2026 MLB Opening Day live updates: Scores, results, highlights including Mets vs Pirates, Dodgers vs D-Backs

For much of tonight’s season opener, we had a pretty competitive game, but the Dodgers’ offense can only be held down for so long. After Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker had RBI base hits to build a 6-2 lead, Will Smith launched a 418-foot home run at 104.8 mph off the bat.

The Dodgers are now in command of this one, 8-2.

With the Dodgers up 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Kyle Tucker stepped to the plate with Shohei Ohtani on first. On a 3-2 pitch, Ohtani took off running, and Tucker ripped a double into the right-center gap to score Ohtani for Tucker’s first hit and RBI as a Dodger.

He was later driven home on a single by Mookie Betts, an experience we should probably all get used to watching.

Chase DeLauter got into two postseason games for the Guardians last October, but the 16th overall pick in the 2022 draft is making his regular-season debut on Opening Day against the Mariners. And this is how he started it off.

Fascinating is that DeLauter actually would have struck out here had the Mariners challenged a 2-2 ball that clipped the outside corner. Cal Raleigh and Logan Gilbert, though, didn’t risk it with the bases empty in the first inning, and it wasn’t necessarily a bad call as close as the pitch was. Unfortunately for them, DeLauter swatted the full-count pitch 358 feet, just over a leaping Luke Raley.

After Geraldo Perdomo gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, the Dodgers’ offense finally broke through against Zac Gallen. Gallen had allowed just one hit through four shutout innings, but then Max Muncy singled to start the fifth, Teoscar Hernandez followed with an infield single, and Andy Pages drove them all in with a 400-foot home run that left the bat at 100.6 mph.

One more hit would chase Gallen from the game, and then another infield single from Will Smith would put the Dodgers up 4-2 before the inning was over.

After three scoreless innings, Geraldo Perdomo got the Diamondbacks on the board with a 398-foot home run that left the bat at 102 mph.

Perdomo also had a 106.3 mph single in the first inning and is quickly showing that his breakout season in 2025 was not a fluke. The 26-year-old slashed .290/.389/.462 last year with 20 home runs, 98 runs scored, 100 RBI, and 27 steals, but was met with trepidation in fantasy baseball drafts, often going as the 9th shortstop off the board, behind CJ Abrams, Mookie Betts, and others. Perhaps that was a mistake.

On Thursday, all of Munetaka Murakami, JJ Wetherholt, and Carson Benge homered in their MLB debuts. According to MLB’s Sarah Langs, that’s the most players to homer in their MLB debuts on a single Opening Day since at least 1900.

The Dodgers celebrated their 2025 World Series win in style, using Will Ferrell in a skit ahead of their Sunday Night Baseball showdown against the Arizona Diamondbacks on NBC and Peacock. In the skit, Ferrell hoards the trophies so that he can go “back-to-back” before Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas catch him in the act. Ferrell then actually drove Freeman and Rojas onto the field at Dodger Stadium for the Opening Day ceremony.

Once the trophies were presented, the Dodgers unveiled their 2025 championship sign, officially wrapping up the 2025 season and beginning their quest for a threepeat.

Ryne Stanek fired a scoreless ninth inning in his Cardinals debut as St. Louis held on for a wild 9-7 win over the Rays at Busch Stadium. The 34-year-old veteran reliever walked the bases loaded before punching out Richie Palacios to preserve the victory.

It was the JJ Wetherholt show early on as the Cardinals’ top prospect connected for his first home run in the third inning and finished 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI in his highly anticipated major-league debut. The two teams combined for an absurd 14 runs combined in a bizarre sixth inning before failing to score in each of the final three frames.

With less than an hour until Opening Day in Los Angeles, the Diamondbacks have scratched DH Pavin Smith from the lineup with left elbow soreness.

It’ll be utility specialist Tim Tawa taking over at DH and batting ninth. We’ll have coverage starting at 8:00 PM EST on NBC and Peacock.

There haven’t been a ton of iconic moments for Mike Trout in recent years as the Angels have failed to qualify for the postseason in 11 consecutive seasons since 2014. The future Hall of Famer added one to his career highlight reel at Daikin Park by taking Astros reliever AJ Blubaugh deep with a 403-foot blast to left field, breaking up a scoreless stalemate in the seventh inning. It was the fifth career homer on Opening Day after walking in three straight plate appearances to open the contest.

The Angels managed to hang on for a 3-0 shutout victory and are momentarily in the driver’s seat in the AL West. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an overreaction. For all the fantasy managers out there, it’s worth noting that Jordan Romano was summoned by Angels rookie manager Kurt Suzuki to protect a three-run lead in the final frame after Drew Pomeranz worked the eighth inning.

Jake Burger connected for a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning, taking Phillies reliever Kyle Backhus deep for a colossal 438-foot moonshot, as the Rangers mounted a late comeback effort that fell just short in a 5-3 loss to the Phillies on Opening Day.

Phillies closer Jhoan Duran was summoned to record the final two outs of the frame with a run-scoring single by Danny Jansen bringing the potential tying run to the plate with two outs. Duran won a four-pitch battle with Evan Carter, coaxing a game-ending grounder to collect his first save of the year and preserve the win for ace Cristopher Sánchez, who recorded 10 strikeouts over six scoreless frames to open the contest.

There’s making a strong first impression and then there’s whatever Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle just did in his major-league debut. The 21-year-old hitting machine collected four hits, including a two-run double against Padres starter Nick Pivetta in his first big-league plate appearance, finishing 4-for-5 to help lead Detroit to an 8-2 blowout win over San Diego.

McGonigle tallied hits in three consecutive at-bats to open the contest, recording an elite 30.2 feet per-second spring speed on a fifth-inning infield single, in addition to the 105.9 mph double against Pivetta. It’s easy to overreact to one stellar performance. However, McGonigle’s ability generate consistent hard contact, while also displaying elite plate skills, at such a young age makes it easy to envision him being a driving force for Detroit’s lineup for years to come.

His off-the-charts performance overshadowed a strong season-opening outing by ace Tarik Skubal, who struck out six and limited San Diego to just one run over six frames.

Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet shook off a lackluster spring to strike out eight over six scoreless frames, combining with relievers Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman on a four-hit shutout of the Reds. Ceddanne Rafaela delivered the lone run for either side until Trevor Story and Jarren Duran added some insurance runs in the ninth with a go-ahead single in the seventh inning after Reds ace Andrew Abbott held Boston scoreless four six innings in his first-ever Opening Day assignment.

After starring in the World Baseball Classic earlier this month, Red Sox rising star Roman Anthony went 3-for-4 out of the leadoff spot. He was also at the epicenter of a nearly disastrous moment when he scorched a 110.2 mph single that struck Reds top prospect Sal Stewart directly on the wrist. The positive news is that Stewart appeared to have avoided serious injury and was able to remain in the game following the scare.

What is going on in St. Louis? Seriously. The Rays kicked off one of the wildest frames baseball fans are going to see this season by scoring six runs to open up a commanding six-run advantage in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium.

Tampa Bay’s lead didn’t hold up very long as the Cardinals raced back with an eight runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Alec Burleson’s two-run homer put St. Louis back ahead in an inning that featured 22 batters combined in the frame.

This one is setting up to be a wild finish. It’s the perfect appetizer before tuning in to Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks at 8:00 PM EST on NBC and Peacock.

It wouldn’t be Opening Day without a couple major breaking news items. The latest comes out of Chicago where second baseman Nico Hoerner has agreed to a six-year contract extension, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

The deal, which is pending a physical, would keep Hoerner with the Cubs as one of their central cornerstones through 2031. The 28-year-old second baseman was set to reach free agency this coming offseason. He’s averaged eight homers and 31 steals, while hitting .284/.339/.389 in 148 games per-season over the last four years since 2022. It’s the latest long-term agreement for Chicago after finalizing a similar pact with young center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong earlier this week.

In his first outing since signing a six-year contract extension earlier this week, Sánchez became the first Phillies pitcher to record double-digit strikeouts on Opening Day since Curt Schilling accomplished the feat back in 1997. The 29-year-old burgeoning star struck out the side in the sixth inning to close out the 87-pitch masterpiece, scattering three hits over six shutout frames.

The Phillies got to Rangers veteran starter Nathan Eovaldi for five runs, thanks mostly to homers by Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm. It’ll be up to Philadelphia’s bullpen to attempt to preserve the shutout with Sánchez, who finished second in NL Cy Young Award balloting last year, departing in line for his first win of the season.

At 33 years old, Nationals manager Blake Butera became the youngest skipper to win an Opening Day contest in baseball history as Washington got homers from Joey Wiemer, Jacob Young and Brady House in a lopsided 10-4 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Washington’s rebuilding effort is likely to take several seasons but the Butera era, which is fun to say, is off to a stellar start. Speaking of stellar starts, former top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli struck out five and allowed three runs over 3 2/3 innings in his first-ever Opening Day nod. It’s been a welcome development seeing him back and healthy after missing the last few years recovering from serious elbow injuries.

Orioles skipper Craig Albernaz picked up a win in his managerial debut as Baltimore got seven shutout innings from southpaw Trevor Rogers in his first career Opening Day start with new closer Ryan Helsely striking out the side in the ninth inning to preserve a narrow 2-1 victory at Camden Yards.

The only blemish for Baltimore on an otherwise picture-perfect afternoon was that right fielder Tyler O’Neill’s home run streak came to an end after leaving the yard in six consecutive Opening Day contests. The Orioles are a team to watch in a loaded AL East division race after overhauling their starting rotation and also adding elite power hitter Pete Alonso, who went 0-for-3 with a walk in his Baltimore debut.

The Dodgers odyssey to become just the third franchise in major-league history to win three consecutive World Series titles gets underway in Los Angeles with a matchup against the division-rival Diamondbacks at 8:00 PM EST on NBC and Peacock.

There are zero real surprises in the Dodgers’ season-opening lineup, which is anchored by two-way generational talent Shohei Ohtani on the heels of a 55-homer campaign where he captured his fourth MVP Award in the last five seasons.

It’s been a forgettable season opener for the White Sox overall, but Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami delivered a memorable moment, smashing his first big-league homer during the ninth inning of Thursday afternoon’s blowout loss.

The 26-year-old rookie possesses some legitimate contact concerns but also boasts some big-time over-the-fence pop. He arrived stateside with the White Sox after mashing 246 career homers overseas in Japan.

Phillies rookie center fielder Justin Crawford wasted zero time, literally, smacking a single on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues.

The 22-year-old top prospect is the son of longtime Rays standout Carl Crawford. He’ll continue to bat near the bottom of Philadelphia’s lineup but his game-changing speed is going to make him an impactful contributor for years to come. The future is sunny in Philadelphia, it turns out.

Cardinals rookie sensation JJ Wetherholt wasted no time making an impression in his big-league debut, crushing a gargantuan 425-foot blast to straightaway center field against Rays ace Drew Rasmussen in the third inning. The 23-year-old second baseman, who was selected seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, rocketed to the majors as St. Louis’ new top-of-the-order table-setter after hitting .306/.421/.510 with 17 homers and 23 steals in 109 games in the upper minors last season.

It’s been a phenomenal Opening Day for baseball’s top prospects so far with Mets outfielder Carson Benge going deep and Tigers hitting machine Kevin McGonigle scalding a two-run double in his first at-bat in The Show. Just imagine if we had gotten teenage phenom Konnor Griffin at shortstop for the Pirates earlier this afternoon.

Unheralded Brewers slugger Jake Bauers carried his seven-homer spring power surge into Opening Day, taking White Sox rookie reliever Jedixson Paez deep for a three-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning to give Milwaukee a nearly two-touchdown lead at the time.

The mammoth round-tripper traveled 361 feet and left his bat at 108.6 mph, per Statcast. It’s been quite an afternoon for the Brewers with hard-throwing sensation Jacob Misiorowski setting a franchise record with 11 strikeouts against the rebuilding White Sox.

The Diamondbacks begin their quest to unseat the two-time defending champion Dodgers, who have won 12 of the last 13 NL West titles since 2013, with a reshuffled season-opening lineup. After hitting leadoff primarily against left-handers last year, franchise cornerstone Ketel Marte moves into the leadoff spot to face Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a central figure in last year’s postseason run.

Arizona also gets a boost with Corbin Carroll back in right field and batting second after missing most of spring training while recovering from a hamate fracture. The broadcast gets underway at Dodger Stadium is scheduled for 8:00 PM EST on NBC and Peacock.

Kyle Schwarber is picking up from where he left off last year.

Schwarber just took Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi deep for a two-run shot in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Schwarber led the NL with a career-high 56 homers last season. He returned to the Phillies this offseason on a five-year, $150 million contract. His sort of power really is irreplaceable.

We noted earlier that Kevin McGonigle was making his debut for the Tigers this afternoon against the Padres. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact.

In fact, the 21-year-old doubled in his first career at-bat to drive in two runs.

This MLB stuff is pretty easy, it turns out.

The Tigers scored four runs off Nick Pivetta in the top of the first inning. You know, because Tarik Skubal needs the extra help.

The overhauled Mets’ lineup faced a difficult Opening Day assignment in Paul Skenes at Citi Field this afternoon, but they were more than equal to the task, chasing the defending NL Cy Young Award winner in the first inning as part of an 11-7 victory over the Pirates.

Skenes was pulled after giving up five runs in the opening frame. His defense didn’t help him at all, namely Oneil Cruz, who misplayed a fly ball for a three-run triple before losing a ball in the sun.

The Mets’ lineup was relentless throughout the afternoon, working deep counts while piling up nine walks and 11 hits. With Skenes leaving early, the Pirates used seven pitchers on the afternoon.

Carson Benge slugged his first major league homer in the sixth inning while going back-to-back with Francisco Alvarez.

Making his Mets debut, Freddy Peralta allowed four runs over five innings in the victory. He surrendered two homers to Brandon Lowe, who was making his Pirates debut. Ryan O’Hearn also homered in his first game for Pittsburgh.

The Mets lost their last two Opening Day games coming into today, but they are now 42-23 all-time. That’s the best mark of any franchise.

Jacob Misiorowski didn’t throw a 104 mph fastball today, as he was challenged by Pat McAfee earlier this week, but he still did something that no Brewers pitcher has ever done on Opening Day.

My colleague Eric Samulski showed Chase Meidroth‘s leadoff bomb against Misiorowski earlier, but it’s safe to say he settled down from there.

The hard-throwing 23-year-old blazed his way through five innings against the White Sox this afternoon, striking out a franchise-record 11 batters on Opening Day. Below is the 10th strikeout, which ended the fourth inning.

The previous record was eight strikeouts, which was done by Ben Sheets and Freddy Peralta.

Misiorowski threw 94 pitches and induced 25 swinging strikes, which sets a new career-high.

If the Brewers are going to surprise once again this year, Misiorowski is likely to be a huge part of it.

Carson Benge made the Mets’ Opening Day roster with an impressive spring and he’s a stamp on his major league debut today against the Pirates.

After going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and a walk across his first three plate appearances, Benge took Justin Lawrence deep for his first major league home run.

Benge even got a curtain call from the Citi Field crowd. He becomes the second player in franchise history to homer in his MLB debut on Opening Day, joining Kazuo Matsui who did it in 2004.

The damage didn’t stop there, though. Francisco Alvarez followed with a mammoth 429-foot blast and the Mets are officially pouring it on.

It’s 11-5 Mets as we move to the seventh inning at Citi Field.

Despite everything seemingly going wrong for the Pirates, they came into the bottom of the fifth down just 6-4. Yet, as has been the story for this entire game, the Mets worked long at-bats and made consistent contact, which allowed soft hits to break open the game.

Carson Benge drew a one-out walk, Francisco Alvarez singled to center, and Francisco Lindor drew a walk before Juan Soto slapped a single to left.

After Bo Bichette struck out, Jorge Polanco walked to bring in another run, and then Luis Robert Jr. had a check-swing single for an infield hit that scored the third run of the inning and gave the Mets a commanding lead.

It’s Opening Day, a grand tradition. Part of that tradition, at least in recent years, is that Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill slugs his annual Opening Day home run.

It’s honestly ridiculous. O’Neill has homered in six straight Opening Day games, a NL/AL record. The previous record was four straight, held by Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, and Todd Hundley.

O’Neill in the lineup hitting sixth against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan today in Baltimore and we should know better than to underestimate him by now.

Stay tuned.

The White Sox jumped out to an early lead on the Brewers with a solo home run in the first inning. However, the Brewers were able to tie the game in the second before William Contreras came to bat with the bases loaded and ripped a double down the left field line that scored all three runs.

Contreras fell in many fantasy baseball drafts because he hit .260/.355/.399 last season with 17 home runs and six steals. However, we know that he was playing through a thumb injury for most of last season. Now that he’s fully healthy, he could cement himself back as one of the top two catchers in fantasy baseball.

Luis Robert Jr.'s Mets career got started with a crucial 10-pitch walk in the first inning off Paul Skenes to keep the Mets’ rally going.

He then made a diving catch in center field to rob Marcell Ozuna of a hit and added to that solid debut in the fourth inning with a two-strike single off reliever Mason Montgomery to drive in Francisco Lindor and give the Mets a 6-3 lead.

The Chicago White Sox are hoping to turn things around in 2026 after finishing with the second-worst record in baseball last year. While there is some excitement around new additions like Munetaka Murakami and Luisangel Acuna, it was Chase Meidroth who set the tone to start the season, blasting a 417-foot home run off Jacob Misiorowski that left the bat at 107.7 mph.

Meidroth had a solid rookie season for the White Sox last year, slashing .253/.329/.320 with five home runs and 14 steals in 505 plate appearances. A step forward for him in 2026 would be a big boost for this lineup.

Pete Crow-Armstrong just made sure he’s going to be with the Cubs for a long time.

After inking his six-year, $115 million extension with the club earlier this week, PCA was greeted with a loud ovation from fans at Wrigley Field while taking his familiar position in center field prior to today’s opener against the Nationals. A very cool moment to kick off the season.

We just witnessed the first successful ABS challenge in MLB history.

It originally appeared that Freddy Peralta issued a one-out walk to Oneil Cruz in the top of the third inning, but the Mets challenged and the call was overturned and resulted in a strikeout. Cruz is just not having a good day so far.

Brandon Lowe followed with his second homer of the game, so it’s 5-3 Mets at Citi Field.

A stunning turn of events in Queens, as Paul Skenes didn’t make it out of the first inning.

The Mets gave Skenes fits, including a 10-pitch walk to Luis Robert Jr., but the big blow was a fly ball off the bat of Brett Baty which was misplayed by Oneil Cruz and resulted in three runs scoring. Cruz would go on to lose a ball in the sun and let another run score. Just unbelievable.

Skenes also hit a batter and left with two runners on base. He threw 37 pitches before exiting. There’s no other word for it: It’s just shocking.

This is the shortest outing of Skenes’ career. After throwing in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA, there’s no need to push your ace with a taxing first inning. It’s incredibly unexpected, but the right call by Don Kelly.

Brandon Lowe‘s first at-bat in a Pirates uniform couldn’t have gone much better. All he needed was one pitch to put the Pirates on top.

After Oneil Cruz dropped a single into center field, Lowe homered on the first pitch he saw from Freddy Peralta. It juuuuust made it over the right field wall beyond the reach of a leaping Carson Benge, but it all counts the same in the boxscore.

Also, check out the old welder’s mask the Pirates are using for home run celebrations. Just perfect.

Peralta bounced back from the early damage with three straight strikeouts. It’s 2-0 Pirates as we move to the bottom of the first in Queens.

The Pirates and Mets are about to get underway on NBC and Peacock. The lead-in to today’s broadcast was narrated by Bob Costas, as he reminded fans of NBC’s storied history with Major League Baseball.

Is anyone else ready to run through a wall right now?

Player introductions just took place at Citi Field, emceed by longtime Mets announcer Howie Rose ahead of his last season in the broadcast booth.

Here’s a look at the energy in Citi Field ahead of today’s broadcast on NBC and Peacock!

It feels appropriate that we share this with the Pirates and Mets about to get underway on NBC and Peacock in a few moments.

Let’s do this!

The excitement of Opening Day is often about seeing familiar faces in new places. It’s safe to say Orioles fans are pretty excited about this one.

Pete Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles this offseason. The five-time All-Star will bat third against Joe Ryan and the Twins at Camden Yards this afternoon.

JJ Wetherholt and Carson Benge aren’t the only high-profile rookies in the starting lineup for Opening Day.

Kevin McGonigle will bat sixth and start at third base for the Tigers’ opener against the Padres on Thursday afternoon.

McGonigle, 21, won a spot on the Opening Day roster after batting .250/.411/.477 with two homers and six RBI over 20 games. Perhaps most impressively, he had more walks (11) than he did strikeouts (nine).

A look at Citi Field ahead of today’s Opening Day matchup between the Pirates and the Mets.

Don’t forget to tune in at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. It’s going to be special.

Not only did top prospect JJ Wetherholt make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, he’s also hitting leadoff in his major league debut against the Rays.

No pressure, kid. The Cardinals are steering into a rebuild this season, as they parted ways with veterans Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Brendan Donovan this offseason. Hitting Wetherholt leadoff in his debut is certainly a sign to fans that this is a new era.

Wetherholt, 23, is considered the No. 5 prospect in the game by MLB Pipeline. The 2024 first-round pick batted .304/.418/.487 with 17 homers across 138 games in the minors.

The Mets are still making moves on Opening Day.

Pham, who turned 38 in March, previously played for the Mets in 2023. He appeared in 120 games with the Pirates last season while slashing .245/.330/.370 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI.

The Mets recently lost Mike Tauchman due to knee surgery, so Pham provides the organization with some experience and depth to begin the year.

Here’s an Opening Day shocker for you.

The Brewers announced this morning that star outfielder Jackson Chourio was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left hand fracture.

Chourio suffered the injury when he was hit on a hand by a pitch on March 4 while playing in an exhibition game for Venezuela. He played through the issue during the World Baseball Classic, but he’s dealt with some lingering discomfort.

Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that it’s expected to be a 2-4 week absence for Chourio, so things could be worse, but it’s still not what you want to hear on Opening Day.

Blake Perkins has been called up from Triple-A to replace Chourio on the active roster.

Pretty cool note here, as fans taking the 7 Line to Citi Field today will get a chance to ride a vintage subway train.

According to the New York Post, Yankees fans will also be able to take a vintage train to Yankee Stadium for their home opener on April 3 against the Marlins.

The Pirates and Mets kick off Opening Day at 1 p.m. (1:15 p.m. first pitch) on NBC/Peacock, and boy do we have an awesome pitching matchup to watch.

2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes will take the ball for the Pirates while offseason acquisition Freddy Peralta will make his Mets debut.

Skenes has been nothing short of historic to begin his MLB career, posting a 1.96 ERA in 55 starts across his first two seasons. A fun Mets connection here is that Skenes is the first pitcher to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award and NL Cy Young Award in consecutive seasons since Dwight Gooden pulled it off in 1984-1985.

And for the home team, Freddy Peralta will make his first start for the Mets after being acquired from the Brewers this offseason.

Peralta had his best season yet in 2025, posting a 2.70 ERA and 204/66 K/BB ratio in 176 2/3 innings across 33 starts. He’s made at least 30 starts in each of the last three seasons, giving the Mets the front-of-the-rotation starter they missed last year.

We have Opening Day lineups, people.

We’ll start with the Pirates, who have a few new and familiar faces in their lineup. New second baseman Brandon Lowe was acquired from the Rays as part of a three-team trade this offseason. Meanwhile, new first baseman Ryan O’Hearn landed a two-year, $29 million contract. Believe it or not, that’s the largest free agent contract the Pirates have ever handed out to a position player. Marcell Ozuna is coming off a down year, but he provides some serious punch in the middle of the lineup.

The Pirates have the luxury of one of the best pitchers in Paul Skenes, so it’s nice to see these steps toward respectability. If some of their young talent can emerge this season, they could make some noise in the Wild Card race.

And now we’ll turn to the Mets, who underwent a dramatic roster turnover this offseason. You might have heard about it.

The Mets have five new faces in their lineup, including Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr. and top prospect Carson Benge. Bichette and Polanco will both be playing new positions while Juan Soto is making the switch to left field.

Before we preview Pirates/Mets for 1 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock, let’s take a look at the full schedule for today.

Pirates at Mets (1:15 p.m. ET) — Paul Skenes vs. Freddy Peralta

White Sox at Brewers (2:10 p.m. ET) — Shane Smith vs. Jacob Misiorowski

Nationals at Cubs (2:20 p.m. ET) — Cade Cavalli vs. Matthew Boyd

Twins at Orioles (3:05 p.m. ET) — Joe Ryan vs. Trevor Rogers

Red Sox at Reds (4:10 p.m. ET) — Garrett Crochet vs. Andrew Abbott

Angels at Astros (4:10 p.m. ET) — Jose Soriano vs. Hunter Brown

Tigers at Padres (4:10 p.m. ET) — Tarik Skubal vs. Nick Pivetta

Rangers at Phillies (4:15 p.m. ET) — Nathan Eovaldi vs. Cristopher Sanchez

Rays at Cardinals (4:15 p.m. ET) — Drew Rasmussen vs. Matthew Liberatore

Diamondbacks at Dodgers (8:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock) — Zac Gallen vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Guardians at Mariners (10:10 p.m. ET) — Tanner Bibee vs. Logan Gilbert