One thing to watch for each team as spring games get underway

All 30 teams will be in action on Saturday for the first time in 2026, offering you as a viewer the opportunity to get caught up with ... well, everyone. Here's one thing to watch per team as the Spring Training schedule officially gets underway.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Okamoto’s Blue Jays debut
Okamoto will play third base for the Blue Jays in their spring opener on Saturday at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., a moment the organization has been looking forward to since he landed in the United States just over a week ago. Okamoto’s offense is his calling card coming over from Japan, but the Blue Jays are most interested to see how he’ll handle third base in the big leagues, particularly given that the ball could be getting on him quicker from right-handed power hitters. We don’t need to see fireworks right away, but a few ground balls looking smooth and easy would be a great start. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: Kremer tunes up for World Baseball Classic
Before leaving O’s camp to play for Team Israel in the WBC, Kremer will log a few starts in Grapefruit League action. The 30-year-old right-hander is slated to start Baltimore’s second game of the spring -- a 1:05 p.m. ET contest vs. Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota (which will air live on MASN). Kremer tossed a team-high 171 2/3 innings last season, one shy of his career high (set in 2023). He’s expected to be a back-end arm for the Orioles’ rotation this year, though they currently have six solid starters and potentially only five spots (unless they decide to roll out a six-man rotation). -- Jake Rill

Rays: Caminero, Aranda prepare for World Baseball Classic
The Rays’ revamped lineup will still be built around their three top hitters from last season: Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz. Expect to see quite a bit of Caminero and Aranda in the early going before they depart to play for their respective countries in the World Baseball Classic. Tampa Bay’s Grapefruit League opener against Atlanta will mark the debut of the new Rays.TV broadcast, and it will be free on the MLB App/MLB.TV for anyone with an account. Prospect T.J. Nichols’ first pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. ET. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Payton Tolle first up in rotation competition
There are many combatants for the fifth spot in manager Alex Cora’s loaded starting rotation, but perhaps none with the upside of Tolle, who is first out of the gate for the Sox in Grapefruit League action on Saturday against the Twins. The big lefty, MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 prospect, was called up during the pennant race last season with mixed results. Improving his offspeed command is his key developmental need. The 1:05 p.m. ET game will be aired on NESN. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: Introducing Carlos Lagrange
The Yankees' spring home opener promises a glimpse of the future, with flame-throwing Carlos Lagrange (pronounced lah-GRAHN-heh) on the mound. Lagrange touched 102.6 mph in a power-vs.-power showdown against Aaron Judge last week, and the Bombers are eager to see how the 6-foot-7 righty handles game competition. (How to watch: YES Network/Gotham app) -- Bryan Hoch

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Guardians: Rotation competition commences
The Guardians have five rotation spots and six starters. Two will pitch Saturday. Logan Allen and Joey Cantillo are scheduled to start vs. the Reds and the Brewers, respectively, as Cleveland opens Cactus League play with split-squad action. While game results will just be one aspect of the Guardians' evaluation, the starters will look to help their case each time out. Saturday will ensure Allen pitches at least once before he joins Panama for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. (How to watch: Guardians TV presented by Progressive) -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: Pitching competition on display
A major theme this spring is how much good depth the Royals have on their pitching staff, which makes the competition in the rotation and bullpen that much stiffer. Two starters vying for a roster spot will get a chance to show off what they can do right away, as Stephen Kolek is scheduled to start Friday’s Cactus League opener against the Rangers, and Ryan Bergert is scheduled to follow on Saturday. Both put together a solid string of starts last season when they were called on to fill holes in the rotation and could force some tough decisions this spring, too. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: Double-play combo
While former Yankee Gleyber Torres returns to George M. Steinbrenner Field, more eyes might be on the other side of the infield, where MLB Pipeline's No. 2 prospect Kevin McGonigle gets the start at shortstop as manager A.J. Hinch tries to get the 21-year-old settled in. McGonigle has an outside chance to crack Detroit’s Opening Day roster and has made an immediate impression in his first Major League camp. (How to watch: MLB TV/Tigers.com) -- Jason Beck

Twins: See Team USA stars while you can
Before long, Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton will be off to represent Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. But on Saturday, Ryan will take the mound as the Twins starter and Buxton is expected to start in center field. Plenty of other regulars are slayed to play as well. The game will be on Twins.TV. -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: Murakami/Montgomery power supply
The White Sox opened Friday at the Cubs, with Munetaka Murakami making his on-field game debut for the South Siders. But with Murakami leaving Thursday to join Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, manager Will Venable wants to give Murakami as much time as needed in Arizona to get him ready for the upcoming heightened competition. Also look for shortstop Colson Montgomery, who hit 21 home runs in 71 games as a rookie in 2025, to start in the White Sox home opener. (How to watch: CHSN). -- Scott Merkin

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

Angels: Soriano’s Cactus League debut
Right-hander José Soriano gets the start against the Dodgers in the first game of the spring on Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Soriano is coming off a solid season that saw him post a 4.26 ERA in 169 innings but is looking to find more consistency in 2026. All of the club’s regulars like shortstop Zach Neto, catcher Logan O’Hoppe and first baseman Nolan Schanuel will be in the lineup except for superstar Mike Trout, who will debut early next week. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Competition in the outfield
After moving Jose Altuve back to second base, Yordan Alvarez being entrenched as the designated hitter, releasing Chas McCormick and trading away Jesus Sanchez, the Astros have openings in the outfield. Cam Smith, last year’s starter in right field, will battle for a job in right or center. Prospect Zach Cole, re-acquired Joey Loperfido and veteran Taylor Trammell can play all three outfield spots, and then there’s Zach Dezenzo, who can play the corners and first base. The only sure thing is Jake Meyers starting in center field. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Leo De Vries
Taking part in his first Spring Training with the A’s, De Vries carries a heavy buzz in camp as the club’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Cactus League action will provide a glimpse of how De Vries fits with this current young A’s core before the 19-year-old shortstop begins the season in the Minors, likely at Double-A Midland, and perhaps pushes for a call to the Majors as early as 2026. -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: No. 1 prospect Colt Emerson
It's not typical that one of the leading storylines for a team with legitimate World Series aspirations is its top prospect, but that's how bullish the Mariners are on Emerson. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has suggested that the 20-year-old will be part of the club's 2026 plans, and potentially as soon as Opening Day. And how the club deploys him in Cactus League games could offer a hint on how they plan to use him, because he can play all over the infield. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: The second base battle begins
Josh Smith is the clubhouse leader to replace Marcus Semien after the Rangers unofficial captain was traded to the Mets this offseason. It may be his to lose, but it’s also far from a done deal. Manager Skip Schumaker has named guys like Ezequiel Duran, Cody Freeman, Michael Helman, Sam Haggerty and more as competitors for the starting spot. -- Kennedi Landry

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: The new veteran contingent
Most of the Braves regulars will make their spring debut during Sunday’s home opener against the Twins. But free-agent acquisition Mike Yastrzemski will make his debut as Atlanta’s primary left fielder in Saturday’s season opener against the Rays in Port Charlotte. Jorge Mateo, Jonah Heim and Eli White are the other veterans who will be in the Braves’ lineup. Veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco will get the start. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: Top 100 prospect Robby Snelling
Snelling, who ranks as MLB Pipeline's No. 39 overall prospect, will start and pitch one inning. The 22-year-old is the organization's reigning Minor League Pitcher of the Year after he compiled a 2.51 ERA in 25 combined starts between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. A non-roster invitee for the second straight spring, Snelling can prove how close to big league-ready he is. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: Brandon Waddell's audition begins
One of the surprise contributors of last year’s pitching staff, left-handed swingman Waddell will start the Mets’ Grapefruit League opener against the Marlins. Although he’s likely ticketed for Triple-A Las Vegas to begin the regular season, Waddell is trying to position himself as a potential call-up option in either a starting or relief role. The game will air on SNY and on the radio at WCBS 880 AM. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: Ogasawara, Eder make spring debuts
The Nationals open Grapefruit League with two-for-one baseball in split-squad games at the Cardinals and hosting the Astros. Left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara will get the start against St. Louis as he prepares for his second season in the Major Leagues. Eder, who was acquired last Trade Deadline from the Angels, will take the mound at home vs. Houston. How to watch: The Nationals home game at CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will be streamed for free on the new broadcast, Nationals.TV. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: First look at Justin Crawford
The Phillies have made a point to say that Crawford must earn his job as the Phillies’ Opening Day center fielder, but all signs point to him. He could get the start on Saturday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. The Phillies don’t need Crawford to be an All-Star in his first year with the Phillies. They just need him to catch the ball and produce enough offensively, likely hitting out of the nine hole. -- Todd Zolecki

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Getting the guys tournament-ready
Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz were all in an early version of the Brewers’ lineup for Saturday’s Cactus League opener against a Guardians split squad. Those are three of the Brewers’ most prominent hitters set to take part in the World Baseball Classic, and they will depart camp to join their teams -- USA for Turang, Venezuela for Chourio and Mexico for Ortiz -- around March 1. Keeping them healthy is obviously a high priority, but the Brewers also want to make sure they log enough live at-bats to perform at a high level. Jeff Levering and Lane Grindle will call the action on the Brewers Radio Network. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: What will JJ Wetherholt do?
In a season that is more about the Cardinals’ future than their present, Wetherholt may be the face of the next great St. Louis squad. The No. 5 prospect in MLB will likely man second base and could make his Major League debut there on Opening Day. One of the best hitters in the Minors, Cardinals fans will be following Wetherholt’s every swing in spring. -- Brian Murphy

Cubs: Matthew Boyd makes spring debut
Ahead of the World Baseball Classic, Boyd is scheduled to take the ball for the Cubs in Saturday’s game against the Rangers at Sloan Park. Manager Craig Counsell wants to quickly get his Classic participants into game action and the 35-year-old Boyd is set to join Team USA in this spring’s tournament (along with teammates Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman). Last year, Boyd turned in a 3.21 ERA and won 14 of his 31 starts in his first tour with the Cubs, making his first career All-Star Game along the way. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: Ryan O’Hearn’s Buccos debut
O’Hearn was the signature signing of a busy offseason for Pittsburgh. He was the first free agent to sign a multi-year deal with the Pirates since starter Iván Nova in the winter prior to 2017. So expectations are high for his bat, but his positional flexibility will also be important to monitor this spring. The subsequent signing of DH Marcell Ozuna increased the odds of O’Hearn spending a lot of time in right field this year. -- Anthony Castrovince

Reds: The fifth spot battle begins in earnest
Three of Cincinnati's four candidates for the final spot in the rotation are scheduled to pitch. It begins with Chase Burns, who made an electric big league debut last season. Expected to follow Burns is Rhett Lowder, the No. 86 overall prospect who missed all of last season with injuries following his own dazzling big league launch in 2024. Julian Aguiar (No. 16 prospect in the organization) is back too after he also missed 2025 recovering from elbow surgery. The Cleveland broadcast of the game can be seen on Reds.TV and heard on 700 WLW. -- Mark Sheldon

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Different story for pitchers vs. hitters
With the Diamondbacks having a number of position players headed out to the World Baseball Classic soon, manager Torey Lovullo wants to get them in games a little quicker than usual. Friday’s lineup looked pretty close to how the D-backs could line up on Opening Day minus the injured Corbin Carroll. It will be the opposite early in games for pitchers with the Diamondbacks using young arms until next week when veteran Michael Soroka will get a start. Until then it will be names some fans might not be familiar with yet like Friday’s starter, right-hander Thomas Hatch. How to watch: The game will be available on Dbacks.TV with Rockies broadcasters calling the contest. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: Yamamoto's first -- and perhaps only -- spring start
World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound to open the Dodgers' Cactus League slate in what will likely be his only game action before departing to join Samurai Japan for the World Baseball Classic. Coming off his heaviest workload as a Major Leaguer, Yamamoto has an even busier year ahead of him with both a Classic title and a World Series championship to defend. How to watch: The spring opener will be broadcast on SportsNet LA, as well as on the radio at AM 570 (English language) and KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish language). -- Sonja Chen

Giants: Hayden Birdsong’s spring debut
The Giants’ Cactus League opener will be a prime opportunity for Birdsong to show that he’s past the command issues that derailed his season last year. The 24-year-old right-hander is expected to start against the Mariners and will have a chance to start building his case for a spot on the 2026 Opening Day roster. How to watch: Tune into KNBR 680 to hear the game broadcast over the radio. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: Rotation battle underway
The Padres’ rotation competition got a lot more interesting with the recent additions of Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez. (Griffin Canning, too, but he’s not expected back from his torn left Achilles until after Opening Day.) Knuckleballer Matt Waldron pitches Saturday, as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season. Waldron is out of options and would be exposed to waivers if he doesn’t slot into one of the two available places at the back of the Padres’ rotation. How to watch: The Padres’ radio broadcast on 97.3 The Fan will be simulcast on Padres.TV. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Gabriel Hughes' spring debut
Hughes (Rockies' No. 14 prospect) pitched a full and healthy season at Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque last year, after missing time because of a 2023 Tommy John right elbow surgery. Expected to be part of the rotation depth picture this season, whether he surprises and makes the team or begins the season at Albuquerque. Hughes will have a chance at a first 2026 impression Saturday, when he pitches in relief against the Diamondbacks in the second Spring Training game. Arizona won Friday, 3-2. -- Thomas Harding