The Biggest MLB Hot Takes for the 2026 Season

Read ESPN's article alongside us: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48412525/mlb-2026-season-predictions-early-hot-takes-division-winner-world-series-picks Our episode of last year's hot takes: https://youtu.be/ZHHauzpVVz4 Go to treerolls.com and use code JAKE420 for 25% off your first order.   Our listeners can buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional pairs at warbyparker.com/BAKERS — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad ++++++++++++ 0:00 Last Year's Takes   9:00 Walks Will Be Over 10%   10:50 Former Top Pitching Prospects That Will Break Out   16:30 Yordan Alvarez Will Win MVP   19:00 Manager of the Year Three-peat   20:25 Ben Rice Top-10 MVP   26:00 The Pirates Win the NL Central   34:15 Cleveland Guardians into the World Series   35:45 Chase Burns Cy Young   39:15 Shea Langeliers 50 Homer Season   42:00 Marlins Win NL East & Sandy Alcantara Wins Cy Young   46:50 NBA Play In Games were GREAT     The Biggest MLB Hot Takes for the 2026 Season Breaking Down ESPN's Baseball Hot Takes   Going Through ESPN's Hot Takes from Least to Most Spicy  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Read Jim Bowden's article alongside us: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7186871/2026/04/13/mlb-early-season-trends-long-term-outlook/ Head to https://www.factormeals.com/wakenjake50off to save 50% off your first box! Use our code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/JOMBOY10. Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount Go to treerolls.com and use code JAKE420 for 25% off your first order. ++++++++ Timestamps:   0:00 What Should I Believe In? 3:45 MLB Finally Has Real Parity   5:50 Which Teams Believe They Can Make the Playoffs? 18:15 Can Mason Miller Win the Cy Young?   24:10 Eric Gagne   28:20 Jordan Walker is Finally Breaking Out   33:30 Red Sox Need Another Bat 41:30 Tigers and Mariners Aren't Contenders 45:00 ABS and Robo-Umps   48:50 This Year's Rookies are Good   50:25 Bonus Trend: Walks are the Next Big MLB Topic          Which Teams Believe They Can Make the Playoffs? What Should You Believe In This Early in the MLB Season?   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Head to https://fabletics.com/BAKERS and sign up as a VIP and get $29 denim! Go to treerolls.com and use code JAKE420 for 25% off your first order.   Book your next trip at https://www.bestwestern.com +++++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Crazy Time in the Sports Calendar   3:35 All 30 Teams in 30 Minutes 5:00 Arizona Diamondbacks 6:00 Atlanta Braves 6:55 Chicago Cubs 8:00 Cincinnati Reds 9:00 Colorado Rockies   9:55 LA Dodgers   11:10 Miami Marlins   12:15 Milwaukee Brewers 13:05 New York Mets   14:15 Philadelphia Phillies 15:22 Pittsburgh Pirates   16:25 San Diego Padres 17:25 San Francisco Giants   18:25 St. Louis Cardinals   19:25 Washington Nationals   21:45 Teams That Surprised Us   23:30 The Athletics 24:25 Baltimore Orioles   25:15 Boston Red Sox 26:20 Chicago White Sox 27:20 Cleveland Guardians 28:00 Detroit Tigers 30:20 Houston Astros 30:25 Kansas City Royals   31:40 LA Angels   33:50 Minnesota Twins 35:55 New York Yankees   36:10 Seattle Mariners   37:10 Tampa Bay Rays   38:10 Texas Rangers 39:10 Toronto Blue Jays   41:00 What Else with Detroit? 43:15 Final UConn Thoughts  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Go to treerolls.com and use code JAKE420 for 25% off your first order. Use our code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/JOMBOY10. Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount ++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:45 Biggest Surprises in Baseball   34:35 Baseball Has Overtaken the NBA 41:00 UConn to the Championship Game  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Talkin' Jake and Foolish Bailey link up again to break down this year's Foolish 50 list   New customers get 40% Off with code BAKERS at GLD.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Book your next trip at https://www.bestwestern.com +++++++ 0:00 Intro 1:45 ABS   9:40 Umpires   12:05 Tony Vitello   19:55 PROSPECTS Were STUDS This Weekend   24:15 Olds Had a Rough Time   28:15 Defending the Pennant   35:50 Wrigley Field   39:25 UConn Huskies Beat Duke! 52:30 Venezuela   55:05 These Catchers are Raking.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Head to https://fabletics.com/BAKERS and sign up as a VIP and get eighty percent off everything! Use our code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/JOMBOY10. Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount Use code JOMBOY for 30% off your first month of PropFinder at  https://propfinder.app/c/jomboy +++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:15 Last Year's List 8:00 This Year's List  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Read Kiley McDaniel's article on ESPN alongside us: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48154579/mlb-2026-breakout-stars-every-team-mcgonigle-caglianone-oviedo-weathers Our listeners can buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BAKERS — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad +++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Opening Day is Here!   4:40 Orioles C Samuel Basallo   6:55 Red Sox RHP Johan Oviedo   8:40 Yankees LHP Ryan Weathers   9:50 Rays OF Chandler Simpson 11:45 Blue Jays RHP Cody Ponce (I like Barger)   13:20 White Sox RHP Grant Taylor 14:00 Guardians OF Chase DeLauter   14:55 Tigers SS Kevin McGonigle   16:05 Royals OF Jac Caglianone   16:35 Twins Pitchers   17:55 A's RHP Luis Morales   18:40 Astros RHP Mike Burrows   20:50 Angels RHP George Klassen   22:25 Mariners SS Colt Emerson   24:00 Rangers RHP Carter Baumler   25:40 Braves RHP JR Ritchie 27:15 Marlins RHP Max Meyer 28:35 Mets RHP Christian Scott   30:30 Phillies OF Justin Crawford   31:15 Nationals 3B Brady House   32:50 Cubs RHP Jaxon Wiggins   34:05 Reds 1B Sal Stewart   36:00 What if Eugenio Suarez is the New Marcell Ozuna? 37:20 Brewers LHP Kyle Harrison   39:30 Pirates LHP Hunter Barco   40:20 Cardinals INF JJ Wetherholt   41:10 I Love the NL Central 43:58 Diamondbacks OFs Alek Thomas & Jordan Lawlar   47:05 Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (I Like Zac Veen)   48:45 Dodgers RHP River Ryan   49:35 Padres INF Sung-Mun Song   51:05 Giants LHP Chase Whisenhunt   54:20 March Madness Talk   1:03:40 What's Next? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code BAKERS at takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad +++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:05 Last Year's List 5:25 Making This Year's List  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:10 USA vs. DR   28:20 I Want Aggressive Baserunning 33:15 Terrible Call to End the Game   42:25 QUICK Venezuela vs. Italy Preview 43:20 Filling Out My NCAA Bracket  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.