If you were to caption the upcoming baseball season, you might quote the late, great Alfred E. Neuman, he of Mad Magazine fame (and if you don’t what that was, look it up – great stuff), saying “What, me worry?” while hanging perilously over a cliff. With no net. Blindfolded. The same could be said of Major League Baseball’s approach to the upcoming season, which is the last one under the current collective bargaining agreement. Far be it from me to be the Johnny Raincloud of commentators, but it’s hard not to see the rising storm clouds on the horizon. Both management and the players union are set up to cause a work stoppage next year (or in technical terms, a lockout) as both sides are gearing up for a protracted disruption of the season. The main issue?
Money, of course, as teams want to institute some form of a salary cap, while the players’ union, having benefitted by making hundreds of millions of dollars under the current system, is dead set against it. Who’s right? Well, as usual, both sides have valid claims, but fans don’t care – in fact, they have never cared about whether billionaires (owners) or millionaires (players) are more correct.
Dating back to the early ‘70s, when the first work stoppages came about, under the tutelage of union leader Marvin Miller, the players union has struck multiple times. Or been locked out, depending on your point of view. The acrimony grew to the point where the dispute led to the cancellation of the World Series in 1994, something even a depression and two world wars couldn’t accomplish. Therefore, it’s arguable as to who you think is right, and we are not about to delve into that thicket in this forum. We are about balls, strikes, wins and losses, so let’s get to it.
Locally, the Miami Marlins are gearing up for their second campaign under skipper Clayton McCullough, having finished 2025 with a very respectable 79-83 record, good for third in the competitive National League East. While they haven’t made the post-season but once in the last five years, optimism is running high in Marlins-land, mostly because they didn’t trade their best players after a reasonably successful campaign, something the team has done with alarming regularity over the last 30 years. But 2026 sees the return of their best pitcher (Sandy Alacantara), their best power hitter (Kyle Stowers), and their most intriguing prospect, (SS Otto Lopez), meaning this team could contend well past the All-Star break, a time when fans usually turn their attention to the gridiron and the fates of our college and pro teams. Yes, the NL East is loaded with the Phillies, Brave and Mets expected to contend, but with a little luck, the home team could make some noise come September.
As for the rest of baseball, it’s the usual suspects: the Dodgers, Brewers, Cubs and Padres, along with the NL East contenders all in play. Over in the American league, it’s the Blue Jays, Yankees, Tigers, Mariners, Rangers and Orioles, who could compete for post-season slots. The very fact the Dodgers, who are looking to three-peat, are back again after signing coveted free agents in the off season, only spurs a desire to upend the current economic system. One last point: get used to the ABS, the automatic ball/strike system now in use. Teams will have limited challenges to make about ball and strike calls; just think of it as baseball’s way of moving into the 21st century. Will it work? We’ll see.
In the meantime, enjoy a dog, your favorite beverage, and let’s play ball!