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If this game had taken place two days ago, Skenes would have been lifted after 30 pitches and brought back out for the second inning. Alas, that couldn’t happen in the regular season. Skenes made his own trouble by walking Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. in the first, but the first two hits he allowed were soft singles and the third was a bases-loaded triple that Oneil Cruz misplayed in center. The fourth was a double that Cruz lost in the sun. There was nothing wrong with Skenes’ stuff today, but the Pirates simply couldn’t risk continuing on with him at 37 pitches in the first in the first game of the season. Most likely, Skenes will make his next start Wednesday against the Reds. The Pirates, though, would have the option of bringing him back early if they’d like.

Rodríguez was hitless coming into the ninth inning in his first three games, but he picked a heck of a time to get that first knock. He laced a single to right-center to score Cole Young with two outs to tie the game at 3-3. He also drew a walk, so he’s now hitting .091/.231/.091 over the first three contests. More fireworks for J-Rod should come soon, but it’s worth nothing he’s gotten off to poor starts in each of his previous campaigns.

Muñoz gave up his first run after a throw from Brendan Donovan on a bunt attempt ended up about 40 feet off target to score a run. A batter later, he gave up a two-run shot to Chase DeLauter that was much more quality hitting than a bad pitch from Muñoz. Expect the 27-year-old to bounce back just fine in the coming days, and fortunately only one of the runs is earned for fantasy managers.

Goodness gracious. DeLauter was struggling throughout this game; going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before the tenth. Then he hit his fourth homer in the first three games of 2026, and it came on a 97 mph fastball on the outer-part of the plate from Andrés Muñoz for a two-run shot. There’s regression coming if only because baseball is too hard for a player to be this good, but it’s impossible to not be impressed — and intrigued — by these first three contests.

This game featured two of the better closers in baseball, but neither Smith nor Andrés Muñoz pitched well Saturday night. Smith gave up a double to Cole Young, and with two outs, Julio Rodríguez was able to lash an opposite-field single to score the tying run. Fortunately for fantasy managers, the Guardians scored three in the tenth, so Smith was able to pick up a less-than-deserving win.

Cantillo was able to strike out five and showed decent stuff, but the control was an issue throughout. He walked four, and he needed a whopping 91 pitches to get those 14 outs before exiting in the fourth. There were some good moments from Cantillo in this outing, but not enough to call it a quality fantasy start or really anything close. His second outing comes Friday against the Cubs.

Woo was able to work at least six innings in his first 22 starts of 2025, and he’s able to do it again. He dominated the Guardians for the first five frames, but had some control issues in the sixth that allowed a pair of runs. It’s still a very impressive outing that saw Woo strike out nine, and his overall command was outstanding for the overwhelming majority of the outing. Woo will be back on the bump next week against the Angels, and is a must-start regardless of opponent at this stage.

Freeman doubled home Kyle Tucker to get the Dodgers on the board in the sixth inning. He was hitless over his first two games, and there should be a few more three-hit efforts from the future Hall of Famer before 2026 comes to a close.

Well, that’s one way to celebrate your 31st birthday. With the Dodgers trailing 2-1, Smith smoked a two-run homer that had an expected batting average of .900 to give Los Angeles a 3-2 lead and ultimately the victory. It’s the second homer of the season for Smith, and he should again be one of the best fantasy backstops in baseball. It wouldn’t be a massive upset if he ended up in the top spot.

Diaz needed just 10 pitches to get through the lineup, and he didn’t allow a hit, walk a batter or strike anyone out. Pretty boring, but pretty effective, too. Diaz now has saves in back-to-back outings, so he may not be available for Sunday’s finale against Arizona.

Glasnow was able to work six innings in his first start of the season; in encouraging sign for a pitcher that has at times struggled to get deep in games early in the year. He generate seven swings-and-misses while procuring six strikeouts, while issuing just one walk. Glasnow’s health is going to be something fantasy managers monitor for the rest of his career, but when he’s on the bump, there aren’t many better. He shouldn’t have any issue handling the Washington lineup next weekend.