weren’t able to find runs. The Houston Astros lost to a Los Angeles Angels team with very few expectations for 2026, while the San Francisco Giants looked lifeless in a primetime, Netflix-streaming game.
Loser: Nick Pivetta
Nick Pivetta had an incredible 2025 season, but there was plenty of skepticism that the San Diego Padres‘ starter was a one-year wonder. After all, he had been a league-average pitcher his entire career, before breaking out into Cy-Young contention out of nowhere. The one-year wonder allegations will continue for at least another week, as Pivetta struggled in his first start. He allowed six earned runs in three innings to the Tigers, who took down the Padres 8-2.
